Airhead Appreciation Shop Ride
On Saturday, 11/1, we’re planning on setting out on a favorite local loop and inviting anyone who has (or is curious about) an old air-cooled BMW to come out.
Union Garage is officially non-denominational, and we appreciate and welcome riders of all types of bikes. But we clearly have a soft spot for air-cooled Bavarian twins, too, so we're calling all airheads to come down to the shop for a meet-up and ride-out.
The day starts when the store opens at 11. We’re looking to assemble a lineup of airheads on Elm Street in front of the shop. Even if you don’t own an old BMW, come by to see the bikes, meet the owners, kick tires, and talk shop.
As always we'll have complimentary coffee.
We'll aim to have have kickstands up around noon and will head out on an hour-ish long ride along some choice local roads, and a TBD lunch stop.
We normally announce most shop rides with sub-24hr notice, because smaller groups tend to be more fun and manageable. But we’re putting this one out with a little extra notice in a bid to to get more airheads to come out of the woodwork.
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10/31 UPDATE:
NYC riders: our friend Daniel (@airheadfix) is leaving his shop in Ridgewood (72-58 60th Lane) at 8:30AM Saturday, 11/1. Feel free to tag along for the ride to Bridgeport.
We normally open the doors at 11 but are welcoming earlybirds tomorrow as early as 10.
We’ll have coffee on hand, and are hoping to get a nice lineup of vintage BMWs out front before we set out—hoping to have kickstands up for the ride around noon.
> We’ll aim to arrive between 1-1:30 for a lunch stop at the Sycamore Drive-In, a local gem that’s been serving up smashburgers long before they were trendy, and makes its own rootbeer to boot.
> After the lunch stop it’s choose your own adventure: some of us will head back to Bridgeport, and some of the New York guys might take the scenic route home.
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FAQs...
What time does it start?
The ride itself will kick off around noon, and the store normally opens at 11, but early birds are welcome anytime after 10AM.
We'll have hot coffee on site, but if you're looking to grab a more substantial bite our go-to local deli is called Fruta Cafe, a short walk away.
Where do I Park?
We have free street parking right out front, and are looking to reserve the 40-foot driveway apron for airheads.
Do I have to have an airhead to join?
You need only to have an appreciation of airheads to join. We have never turned anyone away from a ride, and all bikes and riders are welcome. We're just trying to encourage airhead owners in particular to bring their bikes out for what is looking like a crisp and sunny Saturday while there are still leaves on the trees.
What's an airhead?
Any air-cooled BMW twin produced between 1970 and 1995**. We put together an Airhead Retrospective bike show (see below) back in Brooklyn, to celebrate the bikes' 25 year run.
Why?
Just because. Airheads are fundamentally simple, well-built, and enduring machines. In a nod to the "ride em don't hide em" ethos, we are looking to enable an excuse to do just that.
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*Addendum: Bob from New Haven who is joining this weekend's ride on his 1964 R69S rightly reminds us that airheads go back further than just 1970.
“Modern airheads,” built between 1970-1995 (aka: those that share a 247 type engine designation), are a big part of the base/cult of classic BMW motorcycles, but pre-1970 bikes are more than welcome.
So welcome, we put a r69s on one of our first shop t-shirts.
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*Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement: Run what ya brung!
Whether you own an airhead or not, ALL are welcome to come down to Elm street in Bridgeport at 11AM on Saturday to check out the bikes, and even join along for the ride, to see what these old twins are capable of.
The seed for putting together "an Airhead ride" was planted months ago, while talking to the folks at the Airheads Beemer Club — a great resource for airhead motorcycle owners with a national events calendar, an online forum, and its Airmail monthly print magazine, which we have free back issues of at the shop, while supplies last.
With the ABC looking to bolster its membership rolls, we're taking a "big tent" approach and we're not just allowing but *encouraging* those outside of existing airhead owners to come down, see, hear, and ride with some of these machines in person.
Everyone is welcome to do the full ride, which will amount to a short hour-long scenic cruise (with a dash of dirt road) and will wind up at the Sycamore Drive-In in Bethel, CT, sometime after 1PM.
Some folks we expect will peel off after the lunch stop, while the rest will head back to the shop in Bridgeport by mid afternoon. So for maximum airhead experience, get here at 11!
Interested? Questions? Drop a line to Support@uniongaragenyc.com to RSVP and et us know what you’re riding, and stay updated.
