Old Vintage Cranks Goes to Port Dover
- by oVc Webmaster
My iPhone alarm jolted me awake precisely at 5:00 am. At first, I was unsure as to what exactly was going on as I fumbled with my phone in the dark trying to stop the racket that I was convinced could be heard all over the house. With silence once more returning to the darkness, I was seriously thinking of pulling the blanket over my head and going back to sleep when I remembered the reason that I had set the alarm for such an ungodly time in the first place – today was Friday the 13th and that could mean only one thing.
Port Dover.
Yes, another Friday the 13th celebration in the little town of Port Dover beckoned and once again, I was meeting up with the oVc gang for the ride into Dover. I was particularly excited for the ride as I would be aboard oVc’s Ural bobber known affectionately as “Mad Max”.
I arrived at the oVc shop in Acton just before 7:00 after stopping for a quick breakfast. The oVc team including oVc’s newest tech specialist, Frank, was already assembled and the guys were busy rolling the bikes out of the storage garage. Some of the shop’s clients showed up a short time later to join the ride giving our little posse, in addition to Mad Max, two Ural rigs, a BMW K750 piloted by Ken and equipped with a Sputnik sidecar, along with a couple of cruisers and tourers.
While it was reasonably warm for mid-October, the forecast was calling for a 30% chance of showers and while it had clearly rained overnight, the rain had ceased. Nevertheless, a heavy mist still hung in the air as we headed off just after 7:00 am. Ian led the way aboard his Ural Gear Up and had plotted a backroad route that would have us in Dover before 9am and so, with Ian leading and Ken performing tail gunner duty, we were on our way.
The ride into Dover was very enjoyable and we made great time arriving early enough to find a spot along the main street. As expected, the streets were filling very quickly and the vast crowds we were clearly taxing the town’s communications infrastructure. My phone coverage was spotty at best and I could not get online at all to see emails or check my social media channels.
Even the restaurant where we had lunch could not process my credit card to pay for my meal. I had to actually sign a Visa receipt because the server could not connect electronically. When was the last time you signed a Visa charge?
As is typical at Dover, we saw quite an assortment of characters but once again, everyone was chill and having a good time. Heck, even the weather got in on the action with the sun breaking through the clouds midway through the morning. We had a chance to speak with many, many people and as usual, the sidecars (and Mad Max) generated a great deal of interest. If you were one of those who we met for the first time, be sure to stop by the shop to check out all our bikes and services.
Heading out of Dover later that afternoon, it was amazing how many bikes were still pouring in. I guess with the weather being much better than predicted, many riders opted to wait until later in the day to make the trek.
The next Friday the 13th is April, 2018 followed by another one in July. We’ll wait and see what the weather is like next April but you can be sure that oVc will be front and centre once again next July. Mark your calendars now!
The Sights of Friday the 13th
Once again, the oVc crew managed to find a great spot all together on the main drag.
