Folks, the flier says it all! If you live in the LA area and don’t attend this event you’re just plain silly…  Jay LaRossa has not only one of the coolest shops putting out the most chill vibe ever, he’s got some insane bikes on hand that he’s built to put your dirty little mitts all over. And it’s LA…there’s gonna be good lookin’ honeys for sure, what else could you ask for? So head on over to Jay’s place this Sunday, you know you don’t have anything better to do anyways!

Folks, the flier says it all! If you live in the LA area and don’t attend this event you’re just plain silly…  Jay LaRossa has not only one of the coolest shops putting out the most chill vibe ever, he’s got some insane bikes on hand that he’s built to put your dirty little mitts all over. And it’s LA…there’s gonna be good lookin’ honeys for sure, what else could you ask for?

[Snap shot of our banner which employed Scott Toepfer's photo from the It's Better In The Wind Project]

When Rev. Jim Goodrich told Herm and I (Jason) that we really had no idea what we were getting into when we said we thought we were ready to have our grand opening we honestly didn’t know what he meant. Thoughts of people doing burnouts, the cops getting called and brawls taking place in streets just like Brighton Bay filled our minds. Oh the horror! Fast forward to after our event which took place on May 14th and we now know what he meant. It had nothing to do with bikers foaming at the mouth gnashing at one another…rather the overwhelming acceptance of our “different” way of doing things and what it is to live and be part of, cafe racer culture.

That said, we want to thank the most important person throughout all of this. You. That’s right, the guy/gal sitting on the other side of the screen right now reading this BLOG post. Without you and your support and belief in what The Wing’d Piston stands for Herm and I would not be able to do what we do every day. You say we inspire you well, you inspire us…and thus is displayed the beauty of what we can all accomplish together!

And for those of you that are local, an extra twist of the throttle goes out! You braved wind, water and the washing away of band equipment and despite the elements trying to shut things down, you stuck it out, with us, and made the Dime City Cycles grand opening a fantastic event that will hopefully go down in the history books as one of the best gatherings of legit vintage speed machines to ever take place in Florida. We had everything from a 37 Knuckle to a one-off hand-made factory works MV Augusta! Where else has that ever happened in Florida? You guys and gals rock and we are forever in debt to you for all that you do to help us keep the dream alive.

[Louise and Chris Dutton from Vintage-Rider.com braving the rain]

[One of the Miss Dime City USA Pageant Contestants and the stunning MV Augusta that was brought out]

We would also like to thank Rev. Jim Goodrich, Terry Hopkins, Zane Kuhle, the entire team from Preachers Motorcycle Promotions and Winters and Yonkers. Rev. Jim was instrumental in guiding Herm and I through the process of planning a proper grand opening. Spending countless hours managing tasks that really didn’t even belong to him, Rev. Jim took charge and made the event one to remember. All the way down to driving around and physically putting fliers in peoples hands, Rev. Jim was there every step of the way.  Guys, you’re the best- there’s no way we could have done this without your help! Your fresh ideas, involvement in the process, financial investments and authentic interest in what we’re all about made the event what it was. Bruce, you’re the man! Thank you!

[Rev. Jim doing what he does spreading the word]

Next we would like to thank all of the vendors that took the time to come out and share their products and services with the event attendees. We had (in no particular order) the crew from Lowside Magazine who rode over 1,000 miles to partake in the event, Rusty Knuckles out of North Carolina and Loser Machine Co. out of Los Angeles to name a few that came from a distance! Locally, we of course had the entire team from St. Pete Powersports onsite with some awesome new Triumphs, we had On The Trashy Side and Pin Up America promoting classy pin up clothing and the lifestyle as well as the rockin’ Dive Bar Stalkers who drown out the storm with some killer rock-a-billy tunes!

[Debbie Fitch, Dan and Rich from Lowside enjoying a reprieve from MD's weather]

[Ralph Miller from Rusty Knuckles and Soda Pop from Pin Up America discussing rock n' roll]

[The Dive Bar Stalkers doin' what they do]

Folks, it’s important to know that these guys all come out for you and without their financial and back-breaking support prior to and during the event, we wouldn’t have been able to create such a unique and diverse offering for everyone to enjoy. Give it up for them and the next time you need a helmet, motorcycle, some rad pin up digs for your lady friend or an awesome band look ‘em up, first. They’ll appreciate it and so will we!

[Another lovely contestant in the Miss Dime City USA Pin Up Pageant]

Shifting gears and getting closer to the ton, we would like to thank the staff of Cafe Racer TV as well as Mark and Linda Wilsmore from the Ace in London. The involvement of their brands was instrumental to the success and “air” of the event throughout the day. The crew of Cafe Racer TV truly does believe in and love cafe culture, they’re not guns for hire shooting from the hip to collect a bounty. These guys spend over half the year away from their families on the road staying in hotels living out of their suit cases to bring real quality motorcycle content to your TV screens, (and soon computers) so give it up for them. They’re the real deal and deserve some applause! Season 2 begins soon and it’s guaranteed to one hell of a ride!

[From left to right; Ed Caughlin, Producer Cafe Racer TV, Mark Wilsmore, Ace Cafe London, Alain Bernard, Santiago Choppers]

As for Mark and his fantastic wife Linda who came all the way from London, what can we say? Having them here for our event with the mini-Ace Cafe setup serving coffee, tea and beer was such a delight. Just listening to Mark talk of days gone by in London where Rockers and their vintage speed machines ruled the streets left us speechless. To be able to ride next to Mark through and around gorgeous Clearwater Beach with him at the front of the pack on a brand new Triumph Thruxton, now that was amazing! After the ride, and during the event to share in laughs and moments that will be imprinted in our memories forever, that made the days happenings EPIC.

We can only hope that as time goes on and Americans adopt cafe culture that it’s kept as close to the roots as possible and that we can continue bring a smile to Marks face. Even if it be an old joke about Johnny Kidd vs. Johnny Cash… Mark, you’re the best sir. We thank you from the bottom of our petrol burning souls!

[Mark Wilsmore leading the morning ride from Dime City out to Clearwater Beach]

Last and most definitely not least I’d like to take a quick moment to note all the awesome photographers who were on-site the day of the eventsnapping away despite the wet camera damaging rains that we started off with. Without them capturing all the images you’ve seen above and here at THIS LINK there would be no way to share and re-cap the event.

We’d like to thanks Debbie Fitch, Chuck Carroll, Doug Barber aka: Q-Ball, Vickie Smith from Ducati.net, Zane Kuhle from Preachers and Staci Hocket. All of your images were stellar! Please click this link for the “Best Of” photo gallery being hosted on our Facebook Page and click their names above for their full albums (1,000+ pics.) And, if you’re ever in need of professional photography give one of them a call, it’s how they make their livings and we know they’d appreciate the opportunity.

[Devon's awesome So Cal style v-twin bobber from Sake Bomb in St. Pete]

As for us and what we feel about the event? The feedback from the community has been fantastic and that’s all the matters. From what we gather you all loved the diverse showing of bikes and the prizes for those who entered the legit vintage bike show, having The Ace onsite was super-cool and something no one expected and everyone loved, the Miss Dime City USA Pin Up Pageant. Which would NOT have been possible without the support of St. Pete Power Sports and their gracious GM, Donny Wilson. Donny shares the vision with Dime City and we were proud to have them as the main sponsor of the Pageant.  More on that soon, Miss Dime City is getting doll’d up and heading to her first photoshoot soon and will be making an open request for vintage bikes in Tampa Bay to be part of her new calendar! Stay tuned for more details on that!

[The gorgeous ladies of the Miss Dime City USA Pin Up Pageant]

We’re glad everyone enjoyed the afternoon and evening as much as we did and we feel both honored and privileged to have hosted for such a ground breaking event. We look forward to seeing all of you again next year for another big bash…

Ride fast. Live well.

The DCC Crew

Originally built in 1938 as a roadside stop to cater to traffic using the new and fast North Circular Road, the building was badly damaged in World War II but was subsequently rebuilt as one of the first purpose-built roadside cafes. With its proximity to the new, fast arterial road network, and its round-the-clock hours, the Ace soon attracted young motorcyclists from all parts of London looking for a place to call their own, meet friends and talk bikes. They found it at the Ace, together with rock n’ roll.

This new generation, for whom speed and looking cool were all that was important, took it upon themselves to re-engineer their machines to be fast, agile and minimal, anything that did not make the bike go, stop or turn, was rejected. Pure fun.

Like the Ace itself, the cafe racer was destined to become an automotive icon. It came from the same creative period of British history when rock n’ roll as played at 78 rpm and leather jackets only came in black. The legacy of the café racer lives on at Ace Cafe London. Mark Wilsmore, who has been the guiding inspiration behind the Ace since 1993, has totally restored the site that was reopened in its current form in September 2001 (http://www.acecafe-london.com/). Visitors to the café today are just as likely to have traveled from as far afield at Berlin, Cape Town, Sidney, Tokyo or New York as they are from Lands End. Literally thousands of riders drop by to enjoy a cup of tea or a meal with other enthusiasts. With passion remaining constant, the talk is still about motorbikes.

For 18 years, the Ace Cafe London Reunion has been a key date on the global motorcycle calendar. Some have called it “the world’s coolest motorcycle event.” This year’s Reunion includes the classic “Brighton Burn-up” and “Ride with the Rockers.” Check out full details at: http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/Reunion.aspx.

Keeping with tradition and paying homage to the vintage speed machines that ruled the streets of London and those who rode them, Dime City Cycles is helping usher in the next generation cafe racer here in the United States by launching their grand opening event on May 14th in partnership with Ace Cafe. Mark Wilsmore himself, along with other key members of the Ace Cafe, will be present at Dime City Cycles grand opening event where a temporary Ace Cafe will be erected for the duration of the celebration and offering classic Ace Cafe beverages, snacks and memorabilia.

“It’s another royal wedding of sorts, the best of American and British motorcycle enthusiasm coming together,” said Wilsmore.  “Being at Dime City’s big event lets us share the tradition and pay homage to the vintage speed machines that ruled the streets of London, and those who rode them.  It’s going be a great time.”

In addition, Mark Wilsmore will be judging the “Classic Cafe Racer” class in the vintage ride-in bike show presenting the trophy on behalf of the Ace and everything that the marquee stands for. A commemorative Ace Cafe/Dime City Cycles t-shirt will be presented and made available to mark the beginning of this fantastic relationship and journey into the next generation of “cafe racers” being forged on the streets, in the garages…and soon to be Ace Cafe’s of North America. Beginning next year, gearheads and petrolheads on this side of the pond will have an Ace Cafe of their own. Arrangements for the first in a collection of ten authentic Ace Cafes are close to being finalized. These new Ace Cafe restaurant and motorsports gathering venues will bring all the heritage, atmosphere and enthusiasm of the original Ace, and feature the signature looks of the original along with great food, live music and daily events. Stay tuned!

Join Ace Cafe, Dime City Cycles and HD Theater’s Cafe Racer TV who will be on site filming the entire event for a memorable and historic day!

Event begins at 3PM on May 14th at Dime City Cycles facilities located at 2025 Lake Ave. SE, Largo, FL 33771. For more information visit www.dimecitycycles.com/blog. For media, partnership or sponsorship opportunities please contact jason@dimecitycycles.com

Links:

Ace Cafe London – http://www.ace-cafe-london.com

Dime City Cycles – http://www.dimecitycycles.com

Cafe Racer TV – http://www.caferacertv.com

Alright ladies…it’s coming down to the wire and there’s only a few days left to submit for your spot in the Miss Dime City, USA Pageant!  So far we’ve got a roster of gorgeous classic Pin Up beauties and we’d like to thank you all for your submissions. And guys, trust us- you won’t find a better view in Tampa Bay on May 14th than at the Dime City Cycles Grand Opening Event!

Also, as a teaser- come to Quaker Steak & Lube Wednesday May 4th for sneak peak at a few of the Miss Dime City, USA contestants as they will be on stage to answer a few questions about the pageant and at the St. Pete Power Sports booth to steel some hearts for the duration of the night!

As a reminder, here’s a look at the classes for the event and a huge thanks goes out to Melanie Benson of VaVaVoom Photography who will be on site shooting the pageant and working with the girls.

Round 1 – Classic Evening Wear - Think cute pencil skirts, blouses or dresses. This is your chance to steel the crowds heart with what you’d wear for fancy night on the town in a 59 Caddy.

Round 2 – Themed Pin Up - If you thought Rosie The Riviter was a sexy symbol then here’s your shot! Think classic military and hot-rod style pinups. Bananas, props and grease on the chin is welcomed!

Round 3 – The Girl Next Door - Saving the most comfortable class for last this is everyones favorite. What you might be found wearing at a hot-rod event or vintage bike is it! Show off the real you and make a good impression on the crowd!

There’s some people that you meet and after talking about bikes, life or anything in general you just walk away with the feeling of “that’s one solid dude.” Folks, Donny Wilson, the GM of St. Pete Powersports is one such dude. The first time we met Donny was at The Bike Builders Invitational held at Quaker Steak and Lube where Donny was talking up the brand new Triumph Bonneville he had in front of him that was being raffled off, yes, a brand new Triumph Bonneville being raffled off, with all the proceeds going to the Fallen Warriors foundation based here in St. Petersburg, FL. Talk about someone using their powers to do some good, right?

In addition to paying respect to those who truly deserve it, Donny is also a huge appreciator of both motorcycling history and it’s future. Having a love for anything with wheels Donny’s office showcases everything from antique Indian artwork to the latest offerings from Triumph. His power-sports center is one of the few that contains both heritage brands, Triumph and Indian and in addition, they host the complete line-ups of Kawasaki, Polaris and Victory. Talk about having it all! Bonnevilles for weekend road-trips, Thruxtans for hitting the Cafe’s, Victories for cruising long distances and everything else one needs to get dirty or play in the ocean; all under one roof! Did we also mention that for all the brands Donny’s team has been able to achieve best in class status as one of the top dealers for all the marques the St. Pete Powersports Center has on its roster?

After a great meeting setup by Rev. Jim Goodrich, the St. Pete Powersports family and Dime City were working together to showcase the past and pave the way for the future of Cafe Racer culture. The first step, St. Pete Powersports shifting it into first gear and Co-Sponsoring the Dime City Cycles Grand Opening and putting up the $1000.00 in cash prizes for the first annual Miss Dime City, USA Pin Up Pageant.  How awesome it that?

In addition, Donny and his killer staff are going to be onsite with a host of retro Triumphs available for show and tell right inside the Ace Cafe tent on premise. And folks, let us tell you- if you love the way a vintage Triumph, Norton or BSA feels there’s nothing closer than a modern Bonneville or Thruxton. Of all the currently available motorcycles Triumph is the ONLY brand to continue to pay homage to the heritage of classic motorcycles and if you’re in the Tampa Bay area, Donny is your guy to talk to about them.

So come check all the cool retro Triumphs on display, haggle Donny for a deal on your new scoot or just kick back for cold brew or Espresso in the Ace Cafe tent while taking it all it.

Folks, this is going to be one heck of an event and we couldn’t not deliver the goods without the assistance of Donny and the entire team at St. Pete Powersports, so come on out and tell ‘em thanks!

Alright ladies, here’s the details you’ve been waiting for! Time to grab you best dress, favorite theme outfit and girl next door pin up attire and head down to Dime City Cycles on May 14th for the Grand Opening Celebration and your chance to appear on Discovery Channel HD Theaters Cafe Racer TV with Dime City Cycles as the first official Miss Dime City, USA!

The pageant will be broken down into 2 main events, the first being “Evening Attire,” think long dresses or skirts, flowing hair and red lipstick.  For your second round and final chance to woe the crowd and judges there will be a freestyle “Theme’d Pin Up” think- motorcycle chick, hot rod girl or army git-up.  Extra points will be earned for following traditional pin up couture, so get those glasses on and research the classic pin up girls who paved the way for Miss Dime City USA.

Your third outfit will be “The Girl Nextdoor” and although it won’t be judged it will be your final round on stage and last chance for a “hoo-rah” from the crowd before the tiara is placed on the winner.  We would also like to remind all of you lovely ladies that Retro Lovely Magazine will be onsite and will be providing a feature for Miss Dime City, USA in an upcoming issue of the magazine.  Needless to say, it’s important stay period correct, be on your best and make it count as the camera’s will be rolling!

And do not forget ladies, we have been very adamant in our criteria for the show.  The Miss Dime City USA Pin Up Pageant isn’t about flesh and sin.  It’s about paying homage to classic pin up models and the beauty their imagery embodied at a time when too much skin was considered taboo.  Please make sure you pay close attention to this when picking your outfits. Even if you’ve been approved to compete, we will not hesitate to turn you away the day of the show if you are not wearing what we consider to be acceptable attire or appear to be unable to maintain your composure on stage.  We appreciate your professionalism and respect for this fun event, thank you!

In addition to Retro Lovely Magazine offering up a feature for Miss Dime City USA we would like to thank St. Pete Powersports as our main sponsor for the Miss Dime City, USA Pin Up Pageant.  Without the help of Donny and the team at St. Pete Powersports we would not have been able to pull together the resources needed to put on such a fantastic event.  Namely, the $500 first place, $250 second place and $100 third place prizes.  Read more on St. Peter Powersports Co Sponsorship in the Dime City Cycles Grand Opening later this week in a follow-up post with all the details on these great guys & gals who support Motorsports of all types!

In closing, for all of you who have still not registered please send two pinup shots to PreachersCycles@AOL.com for approval and acceptance via email.

Someone asked me (Jason) the other day where I go for inspiration when I’m drumming up ideas for a project bike. Without hesitation, if it were written into my genetic code, I responded with a resounding- “BikeEXIF. There’s no better place on the Internet to experience the work of the best builders around the world with such quality delivery mechanisms.”

And with that our ton-up brethren and vintage metal flake mo’chine masters we give you Bike EXIF, the Official Sponsor and judge of the “Best In Show” class in the legit vintage bike show taking place at our Grand Opening Event on May 14th at Dime City Cycles.

When it comes to browsing the ever-bloated Internet for inspiration during a bike build one can easily get lost in a sea of custom paint and detail work. And, for those of us who work full-time jobs to keep the lights on in the workshop, time is precious and quick guaranteed access to the latest and greatest happenings in the moto world is paramount. Chris Hunter and the Team at Ural, behind BikeEXIF.com, understand this and continue to deliver some of best visual stimulation available as it pertains to motorcycles on a daily basis.

Be it a custom one-off work of art by Shinya Kimura or a garage builder in Baltimore, MA with virtually no name in the industry at all, BikeEXIF.com levels the playing field and is allowing builders of all states and statures to be showcased together in harmony. The effort put into finding and validating these gorgeous two wheeled wonders done by Chris Hunter and his team affords all of us as their viewers the opportunity to compare bikes and their builders based on real metrics without getting caught up in the latte infused fluff that seems to cloud so many things in todays motorcycle world.

Dime City recognized this and thought, who more perfect to judge the “Best In Show” class than the man who sees the best of the best all over the world? So stay tuned to the Dime City Grand Opening Facebook page for more details on the unique way we’re going to work with Chris Hunter during the bike show to judge and showcase the winning bike.  In the mean-time, if you’re looking for great ideas, quality writing and access to some of the best kept motorcycle imagery in the world stop by Bike EXIF.com and check it out. We do, every morning.

Sometimes, it’s cool to be a Loser, baby..

Folks, please welcome the Loser Machine Co. as an official sponsor of the Dime City Cycles Grand Opening Event and Best Down & Dirty Bobber Style Bike in the legit vintage bike show!

Born out of necessity to break the mold of Starbucks latte infused homodgeny that plagued the streets of So. Cal, Adrian Lopez, the mastermind behind LMC, saught out to develop a cool brand focused on the basic raw elements that make motorcycle culture and it’s patrons what they are, unique. Simple slogans and cool retro designs paying homage to old school aesthetic and styling are the mainstay for the brand and the DCC Crew thinks their line of hats, shirts and moto related SWAG is spot on for the majority of Gen X’ers looking for their place in the motorcycle world.

Whether it be vintage Bubble Shields, their super cool Death Grip gloves or their Knucklehead line of 3/4 low profile helmets the LMC line is helping pave the way for the return of the good old days in motorcycling. Being an avid skateboarder and artist Adrian pays attention to the little details when developing products for the LMC line that seem to make all the difference. And let’s be honest, LMC’s “in your face style” marketing and branding doesn’t hurt!

So do your part in breaking the mold and come by Dime City Cycles Grand Opening Event on May 14th and get a closer look at the Losers. They’ll be onsite with a 10×10 booth showcasing all their latest swag just for you! And did we mention, they’re going to be giving away some bad-ass stuff as well during the event!

And be sure to checkout their website/BLOG right here: http://losermachine.com/blog/

Calling all Metal-flake junkies and progressive ton-up terrors looking to push the envelope!  Biltwell is digging in deep for the Dime City Cycles Grand Opening Event coming up this May and boy are ya’ll lucky!  They’ve sent down two killer Mega-flake helmets along with some awesome shop/garage banners for the raffle! Digg it!

Here at Dime City we prefer boutique brands that give back to culture.  Whether it be through donating gear for events for our Grand Opening or just simply staying true to the real motorcycle riders needs.  In Biltwell’s case, they cover both. The raw and gritty aesthetic that is Biltwell with their rock solid 1″ Clubman bars, Mega-flake helmets and cool usable products like their all weather Moto gloves speak to a generation of riders that isn’t defined by Chopper, Bobber or Cafe Racer genres. Rather by those who really ride vs. those who sit on the sidelines and talk about riding.

Forged out of necessity for quality products for quality folks, Biltwell has been a leader in providing top shelf kit for those looking to hop up their Sporty or vintage V-Twin as well Metric and British bombshells of different flavors.  From their Exhaust builder kits to all the cool t-shirts and swag items they offer the attention to the needs of the real rider are always in focus.

And did we mention they get out and ride too? Sponsoring events and participating in runs is a huge part of the Biltwell lifestyle folks and we should all take note of it. Were it not for guys like them paying attention to and contributing to the needs of the smaller niche crowds we’d all be stuck running around in Arai helmets with number 1 shirts.

So come out to the Dime City Cycles Grand Opening on May 14th and not only get a chance to win a free Bitlwell Mega-flake helmet, come and experience a brand that actually cares about the direction of motorcycle culture more than making a buck!