The amount of great times that can be had in Daytona during bike week often seems limitless with events happening daily and one of the great ones not to be missed this year was the Traditional Chopper/ Chopcult show taking place at the world famous "Last Resort Bar" in Port Orange, Florida. This tiny hole in the wall bar has had a very long history of wild times and interesting characters that have left their mark on the establishment and the grounds that surround it. Also a scene for the Hollywood movie "Monster" starring Charlize Theron playing the female serial killer Aileen Wuornous who in real life made the bar one of her last stops before her final incarceration. Who could also forget the infamous "Japanese motorcycle hanging tree" that has a long Daytona history ever since the early 80's bringing to light the dark side of the divide in vintage motorcycle culture. While we do not condone it, the fact remains it's an interesting part of southern biker culture that has long since carved into history so we had to see the tree, the bar, the show and the grounds of Last Resort for ourselves.


The show itself this year was a ride in chopper show much like the Willie's Tropical Tattoo "Choppertime" event and one thing was certain as you saw bikes continue to roll in, this was no place for trailer queens. Every bike no matter how custom had been ridden hard and put away wet and it showed. Old big twin Harley motors were the main attraction with Panheads being the most popular but a few Evos made a hard run for glory. Its always refreshing to see a bike show where actually physically riding your custom machine is heavily encouraged much like we do at the Greasy Dozen back in Ohio. While "show bikes" certainly have their place in the expo centers and big name halls, the Last Resort was no place for big names or egos. Just down and dirty vintage motorcycles having some good healthy fun with some acknowledgement in order for the hard work put in on their projects to be recognized. 

The grounds of the "Last Resort "is setup sort of strange, from first appearances on the main road all you see is a tiny bar building maybe 300 square foot. Standing room only, you get your drink and get on your way sort of vibe. Once you walk through the bars backdoor though it opens up wide into this giant lot where outdoor bars and a stage area face rows of tents and vendors. In a way the building in front is almost like more of an invitation to the wild party out back. The bar itself though is no stranger to wild times which is made very evident from the moment you step foot in the original structure facing the busy street side out front, with walls adorned from floor to ceiling pasted with memorabilia and photographs from the liquored up, dirt encrusted inhabitants that graced the bar in years past. If you can even mentally imagine the phrase "The good ol' days" there is surely an accurate photographic representation scattered between the walls of the Last Resort somewhere to jog your memory of times gone by. If the visions of sweaty half naked bikers scattering the walls wasn't quite your taste then one of the outdoor bars with live music surrounding the bike show just might have suited you just fine. There was also an area with vendors selling lots of great handmade goods and motorcycle parts. One of our favorite builders from Mama Tried show a native to the area Drew of Freakshow Fab was on site as well selling some of his great items. 

Throughout the show we just couldn't take our eyes off the "motorcycle hanging tree" though for sure. Something we had seen for years in the pages of classic biker magazines but never imagined was real. As we've come so far in the world of motorcycling to have most riders accept each bike as a tool for fun times regardless of its country of origin, not everyone shared that same stance over the years and the tree serves as standing art piece in a way depicting the truly darker side of "biker brotherhood." One of the most grim scenes as you approach the tree had a Yamaha XV, one of our favorite models on our website (that now could use quite a few of our parts ironically) was chained and hanging as a moto pinata ready to take the blunt force beatings of anyone angry enough to take a swing. Another lay at the foot of the tree a stock Yamaha XS650 busted and battered and left to rust for an unknown number of years in its final resting place. Knowing how much appreciation these bikes have in other parts of the country and the world it's an odd reminder that brand discrimination was really a big deal to the wild outlaw biker Harley purist crowd of years past. We are proud to say though we've come a long way and risen far above the attitudes that brought so many great bikes there in sacrifice to lend their horsepower to the altar of busted spokes and broken dreams scattered in the piles of corroded castings and baseball bat dented chrome that are laid to rest there. 

Moving on the festivities of the day shaped up well as many of our favorite bikes received awards in the form of custom skateboard decks and other various trophies. The restless participants of the show battered by the sun and looking for nearby pools and other forms of kicks began wheeling their vintage steeds to the bars front gates to head out to various parts of the surrounding cities. One strange thing about all bike shows in and around Daytona bike week, they all seem to wrap up at 4pm in some sort of accordance with other local bars and venues who rely heavily on liquor sales later in the evening. Either way, the amount of fun for one afternoon that can be had during Daytona bike week just wouldnt be the same without a solid pit stop to the interesting and rather infamous Last Resort bar in Port Orange and we cant wait to see what wild times continue to carry out there in the coming years.

Photos and words by Mike Vandegriff