6-17-05 Solstice Party

Friday morning I cranked up the Big Yeller and headed over to Bob’s Motor Werks near Red Lodge, MT. Bob works on many bikes during the year and he invites some of his customers to a solstice party that he hosts every year. This years party was scheduled for Saturday but I got there a day early to meet up with Bill Shockley that I met on the ride I had taken the week before. Bill had just come back from a ride to South America and is a wealth of info on travel tips and gear/parts to take on the trip. I helped Bob in the morning cleaning up the shop and gathering up some chairs at Charles Ringers just down road. When we got back with the chairs Bill had shown up and had his camp set up next to mine on what passed as a fairly level grass camp spot. It is hard to find a level spot at Bob’s since he built his place on a side hill. Bill and  I headed for Red Lodge for supper that  evening and happened to run into Pat Dopler at one of the restaurants in town. Pat went to Central America shortly after I lived/camped with him in Big Sky, MT where Chet Huntley was building the ski resort. Pat rode a  R50 like mine down through Central America back before anyone rode bikes down there (early 70’s). After supper we headed over to Pat’s place and stayed up late telling stories and reliving experiences.

Saturday morning the bikes started showing up early and a few of us went over the hill on a gravel road to Bridger, MT for a lunch stop with a few members of the Montana BMW motorcycle club.

There had been a lot of rain and there was quite a bit of rained on hay down along the way.

On the way back, some of us took the paved highway and it was a fast ride back through some beautiful country.

 Shortly after we got back none other than the world famous Dr Greg Frazier pulled in.

 Greg, just fresh back from a trip to South America to Africa to Europe is on his fifth ride around the world. You all may remember I met Greg at his place last year when he was on his way to South America. Greg always has good stories to tell and it was good to see him again. He is  back resting up and getting ready for the next leg of his trip that will take him from Germany to the Artic circle.

The bikes just kept rolling in and not all of them were BMW’s.

An  old BSA shows how simple things can be.




An old knuckle head Harley.

Another BSA classic.

It needed a little solder job to get it back on the road after a clutch cable end came loose.

It was a friendly crowd that showed up and always ready for fun.

Doctor Bob showed up on this white one that his dad bought new. Dr Bob would sit on the back as his dad drove when he was a kid, but now his  dad sits in the back as they go for long rides. I think this is the  first bike that I know of that has made the transition from father to son. It is a beauty and a really nice father and son pair.

Christopher showed up on his Toaster tank R75 which has always been on of my favorite BMW’s. Christopher is a teacher/ administrator for the local Outward Bound. He goes to upper Minnesota for the winter teaching there and specializes with the dog teams. He is one of the youngest riders that attended and it sure is nice to see some young blood getting into the classic bike scene.

The old ones watched from the shop.

There were burgers, brats and beer as well as this table loaded down with an unbelievable selection of goodies.

Bob has a fire ring made out of a old tractor tire rim that Ringer made him. He rolls this ring into the drive and builds a fire that helps keep the cool night at bay. A fire is a lovely way to spend the evening with friends.

Our hosts, Ann and Bob Clement.