Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/787665
37 www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS nMarch 2017n by Felicia Morgan The annual Mecum auction in Las Vegas has become a sort of unoffi cial family reunion for members of the antique motorcycle world and while there's the business of buying and selling, there's also lots of friends gathering to catch up with each other's lives over dinners and drinks. Here are a few of the folks we ran into while trudging the hallowed halls of the South Point Hotel & Casino. Dummy dealing Arizona H-D dealership and museum owner Buddy Stubbs is always one of our favorite guys to run into during the auction since he seems to enjoy the business of swapping around inventory for his small museum in Phoenix. He bravely puts his bikes up with no reserve and stands back to let the chips fall where they may. One example was the beautiful 1918 H-D with a sidecar. Included with the bike, Buddy was selling a Jerry Garcia man- nequin holding a beer, of which people seemed even more enamored than the bike itself. Einstein As a four-time Cannonball rider, Doug is one of those guys who shows up on a different marque every time so it's fun to watch him wander among the auction offerings and ogle the spindly geriatrics for a potential match. This year we didn't get much indication of what he intends to bring to the starting line but we ended up meeting the guy who bought his 2010 Cannonball bike and thought it would be cool if the new owner ended up next to Doug for a future race. Who knows? Stranger things have hap- pened. Daredevil dude Hailing from Arizona, Ed is on the board of directors for his local Shriner's Hospital. When asked if he drives one of the tiny clown cars Ed laughed and immediately brought up pictures on his cell phone. Turns out Mr. Stolze likes to get wild and crazy and pops wheelies on his trike, but no clown cars. Gilroy guy The auction is the perfect place to catch up with folks you don't see often and Cannonball alumni Dave is just such a friend. As one of the fi rst riders to cross the country on antique bikes there are plenty of road stories to rehash. A picture of him sending his daughter Holly a love letter on his Styrofoam lunch container that was featured in magazine articles was a favorite memory from our stop in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 2010. We just need to convince him to come back out on the road and make more memories with us. Michael We met Michael last year and were impressed with how much the guy loves his wife. This year we ran into the couple strolling the hallway and realized what a dynamic pair they are. She's a sculptor and they own Classic Motorcycle Company out of St. Louis, Missouri. After 20 years of marriage, it was pretty cool to hear Deborah say Michael makes her laugh. Which helps when you're the parents of three kids, two of whom are teen- agers. You can fi nd Deborah's enchant- ing work at www.katonstudios.com or Michael and his magic machines at www.michaelsmotorcycles.com. Nomad Troy is an Indiana transplant that's escaped the snow drifts back home to camp in an RV with his woman in the Arizona desert. As a fi rst-time Vegas auction attendee he cruised the aisles of bikes decked out in his best bib overalls and was blown away by the fl ashbacks that came with fi nding machines from his childhood. Meeting up with a variety of his friends from social media rounded out the wide- eyed rider's auction experience. Antique whisperer Somer Hooker is a bike broker who knows his stuff. Legend has it that Somer bought a bike, a Vincent Black Shadow no less, for $7,000 and turned a $20,000 profi t a year later back in the 1980s. These days he serves as not only a well-versed emcee but also a historian, show judge, broker and a general all-around nice guy to hang out with. The Tennessee native gave us a broad grin as he drawled, "It's getting exciting up there!" while we watched the auction action from the audience. Nice to know that even after all these years, there's nothing jaded about Somer's love of motorcycles. 4 MECUM AUCTION FACES IN THE CROWD Antique family reunion Dinner, drinks and dealing (800) 762-9785 SoCalCycleSwapMeet.com Text CYCLE to 33733 for monthly reminder 2017 SWAPS January 22 February 26 March 26 April 23 May 28 June 25 July 30 August 27 September 24 October 22 November 26 December 31