Simi Valley Bike Show

“Moto Concoursa” was the name of the game recently on a sunny May Sunday, the first such event held at the Simi Valley City Hall complex. It turned out to be a celebration of both precious metal and precious memories. And also for a good cause, a silent auction benefited the Pediatric Brian Tumor Foundation and the Wheelchair Foundation. Says event organizer and major bikeoholic, Eric Reeves “I had put shows on when I lived in Colorado, but this is my first since I moved to California. It’s a non-judged, run and fun show for 1975 and earlier bikes. The Simi City Hall provided an excellent backdrop for the show. It helped that a couple of the city boardmembers also ride bikes. We had a great turn-out and look forward to future events.”

As we checked out the wide assortment of classic bikes of flavors and nationalities,
we noticed a couple guys with interesting looking caps indicating they were members of “the band of brothers,” veterans of both WWII and Korea. Naturally
we wanted to hear their stories, this writer a history buff. We couldn’t have asked
to have met nicer people. And our course, they like motorcycles.

Sal and Norma Ayala seem to be the 1930 British built Brough-Superior. Sal was also born in 1930, the year of the bike’s manufacture. They have been married 57 years and were introduced by her mother, she the youngest and last unattached of four sisters. He was in the 82nd Airborne and served in Korea. The bike is not his, but he rode Harleys and now has a collection Ford Model T’s.

One of the highlights of the day was meeting retired Admiral Murray Michaels-Rothberg, a WWII Navy fighter pilot with 41 enemy aircraft downed while serving aboard the original USS Enterprise aircraft carrier of great fame. Gifted with a photographic member, he was accepted at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis at 16, eventually becoming the youngest U.S. admiral at age 41 and skipper of the new generation nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the also named USS Enterprise. Not a motorcycle guy but still flies his own Lear Jet “to work” since he also runs a pineapple and macadamia plantation in Kauai, Hawaii. Watch for his biography titled “Old Man in the Sky.”

Ted Henry and his beautiful “bitsa” 450 Desmo. Then engine is from a Ducati RT, the frame a “wide case” wioth Ceriana frontend with Grimeca brakes while the bodywork is a repop made in Japan.

Event Organizer Eric Reeves and stellar “Duck.” Eric by way owns and operates Moto Rivato, the Simi Valley shop specializing in the restoration and preservation of vintage and classic motorcycles with an emphasis on European machines. More info at www.motorivato.com or call Eric at 805-558-5112.