Mark Lyberger won't be tough to spot at this weekend's Motorcycle Summit. He'll be the guy with a checkbook in his hands, shopping for a Honda VTX -- a V-twin cruiser with a $12,600 price tag.
More than 30 dealers will display 2004 Kawasakis, Yamahas, and Hondas, which are nothing like what Dad used to rev up. "The new designs incorporate a blend of the chopper and the street bike," explains Lyberger, the director of Kent State's Center for Sport and Recreation Development, the show's sponsor. "They're more sleek and modern than the traditional bike." Get your motor runnin' at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Summit County Fairgrounds, 229 East Howe Road in Tallmadge. Admission is $5 and $7; call 330-633-6200. -- Cris Glaser
Wheelin' and Dealin'
Kids catch motor madness.
SAT 5/1
NASCAR dads aren't the only ones enamored of fast-moving vehicles. Little ones dig 'em too, and on Saturday, Lorain Speedway's Kids Day will host an afternoon filled with events for a group of fans who aren't even old enough to drive. A balloon-bending clown will be on hand, cars will be displayed, and many activities and games -- like the Penny Gold Rush, where kids scramble to scoop up coins from a large pile -- are planned. It all culminates in a series of stock-car races, including one featuring the popular Legends Cars. "They look like the old race cars from the '30s and '40s," explains speedway spokesman Tom Kurtz. "They're also a lot of fun to drive." It all starts at 4 p.m. at Lorain Speedway, off State Route 58 in Amherst. Admission is $12, kids under 12 get in free; call 216-441-2266. -- Andrew McMillan
Fun With Worms
5/1-5/2
This weekend's Children's Spring Fishing Derbies provide young anglers with tips dispensed by experts. Once armed with winning casting-and-bobbing techniques, they can get a line on the prizes being awarded for the biggest fish reeled in. All this, plus free live bait! It happens from 9 a.m. to noon (for kids ages 5 to 8) and 1 to 4 p.m. (9- to 15-year-olds) at Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation in Cuyahoga Heights on Saturday and at Wallace Lake (at Mill Stream Run Reservation in Berea) on Sunday. Admission is free; call 216-351-6300. -- Michael Gallucci
