Article & Photos By: Milwaukee Mike
Originally Published In The February 2012 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
As the Labor Day weekend loomed in the near future, I began to get that little tickle in my guts because one of my favorite events of t h e year was just around the corner: the Chief Blackhawk Chapter of the AMCA swap meet, bike show, and Friday night dirt track races in Davenport, IA. This event is unlike any other in this area because they have basically three events all rolled into one great weekend. In fact, I think about the only thing that comes close in this area is maybe the Vintage Bike Weekend at Mid-Ohio Racetrack in July that ARHMA puts on every year. I do also realize that there are other events that the AMCA does but none of them are close enough to me to do in a weekend so every year I make sure not to miss this show. Where else are you going to see people riding those old classics into town and actually still riding bikes that most people would have put in museums or into mothball collections like it is an every day occurrence? Well for most of these guys, IT IS! This is the ultimate display of ride ‘em, don’t hide ‘em, and the mood is contagious. Around every corner in the swap there are gorgeous antique Harleys, Indians, Triumphs, BSAs, and even some Vincents as well as MotoGuzzis, Ducatis, Hondas, Kawasakis, and Yamahas, just to name a few. Some of the bikes are restored to compete in one of the most strenuous concourse points’ shows in this country. Others are just there to show you what can be done with a little love and devotion to our motorcycle heritage and to show that the old bikes can still go. Don’t forget, you can’t recognize how far you have come with out first realizing where you have been!
The swap is one of the largest I have ever been to as it usually takes me the better part of two days to roll through it all and be able to actually see everything. To this day, it still astounds me to see how many vendors there are on this weekend in this one place. If you own old bikes this should be your Mecca and a trip here once a year should be on your schedule. In conjunction with the awesome swap is an unbelievable bike show, actually two of them. There’s the invitation show in the main hall behind the grandstand, which is always a delight to see. Then there are all the bikes throughout the swap area, the parking lot, and camping area as many other AMCA chapters such as the Badger Heritage and the Viking show up and camp together as a group. Let’s not forget some of the crews that also show up such as the Bravetown Boys with their menagerie of cool chops and bobbers. There were also a handful of boys from The Shed in Milwaukee, and Teach and his guys from Minneapolis/ St. Paul just to name a few. It is a weekend filled with fun, camaraderie, and the hunt for those elusive parts you have been seeking to complete or fix up that old bike. One long time AMCA member told me a story about why he does this every year and I think he sums it up best. He said, “I’ve been coming here every year since the mid seventies. We use to just take up the back parking lot behind the track and we thought that was amazing. It was like a big ice cream social our whole ‘town’ would show up to so we could catch up with each other and see who had what to keep our bikes running. It was a hell of a good time. Despite how big this event has gotten, it still is the reason I come because the mood hasn’t changed, I just have a lot more friends!”
The other big draw for me and a lot of others, judging by the grandstand and infield numbers, is the Friday night races. They are something to see. I mean, who doesn’t love to watch vintage flat track? Of course standing on the infield and paying the extra 5 bucks is totally worth it, just to be right next to the action with nothing between you and the racers except 15 feet of real estate; it’s just plain awesome. A big draw and special treat this year, and I hope in years to come, was the exhibition race of the pre-1920 bikes. Now that was something to behold. Where else are you going to see that? All in all, it was a great weekend. As always, it was a chance to score those hard to find parts and party with your old friends and make new ones. I can’t wait until next year! Thanks to Chief Blackhawk and all the AMCA chapters and members for all you do to keep those old bikes alive!
