Tonight I braved the cold night air on my sportbike to head over to Betty’s Bikes and Buns near Hennepin and Central. Of all the biker joints I’ve hung out in around the Twin Cities, I like Betty’s the best.

There’s a certain atmosphere to Betty’s that I’m challenged to articulate. More on that later. What follows is my personal assessment of local motorhead hangouts from the perspective of a 30-something biker chick. Some of the other biker hangouts I’ve visited just don’t click with me. I either feel too young, too yuppie, too sober or too female to hang in some of these places. Perhaps I’m just a snob.

The Joint (and the affliated Cabooze and Whiskey Junction) is usually full of aging Harley dirtbags. The patio can be nice for seeing cool bikes, but it’s not worth enduring the staggering drunks who want to hit on me or ask ridiculous questions about my metric cruiser. (”What kinda Harley is that?” “It’s a Yamaha.” “Oh.”)

Bob’s Java Hut is more mellow, but usually overcrowded and afflicted with the aloof hipness of Uptown hangs that seems to keep people from talking to each other. There’s more sportbikers there, but the parking is terrible. I visit Yarusso’s for Two-Wheel Wednesdays (the first Wednesday of each month) to hang out with the guys from the Warrior board, an owner’s forum for the cruiser I ride. There’s an interesting mix of folks there, trending toward the dirtbags. But, at least there’s free pasta… a girl’s gotta eat, y’know? Then there’s Selma’s Ice Cream Parlor in Afton. Terrific ice cream, nice scenic ride, but it’s too far from the Cities to be worthwhile, especially on a weeknight.

Part of the problem, I’m sure, is that I’m practically the only member of my demographic of biker. I’m a professional condo-dwelling 30-year-old chick living in the Standish neighborhood. I’m not exactly a hot target market for biker joints to cater to.

That’s why I like Betty’s so much. I took my sportbike out there tonight with notebook in hand to take some notes about what I like about the place. My next post will sum up my notes from tonight’s excursion.

Related posts:

1. First motorcycle sightings.
2. Caffeine and Cafe Racers
3. A Biker’s Bike.
4. Big Bikes for Jesus
5. Are we that lonely?