A 1969 Honda CB750 Sandcast owned by California’s Sam Roberts was awarded “Best of Show” out of more than 350 entrants at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering presented by GEICO Motorcycle, a Peninsula Hotels Signature Event. More than 3,000 spectators gathered on the lawns of Quail Lodge & Golf Club for the show’s much-anticipated awards ceremony, which recognized the antique bike for its presentation as well as its historical and cultural significance.
The 11th Anniversary event presented a grand selection of pre- and post-war sports and racing bikes as well as live music, lifestyle vendors, local wines and gourmet cuisine by a selection of fine chefs.
Traditional classes that included American, British, Italian, Other European, Japanese, Competition On-Road, Competition Off Road, Antique, Custom/Modified, and Extraordinary Bicycles and Scooters lined The Quail Motorcycle Gathering Event Field for guests to explore.
In addition to the “Best in Class” awards given in each of the above categories, the following top honors were announced:
Spirit of The Quail Award
Chad Castle Family Private Collection – California
Private Collection
The Quail Ride Award
1986 Bimota DB1R
Adam Cecchini – California
50 Years of the Honda CB750 Award
1969 Honda CB750 Sandcast
Sam Roberts – California
Off Road Wonders Through the 90’s Award
1969 Cheney/Triumph 750cc Scrambler/MX
Scott Dunlavey – California
100th Anniversary of the Brough Superior Award
1925 Brough Superior SS100
Larry Bowman – California
Spirit of the Scrambler Award Presented by Ducati
2016 Scrambler by Ducati
Tom Zipprian – California
Industry Award
2019 BMW Prototype BMW Boxer
Revival Cycles – Texas
Custom/Modified
Innovation Award
1989 Norton F1 Pre-Production Prototype
Stephen Haddad – California
British 1936-1979
Significance in Racing Award
1967 Honda 450 Daytona Racer
Ron Mousouris – California
Competition On Road
Design and Style Award
1981 Honda XL500
Niki Smart – California
Custom/Modified
Why We Ride Award
1962 Mustang Stallion
Jim Taylor – California
American 1936-1979
HVA Preservation Award
1929 Brough Superior 680 OHV
Bryan L. Bossier, Sr. – Louisiana
100th Anniversary of the Brough Superior
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Heritage Award
1970 JAWA 652
Chris Carter – California
Off Road Wonders Through the 90’s
The event also showcased four featured displays unique to this year’s show. The first of these, 50th Anniversary of the Honda CB750, showcased a curated group of the finest examples of the legendary Honda CB750, renowned as the world’s first “superbike.” Standout examples from this class included a 1969 Honda CB750 from Sam Roberts, a 1970 Honda CB750 from Tim Bamford and a 1971 Honda CB750 K1 from William Horn—all of which are the first, second and third year of production in three different colors.
Other featured classes recognized the rugged excitement of Off-Road Wonders Through the 90’s, the 100th Anniversary of the Brough Superior and the Spirit of the Scrambler Presented by Ducati. The number of bikes on display per class ranged from 10 to 30.
Throughout the event, guests were given the opportunity to try out the latest products from the industry’s top manufacturers, which included everything from gear to motorcycles. Shoei/Transitions offered guests an opportunity to test their new helmets during demo rides, which were offered by event sponsors Harley-Davidson, Ducati and Suzuki. Harley-Davidson also offered a unique augmented-reality experience for its new LiveWire electric bike. Alongside these, Stellar Moto debuted their men’s and prototype women’s denim armored one-piece driving suit, Helite Moto unveiled new airbag vests and airbag jackets, Corbin debuted new saddles and pillions, Clearwater Lights displayed their full product lineup and Energica held a special display for their electric sport bikes alongside a custom “Oil in the Blood” Eva sport bike.
The 2019 show also marked the world debut of the latest electric superbike from LITO Motorcycles. The new LITO SORA Generation 2 features an upgraded battery system with 50 percent increased range over previous models and is capable of propelling the bike from zero to 60 miles per hour in three seconds.
“This year’s The Quail Motorcycle Gathering was one of our best yet,” said Gordon McCall, Director of Motorsports for The Peninsula Signature Events. “From our incredible featured classes to the amazing spectators, to our wonderfully supportive sponsors and the beautiful motorcycles on display, 2019 was a year to remember and we can’t wait to see what 2020 will bring.”
