Portland Alley Sweeper
{{Short description|Motorcycle rally in Oregon}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = Portland Alley Sweeper
| logo = Portland Alley Sweeper logo 2012.jpg
| logo_caption = 2012 Alley Sweeper Urban Enduro poster
| image =
| caption =
| status =
| genre =
| date =
| frequency = Annually
| location = Portland, Oregon
| country = United States
| first = {{Start date|2009}}
| founder_name = Zac Christensen
| last = April 13, 2024
| next = April, 2025
| participants = c. 300
| activity = Motorcycle rally
| patron = Sang Froid Riding Club
| website = {{URL|sang-froidridingclub.com}}
| footnotes =
}}
The Portland Alley Sweeper, also called the Alley Sweeper Urban Enduro, is a motorcycle rally in the city alleys of Portland, Oregon. Begun in 2009 by Zac Christensen of the Sang Froid Riding Club motorcycle club in Portland, the rally has been described as "a cross-city tour of Portland’s mangled side streets by way of whatever two-wheeled contraption you can hobble together", drawing around 300 riders a year.
Event organizers say by riding street legal two-wheeled vehicles in the city's alleys, they are merely exercising their rights on a public right of way and said that it is "not a race but a parade". Opponents say they are concerned about child safety and some even say they are "hostage in their own yard" for the duration of the hours-long rally. One resident said that the mostly small-displacement dual-sport motorcycles and scooters{{refn|group=notes|"[T]he day belongs to tiny bikes. As if drawn by an international homing beacon, a huge number of 90 cc lay-down cylinder Honda/China Lifan bikes inevitably appear."}} "sound like tanks".
Portland police have said the rally riders are permitted in the alleys if they are obeying the {{convert|15|mph|adj=on}} speed limit, and other traffic laws.
Notes
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References
{{reflist|refs=
[http://www.kgw.com/story/news/2014/07/26/12628494/ Motorcycles roar through Portland back alleys] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006072500/http://www.kgw.com/story/news/2014/07/26/12628494/ |date=2014-10-06 }}, KGW, April 19, 2014
[http://www.kptv.com/topics/v/89081384/portland-motorcycle-event-route-raises-concerns.htm Portland motorcycle event route raises concerns] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006110029/http://www.kptv.com/topics/v/89081384/portland-motorcycle-event-route-raises-concerns.htm |date=2014-10-06 }}, KPTV, March 20, 2014
{{citation|url=http://koin.com/2014/03/20/motorcycles-alleys-sound-like-tanks/|title=Motorcycles through alleys 'sound like tanks'|publisher=KOIN|author=Chris Holmstrom|date=March 20, 2014}}
{{citation|title=Motorcycle Weekend!|author=Marjorie Skinner|newspaper=Portland Mercury|date=March 23, 2011}}
{{citation|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/04/bikers_explore_portland_alleys.html|title=Bikers explore Portland alleys en masse for Sang Froid Riding Club event|author=Nicole Friedman|newspaper=The Oregonian|date=April 14, 2013}}
{{citation|url=http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2013/03/portland-alley-sweeper-urban-enduro/|title=Portland Alley Sweeper Urban Enduro|author=Courtney Olive|work=Motorcycle Daily|date=March 19, 2013}}
}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://sang-froidridingclub.com/tag/alley-sweeper/}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20141006081803/http://www.kgw.com/videos/news/2014/07/26/12618994/ Portland neighbors decry alley dirt bike rally (VIDEO)], KGW, July 26, 2014
{{Pacific Northwest motorcycle rallies}}