Moto madness in P-town

Lifestyle, Outdoor
In advance of the Welcome East Motorcycle Show, local bikers share their tales

With about 17 people for every motorcycle, New Hampshire has the second-highest number of registered motorcycles per capita in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Granite State has no mandatory helmet law and is home to one of the oldest annual bike rallies in the country — Laconia Motorcycle Week.

Adding to the state’s celebration of bikes is the Welcome East Community Motorcycle Show. Presented by Port City Mopeds, Papa Wolf Supply Co., and Iron and Air, the third annual show takes place on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 3 p.m. to midnight at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth.

Last year, more than 100 motorcycles filled Legends Billiards in Portsmouth, and this year’s show is expected to draw a similar number of bikes and riders to the new location. Guests can mingle and compete for prizes while enjoying food and beverages (Pabst Blue Ribbon is a sponsor), along with live music from local acts Harsh Armadillo and One Man Banned.

In advance of the event, we asked several area motorcyclists — many of whom have entered their rides into the show — to share tales about their bikes. They described heroic restoration efforts, glorious cross-country trips, and other experiences involving their motorcycles and mopeds.

The Welcome East Community Motorcycle Show is free and open to the public. For more information, visit welcomeeastmoto.com.

Steve Pamboukes, owner of Port City Mopeds in Portsmouth
bike: 2013 Janus Halcyon 50

A few years ago, in the fall, I caught wind of a new American motorcycle company, Janus Motorcycles. They reported on their website that they were in business to produce stunning, hand-made, small displacement motorcycles.

“Production” is a huge departure from simple one- or two-offs, or small-batch custom builds. These guys were claiming they were getting into the motorcycle biz, and that caught my attention. I got them on the phone and started grilling the owners. The story checked out. This was the real deal — a new American motorcycle manufacturer. These guys had some serious balls.

I insisted Janus bring my company, Port City Mopeds, in as their first dealer-distributor in the Northeast. We had some disposable income, and it seemed like a great way to close out the year. After a trip to their headquarters and production facility in Indiana, I got them to come around and they set me up with the Janus Halcyon 50, #018, at dealer price, to showcase around the East Coast.

This was too cool. Supporting a new American motorcycle company was the best way I could think to spend some extra coin. But I really wanted to make sure we hit the ground running, showcasing this thing to the best of my ability. “How will I herald this thing to the East Coast?” I wondered. “It deserves some kind of warm welcome.”

And so the Welcome East Motorcycle Show was born. Its first year was an all-out party at the Washington Mills in Dover, a partnership with Papa Wolf Supply Co. The Janus got its warm welcome, and we’ve been having the party every year since.

Zach Charewicz of Portsmouth
bike: 1977 Honda CB550

Zach Charewicz's 1977 Honda CB550

Zach Charewicz’s 1977 Honda CB550.

I bought my 1977 Honda CB550 my senior year of college. It was a truly unique purchase for me because in making that purchase, I was doing something that I had not done before. I was blatantly disregarding my parents’ rule that I was not to have a motorcycle. Despite our many conversations on the subject, the answer never seemed to change. So, taking matters into my own hands, I did some Craigslist searching. The CB was listed for $750, and with bargaining as one of my weaknesses, I paid the full price for it.

I remember taking the bike for a sad limping test drive around the block. The number 3 carb poured gasoline from the moment you turned on the petcock. The goofy-looking Corbin seat was hideous, but to this date the most comfortable seat I have ever sat in. Despite the imperfections, I was still taken with the bike and handed over the cash, even though I realized I was giving up a significant amount of beer with that sum of money.

On the ride home, old-timer after old-timer flashed the thumbs up or the nod of approval at the vintage machine that was strapped down in the bed of the truck. Once I got the bike back to Durham, I almost immediately started pulling it apart with the goal of getting it running well and riding the hell out of it.

I started with a simple carb rebuild to stop the leaking. I figured that while I was at it, I may as well put on the velocity stacks that I had my eyes on and delete the airbox. Now that the airbox was gone, I needed to do something about the unsightly electronics that were visible, and the snowball gathered momentum.

I am not sure if I bought the bike with modification in mind, but the point at which I realized I was in the middle of a build was when I was standing in a garage at 11:30 p.m., holding a Porta-Band (portable mini band saw), and looking at the frame that I had just sawed in half. There was no turning back.

Over the past few years, the bike has grown and developed into something that I truly enjoy. It’s a little rough around the edges, but I feel that it should be. Everything I own is like that, and this should not be any different.

Personally, I hate “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” but working through all the problems this bike has presented has certainly changed my perspective about a few things. I don’t know if the bike will ever truly be “done,” but I’m pretty damn happy with it for now.

Cynthia Grasso of Fremont
bike: 1959 Vespa GL150 (nickname: The 59)

Cynthia Grasso with her 1959 Vespa GL150

Cynthia Grasso with her 1959 Vespa GL150.

My husband Randy’s dad got this scooter as a parts donor for his ’64 Vespa 40 years ago, from his cousin in North Carolina. It had parts picked from it and then sat in a shed for over 35 years.

About three years ago, Randy brought these scooters home to start restoring his dad’s original 1964 scooter. He started working on it and I kept hounding him that I wanted one of those scooters. Soon the work stopped on the ’64 and he went to town on this one for me. Turns out it was a ’59 and not a ’64 like originally thought. I also didn’t want any of the original patina to go away, making for an even harder restoration. Basically, everything was junk or missing.

My goal was to ride this to his Car Clubs show, and one year later, after fixing everything, our goal was met. He restored and put the original emblem on it and kicked it over and it ran. What an amazing story behind this scooter.

Turns out, when we found the title, we realized that the scooter was purchased new by his mom’s good friend from her high-school years. So, as you can see, this Vespa has a lot of meaning to us and a lot of family history!

Matt Serven of York, Maine
bike: 1984 Honda Nighthawk 700SC

Matt Serven on his 1984 Honda Nighthawk 700SC

Matt Serven on his 1984 Honda Nighthawk 700SC during a cross-country motorcycle trip.

My initial relationship with the 19