Footdown
The bikers and the bride.
The Mad Dog Motorcycle Club drew 31 riders and pillions to its annual poker run last Sunday. The weather held and the roads were dry for the typhoon-delayed event, thanks to the intercession of the Biker God 'Harley', whom we like to think also reads Footdown.
Joined by members of the Chopper Union Riders and the Cruiser Hong Kong clubs, the Mad Dogs drew their first poker cards on their departure from Granville Square, and picked up their second over lunch at the Wishing Tree. There were some fine bikes on the run, including a 1974 Triumph Trident, gleaming Harleys and an impressive Mad Dog motif on a member's petrol tank. A 61-year-old, Bob Miller, turned up on a hip, three-wheeled scooter, while one Chopper Union rider turned heads in her fetching pink crash helmet. But the highlight of the day was an unusual detour, says Mad Dogs' sergeant at arms, Doug Netzel.
'Chopper Union member Alex Au asked Mad Dog MC before the run if we could escort their wedding party from his home at City One, Sha Tin,' he says.
The Mad Dogs jumped at the chance. Who would miss a biker wedding, especially with Winnie the bride looking so lovely in a gleaming Mercedes-Benz?
'We met the wedding party at City One Shell station and after picking our third card we all headed to St Teresa's Church in Kowloon Tong,' Netzel says. 'Many onlookers were delighted to see something new in Hong Kong and waved and clapped their hands to the bride and bikers.'
Pictures and video recordings of the tulle and tattoos delayed the run, but the bikers didn't mind one bit, and one or two stole kisses from the bride, who seemed untroubled by the stubble.
Then Mad Dog road captain and route planner Brian Gillon looked at his watch and it was time to wish the happy couple well and kickstart home. Picking up their fourth card, and with only one straggler, the column headed for their fifth and final stop, the Bull and Bear in Wan Chai, where Ann Mawhinney won HK$1,000 for the best poker hand, and Sunny Ng from the Cruiser Club and Mad Dog Philippine Chapter member Joe Fitter also won prizes.
We congratulate all the clubs on getting together for one of the highlights of the local biking season. We also like the way the Mad Dogs used 'traffic blockers', more experienced riders who keep all the bikers together and prevent cars from breaking into the column.
'It's hard work and you need a fast bike, but blocking needs to be done to keep things safe,' says Netzel. Quite so, and particularly in Hong Kong, where too many motorists still don't realise that they put lives at risk when they tailgate and toot at bikers.
Volvo recall in the bag
Less than 10 Hong Kong Volvos have been affected by the Swedish marque's recall of 65,000 cars because of a problem with airbag software this week, says Volvo Hong Kong spokeswoman Alice Siu.
The recall affects 2008 models such as the five-star safety rated V70 (HK$418,000) and XC70, mainly sold in Europe, and will be carried out because one of the lateral airbags does not deploy as quickly as intended, Volvo said.
'We are talking about a very small time - thousandths of a second,' the marque said, adding that during the recall the software would be made 'more efficient'.
All affected Hong Kong V70 customers 'will be contacted individually this week for the software upgrade to ensure the Volvo specification', Siu says.
