'We don’t hide ‘em, we ride ‘em': Wet weather couldn't dampen spirits for antique motorcycle ride

WEIRS BEACH — The wet weather may have kept the numbers down for the Laconia Antique Motorcycle Ride-In, when more than a dozen braved the rain Thursday morning, on motorcycles dating as far back as 1936.

Dana Faucher pulled up to Laconia Motorcycle Week rally headquarters on Lakeside Avenue with the rain still coming down steadily on his Indian Chief motorcycle, which just hit the 90-year mark. When told he had the oldest bike of the morning’s ride he said, “well, that’s always fun.”

Faucher has been riding for 50 years, and started going to Laconia Motorcycle Week in the 1980s. He rode up on Wednesday night, from Thompson, Connecticut, and said he would be just fine in the rain because he had modern tires. Faucher bought the bike in 2004, and got it on the road in 2009, after some maintenance. Like the Johnny Cash song, he had to put it back together one piece at a time.

“When I got it, it was missing all the gingerbread,” Faucher said pointing to the polished finish. “I had to do it piece by piece, took me a while to find the parts. It was ugly, horrible, it was black, but it turned out OK.”

This is the second year he participated in the antique ride-in, and said it’s fun to get out with likeminded people and cruise the beautiful roadways. Faucher is camping at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, a throwback to his original focus when he started attending the rally.

“Back in the hay day when it was Bryar Motorsports Park,” Faucher said, “my son races, so I’m camped at the track, but this is our group of people. So, when I heard about this, I said, 'I’m in.'”

The ride got delayed a little bit, as the rain was coming down hard between 9:30 and 10 a.m., giving time for a few other motorcycles to arrive, two that were eclipsing 80 years old.

Fred Leach, president of the Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, had his wife Joan in the period-accurate sidecar of his 1946 Indian Chief. The couple made the trek from Dennis Port, Massachusetts, and were all smiles, regardless of the weather.

Bob “Four Cylinder” Stevens was in town from Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and came cruising in behind the Leaches on his 1941 four-cylinder Indian Chief, also with an original sidecar. He offered the sidecar to organizer Rob Lations, who declined, and said he’d just meet him at the final stop at Twin Barns Brewery, in Meredith.

“They are period-correct sidecars,” said Road Captain Brian McCall. “Just gorgeous bikes.”

Lations said the rain didn’t cause a total damper on the event, but he would have liked to see more riders. He was happy his friend and fellow organizer Tom “Indian” Westgate came along, and other devoted riders decided to be there, regardless of the weather.

“We expected at least 80 to 100 bikes this year, but each year it kind of fluctuates,” Lations said. “We’ll see how many we can round up. There’s definitely a few who want to go.”

Westgate, 75, was at the rally from Norton, Massachusetts, and has been coming to Laconia off and on since 1963, and for the last 15 years.

He said the weather is just a small factor, and while it might have altered the turnout, nothing holds back a true rider. He was riding a 1951 Indian Chief, noting these bikes have year of manufacturing plates on them.

“And we ride them,” Westgate said. “We don’t hide ‘em, we ride ‘em. Even in this weather. We’re motorcycle people and we love to ride. We make our own fun. You can’t come to Laconia expecting Laconia to give you all the fun. You’ve got to come with your buddies and carve out your own fun. That’s just what we do.”

McCall said there was solid traction leading up to the event, but Mother Nature can be a fickle beast. He was at the front of the pack, leading the ride. He said there are beautiful, vintage bikes in the area hiding because of the rain, but he was excited there was such a big interest ahead of the event online.

“We were really excited that Charlie [St. Clair] got behind this, and gave us this VIP area,” McCall said, referring to the lane in front of rally headquarters. “I had talked to Jennifer Anderson years back, about unifying the vintage ride scene for Bike Week. Every day, they have a really concise event to do, this being one of them.”

McCall said partnering with Twin Barns has been great, as an outdoor venue for a gathering spot after the ride. McCall’s son Ryder provided music, as well as local musician Paul Warnick.

Twin Barns brewed a special beer for the event called Open Road. McCall knew more people would show up for the post-ride celebration.

The ride changes year to year, and is designed to showcase the Lakes Region, as well as the history of Motorcycle Week. McCall said Lations’ grandfather was here in 1960, and he is “waving the flag and keeping it rolling.”

“It has a long history as far as this particular ride,” McCall said.

This year, riders made their way around Squam Lake, and then around Waukewan, before getting to Twin Barns around noon, where there was VIP parking for vintage bikes. McCall was riding a 1990 Harley-Davidson Evolution, because it was reliable and can get wet, but he said bikes involved include Harleys, Indians and other vintage brands.

Before the start of the ride, McCall was speaking with Warren Haigh, who was riding a 1973 Norton Commando for the first time in the rain. He also owns a 1979 Triumph, which he rode home from Sunapee last year in the pouring rain, and it handled it well, so he expects the same from the Norton. One little flaw was the ignition switch, but he had his fingers crossed.

“When you’re riding a vintage bike, it is always an adventure,” McCall said. “The other thing is that when you have vintage riders, it changes the experience. To me, it enhances the experience, because it gets to the roots of what we’re all doing.”

Haigh questioned whether they were vintage riders because of their bikes, or their age. He has been coming to Motorcycle Week since 1964, and said it's easy, because he lives in the city. McCall, 49, is also local, a current Gilford resident who once lived Moultonborough. He is inheriting a 1937 Harley-Davidson Flathead ULH from his uncle, and said his dream is to eventually pair this with a sidecar.

“I’m going to go with a sidecar rather than a trike,” McCall said.

Nathan Stewart rode his 1989 Harley-Davidson Tour Glide from East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and he’s been coming to Laconia Motorcycle Week since the 100th anniversary.

Stewart has participated in the antique motorcycle ride in the past, but one year had malfunctions with his bike, and another year he showed up for the afternoon meetup because he was late. On Thursday, he was there at the start with time to spare, as the rain drizzled on him and his motorcycle.

“This year, I tricked a girl into falling in love with me, and I’ve got to go pick her up, because she can’t be in the rain,” Stewart joked. “So, I’ll ride around, go pick her up, and we’ll meet back at the end.”

Stewart loves Motorcycle Week, because it brings everyone together for the same reasons: riding with other likeminded riders from near and far.

“I call it a multi-townwide carnival with all of your friends,” Stewart said.

The 103rd Laconia Motorcycle Week continues through Sunday.