It was through a completely random occurrence that I found myself in the Greater Seattle area on the first Wednesday of the month. But having rolled into town after a killer ride through the Cascades on a borrowed bagger, local wrench Steve Huff dragged me off to the VME's monthly meet at Planet Georgetown.
Planet Georgetown could describe the whole neighborhood instead of just the bar. Nestled between old Boeing Field and the Port, it's right in the heart of Seattle's south side, yet still hard to get to. A warren of narrow streets made of 19th-century brick provided a fitting backdrop to a place filled with artists, bars, and gearheads' shops.
The VME (Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts) are an AMA-chartered club-founded over 20 years ago-who make a hobby out of collecting, restoring, and showing bikes made considerably before that. From the moment you step into one of their meets, an aficionado of old iron is overwhelmed at the quality and sheer numbers of exotic, rare, and cherry machinery on display. The '60s Triumph twins are so clean that they are hard to distinguish from the few modern-day "Trumpets" present.
Sunbeams, Ariels, Nortons, an Indian board tracker, and more greeted the spec-style vintage geek, while custom bike guys had plenty to look at with everything from purposeful-looking modern day customs to some vintage chopper restorations and bobbers with vintage motors. If you're into vintage bikes and are anywhere near the Pacific Northwest on the first Wednesday of the month, it's like going to a museum with beer, only louder.