Bikes, Burgers and Root Beer

By Michael Bergob

No, the Snowbirds haven’t returned to the Comox Valley! That rumble you hear is the gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts at the A&W on Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay which began Monday, June 8th at 6:30 p.m. and continues every following Monday as long as the riding weather lasts. Sponsored by Sienna and Mike Collins, Managers of the A&W, this gathering harkens back to the day when cruising was done in muscle cars and coupes by teenagers and young adults and where the local drive-in restaurant was a convenient and coveted gathering place to see and be seen.

The concept of the ‘drive-in’ is believed to have originated with an A&W opened in Sacramento, California which featured ‘tray-boys’ for curb-side service. After the Second World War, the economy and the automobile took off and from the 450 A&W’s open in 1950 the number grew to over 2000 by 1960. The first A&W to open in Canada was in Winnipeg in 1956.

For those with long memories, there once was a ‘drive-in’ style A&W in Courtenay at the intersection of the Old Island Highway and Ryan Road. Food and drinks were brought to your car on trays and it was common to see the occasional vehicle ‘drive out’ with a tray still hanging off the window, paper-wrappers flying, mugs crashing to the ground and an attendant in uniform chasing after the car in hopes of retrieving the tray.

As I arrived at the A&W on my motorcycle, I noticed that most of those that had arrived before me were of the ‘cruiser’ variety and the riders were of a vintage familiar with the era of ‘cruising the drive-in.’ Cruisers tend to be more popular with older riders of the ‘boom’ generation and the latest American Motorcycle Industry statistics indicate that over half of them prefer that style of motorcycle. Generation-Y (1965-79) is almost as fond of cruisers, as 47% of them prefer them rather than sport or touring bikes.

There are 16 bikes when I arrive with my friend Gary, who is riding a 1975 Suzuki T- 500 two-stroke that garners an appreciative glance wherever it arrives. Most of the popular cruiser brands – Harley-Davidson, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki are represented, and we are quickly joined by a rider on a BMW. In total, 25 bikes showed up throughout the evening for this event, including six who came from Port Alberni to enjoy the ride, the company and the food.

As I park my motorcycle I am met by Sienna who is busy handing out Special Event Discount Coupons and welcoming us to this inaugural event for bikers. The A&W on Cliffe already hosts Thursday evenings (starting at 6 p.m.) with the Comox Valley Cruisers and their classic cars. Our bikes take up much less room in the parking lot but make up for that with noise from loud pipes.

There is a belief among a certain segment of motorcycle riders that ‘loud pipes save lives’ but the reality is that safety, training, and vigilance are more likely to keep a motorcyclist safe than making noise. A motorcycle is one of the safest vehicles on the road, having excellent visibility, manoeuvrability and superior braking power, but if it is involved in an accident, the damage to rider and passenger far exceeds that experienced within an enclosed vehicle. Visibility is another safety factor, and yet many cruiser riders tend to wear black – helmets, jackets and pants/chaps all in black – though many women riders are willing to blaze new trails in colour and fashion for themselves and for their motorcycles.

The fastest growing segment of the motorcycle market is among women who now make up nearly one-in-four (23%) of all riders in the United States, and figures are similar in Canada. There are 10 women in a group of 26 people present and half a dozen of them rode their own bikes here this evening. Women are considered to be very influential in the motorcycle industry now, according to Tim Burch, President of the American Motorcycle Industry Council. In an interview in the Taiwan Economic News, Burch stated that “women riders are increasing because they don’t want to be passengers or controlled again. They are also very influential because they tend to bring other women riders along. “

This influence is evident in the recent ride from Florida to Campbell River by Tannis ‘Flo’ Florence who told me that she had raised “$12,550.27 for the Breast Cancer Society with the help of Women Who Ride.” Not long ago ‘Flo’ was a novice rider who rode mainly with her brothers or her partner. When she purchased a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on-line in Florida last year she decided that rather than ship it home, she would ride it instead. This year Flo repeated that experience and rode another 5,500 miles across America. During her time in Florida, Flo also trained to become a ‘Ride Like a Pro’ instructor, the only one of either gender in Canada.

Another area of influence where women have made inroads in the biking community has been in leadership. The current First Officer of the local 394 Southern Cruisers Riding Club is Ruth Edward who said that “she has been riding since childhood” when she began on off-road bikes and then made the transition to street bikes. Ruth has brought a lot of colour to her riding experience through her open personality and willingness to make biker fashion a definitive statement. Ruth’s leadership style is open and welcoming, approaching new riders when they arrive and ensuring they feel like they belong.

At the time of writing this article, an event has been announced in Canadian Biker that “not only recognizes the contributions of women riders to motorcycling’s past and present, it also celebrates the ever-increasing role that women riders are playing in its future.” Entitled “Riding to New Heights” it is the theme of the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference being held August 19-22 in Keystone, Colorado. There is an International Street Party that is being jointly organized by the American Motorcyclist Association and the Motorcycle Confederation of Canada as part of the conference.

Two years ago, David Booth’s headline for an article in the National Post stated: “Women bikers riding to save a dying sport.” Women, it seems, are becoming the new pioneers in a world of possibilities on two wheels, making connections, and changing a dying sport into a new type of lifestyle. Gloria Steinem once noted that “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” Maybe she just needed a motorcycle instead.

NB: The Monday evening event at the A&W on Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay is open to all motorcycle riders, anyone interested in motorcycles or who just wants to stop by for a bite to eat.