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New Rides at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering SHORTCUTS EVENTS 52 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 A fter seven years, the all-inclusive Quail Motorcycle Gathering has a reputation as an upscale affair featuring polished machines. So, co- founder Gordon McCall expects to turn some heads with this year's fea- tured chopper category. "Choppers represent an extremely unique category of enthusiasts," he says. "These are mostly home-built machines, and you really see people's interpretations of how they make a motorcycle look good." Paul d'Orleans of The Vintagent, who chronicles the history of American custom motorcycles. in his new book "The Chopper: The Real Story," will join McCall in emceeing for the May 16 gathering. This year's event also spotlights Formula 750 racing bikes and honors local history and culture with a special tribute to military motorcycles. As always, The Quail Motorcycle Gathering celebrates British, Italian and Japanese bikes, among others. Gear manufacturers, luxury brands and automotive artists will exhibit on the show field. The event's popular "Legends of Sport" presentation also returns with featured guests Mert Lawwill, 1969 AMA Grand National Champion, and Gene Romero, who took the same title in 1970. The two were featured in the 1971 docu- mentary "On Any Sunday." "Racers today specialize. Back then, you had to race everything—off- road, on-road, flat track, steeplechase, road race. You had to be a pretty unique character to be fast on anything," says McCall. "Gene and Mert really represent that era." Rounding out this year's schedule are The Quail Ride, a 100-mile local loop for 100 participants, and a Los Angeles-to-Carmel group cycling jour- ney led by "Why We Ride" filmmaker Bryan Carroll. McCall happily welcomes a true cross-section of motorcycle aficiona- dos to the event at Quail Lodge. "You can put custom builders together with Grand Prix champions and mini-bike enthusiasts and cross-country tour riders, and they're all talking about a shared interest," he says. "It is really about passion." Tickets for The Quail Motorcycle Gathering are $75 (discounts avail- able for military professionals and students), and include a barbecue lunch, parking and gear valet for cyclists. Visit signatureevents.peninsu- la.com for information. .—Renee Brincks Since 2009, local motorsports enthusiast Gordon McCall has hosted The Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel Valley, bringing together hun- dreds of vintage motorcycles and thousands of fans. On May 16, the event highlights military motorcycles, choppers, scooters, and many more.