Half a decade ago something shifted in the motorcycle word. A movement of people realized they wanted something more then just a purchased experience, they wanted a hands on, get down and dirty real life struggle – A real left experience.
It was a movement of people who saw pictures and heard stories of “The Good Ol’ Days” from their Grandparents. Simultaneously the economy in the gutter, and the Old Timers started clearing out their collections of rusty motorcycles, liquidating basement projects and freeing up the motherlode of vintage bikes.
We started picking up bikes for free and on the cheap. We pulled off the stuff that was unnecessary, put a little money into getting the cycles a bit more safe to ride, and rode the crap out of ‘em until we needed to rebuild. In the process we found the places where we could score parts, met people who could help us, and learned.
I quickly began to notice that there was a growing number of people who loved this subculture of motorcycling. This was when I decided to host the first gathering of what we would deem The One Motorcycle Show. The idea that a bike meant more to someone through experiences and stories. The notion that a motorcycle was built, restored, constructed, invented, or modified for particular reasons, using the means at their disposal. This doesn’t stop at a particular year. People are expanding their range: you see a lot of late model customs inspiring vintage customs, and vice-versa.
THIS YEAR’S SHOW
6 years ago, we hosted the first One Motorcycle Show in an old abandoned warehouse building. It was crafted to celebrate the weird, rare, unconventional bikes that we loved, in a way that everyone could enjoy. We started out with no knowledge of how to put on a show: let alone what might happen if we did, or the expectation we would be doing it for the next 6 years. It’s almost hard to believe that it has been so long! Our driving force to keep this going was the feeling that we were adding to something that we loved. We want to give back to motorcycling. We want to be inclusive and inspire people to participate.
As things progressed , the show got bigger. We’ve been in multiple locations, and have been lucky to work with some of the most trusting sponsors within the greater world of motorcycles. It has been a non-stop learning process and we’ve always strived to make the show better each year. This has really been our biggest challenge: skating the line between “big” and small. We make this all work with the donation of time and money by people who want to see this happen again, every year. We are proud of this fact and it’s the main reason we’ve made it this far.
2015: our 6th show. We have a new location just blocks away from last year, across the river from downtown Portland, right in the heart of the lower eastside industrial area. This historic building that once housed manufacturing is an open single floor, exceeding 20,000 sq ft. The building has a fenced-in parking lot, perfect for some outdoor activities.
As always, we are exceptionally pleased to keep the show admission at totally FREE to exhibit and attend. This is possible due to the contributions of great patrons like yourself. We are focused on giving back to those who support and contribute this yearly effort.
Where:
800 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
When:
Friday, February 13th: 6 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Saturday, February 14th: 11 a.m. – Midnight
Sunday, February 15th: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Cost:
Free to the public
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