The Good Life – May-June 2017

A PASSION FOR CLASSIC BIKES
BY: KRISSY NESS • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Classic Bike Night is back again for its second year.
Last year this event was held at various businesses and
bars around the Fargo-Moorhead area and the largest
gathering had 55 bikes.
This year, Blarney Stone’s parking lot will be the sole
location for this boisterous event. Every second Tuesday
from April until September you can race over and check
out vintage, classic, and odd bikes you wouldn’t otherwise
see in the area. People bring bikes from all over the world
to share in this classic event.
Jim Bolluyt, Mike Lacher and Joe Karvonen, who share
a passion for odd and vintage bikes, put on this event.
Collectively these men have been working on bikes for
many years, the urge to restore bikes and share with
each other on social media runs deep. Lacher is know for
restoring bikes that are more likely to be forgotten, and
he shares that hunger with enthusiasts alike.
Bolluyt began tinkering with the idea for Classic
Bike Night by being involved with The Distinguished
Gentlemen’s Ride, which began in Australia and has
been around for more than 5 years. This event is very
unique in that you are required to wear a suit and tie
when showing off your vintage bike, similar to what they
wore in the 20s through the early 40s. On top of that,
this event raises awareness for prostate cancer and male
suicide prevention. Although there isn’t a dress code for
Classic Bike Night there is an effort to help those in need;
a portion of the food sales purchased by event attendees
will be given to the Make-A-Wish North Dakota.
I sat down and spoke with Jim Bolluyt about the creative
efforts of Classic Bike Night and what they hope to bring
to the community. “Our vision for Classic Bike Night is
getting more people interested in classic and vintage
motorcycles,” stated Bolluyt. “There are so many people
in the community who share this passion for odd bikes,
but they didn’t have the opportunity to share with the
public.”
The amount of people who attended last year confirmed
the passion and desire for an event like this. People from
10 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com