Barber Vintage Festival 2008

Besides the rain on Friday, it was a perfect weekend for racing vintage motorcycles, looking at the classic bikes up close, and wandering thru the biggest vintage swap meet I have ever seen. The weather cleared Friday afternoon, so we did not get to witness the Vintage ride to 29 Dreams. Even after four days in attendance at this event, I still did not get a chance to see everything. There was so much going on, all of it interesting, that it was difficult to even experience a bit of it all. The racing, which took place all day long, combined with the swap meet, which I did not get to soak in totally was quite enough. Throw in the demo rides provided by Triumph, the Japanese Vintage display, the antique fire equipment, and Rhett Rotten and the Wall of Death just to mention a few, and you had quite a weekend.

The racing was amazing, even with the slower, older bikes. You could really see how those guys were working to get every bit of performance out of those old machines. It was just as interesting to see the efforts keeping them upright in the corners (not always successfully). If you have ever been to a race, you will notice the place is laid out like a golf course, with a race track in the middle. There are so many places to relax and view large portions of the track. The trams also make it easy get from one end of the course to the other relatively fast. Nice, relaxing slope await you in front of almost every straight and turn on the track.

If gear was more interesting to you, then 3 acres of vendors and collectors awaited just a few feet away from the track spectator's area. Not too many vendors looked the same. They had a nice variety of older gear, mixed in with parts, restored bikes, choppers, and a few very unique and unusual items(find out more about the Will Power Motorcycle soon). I am sure a few hours could have been spent in here, shopping, discussing, and listening to the stories these guys had to tell.

I also had a chance to glance at the beginnings of the new motocross track on Sunday, to catch the vintage motocross. I believe the track was authentic....small jumps on a relatively flat track - the way it was back in the day. Just being able to sit on the edge of the perimeter road and watch those amazing bikes from the past was a real treat. The air show was a bonus, one that everyone could enjoy, no matter where you were seated.