For the second straight year vintage motorcycle enthusiasts chose a bike owned by Lake Orion resident Roger Smith as their favorite.
Smith picked up the prestigious ‘Spectator’s Choice? honor at the Gilmore Car Museum’s 13th annual Vintage Motorcycle Expo, held on June 8, in Hickory Corners (located about 50 miles southwest of Lansing).
‘To be chosen from thousands of spectators, that don’t know us from anyone else, is quite an honor,? Smith said.
Over 5,500 spectators, many arriving on motorcycles, packed the museum grounds to see the 220 vintage motorcycles compete in several categories at one of the largest and fastest growing vintage motorcycle events in the Midwest.? ?
The competing motorcycles had to be at least 20 years old to compete in the categories that were divided by Country of Origin, CC displacement, Competition models, Customs, Scooters and Bikes with Sidecars.
The hundreds of bikes at this year’s competition included different makes of Vincents,’Indians, Triumphs, Ariels, plus examples of every Japanese make and’lots of vintage Harley Davidsons going back to 1930 models.
This year, the show guests chose Smith’s Candy Glory Red,?1980 Honda CBX.?
‘Some of those Vincents we were up against cost over $100,000, and we just had our little old Honda,? Smith noted.
Visitors received ballots from the museum personnel and were instructed to pick the one motorcycle they were most impressed by.?
Smith is the only Spectator’s Choice honoree to win with a Japanese motorcycle. He took last year’s honors with a 1966 Suzuki X-6 Hustler.
The last two years, motorcycles restored by Smith and his team have won various Antique Motorcycle Club of America (A.M.C.A.) national awards, including a first place in the Senior A.M.C.A. division last year in Iowa.
‘To be first in the country in anything is pretty good,? Smith said of his success the past few years.
He’ll be competing in a national event July 18-20 in Wauseon, Ohio, where hopes his Honda can enter the prestigious ‘Champions Circle.?