If you hear the familiar hornet-like drone of a single speed two-stroke engine this weekend know that the Moped Army is here in San Francisco for their first annual San Francisco Halloween-in-September rally.

The sound may start softly in the distance and pulse towards you as the moped riders zoom down the valleys and struggle up the hills of our fair city, but as their swarm nears the sound will become deafening. They always grow louder before they feed.

Moped riders from all across the country will be converging here. Chapters of the Army expected to be present include: San Francisco’s own Creatures of the Loin (hosting the rally); Tempe’s the Tom Cruisers; Seattle’s Mosquito Fleet; Portland’s the Puddle Cutters; Sacramento’s the LandSquids;Richmond, VA’s Hell’s Satans; the Bombardment Society of Cincinatti, OH and many, many more.

Friday night at around midnight or so the various gangs will converge at Sadie’s Flying Elephant to kick off the festivities. Stop by if you want to meet and/or experience the spectacle. They’ll be all over the Bay Area the next few days, so wave and salute if you see them.