After almost two years of conceptualizing and planning, Brooke Roner and Jared Zaugg presented their masterpiece over the first weekend of May. The first Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours d’Elegance was held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, overlooking a chilly, gray Pacific at Half Moon Bay, California. The setting was appropriate for the quality of the show. The hotel is not just another fake Mediterranean palazzo, but a charming mix of native stone, clapboard and shingles, more Newport than Newport Beach. On a golf course with a view as spectacular as Pebble Beach itself, the staggering variety of the history of the motorcycle was on display.

Celebrities were thick on the ground at the Legend of the Motorcycle, and none drew more attention than Peter Fonda. Geezers still think of Marlon Brando in The Wild One, but boomers revere Fonda for his portrail of the definitive biking rebel, Captain America, in Easy Rider.

Before the field was laid out there was a reception on Friday evening. Waiting for that, one could watch arrivals in the hotel’s circular drive. One group included Master of Ceremonies Alain de Cadenet (Vincent), Peter Fonda (late 70s BMW R1100 RS) and a Brough Superior SS80. They had ridden from Los Angeles. The reception itself was centered around a gazebo at the rear of the hotel. Heat lamps, adult beverages and great camaraderie dispelled the coastal, evening chill almost completely, and the amount of phone numbers exchanged between men and women belied the age of much of the crowd. Perhaps motorcycling does keep one young.

The next day dawned overcast and cool, but as you were directed around the back of the hotel, the enormity of the event began to reveal itself. The first area encountered was the site of the previous evening’s reception. Here, the two honored marques, Crocker and Brough Superior, were assembled, including prototypes of each. Nothing like their numbers had previously been seen together in the States. Al Crocker, Jr., son of the founder, was present, along with an extended family that appeared to number over a dozen.

From there, you traversed a long, curved walkway where the bikes were aligned chronologically. Some of the earliest and most idiosyncratic – try a steam-powered bike – were here. As you came out of the shadow of the hotel, the light, filtered through low clouds, shone on a larger expanse of field with the bulk of the machinery.

Continuing the walk, you passed the work of Jesse James, Arlen Ness and other chopper/custom builders who were chatting about their creations. James was showing a radial engine job that had no more than an inch of ground clearance below the bottom cylinder and the lawn, and there was another chopper with 1957 Chevy fender, headlight and rear fin styling cues.

Strolling on, you entered the main field. Just like at the original Art of the Motorcycle at the Guggenheim, the history of the motorcycle was spread out before you. This wasn’t some stuffy museum, however, and the breadth of the display blew the Guggi away. Every facet of the sport was present – choppers and bobbers, road racers and café racers, street bikes, board trackers and flat trackers, desert racers, trials bikes, police motorcycles, brass age, vintage, veteran, classic, nineteenth century, mid-twentieth century, singles, V-twins, vertical twins, opposed twins, triples, fours, flatheads, overhead valves, overhead cams – it seemed as if every landmark bike in history was there. There was even a 1932 Ford pickup in Hap Jones livery with one pre-war Indian flat tracker in the bed and another on a period trailer with 30s Ford wire wheels.

Two rare race bikes had the younger set buzzing, a Proton and a Britten. The Proton was of recent Moto GP vintage. The Britten is a legend built in romote New Zealand, that challenged the reigning factories in Superbike racing. Many think it is the most technically advanced motorcycle ever built. John Britten, the company's founder, died at 45 in the mid-90s, having built only a few examples.

Mike Madden's 1940 Crocker Big Tank won Best of Show at the inaugural Legend of the Motorcycle. These 1000cc V-twins, of which less than 200 were made, caused many to eschew Milwaukee's Finest in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Wandering through this time-warping spectacle, I finally realized an AJS Porcupine was missing, but little else. It took a while, but I found one of the rarest of the Brits, a Matchless G50 CSR. This was a homologation special made in the early 1960s to qualify for AMA Grand National racing, the rules for which were slanted toward the “iron triangle” of Harley, BSA and Triumph. It was a G80 scrambler fitted with a G50 ohc 500cc single road racing engine. Only 25 were made, but Tom Keeble's was at the Legend of the Motorcycle. Appropriately, Bud Ekins, who owns two of them, judged it. Ekins was a legendary desert racer and movie stuntman. How cool was he? Many say Steve McQueen was an Ekins wannabe. After all, it was Ekins, not McQueen, who made the memorable motorcycle jump in The Great Escape.

The Legend of the Motorcycle had every kind of bike imaginable, but there was plenty of eye candy for lovers of Italian machinery. This delectable line-up includes two Mondials, a Moto Guzzi Dondolino and a pair of Parillas

After a while, the moist ocean breeze became overwhelming and the hotel beckoned. Inside the magnificent marbled halls was a cigar and spirits lounge for some good bench racing or discussion concerning bikes on the field. A talented gentleman hand-rolled cigars for guests while a McQueen movie played on a huge plasma screen TV. Elsewhere inside were displays of motorcycle art, photography and other memorabilia. It became hard to allocate time between these artifacts and those on the field. The hotel staff was outstanding in providing directions and advice about how to achieve the perfect day.

The Moto Guzzi Bicilindrica 500 raced for almost twenty years at the top level, winning the 1935 Isle of Man TT race. This 1947 example shows off its 120 degree V-twin.

Back outside it was time to admire the focus of VeloceToday viewers, the bella machina Italiana. There was plenty to see, ranging from the sublime (MV Agusta and Moto Guzzi Grand Prix racers) to the ridiculous (Vespa). In between were prime examples of Bimota, Ducati, Mondial, Morbidelli, Morini, Parilla, and Rumi. Many were restored to period correctness, but others showed the individual expression that motorcycling is known for.

Some people just get into it. Dan Barnes not only brought a bike (below), but also this display of the tools and spare parts for his 1955 Moto Rumi. It paid off with a class win in the Mid-Century European Competition class.

Unlike many top-line car shows, the food on the field was far more than passable and reasonably priced as well. There were proper tables so one didn’t have to sit on the ground. If you wished to eat inside one of the hotel dining rooms, the sky was the limit. The indoor setting was extremely attractive and several known penny-pinchers were seen letting some moths out of their wallets. Guests and participants also loosened up during the charity auction, resulting in more than $22,000 being donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Special Olympics and the Roots Initiative.

That evening there was a gala with dinner dancing. Hollywood star power was in attendance with not just Fonda but a new generation represented by Ewan McGregor and Sandra Bullock. The latter is married to TV reality show chopper builder, Jesse James. James maintained an attitude throughout the evening that was probably required by his job description, but did little to encourage warm feelings between different branches of the sport.

There's nothing quite like the mystique of an MV Agusta factory racer. This is Jeff Elghanayan's 3C 500, thought to be Giacomo Agostini's 1972 Tourist Trophy winner

Sunday began with the riders setting out on the Tour of Legends, a gallop over local roads with an over-the-top entry. The course proceeded south on Highway One, with vistas opening and closing as the road veered toward or away from the coast. Near San Gregorio, the riders turned inland on Highway 84/Skyline Boulevard that provides the Sunday morning ride for many in the area heading for Alice’s Restaurant, a motorcycle gathering point for generations. Finally, after navigating the coastal range crest, the route dropped down Highway 92 back to sea level and Half Moon Bay. Some of the best machines from the concours took part and almost everyone behaved. De Cadenet had the misfortune to hit a serious pothole, which collapsed the wheel of his Vincent. In the end, more damage was done to pride than body, although Alain did break his wrist. A fabulous seaside brunch awaited the returning participants.

At the concours the day before, I felt a vibe that I hadn’t experienced since August 10th, 1974. On that Saturday, I was less than one hundred miles from Half Moon Bay, at Laguna Seca. The first edition of the Monterey Historic Automobile Races had just been completed and dozens of people were wandering around the paddock saying, “Oh man, I’ve got to get something for next year.” I heard the same phrase several times as the day wore on at the Legend of the Motorcycle. Motorcyclists are known for unfulfilled hyperbole, but if a fraction of that sentiment materializes into action, next year should be even more spectacular.

I know where I’ll be on May 5th, 2007. Just comb the field at the Ritz-Carleton and look for the ageing historian who can’t stop smiling.