In June 1929, hundreds of motorcyclists arrived in Pismo Beach, California, and were a part of an iconic image that continues to stimulate the imagination of motorcyclists everywhere.
More than 80 years later, the Pasadena Motorcycle Club (PMC) looks to recreate history.
The club’s Secretary, Edward Rodriguez, said the idea came about when Referee Todd Hodge found the picture of the cycle-studded beach from 1929 that included members of the PMC and the San Francisco Motorcycle Club (SFMC), among others.
“That really fueled his desire to reestablish communication with the San Francisco Motorcycle Club and put plans in motion to recreate this photo and build an event around it,” Rodriguez said.
The end result is the planned Pismo Beach Motorcycle Classic (PBMC) that will take place on September 18 and 19 this year.
“Each club will be putting together long scenic routes from Southern California and Central California, meeting up for the rally in Pismo Beach on Saturday,” Rodriguez said. “We’ll have entertainment, vendors, as well as some motorcycle contests for everyone to enjoy.”
Each club charges $20 per bike to join the ride. To just be a part of the photo, that costs $25. To participate in the ride, rally, and photo is just $40.
A portion of the proceeds of the PBMC will be donated to three charities — one in the area of Pismo Beach, one in the Los Angeles area, and one in the San Francisco area. The PMC sponsors the Optimist Youth Homes in Southern California. A sponsor has not been named in the Pismo Beach or San Francisco areas as of yet.
As a part of the ride, there will be four different starting points, three in Northern California and one in Southern California. The Northern California riders will merge close to the event location in order to ride in together. The three starting points are the Capital City Motorcycle Club in Sacramento, the Port Stockton Motorcycle Club in Stockton and the SFMC in San Francisco. In Southern California, the ride will commence from Cycle Gear in Newhall.
Rodriguez said that all types of motorcycles will be welcomed at the PBMC.
“There are absolutely no limitations on the types of bikes we’d like to see on the rides or at the event,” Rodriguez said. “The San Francisco Motorcycle Club has a wide range of riders and bikes in its membership. While most of the Pasadena Motorcycle Club’s younger members ride Harley-Davidsons, no one wants the Classic to be seen as a ‘Harley’ event. We want all types of riders to feel welcome to join us.”
The overall goal, according to Rodriguez, is to recreate a piece of history that will be admired many, many years in the future.
“The main purpose of this event is to recreate a classic photo that continues to spur the imaginations of motorcyclists everywhere,” Rodriguez said. “You can find versions of this photo on sale at JJ’s on the Beach in Pismo Beach or at any given time on eBay. We want to be part of something that will capture the attention of motorcyclists one hundred years from now.”
To learn more about the Pismo Beach Motorcycle Classic, go here.