Laverda

'If you can't run with the Big Dogs, get off the road!' A Big Dog with a 1975 Laverda 750 SF2, owned by Jon Martino

By Brandes Elitch
Photos by Petya Elitch

“The world of motorcycles has all the ingredients of a good enriching drama: heroic deeds, political intrigue, design brilliance, cut-throat business practices, quirky characters, national tensions, cultural biases, eros, and thanatos.” – Paul d’Orleans

In previous columns, I’ve covered the Monterey Historics, the week long series of racing, shows, club events, and exhibitions culminating with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. I’ve covered an event called “The Legends of the Motorcycle,” held for 3 years at the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay, CA. In May, I attended for the first time The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, the sixth iteration of this event, which seems to have stepped into the void when the Legends event was unfortunately discontinued. There are many concours events for the automobile, but to my knowledge this is the only world-class motorcycle event. Perhaps someday someone somewhere might try to duplicate it. However, it would be tough to beat the ambiance of the Monterey Peninsula, in this case a luxury resort with a championship golf course set on 850 acres in Carmel Valley. [Read more…] about The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2014