TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — It's peak season to take the motorcycle out on the roads, and that's why it feels like a family reunion for some.
"It means a lot because you get to see faces you don't see," biker, Bill Sterner said.
Sterner and his friend, Kevin Flynn, have had their motorcycles on the roads for over 40 years. They've actually traveled to multiple states, and taken their bikes thousands of miles. On Friday, they were at Canal Fest with thousands of others just like them.
People who wanted to show their bikes, and get together as a community at Bike Cruise. It's the first time the event has been held since before the pandemic, and everyone is happy to be back.
"It's great that we're finally back after three years. It's gonna be a hot one, but who cares. It's not raining and we're happy about it," Flynn said.
As happy as everybody was, there was also a bit of a different feel to it. In the past week and a half, their have been 7 motorcycle related accidents in Western New York where multiple people have died.
"There's just so many more bikes on the road. When we started riding bikes 40 years ago, if they had an event like this, there would be half as many bike here. You're going to have more accidents, unfortunately," Flynn said.
Both Sterner's and Flynn's bikes, like many at this event are vintage. When they take them out on the roads, they're not going too fast or driving dangerously.
"We don't move along too fast. We'll get there eventually," Flynn and Sterner said.
This is something that has been impacting the are for a few months now. In May, New York State Police put out some guidance on how you can stay safe on the roads. Here were a few of their suggestions:
- Be alert and do not drive distracted
- Be aware of blind spots
- If you see one motorcycle, assume there are more
- Give motorcycles space
Click here for more motorcycle safety tips from the motorcycle safety awareness page.
