The January and February show calendar tends to be pretty light, to the point we forego our regular show calendar page in the January/February issue. But two shows not to be missed are the 11th Annual Dania Beach Vintage Motorcycle Show, Jan. 28, 2017, in Dania Beach, Florida, and the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Feb. 17-19, 2017.
Beautiful BMW with sidecar at the 2016 Dania Beach show.Photo courtesy daniabeachvintagebikeshow.com
The Dania Beach show draws an impressive cross-section of vintage American bikes, with previous events displaying the likes of Henderson Fours, a Ner-A-Car and vintage Harleys and Indians. There’s always a strong lineup of European, British and Japanese classics on hand, as well, including vintage Velocettes, BSAs, BMWs, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, Vincents and more. The antique bicycle display is a must-see, and Dania also delivers with motorcycle field games and a swap meet. There’s a nominal fee to enter your bike (trophies are awarded in 11 categories) and entry is free to the public.
Analog Motorcycles’ scramblers at last year’s Mama Tried show. Photo by Grant Schwingle/analogmotorcycles.com
Where Dania Beach is traditional, Mama Tried hews to a new school, builder-based, retro-themed vibe, drawing thousands of bike enthusiasts to its three-day indoor event, held this year at 126 South 2nd St., a stone’s throw from the Harley-Davidson museum and downtown Milwaukee at the confluence of the Menomonee and Milwaukee Rivers. Now going into its fourth year, the invitation-only event features 50-plus motorcycles from builders across the U.S. There’s no single focus, with past shows highlighting custom-built flat trackers, hill climbers, choppers, retro-vintage specials and more. Created by Rockerbox co-founder Scott Johnson and builder Warren Heir, Jr., the weekend event includes the Flat Out Friday indoor race on a syrup-soaked track — really — and the AMA Outdoor Ice Race on Sunday, with the show proper on Saturday and Sunday. MC
