The Prowl, Bisbee, AZ
The Prowl Promise
It must have been two years since, by some very good luck, we stumbled into the Bisbee "The Prowl" chopper festival and promised ourselves to come back. Which we made good on last year. So, what about this year?
With the W&W Baja Twins now residing permanently in our US garage, the idea was kinda close to show them round the little town of Bisbee, Arizona. This former copper and silver mining town (population 5.000) has kept a large portion of its picture perfect downtown area from its time as "the Queen of the Copper Camps". Expect a quirky mix of the Old West and Hippie lifestyle.
Right, and off we go to Fastlane Jim’s place, who’s living on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. A group of bike riders is congregating on this cloudy and a little chilly morning in front of his house. From there it’s some 100 miles to Bisbee. Heading South East, across the Arizona desert, the group of Flatheads, Knuckleheads, Panheads and the two Baja Twin Shovels, 10 bikes in all, set off for the border to Mexico.
Refuelling stops keep the tanks
topped up, and the body temperatures in a life-sustaining zone. Food and drink and new members to the group are taken in, and after stops in Corona de Tucson, Huachuca City and Tombstone the Baja Twins are cooling off in front of the Roman Hotel in Bisbee. But only for a moment, ’cos the pre party in neighbouring Naco, right on the border is calling. On our arrival the street in front of the Gay 90’s bar is filled with choppers. Big long time no see, friends, Mariachi, beer, Danger Dan’s kick start contest. In the chilly evening air we ride back to the hotel and take one last sundowner in the crowded St. Elmo’s bar, a few houses up the street …
A short night later
(we’re right in the centre of "The Prowl") we take a look outside and find snow on the surrounding mountains, on the cars in the street. Great. We fire up the Baja Twins anyway and head over to Lowell for breakfast in the Bisbee Breakfast Club. The street is right out of an old black and white Western movie, with parked vintage vehicles everywhere for that certain level of incongruity. A Harley dealership, an Indian shop and a Chevy garage round off the picture. All (or almost all) of this is owned by one Jay Allen, a former racer and bike collector, more on him later*. After all, we’re here for the choppers.
Ten in the morning, and the streets
get busy in Bisbee. The sun comes up, the vibe is rising with the temperatures. Nice day, fine choppers. Great show too! The evening sees us back in our old watering place, St. Elmo’s, even more packed than yesterday. Is it that people are thirstier than yesterday, or is it the wet t-shirt contest?
The Sunday sees us back
in Lowell, on invitation of *Jay Allen, the man with 55 speed records to his name. He was the owner of the Broken Spoke Saloons in Daytona and Sturgis and has an amazing private museum right here, filled with memorabilia of a racer’s life, museum pieces and backyard treasures. A barn find hunter’s dream. Too bad we have to be back in Tucson. This time we take the scenic route across the desert by Sierra Vista. The sun is blazing today which makes for a mellow ride. We meet our fellow travellers at the gas station and wave goodbye to Bisbee. We’ll be back. That’s a prowl, sorry, promise.
