Ask Chicagoist: My "Speed Demon" Kind of Town?

By Sarah in Miscellaneous on Jun 15, 2005 3:54PM

I've recently moved here from way down South where the motorcycles have knobby tires and I have been surprised (and a little annoyed) by how many bikes do nightly laps around Ontario, Clark, and LaSalle, revving their engines while racing from one red light to the next. So, Is Chicago a bike town? Is there a major biker bar near where I'm (temporarily) living? I have always been a fan of bikes and most bikers, just not when I'm trying to sleep.

Thanks,
D

Hello D.,
Welcome to Chicago! We are bicyclists ourselves, so we turned to the expertise of the Chicago Chapter of ABATE of Illinois, a motorcycle-rights advocacy group, to get the skinny on motorcycling in our fair city.

And WOW! If you've never sent a random email to a group of motorcycle-rights advocates, we strongly encourage you to do so! Such a lovely reply. What a bunch of helpful and thoughtful people. Jeff "Big Daddy" King, Chapter President (which includes over 600 members, including Alderman Banks of the 36th!), told us A Thing or Two About Motorcycles in Chicago. Yes, Chicago is a Bike Town as you say--perhaps due to the Harley Davidson HQ up in sunny Milwaukee. Lots of other groups are out there, too, like the Nimbus Club. And when its puff-parka season, you'll find out about the Toys For Tots parade, which features gazillions of motorcyclists en route to deliver Holiday Gifts to Chicago tykes.

His organization has recently launched Get Down With The Sound, which calls on all motorcyclists to respect their neighbors--especially in residential areas and/or during the wee hours. ABATE is staunchly against street racing and stunt riding on public streets. They even offer track days to area motorcyclists who have a need for speed or want to test their skill level. Of course some Chicago motorcyclists might still be rude neighbors, but at least 600 of them have good manners!

Big Daddy continues, and, um, we couldn't have said this much better ourselves:
"Now about your reader, he lives in the heart of downtown in the 3rd largest city in the United States. Does he really expect to get peace and quiet like he had in a small rural southern community? It sounds to me like he has unreasonable expectations of urban city life. Every sound (fire trucks, cab honking, etc.) is greatly amplified in the concrete corridors of our city. And motorcycles are often blamed for all traffic noise. Many cars are being retro fitted with performance exhaust systems--"boom can" mufflers--that make a winding/popping note not unlike a motorcycle. Most people, upon hearing this, assume it is a motorcycle making all the racket." Thanks for the wise counsel, Big Daddy!

Photo Courtesy of the Nimbus Club.

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