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AMERICADE BECKONS

BIKERS TO LAKE GEORGE

By BUD WILKINSON

     LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. – Riding to Americade, it’s easy to tell when you’re getting close to Lake George because motorcyclists coming in the opposite direction don’t indulge in an obligatory wave when going by. They’re not being impolite. It’s just that there are so many motorcycles heading into town that they’d never have a hand on the left grip or clutch if they waved to everyone.

     Touted as the “World’s Largest Touring Rally,” Americade kicked off Monday and runs through tomorrow, offering more than 50,000 riders the opportunity to buy accessories for their bikes, attend safety seminars designed to improve riding skills, take demo rides and, weather-permitting, simply enjoy the relaxing scenery of upstate New York.

     “It’s much more than just a happening. It’s a concerted effort,’ said Christian Dutcher, whose father, Bill, started what was then a Honda event known as Aspencade in Lake George in 1983. The name changed to Americade in 1986 and the event has grown over the years, now having an estimated $40 million economic impact on the area.

     Dutcher explained that the “concerted effort” comes from both participants and staff. Unlike other large motorcycle events, which attract spur-of-the-moment attendees, many riders to Americade register well in advance. To accommodate them, Americade has a fulltime staff of 12, augmented by 220 volunteers during the event.

     “We call this ‘the mellow event.’ This is a little calmer and the people who come here are calmer,” said Hal Greenlee, who owns Honda motorcycle dealerships in Ohio and Florida and who sells accessories online at Hondadirectline.com.

     While Americade activities are spread throughout the area – demo rides by bike makers from BMW to Yamaha are done at Roaring Brook Ranch, for instance – the TourExpo site on the shore of Lake George is a magnet for bike owners looking to accessorize, upgrade or customize their rides.

     That’s where Greenlee was, standing outside the Hondadirectline.com tent. Behind him, customers were lined up a dozen deep at the register. “It’s good event and the people who put it on do a great job of organizing,” he said.

     Tire makers Avon, Dunlop and Metzler have stalls to install new rubber. Seat builders Corbin, Mustang and Ultimate have booths where you can give your butt a test sit. At the Cyclegadgets.com booth you can get GPS for your bike starting at $825 as well as a mist bottle for keeping your helmet smelling fresh.

     From fender extensions to wind screens and luggage to leathers, the TourExpo has it. You can even find Rider Skin Cream. 

     “It helps hold the moisture in your skin. It helps keep your skin from becoming dehydrated in the wind,” explained Bobbie Meadors, whose Springfield, Missouri-based company, CycleCare Formulas, sells motorcycle cleaning, conditioning and polishing products. She has been coming to Americade for 14 years.

     This is the sixth year at Americade for Tina Hollaender, owner of Cincinnati-based Motolight, and she brought along her dog, named Triumph after the motorcycle make that she rides, to help greet customers. She said the sport-touring riders that Americade attracts are “looking for riding gear, lighting, things that are going to make them safer on the road.”

     On Tuesday, before the rain arrived on Wednesday, Hollaender’s only complaint that was that business was too good. “I need more installers,” she said.

     Wayne Trivaudey of Torrington rode up to buy a trailer hitch for the 2006 Honda Gold Wing that he recently purchased, but also bought a trunk handle and wind deflectors for his mirrors. “For aftermarket accessories for your Honda, Harley or whatever, this is the place to go to get them,” he said.

     One section of the TourExpo is devoted to custom paint and pin-striping. At his booth, self-described “Lightning Artist” Terry L. Bottjen from Faith, South Dakota, was the painting the Geico gecko on a 2002 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic owned by Walt Dwy of Waterbury.

     Dwy and wife, Lianne, are first-timers to Americade. They arrived Monday and plan to stay through Sunday. “We like the vendors,” said Dwy, adding that he has been especially impressed by “the organization. I can’t think of anything they haven’t covered. They know what they’re doing. One of the most organized I’ve ever seen.”

     Bottjen, who estimated that he’s painted some 10,000 motorcycles in 35 years of adding art to vehicles with two, four and as many as 18 wheels, specializes in doing landscapes and said customers often bring him specific scenes to add to their bikes. “”It’s more personal to them,” he said.

     Whether you’re there to shop or merely to browse, the TourExpo, and Americade in general, projects a friendly atmosphere, and it not uncommon to frequently find yourself talking with a stranger about motorcycles.

     That goes for the vendors, too, who seem more intent on providing information than in arm twisting. “Meeting the people, meeting customers is more important than selling product,” said Greenlee.

     “I think the city has a lot to do with it,” added Jerry Meadors of CycleCare Formulas, referring to the overall atmosphere at Americade.

     Indeed, the official program of 2006 Americade contains welcoming letters from the mayor of the Village of Lake George and the supervisor of the Town of Lake George. Dutcher reported that elected officials from Laconia, New Hampshire were due in this week to study the success of Americade in advance of Laconia Motorcycle Week, which kicks off Saturday.

(Originally published June 9, 2006 in "The Republican-American")

A Lake George cruise boat provides the backdrop for the thousands of parked motorcycles, whose riders have come for Americade to samples the exhbits of vendors.

"Lightning artist" Terry L. Bottjen at work, above, while below, Motolight owner Tina Hollaender shares a fun moment with her dog, Triumph.  

Save the dates!

June 2-7, 2008