Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/714189
48 nSeptember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS ing the rally were three bandstands, Harley-Davidson demo rides, stunt rid- ing demonstrations, and custom bike shows. One special location was the Veterans Memorial Building, where the tired biker could get in out of the sun and buy a beer and some tri-tip. The building's courtyard also hosted the Denver's Chopper Bike Show on Friday and the Corbin Bike Show on Saturday. After getting a good feel for the layout, we headed back to the motel, planning an early return on Saturday morning. It is worth noting the ride north on SR-25 in the late afternoon and early evening included dramatic winds blowing west to east, left to right. These winds were notable enough that I could see my buddy leaning and crabbing into them. The winds also dropped the temperature considerably, a factor incorporated into planning for Saturday, since in years past we had encountered really warm to hot tem- peratures. This year's forecasted cooler weather was certainly welcomed. The next morning, wanting to score prime parking for what was expected to be the biggest day of the rally, we headed out early from the motel to the Corbin factory, located in Hollister north of the rally site. The plan was to visit Corbin and get into town before 9:00 a.m. The Corbin fac- tory is a must see for anyone consider- ing replacing their factory saddle. On normal workdays, appointments are available to have a new saddle custom made while you wait. Working with the Corbin team, you can select style, leather, color, and features and have it will be built on the spot. Though not buying a saddle, we took the oppor- tunity to watch as several were being constructed right in front of their own- ers. The process reportedly takes about four to six hours, which is no problem, because Corbin has an onsite diner in which you can wait. Or you can sit in the drive-in bay and watch the process unfold. After being thoroughly impressed, we threw our legs over the bikes and rolled to the rally site. Surprisingly, upon arriving at 8:45 a.m., we found the streets host- ing the rally closed off. Also taken by surprise, dozens of other riders were staging near the entry points, waiting for the barriers to be removed. At 9:00 a.m., the barriers were removed and we headed right to Johnny's and grabbed two prime spots to drop the kickstands. Luck smiled on us, because just a few yards from Johnny's we were able to grab seats on a bench, where we settled in to do some people and bike watching. Over the next few hours we enjoyed watching the rally build up. Harley-Davidson, by far, was the dom- inant ride, as was black as the color of choice. Interspersed were bikes of various other brands and colors, with more Indians than Victorys seen in the constant parade of bikes rolling down San Benito. There was also the occasional tricked-out or one-off ride, longer, lower and more colorful. There were also occasional trikes, including a three-wheeled Boss Hoss being operated by a female rider with a mustachioed guy riding up behind her. And it seemed there were more female bikers than in years past or at other rallies, such as Sturgis, that we have attended. As Saturday morning passed into the afternoon, the number of bikes continued to increase, and the side- walks fi lled with more people. From our perch on the bench, we initially had a great view of the parade of bikes. But as the afternoon continued, the sidewalk became more and more crowded. Eventually, it resembled a New York subway platform at rush hour, a crush of people so thick they weren't moving smoothly. Not moving was also a description for the parade of bikes on San Benito. The volunteers controlling the cross- walks would hold the pedestrians in place to let bikes pass and then hold the bikes so the people could cross the street. Due to the large and growing crowd, the street in front of us was periodically fi lled with halted bikes when the crosswalks were active. While the bikes halted, the roar of motorcycle exhaust systems enter- tained us. It fi nally reached the point that the previously unobstructed view disappeared. Reluctantly, we gave up our seats on the bench and joined the hordes slowly maneuvering down the sidewalk. This gave us the opportunity to see the most prevalent vendors: those selling cold bottled water. From youth groups to basic entrepreneurs, water sellers were never more than a few feet away. Additionally, we noted some of the storefronts had been vacated in favor of rally-specifi c vendors. By 3:00 p.m., the sidewalks and main drag of San Benito were fi lled to overfl owing. As we walked some of the side streets, bikes could be seen parked everywhere. Over blocks and blocks off the main drag, hundreds of bikes were parked. But even with this large crowd, courtesy and consider- ation were the mainstays. Harsh words were not overheard and the bikers and lookie-loos got along with one another. A possible contributing factor was the heavy police presence. In signifi cant numbers, it did not seem law enforce- ment was going out of its way to make things diffi cult for the bikers. Quite the contrary, in my view. With the afternoon turning to evening, we returned to our bikes and prepared to depart, making two bikers in the constant parade on San Benito very, very happy. As they waited for us to pull out, one was overheard com- menting on how lucky they were to score parking so close to Johnny's. As a destination for our summer road trip, Hollister 2016 was a suc- cess. Apart from the disagreeable, but inevitable, bad traffi c getting through Los Angeles, the ride was otherwise spectacular. The PCH welcomed us and provided a tremendous ride. The weather cooperated. The rally was certainly back in full form, even if crowded. And being on the road with my lifelong best friend was exquisite. At times riding side by side in sweep- ing high-speed corners, sharing that special form of trust born from count- less shared miles, with the harmoniz- ing exhaust sound in our ears, it just couldn't get any better. 4 On the road Continued from page 47 The Whale Watcher Cafe Custom bike show