ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking to explore the area while also helping a great cause will soon have just that option.
Bikes at Billy's will be happening Saturday, Sept. 20 at Billy's Ayr Lanes, with first ride out at 9:30 a.m. and last ride out at 11 a.m. The cost is $25 per registration card, and all the proceeds will go to the Liberal High School Unified Bowling Team.
Last year was the inaugural Bikes at Billy’s event, and coordinator Bill Hill said the inspiration for the event actually had come to him a while ago.
“A few years ago, we were involved with someone who hosted a motorcycle poker run, and it had a great turnout, and that inspired us to do a small motorcycle show to test the waters, so to speak. I'd been thinking about it and thinking about it, and at this year's Yellow Brick Road Car Show, we had a few motorcycle entries that were just gorgeous, and they really stuck in my mind and after that, I decided we needed to do a big event of our own with motorcycles that included a fun run,” Hill said. “Shortly after the car show, I had to go to Arizona because there was some work being done on my house there, so I had plenty of time to think and do come up with an outline for this event. Among all of that, I came to the realization that while we're considered in the middle of nowhere, that also means we're in the middle of everything!” Hill said. “Liberal's got a lot to offer, and I thought of doing the fun run in a somewhat different way where the participants visit some places unique to the area. We do the Yellow Brick Road Car Show in May, and we wanted to do this motorcycle event in September because that seems to be the best time for events like that. I was actually at the Sturgis rally recently, and they had 500,000-plus motorcyclists for that event, and there were people from ALL walks of life up there.”
With the success of last year’s event, Hill said it was only natural to host another one.
“When we did Bikes at Billy's last year, we had about 40 participants or so, and we went through Meade, Beaver, Okla., and Hooker, Okla. before landing back at Billy's Ayr Lanes, and this year, we're thinking of rolling through Perryton, Texas and our last stop will be at Keating Tractor & Equipment just outside town,” Hill said. “We're still working on some of the details and planning, and we're still working on contacting the people in charge down in Hardesty, Okla. and downtown Tyrone, Okla. (because a lot of people don't know Tyrone used to have a big downtown area) to make sure it's okay if we ride through. I want this ride to show off multiple towns in the area so we can all get to know the area better and shed a spotlight on what's around us, and that's another reason we're doing Bikes at Billy's. As long as I'm around, I'd love to see the event keep going and have the communities in the area all get involved, I think that'll help it really grow – not necessarily to the level of the Sturgis rally, but I'd love to see all of our communities come together. We've already seen a lot more interest for this year's event, and I hope we get more than 100 riders participating, that would be amazing. The motorcycle community is very tight-knit and supportive, and I would love to see our motorcycle community in this area be like that. There will also be some games and chances for prizes and when we get back to town, there will be refreshments for everyone, so it should be a great day for everyone.”
Overall, Hill said, he was very pleased with last year’s Bikes at Billy’s.
“I was really happy to see the numbers we did even though it was put together kind of quickly. I would love to have this get to a point where we pick a certain point of the year so everyone can put Bikes At Billy's on their calendar and know we'll be planning,” Hill said. “I would love to see high numbers this year, and not just from Liberal, but also other neighboring communities because again, I want this to bring people together. I really want people to come out and sign up, I know we've got a motorcycle community in town and other communities in the area, and I'd love to see as many people participating as possible. Everyone is welcome, and you can ride a Honda, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, etc., we just want as many people as possible to be involved and be part of the fun. I'm not much of a rider myself, but I do own some motorcycles and have several on display in the restaurant, and I enjoy seeing how unique some of those rides are. I feel like for years and years, people have been sitting on their hands when it comes to community engagement, so I hope a lot of people will sign up to ride in this or be part of the fun in some way. Our community and area has gone through a bunch of changes in the past several years, and if we can bring a bunch of people together with an event like this, I consider that a success. And if anyone is willing to provide some help, I'm more than happy to talk to them and hear their ideas, because we definitely could use some volunteers. Things are coming together really well right now, and I'm excited to see how everything turns out.”
One of the main goals of Bikes at Billy’s, Hill said, is for the participants to have as much fun as possible.
“The biggest thing I get excited about is just seeing everyone. Everyone has at least one person in their life who is a motorcyclist, and I would love it if all of those people could tell their friends and spread the word so we can get as many people as possible for this,” Hill said. “We usually have only a few motorcycles at the Yellow Brick Road Car Show, so I want this event to be for them so they can share their motorcycles and show them off. I love looking at motorcycles, and I remember when I was growing up in the 1960s, that's when Harley-Davidson was dominating the market, and there were so many neat choppers and other motorcycles on the road to look at.”
While some plans are still being finalized, Hill said he hopes this year’s Bikes at Billy’s will be another success.
“I hope we get a bunch of riders to participate, and I hope Mother Nature cooperates and lets us have a nice day to ride. I also hope everyone rides safely and just has a good time with this event,” Hill said. “We are still working on a few of the logistical details and the sign-up flyer, so everyone should keep on the lookout on the Billy's Ayr Lanes Facebook page when all of that is officially ready to go.”
