BikeFest-goers enjoy Las Vegas”ultimate climate’

Thunder rolled, lightning flashed. It was a dark and stormy night ...

Actually it was a warm, beautiful night and the thunder was the sound of a multitude of mufflers on several hundred motorcycles as they cruised up and down the Strip.

They were cheered on by those filling the sidewalks and outdoor verandas, yelling to the bikers to rev their engines and create more noise and commenting on the many beautiful bikes as they cruised by.

The bikers were happy to oblige, reveling in the feelings of elation at joining several thousand of their brothers and sisters taking part in the annual Las Vegas BikeFest held each year on the first weekend of October.

The event has become almost a rite of passage for our brethren who can't ride some 350-plus days a year because of less-than-perfect weather. Las Vegas is the ultimate climate for those of us who enjoy the two-wheeled lifestyle and a lot of our friends and those we haven't met yet are envious enough to come to visit every October.

They come by motorcycle, weather permitting, or by truck and even some fly in. A lot of people who can't ride in put their bikes on trucks and bring them in to Las Vegas just to be able to ride when they get here.

Business was booming for HaulBikes, a burgeoning business filling the needs of the bike community to transport their rides to far away events like BikeFest. The offshoot of Daily Direct Motorcycle Transportation is doing more business than ever.

"We are seeing more and more people ship their bikes into events like this and then fly in later," said Ken Durik, co-owner of Daily Direct-HaulBikes. "Renting a bike is great but it isn't your bike. It doesn't have your feel and your trust like having your own."

The festival began Sept. 30 with an early welcoming party by Hogs and Heifers Saloon and was nonstop until the ending party on Oct. 4 at the same venue. There were poker runs, poker tournaments and concerts to welcome and entertain the thousands of riders to Sin City. Every day held another adventure involving beautiful rides through the desert and Lake Mead National Recreational Area.

The vendor village filled the Cashman Center along with Artistry in Iron competition. Artistry in Iron features the top motorcycle builders in the world and the winner is voted best by his peers. Mark Daley, this year's winner, was truly excited to be chosen: "My competition picked me," he said. Daley has been building motorcycles for more than 17 years and based his latest creation on the P51 Mustang airplane and a Ferrari.

"I have done chrome and gun finishes, but this is different with ceramic coatings baked up to 500 degrees. A more industrial look is what I was going for," Daley said.

Some of us had to work during the day and were happy to call it a night after Molly Hatchet closed down the amphitheater at the Sahara hotel and casino.

Oct. 3 was a day of riding which included a 140-mile trip to Valley of Fire. With more than 1,400 motorcycles taking part, it was an incredible sight. The ride was beautiful, covering all types of terrain through Lake Mead Recreational Area and the Valley of Fire State Park. Two-lane roads and freeways alike were filled with motorcycles and their riders. The routes were well-picked and the hosts were very accommodating. Snacks and water were offered at the stops where each person picked a card.

The overall feeling of camaraderie and fellowship permeated every moment of the event. When a lady slipped in the sand and fell to the ground, her Harley-Davidson falling beside her, several bikers immediately stopped to help right the bike and make sure she was O.K., while others began signaling traffic and warning other riders of the event.

By the end of the ride, the wind had taken its toll on a lot of riders and they had retired to various watering holes to refuel bikes and riders.

The excitement of BikeFest 2009 was still going full bore until the wee hours of the morning. On Oct. 3-4, as the bikes wheeled out of town or were loaded onto the trucks for the long trek home, there seemed to be a certain sadness to the end of the event.

But that was just the letdown from all of the adrenalin of doing 140 miles through the wind and watching my friends both old and new ride off into the sunset.

Since the event, I can pull my bike out nearly any day and go for another ride and, if I listen really closely, I can still hear the thunder rolling out across the desert.