As we look at the Motoworks calendar for 2015, June is by far our most active month. There’s something great going on, seems like, almost every day this month. As spring shakes off her last grumpy bits of cool, wet weather, we’re optimistic for the month to come, because we know it’s going to kick ass.
June 1 is Moto Monday: British Night
June kicks off tonight at Five Star Bar with June’s installment of Moto Monday. Tonight is British Night, so bring out all your best brit bikes. Don’t have an english machine? No big deal, swing by Five Star anyway. You can get more information about tonight’s Moto Monday that on Facebook. I’d wager you’ll find most of the Motoworks crew in attendance, myself and my british bike included.
June 5-7 is Rockerbox / AHRMA Racing at Road America (near Milwaukee)
This is one of our favorite events of the year. You’ve got vintage racing. You’ve got a terrific ride-in festival scene. All of it at Road America, one of the country’s best race facilities. Not because it’s fancy, but precisely because it’s so accessible. You can hike the track greens from corner to corner, or you can stroll through the bike show, all at the same event. Keep a look out in the pits for the Motoworks crew as well as the ChiVinMoto contingent. You can read about last year’s event here on BEHIND THE MOTO.
June 11-14 is Amerivespa (Indianapolis)
While this isn’t a Motoworks event or even a strictly local event, Amerivespa is so close this year that it’s worth mentioning. At just a three hour hop, that’s easy striking distance from Chicago, even for just a day trip. This year’s Amerivespa offers the normal scooter rally goodies such as live music, group rides and good company. This year, thanks to the event’s location at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Amerivespa offers what will likely be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to ride your scooter on the iconic Brickyard track itself. That privilege happens Friday night, June 12, so plan accordingly. More info is available on the Amerivespa website.
June 15 is Ride Your Motorcycle to Work Day
A lot of people already ride a motorcycle or scooter to work each day, but for the rest of us, national Ride Your Motorcycle to Work Day is a great excuse to vary up our daily routine. Who knows, maybe that’ll become your new normal.
June 17 is Bikes & Burlesque at Holiday Club
On the third Wednesday of each month, the Holiday Club hosts the Bikes & Burlesques installment of Pints & Pistons. Come hang out with the local bike community and enjoy the artistic stylings of Original Tease at 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
June 20-21 is the Chicago Land Dual Sport Riders Off-road Adventure Ride
This ride is a two-day loop ride out of the Val Terra Ranch in Woodbine, Illinois. That is, the ride is a loop that starts and ends at the ranch, and we’ll do that same loop both days. The ride itself consists of pavement, gravel, and a bit of dirt. We’ve not ridden it ourselves, but it sounds like a fun, easy ride that was put together by dualsport enthusiasts who know the area very well. Johnny and a small group from Motoworks will be heading out Friday afternoon, June 19, to make our way to the campground, staying Friday and Saturday nights, then heading home Sunday.
Johnny’s planning on camping, and Motoworks will be bringing a keg of Lagunitas and some extra chairs and a couple of awnings to have a “pit” set up at the campsite. Please let us know if you are planning on joining the Motoworks crew at the event by RSVP’ing on Facebook or Eventbrite. This will let me know how many Motoworks riders to plan for. We’ll be bringing chairs, coffee, water, gatorade, etc to share. The ride itself is free, but camping spots are $20/each.
Vel Terra Ranch
1478 S Vel Terra Rd, Elizabeth, IL 61028
(815) 858-3866
June 26-28 is Motoblot
One of the country’s premier gearhead street festivals, Motoblot is back for its second year under the new name (formerly Mods vs. Rockers). The jewel in the Steel Toe Press calendar, Motoblot definitely has something for everyone. It’s a hot rod show, a motorcycle show, a scooter show and everything in between. Eat, drink, be merry, get excited and party with the Motoworks crew at our booth. You won’t want to miss this one. Last year was epic, and this year will be even better.
June 28 is Fuelfed Coffee & Classics in Winnetka, featuring Vincent Motorcycles
Each month a quiet gathering of amazing machines happens in Winnetka, IL, just north of Chicago. Normally a gathering of classic cars, one month each year Fuelfed features the Vincent Owners Club (VOC). We attending this event last year and had a terrific time. Coffee & Classics is worth attending any month, but the Vincent event is a great excuse to hop on your vintage bike and take go grab a cup of coffee.
What did we miss?
June is full, as you can see, but is there something moto-related that we missed. Let us know and we’ll help get the word out.