Old bikes get their motors running

Dozens of motorcycles lined South Spanish Street in downtown Cape Girardeau on Sunday afternoon for the Vintage and Unique Bike Show and Open Swap Meet.

The promise of old and odd-duck motorcycles drew gearheads of all stripes to the event.

Some, such as James Whittaker, had come from as far away as Little Rock, Arkansas. He said he, like others in the crowd, like to be outside, around things with motors and around other people who like talking about them.

"I bought my first minibike at 12 years old. I got my first traffic ticket at 12, too," he said. "But once you're around stuff with motors, you get into it, no matter what it is. Even now as an adult, I can go, 'Man, I like this minibike here, look at that.' I might not even fit on it, but there's just something about [motors]."

He bought his current motorcycle after undergoing major heart surgery.

"My wife wasn't too happy with me, but I told her, 'I don't want to die without a motorcycle,'" he said.

And although Whittaker enters his motorcycle in other shows, he left it out of Sunday's event.

Enthusiast Paul Lanius, however, entered a couple of his restored Honda dirt bikes.

"It wasn't always in this good of shape, I'll be the first one to tell you that," he said of the black 1973 Honda ST90 he's owned for the past two decades.

One of Lanius' motorcycles won best in class for dirt bikes, but he says he's not a dedicated, year-round exhibitioner.

"This is actually the only one I do all year," he said. "It's local; I just enjoy it."

Even show-goers who didn't enter the competition, such as Justin McNeely, ended up showing off their prized rides to spectators just the same.

"Ride it for two hours, work on it for four," he said of his 1954 Harley-Davidson panhead. "I love it, though."

Dave Hannigan's 1958 Ariel Square 4 took best in show overall. Missy Linson's 1978 CB 400 A was named best stock motorcycle. Don Hessie's burgundy 2005 Honda Goldwing trike won in the trike/sidecar division.

The event also served as a fundraiser for the Safe House for Women, with a total of $300 raised.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627