Motor Me Review: 'THE QUAIL' IS GROWING

The most welcome news for the upcoming Quail Motorcycle Gathering (May 4, 2013) isn't just that the Quail Lodge is open for business (with rooms at very reasonable prices given the locale)...the best news concerns Gordon McCall's new relationship with Quail Lodge, following the retirement of former President Lawson Little. While Gordon isn't taking the mantle of President, he's become more involved in scheduling new events at the Quail, and making the existing events better, which means the visibility and outreach of the Motorcycle Gathering is already increasing. I noted a nice full-page ad in Cycle World this month, and that CW is sponsoring an open 'after party' on Saturday night, post-Concours.

McCall, who organizes the best events during Pebble Beach Week (the Monterey Jet Center party and Quail Motorsports Gathering), has taken a very patient approach to building up the Motorcycle Gathering, after securing the calendar date in early May formerly occupied by the fantastic Legends of the Motorcycle Concours, which is sorely missed, and which remains the only motorcycle Concours to draw a truly international crowd, who mingled in a massive spread of top-tier motorcycles. McCall has long wanted his Motorcycle Gathering to have the impact and reach of the Legends, but is content to allow his event to build organically, in increments.

As usual, the Quail Ride runs on Friday May 3rd, and is rumored to cover a different route this year, but will include a few laps around legendary Laguna Seca raceway. The Ride is turning out to be almost as much of an attraction as the Gathering, with a huge turnout of diverse machines, from Shinya Kimura's hand-hammered customs to exotic hub-center Bimotas and a mix of beautiful vintage machines with Craig Vetter's 'green fleet' of fuel-economy contestants.