Article And Photos By: Troy Bensinger
l
ately, I’ve been swamped at work with my seasonal job as a one-man house painting crew here in Arizona. Winter is my time to work and save enough money so that I can travel for six months each year. When I’m not traveling around the tri-state area, I paint houses and sleep in my van. I’m posted at my motorcycle campground, Camp Vagabond, in Golden Valley, Arizona. Each year, as winter sets in, many motorcycle tramps and numerous friends who live on their motorcycles find my property very accommodating. I had been hunkered down in my old ‘65 Chevy School Bus for most of the winter, and I was looking forward to this trip. The Prowl was set to take place in midMarch in Bisbee, AZ. This would be my second visit to this utopia of chopper happenings. I couldn’t sleep: all I could do was count the days on the calendar and wait. The Prowl was organized by Matthew “Tiny” Romero. Tiny is a second-generation biker who grew up near Bisbee, Arizona. His wife, Cassandra Romero, is also a second-generation motorcyclist. Cassandra’s dad, Sandy Fowler,
30
October - November ‘22 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE
and Tiny’s dad, Manuel “Chito” Romero, rode together from the mid-1970s well into the 1990s. Tiny and his buddy, Sam, had gotten tired of the local Bike Night scene at the local taverns and were even
tired of hanging out in the scattered MC clubhouses around Southern Arizona. They were bored just hanging around the shed behind Tiny’s house, where they would
wrench on their choppers. They wanted to start a chopper event similar to what Tiny’s uncle, Rey “Indian Rey” Romero, used to put on in the 1990s. It was called Indiana Rey’s Bisbee Run. When he wasn’t beating on his dirty BSA, Uncle Rey rode a really ratty 1950s Indian. Chito and his buddy, Raton, picked up the old Indian engine in California, and the rest is chopper history. Eventually, the younger generation started to conjure up an idea. They thought it was time for something that would involve the community, with good vibes and a good ole handshake for every guy or gal who rode in to say thanks for supporting the local chopper culture. It would also be an opportunity to show their craftsmanship. They also knew a lot of Chito’s old friends were still alive and had old bikes that rarely saw the light of day. They hoped to get people together so they could make new friends and eventually