The small village of Pecica in western Romania hosted a three-day motorcycle rally—Moto Rock 2006—during June 30-July 2. The event celebrated its second anniversary much the same way it did last year at its inaugural session—with rain and cool weather. As we spoke with the event organizer, a colorful character with a real passion for motorcycles, he complained that last year they had three days of rain, which drenched the riders and their tents. He was concerned that this year’s looming thunderstorms and temperatures in the 60s (Fahrenheit) were going to deal the event a hard-to-overcome blow.

Sure enough, the event was marked by thunderstorms and rain, yet the spirit of the participants was fairly high. And the nightly rock concerts coupled with impromptu amateur stunt shows kept the heat and adrenaline going. The Romanian motorcycle market is in its growing stage—it has a long list of fans with thinly lined pockets. So, the showing at Pecica provided an interesting smorgasbord of mounts.

Yet, despite the rains and current economic conditions, Romanians have the motorcycle bug. Every week we meet young and old(er) folks alike who talk about their plans to acquire a motorcycle. And encouragingly, a lot of women are also pursuing their interest by taking riding courses and perusing the used market listings, while saving up for that shiny new bike they eyed at a show or in a magazine. - BGR