Vintage motorcycles drummed to life and rumbled through Carmel Valley then headed to the Quail Lodge for a concours the next day at the budding affair known as the Quail Motorcycle Gathering.

Morning mist hung just above the tops of the green rolling hills on a crisp Carmel Valley morning. Slowly the solitude was broken by the burble of bikes trickling in, from the raspy exhaust of revvy MV Agusta Singles to the deep-seated growl of Ducatis. The multitude of riders arrived in weathered Vanson jackets and Dainese race suits, wearing their worn-down knee pucks and road-rashed leathers as badges of honor. Many of the motorcycles gathering for the fourth annual Quail Motorcycle Ride have competed in numerous Giros, while the other participants also have their own unique story of ownership to tell. Soon, this eclectic group of motorcyclists, some 80 strong, rumbled out of the lodge as they embarked on a 110-mile ride through the scenic central Californian countryside.... For the rest of the story and photos, click on the headline link above.