The Lone Star Rally 2010 (11/16/10)

The Lone Star Rally in Galveston Texas is the second largest rally in Texas and one of the largest in the nation.  The attendance figures were not available when I checked with the organizers but it is safe to say that on the day we showed up there were at least a hundred thousand of my closest friends there with me.

Between the bikes, the people, the music and the accessories; if you can't find it at the LSR you probably just overlooked it or didn't walk far enough.  If you can't find one of the folks you rode down with...well that's another story.

Forget Waldo, where's Stan?

Believe it or not we did find Stan...then lost him again...then found him...then...well next year we tie a balloon to him so we can find him more easily.

For people watching there are few places better than a big bike rally and LSR is no exception.

There are some friendly people

...some odd people...

...some people pretending to be famous...

..naked people (Yes, Jack this one's for you)...

....what can I say...

...people who think they are Davey Crockett...

..people who think they are...I don't know what... 

...people who ride dragon trikes with their late wife's ashes beside them...

...and famous people (Carlos Mencia) who blow the motors on their bikes...

My favorite part of the Lone Star in the bikes.  As always, there was a strong representation of custom bike builders both local and national.

Custom Baggers seem to be all the rage...(I'll pass)

Still plenty of stretched out chrome monsters to be seen

Hmmm...bikes with built in stripper poles...that's an idea with merit but the placement needs some rethinking

This model seems a bit better thought out

I like the colors anyway...

Reality TV star and bike builder Rick Fairless was in attendance (I don't think he has ever missed a Lone Star Rally) with some of his bikes but he left "Momma" at home.

Rick Fairless' Beatles tribute bike

Rick likes his tie-dye

Rick wearing the tie-dye and muggin' with ChaCha

Whether you like his bikes or not, whether you like his TV show or not, Rick Fairless seems to be one of the nicest and most down to earth people you could hope to meet.  He took time with every fan and came through on every request for an autograph. 

The coolest collection of bikes had to be the Rat's Hole bike show on the boardwalk...complete with mascot Big Daddy Rat/Rat Fink.

Mr. Stan mugging with the rat

Cool old Indian bobber...or is it?

El Alacran - should be named the nutcracker

Another bad little bobber. Love the Springer front end.

Not just another overdone chopper, an overdone chopper with a lawnmower engine!

Classic Beemer, a proper beemer, notice the perfection of the horizontally opposed twin?

Classic Harley

The original "Ruckus" made by Cushman

Another classic Harley

A chopper based on a Buell motor

Another Sportster-based chopper

No pipe envy here

This has to be one of the most impressive bobbers I have ever seen.  The amount of custom fabrication is incredible.  This is no parts bin custom, this is the real thing and my favorite bike in the show.  I hope it won something.

Look at the detail in the girder front suspension and the custom brass and copper fittings

The tank (obviously) hangs below the backbone frame giving it an even lower look
and check out the gold leaf and detail in the paint.

Suicide shifter and open primary (not a big fan of either one)
and notice the coil of copper tubing to keep the plug wires from touching the heads 

Not sure how well the integrated rear sprocket and brake will stop you but it really looks slick

They had to drag me away from #39 but this clean little bobber did help keep me occupied

as did this one with a little more flash

Copper plated bike!

This was my second favorite bike in the show.  Too bad the owners was such a douche.

Pretty cool for a trike

The bike called Rat Patrol

Like all good things, the Lone Star had to come to an end but we couldn't go without stopping on the seawall for a photo or two.

Red pondering an attack from the sea

ChaCha and Pretty Boy pretending to be civil