Calendar Dilemmas

Sometimes two compelling motorcycle events will be scheduled on the same day and you're left trying to figure out which one to attend.  Take, for example, June 25th.  It's five months away, but you have a big decision to make and it might seem particularly difficult if you live in or near Minnesota.

Option #1: Travel all the way to California and attend Born Free 8, arguably the premiere custom motorcycle show in the US, and possibly the world.

Option #2:  Head to a dusty dirt track in Owatonna, MN for Moto Mania 2: The Big Deuce.

First, let's assume money is no object and travel time is not a consideration so you are free to go to either event.  Ignore the cost of admission, whether camping is allowed, whether giant coolers full of your own ice cold beer are allowed, and any other expenses you might incur.

If you are confused on which one to attend, remember the HDSALAB mantra, "bikes, beer, grooming, gear."  Don't rush to pick Moto Mania just because it has the words "bikes" and "beer" on the poster.  That would be an amateur move.  Think about it.

Since the HDSALAB mission is to get more women interested in motorcycling, you must first think about which event is likely to have more women at it.  You must also think about where you can look your best as you demonstrate your well-refined techniques for standing around, looking at bikes.  Then you should think about media coverage and where you will be most likely to get national or international exposure, both online and in print, if you happen to be captured in the background of a photograph of a mind-blowing chopper. Remember that you want legitimate exposure, not just coverage on a random blog about rodents and dairy products.

Born Free 8 is the obvious choice.  You won't be standing in a thick dust cloud all day so you're sure to look your best.  There are hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful bikes parked everywhere to stand next to.  Media coverage is off the charts.  Also, the handful of women at the first Moto Mania were clearly already interested in motorcycles because they were out on the track.  Your efforts to stand around and look interesting would be wasted and there would be nothing left to do but hop on your motorcycle and actually ride it.

Where to SALAB

If you live near the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and are looking for great places to stand around and look at bikes, you're in luck.  On the full version of this site (sorry mobile users), there's a calendar of bike shows in the right-hand column.  Rides were excluded as they don't involve much standing.  While the shows are great places to practice your stand and refine your technique(s) of choice, there is something you simply cannot miss and it happens every month... First Thursday.

First Thursday occurs... wait for it... the first Thursday of every month.  Yes, it's that simple.  It is a HUGE bike night with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of bikes showing up.  The primary location is Dulono's Pizza, located at the corner of Lake and Lyndale in Uptown (Minneapolis).  All types of bikes show up including choppers, vintage, sport bikes, cafe racers, stock, and more.  Rows of bikes extend down the side streets and take up nearby parking lots too.

New for 2014, Moto Mania started up at the nearby VFW to handle some spillover.  They have a covered parking lot and had outdoor beer sales (featuring both Coors and Not-Coors) before Dulono's started doing it too.  The crowd skews towards garage-built customs, choppers, and cafe racers.  It's a very short walk between the VFW and Dulono's so it's easy to check out both.

Now get to work refining your skills.  The 2015 SALAB season is right around the corner!