The month of October here in the upper Midwest can be more than a little cantankerous when it comes to weather. In fact, my very first Slimey Crud Café Racer Run featured snow flurries by the time the riders began showing up at the traditional destination in Leland, Wisconsin.
Happily, the opposite end of the weather spectrum greeted a couple thousand riders for the fall running of the bi-annual event on October 1. Crystal-clear blue skies were overhead all day, and the temperature soared to the upper 80s by the afternoon. Indeed, it was a perfect day to put the Icon Hooligan perforated jacket and Airform helmet to the test.
By 10 a.m., there was a massive crowd at the ride start in Dane County’s Pine Bluff. The crowd included my long-time riding buddies, Dean Massoglia and Tony Fransen. Dean came all the way down from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Tony joined us after cruising south from Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.
Despite the absence of advertising or any corporate sponsorship—no beer/energy drink/oil/parts/accessory signs—the Slimely Crud Run has attracted ever-larger numbers of riders with each staging. The Crud Run commences annually on the first Sunday in May and the first Sunday in October.
Traversing rolling southern Wisconsin farm country, the Crud Run starts in Pine Bluff and finishes in Leland in Sauk County. How you get there is up to you. There are no ride captains, tail gunners, or prescribed route maps. There are many route options, and nearly every mile of each is well-paved, curvy, and scenic.
To those who really want to ogle motorcycles of nearly every description, the Crud Run is a cornucopia. There is no brand or configuration snobbery. You name it, it’s probably there someplace. You’ll find everything from rough-edged rat bikes to slick customs, high-tech sportbikes to original survivor classics, and common-as-dirt commuter iron to rare collector items.
The next Slimey Crud Café Racer Run is scheduled for May 5, 2024.
Photography by Gary Ilminen
