Motorcycles fill Q-C for swap meet

Font Size:

By Mary Louise Speer | Saturday, August 30, 2008 12:08 AM CDT | () comments

All types of Antique motorcycles are for sale this weekend at the 37th annual motorcycle swap meet at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. (Larry Fisher/QUAD-CITY TIMES) Buy this Photo

Back in 1971, a handful of people showed up at an antique motorcycle swap meet.

Today, the Chief Blackhawk Chapter expects to attract 15,000 to 20,000 people from across the globe to the 37th annual Antique Motorcycle Club of America’s Fall National at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport.

“One of the things that is truly amazing is people come from all over the world. For the first time in the event’s history, we have a Japanese vendor,” said Delbert Schumacher, local chapter president.

Vintage motorcycles built under the Harley-Davidson, Indian, Triumph, Excelsior, Honda and Yamaha labels and their parts are offered by more than 500 vendors, along with a field meet and games, banquet, motorcycle judging, vintage racing and technical seminars.

Vendor Yukio Sakuma of Japan became interested in Harley-Davidsons 20 to

25 years ago. Definitely, there’s a demand for the classic American motorcycle in his country. Production of the Rikuo, a Japanese-built Harley-Davidson, took place during the 1930s to 1950s.

“I have a shop in Japan, and I came here around 15 years,” Sakuma said. “We came here

BIKES

Continued from Page B1

to find parts for bikes, everything.”

His Web site includes text in Japanese characters and English. Sakuma’s love for antique bikes translates in images of his restored 1952 racer and other cycles, some with original paint.

Ian Pryde, a detective inspector for the New South Wales police force in Australia, is a private collector and restorer of antique motorcycles. This is his first visit to Davenport and the United States.

“I’ve been involved with Indian rider bikes for a long time. I heard about this swap meet and how good it is and how many parts there are. I had to come out and experience it,” he said.

His collection features Indian cycles from 1915-51, including a beautifully restored 1915 Hedstrom. The most challenging part of restoration is gathering the necessary parts. “That’s why I’m here,” he said.

Piotr Gerber, a visitor from Poland, is the founder of the Lower Silesia Mining and Railway Museum at Jaworzyna Slaska and author of 50 articles and books on protection, conservation and adaptation of Poland’s industrial heritage.

The museum has a motorcycle department and he’s completed a restoration of a 1924 Harley-Davidson. “It’s beautiful and now it’s a riding bike,” he said proudly.

He brought with him some vintage photos of motorcycle scenes taken in his native country during the early 20th century.

“It is second time, here (in Davenport). Now I’m looking for some parts that I need for my bikes,” he said. “It’s fantastic. First, I can meet a lot of interesting people. Second, I can see a lot of old bikes, parts, but people are most interesting. Bikes are memories.”

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.