Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
When Alex de Cartier of Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co in Toronto first mentioned the “On Any Saturday” moto gathering in the Distillery District, I’m still not entirely sure whether he was being humble, or that he genuinely didn’t anticipate the event’s overall turnout. The first rally of its kind for the moto shop-meets-member club, his early estimates put turnout somewhere around 70 or 80 motorcycles. Boy, was he wrong.
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
Photos courtesy of James Spurling | Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
Photos courtesy of James Spurling | Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
Photos courtesy of James Spurling | Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
Photos courtesy of James Spurling | Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
Photos courtesy of James Spurling | Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
Photos courtesy of James Spurling | Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
Photos courtesy of James Spurling | Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co’s “On Any Saturday” Rally Takes Over Distillery District
Photos courtesy of James Spurling | Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co
The bright, sunny morning kicked off around 9am, and it took well under an hour before that number was eclipsed — dramatically. By mid-day, over 500 motorcycles of all shapes and sizes — from heavily modified BMWs from the ’90s, to adventure bikes, to a healthy dose of custom Harleys — to descend on Toronto’s historical district for a friendly hang-out with live music, supported by an array of vendors and motorcycle manufacturer sponsors.
For those with an outward lens, it’s not all that hard to see how the event blew up. Between the picture perfect weather, and the reputation built up by the Queen East shop in recent years, showing support for the event wasn’t a hard sell. Aside from the slew of downtown Torontonians rolling out, quite a few riders appeared from the greater GTA as well — in some cases it was a first-time visit to the Distillery.
As it stands, we’re told to expect much more of this kind of gathering come 2024. Toronto’s motorcycle scene is not shy on riding groups, but centralization has not been its forte. Between its warm and welcoming coffee shop, member lounge, and increased focus on community events, Flying Squirrel aims to position itself as the motorcycle equivalent of the many member-based car clubs that have been popping up across North America (Think RCLUB in Toronto, or Classic Car Club of Manhattan). It’s safe to say, they’re pointed in the right direction.
