Old & Proud, Calafell, ES
Paella from the Quarry
Rarely does the idea of “let's meet at the biker bar” get as much traction as it does when you mention “Old & Proud” in the “La Cantera Biker Bar” in Calafell, Spain. There, in a long abandoned quarry, between Barcelona and Tarragona, the Gipsy Crew and Shovelhead Spain from Valencia were hosting their sixth meeting for pre '84 Harleys.
Which was the perfect chance to test the long-distance endurance
capabilities of our freshly restored 1928 J model. After all, we have entered it to take part in next year's “Motorcycle Cannonball”, taking place in the motherland of Harley-Davidson, the USA. The approximately 1,500 km from W&W headquarters to the Spanish party don’t really come close to the gruelling 4,000 miles across the USA the Cannonball will cover, but it’ll give us a good benchmark. A loose intake valve guide forced an extra pitstop, but after sorting it we were soon heading for Spain. Simulating the Cannonball Race legs, we had divided the distance into four legs between 370 km and 450 km per day. Max speed for the bike was about 80 km/h depending on traffic, and riding time was about eight hours per day, as the many country roads and towns with speed bumps, 30 km/h zones and roundabouts made for slow progress. This was an endurance test for bike and rider. The preparation work by Paul and Chris must have been excellent though, as the almost 100 years old machine hummed along trouble free and carried her rider (Chris) to one of the most awesome Harley rallies in Europe.
The location (Spain) and time of year (late summer)
made for some relaxed vacation vibes in great company, with out-there bikes and ass-kicking music. The highlight though, as always, when the pre '84 community gathers in the shade of the trees between the rock faces, are the pans. Not the two-wheeled ones, but the cooking pans, the really big ones, the ones used to make paella for the hungry crowd standing in long lines. A nice, fragrant paella is just the thing to keep you going at a party like this one, with all the beers, the bands, the chats about bikes – and the awards ceremony. Our 28er J model deservedly took home the award for the longest journey. Which we take as a good omen for the Cannonball. Thank you guys for the fine trophy and for a well-oiled, high-octane, big inchin’ weekend among friends. ¡Gracias Gipsy Crew and Shovelhead Spain!