Motorcycles take over downtown Colorado Springs for Bike Fest
Ask any biker what they love so much about riding and they all have the same answer: The freedom. But the also really like to show off their bikes, and on Sunday hundreds of bikers took over downtown Colorado Springs for the 14th Annual Tejon Street Bike Fest.
Dan Marques, 61, stood next to his custom-built Bourget Fat Daddy Chopper and grinned at the steady stream of people who stopped to admire it.
“It’s that wind in your hair, open road, just riding and enjoying yourself,” Marques said. “But I also like the attention that the chopper gets. It’s so cool to share that with people and see others appreciate the bike, too.”
A retired Army Ranger, Marques chose every detail on his chopper, from the bright red phantom flames to the stingray skin adorning the seat. The Bourget, with an imposing 47-degree rake and oversized rear tire, is one of four bikes Marques owns, but its unique design makes it his favorite.
Tens of thousands braved a few storms over downtown Colorado Springs for the annual bike fest, which benefits the Rocky Mountain Museum Hall of Fame and featured live music, a beer garden, poker run, tattoo and motorcycle competitions and a bikini contest.
Jim Wear, president of ProPromotions, the company coordinating the bike fest, stood on the stage in the center of Tejon Street and thanked everyone who attended Sunday’s event, especially those who travel to Colorado Springs each year so they can take part.
Dog Karis, a contractor who flips houses in Parker, said he’s attended the bike fest every year since 1999, when he bought his Yamaha Road Star 1600. With custom paint striping designs, Karis, 56, called the cruiser his “baby,” and said that was the only bike he would ever need.
“The best part of riding is the freedom,” Karis said. “Even after a bad day, I can just get on my bike, cruise and relax. It’s the best feeling.”
Karis is no rookie when it comes to long trips on his cruiser, completing a “Freedom Ride” stretching over seven days and more than 2,700 miles from Los Angeles to the World Trade Center’s Ground Zero site in New York City last year.
Racking up more than 65,000 miles on his “Street Dreams” 2008 V8 Trike, Ed Miller showed off his one-of-a-kind ride, designed and built by a friend in Denver. The trike was powered with a 415-cubic-inch Chevy Big-Block engine and the paint job was custom-made, featuring historical Route 66, U.S. Route 50 in Nevada, also known as “America’s loneliest highway,” and other spots detailing Miller’s many trips from one end of the country to the other.
“Riding this trike is a unique experience; with its size, paint job and body, it definitely gets noticed,” said Miller, a former Colorado Springs resident of more than 20 years. “People wave (and) honk their horns. I’ve even seen someone stand through their car’s sunroof to take pictures.”
Shannon Bayless looks at a 2005 Paul Yaffe Streetster at the ride in bike show during the Tejon Street Bike Fest Sunday, June 22, 2014. Tejon Street was shut down for the hundreds of bikes that lined the road. Photos by Julia Moss, The Gazette
Casey Klug, foreground, points out a detail on a custom bike to Zach Yost during the Tejon Street Bike Fest Sunday, June 22, 2014. Tejon Street was shut down for the hundreds of bikes that lined the road. Photos by Julia Moss, The Gazette
Participants walk past rows of parked motorcycles during the Tejon Street Bike Fest Sunday, June 22, 2014. Tejon Street was shut down for the hundreds of bikes that lined the road. Photos by Julia Moss, The Gazette
Sean Swedhin sits on his ’68 Yamaha YGS that he entered in the ride in bike show during the Tejon Street Bike Fest Sunday, June 22, 2014. Swedhin thinks “finding one of these is like finding a needle in a haystack.” Tejon Street was shut down for the hundreds of bikes that lined the road. Photos by Julia Moss, The Gazette
A participant rides his bike down Tejon Street during the Tejon Street Bike Fest Sunday, June 22, 2014. Tejon Street was shut down for the hundreds of bikes that lined the road. Photos by Julia Moss, The Gazette
Keith LaMee Jr., left, talks to Rich “Hooligan” Dinkel at the ride in bike show during the Tejon Street Bike Fest Sunday, June 22, 2014. Tejon Street was shut down for the hundreds of bikes that lined the road. Photos by Julia Moss, The Gazette
Mark Beeman looks down the center row of parked bikes during the Tejon Street Bike Fest Sunday, June 22, 2014. Tejon Street was shut down for the hundreds of bikes that lined the road. Photos by Julia Moss, The Gazette