Spokane Motorcycle Show roars back after pandemic pause

Mar. 10—When Gov. Jay Inslee declared that gatherings larger than 250 were to be prohibited on March 13, 2020, the Spokane Motorcycle Show was just six hours from opening its doors.

“At 9 a.m., I received a call from the fairgrounds telling me that the Health Department is closing us down due to Inslee’s recommendations,” Spokane Motorcycle Show producer Chris Cody said.

“We had to pull the plug on the entire event due to COVID. We lost our setup expenses and advertising. We survived the pandemic, thanks to grants, but we barely survived. Two years later, we’re finally back.”

The 17th Annual Spokane Motorcycle Show and Sale is slated for Friday through Sunday at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. There will be an array of bikes, ranging from vintage Harley Davidsons such as the Panhead, to new, tricked-out Indian Roadmasters.

“There will be something for every motorcycle enthusiast,” Cody said.

The annual swap meet is another highlight. Those looking for hard-to-find parts such as a rare blinker or a handlebar could be in luck.

But the big draw of the Motorcycle show is the Seattle Cossacks, who perform daring stunts on vintage bikes. Their signature stunt, dubbed the flower — a cyclist flanked by four men hanging fully extended north, south, east and west — is stunning. “The Seattle Cossacks are amazing,” Cody said. “There is nothing like when they do the flower.

“They ride their old Harleys and jump over each other. It’s just wild watching the tricks they pull off. There is nobody like the Seattle Cossacks. They’re also a class act. You can go up to them after they perform and see their bikes and speak with them, ask questions. It’s phenomenal.”

Guests can enter their motorcycles into a contest, which features five categories: cruiser, vintage, bagger, modified and custom. Each category has a $500 cash prize. And there’s also a $500 cash prize for the people’s choice award.

“There’s something for everyone who is into motorcycles,” Cody said. “Even if you’re not, you can learn something and enjoy this. We try to make this accessible. It’s a cool event for kids who can check out what we have, and it’s free for children 12 and under.

“It’s going to be great just because this event is happening again. It was taken away from us for two years, but we’re back, and I think we all will appreciate the motorcycle show this weekend more now than we ever did.”