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HERTFELDERAmotorcycle event with a 66-yearhistory will inevitably develop acast of characters of which anytelevision series would be proud. However,while television characters are figments ofsome writer’s imagination, the charactersseen at the annual Sandy Lane Endurotruly exist. Some of the more colorful havepassed away, but tales of their escapadesare still passed down by enduro riderswho heard them from their fathers andgrandfathers. Paul Brumfield is probablythe most popular character on the listbecause he was the Sandy Lane trail bossfor many years. In fact, Super Senior classriders at the 2010 ride started to sweatwhen they realized they were riding in thedirection of Brumfield’s favorite obstacle:Popes Branch Swamp.Actually, they were routed over just onecorner of the swamp and crossed it onwooden pallets tied together by a chain linkfence plus 10 feet of trail covered by RhodeIsland rocks hauled in at considerableexpense by Meteor club members,sponsors of the ‘Lane, who had riddenthe Rowdy Rovers Enduro and came togrief on exceptionally slippery rocks someweeks earlier. We were told the rocks werenumbered because Rhode Island is so smallthey wanted them returned.Personally I believe they certainly wantedthem returned.I’m not so sure they were numbered.An authentic Brumfield tale is the storyof the Pic-A-Lilly Inn goat. In the 1960sSandy Lane started and finished at thegrounds of the Pic-A-Lilly. It was a rusticspot complete with roving barnyardanimals wandering around. Brumfield oncetook a shine to a baby goat and often tookit for a spin in his woods sidecar. A woodssidecar can be identified by the large winchmounted on the deck, used to winch the rigout of places like Popes Branch Swamp.Funny thing, there was a definiteresemblance between goats and Brumfield.Goats are usually razor thin and Brumfield,who lived on cigarettes and beer, lookednear death most of his life.Years later when the Pic-A-Lil was nolonger the enduro start grounds it becamea pleasant roadhouse-style watering holepreferred by thirsty motorcycle riders.Patrons always knew when sidecar driverswere leaving.These riders would say their goodbyes,walk out toward the parking lot and returna minute later to ask the management tohelp them get the long-horned 110 poundBilly Goat out of their sidecar!Another memorable Sandy Lane characterwas the rider who always left the start line,and often finished the enduro, with a smallbreakfast cereal box glued to the back of hishelmet.The advantage of this is not really apparentbut one thing is certain: at any speed over30 miles an hour he could be certain thathis eyes were looking straight ahead.And who could forget the Montessa dealerfrom Sewell, New Jersey who mounteda flexible steel snorkel tube from hiscarburetor to a flapper valve mounted ontop of the motorcycle’s gas tank equippedwith cork floats to seal the intake if riddenAn Enduro WithCharactersin water over four feet deep. They say thatevery time the motorcycle hit a solid bumpthe flapper valve would get sucked shut,choke the engine to a stop, and wet thespark plug so badly a new one was requiredto get the engine started again. Before hegave up on his snorkel he took to wearingan ammunition belt with spark plugs in thebullet loops.Worn bandolier style, from the shoulder, helooked like a Mexican bandit with ignitionproblems.Bart Staggert, aka “The Inflatable Man”has been running a Sandy Lane checkcrewfor many years and is noted as thebest matchmaker since uplift bras. Hiscrews have produced so many successfulmarriages that dedicated bachelorsconsider them ‘hazardous duty ’ andcan only be enticed with the promiseof exceptional food and comfortablefolding chairs which, of course, are justbackground decorations and almost neverused during an enduro.Staggert competed in enduros for a fewyears then decided that the Battle of theTwins road-racing series promised trailswhere he would never get lost or be furtherthan 400 yards from the hotdog concessionstand. Staggert fielded a BMW twin tosome success. The machine was lettered“Shelly’s Kitchen,” probably by Shellyherself in fond memory of where the moneyoriginated to purchase the machine.A current Sandy Lane character has beenbarred from any trail work involving use ofa motorcycle because of his almost glacialrate of progress off road. Instead, thisstalwart has been appointed DesignatedMarch 2011 | 23 | CityBike.comDesigner (DD) and asked to first construct,then decorate, Sandy Lane start chutes,which he does with good taste and longerstaples to secure the usually translucentsigns donated by motorcycle dealerships.His painstaking work once led him to workwell past sunset.Daylight revealed a long snow fencestart chute lined with 24 translucentflags lettered on one side only but facingthe wrong way promoting AHAMAYmotorcycles.Sorry about that—next year I’ll bringmy flashlight. But I’m charging the newbatteries to the Meteor Club.For a copy of Ed’s latest book, 80.4 Finish Check,send $29.95 with suggested inscription to EdHertfelder, PO Box 17564, Tucson, AZ 85731ADVERTISINGit works!Contact CityBike to place aclassified or businessadvertisement and reachthousands of Bay Areamotorcycle enthusiasts.info@citybike.com415-282-2790HellaStrongArt Direction,Graphic Design& IllustrationI’m Alan Lapp, a 25-yearveteran designer & illustrator.If you have a need for virtually anykind of printed work, give me a call.I’m experienced in publication design,annual reports, catalogs, brochures,menus, packaging, direct mail, fashionadvertising, collateral materials, logoand identity work, stationery, oranything else you may need.Great work to follow.510-295-7707www.levelfive.com