Top Ten Sights & Fun in the sun for thousands of riders at Slimey Crud Motorcycle Gang Café Racer Run Spring 2017
The forecast was for severe clear and cool conditions over southern Wisconsin for Sunday, May 7, so riders came out in droves for the spring running of the Slimey Crud Motorcycle Gang Café Racer Run.As is our custom, we’d like to share some of the best (in our humble opinion) sights, bikes, trikes and sidehacks from that event. For background, visit our other story on the Slimey Crud Motorcycle Gang Café Racer Run.
There are no rewards for those we choose to feature here, unless one deems the recognition reward enough. Our selections are really arbitrary and capricious based on criteria that are inconsistent and totally subjective.But, we know what we like—at any given moment—and that’s really how we picked this crop. Disclaimers completed, we give you the top 10 sights of the spring 2017 Slimey Crud Motorcycle Gang Café Racer Run.Best Slimey Crud Motorcycle Gang Café Racer Run Turnout1—Best turn-out ever: Cloudless skies and cool temperatures brought thousands of riders to both Pine Bluff and Leland resulting in bikes parked well outside the downtown areas of both. There was a consensus of SCR regulars that this was the mother of all crowds. Despite the mammoth turn-out, there were no traffic jams because the riders don’t move as a group—it’s all up to the individual rider when and which way to go.Best American Classic2—Best American Classic: This 1927 Indian Scout 45 had people stopping in their tracks. In its day, it was one of the fastest motorcycles money could buy. Prior to 1927, the Scout displaced 37 cu. in. but displacement was bumped up to 45 cu. in. in 1927 to make the Scout a viable competitor with Harley-Davidson and Excelsior-Henderson in both the showroom and the track.Best Non-Original Kawasaki3—Best non-original Kawasaki: This ain’t your Grand-daddy’s Kwaker. With a chromed-up super swingarm and rigid struts in place of rear shocks, this green meanie is purpose-built for touring America a quarter mile at a time.Best Adapted Sportster4—Best adapted Sportster: The passion for the open road can overcome major obstacles and this Sportster is powerful proof. Adapted to overcome disability, this Sportster epitomizes the Harley-Davidson marketing slogan from the early seventies, “The Great American Freedom Machine.”Best Sidehack5—Best Sidehack: This Electra-Glide sidecar rig caught the attention of a lot of riders thanks to its striking crimson and white livery. Ural sidecars were in evidence in larger number than in the past, as well, but this rig was hard to top.Best Vintage Triumph6—Best vintage Triumph: This beautiful 1970 Triumph Bonneville has its origins with Lyall Sharer’s Triumph dealership. Sharer’s is no longer in the business, but was one of the first Triumph dealerships in Wisconsin. Lyall was a very successful tuner and racer and though this example looks innocently stock, it is bored, ported, cammed and balanced. It was also for sale!Best Vintage BSA7—Best vintage BSA: As in the past, a number of BSA faithful showed up in the mass of riders, but this 650 Lightning had that original feel and class.Best BMW Toaster8—Best Beemer Toaster: This 1972 R75/5 wasn’t the only toaster tank BMW to show up for the Crud Run, but it was the best. The chrome-plated panels on the tank and chromed side covers were only offered in ’72 and some say not to the taste of some riders, but as this example shows, the design is striking.Best Classic Euro Singles9—Best Classic Euro Singles: In the true spirit of the café racer run, these two single-cylinder Europeans set a very high standard for café racer lean functionality and classic, simple beauty. A Ducati four stroke and Bultaco two stroke, they reflect the state of the art in their respective engine type for their day.Best Drag Bike10—Best Ducati Drag Bike: Ok, we realize this was the only true, full-on, all-out drag machine of any brand, let alone Ducati. Land speed and drag racing master, Bill Whisenant, also owner of Motorcycle Performance in Madison, Wisc., was on hand with this land-based quarter mile missile and fired it up; this also fired up the crowd.The next running of the Crud Run happens on the first Sunday in October (Oct. 1), so if you’d like a chance to pick out your own top ten best sights at the run, save the date!For more of our coverage of Slimey Crud Run events, check out:
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.
My name is Arthur Coldwells.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Discover how the YZF-R7 provides the perfect balance of rider comfort and true supersport performance by checking it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or see it for yourself at your local dealer.
This week’s episode features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the beautiful new Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST that is loosely based around the original FXRT Sport Glide from the 1980s. Hailing from The Golden State, these cult-status performance machines became known as West Coast style, with sportier suspension, increased horsepower, and niceties including creature comforts such as a tidy fairing and sporty luggage.
In past episodes you might have heard us mention my best friend, Daniel Schoenewald, and in the second segment I chat with him about some of the really special machines in his 170 or so—and growing—motorcycle collection. He’s always said to me that he doesn’t consider himself the owner, merely the curator of the motorcycles for the next generation.
Yet Daniel is not just a collector, but I can attest a really skilled rider. His bikes are not trailer queens, they’re ridden, and they’re ridden pretty hard. Actually, we have had many, many memorable rides on pretty much all of the machines in the collection at one time or another.
From all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
