Cycle World – August 2019

(Brent) #1

/ PHOTOS /


BEING


THERE


A first-timer explores the everyman


Quail Motorcycle Gathering


By PETER EGAN / Photography by JEFF ALLEN


The dream, I suppose, would have
been to thunder up the Coast High-
way and arrive at the Quail Motor-
cycle Gathering on some glorious
beast such as a Brough Superior or
a Black Shadow.
Alas, we were not astride one of
those legendary bikes because, well,
that would have taken a lot of mon-
ey and careful planning. Instead,
Barb and I rode a BMW R 1250 RT.
I wasn’t sure if a civilized high-
tech bolide like the Beemer would
be quite in the spirit of the event,
but when we finally pulled into the
Quail Lodge parking lot it looked
as if the world’s most exquisite
collection of vintage motorcycles


had been infiltrated by a BMW
GS owner’s club. There were lots
of modern sportbikes as well. We
parked next to a Ducati 950 Mul-
tistrada and checked in.
After breakfast Friday, we took
off on the 110-mile Quail Ride with
about 100 bikes of every descrip-
tion—including a Lambretta scoot-
er. One of the key features of the
Quail gathering has always been
its unsnooty, ecumenical approach,
where everything is welcome. One
of the founders and the key orga-
nizer of this event, Gordon McCall,
told me, “We try to make this
everybody’s show.”
As I rode back south after the
show, all I could think was, “Next
year I’ll bring...” Q

T


RIGHT:The Best of Show was a 1969
Honda CB750 Sandcast, owned by
Californian Sam Roberts.

12 / CYCLE WORLD

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