Discover the annual Stagecoach Classic Motorcycle Rally and hear all about the highlights of the 2023 rally, including several impressive classic bikes.
When most of the country is digging out from blizzards, sliding around on ice, or dodging showers, Southern California’s deserts are usually dry, sunny and warm. So it was for the second annual Stagecoach Classic Motorcycle Rally held near Julian in the Anza-Borrego Desert in late March.
Though principally for classic and vintage British motorcycles, all makes are welcome. This year’s weekend schedule included both on- and off-road rides, field events including a slow race, hot dog bite and slalom; live, classic rock from the Holy Frijoles; the Stagecoach Bike show; a movie night with classic motorcycle and bike racing movies on the big screen; and a wooden nickel hunt.
Rally co-sponsor JRC Engineering also offered to present a trophy, the Ton-Up Cup to the rally entrant whose motorcycle best represents the Ton-Up spirit and style, regardless of the age or marque of motorbike. Classic British Spares (CBS) and Law Tigers Motorcycle Lawyers were also major co-sponsors.
I arrived at the Rally site in time for the bike show, which many exhibitors had chosen as their time for a siesta during the afternoon heat. The first bike I noted was an early-1930s “cammy” Velocette KSS 350cc OHC single that was just leaving the site, ridden by Larry Luce.
Next to catch my eye in the show area was Malcom and Mikyle Ede’s 1946 Royal Enfield J2 500cc single in perfect period patina and boasting painted wheel rims together with RE’s own telescopic fork — a novel feature for the time. Next to it was a gleaming, almost faultless 1970 Triumph Bonneville T120R belonging to Randal Williams. The counterpoint — parked next to the 120 was Nicole Froesch’s well-used Triumph Mountain Cub, nicknamed “Flying Purple People Eater.” But perhaps the most beautiful Triumph in the show was Colin Smith’s 1957 alloy-engine Tiger 100.
There was also a rare insight into the evolution of the Triumph Trophy: parked next to a very early “generator” engine 500cc rigid-rear Trophy from the late-1940s was a pre-unit 650cc Trophy TR6B “Trophy Bird.” Also parked together were two examples of late oil-in-frame BSA thumpers: a B50 Gold Star and B50T Victor Trail; while Ed Dazzo’s 1974 Triumph TR5MX, essentially a BSA B50 MX in disguise, stood nearby. Craig Snasdell was showing both a “work in progress” 1967 Triumph T120TT, perhaps the most desirable of Bonnevilles; and a 1965 Royal Enfield 750 Interceptor from 1965.
Looking very close to bone-stock but for a larger front brake disc was Bernie Nietvelt’s beautiful 1975 Commando Mk3 Roadster: and for custom fans Brent King’s same-color MkIII featured alloy wheel rims and an elegant aftermarket gas tank. King had also entered his dazzling blue metal flake 1970 BSA A65 Thunderbolt.
One of the most iconic bikes on display was Bernie Nietvelt’s Craig Vetter-designed 1973 Triumph X75 Hurricane, with its outrageous custom bodywork and trademark 3-into-3 exhaust. More conservative in styling was Jeff McCoy’s “gentleman’s” 1950 Norton ES2 single. But perhaps my personal favorite was Billy Gray’s beautiful and very original 1967 Triumph TR6C Trophy.
Planning for the 2024 Stagecoach Rally is already underway. For more information go to stagecoachrally.com or info@stagecoachrally.com.
Where is this?
Popular with two- and four-wheeled off-road enthusiasts, the Anza-Borrego desert is about 100 miles northeast of San Diego between Julian, California, and the Salton Sea.
The Stagecoach Trails RV Resort sits at a significant location in the history of cross-continental communication. It earns its name from its location on the Great Southern Overland Stage Route, from the time when four-legged transportation was the only option. Best known of early courier services was the Pony Express, which carried documents from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, by the Northern route through Salt Lake City. But the Pony Express wasn’t the only choice. The Butterfield Overland Mail service ran stagecoaches between St. Louis and San Francisco at around the same time, though Butterfield’s service took the “Oxbow” route through Texas and New Mexico, before hooking up with the 65-mile-long Great Southern Overland Stage Route of 1849 in the Anza-Borrego Desert.
Butterfield’s Overland Stage Route carried passengers and mail from Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri, to San Francisco. In the Desert, it followed a sand track from Plaster City, then west through the Carrizo Badlands of Anza Borrego State Park, to its eventual intersection with County Road 2 where it continues north to Scissors Crossing and the junction with Highway 78.
1861 was a watershed year for the overland stage and mail companies with the opening of Western Union’s complete transcontinental telegraph. The opening of a transcontinental railroad in 1869 sealed their fate. MC
