How Motorcycle Riders Beat the Winter Blues

The Cherry City Classic is the brainchild of Marc Gore, a fixture of Salem motorcycle culture. Once upon a time, the void of motorcycle activities in Oregon during February was filled by The One Motorcycle Show, but since it moved to April, opportunities to gather en masse for some good old-fashioned biker fun are almost nil. Gore put together all the right ingredients for a stellar first-year event. The style and quality of the custom motorcycles ran the gamut. You could get fresh ink if you wanted to or have a part freshly pinstriped. Food, drinks, and a combination of live and DJ music set a relaxing vibe. It being a smaller event, everybody was amicable and approachable, and at night, all you had to do was cross the fairgrounds to go watch some bar-bangin’ flat-track racing indoors, sheltered from the rain.