| Last May, Brian Jackson and the crew from Corbin's Ride On went west to beautiful Santa Maria , California , for the first annual All-American Motorcycle Madness show. Held a little more than two hours up the coast from Los Angeles at the Santa Maria Fair Park , the event was sponsored by Santa Maria Harley-Davidson/Buell and more than 10,000 enthusiasts and 2,700 bikes were in attendance! While he was there, Brian met with Seth Doulton, Event Coordinator, who told him just how "Motorcycle Madness" was born. Seth said that in 1981 he sponsored an event called "Chevy Madness" and that the title for this show came from that venue. The "All-America" connotation came from the fact that he wanted the show to be a V-Twin, American motorcycle event as well.
Seth then went on to tell Brian about all the show and how the organization of the event came about. First of all, the concept of "extreme excitement" and non-stop entertainment was envisioned, and there were no disappointments as there was plenty of great live music and spectacular barbecue! A Harley-Davidson fashion show sponsored by Santa Maria Harley-Davidson and a Von Dutch fashion show were also held during the four-day event. There were also more than 150 vendors on hand and Seth said that he had been to 23 shows in the past 18 months to invite many of the vendors that were attending. Hey, and what is a rally without a poker run? Well there was a great one here and the event proved to be so popular that next year's show will have two poker runs! Stunt riding demonstrations were also held featuring Monty Peerlin, the man who served as Arnold Schwarzenegger's stunt double in Terminator 3 . Then there was racing! In a section of the park usually reserved for rodeos, a flat dirt track was created for the fun and entertainment of the rallyists. It was at the track that Brian met Matt Campbell and his vintage 1925 Harley-Davidson JD. Matt told Brian that he loves to race his vintage Harley and that it draws plenty of attention. He said that the bike was literally the "hot rod" of its era and featured a 74 cubic inch engine. As far as other incentives to attend there was a Harley-Davidson giveaway and a trailer giveaway as well. Seth said that this giveaway tradition would continue in future shows!
While there were many great activities to enjoy, the one thing that the majority of the rallyists agreed upon as the best was the riding. Traveling the famous Highway 1 along the coast and through Big Sur , many enthusiasts cite this region as the best place in the country to ride. And speaking of riding, you should have seen what they were riding! The custom bikes at this show were fantastic and there were great trophies and sponsors for the event. Seth told Brian that he wants the custom show to be a "spectacle" and to eventually become the signature theme of the rally. Finally, Brian had a chance to meet some of the owners of these rad rides including Sherwood Nance and his custom Harley, complete with a "Flame" theme. Sherwood said that he loved the nostalgic look that the flames offered. Next, Brian ran into Jerry Howe and his raked and extended custom. This bad boy had super stretch forks and a nostalgic springer front end. Jerry told Brian that the bike rides and handles just great. One thing for sure, it was a head turner!
With its inaugural turnout, the All-American Motorcycle Madness show is destined to be a great success. In fact, we have no doubt that the show will just get bigger and better. If you would like to know more about the 2004 event, or if you would like information on next year's show, just visit them on the web at www.horsepowerpromotions.com . That's it from sunny California , so until our next ride, "Keep the shiny side up and Ride On!"
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