Past motorcycle events at Lig Birch's Cycle Shop

Mark Lane, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·1 min read
Lig Birch at 19. He came in third during in race at City Island on June 4, 1939. "A crowd of several hundred witnessed four fast events during the afternoon," The Daytona Beach Evening News reported.
Lig Birch at 19. He came in third during in race at City Island on June 4, 1939. "A crowd of several hundred witnessed four fast events during the afternoon," The Daytona Beach Evening News reported.

Thanks to Tim Langford who sent in these photos of long-ago motorcycle events. Many of the photos are from Birch’s Cycle Shop, a store run by Warren Livingston “Lig” Birch and his wife Connie Birch. Lig was a motorcycle racer, Marine Corps sergeant during World War II, and longtime Triumph motorcycle dealer. His North Beach Street cycle shop was a downtown landmark and motorcycle enthusiast gathering place for more than four decades.

"The 40 years were happy times in a happy business," Connie told The News-Journal after her husband’s death in 1990. “We didn’t become millionaires or get rich, but we didn't just have customers; we made great friends."

— Mark Lane

Lig Birch, left, and two mechanics in front of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle shop on Beach Street. "The picture is most likely from 1939 to 1940," Langford wrote.
Lig Birch, left, and two mechanics in front of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle shop on Beach Street. "The picture is most likely from 1939 to 1940," Langford wrote.
Members of the Two Wheel Gators Motorcycle Club on City Island around 1961.
Members of the Two Wheel Gators Motorcycle Club on City Island around 1961.
"This is a photo probably from the 1957 Hill Climb event that took place in the hills between the Daytona Highlands neighborhood and the current location of Mainland High School," writes Langford.
"This is a photo probably from the 1957 Hill Climb event that took place in the hills between the Daytona Highlands neighborhood and the current location of Mainland High School," writes Langford.
"This picture was taken outside Birch's Cycle Shop at 533 N. Beach St. during Bike Week 1958. It is a picture of a biker that had just arrived from Kentucky who was gunking off the grime his bike accumulated on his long ride to Daytona Beach," Livingston writes.
"This picture was taken outside Birch's Cycle Shop at 533 N. Beach St. during Bike Week 1958. It is a picture of a biker that had just arrived from Kentucky who was gunking off the grime his bike accumulated on his long ride to Daytona Beach," Livingston writes.

Do you have vintage photos to share?

Do you have old photos that depict the people, landmarks and story of Volusia and Flagler counties? Don't leave them hidden away in boxes and albums. Send a scan or photo to mark.lane@news-jrnl.com for possible use on future historic photo pages.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Past Daytona Beach motorcycle events at Lig Birch's Cycle Shop