Another Trip To Brooklyn Invitational

BROOKLYN – Have you ever been to a place, maybe a restaurant or a bar, and had a good experience but figured another visit was needed before making it a regular habit or haunt? I’m that way with motorcycle events. Most are largely the same every year. Miss a year or two after attending once and you haven’t missed much.

Over the years and among the many, I’ve been to Americade in Lake George, N.Y., Laconia Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire, the Rice-O-Rama and IMOC (Italian Motorcycle Owners Club) meets in Massachusetts, the Rhinebeck Grand National Meet, also in New York, and Brit Jam and Middletown Motorcycle Mania here in Connecticut.

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SmugMug gallery of the Brooklyn Invitational by Bob Rosen here. 

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Only the Rhinebeck vintage show in June and Brit Jam in August have become yearly traditions. Recently, though, the Brooklyn Invitational in mid-September got added as an annual must-see event, the traffic on the parkways be damned. I wrote about it a year ago after friend Bob Rosen invited me to spend a Saturday roaming the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn and admiring the custom motorcycles on display at the Brooklyn Invitational.

Guess what? A second visit with Bob on Sept. 19 sealed the deal, despite the fact that I’d tweaked my lower back and severe muscle spasms made walking difficult. Of course, it required “post-game” treatment in the form of a pint of cider at the Kent Ale House.

If you’ve never been to Brooklyn or to a motorcycle show – go there!

The reasons are plentiful, and include the food, the machines and the energy of streets, all with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. Bob and I had planned to start the morning by checking out a 2011 Suzuki GSX1250FA that a private owner had for sale. When we arrived at the garage alongside the East River, the owner couldn’t found, so we wandered down to the ferry dock at Schaefer Landing and took pictures of the skyline.

After that, we cruised by Jane Motorcycles. It’s a trendy espresso stand and high-end motorcycle apparel shop that has motorcycles displayed inside and parked outside at the curb. Jane had moved to 396 Wythe Ave. since our previous visit and we wanted to see the new digs. A sandwich board on the sidewalk noted “Free Espresso with Purchase of Motorcycle.”

Food beckoned next, so we headed to Smorgasburg, the pop-up outdoor food market that’s at East River State Park, 90 Kent Ave. at N. 7^th St. Dozens of vendors sell all types of exotic food. You can get duck, lamb belly skewers, blackened salmon burgers and pierogies. I opted for Philly cheesesteak sliders. Bob had fried anchovies. Yuck.

Bob and I then walked seven blocks north to the Root Gallery, 131 N. 14^th St. The Brooklyn Invitational wasn’t due to open until 1 p.m. and it was only noonish. What to do? We adopted a New York attitude, acted like we knew where we were headed and walked in the front door with some vendors. The gallery where roughly 30 custom bikes were getting prepped for the show was only a few footsteps away.

Inside the gallery, Oliver Jones was polishing a squat black chopper of his own design, based on a 1969 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead. Jones operates Cut Rate Motorcycles in Long Beach, Calif. “You’re looking at nine months of hell,” he said, referring to the build process. Jones has been invited to all seven Brooklyn Invitational shows. “The interesting thing about this show is that it’s an eclectic mix of bikes, and the setting is different from being in a dusty field or parking lot,” he said.

Oliver Jones prepares for the show

Jones’ assessment is spot-on. While the motorcycles are all one-off models, they represent many different styles and brands. They are shown in a gallery setting. Assembled on the floor were bikes ranging from Victory’s Project 156 racer designed by Roland Sands for this year’s “Race to the Clouds” at Pike’s Peak to heavily-modified old Indians.

First-timer Tony Prust from Analog Motorcycles in Chicago was invited to show his “Continental Scout,” based on a 1949 Indian Scout. The bike appears to be silver and maroon but in chatting he advised a closer look would reveal that the silver portion wasn’t painted, rather highly-buffed aluminum that had been clear-coated. Upon inspection, minute scratches could be seen.

Tony Prust and his “Continental Scout”

Not just any motorcycle gets displayed at the Brooklyn Invitational. As the name suggests, builders/owners from across the country must be invited. “It’s whatever we think is the best work being done. There are no hard-set guidelines,” explained one of the four founders of the event, John Copeland.

Jeff Schad, another of the founders, added, “We spent a lot of time going over the bikes curating the show.” Diversity is sought. “It’s broadening our knowledge, so it challenges us to look at everything. You start to appreciate craftsmanship at different levels.”

What also sets the Brooklyn Invitational apart is that there are no trophies awarded and no “Best in Show.” “We treat every bike exactly the same. The award is being in the show,” said Schad.

Bob and I spent more than an hour snapping pics, but once the show opened, we headed back outside to check out the hundreds of motorcycles parked on the neighboring streets, which had either been closed or largely restricted to motorcycle traffic.

Indian Larry’s

A portion of N. 15^th St. near Indian Larry’s was blockaded for vendors and motorcycle parking.  In the distance, rising above the low-slung buildings on the street was the Empire State Building.

By this time, my back required attention, so we backtracked to the Kent Ale House. After treatment, we did hook up with the seller of the Suzuki. Bob looked but didn’t buy.

On the other hand, I certainly bought into a day-trip to Brooklyn on a sunny, warm September day as a splendid way to mark the pending end of another riding season – an adventure that even non-riders would enjoy.

(Originally published in “The Republican-American” on Sept. 26, 2015.)