One Moto 2020
L. George McMurray brought his sleek Bonneville racer to the show. The bike is configured to run in multiple classes from 100cc to 125cc. It is an impressive piece of kit with an engine made from a Kawasaki bottom end mated to a Yamaha top end and a Subaru blower. McMurray designed and built the bike, including the bodywork, himself. R. The race bike section of the One Moto show featured an impressive display of machinery from all over the world.
The One Moto Show celebrated its 11th year by moving downtown.
Text + Photos: Mike Blanchard
Feature | The One Moto Show celebrated its 11th year at a new venue in the heart of Portland at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum on the banks of the Willamette River. The show, which saw it’s largest attendance to date, is unique in that it features a concourse of custom built motorcycles, prototypes, displays of vintage bikes, art, racing, music, design contests as well as food, vendors and test drives. The show is open to all types of two wheeled vehicle featuring everything from mini bikes and scooters to racing machines and choppers. The One moto concept is that all are one.
• Related: One Moto Show 2018
One Moto moved from its venue of the last few years at the Pickle Factory in North Portland which suffered from awful parking and access. It was however as much a piece of art in its own way as the bikes. The wonderfully named Pickle Factory is a picturesque industrial pile with large paneled windows giving the upper floors luminous light. The light gave the bikes a special atmosphere that elevated them in a way that no neon lighting could ever accomplish.
San Francisco based designer Hugo Eccles of Untitled Motorcycles brought his new electric superbike based on a 2020 Zero SRF. This technical tour de force displays the amazing level of craftsmanship that is the hallmark of Eccles’ builds. The bike has crushing performance potential with 14.4 kilowatts of power and 140 foot pounds of torque on tap. One of the cool design details are the custom made turbine wheels cadged from ‘70s endurance racing cars. Look for an upcoming feature on Eccles in Rust.
But that was last year. No doubt one of the main attractions of the new venue is the opportunity to have the One Pro race in the same building as the bike show. In previous years the racing was held 45 minutes away at the fairgrounds in Salem. I’m sure this made things both easier and harder for show impresario Thor Drake of See See Motors and See See Motor Coffee. Easier in that he could stay in the building but harder in that getting tons of clay delivered and laid out on the coliseum floor was, by his own admission, a herculean task.
The team of young people Drake has assembled to put on the show did a good job with the larger venue all things considered. Like anything of this size being done in a new venue on a larger scale there was a bit of loosey goosey but they held it together and for the most part the participants were patient and adapted to what needed to be done to get on with the show and the race.
Designer Miguel Galluzzi is a fan of One Moto. He works for Piaggio designing Aprilias but he is most famous for being the designer of the wildly successful Ducati Monster.
The show felt completely different on each of the three days it was open to the public. Friday there was a sense of anticipation. Like something was in the air but it was sort of introductory. Friends finding each other and making plans.
Saturday, like mushrooms popping up overnight after a rain there was a race pit that blossomed in the parking lot just outside the service entrance to the stadium and all the hectic activity of racers, crews and bikes coming and going. Lots of noise and smoke with that peculiar sweet and comforting, acrid smell of race gas and two stroke oil permitting the air.
Saturday the show was very much a custom bike show wrapped around a race. The One Pro race was front and center and the custom build off felt very much secondary to the action on track. This year there was $10,000 up for grabs in the pro races.
In the arena the action was the mix of off beat moto weirdness (like crazy big wheel Mad Max rigs, mini bikes and run what ya brung) mixed with a more traditional short track approach.
For 2020 One Moto moved to the Veteran’s Memorial Colosseum which allowed the races to be in the same building as the bike show for the first time in the show’s 11 years. The hallmark of the One Pro Races is inclusiveness. This amateur race includes men and women on a broad variety of machines. If you have the urge to race there is a spot for you. As you can see, fancy race togs are not required.
There were the pro 450 motocross based bikes, vintage two stroke short trackers like Bultacos and Montessas mixing it up with Brit iron and Japanese four strokes. The two strokes make a funny twittering sound when they go in the turns as the riders use the compression release to slow the bikes down instead of brakes. There were enough Bultacos to have a one marque race which I am sure made the renowned maestro Don Paco Bultó smile as he looked on from whatever heaven grand old Spanish gentleman go to.
There was a class of surprisingly (to some) quick electric trackers that made a very favorable impression on the fans. As an observer from down on the track (and from the stands) the bikes seemed quicker than the 450 bikes. Electric is on the way and I think that the performance advantage electric has over the gasoline engine will be the factor that sells it to the moto public at large. Once the battery/range/charge time/price problems have been worked out of course.
“…come on, there was a world class bike show in the room next door and heavy metal, so you have to take that into account…”
Roland Sands brought his fast growing Super Hooligan series to the mix. This street bike based series has been very popular for its relatively simple and straight forward approach. Basically stock bikes; Sportsters, Indian 750s, Ducati Scramblers, KTMs; stock frames, and stock-ish engines. You can get a $2000 used Sportster, put some flat track wheels, a seat and some wide bars on the thing, throw away the brakes and you’re off to the races with a chance. The bikes have to weigh more than 400 pounds and be larger than 750cc. Simple and effective.
The big issue of the race was the condition of the track. The turns were rutted like a motocross race and it never really developed a groove despite some doctoring Friday night and frequent grooming. During the race Drake could be seen throwing shovels of dirt into the grooves as the pack was rounding the opposite turn. Race director Ryan Leach did a good job keeping the chaos in check and grooming the track.
“A first year race at a new venue is tough when you’re building a track from scratch. There’s always things that could have been done better,” said Sands. “But guys like Thor have a big appetite for doing cool stuff. At the end of the day it was a raceable track and Thor and team worked hard to make it fun. And come on, there was a world class bike show in the room next door and heavy metal, so you have to take that into account. I think if he does it again next year it will be much better.”
The Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA) had an impressive, and popular, display of vintage bikes which included this immaculate Triumph.
The racing was for the most part close and exciting. There were some real pileups but nothing terrible. The women’s main was one of the closest and hardest fought finals of the night. There were four wrecks in a row on the start but after that they got a strong, entertaining race in.
While the racing was going on, out in the concourse that wrapped around the central stadium, there was a large crowd and the lines were long at the food and beer vending booths. The show bikes were displayed in the subterranean conference rooms under the stadium. The walls of the rooms were lined with art most of which was moto related. The Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA) had a room to itself that was filled with fantastic concourse quality vintage machines.
“It is sort of a custom show and sort of a vintage show.”
The majority of the bikes were shown in the main exhibition hall down stairs although there were bikes around the concourse and in the lower hallways as well. The lighting was not always the best but that’s what you get with windowless rooms.
The One Moto show brings out the builders in force. The combination of Drake’s personality and enthusiasm, Portland’s charms and the successful history of the show means that this is a show everyone wants to be at. Builders from all of the States and even some from overseas made the trek to the Rose City to show off for the crowds. World class designers like Miguel Galluzzi and Hugo Eccles are there hanging out talking with the folks and having a good time checking out what is coming down the pipe.
It is sort of a custom show and sort of a vintage show. There are choppers but it’s not a biker show. There are few cars and truck thrown into the mix. It is a bit of everything from the world of motorcycles and that’s why it is successful.
The vibe is decidedly more youthful, more DIY, way more hip (and the bands infinitely better) than a show like the Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Of course the Quail is a concourse and not really a show that is on the cutting edge in the way that One Moto is. That said the quality of vintage bikes on display was very high and the rival of any concourse in the country.
On Sunday the show had more of an emphasis on the builders and the bikes in the show. There was a much more laid back vibe. Overnight the racing pits disappeared as if they were never there and with them the frentic race atmosphere and the noise of the racing which reverberated through the building on Saturday.
One Moto Show promotor Thor Drake was a busy man all weekend. It is hard to underestimate what a huge undertaking a show like this is.
Walking around the concourse I ran into Miguel Galluzzi. He is currently working for the Piaggio group designing Aprilias. Among his many accomplishments was the creation of the Ducati Monster. He’s been to the One Show before. He participated in a panel discussion of builders at the show in 2018.
He was happy to spend a moment and talk design and motorcycles. The guy is huge with a hand like a catchers mitt and a warm smile. It is hard to imagine that he could fold himself up and get on a Monster. He said he’s excited about the Aprilia RS660 reveal coming up in Italy later this year.
Naturally I asked if I could take his picture and he brightened up when I pulled out an old Nikon film camera to do it. As it turns out he is a fan of film and old cameras in general.
Some how we got on the subject of Piaggio (which owns Aprilia, Gilera, Derbi, Moto Guzzi and Vespa) and their weird knee jerk over protectiveness of Vespa-to the point of turning off the faithful-and the new electric Vespa (and tomatoes and food and culture). Galluzzi nodded and chuckled, “Vespa is a special brand, a jewel. They are very protective of it. But the electric Vespa is a special moment in history. It marks a cultural change. It takes Vespa into the future.” And with a smile and a handshake he was gone to look at more stuff.
Portland native Thomas Brown takes a moment to have a cig and check his phone in the race pits. There were on and off showers on Saturday but that doesn’t deter riders in the Northwest. Nor did it slow down the action in the race pits.
That is representative of the One Moto experience. Pause for a while to catch up with friends or to check out a bike and then move on to the next shiny thing. If you have been into bikes and come to the shows you will run into people you know. Even if you only ever see them at moto shows. It’s like a tribe that travels around to One Moto, Handbuilt, The Quail, Born Free, Bonneville, etc. and reassembles itself on these concentrated weekends.
The main exhibit hall had a broad selection of motorcycles. From ultra tech electric super bikes to CB350 cafe racers and old school two stroke dirt bikes. It is a little bit of all types of bike show all rolled into one. There are choppers and bikers. There are racers, including bikes that were out running on the track, kooky mini Hondas with flat track and cafe setups, post classic sport bikes from the ‘70s, and some world class custom builds that you have seen online and in the moto press.
Custom mini motos were a big trend at the 2020 One Moto show. This baby tracker won its builder an award.
One moto is a cross section of the two wheeled world and a peek into what is going on on the cutting edge of moto design and fab.
Sunday afternoon there was an award ceremony with typically offbeat awards recognizing creativity and quality of conception and build. The trophies were all three-D printed. It seems a bit odd to declare winners given that motorcycle building is not a sport. It’s more of an individual, personal quest or obsession. A game you play with yourself like skateboarding or music. Take what came before and push it out a little farther. Grind away on a new concept. But for those involved in this quest a little recognition goes a long way and everyone loves to be cheered by their peers.
As the sun set on Portland it was all over and in the words of Jackson Browne all that was heard was “The sound of slamming doors and folding chairs.” Tracters scooped up the the track and dumped it into large trucks. By evening it was as if One Moto had never been. Until next year.
Racers line up for their heats in the One Pro race. The race pits were across the street from the stadium in an uncovered parking lot. There was a bit of chaos in getting the whole thing off, but everyone was patient and in the end it went well. There were races for everyone from kids to seasoned pros. One Pro is gender-inclusive with many women racers taking part.
One Pro race results
Women’s EXP
1st - Kenzie Rae #171
2nd - Aiel James #58
Electric Nationals EXP
1st - Sammy Halbert #69
2nd - Trevor Doniak #499
A young racer waits for her heat with her dad/race mechanic.
A vintage two-stroke nips under an equally vintage Honda tracker into turn three. The track was a bit choppy and rutted in the turns but racers will race no matter the surface.
Sunday Moto 150cc
1st - Bailey Fox #42
2nd - Clay Patterson
Sunday Moto 150cc
1st - Bailey Fox #42
2nd - Clay Patterson
Pro Unlimited
1st - Sammy Halbert #69 - $4K
2nd - David Kohlstaedt #29 - $1K
3rd - Kevin Weichers #100 - $700
4th - Davis Fischer #67 - $500
The Flying 15 motorcycle club assembled an impressive display of motorcycles and scooters for their counter-punching 2 Show. The show featured an impressive number of race bikes and vintage iron. This was early on before the crowd poured in. At its peak there were several hundred folks who braved the light rain (almost a sunny day for Portland) to make the scene.
The 2 Show
Sidebar | Across town the classic Portland motorcycle club the Flying 15s threw an alternative moto show the 2 show. It drew a lot of folks who were interested in recreating the vibe of the original one show. There was some talk of the One Show getting too big and corporate for P-Town’s funky counter culture crew. But in general everyone seemed to acknowledge that One Moto was cool but it was time to do something a bit more janky and closer to the original concept of the One Moto Show.
This Indian was on display at One Moto in 2017. The Harley was up for sale.
Eric DeVries, Vice President of the Flying 15s said, “A lot of us have had bikes in the (One Moto) show. We know Thor and we are grateful for the attention Portland has got. Historically the club doesn’t like attention but several years ago I said we should do the 2 Show. It’s not about a put down. We how Thor a debt of gratitude. I always punch the fact that he is doing One Moto.“ DeVries acknowledged that he and Drake had talked about the 2 show and Drake wished that he would have a chance to come check it out.
This vintage Triumph Cub-based speedway bike made an impressive display.
Portland’s Flying 15 club is one of the oldest on the West Coast. It was started in 1934 as a racing club. There was an interesting display of the club’s history for showgoers to enjoy.
In a light rain a lot of riders showed up. Some of them wearing surprisingly little in the way of weather protection. These guys are serious about riding. In the North West if you are not prepared to ride in the rain you aren’t going to get much riding in.
The 2 Show featured everything from antique board trackers to Vespas and on to post classic super bikes and sport bikes. Crammed into a warehouse space with a big yard and covered shop area. Like many shows the parking lot was as interesting as the show.
A real democratic slice of moto society. It is very inspiring to see. Too often the motorcycle world is divided, mostly for commercial reasons, by the type or style of bike riders are on. I’ve had people yell at me while riding my Vespa,”get a Harley!” In Portland, at least on this weekend in February, the two wheeled world seemed a much more inclusive place. —m. b.