Ahh, September; the Northwest riding season’s commencement of winding down (if truth be told). Of course a lot of us will continue until the snow flies, and even that won’t daunt some, but for the fair-weather enthusiasts this month is busiest for a darned good reason. And here are a dozen compelling points that should find riders fueling up before the final tank that will slurp up some fuel stabilizer and begin yet another battery-tender season. This first event is well-named and coming to you on Sunday, September 9. It’s the “Who-Done It?” Ride and is put on by Full Throttle Motorcycle Accessories in Kenniwick, Washington. The ride benefits Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers (get it?). This will be a nice putt, around 160 miles with an entry fee of $25 for riders and another $15 for passengers (unless you registered early). The entrants are charged with solving a fabricated crime, and if successful, are in the running for a grand prize with booty from Full Throttle and motorcycle safety training from MotorTraining911.com. Folks will meet up for registration at 135th and Vista Way in Kennewick at 9:00 a.m. for check-in and a continental breakfast. Stops include Hat Rock Park, Wildhorse Casino, a cruise through Touchet, and Jack-Son’s Sportsbar in Kennewick. Clues for the crime will be given at each stop. Have you got what it takes to be a Crime Stopper? More info at www.tricitiescrimestoppers.org, or by calling 509.582.1351… The following weekend, September 14–15, in Idaho there will be a street party, chow, beverages and live music, and your hosts know how to do it up right. It’s the 10th Anniversary of Chester’s Grand Teton Harley-Davidson in Idaho Falls and they’re putting on a Rock & Roll Weekend. Cost is $20 for the two-day event complete with the bands Great White and Slaughter, your traditional big-hair rock musicians—cool. There’s a toll-free number (800.863.5297) for more info, and the address is 848 Houston Avenue, in Idaho Falls. Check it out at www.tetonharley.com … On September 16 in Enumclaw, Washington, at the Enumclaw Expo Center, join others in the quest for widgets and nacelles, steering dampeners and stator plugs at the ABATE of Washington Fall Swap Meet. Entry is only $3 for members and a couple more for the non-inducted. Expect a good variety of vendors and all the normal bells and whistles, patches and parts. I can almost smell the nostalgia (a.k.a. oil and grease). Address is 45224 284th Avenue SE, and Rona will table your calls or e-mails at 253.906.2581 or bagonia63@yahoo.com… It was April of 2010 that the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes, Washington, suffered a huge explosion when (according to newspaper accounts) a weld failed on a heat exchanger. The blast killed seven, and among the dead was a young man named Matt who was just weeks from being married. My daughter worked with his fiancee, both as nurses. Matt’s father Paul also worked at the refinery and responded to the wounded amid flames. After an excruciating 22 days, Matt died from his injuries. The loss of the seven is remembered in many ways, but the motorcycle community remembers it through the Tesoro Seven Memorial Run. This run benefits the recovery for child burn victims. The date this year, for the third annual event, is September 16. They will meet at the Pizza Factory in Anacortes on 32nd and Commercial Avenue at 9:00 a.m. on the 16th. You can expect some nice folks, a run pin, lunch and prizes for the $25 entry. If you have questions, Bob has answers and can be reached at 360.969.1027… The Oyster Run started loosely in the fall of 1981 with a few friends taking a ride that began in Marysville at the old California Tavern, and ending up a few stops later with ingestion of oysters. The size, scale and insurance liability of managing the Oyster Run as “a run” became prohibitive over time, so it’s just a gathering these days, leaving the route to the end site up to the individual. The website has the hold-harmless jargon to ride at your own risk. Formalities aside, the gathering now amounts to the largest motorcycle enthusiast shindig in the Pacific Northwest. This year the Oyster Run is to be held September 23 in beautiful downtown Anacortes, Washington. The city fathers/mothers recognize the marketability and annually turn over the town to this event and the commerce it generates. There will be music, vendors, food, stunts, local and regional color and the charm of Anacortes to boot. Limp Lee and his pals never realized it would become such a big deal, but it must be mighty satisfying to sit back and enjoy the pearl the Oyster Run has become. It has it all, from children in strollers to octogenarians in full regalia, bearded codgers to FBI dodgers; RUBs in rut to make-believe sluts. It’s a two-month jump on Halloween costumery for the non-biker, and a major people show for one and all. Then there are the bikes—tens of thousands of bikes. More info at: www.oysterrun.org or by phone at 360.435.9103…
