By Alisha Proffitt
Photos by Matt Johnson
From a passerby’s perspective, Barret Avenue seems pretty quiet on a Tuesday evening. The shops that speckle the avenue have closed up for the day, and foot traffic has died down. If you dig a little deeper beneath the surface you’ll find a band of misfits and one hell of a good time.
Despite what its name implies, Louisville Vintage Motorworks, founded in 2009 by Logan Robison, Joe Phillips, and David Steube, stopped being a vintage motorcycle community almost immediately. People just showed up on what they had. “It’s never been about a show bike thing, you’d get more attention bringing a bike that needed work than one that was fully outfitted and ready to go. Because half the parking lot will work on your bike while you’re here,” laughed James Kemp, one of the group’s long-time members.
With no formal membership, whoever shows up is welcomed with open arms. Scanning over the parking lot of Barret Bar & Grill, which has been hosting Bike Nights for nearly 10 years, you’ll see everything from Triumph, Harley’s, and adventure bikes to Vespas and Ruckus’. Two Stroke Tuesday, initially started by “Two Stroke” Jo Adams and Nick Karem to connect area dirt bike enthusiasts, has, over time, evolved into a consolidation of bike nights, broadening the community and bringing them all together in one space. “If you want to see really, really bizarre stuff. Stuff that you never see at any other bike night, this is where to go.” says Mark Gingerich, who regularly attends Two Stroke Tuesday “It’s such an inclusive group, it’s such an inclusive night. You just see stuff that you never see. You see Triumphs, Honda Sprees, little tiny mopeds, great big CVO Road Kings, old Sportsters, It’s just crazy.”
The group itself is as diverse as the bikes they ride. “It’s not what you ride, it’s also a lifestyle,” according to Harald Uwe Kern, artistic director of The Louisville Ballet and member of International Scooter Club The Vulcans. “There’s so many things that bind us together, it’s not just what you ride, it’s more than that.” And it is that sentiment that has drawn people to Louisville Vintage Motorworks from all across the globe, with their Facebook group now connecting over 4,000 people. “We’re a bunch of misfits, it’s the island of misfit toys” another long-time member, Rob Haynes, joked, and it’s true. There is a genuine sense of care and support for one another, much like a family. Louisville Vintage Motorworks has been invited to several American Motorcycle Association events as well as honored as a featured group and Friend of the AMA. They coordinate trips together, celebrate holidays, and organize Toy Drives, businesses such as Retro Wrench have been birthed from this group, they even grieve together on memorial rides.
Another way in which they look out for each other is by advocating for motorcycle safety and impressing those practices on fellow members. “We tend to try to make sure that people don’t get left behind, that their bikes are fine. If they’re newer to riding, and we can spot them because they’re a little more timid, we’ll watch them in the back to make sure that they don’t try to ride above their skill level and hurt themself.” says Richie Arndt. Richie is the organizer behind the 80vDualSport Youtube channel and MotoMonday, a local bike riding meetup that occurs every single Monday of the year- rain or shine.
Motorcycle safety isn’t exclusive to motorcyclists, it is something that everyone operating a motor vehicle should consider before commuting, especially during warmer months when there are more motorcycles on the road. You can save lives and contribute to a safer driving environment for everyone on the road by following these safe driving practices:
Checking blind spots
Using turn signals
Avoiding distractions
Keeping debris, such as lawn cuttings, off the road.
Maintaining a safe following distance behind motorcycles.
Leaving adequate stopping distance in traffic to avoid rear-ending a motorcycle
Watching for signals. Motorcyclists often use hand signals in addition to mechanical signals, so be familiar with these gestures.
Respecting lane space. They need the full width of the lane to navigate safely.
Maintaining a steady speed helps motorcyclists predict your actions and avoid abrupt stops.
Educating yourself. Consider taking a motorcycle awareness course to better understand motorcycle behavior and safety needs.
If you are interested in learning more about Louisville Vintage Motorworks, you can join them online in their Facebook group or in person at Barret Bar & Grill every Tuesday at 6pm.
-----
IN MEMORY OF BRIAN CAHILL
March 12, 1970- June 14, 2024
Louisville Vintage Motorworks lost a member, Brian Cahill, just before this article was written. Brian was one of those people that you wish everyone could meet. He was an amazing father, human, and friend to everyone he met. He was a tradesman, a plumber to be exact, and in his line of work, he met a lot of people. Brian’s ripple effect will be felt for a long time to come. It didn’t matter if you knew him for 10 minutes or 10 years, he would give you the shirt off his back. He had an incredible smile and an infectious laugh. He was the guy dressed in the Santa suit for the toy drive that we have during Christmas, riding a bike, or in the sidecar delivering toys. Cahill was undoubtedly one of the greatest misfits of all, he embodied everything that it meant to be the greatest person that he could be every day. He had such an enthusiasm for motorcycles and being part of Louisville Vintage that you couldn’t help but be affected by it. Whether you had a project bike or you didn’t have a bike at all, he was always there to coach.
You will always be one of us, ride in peace my friend, until we meet again!
- Louisville Vintage Motorworks, Two Stroke Tuesday, Moto Monday, and BourbonCity Vespa Club send our sincere condolences to Brian’s family and friends. Especially Jenna, Xenovia, Sean, and Sophia.
Comments