2008 Motogiro America

By Tod Rafferty
Published on September 26, 2008
1 / 14
Bikes make the start at Cannery Row in the inaugural Motogiro America.
Bikes make the start at Cannery Row in the inaugural Motogiro America.
2 / 14
Bikes lined up at the Hyatt in Monterey, Calif.
Bikes lined up at the Hyatt in Monterey, Calif.
3 / 14
David Orphanides looking good on his Ducati 250.
David Orphanides looking good on his Ducati 250.
4 / 14
"Pistol" Pete Cervantes burning it up on his Vespa.
5 / 14
Roadside repair to Dave Roper's Moto Guzzi Airone.
Roadside repair to Dave Roper's Moto Guzzi Airone.
6 / 14
Dave Miller on the Moto Guzzi/Vanson Leathers/Motorcycle Classics-sponsored Moto Guzzi Stornello
Dave Miller on the Moto Guzzi/Vanson Leathers/Motorcycle Classics-sponsored Moto Guzzi Stornello
7 / 14
Lovely Mondial at Saturday's Moto Concorso.
Lovely Mondial at Saturday's Moto Concorso.
8 / 14
Dave Roper, Chris Sidah and Rob Diepenbrock tend to Roper's Airone.
Dave Roper, Chris Sidah and Rob Diepenbrock tend to Roper's Airone.
9 / 14
Tom Tasso: Spark plugs? We don't need no stinkin' spark plugs!
Tom Tasso: Spark plugs? We don't need no stinkin' spark plugs!
10 / 14
Michael Harper-Smith's Moto Morini.
Michael Harper-Smith's Moto Morini.
11 / 14
12 / 14
Fast company: Richard Gabriel (second from left) gets some perspective from riding legends Cook Nielson, Phil Schilling and Paul Smart (left to right).
Fast company: Richard Gabriel (second from left) gets some perspective from riding legends Cook Nielson, Phil Schilling and Paul Smart (left to right).
13 / 14
Jimmy Dillard took three out of five daily Vintage Class awards in the Motogiro America riding his 175cc Parilla Gran Sport.
Jimmy Dillard took three out of five daily Vintage Class awards in the Motogiro America riding his 175cc Parilla Gran Sport.
14 / 14

Translations from Italian can be tricky. This holds true for industrial design, food, fashion and motorcycle events. In the heyday of Italy’s Motogiro — the mid-1950s — the whole country turned out for the festive long-distance races. Local priests blessed the motorcycles and riders, and favorite riders and marques were cheered on by the crowds along the road.

Americans are generally more skeptical of such carryings-on — although vintage motorcycles, like sidecars, do tend to elicit smiles from most of the observing populace. But California’s central coast, site of the inaugural Motogiro America, presented quite a mix of logistical issues. In June, wildfires had closed roads planned as routes for two days of the five-day rally. California State Highway 1, the gemstone of coastal macadam from Carmel to Lucia, was out; as was Carmel Valley Road, slated for the return route from Paso Robles to Monterey.

Ducati’s Bologna-based marketing maven David Gross had enlisted Burt Richmond and Diane Fitzgerald, aka Lotus Tours of Chicago, to get the inaugural Motogiro America off the line. They enlisted some local talent, namely Patrick Hayes and California Giro chief Harley Welch, to chart the course, and Bob Coy to set up timing and scoring groups, plus a crew of two dozen volunteers for flagging, medical corps, chase trucks, mechanics and assorted helpmates. Oh yes, and a vintage bike show, the Moto Concorso, which fell to Lorin Guy and Hans Mellberg of the Ducati Vintage Club.

The whole deal looked shaky. Burt and Diane looked apprehensive. Then, as if by divine providence, Highway 1 through Big Sur was re-opened after three weeks of yeoman work by firefighters. Huzzah!

And they’re offDay 1 served as a shakedown run in the Monterey-Salinas foothills, preceded by a morning lap of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It was here, in the same turn where Casey Stoner would come to grief a few days later during the Red Bull MotoGP, that Dave Roper would spin his 1953 Moto Guzzi Airone (the day after his 60th birthday), and leave a few patches from the seat of his Aerostich suit on the racing surface.

Not to be outdone, 1972 Imola 200 winner Paul Smart — on a Ducati Hypermotard — opted for a quicker second lap, and was summarily asked to leave the premises by the corner worker at the Corkscrew. That incident, with the descriptive help of fellow guest rider and ex-Cycle editor Cook Neilson, would become more dramatic in the ensuing days.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-880-7567