Torrington Thunder Successful Despite Heat

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

Yes, it was hot. But record heat in CT didn’t deter riders from rolling into downtown Torrington on Friday night for the 2nd annual Torrington Thunder, the motorcycle meet that benefits the police department’s D.A.R.E. program.

(Photos by Debra Aleksinas and Bud Wilkinson)

The vintage bike exhibit assembled by RIDE-CT.com and “The Republican-American” drew a crowd throughout the evening, and it was certainly enjoyable talking to so many riders, hearing about their bikes and answering questions. While the total bike count for the event was about 1,000, I can’t help but wonder how much higher it would have been if the temperature had been 10-20 degrees cooler. Those who braved the heat, though, saw some colorful bikes up and down Main Street.

Thanks go to the guys who brought their bikes to the RIDE-CT.com/Rep-Am display – Bill Eggers, Steve Delmonico, Mike Stango, Dave Perillo, Dean Mojon and Will Paley. It was hard to tell which got more attention but Eggers’ customized 1941 Indian Four and the collection of the “Littlest Harleys” brought by Delmonico, Stango, Perillo and Paley opened the eyes of a lot of riders about Harley-Davidson’s history.

Here are some more shots of Torrington Thunder.