An Overflow Crowd at Middletown Motorcycle Mania

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

They came from all over Connecticut and beyond, packing downtown and the side streets, parks and parking lots as well. Thousands of riders brought their bikes to the 7th annual Middletown Motorcycle Mania this evening. (The above picture was taken before the crowd became elbow-to-elbow.) It was a polite and friendly crowd and – as you’d expect – everyone was willing talk about their ride.

Salomon Rodriquez of West Haven brought his customized 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa with its personalized “Tiger 1” license plate.

Rodriquez has owned the bike for three years, and the big cat paint design was his idea. He said it took three months of careful airbrushing to get the paint just right.

Can’t help but wonder what it would be like to look in your rear-view mirror and see this superbike bearing down on you?

Also showing some teeth was Sid Werthan’s “still in progress” 1973 Honda CB550. Sid’s a metal sculptor by profession – his website can be found here – and applied his skills in making the one-off bike old school. “I’m not a bike builder,” he said.

The bike uses rebar for the bracket for the ammo can luggage. Werthan, who lives in Guilford, found the bike six years ago in a barn in Maryland – after the hay loft had collapsed on it. Quite cool.

Not showing teeth, but displaying plenty of personality was Dakota, the boxer who accompanied Dan Wade of Bozrah to the show. Wade rode his 1938 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead and Dakota rode in the sidecar.

Wade said Dakota rides “all the time, whenever he can. If I leave the house without him, he has a fit. We get mobbed wherever we go.” And that was true at Middletown Motorcycle Mania, too.

Richard Hester of Milford was an early arrival on his bright green 2004 American Iron Horse Slammer. He wasn’t able to ride it to last year’s event because it was in the shop, but he did today.

Jimmy Broadbrook of Prospect rode in on his blue 2007 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom.

Some bikes at Middletown Motorcycle Mania don’t need to be described. The picture tells all.

Certainly a fun night and a successful one as evidenced by the overflow crowd. The multi-block event makes Weirs Beach at Laconia Motorcycle Week look tiny.