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A Day at Biketoberfest -
Daytona Beach, October, 2001
The temperature was
Forty-six degrees when I thumbed the starter on the bike at 6:30 AM Friday
morning. I knew the temperature would warm as I rode south during the day, and
that the heavy leather jacket, winter riding gloves, “long johns” and chaps
would be overkill by then, but they were a necessity now. The plan for the
weekend was to ride to Jacksonville on Friday, where I would connect with a
long-time friend and riding companion Susan, before riding down to Daytona Beach
on Saturday to spend the day at Biketoberfest.
My route to Jacksonville
would be a direct one, I-75 to I-16 in Macon, exiting on State Road 23, then
heading southeast across the state of Georgia. While being the most direct, this
route would still allow for a bit of sightseeing in the rural Georgia
countryside. On Saturday we would eschew the interstate in favor of the 90 odd
mile ride to Daytona on A1A, giving more opportunity to enjoy the scenery as we
rode south.
As expected, the first
hours of the trip were cold. Even with winter riding gear, the mid-forties
temperatures and wind-chill factor at highway speeds made the ride uncomfortably
cold. With a forecast for a warming trend in Georgia and typical warm weather in
Florida, I expected the remainder of the weekend’s riding to be more enjoyable.
By the time I got to Macon the morning chill began to end with the rising sun.
I enjoyed the leisurely
pace southeast, stopping occasionally for fuel and coffee, with one inadvertent
stop for lunch in the small town of Callahan, Georgia, when I got caught behind
a high school homecoming parade. I had been removing winter riding gear on
various stops along the way. Now, with 80 plus degree temperatures and high
humidity, even the denim shirt, leather vest and lightweight gloves I was
wearing seemed excessive.
I arrived in Jacksonville
by mid afternoon. A quick stop for a phone call and I met friend Susan at her
office. Friday night was spent unwinding from the day’s ride, meeting new people
and taking in a few of Jacksonville’s nicer pubs and clubs. A great start to the
weekend.
Saturday morning it was off to Daytona. We detoured to St. Augustine to pick up
a friend of Susan’s named Jessica before heading south. Susan’s bike had only a
solo seat, so I would have the pleasure of having Jessica as my riding companion
for the weekend. After a stop for lunch at the Sunset Grill in St. Augustine, we
continued south on A1A as planned.
A1A is like most of the
roads in Florida - straight, flat and generally unchallenging, but the unspoiled
ocean view contributes to a serene laid-back feel making it an enjoyable ride.
As expected, a high volume of two-wheeled traffic crowded the road, and the
parking lots at every pub, restaurant, gas station and convenience store on the
way were filled with motorcycles. The traffic on A1A moved at a decent pace
however, and we arrived
 in Daytona shortly after noon. Here it became
"stop-and-go", giving the clutch hand a real workout. The heat of the day also
caused engine temps to rise, and while my bike has an oil cooler, I could still
feel the excessive heat radiating off the engine. Susan rides a Harley Sportster,
and I’m sure the air-cooled engine on her bike was suffering as well.
Surprisingly, the traffic
delays were not as bad as I had expected, probably because of our fairly late
arrival and less-used route into town. It wasn’t long before we were able to
park the bikes near Daytona’s Main Street - the center of activity during the
week of Biketoberfest.
We spent the day walking
Main Street, taking in the sights, checking out vendor’s wares, and watching the
incredible number and assortment of bikes and constant motorcycle traffic.
Although the largest percentage of the bikes I saw were Harley Davidsons,
motorcycles of every vintage and type were on hand. Many showed off gorgeous
custom paint and chrome work, which I am sure represented thousands of dollars
worth of cost and ‘sweat equity’. License tags on many bikes indicated that some
had ridden
 a very long way to be here. One very “vintage” Harley I saw - a
mid-sixties model - sported ape hanger handlebars and a chopped front end with no front brakes. What further distinguished this bike is that
it was missing the protective cover over the drive belt that connects the engine
to the transmission, exposing the rider’s left ankle to the spinning belt inches
away. The road grime and general wear indicated that it had been ridden here,
not carried by trailer. The bike had a Wisconsin license tag.
If you were looking for a
good deal on leather riding gear, this was the place for it. The majority of
vendors carried leather jackets, vests, chaps and jeans and riding boots at very
reasonable prices, as low as half the price I'd seen advertised elsewhere. Along
with the leather gear were, goggles, sunglasses, “dew rags”, women’s riding
gear, helmet stickers, Biketoberfest ‘T’- shirts, tattoo artists, et al.
Entertainment for the day
included rock bands in most of the bars, whose repertoire included the expected
classic rock tunes by Steppenwolf, the Doors, and the Doobie Brothers. Another
form of entertainment, at least for the gentlemen riders
 of the day, included
observing the lady’s choice of riding fashions. From fishnet tops over leather
bras, to leather chaps worn over a leather thong bathing suit (my personal
favorite) to very little at all, much of the woman’s garb left little to the
imagination. One woman I observed sported only an airbrushed eagle over a naked
torso, with many onlookers in appreciation of the patriotic display. Signs
posted everywhere asked that gentlemen, however, not remove their shirts.
Even in the early
afternoon, the bars were full to overflowing, as besides the lure of a cold
brew, these were the only establishments with air conditioning. Even in October,
with thousands of people walking the street and heat radiating off as many
motorcycles, Daytona’s ‘Main Street’ was as hot as any summer day. Susan,
Jessica and I stopped in a local watering hole to cool off. After a while, I
went looking for the men’s “facilities”, but found only those designated for
women. Asking a bartender, I was directed out the back door where rows of
'port-a-johns' were set up. As I walked out, a surly gentleman with a portable
card table containing men’s toiletries was directing people like a traffic cop,
pointing to empty stalls. When patrons exited and headed back towards the bar,
he shouted “Hey… hey!” holding up a tip jar expecting compensation for his
expert direction. I for one appreciated his invaluable assistance - I may not
have found a va cant port-a-john without his help.
The remainder of the day
was spent walking the street, stopping for photographs and taking in the entire
scene, before getting back on the bikes by late afternoon and heading north once
again. A stop for dinner at an Italian restaurant on the way and we were back in
Jacksonville by day’s end.
Sunday was spent riding
in the Jacksonville area, checking out the local roads and rides, and having one
more great night out dancing and partying up a storm at the beach clubs with my
Jacksonville friends until the wee hours, before getting up and riding home on
Monday morning. My chosen route home would be I-10 west to I-75 north, exiting
on State Road 41 at Hahira, Georgia, to allow some riding time through the
Georgia countryside. This is another worthwhile detour, as Hwy 41 follows I-75
all the way to Atlanta, with open country road offering interstate riding speeds
and far better scenery than I-75 can offer. The small towns only add flavor to
the ride, giving a timeless 'Mayberry' feel along the route. I got back on the
interstate at Macon, and was home by 6:30 PM. Special thanks to Susan, Jessica,
and my new friends in Jacksonville, who made this a great experience and fun
riding weekend.
Hey ladies, you know Bike Week is in March, right? Copyright
Philip A. Buonpastore, Reprint by Permission 2006
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