Photos: Motorheads rev up for 'Spring Opener' ride

By Bill Roberson, KATU.com Published: Mar 26, 2012 at 12:33 PM PDT Last Updated: Mar 31, 2012 at 2:09 PM PDT
Photos: Motorheads rev up for 'Spring Opener' ride
Bikes were lined up Sunday morning in downtown Portland ahead of the Spring Opener Rally. (All photos by Bill Roberson)

PORTLAND, Ore. - Local motorcycle enthusiasts gathered downtown Sunday for an annual ride known as the Spring Opener Rally, and between last week's snow and this week's expected rain, they definitely got a break on the weather as roads were dry and even the sun came through at times.

The  ride is hosted each year by the Flying 15 Motorcycle Club of Portland. The club dates back to before World War II and the Spring Opener has been held every year for the last 16 years, according to the club. Hundreds of riders attended on Sunday.

Owners lined up a wide variety of makes and models of two-wheeled transportation on both sides of S.W. Washington Street outside Kelly's Olympian, an iconic downtown watering hole that features numerous vintage motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and a vintage red Indian cruiser prominently displayed in the front window.

Everything from a vintage Indian single-cylinder machine to home-built choppers to exotic Italian sport bikes were on hand for the ride.

Riders left downtown after 10 a.m. and headed for a 100-mile ride on back roads that circled out to Estacada.  The route then returned to the city where everyone met up at Slabtown in Northwest Portland.