Motorsports Store Stages Annual Engine Blowout

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MICHELE NORRIS, host:

This past weekend, Reynolds Motorsports in Buxton, Maine, held its 15th annual motorcycle show. The most popular part of the show is something called a bike blow, an old Reynolds' tradition, where a beat-up trade-in is destroyed.

We sent reporter Josh Gleason to the scene to assess the damage.

JOSHUA GLEASON: It's not enough that the doomed bike, a '78 Yamaha 1100, will be drained of oil and have its throttle taped open until it ceases up or explodes. No. Before we get that far, technician Al Windom(ph), the executioner in chief, he's going to burn the rubber on the rear tire down until it bursts.

Mr. AL WINDOM (Technician): Today is my day to destroy.

(Soundbite of bike revving up)

GLEASON: Al's got the bike part in what's called the burn pit, basically a flat stretch of concrete with a short metal rail at one end to hold the bike in place.

Mr. WINDOM: You're going to love it once the bike burns the tire. Too bad they didn't make cologne smell that way.

GLEASON: He waits a bit for a crowd to gather then hugs the throttle.

(Soundbite of bike revving up)

GLEASON: Pretty soon, there's so much smoke, you can't even see the bike anymore, just the dim glow of its headlight.

Mr. WINDOM: Sixty-two now? pick a square.

GLEASON: Out-front, folks are placing bets on how long the bike will last. John Tiambro(ph), an aspiring mechanic, figures the four-cylinder Yamaha could go for as long as 19 minutes.

Mr. JOHN TIAMBRO (Aspiring Mechanic): Blowing stuff is cool. It always has been. Shows us we're not perfect, I guess. We can't make something that can't blow up. God can.

GLEASON: Ryan Jenkins(ph) is here with his wife, Angie, and their three little kids. He says possibly the last thing you'd expect to hear in an event like this.

Mr. RYAN JENKINS (Spectator, Reynolds Motorsports' 15th Annual Motorcycle Show): It's good for the kids.

GLEASON: Mm-hmm. Why? What do you mean it's good for them? Like milk?

Mr. JENKINS: At the end of the - yeah, why not. It's good to be in the - doing something outdoors and riding bikes and.

GLEASON: Now, aren't you afraid they're going to want to become bikers themselves?

Mr. JENKINS: There's nothing to be afraid of. Get up and ride.

GLEASON: The faded Yamaha with its floppy tire is let out to a grassy area next to the dealership. A crowd of a hundred or so gathers. Reynolds' employees looked on with fire extinguishers at hand. It's go time.

(Soundbite of bike revving up)

GLEASON: For about the first 30 seconds, it seems like she's doing fine, then the exhaust turns black.

(Soundbite of men laughing and clapping)

Unidentified Man #1: Come on. Come on.

Unidentified Man #2: There she goes.

GLEASON: People circled the bike, taking pictures with their cell phones and examining the damage with a kind of reverence as if they're checking out a meteor that just fell from the sky.

Parts manager, Joe Pierce(ph), explains the cause of death.

Mr. JOE PIERCE (Parts Manager, Reynolds Motorsports): Oh, the ethyl just blew off it, overheated and pretty much just destroyed the motor real quick.

(Soundbite of laughter)

GLEASON: Barbara Carols-Bath(ph) was closest to the time of expiration - one minute, 32 seconds. But she doesn't share this sort of glee. She's actually somewhat mournful.

Ms. BARBARA CAROLS-BATH (Spectator, Reynolds Motorsports' 15th Annual Motorcycle Show): That's just sad to watch all the parts fall off of it and this little motorcycle life. I'm a sentimental sap, but I won.

GLEASON: One hundred and seven dollars to be exact, which she plans on using to buy some motorcycle boots.

For NPR News, I'm Josh Gleason.

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