Classic British motorcycles were part of a recent Riding Into History motorcycle concours 'd'elegance. | Dohms Creative, Riding Into History
Published on April 18, 2024 at 10:52 am
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Motorcycles dating back to 1911 will join historic Harley-Davidsons and dozens of Japanese sport bikes in St. Augustine on Saturday for the 24th annual Riding Into History Motorcycle Concours.
During the past 23 concours, classic two-wheelers dotted the lakeside at World Golf Village. This weekend’s event goes kickstands down at a new home next to a museum of four-wheelers.
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The event is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Classic Car Museum of St Augustine on U.S. 1. More than 200 motorcycles will be shown at the long-running motorcycle concours, joined by veteran racer and grand marshal Henry DeGouw.
The move to the 4-year-old classic car museum was necessary after the World Golf Foundation and the PGA Tour announced that it was leaving St. Augustine, Riding into History President Bill Peterson said.
“We had to find a new venue, and we had already done some work with the Classic Car Museum, and we talked to him and he was thrilled to host us there,” Peterson said. “The show bikes will all be on the blacktop, and all the parking will be on the grass fields. … We will have 200-plus bikes lining the perimeter of the building. It’s a great facility. There will be music, food trucks and vendors — all the usual stuff. We just don’t have a lake with a fountain.”
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The 24th annual Riding Into History Concours d’Elegance will feature nine classes of antique, vintage, competition and custom motorcycles from all over the world. Historic motorcycles from the Hollingsworth family of St. Augustine and its American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association team will be shown. A lineup of 70 motorcycles are part of Saturday’s features display, called “Chasing the Rising Sun.”
The event began 25 years ago, with one year canceled to COVID-19. All vehicles on display must be at least 35 years old, unless they are significant late-model or limited-edition models or of special historic interest. The volunteer-run concours, including many local motorcycle club members, has raised more than $700,000 for charities, lately for K9s for Warriors.
The show Saturday comes only four days after the St. Johns County Commission greenlighted a $5.5 million plan to buy a 37-acre chunk of World Golf Village in St. Augustine.
The World Golf Foundation moved its museum back to its North Carolina headquarters, while the PGA Tour will leave its World Golf Village property next March in favor of a new one in Sawgrass. Once the purchase of the village property is completed, the county will own the PGA Tour building as well as a substantial amount of green space, parking area and more.
The long Walk of Champions that encircles the lake at the World Golf Village used to be home to multiple events from car and motorcycle shows to holiday fireworks. The move to the classic car museum will mean a smaller display area, but the new site is expected to fuel an increase in spectators — as many as 3,000 versus last year’s estimated 2,000, Peterson said.
“We think we will get a lot more spectators because of the drive-by capability since the museum has a big sign up front and they are on a busy road,” he said. “They don’t have to know about it in advance — they can just see it and come on in.”
Many of the historic motorcycles will participate in Friday’s Grand Marshal Tour over back roads, with the grand marshal’s dinner set for that night at the Renaissance Hotel. Then comes Saturday’s concours, with some must-see motorcycles, Peterson said.
“We have some cool stuff like a Nimbus, and I think we go as far back as 1911, some really nice American stuff this year,” Peterson said. “There will be great stuff from everywhere. We have some of our best collectors showing stuff they have never shown before”
Admission is $15 per person at the gate, with no charge for concours show entrants. Trophies will be awarded at 3 p.m. Saturday.
