Motorcycle Weather

As the weather warms up, windows open, shorts & sandals are even more frequent. Convertible tops come down... And we're going to start seeing a lot more motorcycles sharing the road. 

As a great example was the area surrounding Ballard at 17th & Leary on April 17th. Even with the weather cool and cloudy, Backfire Moto - an organized event in Ballard - had their "bike night" this past Wednesday. In total there appeared to be close to 300 motorcycles and their riders (probably even more), not all at once but their presence was clearly evident. As a friend and I were riding to the event during rush hour we noticed other motorcycles, some heading our direction and at least three, the opposite way. Clearly, motorcycles will become more prominent as the rain subsides. Fuel costs may be part of the reason for some but clearly many simply share the sheer joy that comes from being on a motorbike!

The Backfire Moto event highlights another aspect:  Community. I was able to witness a presence of about 25 bikes grow to the number mentioned earlier, a figure that pushes into the hundreds! This was no rowdy crowd of scruffily-bearded men in leathers with beers in hand, suspiciously looking for anyone to dare touch their bike. It was quite the contrary. Motorcycle enthusiasts of all shapes, genders and ages. This event ran the whole gamut. Along with this, there were whole families in attendance that included at least one very "new" looking infant with Mom holding him and Dad in a leather jacket (that's a guess). Another couple walking, obviously rode down by car with their kids. Held by hand they were walking around looking and "carefully" touching the motorcycles.

Whether you rode, drove or walked down, the Backfire Moto event had plenty of differing styles of motorcylclists and their "steeds" in attendance. You could easily view everything from a modern motorcycle to an older model. Motorcycles that are still in the process of being customized to ones that are completed projects. You prefer dual sport or adventure-touring rigs? They were there. Cruiser, you prefer American made models? There were Harley's, Victory's and even a resurrected Excelsior Henderson. Maybe you want ideas for your metric cruiser? Done! Cafe racer, Rat-bike, scooter, moped? Come down and see them on the next 3rd Wednesday of the month which is May 15th.

Something of note about Northwest riding weather. There'll almost always be someone riding here somewhere.