Ron Simms customs: Ron Simms bikes on display at Street Vibrations 2008 in Reno

Crowds, Custom Motorcycles, Crowds, Music, Crowds, and more Crowds

This year's Street Vibrations in downtown Reno was even crazier than I expected. The streets were filled beyond capacity with bikers and performers. There were so many people that we couldn't get a good look at much of the surroundings on Friday or Saturday. Luckily we were on the scene Thursday and were able to scope out some of the vendor booths and other attractions in a more relaxed setting.

This year featured the usual assortment of side shows: Rock and blues bands, Ted Nugent made an appearance, and Monte Perlin's Globe-O-Cross drew major crowds.

And of course, major bike builders and custom houses were there -- such as Big Dog and Simms. Big Dog had their usual models on display, and they were drawing crowds. On a related note: while in Reno, I heard a late-night commercial for a local Big Dog dealer, offering $10K discounts on certain models. It seems obvious that the economic woes are going to have an impact on big-ticket discretionary spending, and a hyper-custom motorcycle is probably about as discretionary as it's going to get. Rough times ahead...

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Matt Guidera vs. Andrew Hines: Matt Guidera's holeshot (.018) 7.054 185.74 defeated Andrew Hines (.050) 7.026 187.34.

If you have never attended an NHRA Pro event or you have not attended one of these events for many years, you owe it to yourself to try it. The experience is indescribable, television can't do it justice.

There is nothing that can compare to Funny Cars or Top Fuel Dragsters at a PowerAde NHRA event. Sound that makes thunder seem positively impotent, the smell of burned rubber and nitromethane permeates the air, along with the heat from over 7,000 fire-breathing horsepower. This is something every automotive technology or motorsports enthusiast should experience at least once in their life.