Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader - September 2008 - (Page 49)

SPECIAL FEATURE STORIES S&S 50TH ANNIVERSARY Classic Bikes Add to S & S Cycle’s 50th Anniversary By John Gunnell La Cross, Wis., was loaded with motorcycles for the S & S birthday party June 26-29. (John Gunnell) T he Historic Section of La Crosse, Wisconsin, looked like a giant motorcycle parking lot, on June 26-29, when riders from near and far came to a riverside rendevous in the Mississippi Valley city. The bikers gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of S & S Cycle, a company that one visitor described as an “icon of the motorcycle industry.” Custom and high-performance bikes dominated the turnout, but it was often the vintage Harleys and Indians that drew a big crowd. Most were snarling Harleys from the 1950s up. S & S builds hot engines and accessories and maintains its corporate headquarters in La Crosse. The company’s production facility is located in nearby Viola. According to company spokesperson Howard Kelly, approximately 25,000 people took in the festivities at the La Crosse Oktoberfest Grounds. Kelly told a local radio sta- tion, WKBT, “The turnout, to me, was fantastic. We had just enough people to make the city of La Crosse realize how cool motorcycles are and not so much that it really bothered anybody.” Early arrivals on Thursday could visit both S & S facilities, ride a trolley through the city or do a pub tour and tasting at the Pearl Brewery. A road tour to Viola was scheduled for Friday morning, but had to be cancelled due to rain. Wet weather affected the entire weekend, but hardworking S & S employees kept the show rolling on with hardly a hitch. There were riverboat cruises, bands, dyno drags, plant tours and sightseeing excursions all weekend long. Legendary racing driver Dan Gurney brought his last American Eagle racecar, a display of his high-performance Alligator motorcycles and his personal Alligator No. 1, which started as a 1976 Honda 350cc. It is now a 426cc five-speed kick-start racing bike capable of 110 mph. Jesse James and Arlen Ness signed autographs for enthusiasts, who waited on a long line to see the famed custom builders. Bubba Blackwell Thrill Shows were set for Saturday. Featured artist for the event was Stefanie Aziere-Sattler, who has been building a reputation among bike and classic-car collectors. One of her paintings showed S & S founder George Smith, Sr., sitting on his motorcycle in front of a 1941 Pontiac and another depicted a famous S & S racing bike at Bonneville. A real Salt Flats racer was I I Mike Tomas, of Kiwi Indian, leans against his ʻ48 Indian after the long trip from California. (John Gunnell) WALNECKS.COM WALNECK’S CLASSIC CYCLE TRADER® SEPTEMBER 2008 49 http://WALNECKS.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader - September 2008

Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader - September 2008 Contents American The Buzz w/Buzz Walneck Motorcycle Tips w/Mike Brown Wood It Run? Riding the Jack Pine Run S&S 50th Anniversary Bench Racing w/Mark Zimmerman Parts, Accessories, Want Ads Davenport Show Guide British Biker of the Month Triumph Factory Rhinebeck Review European Japanese Competition Road Test: 1965 Velocette 500 Scrambler Road Test: 1967 Harley Davidson Sprint CR-TT Motorbikes & Scooters Memorabilia Antique Cycle Clubs How to Place a Word Ad How to Place a Photo Ad Area Code Directory How to Subscribe Let Us Help You With Your Event

Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader - September 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.