Cleveland Mods vs. Rockers Scooters & Motorcycle Rally Returns to Northeast Ohio

MVR CLE 1

Fri 8/12-Sat 8/13

It turns out the kids are alright. A half century after the Mods and Rockers battled on the British streets, the two local groups are joining forces to celebrate the culture. The annual affair is called the Cleveland Mods vs. Rockers Scooters & Motorcycle Rally, which returns 8/12-13 around Cleveland.

Created by the aptly titled the Tribe of Non-Douchebag Motorcyclists, featuring many people from ClevelandMoto, the event celebrates vintage and exotic motorcycles, as well as scooters with a weekend of riding, music, entertainment and food.

CoolCleveland talked to Mods vs. Rockers Organizing Committee member Mark Fiala about the retro affair.

How does one conceive a retro event named Mods vs. Rockers?

It started seven years ago and it’s basically set up to be a rally that commemorates the Mods vs. Rockers tussle they had in England in the 1960s. So it’s a way to bring people in the scooter community and the motorcycle community together and commemorate those historical events. We geared it primarily towards vintage scooters, vintage motorcycles, classic-style bikes, but anybody is welcome to attend. We don’t really care what you’re riding, as long as you ride.

It seems like a pretty creative idea. Were people asking for a scooter and biker détente?

A lot of the folks we hang out with are into vintage bikes. And the British motorcycle scene from the ’60s and the British scooter scene from the ’60s have always been popular with us. Like a lot of other towns around the county who hold these type of events, we felt there was at least an opportunity in Cleveland to put something like this together. Over the years it has grown from just a few friends to now we get easily more than 150 motorcycles on Saturday for the bike rally. Also, on Friday night there’s a meet-and-greet at Porco Lounge.

The Mods vs. Rockers is more than just a bike show, right?

We usually have a small bike show where we name Best in Show, Best Scooter, Best Motorcycle, but most of what people are very interested in are the rides we do. We start off with a West Side ride at Cleveland MotoWest for the scooter people who represent the Mods. There’s also a group of people that start off from Cleveland MotoEast in Mentor on motorcycles. They represent the Rockers. Both groups do a 90-minute ride from each side of town and then we come together at one spot. Everybody rolls into the rally. We’ll be converging at Cleveland CycleWerks this year and then coming down to Sachsenheim for the rally. We also have an afterparty at Skidmark Garage.

What’s the lure of the old motorcycles and scooters?

I think for a lot of people it’s the character of the bikes. They’re iconic and hark back to Brando on his Triumph in The Wild One or Steve McQueen in The Great Escape or The Who’s Quadrophenia. It’s punk rock, ska music and rockabilly music. So it’s like a whole theme that kind of evokes that period that people are really interested in. I guess it’s an alternative to this motorcycle culture we have in this country. But we’re not snobs about it. It’s just one of all of the other great events that go on in town in the summertime. And we just want to represent a kind of vintage theme.

It’s kind of funny that the event highlights two social groups who decades ago hated each other. Now it’s a celebration of the heritage.

Yeah, nobody is out there to pick fights with people. Everybody, at least among this group, recognizes the heritage and the respect for the scene. And some people are clearly bike people, some people are scooter people, but we all ride together anyway.

Be honest, do bikers look down on scooter riders?

No, because if you’ve ever seen a scooter kick a Harley’s ass on a twisty road, you’ll be impressed with what a scooter is capable of doing.

clevelandmodsvsrockers

Cleveland, OH 44113

Cleveland, OH 44102

Cleveland, OH 44102

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One Response to “Cleveland Mods vs. Rockers Scooters & Motorcycle Rally Returns to Northeast Ohio”

  1. This event has always been one of our favorites to cover. Video and pictures don’t do justice to the bikes that show up here. The two wheel motorbike is a celebration of all that is good about being in the wind. The people you meet here are genuine.

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