A motorcycle gang roars into the peaceful community of Lakeville every Thursday evening around 5 p.m. between May and October.
But they’re not there to start bar fights or terrorize the town like the Hell’s Angels.
Most of the time they’re too busy wondering whether or not their bikes are going to conk out.
They call themselves The Lakeville Retreads and what separates this biker gang from others is they ride vintage motorcycles, the kind you frequently see displayed in museums or shown on the History Channel show ‘Pawn Stars.?
‘There’s nothing like riding old iron,? said Oxford Village resident Scott Sutphin, who owns a 1947 Harley Davidson Knucklehead. ‘Old iron is the real deal. When you’re riding an old motorcycle, you’ve got the smells, the oil, the wind in your face. You feel the road. There’s nothing like it.?
The Retreads gather in the parking lot at the Addison Township hall, then head to downtown Romeo for the weekly ‘Bike Night in the Village.? This event includes bike parking along main street, live bands, giveaways, door prizes and outdoor patios at local establishments.
‘We’ve been meeting for three years now,? said Addison Township Supervisor Bruce Pearson, who seems to be the gang’s defacto leader.
The gang varies in size from week to week. It all depends on schedules ? and which bikes are able to start.
‘Sometimes there’s as many as nine of us,? Pearson said.
Pearson enjoys riding his 1947 Indian Chief, which he’s owned for 27 years.
‘This is all original, just the way it was,? he said. ‘I didn’t restore it at all. I found it. It had the original battery in it. I jumped it, put some gas in it and I rode it away.?
To Lakeville resident Bill Jarski, it takes a higher degree of skill and know-how to ride the vintage bikes, like the 1942 Harley Davidson 45 he drove last week, as opposed to their modern counterparts.
‘There’s a whole lot more to it,? he said. ‘It’s not just a matter of climbing on the machine and going down the road.?
Take starting them, for example.
‘Now, it’s a matter of just pushing a button and the machine starts,? Jarski said. ‘You don’t have to choke them. You don’t have to advance or retard the (ignition) spark. There’s no kickstarting. It’s a totally different ballgame.?
Sutphin agreed. He said each old bike has its own distinct ‘personality? and can be quite ‘temperamental,? but that’s precisely what makes it so satisfying when you finally figure out that ‘special combination? and it ‘comes alive.?
‘You get to know your bike,? Sutphin said. ‘You develop a relationship with it. You get to be one with that particular bike.?
Tooling down the road on a classic bike allows the rider to experience much more, in Jarski’s opinion.
‘Today’s bikes are much smoother and more comfortable to ride,? he admitted.
‘But with the old bikes, you actually get a better feel for the road. You feel all the little bumps and irregularities in the road. It takes you back to nature.?
Sutphin freely admitted the old bikes are ‘horrible? compared to today’s motorcycles.
‘They’ve got no suspension. It takes you two blocks to try to stop because the brakes are old drum brakes,? he said. ‘Mechanically, there’s no comparison to a new bike ? the advances are just phenomenal. Now, they’re so comfortable. They’re really a joy to ride.?
So, why drive an old bike?
‘It’s the mystique. It takes you back in time,? Sutphin said. ‘It’s the real feel of a motorcycle. It’s really hard to explain. When you have an old bike, you get it, you understand. I don’t think a lot of people have that appreciation.?
The 72-year-old Jarski has been riding motorcycles since he was 12. ‘It’s something that I’ve enjoyed for many, many years,? he said.
He has a real passion and a definite talent for restoring them. So much so that one of his fellow Retreads referred to him as ‘the wizard.?
Jarski estimated he’s revived 50 to 60 bikes over the years.
‘I enjoy taking a machine that’s trashed or not running and bringing it back to life,? he said. ‘That’s a big boost to my ego.?
Although many of the Lakeville Retreads ride vintage motorcycles, owning one is not a requirement to roll with them.
‘Anybody can join us if they’d like to,? Pearson said.