Putting “SPARK!” in Bethel Bike Night

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

BETHEL – Adam Zuckerman’s business card lists his title as the “Organizer/Grand Poobah” of the “Fuel, Air … SPARK! Motorcycle Night.” As he does on the third Wednesday of every month, Zuckerman circulated and warmly greeted the riders who came last night to the Molten Java Coffeehouse, 213 Greenwood Ave., to admire the variety of bikes and to swap stories.

“We do it year-round, regardless of the weather. We do bike movies if it’s bad weather,” said Zuckerman, who has been hosting the SPARK! gathering since 2008. It began at the Blue Z Coffeehouse in Newtown and later moved to Molten Java.

Anywhere from 25 to 45 riders usually show up between 7 to 9 p.m. , and last night was no exception. RIDE-CT.com arrived a bit early, had a tasty bowl of red beans and rice, and then took a stroll downtown to kill time.

Eventually, the motorcycles began arriving, a mix of old and new, and everything from Japanese, Italian and British brands to a few American-made ones.  Zuckeman said he created Spark! to be a gathering “where you could ride in an any bike without having an ignorant lummox say, ‘If it ain’t a Harley, it ain’t shit.’ We want to draw an eclectic crowd in a no-alcohol environment.”

The early sunset and the nip in the air didn’t deter attendance. Some riders parked next to the coffeehouse. Others lined up on the street. One bike that RIDE-CT.com had never seen before was a vintage Honda GL500, a small (by today’s standards) tourer from the 1980s that used the engine from the CX500.

What’s most impressive about SPARK! is the friendliness of the riders. Whether congregating on the porch or wandering among the bikes, the riders were all eager to introduce themselves and talk riding. That’s the way it should be.

SPARK! has a Facebook page and Zuckerman sends out alerts prior to each gathering. He can be emailed at SparkMotoNight@gmail.com.