Vintage Bikes, Ribeye Steaks Sizzle At Arvest Ballpark

SPRINGDALE -- Red bikes. Blue bikes. Custom bikes. Just not new bikes.

Thousands of ramblin' men and free birds rolled through Bikes, Blues & BBQ's first vintage motorcycle show Saturday at Arvest Ballpark.

The show, sponsored by the Ozarks Vintage Motorcycle Association, featured more than 70 rare finds, including a restored 1940 BSA, a 1947 Harley-Davidson knucklehead and one of the first Yamaha motorcycles ever produced in 1955.

A 1968 Honda CB-350 displayed by Russell Ruttan of Rogers sported the following sign: "Took our honeymoon on a bike just like this in 1969. Small suitcase, 1 sleeping bag and a whole lot of LOVE!"

"A lot of people that are into motorcycling will never see these bikes," Gary Berger, a member of the Vintage Motorcycle Association, said. "Something like this helps to keep the motorcycle heritage going."

"A lot of these guys rode these old bikes or liked them as kids but couldn't afford one," James Wallace, association president, added. "So they live out their youth like that."

All entries in the vintage motorcycle show had to be at least 25 years old.

First and second prizes were awarded in 15 classes, including best bobber, best chopper, best cafe, best rat and best tiddler. Joe Giles, Bikes, Blues & BBQ executive director, made a directors' choice award, and one contestant was set to be named best in show.

Wallace said judges were looking for different things in different categories, but the same criteria held true across the board: "how rare the bike is."

"To me, a lot of these old things are works of art," he said.

Arvest Ballpark, a new Bikes, Blues & BBQ venue this year, also featured an extensive car show, live music and the Northwest Arkansas Steak Cook-off on Saturday.

Jess McCall of Springdale was glad to see more and more events moving northward.

"I think it's awesome. I'm proud to see it here," McCall said. "It's a little more family-oriented (than Dickson Street). It makes me want to go out and buy a bike."

Joe Wilson of Bentonville and Tyler Hughes of Fayetteville were getting ready to fire up "the Meat Coffin" early Saturday afternoon -- their name for a huge smoker that would cook several dozen ribeyes for public steak dinners associated with the Northwest Arkansas Steak Cook-off.

Wilson said one of the keys to cooking a perfect steak is getting the grill as hot as possible. He said he only planned to cook the rib-eyes for two minutes on each side over 700-degree flames. Pat the steak dry, and add a little corn starch, Wilson said. Season it with salt and pepper. Another trick, he added, is to let the steak rest after it's done cooking.

"Let it sit for four to five minutes," Wilson explained. "That's going to let all of the juice, all of the moisture soak back in."

According to John McClure, event coordinator, the overall winner in the competition was set to advance to the World Championship Steak Cook-off in Magnolia and the U.S. Invitational Steak Championship in Tulsa, Okla.

"A large portion of the Bikes, Blues & BBQ audience thinks a steak deserves its own food group," McClure said. "What's more American than the love of bikes and beef? They go hand-in-hand."