The 3rd Annual Gathering

July 17-21, 2002

The group outside the Clubhouse at 29 Dreams
On the Road to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

29 Dreams Bartendress.
If you missed it, the shirt says "Highway Hottie"

Birmingham Gathering III, July 17-21, 2002

On Thursday we went riding. Vic was on my 350 typ354, I on the 250 Supersport and Dale on his Voyager watching over us like a mother hen. Actually Vic and Dale handled the twists and turns of the mountain roads far better than this flatlander, but we had fun exploring, and riding for miles with no traffic. That afternoon Don Kueny arrived, with his friend George Schwartz who kept him company for the two days’ trip down from Wisconsin. We all admired Don’s recently purchased 1952 Perak and eyed his typ354 which, sans engine, he brought to leave for parts. Then, more Czech beer. We heard commotion outside, and Bob Shenk rolled in from Harrisonburg, Virginia with two more bikes. They were an Ogar similar to the Perak, and a beautiful typ354, both recently purchased in Florida and unfortunately non-running. We lined all the Czech bikes up outside the main building which serves as both clubhouse and bar, admired them in the late afternoon light, answered questions from other visitors, talked one another's ears off, and drank more Czech beer. The fellows at 29 Dreams recommended a restaurant nearby, and we drove up all in Don’s wagon. We had a wonderful meal in what was the most ordinary-looking roadside restaurant, and waddled home. More beer...and eventually sleep.

Friday morning was the focal point of the meet, the visit to the Barber Motorcycle Museum. We were to get there at 10:00 AM, and be given a tour behind the scenes as well as the see the exhibits all visitors enjoy. It was approximately 30 miles, and we decided to ride Jawas. After a hardy breakfast in Leeds we braved city traffic and made it without incident (we did get some admiring looks!). Waiting for us at the museum was Alan Mayes and his Carabela, which he had brought down from Tullahoma, Tennessee. Alan’s bike was Mexican, but its running gear was Jawa...a 350cc engine. We all admired the “Ready for Restoration” Mexican (would you call it a Czech-Mex?), and went inside the museum. No cameras are allowed, and words alone cannot describe what we say. There were classic, priceless, beautifully restored motor cycles everywhere, from floor to ceiling. You name it and they have several! The collection is so overwhelming that several Lotus racecars on display are easily overlooked! There were over 400 bikes on display, several Jawas and CZ’s, and we just walked around looking at machines most of us had only read about or seen pictures of previously. After an hour or so of self-guided touring through the well-captioned displays we were joined by a member of the staff who took us behind the scenes to see the restoration process in action. I will never see a more professional operation in my life! There were several bikes being worked on, each in its own workbay on a carpeted platform, with technicians quietly working away. There were rows of bikes recently arrived, and others completed, waiting to go on display. Some machines are displayed in their original condition, but most are painstakingly restored. All will run, though some are so valuable that even the well-funded Barber Museum does not run them.

Another hour flew by as we learned about restoration work being done behind the scenes, and the several year old problem of the museum being out of space. It has more than twice as many machines ready to display than it can show, so most of its collection is in closed storage, or lining the walls of the workshops. And, that doesn’t count all the machines awaiting their turn for restoration, or the steady stream of new arrivals. So, Barber is building an all-new facility outside of Birmingham, complete with a race/test track. This is scheduled to open next Spring. The current museum is closing this Fall so they can move the collection (a mind-boggling project) to its new home----about ten miles from 29 Dreams! As we left the museum, Dale left us to begin his return trip home. We tried to convince him to stay, but he felt it was wiser to start the returning then, and off he went. Less than 20 hours later at 6:00AM Saturday morning, he was home, having ridden 1000 miles straight through the night. Most impressive!

We went to lunch and talked about the museum and what the new facility would mean, admired the Czech-Mex before it and its owner returned to their Tennessee home, and then rode back to 29 Dreams and the country roads, which we traveled the rest of that day, till the call of Czech lager became irresistible. By now, more riders were stopping in 29 Dreams and our Czech bike display was attracting favorable notice. Another visit to the wonderful, unpretentious country restaurant, and further time in the 29 Dreams clubhouse, and bed.

Saturday was a swap meet, outdoor party, and in the evening dance at 29 Dreams. Scores of bikes rolled in throughout the day, and a lot of fun was had by all. Early that morning Bob Shenk had left to return to the “real world”, so our Czech bike display was down to three. (We had earlier stripped Don’s 354, with the pipes going home with Dale, the mufflers to Canada with Vic, and the rest home with me in the back of my station wagon.) Because of rain showers we took Don’s car to Talledega (25 miles) and toured the speedway and motorsport museum there. That evening at 29 Dreams we listened to Cajun music provided by a local group and finished the last of the Czech beer.

On Sunday morning, Kueny and Schwartz headed north with the Perak on its trailer, and I went south to Mobile. The people at 29 Dreams were happy to take Vic to the airport on Monday afternoon, so he spent that day and the next riding one of their bikes all over the mountain roads, which they don’t have many of near Calgary! On Friday at lunch after the Barber Museum tour, the question of next year and whether to attempt another Gathering came up. After all only half a dozen of us made this one, and I wondered if we should try to do it again, and if so where? I was unprepared for what I heard. Everyone wanted to come back to 29 Dreams next year and wants to tour the new Barber museum facility. They enjoyed the riding, the campground, its fine staff, the local people, the museum, the whole business. It is centrally located for most of us to drive to, and not difficult or expensive to fly to. Birmingham is less than an hour away, and Atlanta’s airport only an hour and a half away if Birmingham doesn’t suit. That was it. No dissenting votes, so next year we will plan to go back. If you don’t join us, then shame on you! Oh, cost. Vic and I split the rental of a cabin for four nights, and all the beer we drank and it cost us each $125.00. Best deal I’ve had in years. We will fix a date in July 2003 trying to avoid Mid-Ohio, and see you then. Mike Thomason

My bit of input. I second everything Mike said above. I had a great time. My friend George, although not a biker, had a great time also. George lost his wife last year, and really enjoyed the 6-day "road trip". 29 dreams is about 800 miles from Wisconsin, so with the Perak on the trailer we allowed two days each way. Late afternoon the first day found us at the halfway point and Bowling Green, Kentucky so we toured the Corvette Museum there. In the morning, we toured the adjacent Corvette assembly plant before proceeding on to Alabama.

With modern cars and highways, a 400-mile day with a trailer is no problem. I'm looking forward to next year, hopefully with improved cosmetics on the Perak!

I would comment on how often beer seems to creep in to Mike's recollections, except I think I drank more of it than he did.

Back to top