The Natty Award!...wait, what is Natty?

The Idaho Vintage Motorcycle club held it's annual run and show in Caldwell, Idaho on March 29th and 30th. Every kind of old bike imaginable was there...even one with a flat-head Ford engine in it! There were about 140 bikes and I would imagine a few thousand visitors. The ol' beast fit right in. There were a few other sidecar rigs but generally I've found, like in this show's case, that they are pristine examples of a bygone era and have been relinquished to trailer queen status. A few of us still ride though.

At this show I felt like the mule entered in the Kentucky Derby...I didn't expect to win but just look at the company I'm keeping!

There were beemers (look at that 61' 500 with a Steib sidecar...I voted for that one...it was rather Natty I think!). Then there was an Ariel Red Hunter, several old Triumphs and a real nice Lambretta (I think I may restore a scooter next). There were so many cool bikes and people who just liked jawing about bikes...these were my kind of folks! Some of the bikes were worth a mint and yet some of them, like mine, were just clean, cool old riders.

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(I would trade with this guy and would even throw in my award, but I don't think he'd go for it...ain't that purddy?)








(This old Triumph looked to be a very clean rider...not perfect but still a whole of fun...hope he (or she) still rides it!)











Four hours of yakking with other enthusiasts, answering questions about the bike and overall enjoying watching people enjoy my bike and all of the others; it was a great experience. I was going to pack it up and head for home, but I noticed that people actually put their little red tickets in the cup on the floor in front of my old bike (this is how people vote on their favorites). Well out of curiosity, I stuck around for the awards. I couldn't believe it when they called my name.

I received the "Natty" award. Wow...I'm not sure I've ever won an award, especially the coveted Natty award, I mean, who knew, that I, of all people, would get the Natty...wait, what is Natty? So I went up to accept my plaque, thanked them and then politely asked, "What the heck does Natty mean?"

Apparently Natty can mean a number of things like dapper or fashionable, but the definition I liked best was "oddly cool". Oddly cool...my wife says, "that fits you". Probably more odd than cool...but hey that works for me. I didn't expect to get any award with a $40 paint job, but it just goes to show that you don't have to spend a lot to have something that's fun to ride and enjoyable to look at and talk about.

Isn't that the essence of what this blog is all about? Get an old bike, don't spend your kids college fund to on it, spruce it up however you wish (don't be afraid of rattle-cans!) and get out there and get some bugs in your teeth. Don't worry about the "church-lady" (see one of my first blogs to get that) bikers who won't wave at you because you don't fit their idea of what constitutes a biker. Just get out and enjoy it.

Well, this old sidecar ain't no trailer queen, and though she is rather Natty, it's time to hit the road for more adventures. So stay tuned for the latest in sidecar diaries...thanks for reading!