Port Jefferson is mecca for bikers

OFF THE WIRE
Motorcycle bring life, but also noise, to village
BY JENNETT MERIDEN RUSSELL | CONTRIBUTOR

Local Hell's Angels and Pagan biker gangs may be making the news for acts of violence, but there's a far more peaceful group of motorcycle enthusiasts in the area. They're in it just for the ride. And their destination of choice is Port Jefferson.

On any given day, some of Long Island's hottest bikes can be seen lining the parking spaces along Main Street. And although other visitors have lodged their share of noise complaints, these hobbyists plan on making Port Jefferson their adopted second home for some time.

The quaint seaside village provides for the perfect place to get a good meal, show off and chat with other bikers, they say.

Rick Cipriano was in the village on Saturday to show off his brand-new, hand-built, custom replica of a 1948 Harley Panhead. The 54-year-old Farmingville resident said most of the people he knows in Port Jefferson he met through his motorcycle. The avid motorcyclist believes bikers are generally good folks, who are misjudged by the actions of a few.

“I don't really pay attention to it,” Mr. Cipriano said of tales of Long Island's biker gang wars that have landed in the news over the years, most recently in connection with a federal bust of Pagans allegedly hatching a murder plot out of a Rocky Point tattoo parlor.

“I'm an old guy on a scooter trying to feel young again,” he said.

Indeed, all of the bikers the Sun interviewed were over the age of 40.

Lawrence resident Frank Garraputa, 53, said he admired the bikes but did not own one and had no intention of buying a motorcycle because of the dangers involved with motorcycle riding.

“I have a lot of friends that own and ride bikes, but I just think it's too dangerous,” Mr. Garraputa said as he and his son, Anthony Garraputa, 30, also of Lawrence, were checking out two parked Harley Low Riders in Port Jefferson Saturday. “I don't have a problem with other people riding them. It's just not for me.”

Bikers Terry Casey, 62, and Nick Brodsky, 67, both U.S. military veterans, said it's up to the individual motorcycle rider to reduce his or her risks on the road. Maintaining distance from other vehicles is paramount, according to Mr. Casey, a Vietnam vet.

Other bikers, ironically, pose the greatest threat, he said, noting that many do not observe the rules of the road and often try to pass other vehicles, including motorcycles.

“It's the younger people on crotch rockets, but even some guys on Harleys should be more careful,” Mr. Casey said. “If I'm on the highway, someone needs to pass me, I let them go and you can't block the lane. Cars have to be respectful of you and you have to be respectful of the cars.”

Bikers say motorcycles are deliberately made to be loud so that other motorists can hear them �" and be alert that a biker is near. But the grumbling of motorcycle engines should be kept in check when the bikers are cruising through the village, said Port Jefferson's mayor, Margot Garant.

“We definitely welcome bikers here, we just ask that they comply with the codes and respect the code officers when they're trying to do their job,” she said, noting they must observe village codes that permit only two bikes per parking spot. “We certainly get enough complaints that we don't take lightly. But, there's a fine line between quality of life and making it seem that the bikers aren't welcomed or are being discriminated against. They're absolutely welcomed.”

It's unlikely bikers will stop enjoying Port Jefferson.

Mark Oriano, 49, of Centereach, who was in the village on Saturday with his girlfriend, Louisa Coppola, 41, of Ronkonkoma, said Port Jefferson is a hot spot for bikers because of the outstanding restaurants and scenic views there. The camaraderie of other bikers visiting the village is another strong draw, according to the couple.

“He gets ideas from other bikers on what to add to his bike,” Ms. Coppola said as she applied a new coat of coral lip-gloss.

“Everybody talks about the different parts they put on their bike,” Mr. Oriano said, saddled up on his 1995 Harley Davidson Softail Custom. “Screaming Eagle carburetors, better airflow, more horsepower, that's the kind of stuff we talk about. We come down here to eat, sing karaoke over there at the Village Way restaurant, and just enjoy the sun.”

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