Open House on Grandview a Huge Hit

Tuesday’s EURO Bike Night was a booming success thanks in part to an absolutely perfect evening weatherwise. But that was just the beginning as EURO Bikers poured in from all over the state to meet up at what has become THE place to be for European motorbike and scooter enthusiasts. Both sides of Grandview Avenue were lined with bikes as not only riders but many community members stopped by for the fun and entertainment offered up by Chef Hubert of Spagio and the many other fabulous businesses along Grandview Avenue.

A busy night on the Avenue

Dance Plus took part in EURO Bike Night by bringing in The Lindyroos, a pair of enthusiastic Swing Dancers who brought a taste of the roaring 20’s. And speaking of tastes, Spagio opened up the doors to their kitchen for a behind the scenes look into their wonderful establishment. I saw lots of people enjoying the free samples of desserts and those little mini burgers. I, unfortunately, was glued to the EURO Bike Night table and did not get to partake of the tasty treats. Next time maybe someone will feel just sorry enough for me to bring me one of those danged little burgers!

Dave Powers, a long time member of the Columbus music scene provided some great sidewalk entertainment throughout the evening. Dave had live sets in front of Dance Plus and Spagio and entertained the crowds with his keyboard and vocal talents. Our newest sponsor, The Candle Lab, also was an integral part of the fun with a pour your own candle event. Needless to say, I didn’t get to do that either.

Dave Powers entertains the bike night crowd

It was so nice to meet so many first time EURO Bike Nighters as well as seeing so many of the regulars. I enjoyed getting to talk to many of you. It’s always nice to have people stop by the table and tell us where they rode in from. We had visitors from as far away as Cincinnati this week which is very exciting to me. I am so proud of the atmosphere that has been created for our event and am so pleased to be able to showcase our wonderful little city and so many of the tremendous businesses in the area.

And how about those EURO bikes?!? As has become the norm there were some amazing machines on display on both sides of the avenue. From vintage to hot off the showroom floor EURO Bike Night has become quite a showcase for some fine European technology. And how about that scooter turnout?!? The Easy Peaseys were well represented, as usual. And speaking of Easy Peasey, be sure to check out one of the newest scooter shops to the area, Capital City Scooters. Tell Caitlin the boys at EURO Bike Night sent you!

Just one of so many fine EURO bikes attending on 5/12

Our raffle was stocked full of fabulous prizes yet again thanks to our amazing sponsors. Folks, get out and support these businesses and let them know you appreciate their affiliation with EURO Bike Night. For a complete list of our sponsors check out our sponsor page. They have been so generous and we are so lucky to have them on board with what we are trying to do.

While we’re discussing raffles let’s talk for a minute about our scooter raffle. Ticket sales are now over 60. We are well on our way to the 350 ticket limit. In case you’ve not heard, we are raffling off a brand new Stella 150 Scooter. Tickets are $10 each and all proceeds go right back into EURO Bike Night to help us to continue to improve the event as well as defray the current costs Steve and I incur. If you’ve already bought a ticket, thank you! Guess what? You’re allowed to buy more. If you’ve not yet purchased a ticket please consider doing so at the next bike night. Your $10 will help support something I hope you have grown to love as much as I have… Grandview EURO Bike Night! The scooter is on display in the window of Hedman, Anglin, Bara and Associates at 1306 Grandview Avenue.

Thanks to everyone who came out and please continue to help spread the word. I am very appreciative to all of you who choose to post links to our website and messages about the event on the various forums you visit. Please keep it up. It has been a big help!

Ride safe!

Mike

Weather finally cooperates for first event.

Tuesday, April 28th was the first event of the season for Grandview EURO Bike Night and it did not start off as one would have hoped. The weather was dreary for most of the day putting the season opener in jeopardy. However, by 6:00 pm, any rain in the area had subsided and those that took the chance by coming out were rewarded with a nice evening of fellowship with like minded bike enthusiasts.

The crowd certainly suffered from the less than ideal conditions with an estimated 35 bikes in attendance. All things considered I was very pleased with the turnout and wanted to extend my appreciation to those that did make it out for the first event.

The raffle proved again to be a popular event as our sponsors came through with some great prizes to give away. I would like to thank our sponsors who donated prizes for the raffle; Spagio, Krema Nut Company, Iron Pony and Cowtown Pizza. Be sure to enter next time for a chance to win more great prizes. As it has been since the beginning, the raffle is free. Thanks to those who threw some cash in the donation jar. All monies that we collect go towards expenses such as website hosting, printing costs, advertising and other miscellaneous expenses that Steve and I have incurred.

Ticket sales for the Stella 150 raffle have begun. Be sure to get yours at the next bike night. Tickets are $10 and a maximum of 350 tickets will be sold for a chance to win a beautiful, brand new $3600 scooter.

Be sure to join us for the next bike night on 5-12-09. Remember, it’s twice a month this year.

2009 International Motorcycle Show

Entrance to the 2009 International Motorcycle Show

Steve and I visited the 2009 International Motorcycle Show held in Cleveland, OH this past Sunday. It was a great opportunity to get a quick fix to aid us with the withdrawals we’ve been having as we wait for the warm weather to arrive. Sure, some would say that the cold weather shouldn’t keep you from enjoying your motorcycle. And sure enough, someone braved the elements as we saw a lone BMW GS sitting in the parking lot near the entrance. I have ridden in cold weather before (upper 20’s), but I can’t say that it was that pleasurable. I figure the layoff only helps me to appreciate my bikes even more when the spring weather hits.

The show provided a great opportunity to check out the latest motorcycles either on the market now or getting ready to hit it very soon from all of the major manufacturers. Of course, my focus was on the European makes. BMW had their first entry into the world of superbikes on display. The new S 1000 RR will hit dealerships this spring (May?) at a surprisingly competitive price of around $13,500, which is only about $1000 more than Yamaha’s YZF-R1. At a staggering 196 hp, this bike is not for the feint of heart. BMW also had the new K1300 GT on display. Having recently test ridden the 1200 version, I would say this bike would be very high on my list for my next bike purchase.

BMW S 1000 RR

BMW K1300 GT

KTM had their futuristic looking RC8 grabbing the attention of show attendees. With lines that appear more like a Stealth Fighter than a motorcycle, this 1148 cc V-twin is truly a unique machine with plenty of specs to back up the sleak, powerful lines. It’s not the most affordable bike for sure with a retail price of around $19,500. Made in Austria, the RC8 was released in 2008 and was KTM’s first attempt to produce a competitor in the world of superbikes. Nicely done, guys!

KTM 1190 RC8

Ducati made some noise of their own with the recently unveiled Streetfighter S garnering lots of attention. This beast puts out 155 hp and weighs in at a mere 368 lbs. The Streefighter has a displacement of 1099 cc and an MSRP of $18,995. The L-twin comes in black and the famous Ducati red. The beautiful exhibitor in the background is none other than Elizabeth Allen of Motohio. It was great to see her along with Mike and Kirk at the show.

Ducati Streefighter S

Another enjoyable moment of the show was the opportunity to meet Leslie Porterfield. For those not familiar with her, Leslie is considered the fastest woman on a motorcyle and holder of 3 land speed records. She was featured in a documentary for a Discovery Channel show called “Speed Capital of the World: Bonneville.” Leslie hit 234.197 mph on a highly modified 2002 Suzuki Hyabusa. She also set a record for production class bikes topping out at 192 mph on a Honda CBR1000RR Her record setting performance of 2008 was preceded by a 2007 attempt at the record which resulted in a major crash. She told us she sustained several broken ribs, a punctured lung and a concussion. Asked what she rides normally, Leslie said she owns 9 motorcycles including a Ducati 998. The 32 year old from Dallas is the owner of High Five Cycles, a motorcycle shop dealing in used motorcycles. Leslie was nice enough to autograph posters for us but neither Steve or I had sense enough to think of taking a picture of her. I borrowed the photos below courtesy of her myspace page. You can see why we weren’t thinking clearly.

Leslie Porterfield

Leslie Porterfield on her record setting, highly modified Hyabusa

There were numerous custom bikes on hand along with all kinds of vendors selling anything and everything motorcycle related. The only disappointment for me was the fact that of all the vendors there, no one was selling BMW or Ducati gear. I had anticipated getting to choose from a multitude of these manufacturer’s products but there were none to be found. Oh well. It was money I didn’t need to spend and I’m sure Motohio can take care of anything I want or need. All in all it was an enjoyable day.

Scooters invade Grandview

Another successful Grandview Euro Bike Night is in the books, this one made special by and for the scooting community.  I have long considered the scooter riders to be an essential part of the success of our Grandview event.  Motohio continued with their unwavering support by meeting my request for a Vespa Demo Night.  Vespas of all colors, and I believe a Stella thrown in for good measure, were seen cruising the streets of Grandview from about 6:00 to 8:30 pm providing attendees an opportunity to try out one of these fine Italian bikes.  I believe all the time slots filled up for the evening keeping Elizabeth busy at the registration table.  Thanks to Elizabeth, Mike, Ann and Kirk for all your help!

Overall, the event was very well attended.  It’s a good thing we got that extra parking!  It was nice to see BOTH sides of Grandview Avenue lined with some fine European technology.  Lots of other visitors on non-Euro bikes stopped by as well and we were glad to have you all.  As I’ve stressed before, all are welcome.  The weather was perfect!  We have been so fortunate from a weather standpoint since starting Grandview Euro Bike Night last year considering that, for now, we only meet once a month.  Rain outs are just NOT acceptable.  So far, so good. 

I want to thank you all for coming out to Euro Bike Night.  I saw lots of smiling faces as I ran around like a crazy man with my camera trying to grab some good shots for the web site.  I’ll get those up by the weekend for your viewing pleasure.  I am so proud of the family atmosphere that we have created.  Seeing some of the little kids running around with their ice cream smeared, smiling faces is sure a welcome change from the tone of some of the other bike nights around the Central Ohio area.  That, along with the European theme is what has helped make this event to such a refreshing and enjoyable change of pace.  If it weren’t for the idiot in the Porsche flying down Grandview Avenue acting like a complete, irresponsible buffoon it would have been a perfect evening.  That’s right moron, I called you a buffoon.  If you care to take issue with that, stop by the Grandview Police Department and we’ll chat about it.  Sorry folks, that guy really ticked me off.

Well, I hope you enjoyed Vespa Demo Night and I look forward to seeing you at the next Grandview Euro  Bike Night on September 30th.  Mark your calendars now and spread the word.

If you arrived here some other way than through the site be sure to visit us at www.eurobikenight.com.  I’ll be posting more information soon regarding our first organized group ride coming in October.  Plans are for a First Annual Grandview Euro Bike Night Haunted Poker Run.  Geez, I’m probably going to have to come up with a shorter title.  There’s no way I can fit that on a decal! 

Mike

Vintage night on Grandview Avenue

I’m a bit late in posting this as it’s been a busy week since bike night.  I wanted to make sure to get the main web site updated with the new photos which I have done.  I just spent three days at Mid Ohio for the superbike races and will be posting some highlights on the show and tell page this evening.

Anyway, I did want to thank everyone for coming out this past Tuesday.  There was a very nice collection of vintage motorcycles and scooters, many of which are on the photo display on the web site.  I think it’s safe to say that it was our most successful bike night yet, other than Ducati night.  It seems I will need to requisition more reserved parking if this continues.  But, that’s a good problem to have!  I have been extremely happy to see this event grow.  All of you make it happen by posting on the various web sites you frequent and spreading by word of mouth to friends.  So again, thanks!

I must also thank Motohio for their support.  Folks, if you need to buy a motorcycle get on out and see these people!  They have been a huge part in helping us to make these bike nights special and they continue to work with us for future events.

Our other sponsors continue with their generosity so you have a chance to go home with some nice prizes from our free raffle.  Continued thanks to Spagio, Krema Nut Company, Stauf’s Coffee, Bravo, Cowtown Pizza, Thom’s on Grandview and Trattoria Roma.

Keep spreading the word and send our web site link to everyone you know.  Also, I value your comments and suggestions so use the comment box on the home page for any you may have.

Be sure to bookmark the web site if you haven’t already and check back frequently as I’ll be posting some information soon regarding the August bike night and two organized rides for both motorcycles and scooters coming in September and October.

See you next bike night!

Mike

www.eurobikenight.com

Ducati comes to Grandview

Just a few words before too much time passes from Tuesday night, 6/24/08. I must say that I was absolutely blown away by how the whole evening came off. The good news, the folks from Ducati said they had a great time and will be back. I already look forward with great anticipation to that happening.

Speaking of those folks, I can’t say enough good things about the trio from Ducati. Elliot Cho, thank you so much! Elliot is the Ducati representative that helped make this night happen. He was such a pleasure to work with and I look forward to the time when we can get together again. Bobby and Danni Reidel (hope I spelled that last name right, never did get a business card from you); What a great, great couple! They brought the Duc Truck and were responsible for the amazing setup on the lot of Spencer Research. They were both so very nice and worked so hard to make sure all of you had a good time. They were an absolute joy to talk to and made the night incredibly special for me personally and hopefully all of you. Thank you, guys!

I also want to thank Bruce Ridenour of Motohio for being so instrumental in pulling this thing off. I really feel like Grandview Euro Bike Night took a major step forward thanks to Bruce. Problem is, we really set the bar high on Tuesday so we have a lot of work to do now to keep this thing rolling. What a great problem to have. A big thank you to all of the other guys from Motohio that give of their time to come out and join us as well. I appreciate you guys being there. Last but not least, a huge thanks to Mike Allen, the new owner of Motohio for his continued support of Grandview Euro Bike Night. I look forward to working with you in the future on our continued success. Mike and his family attended Tuesday’s event and have very quickly convinced me that Motohio is in great hands. They are a wonderful family and I’m enjoying getting to know them.

Now, about that Hypermotard. Folks, I’ll be honest with you, when I learned Ducati was coming with the Duc Truck and that they would only be bringing Hypermotards I was only slightly disappointed for selfish reasons. I knew it would be a great event but I thought to myself that I’d never really have much interest in a motorcycle like that. Well, I guess that’s why they have these demo days… for suckers like me. I was thunderstruck by that bike! I do have a birthday coming up in July so if you all want to go in on a present, well… ok, fat chance I know, but it certainly is on my wish list now. That bike has it all. Their website could not say it better… “Two wheels, one purpose – to thrill”. It does all that and more. I was very impressed with the power, the sound, the riding position, the handling. You name it, I liked it! UnfortunateIy, I had to lead all three demo rides and it left me little time to mingle and socialize with the many wonderful people I’ve met since we got Grandview Euro Bike Night off the ground. The good news, though, was that I got to lead all three demo rides giving me lots of time on that bike. I’m no motorcycle review expert but those that are seem to agree with me so you don’t just have to take my word for it in case you didn’t get to ride one. If you were fortunate enough to go on a demo ride then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Tuesday was by far our biggest night ever. Some estimate there may have been upwards of 250 motorcycles and scooters attending. That is thrilling to me and the many comments I’ve received from some of you expressing how much fun you had are appreciated. I’m also hearing there were a number of people from outside the Columbus area who joined us. I’d love to hear from you to get your feedback and find out where you rode in from. It has been my goal to see this event grow and Tuesday was a thing of beauty to me. The weather was perfect and things really came together without a hitch.

One more huge show of appreciation goes to George Maynard, owner of Spencer Research. George allowed us to use his parking lot for a staging area for the demo rides and the setup was fantastic thanks to him. Thanks bunches, George!

I still feel like a kid in a candy store even now just thinking about Tuesday and can’t quit smiling. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did planning it for you. I’m pretty sure Steve had a good time with all this too.

We’re already throwing some other ideas together for the rest of this year and beyond so stay tuned.

Ok, so it was more than a few words. Hope to see you all tomorrow at our special edition of Grandview Euro Bike Night at the Arlington Bank.

Mike

Euro Bike Night, 5/20

Well, it was a bit chilly which may have held down the attendance a bit, but those that came had a great time.  Thanks to all that made it out.  To those that couldn’t make it, be sure to mark it down in your calendar for next month.  We’d love to see you there!  As usual we enjoyed great fellowship and great food and drink.  I must also say that each and every bike night since we’ve started this event has been a real pleasure in that I have been privileged to meet some of the nicest people and have really enjoyed chatting with you all.  I’m already looking forward to next month.  Keep an eye out on the website for more details on next month’s events including a visit from The Duc Truck!

Thanks to the Grandview Heights Explorer Post for helping out.  It was good to see you all there.  Nice job on the photos!

This coming Saturday, 5/24, we had hoped to have a group in the parade but that did not materialize so we are switching up our plans a bit.  Steve and I will be at Stauf’s by 9am for coffee and plan to check out some of the parade.  We will then lead a group to Motohio for their Grand Opening celebration.  Lots of fun and food and the Triumph Demo Truck will be on hand.  Join us and let’s ride into Motohio with a nice group from Grandview Euro Bike Night.

Be sure to sign the guestbook page on the site as well.  We would love to hear from all of you to find out what you think.  We’re always open to comments and suggestions to improve the event and to continue to see it grow.  Thanks to all who have helped to spread the word on the various sites and forums that you frequent.  It is very much appreciated!

Mike

Grandview Memorial Parade

We are trying to gauge interest in riding in the Grandview parade which is Saturday, May 24th at 10:00am. We would need to meet at about 9:00am at the staging area. If you’re interested in participating please contact me through the website, www.eurobikenight.com and let me know. I thought it would be a nice opportunity to showcase our European machines to the community. Please let me know asap so that I may officially reserve our spot. For those interested, I plan on riding on over to Motohio at their new location after the parade for their Grand Opening celebration. We could go as a group. Let me know, folks!

Our first Euro bike night

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that came out Saturday for helping to make our special kickoff bike night a success. It was a nice partnership with the Grandview Hop and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The weather certainly cooperated; what a beautiful day it was!

I also ask all of you to help us to continue spreading the word. We want to see the event grow and are already looking forward to May 20th when we’ll back to tuesday night for our regular monthly Euro bike night. Be sure to check the website often at www.eurobikenight.com for updates on the coming events. Also, we should have some pics up on the site soon from Saturday.

Ride safe!

Mike

This site

We are using this site for the time being as a forum.  Not sure how it will work out.  Let me know what you think of it or if you have any suggestions.

Thanks!