american motorcyclist 10 2011 preview version

OCTOBER 2011

THE JOURNAL OF THE

The Best Of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

Victory In Washington! AMA Members Crush Lead Law

OLD BIKES, NEW TRICKS

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Area’s Largest Motorcycle Marketplace!October 13-16, 2011

October 2011Volume 65, Number 10Published by theAmerican Motorcyclist Association13515 Yarmouth Dr.Pickerington, OH 43147(800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646)AmericanMotorcyclist.com

American Motorcyclist magazine (ISSN 0277-9358) is published monthly

by the American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147.

Copyright by the American Motorcyclist Association/American Motorcyclist 2011.

Printed in USA. Subscription rate: Magazine subscription fee of $10 covered in membership

dues; $15 a year for non-members.

Postmaster: Mail form 3579 to 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147. Periodical postage paid at Pickerington, Ohio,

and at additional mailing offices.

Cover Chicago’s Tony Prust went for a can’t-go-wrong mix of old and new to build this Yamaha RD350 café bike, which won

the Café Racer Bike Show on the infield of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.

Photo: Monty Soungpradith

Navigation Photo AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Grand Marshal Jeff

Fredette said he was honored to represent Kawasaki at the event but insisted on one thing: He wanted to race. A

lot! Here, Fredette rounds a turn during Saturday’s vintage motocross program. He also raced hare scrambles, dirt

track and competed in trials. Photo: Corey Mays

8. LETTERS You write, we read.

10. RICK PODLISKA Examining the victory.

12. RIGHTS AMA officials outline rights threats, and Maine adopts AMA-endorsed sound test.

18. RIDING Dispatch from the Mexican 1000, and Alpinestars Gore-Tex riding gear tested.

24. RACING Nate Redmann rules Pro Hillclimb round, and $1 million Supercross race set.

28. HALL OF FAME 1930 Henderson KJ, and Hall of Famer Gary Nixon: 1941-2011.

32. THE BEST OF VINTAGE For high-mileage geeks to speed freaks, sellers, buyers and people who enjoy a step back into the past, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days offers a bit of everything.

40. VICTORY! AMA members crush the lead law, ending the ban on the sale of kids’ dirtbikes.

44. GO RIDE What to do, where to go.

50. HEATHER WILSON Growing up moto.

NAVIGATION

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EDITORIAL OFFICES

American Motorcyclist 13515 Yarmouth Drive Pickerington, OH 43147 (614) 856-1900 [email protected]

Grant Parsons, Director of Communications James Holter, Managing Editor Bill Kresnak, Government Affairs Editor Mark Lapid, Creative Director Jen Muecke, Designer Jeff Guciardo, Production Manager/Designer

ADVERTISING

Steve Gotoski, Advertising Director (Western States) (951) 566-5068, [email protected]

Misty Walker, Advertising Assistant (614) 856-1900, ext. 1267, [email protected]

All trademarks used herein (unless otherwise noted) are owned by the AMA and may only be used with the express, written permission of the AMA.American Motorcyclist is the monthly

publication of the American Motorcyclist Association, which represents motorcyclists nationwide. For information on AMA membership benefits, call (800) AMA-JOIN or visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Manuscripts, photos, drawings and other editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage. No responsibility is assumed for loss or damage to unsolicited material. Copyright© American Motorcyclist Association, 2011.

AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Contact any member of the AMA Board of Directors at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com/about/board

Stan Simpson, ChairmanCibolo, Texas

Jon-Erik Burleson, Assistant TreasurerMurrietta, Calif.

Perry King, Assistant Secretary Northern California

John Ulrich, Executive Committee MemberLake Elsinore, Calif.

Dwight Conant, Kearsarge, N.H.

Charles Goman, Winder, Ga.

Maggie McNally, Albany, N.Y.

Scott Miller, Milwaukee, Wis.

Art More, Surprise, Ariz.

Jim Viverito, Chicago, Ill.

AMA PRESIDENT AND CEO

Rob Dingman, Pickerington, Ohio

COREY MAYS, Photographer Corey is a sports and fine art shooter based out of Ohio. With a passion for cameras and all things two-wheeled, he is perfectly content with capturing everything from oppressively hot late-summer motos to finding ridiculously bizarre and interesting “stuff” in the pits. It was once said that Corey froze into a 5-foot, 8-inch popsicle while shooting an ice race, only to reemerge with his shutter finger still intact..GRANT PARSONS, Director of Communications During a late night at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, talk turned to which old bikes are the best, and which you’d own, cost no object. For Grant, the answer was clear: A 1932 Brough Superior SS100, so-called because it came from the factory with the ability to hit 100 mph. If it was good enough for T.E. Lawrence, it’s good enough for the rest of us. BILL KRESNAK, Government Affairs Editor I want Vance & Hines’ 1987 GSX-R 750 magazine project bike, which I understand V&H still has: 860cc piston kit and porting, giving it gobs of mid-range power, braced swingarm and frame, 36mm Mikuni flat-slide carbs, Kosman brake discs, Lockheed calipers and more. Some 130 ponies at the crank. Perfecto!

JAMES HOLTER, Managing Editor The Harley-Davidson touring bike that John Penton rode in the 1948 Jack Pine Enduro—and promptly DNF’ed on. This inspired Penton to find a smaller, lighter race bike, which culminated in Penton motorcycles and helped establish a new direction for off-road racing tech. The Harley would be a nice reminder of how far off-road racing has come. If I had to race it? One of those vintage Pentons! MARK LAPID, Creative Director A Honda Dream 50. I don’t know what its historical signifiance is, but I think it’s nice to look at. I would pose next to it wearing a pudding bowl helmet and goggles. JEN MUECKE, Designer A Honda RC30. It’s the proper race bike version of the RC31 (Hawk). Tiny, 750cc, V4 (torquey awesomeness) with a single-sided swingarm. I’ve owned variations, the Hawk and a VFR, but probably wont ever have the money for an RC30..JEFF GUCIARDO, Production Manager/Designer A 1967 Bultaco Lobito. Other contributors include: Heather Wilson, Jeff Kardas, Jim Kimball, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation

CONTRIBUTORS AND STAFF

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THANKS FOR THE ROADSIDEThank you so much for what you do

for the motorcycling community and especially for providing your free towing service. On a recent trip out west, I had a problem starting my 2010 Gold Wing. This occurred the day after returning from a 350-mile ride in monsoon-like rain. The starter would spin but there wasn’t the slightest indication of the motor turning over. I promptly went through some of the steps outlined in the Honda manual, but to no avail, so a tow was in order.

Thank goodness for the AMA towing service that got me and my bike to a nearby Honda dealership.

Vince ProvenzanoWake Forest, N.C.

NO MOTORCYCLES ALLOWEDOn Aug. 11-14, my family and I pulled

our camper into Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the first time. We stayed in a very nice campground right on the beach. It’s a beautiful place with nice, friendly people. However, I was surprised to find out that motorcycles are not allowed on the premises.

When I asked the lady at the front desk about the no-motorcycles rule, she said it was because of the noise. They have a lot of elderly people who camp there, or even live there full time, who don’t like the noise.

“But, my bike is quiet,” I said.

That’s when she said the thing that really irritated me.

“Well, we can’t discriminate, so we just don’t allow any motorcycles,” she said. I asked her if it would be OK if I brought in a ’67 Chevelle with straight pipes. She said that would be fine.

So, they are willing to make a rule against motorcycles, but not against loud pipes. Which is the real problem? On numerous occasions during our stay at the campground, I had to put a conversation on hold to wait for diesel pickup trucks to roar past. Take any one of my three bikes and let it idle beside one of those trucks and you would never know the bike was

running. Yet, it’s my motorcycle that is banned from the campground.

In the end, her final response was all that needed to be said: “It’s private property. We don’t have to allow motorcycles.”

To give them credit, they do try to strike a balance. The majority of residents don’t want bikes at all. However, the management has set aside a motorcycle parking area where you can leave your bike and walk in, or catch a ride in a friend’s car or truck. They also told me that they allow bikes during Bike Week, and they are one of the only places on the beach that does.

While I don’t attend Bike Week, I appreciate the gesture. I would appreciate it even more if they would put SAE J2825 into practice and have the guy at check-in use a meter to verify my bike’s sound output and then send me on into the campground with a smile and a wave.

Now, to the heart of the matter. The loud bike gets the attention. It’s the kind of attention we don’t want. It’s the kind of attention that makes the majority of people in this country subscribe to a stereotype that all motorcycles are loud, all motorcyclists are ignorant, all motorcyclists are self-centered and all motorcyclists don’t care about the rights of others.

Martin TurnerMineral Springs, N.C.

THREE WHEELS ROCKI recently joined the AMA, as one of my

scooter buddies recommended. I checked the organization out and joined a few days later. Last year, I bought a 650 Burgman scooter trike from a guy up in northern Ohio. Technically, though, my trike is four wheels as I sport a Danson trike set on the rear.

Matter of fact, I’m only minutes away from getting on my bike this afternoon. So now I’m in the AMA and just received my magazine yesterday. Many good articles in there, but you should have a feature on trikes as many are on the roads of late. I just got back from a ride in Indiana a few days ago, and I saw many trikes on the road. Anyway I’m looking forward to many rides and being part of the AMA. I recently posted my trike on your Facebook page.

Les HemingwayCincinnati

RACING IN JAPAN I’m from a small town of 895 people

in Shelton, Neb. I am also an active duty petty officer in the U.S. Navy now

Send your letters (and a high-resolution photo) to [email protected]; or mail to 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147.MEMBER LETTERS

LETTER OF THE MONTHWHAT, NO WEATHER MAGIC?

As I sat down to read the September issue of American Motorcyclist, I was particularly taken by Bill Stermer’s “Escape From Normalcy.” His story of friendship and twice-a-year escapes brought a happy smile to my face.

Then I continued through the state listings of events and found the ads on page 47. After going over the ad twice on the “Magic Weather Manipulator,” I decided I had to have one. Here in south central Texas, we haven’t had any rain to speak of since last November! Temperatures have held over 100 degrees for over a month, and we’re drying up quick.

Unfortunately, I finally read the fine print at the bottom of the page. I don’t know whether to congratulate Victory Motorcycles on the funny page of ads, or condemn them to our Texas heat for raising our hopes!

Jim HeapCollege Station, Texas

Martin Turner

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On Facebook? Us, too! Like the fan page of the American Motorcyclist Association and you could leave comments like these:

www.facebook.com/AmericanMotorcyclist

stationed in Japan.I wanted to share this picture of me

racing at Tsukuba Circuit in the Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan. I race the Max10 Series here. What’s interesting is I am the only American among the some 500 riders in the entire series, which has five separate classes. I ride and race around my work schedule.

I am a proud AMA member and live to ride. I hope you enjoy the picture.

Michael RobartJapan

DEER NEAR-DISASTERIt was great to see the bio on Craig

Vetter in the current Issue (September). In my mind, I’ll always believe that he, perhaps, saved my wife and my lives.

In 1981, not having much cash, I found a used Vetter Windjammer fairing, which, with the help of my buddy, Dave Juhl, we mounted on my 1971 BMW R60/5.

On Memorial Day 1982, my wife and I went for a short ride about sunset. On our way home, a deer came out of nowhere and collided with us. The deer struck in the area of the large left turn signal, then went around me and struck my wife in the left leg.

Looking at it after the fact, all I could think of was that without that Windjammer, this critter would have been in my left handlebar. You wouldn’t want to get off over the bars!

Did I mention that I was able to bring the bike to a controlled stop with my feet down? The deer lay dead in the road.

Motorcycle-deer collisions are pretty hard to train a rider for. I have been riding off and on since 1962, dedicated

since 1974, and we have experienced two collisions with deer. The later one on a 2004 Harley-Davidson Ultra.

These are the only episodes we have ever had in all those years. But for Craig Vetter and his marvelous Windjammer, it might all have ended in 1982.

Thank you, Craig. I hope some day to meet you and thank you in person.

Don RemingtonDeLand, Fla.

It’s time to celebrate. Thanks to the AMA for spearheading and keeping us all informed. It is because of the AMA—and my favorite Moto-Patriot Jessica Irving, that groups and activists were able to get involved and work together.—Moto-Patriot Nancy

Sabater, on the signing of a new law that ends the ban on the sale of kids’ dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles.

You’re welcome, kiddos. I grew up riding along with my brother. You should be able to ride as well. Of course, I contacted my congressmen and support you all. AND WE WON! Now, GO RIDE! Be careful, respectful and, most of all.....WEAR YOUR HELMETS!—Greg Sargent, commenting on same.

Congrats to the AMA and others who made this happen. I definitely chimed-in via the call for action process.—Tom Batchelor, on the lead law victory.

I don’t have kids but I thank you for fighting for their ability to ride and learn all that goes with it!—Ryan Alward, on the lead-law victory.

Tulsa Trail Riders say: Well done!—Nathan Buckley Cowen, on the U.S. World Trophy Team finishing third overall at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE).

A $4,000 CBR250R might be a lot of fun for track days. Heck, we could buy seven of them and still not spend as much as the $28,600 price of one NSF250R. Plus, we could actually use the CBR for transportation!—Pete Migli, on Honda’s new CBR250R sportbike.

Forget those two. I want to be like Peppermint Patti.—An DeYoung, on whether she feels more like Charlie Brown or the Masked Marvel when she rides.

I bought my first AMA membership at Smoky Mountain Motocross track off of Wears Valley Road in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. That track is long gone but was one of my favorites! For less than 11 cents a day, an AMA membership is a bargain and goes a long way towards protecting OUR rights as “American Motorcyclists.” Thank you AMA for keeping us informed and up-to-date on issues that are critical to our sport. If you want to ride today, and if you want your kids to be able to ride tomorrow, then you should have an AMA card in your wallet!!!—Randy White, on first getting his AMA membership.

You can connect with fellow AMA members on Facebook. You can also always find more information at AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Michael Robart Don Remington

October 2011 9

Pho

to G

roga

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ios

VIEWPOINT

After nearly three years of hard work by the AMA, its members and other motorcycle groups, it only took 12 days for the law banning kids’ dirtbikes to fall.

The end came amazingly quickly. However, the path to victory was anything but easy.

The effort to make it happen was tremendous. Over the course of the campaign to fix the lead law, our members sent in nearly one million emails and petitions, made phone calls, and attended

town halls and one-on-one meetings with their federal lawmakers.

This victory happened because riders got involved. It could not have happened without your support and grassroots efforts. Thank you!

When the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 was signed into law in August 2008, it was aimed at keeping lead out of children’s play toys. When it became clear that the law unintentionally ensnared youth motorcycles and ATVs, those of us in the AMA’s Government Relations Department knew we’d have a mountain to climb. That’s because it is usually easier to prevent a bill from becoming law than to fix an existing one.

The CPSIA was a priority that needed to be addressed in order to save youth riding. The AMA and the ATVA (All-Terrain Vehicle Association), our partner organization, joined forces with organizations and individuals that worked diligently on the effort, including the Motorcycle Industry Council and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, which represent the motorcycle and ATV industries; the motorcycle enthusiast and trade media; Sean Hilbert, president of Cobra Motorcycles, which makes kids’ dirtbikes; the Coombs family and Tim Cotter of MX Sports, and many others.

Together, we tirelessly lobbied the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the agency responsible for implementing the CPSIA, to exempt youth-model motorcycles and ATVs from the lead-content provisions of the law. While the CPSC said it didn’t have the authority to do that, it did side with us by choosing to delay the enforcement of the ban. Twice, the commission pushed off the effective date of the ban, giving us time to urge Congress to permanently address this legislation.

At the same time, we started using our best weapon: AMA and ATVA members. We began building grassroots support: We circulated petitions at events such as AMA Supercross races, the International Motorcycle Shows, plus races, rides and rallies. We included easy-to-send postcards in several issues of this magazine. We encouraged members through AMA Action Alerts and more. Your voice was getting through to your lawmakers.

Simultaneously, we identified lawmakers in Congress who could help our cause. One such lawmaker was Rep. Denny Rehberg

(R-Mont.). Rehberg introduced H.R. 1587 in March 2009, which would have exempted youth-model motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles from the lead-content limits of the CPSIA. The bill garnered 70 bipartisan cosponsors before time ran out on the 111th Congress.

Undeterred, Rehberg introduced the same bill in the 112th Congress in February as H.R. 412, the “Kids Just Want to Ride Act of 2011.” With your help, he quickly gathered bipartisan support from 77 other representatives.

To help drive home the importance of this issue and lend support to the bill, the AMA hosted the AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb event on May 26 in Washington, D.C. It was amazing to see hundreds of parents and their kids, many of them wearing colorful motocross riding gear, swarming the hallways of the Rayburn House Office Building as they first rallied together and then lobbied their lawmakers in person.

As a result of these efforts and others, we started to see movement by federal lawmakers to fix the lead law. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) offered an amendment to exempt youth-model motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles from the lead-content limits of the CPSIA, based on legislation from Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.).

With a desire by both chambers of Congress to quickly address the lead law, the push was on by Klobuchar. She got her language adopted into a bill (S. 1448) that was on the fast-track of passing the Senate by unanimous consent.

On the House side, Bono Mack and Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) introduced H.R. 2715 on Aug. 1. The bill included Klobuchar’s amendment and other lead-law-fix language. On the day it was introduced, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2715 by a vote of 421 to 2. Hours later, the U.S. Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent. Then, finally, on Friday, Aug. 12, President Barack Obama signed H.R. 2715 and it became Public Law 112-28.

Obviously, this landmark victory didn’t come easily. It could not have happened without the concerted efforts of many people—most importantly AMA and ATVA members. The key to all of this was the grassroots support that our members provided in the form of letters, postcards, calls, emails, petitions and in-person visits. This is your victory.

Individuals really do make a difference, especially when it comes to convincing lawmakers to take action. The lesson from all this is clear: The AMA needs more voices like yours to fend off future attacks on your ability to ride. Please consider asking a friend or family member who isn’t already a member to join the AMA.

To keep on top of opportunities to communicate with your lawmakers, subscribe to receive AMA Action Alerts at AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Keyword search: Get Alerts.

Always think freedom!

Rick Podliska is the AMA’s Washington representative.

EXAMINING THE VICTORYYour Grassroots Efforts Got Results That Crushed The Lead Law

By Rick Podliska


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AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman, AMA Vice President for Industry Relations and Corporate Member Programs Jim Williams and AMA Government Affairs Manager Royce Wood took part in the Colorado 600 in August to talk with participants about threats to trail riding.

The Colorado 600 is a five-day ride-and-trail symposium that traverses the mountains of southwestern Colorado.

Each day, riders ride trails and learn about issues facing trail riders.

Riders heard from the AMA, the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO) and the Colorado Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA) about the political and regulatory threats to trail riding in the United States.

AMA Board Chairman Stan Simpson, one of the organizers of the ride, also spoke about the importance of being involved in motorcyclists’ rights organizations.

“The ride was fantastic, and the riders seemed truly interested in the threats to

responsible motorized recreation that we face,” Wood said.

“Thanks, too, to Don Riggle for his hard work at the event, and for sharing his extensive activist expertise with the riders,” he said.

Riggle, the TPA director of operations, is the trail boss and trails coordinator for the Colorado 600, and arranges all the routes,

assigns the guides and oversees the trail clearing.

All proceeds from the Colorado 600 ride support the TPA, which is a non-profit organization focused on preserving motorized, single-track trail riding.

AMA OFFICIALS OUTLINE THREATS TO RIGHTS Message Comes At Colorado 600, A Five-Day Ride-And-Trail Symposium

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(Left To Right) Steve Lanoue, Kim Clark, Bill Hearne, Rob Dingman, Jay Rose and Jim Williams

AMA President and CEO Rob Dingmanaddresses the crowd at the Colorado 600.

RIGHTS


The Toledo Trail Riders, a non-profit volunteer group in northwest Ohio, is a relatively new group but has had an impact for off-highway riders already—clearing trails and working to create new riding opportunities.

The group is concerned primarily with Ohio’s Maumee State Forest All-Purpose-Vehicle (APV) Recreation Area, which has a five-mile trail system that attracts riders mostly from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. The riding area has remained basically the same since its start in 1972.

The Toledo Trail Riders want to change that. It’s mission statement is clear: “To promote the safety and enjoyment of the Maumee State Forest APV area.”

The group has existed for two and a half years, but it has grown steadily, with almost 90 people now on my email list.

We pitched the idea of volunteering to

the local managers of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) a couple years back.

We started off on our first volunteer day by cleaning up litter, pruning

vegetation back off of the trail and cleaning up. We had four volunteers.

Because of the positive impact of the group and its efforts, the word has spread. I consistently see 20 to 30 volunteers on scheduled clean-up days now.

Local riders are starting to realize that if we work with the ODNR by volunteering and offering our guidance, then a positive relationship forms that results in a safer and more enjoyable trail system.

We are laying the foundation for the future that will lead to better things.

With AMA help, three members of the Toledo Trail Riders were invited to meet with newly appointed officials at the ODNR in Columbus, Ohio, in February.

The members talked about their brief history of volunteering, showcasing the partnership that has developed with ODNR officials, and what can be improved or expanded upon at the APV area.

The meeting was a success.A trail expansion initiative was put

into place shortly after the meeting to investigate possibilities not only at the Maumee State Forest, but also at other public riding areas in Ohio.

After reviewing the landscape and carefully considering environmental impacts, the local ODNR managers at the Maumee State Forest proposed 2.25 miles of additional trails. That will bring the total to more than seven miles. We are also pursuing other options to create new riding areas.

The theme of The Toledo Trail Riders is we are not going away. We are going to keep the throttle pinned and see where the trail takes us.

If you would like more information, or want to help, contact Matt Bucher at (419) 392-7117, or visit ToledoTrailRiders.com. For info on forming your own club or doing volunteer work in your area, contact AMA Grassroots Coordinator Jessica Irving at ((202) 742-4310, or email [email protected].

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GRASS ROOTS IMPACTOff-Highway Riding Group Makes A Difference In Ohio By Matt Bucher

OFFICIALS APPROVE PUMP LABEL FOR NEW ETHANOL-BLENDED GASOLINESticker Includes Important Warnings

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued fuel-pump labeling and other requirements for gasoline blends containing more than 10 percent and up to 15 percent ethanol, known as E15.

These requirements are meant to help ensure that E15 is properly labeled and used once it enters the market.

The new orange-and-black label must appear on fuel pumps that dispense E15. The label warns against using E15 in vehicles older than model year 2001 and other vehicles, boats and gasoline-powered equipment such as lawnmowers and chainsaws.

“Once this new blend of ethanol and gasoline hits the market, it’s very important for all motorcyclists and ATV riders to look for the orange E15 label and avoid using this fuel,” says Imre Szauter, AMA government affairs manager. “Increasing the percentage of ethanol could have a

negative impact on motorcycle and ATV engines, and could void manufacturer warranties.”

RIGHTS

A simple and reliable testing procedure endorsed by the AMA has been adopted by Maine that allows motorcyclists to prove their bikes don’t violate the state’s motor vehicle sound law.

At the same time, a New Hampshire lawmaker has vowed to introduce legislation in her state modeled after an unfair California law that requires new bikes built on or after Jan. 1, 2013 to display federal Environmental Protection Agency sound-compliant exhaust labels whenever they are operated.

The New Hampshire lawmaker, Rep. Michele Peckham (R-Rockingham), says her bill would go further than the California law by requiring any motorcycle brought into a dealership for service to leave the dealership with EPA-compliant pipes.

“These are two drastically different approaches to dealing with the same problem—citizen complaints about excessively loud motorcycles,” says Imre Szauter, AMA government affairs manager.

Szauter adds that Peckham’s bill confirms fears that other states would follow California’s lead regarding motorcycle sound.

“Instead, we hope that states and other jurisdictions will now look for guidance from Maine, which has adopted an objective way to prove that a motorcycle

doesn’t violate the state’s sound law, rather than relying on subjective judgments and the presence of a label,” Szauter says.

Under Maine’s new law, motorcyclists ticketed for excessive sound from their motorcycle exhausts can go to a certified inspection station for sound testing.

There, the exhaust system would be tested using the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2825 stationary sound testing procedure—“Measurement of Exhaust Sound Pressure Levels of Stationary On-Highway Motorcycles”—which the SAE developed and adopted with support from the Motorcycle Industry Council in May 2009. The AMA has endorsed the standard.

Under the SAE J2825 standard, decibel limits—which are measured from a prescribed angle of 45 degrees and a distance of 20 inches—range from 92 dBA at idle for all motorcycles to 100 dBA at certain RPMs for various motorcycles, depending on the type of engine. If a motorcycle meets these limits during the certified testing, then it is evidence that the motorcycle doesn’t violate the state’s sound law.

“We applaud the state of Maine—the first in the nation—for adopting the SAE J2825 standard,” Szauter says.

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MAINE ADOPTS PRACTICAL TEST FOR MEASURING STREETBIKE SOUND

But New Hampshire Lawmaker Wants To Adopt California’s Unfair Law

Two Approaches To Sound

The AMA has long maintained a position of strong opposition to excessive motorcycle sound. The SAE J2825 standard is at the heart of model legislation developed by the AMA for use by jurisdictions seeking a simple, consistent and economical way to deal with sound complaints related to on-highway motorcycles within the larger context of excessive sound from all sources.

In 2010, California adopted a street motorcycle sound law that makes it a violation to operate any motorcycle registered in the state that was built on or after Jan. 1, 2013, that doesn’t have a federal Environmental Protection Agency exhaust system sound emissions label.

Also, the law requires aftermarket exhaust systems made on or after Jan. 1, 2013, to display the EPA sound emissions label and, therefore, applies to individuals who seek to replace the exhaust system on affected streetbikes.

That’s the law that New Hampshire Rep. Michele Peckham (R-Rockingham) wants to use as the model for the legislation she plans to introduce in January.

The history of the EPA label dates back to 1972. Congress passed the federal Noise Control Act, which required the EPA to set sound standards for a number of products. The EPA eventually wrote rules affecting all new motorcycles sold in the United States beginning in 1983.

At that time, regulations required that all street-legal motorcycles be limited to 83 decibels. A stricter, 80-decibel limit imposed beginning in 1986 was measured with a model-specific ride-by test conducted from 50 feet. That federal standard is still in place today.

The problem with both the California law and the proposed new Hampshire legislation is that an EPA label doesn’t necessarily mean a motorcycle complies with EPA sound requirements, Szauter says.

“A modified exhaust can still have an EPA label,” he says, “and a pipe without a label can still meet the EPA sound limit.”


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STATEWATCHCALIFORNIA

The California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission has sent a letter to federal officials urging them to reopen the 63,000-acre Clear Creek Management Area (CCMA) in southern San Benito County to off-highway riding, and has included recommendations for strategies to minimize health risks. The letter notes the commission believes an Environmental Protection Agency study “did not fully consider available management options which the BLM could employ to allow continued public access to the area in a safe and responsible manner.” The U.S. Bureau of Land Management closed the recreation area in 2008, contending asbestos levels there are dangerous.

ILLINOIS

Motorcycle operators facing a steady red traffic signal that appears to be stuck could proceed as if making a stop at a stop sign, under House Bill 2860, sponsored by Rep. Dan Beiser (D-Alton), which is now on the governor’s desk to be signed into law or vetoed.

MISSISSIPPI

All new motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) purchased in the state—or bought out of state and brought into Mississippi—are subject to a $50 fee that goes into the Mississippi Trauma Care System Fund, under a new law. Previously, only new motorcycles and ATVs purchased in state were subject to the fee. The new fee resulted from Senate Bill 2734, sponsored by Sen. Hob Bryan (D-Amory).

Under another new law, ATV operators must possess either a valid driver’s license or proof of completion of a state-approved ATV-safety course to ride on public land. ATV operators or passengers under 16 must wear a U.S. DOT-approved helmet.

PENNSYLVANIA

House Bill 563, sponsored by Rep. Richard A. Geist (R-Altoona), would provide property owners protection from civil liable for any injury or death to persons or damage to property that may occur during an approved motorcycle safety education program course of instruction or training. The Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (www.pamsp.com) would benefit from additional training sites around the state as a result.

WASHINGTON

The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is seeking five volunteers to evaluate grant applications for backcountry trail projects. Volunteers will serve on the Non-highway and Off-road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) program advisory committee. Volunteers should represent at least one of the following points of view: back-road recreationists (including campers, wildlife watchers, gatherers, etc.), fishers and hunters, 4x4 vehicle riders, mountain bicyclists or pedestrians (hikers, backpackers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, etc.).

The NOVA program provides grants to local, state, and federal agencies, and tribal governments to help plan, acquire land, develop, and maintain facilities for motorized and non-motorized recreation. The program also supports education and enforcement grants related to trail activities. Appointed members will serve from January 2012 through December 2015 and advise RCO on trail issues, including grant funding and policies. RCO’s goal is to ensure the committee represents the full range of Washington’s diversity. For more information, contact Lorinda Anderson at (360) 902-3009, TTY (360) 902-1996.

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RIDING

After months of building, prepping and planning, we finally arrived in Mexicali, Mexico, in early May for the start of the 2011 Mexican 1000. It was amazing to see some of the vintage iron that I would be competing with, though I use the term “competing” loosely. I had arrived with my essentially stock, 1972 Honda SL350. Our goal was to finish. Competing wasn’t really our focus.

Our event really kicked off when Motorcycle Hall of Famer, five-time AMA Grand National winner and Hollywood stuntman Eddie Mulder performed the tech inspection on my old bike. That was cool! But then, 15 minutes before the start of the race, we noticed an oil leak. My chase team found the problem seal and fixed it as best they could. We made the ceremonial start and headed out into rush hour traffic for the police-led convoy to the real start at Laguna Salada.

Day One: The official start came, and I was off! The sand was much deeper than I anticipated, and the bike was geared way too high. It was nearing 100 degrees and the old 350 twin was really screaming to keep the heavy bike on top of the soft

sand. I took a wrong turn and went off course. Then the bike just quit and would not start. I thought I was done. Oil was coming out of the exhaust and the bike was, by all appearances, dead. I let it cool while I sweated under a small bush for nearly an hour. But then, the old bike finally started and I was under way.

I was carrying two gallons of gas in containers mounted behind my seat. The sandy whoops were brutal, and the frame of the old bike started to crack under the pressure. I made it to the final transit section, fueled up at a local Pemex in San Felipe and grabbed a fish taco from a small stand.

I then headed toward famed Coco’s Corner. The bike started sputtering and finally quit somewhere near Portacitas. As I was preparing to tear into the carbs to sort the problem, the sun was falling behind the mountains. My chase team was on the other coast, 11 hours away, and I mentally prepared myself to spend the night out there with the bike.

Next, I heard the most beautiful sound: Fellow competitor Ted Sumner in buggy No. 10. Buggy No. 10 had been lost in

the dry-lake bed for six hours and was hauling to make up some time. Sumner and his co-rider/sole chase crew Mike Toltschin took mercy on me. The SL and I rode through Coco’s corner in a pickup truck. It’s not what I had planned, but I was happy to be moving.

Day Two: The bike was pretty beat up. The frame was cracked in several places and there was possible internal damage due to the extreme over-heating, the carbs were not right, and the oil leak was steady. We decided to make this a fix-it day and just take the huge penalties. The carbs got sorted, the frame got welded and braced, we re-geared for the sand, and the oil leak was slowed to a trickle.

DISPATCH FROM THE MEXICAN 1000A Vintage Honda SL350 Conquers Mexican Backcountry By Paul Fournier


ONE TO RULE, ONE TO RIDESupporter Wins 1973 Kawasaki Z1, 2010 Z1000 In Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Raffle

Growing up in the late 1970s riding a Kawasaki KZ650, Scott Carey from Pecatonica, Ill., considered the 903cc Kawasaki Z1 the quintessential superbike.

Now, 40 years later, the longtime Motorcycle Hall of Fame supporter has his dream bike. Carey won a restored 1973 Kawasaki Z1, as well as a new Kawasaki Z1000, in the annual Hall of Fame raffle on Saturday, July 23.

Carey’s winning ticket was drawn by event Grand Marshal and Hall of Famer Jeff Fredette during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days featuring Kawasaki, Marque of the Year, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

“When I was growing up, the Z1 was the big boy,” Carey said. “I was talking to a friend about getting one just a few

weeks ago. And the Z1000—just this spring I was looking at it as a new bike!”

Carey said that he donates to the Hall of Fame regularly, and considers the tickets another way of supporting the organization’s mission.

“I really think the Hall of Fame is a fantastic idea,” said Carey. “You never really expect to win these things. It’s good to support the Hall of Fame. It’s something that has to be done. Motorcycling is a big part of history.”

Carey, who competes in amateur roadracing, said that his Z1—which has been expertly restored by Johnny’s Vintage Motorcycle Company—will probably see a few miles, but, for the most part, “it’s going to be added to the collection and admired.”

While Carey prepares to enjoy his Z1 and Z1000, Hall of Fame supporters can start planning for next year with the newly announced 2012 raffle bike, a stunning 1947 Indian Chief. Raffle info: online at MotorcycleMuseum.org or by phone at (614) 856-2222.

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We pulled into Loreto before 10 p.m. and got our start time for the next day.

Day Three: The bike felt great, and we got a great start. I was actually passing people and making great time. This day I would ride every mile. I survived the infamous silt and came out dusty but moving. And I arrived in La Paz! We finished. Better than that, we got first in class (because, as it turns out, we were the only people crazy enough to enter a bike this old). Out of more than 70 entrants, there were 29 DNFs, making our finish even more sweet.

I could go on about the generosity and spirit of the Mexican people, because, quite honestly, it is their love of the sport and willingness to help when needed that I remember better than the race itself.

Now, more than two months after that finish in La Paz, I’m already busy planning next year’s Baja adventure. The only problem is that a few members of my chase crew want to race it themselves. Anyone available for some crew duty?

Paul Fournier is an AMA member from Tillamook, Ore.

RIDING

A 12-second anticipated path means to look ahead and assess an area it would take that long to reach. It provides time to prepare for a situation (traffic jam, etc.) before it becomes immediate.

With the constant scanning of the near-to-far areas, never fixate on one spot. You’ll notice the hazards in your path before you’re literally on top of them. You don’t need to stare down at the pavement directly in front of your front tire, nor do you need to fix your gaze far in the distance in order to detect the variety of potential hazards that await you.

Safe riding requires you to maintain a complete 360-degree picture of your surroundings. Focus on your path ahead, as described, and occasionally glance to the sides to detect if vehicles are pulling out from driveways or side streets, and glance at your rear-view mirrors to see if any vehicles are bearing down on you from behind. Maintaining this picture minimizes the need to rely on your emergency maneuvering skills. In that way, riding a motorcycle is more a skill of the eyes and mind than of the hands and feet.

Find more info about the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at MSF-USA.org.

Q: “I always hear I should look down the road as far as possible. Is this correct? When I try, it makes me nervous about missing potholes or hazards ahead of me.”

A: You definitely need to know what’s happening far down the road, but the right way to survey your environment has a few more aspects to it, including knowing what’s happening on each side of you as well as what’s behind you. First, you should be in the habit of maintaining a minimum 2-second following distance,

while assessing a 4-second immediate path and a 12-second anticipated path.

To maintain a 2-second following distance—necessary to ensure you have enough time to react if the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly—pick out a fixed point ahead, like a signpost or pavement marking. As the vehicle ahead passes the fixed object, count off “one-motorcycle-one, two-motorcycle-two;” if the fixed point has not been reached, following distance is at least 2 seconds. Use a longer following distance as roadway, traffic or weather conditions dictate, or if you’re simply more comfortable having more space and time to react.

Next, scan a 4-second immediate path. Anything within 4 seconds of your path is considered immediate because a quick response is required if something goes wrong. Four seconds provides time and space to swerve or brake for hazards or something entering your path.

Ask the MSF

WHERE DO I LOOK?

That’s Trent Young with his wife Ava. Last summer a buddy turned Trent on to S100 Total Cycle Cleaner. Then he wrote us: “I was absolutely floored as I watched the road grime, bugs and dirt I didn’t even know was there…Now I don’t have to be afraid of the rain. I am absolutely enthralled on how well your product works.” What Trent saw was S100’s amazing penetrating power getting the dirt that other cleaners miss, especially in the places he couldn’t see or reach. That’s where corrosion can start! Love your bike? Want to protect your investment and do it all in less time? Ask your dealer to set you up with some S100 Total Cycle Cleaner. Read Trent’s entire mail and learn more at www.s100.com or call us at 203-488-6569.

RIDING

CRASH COURSENose And Luck

I live in Texas, so I jumped at the chance for a ride to The Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina with two friends.

On Interstate 40 near Asheville, N.C., we encountered dark, unlit tunnels. I was about halfway through a wet tunnel when I smelled diesel and felt the bike skid. It was so dark, I hadn’t see the diesel sheen. I turned the handlebars into the skid, and the only thing that saved me were the grooves in the pavement that are meant

to warn you that you are leaving your lane. They helped me regain traction and keep the bike upright.

None of us lost control, but it made for an exciting ride, and we reported the problem to a park ranger near the exit of the tunnel.

The lessons here are to use all your senses, even smell, and constantly look for an escape route. Plus, stay calm and don’t freeze up.

Ted PascheArgyle, Texas

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Up, to the Boyd County (Ky.) Sheriff’s Office, the Kentucky State Police and the FBI for busting a motorcycle chop shop in Ashland.

Up, to Grand Prix Motorsports in Denver, Colo., for becoming the state’s first motorcycle dealership to carry Zero Motorcycle’s lineup of electric motorcycles, and giving that state’s riders access to Colorado’s ultra-generous tax credits for electric vehicles.

Up, to a British motorcyclist and British company scooter.co.uk, who built what appears to be the world’s longest motorcycle. It’s north of 72-feet long.

Up to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which provided a special wheelchair-compliant sidecar that helped a Parsippany, N.J., teenager achieve his dream of riding with his dad on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Down, to the Australian census, which asks respondents how many registered motor vehicles owned or used by the household are garaged or parked nearby, but then directs them to exclude “motorbikes and scooters.”

RIDING

Alpinestars recently started making gear specifically for adventure touring, headlined by the Frontier Gore-Tex Jacket and Frontier Gore-Tex Pants. Here’s some thoughts and impressions from AMA member and tester Keith Hoekstra, who put the gear though its paces in Arizona.

• This premium textile combo zips together, offering the benefits of a one-piece suit without the look, and is complemented nicely by the Durban Gore-Tex Boots and Arctic Drystar Gloves.

• The jacket and pants both feature micro twill outer shells, removable Gore-Tex membranes and removable quilted thermal liners. There’s CE-certified armor at the elbows, shoulders and knees, as well as protective padding in the chest, back, and hips.

• There are pockets everywhere, and the reflective areas grab attention in low light despite their subtle gray.

• The liners will keep you smiling well into the 40s. As temperature increases, layers get removed.

• The level of comfort provided in triple-digit temperatures is astonishing, especially for garments of this heft. The vents on the pants provide the feel of shorts, while vents on the jacket’s sleeves, chest and back keep things cool.

• The size range goes up to 3X in the pants and 4X in the jacket, though a tall option would be nice for a bit more sleeve length.

• The elbow armor feels a little harsh, but only when the two inner layers are

out. The collar feels a little stiff, though it may soften in time. The knee and shin protectors also slide around a bit.

• Compared to the budget-minded gear on the market these days, the Frontier line is a bit pricey. It’s on the lower end of the price scale, however, compared to garments of this quality bearing similar features.

• The Durban Gore-Tex Boots are extremely comfortable right out of the box, and walking in them is definitely bearable.

• The Arctic Drystar Gloves, which are actually quite thin, are insulated to provide warmth and protection without separating you from your controls. Sizes run a bit small—if you can’t quite palm a basketball, you probably still need an XL.

Verdict: Alpinestars hit the bull’s eye with its first shot at the adventure-touring market, and you don’t need to go off-road to reap the benefits. Whether you’re into touring, sport touring or adventure touring, these products are everything you should expect from premium textile protective gear, and will keep you riding with a smile when others are seeking cover.

Frontier Gore-Tex Jacket MSRP: $699.95Frontier Gore-Tex Pants MSRP: $599.95Durban Gore-Tex Boot MSRP: $479.95Arctic Drystar Glove: $109.95

AMA MEMBER-TESTEDAlpinestars Gore-Tex Gear

Keith Hoekstra

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RIDING

71 YEARS AND COUNTINGMotor Maids Ride For Friendship, Safety By Jill Young

The Motor Maids, a Women’s Motorcycle Riding Organization, was founded in 1940. Dot Robinson was its first president and held that position for 25 years. During her leadership, she logged about 50,000 miles a year to promote the image of the Motor Maids. Seventy-one years at anything is certainly a testimonial in endurance.

The week of July 4th, Grand Rapids, Mich., had the honor of hosting this year’s Motor Maids Convention. There, Motor Maids President Brenda Hickling-Thatcher and Vice President Glennadine Gouldman discussed how the organization has stayed relevant for so long.

The Motor Maids have simple member requirements: You must own or have access to a motorcycle through a family member; you must ride that motorcycle; you must present a positive image of women motorcyclists.

“We so quickly become family,” Hickling-Thatcher says. “This is a group of women who share that common bond, and we truly care about each other.”

She says that a shared understanding of the benefits of motorcycling helps strengthen that bond.

“It gives you confidence in yourself,” Hickling-Thatcher says. “This confidence affects everything about you. It affects everything you do—every day. It affects how you approach the world.”

On Tuesday, July 5, the Motor Maids had their annual parade. The standard parade dress includes a white vest with the Motor Maids insignia on the back, royal blue mock turtleneck, black slacks,

black boots and white gloves. Seeing everyone dressed alike on their Harleys, Victorys, Hondas, BMWs, Kawasakis, KTMs, Suzukis and Yamahas—some three-wheelers, some with sidecars—the sense of the history and the importance of this women’s motorcycle riding club was evident.

Diane Rumbel, from Pennsylvania, joined the Motor Maids 10 years ago. She said prior to that she had never been outside of the state of Pennsylvania on her motorcycle. Since then, she has been in 38 states.

Janet Grainger, from Florida, has been riding for 36 years. She came to Grand Rapids via Wisconsin. Janet owns two motorcycles. She says she has friends who ask her why she rides, and her answer is simple: “Because I can.”

Hickling-Thatcher says her best advice for new riders is to take it easy.

“Please, don’t ride until you take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse,” she says. “Safety is the most important thing you can learn.”

Gouldman echoed that: “I try to take a motorcycle safety class every two years. In Virginia, our district tries to sponsor one every year. I have had so many women—experienced women riders—marvel at how wonderful the class is.”

It’s amazing what the common bond of riding can do. These women, many of them strangers before the event, have vast diversities in age, income, geography and physiology. Those differences are easily overcome by the contagious, absolute, unadulterated passion for riding.

RACING

Nate Redmann won both the Xtreme and Unlimited classes, and Ian Lau took his third Pro Sport win in a row, at the fifth round of the AMA Pro Hillclimb Championship Series at Canaan, N.H.

Conditions were perfect at the New England track. With low humidity and a light breeze, the hill surface remained moist and sandy, offering the perfect amount of traction, little dust and soft landings.

Colby McCutcheon struck first in the Xtreme class. Riding fifth, he ripped up the hill in just 6.672 seconds. Next up, however, was Redmann, who

stunned the field with a blistering 5.629-second run.In the Unlimited class, Jay Sallstrom took

the provisional lead in the first session with a 6.426-second run, just nine thousandths ahead of Shawn Farnsworth. Little changed for the second session—until Redmann’s run. He came back with a class-leading 6.173 seconds.

In the Pro Sport class, Lau took the win with a fast time of 8.099 seconds.

In series points, Sallstrom holds the lead in Unlimited, Redmann leads Xtreme and Lau’s win broke his tie with rival John Koester.

REDMANN RULES CANAAN, N.H., HILLCLIMBComes Out On Top In Xtreme, Unlimited

Nate Redmann


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SUPERCROSS RACE OFFERS POTENTIAL $1 MILLION PAYDAY

Monster Energy Cup Will Hit Las Vegas, Nev., Oct. 15

STONER TAKES LAGUNAAustralian Rider Comes From Behind To Win Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix

Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner raced his way from a third-place start to take the win at the first U.S. Grand Prix of the 2011 MotoGP Championship on July 24 at Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.

The win increased Stoner’s advantage in the points standings to 20 ahead of Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo.

“All weekend we’ve been struggling a little so we weren’t too confident that we could run with Jorge and Dani (Pedrosa) in the race,” Stoner said. “However, this morning in warm up we found (a setup) I was a little happier with… I saw Dani struggling a bit and he started to drop back from Jorge so I had to attack at this point. Once I caught up to Jorge, I watched to see if he made a mistake and kept the pressure on him, then chose my moment to make the move and was able to slowly open up a gap and bring the race home.”

The second MotoGP round in the U.S. is the Indianapolis Grand Prix on Aug. 26-28.

In AMA Pro roadracing competition held during MotoGP weekend at Laguna,

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden won the Superbike

race, Richie Morris Racing’s Danny Eslick won the SportBike main event, and

RoadRacingWorld.com’s Benny Solis prevailed

in Supersport.

Not only will the Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas, Nev., this Oct. 15 bring out the best in the country’s top Supercross racers, all vying for a huge purse that could see one rider walk away with a $1 million check, but it will feature unique race machinery that’s like nothing else in an AMA paddock.

For just this race, the AMA is issuing an open supplemental rules package that eliminates nearly all technical restrictions, with the exception of sound and fuel regulations. This will allow riders and teams to field one-off race bikes that don’t have to meet typical homologation requirements.

Teams also will have the unique opportunity to employ components such as in-helmet communication, traction control, GPS and more.

AMA Supercross Director Kevin

Crowther says that the rules are about as simple as possible.

“No homologation is necessary, and the engine displacement must be at least 125cc,” he says. “Beyond that, nearly anything goes—two-stroke, four-stroke, singles, twins. Weight restrictions are gone. Large-displacement two-strokes are welcome.

“That said, it’s important to stress that all safety and sound-related regulations will remain in place,” he continues. “In fact, with regard to sound testing, we will be implementing the new 2Meter Max sound testing procedure that we will use for the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross and FIM World Championship.”

Ticket information for the Monster Energy Cup can be found at SupercrossOnline.com.

Kevin Windham is among the riders going for $1 million in Las Vegas, Nev., this Oct. 15.

RACING

If any up-and-coming rider has made a significant impact in AMA Pro Motocross this summer, it’s been Blake Baggett. Although Baggett turned pro last year, a crash at Budds Creek had him sitting out the remainder of the series. Now, back on the brand that carried him to numerous AMA Racing amateur motocross wins with the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki squad, the 19-year-old racer from Grand Terrace, Calif., seems destined to secure his spot among racing’s elite.

American Motorcyclist: Blake, despite not seeing many of these tracks before, you’re having quite an impressive summer.

Blake Baggett: I have had some ups and downs, but for the most part it’s been great. So far this season I’ve had the most wins, and then what I now consider a couple bad races.

Being new to the tracks might hurt a little bit, but it’s really hard to tell. It’s not like car racing where they have hundreds and hundreds of laps on the tracks, and the tracks are always the same. In motocross, it’s a lot about the soil of the track and how they prep it, and it can change a lot from year to year.

My team has lots of data to go by from previous racing to fine tune the bike’s suspension,

tires, and things like that from past year’s races. I may not have a lot of personal experience from racing some of these tracks, but my team does.

AM: Although you raced most of your amateur career on Kawasaki bikes, your first pro season was on a different brand. Now, you’re back on the green bikes. How has the switch back gone?

BB: Even back when I was on 60s, I

used Pro Circuit products, so this year it has felt somewhat like I have come home. Last year, this team was full and I just didn’t get an offer to ride here, so I took what I thought was the next best thing that I was offered. It was a great learning experience that first year, and I don’t think that I would have wanted the pressure of this team (Pro Circuit) for my first year as a pro. There is definitely a little bit more pressure here, but since I am in my second year it’s not a big deal, and I can handle it. I think that it would have been much harder to come into a top team like this as a rookie and make it work.

AM: How is it racing against your teammates who are also your strongest competitors?

BB: It really doesn’t make any difference to me. Racing is racing, even if we are all under the same tent. At the end of the day we are all going for the win. We are not buddies who hang out after the races, and we don’t share secrets about lines, but we do get along. I’m here to win, and they are too. It’s really every man for himself in racing, and that’s why I like it.

THREE QUESTIONS WITH…Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett By Jim Kimball


RACING

MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS TEAM SETVillopoto, Dungey, Baggett Head For France

The AMA has named the members of the U.S. team that will compete at the FIM Motocross of Nations, Sept. 17-18, at Saint Jean D’Angely, France. The 2011 team will include Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett.

“America’s talent pool for motocross racers is the deepest in the world,” says AMA Supercross Director Kevin Crowther. “As demonstrated by their performances in this summer’s Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships, these three riders are among the best that the United States has to offer. We’re confident they will do their country proud at this prestigious event.”

Perennial U.S. Team Manager and Motorcycle Hall of Famer Roger DeCoster will manage the team in its hunt for a record 22nd Motocross of Nations

Championship.Riders in the Motocross of Nations

compete in either MX1, featuring mostly 450cc four-stroke machinery; MX2, featuring mostly 250cc four-stroke bikes; or the Open class. Classes had not been designated for the team riders by presstime.

The Motocross of Nations is one of the most high-profile motorsport events in the world. It features national teams competing for a combined score to determine the overall championship-winning country. The event emerged in post-war Europe in 1947 and has run uninterrupted since that time. The United States is the all-time leader in Motocross of Nations overall victories with 21. Great Britain is second with 16.

The United States is the reigning champion of the Motocross of Nations, winning in 2010 when the event was held in Lakewood, Colo.

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IN AMA RACER THIS MONTH In This Issue Or At AmericanMotorcyclist.com

AMA Competition Members receive AMA Racer, a quarterly publication bound in their copies of this magazine that covers the world of AMA Racing events. Not a Competition Member? Just click the Magazine link at AmericanMotorcyclist.com, log into your online account, and you can read AMA Racer for free.

Here’s a look at what you can read about this month:• How the U.S. team landed on the podium at the 2011 International Six Days

Enduro in Kotka-Hamina, Finland, at one of the toughest ISDEs in years.• How Justin Bogle raced away with the AMA Racing Motocross Horizon

Award at the Loretta Lynn Ranch.• All the highlights from the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships

in Du Quoin, Ill.• A review of Rekluse’s Core EXP automatic clutch, tested at the 54th

running of Ohio’s classic Little Burr Enduro.• Information about Texas’ growing motocross state championships.• The AMA Racing Hillclimb and Vintage Grand Championships.

Ryan Dungey

October 2011 27

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HALL OF FAME

Hall of Fame features the machines and people of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio. The Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation that receives support from the AMA and from motorcycling enthusiasts. For info and directions, visit MotorcycleMuseum.org, or call (614) 856-2222.

America’s pioneer four-cylinder motorcycle designer, William G. Henderson, and his brother, Thomas, founded the Henderson Motorcycle Company in 1911. The early Henderson was a large, expensive and luxurious motorcycle that featured a smooth-running, inline four-cylinder engine.

The Henderson brothers sold their interests in their company to Excelsior’s Ignatz Schwinn of bicycle fame in 1918, which resulted in the formation of Excelsior-Henderson.

This 1930 Henderson KJ continued the four-cylinder engine design pioneered by

William Henderson. The 79-cubic-inch (1,294.5cc) inline four pumped out 40 horsepower and had a top speed of 100 mph.

Schwinn saw the importance of racing to motorcycle sales during the time he built motorcycles. Future Hall of Famer Joe Petrali, arguably the country’s finest racer from the mid-1920s to the mid-30s and perhaps one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time, helped develop Excelsiors and Hendersons for Schwinn.

Petrali raced for Schwinn from the mid-1920s to 1931. And in April 1930, he rode

a Henderson Special KL to top speeds of 116.12 mph and 109.09 mph on an Illinois highway. The KL engine produced 45 horsepower, compared to the KJ’s 40.

Schwinn reluctantly discontinued the manufacturing of motorcycles in 1931, due to the onset of the Great Depression.

This 1930 Henderson KJ, donated by Robert and Mae Beard, is just one of the fascinating machines on display at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio.

To learn more, go to MotorcycleMuseum.org.

1930 HENDERSON KJ Among The Last Of The Line


October 2011 29

KENNY ROBERTS, ROGER DECOSTER TO BE HONOREDLegends To Join Class Of 2011 At Induction Ceremony

ZERO MOTORCYCLES SPONSORS HALL OF FAME RINGSHonoring The Class Of 2011

In a unique display of a company with its fortunes fixed on the future celebrating motorcycling’s heritage, the electric motorcycle company Zero Motorcycles has signed on as the official Ring Sponsor for the 2011 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, Nov.18, in Las Vegas, Nev.

Motorcycle Hall of Fame rings will be presented to the Class of 2011 and Hall of Fame Legends Roger DeCoster and Kenny Roberts during the AMA Legends & Champions Weekend extravaganza at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa.

The prestigious Hall of Fame ring is a symbol of the significant contributions made by an inductee to the sport, business and lifestyle of motorcycling. The gold ring, which was created exclusively for the Hall of Fame, bears the institution’s logo, the “Glory Days” design and the name of the inductee.

Scot Harden, Zero Motorcycles VP of Global Marketing who is also a member of the Hall of Fame, says that honoring this year’s inductees makes perfect sense for Zero.

“The Motorcycle Hall of Fame has done a tremendous job elevating the stature and magnitude of the induction ceremony over the past few years,” says Harden. “The event in Las Vegas is a first-class affair.”

NOV 18-20: WEEKEND TO REMEMBERHonoring The Class Of 2011

Motorcycling fans are invited to attend the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Las Vegas, Nev., on Nov. 18. The gala event is just one part of the AMA Legends & Champions Weekend.

Nov. 19 features the 2011 Motorcycle Hall of Fame Dave Mungenast Memorial Concours d’Elegance bike show, and the final round of the 2011 AMA Geico EnduroCross Championship Series.

On Nov. 20, all of AMA Racing’s amateur champions will be recognized at the annual end-of-year AMA Racing Championship Banquet. Tickets: MotorcycleMuseum.org.

Perhaps more than any other competitor, Kenny Roberts put his stamp of dominance on American and world motorcycle roadracing, both as an AMA National Champion, a Grand Prix World Champion and then as a Grand Prix team owner.

Roger DeCoster’s name is practically synonymous with the sport of motocross, and he is generally recognized as the best-known MX racer in the first 50 years of the sport.

On Friday, Nov. 18, these two motorcycling icons will be honored as Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legends at the annual Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, Nev.

Roberts, who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998, won his first-ever AMA Grand National race in 1972 and went on to win 33 AMA Nationals in dirt-track and roadracing. A two-time AMA Grand National Champion, Roberts then moved to the world stage and by the end of 1980, he had captured three World 500 Grand Prix titles.

Following his racing career, Roberts formed his own World 500 Grand Prix team. Wayne Rainey, who became a Hall of Famer himself, won three World 500 Grand Prix titles for him.

When DeCoster was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, his racing accomplishments were simply remarkable: five 500cc Motocross World Championships, numerous 500cc Motocross Grand Prix victories and four Trans-AMA Motocross Championships.

After his racing career, DeCoster was the manager of the first U.S. team to win the Motocross des Nations in 1981. He has since managed many U.S. teams at the prestigious event and continues to do so.

Roberts and DeCoster will be part of the ceremonies that

induct the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2011, which includes motocross promoter Stu Peters, noted magazine editor Phil Schilling, industry leader Fred Fox, roadracing champion Doug Polen and early motorcycling pioneer Norbert Schickel.

For tickets, see MotorcycleMuseum.org.

Roger DeCoster

Kenny Roberts


HALL OF FAME

Hall of Famer

GARY NIXON: 1941-2011 American Dirt-Track, Roadracing Legend

Gary Nixon’s AMA racing career was marked by extraordinary success and courage. Nixon’s perseverance and talent at home and abroad made him one of the most popular and most respected racers in the history of the sport.

Nixon rode a Triumph to back-to-back AMA Grand National Championships in 1967-68.

Born on Jan. 25, 1941, in Anadarko, Okla., by age 15 Nixon was already a drag-racing champion. Weighing just 89 pounds, he had a big advantage over his competition.

Nixon then took up scrambles racing and, again, quickly became a winner in that form of competition.

He began his professional racing career in 1958 and at the AMA Grand National level in 1960.

Nixon won his first AMA National in convincing fashion on Aug. 4, 1963, at the roadrace in Windber, Pa. Nixon proved the Windber victory was no fluke when, three weeks later, he won a short-track National at Santa Fe Park in Hinsdale, Ill.

He finished the season ranked sixth in the Grand National Series.

Nixon got progressively faster over the next three seasons. In 1966, he was AMA Grand National runner-up to fellow future Hall of Famer Bart Markel.

The 1967 racing season turned out to

be the best of his career. He started the season with a hard-fought victory in the Daytona 200. By the end of the ’67 season, Nixon had tallied five victories and had earned his first national championship.

He followed up in 1968 with another title, this time in a close battle with future Hall of Famer Fred Nix.

Internationally, Nixon represented the United States

several times in the famous series of British-American match races in the 1970s. In 1976, he laid claim to the World Prize Formula 750 Road Racing title, but was denied the championship after international politics cost him a victory, and ultimately the title, at the Venezuelan round of the series.

Nevertheless, Nixon’s success on the world level earned him the title of AMA Pro Athlete of the Year.

Late in the 1970s, the number of national road races decreased, leaving little opportunity for Nixon to ply his trade. His outside business interests became more demanding and Nixon hung up his racing leathers in 1979.

During his 22 years of pro racing, Nixon earned 19 AMA National victories and amassed over 150 Grand National finishes. His career spanned three decades. He was a factory rider for Triumph, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha.

Nixon died in Baltimore on Aug. 5, 2011 following a heart attack. He was 70.

Gary Nixon was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.

Proceeds benefi t the Motorcycle Hall of Fame

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1947 Indian Chief

FOR THREE DAYS IN JULY, the sprawling Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, becomes hallowed ground for old bikes and the enthusiasts who love them at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. From high-mileage geeks to speed freaks on the track, from sellers to buyers to people who enjoy a step back into motorcycling’s past, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days offers a bit of everything. Here’s the best from the 2011 edition.

Grand Marshal Jeff Fredette‘It’s Like Practicing For The Six Days’

The hardest-working man at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days? No question. Grand Marshal Jeff Fredette.

The Motorcycle Hall of Famer and Kawasaki icon is running full throttle, performing all the interviews, autograph signings and laps of honor that are part of the grand marshal’s itinerary. He also is competing in four of the five disciplines that are part of the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships. “I guess I’m just a racer,” he says.

Fredette is racing the vintage motocross, the vintage hare scrambles, the vintage trials and the half-mile dirt track race in Ashland, Ohio.

Despite the valiant effort, however, Fredette’s competitive weekend doesn’t go as well as he hoped. He fouls a plug in the hare scrambles and chases jetting throughout the vintage motocross, stalling his bike a few times in his motos.

“That’s racing,” Fredette says. “Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. You just need to keep your head up, do your best and keep at it.

“I tell you, though, it’s like practicing for Six Days with all this running around,” says Fredette, referring to the International Six Days Enduro, the grueling off-road event he’s competed in and finished 31 times. “I’m just glad I don’t have to race a 35-year-old bike in the Six Days.”

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It may be one of the hottest summers in recent memory, but in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Swap Meet, Tony Reyna has the perfect tool to cope with the harsh sun and high temperatures: A 3-foot-diameter sombrero that provides ample shade wherever he goes.

“I brought this thing almost as a joke, but I’m so glad I did,” he says, standing at his vendor area in North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet. “It’s like having a tent on my head, and if I get too hot, I just pull my arms in and enjoy the shade!”

For Reyna, the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Swap Meet has become a must-do every year. After hearing a friend talk

about how cool it is for a few years, Reyna showed up for the first time last year and was hooked.

“It’s just a great time,” he says. “Last year we sold everything we brought, and it’s just fun meeting all the people. This year I met someone from Australia and someone from South America. The bikes you see here are amazing, a lot of cool old stuff.”

With Kawasaki as Marque of the Year for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Reyna brought a vintage KZ1000 to sell this year. The only problem? Once he saw all the old Kawasaki’s riding around, he had second thoughts: “I decided not to sell it. I’m going to rebuild it and ride it!”

The Diesel Motorcycle Guru Tries Something NewFred Hayes Tries Some VMD R&D

Fred Hayes has built diesel-based motorcycles for the military for years, adding a proprietary diesel engine to a Kawasaki KLR650 chassis. But for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, he was up for something new: pulling the most mileage possible from his motor.

For that, he built a special one-off, fully faired diesel bike to enter in Craig Vetter’s special high-mileage challenge.

“We were getting some good numbers on our emissions tests—one with 103 miles per gallon,” Hayes says. “Even the Marine Corps bike gets 96 mpg. We wanted to see what we could do if we tried.”

Taking the stock engine and chassis and mating it to an AirTech fairing normally used for sidecars was relatively easy, Hayes says, requiring only that he fabricate some special mounting brackets, add cutouts for his feet, and install some taller gearing and some DOT lighting. He arrived at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days for the bike’s first road test.

In the end, he wound up with an impressive 143 mpg—though that was only enough to finish second in the Craig Vetter challenge (see page 36). Next up? A more real-world adventure tourer with a potential range of more than 1,700 miles.

“That thing could really be cool,” he says.

Beating The Heat In The Swap Meet One Man’s Easy Solution

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Factory Correct Or Café CustomTwo Paths To Perfection

Nick Ternet, from Monroeville, Ind., has an inside line on the Grand Marshal’s Choice Award at the Hall of Fame Static Bike Show going on in the infield of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Considering Ternet is displaying an immaculately restored 1974 Kawasaki KX250, it seems a natural choice for Grand Marshal Jeff Fredette, an off-road icon who built his reputation racing the green bikes.

It also doesn’t hurt that Ternet’s build is pristine, down to the fasteners. He says the bike was far from perfect when he found it, though.

“I had this thing since I was 18 years old,” the 32-year-old Ternet says. “It was buried in 16 inches of mud behind some guy’s shed when I found it. I think I gave 35 bucks for it when I bought it. I restored it twice. Of course, when you’re 18, you don’t do as good of work as when you’re older.”

Ternet says his second effort was more thorough.

“I stripped it down and re-did everything,” he says. “I powdercoated what I could, and other parts are New-Old-Stock. A lot of it is a waiting game. It’s real hard to find parts on this stuff, like factory Kawasaki bolts. Those were hard to find. You can look online for six months for one piece. I just found the gas cap last week.”

While Ternet’s bike strives for factory accuracy, a few tents down, Tony Prust,

from Chicago, is displaying a motorcycle designed to be anything but.

Prust wins the Café Racer Bike Show with a 1973 Yamaha RD350 mated to a modern Ducati S2R front end and a TZ250 rear wheel.

“My philosophy is to combine old things with new parts, so what I do is, say, take this ’73 engine and frame and add a 2010 front end—it’s mostly old with some new flair,” Prust says. “I’ve dubbed this one the S2RD.”

Prust says he digs the appeal of café-style bikes.

“I like the stripped down look—just what it needs to run,” he says.

Rebuilding the pastDon Miller Goes All Out With Racebike Resto

If there’s a theme to the 1973 Kawasaki rotary valve 350 that Don Miller’s fielding in the half-mile dirt-track race at the nearby Ashland County Fairgrounds, it’s to celebrate the underdog.

The bike itself was owned by Dale “The Flying Pig Farmer” Singleton before the Motorcycle Hall of Famer moved into roadracing. Singleton was everyman’s racer. He won the prestigious Daytona 200 twice, in 1979 and 1981, as a privateer competing against the best-funded race teams of the day.

With the build, however, Miller sought to capture the spirit of Jay Ridgeway, who raced an identical machine in the early ’70s.

“My main goal was to make it a replica of the Woody Kyle-tuned Jay Ridgeway Big Horn from ’73, so I sent it to my good friend Woody Kyle, and he did all the period modifications, the big-fin cylinder, the big-fin head, the big carburetor hanging off the side,” Miller says. “After he did the motor, I did the restoration stuff.”

Miller says he has always been a Ridgeway fan.“(Ridgeway) was the underdog in 1973,” Miller says. “He beat

greats like Jay Springsteen when they were coming up through the ranks. In ’73, he was the top novice in the country. It was just really cool that he was out there on a bike that nobody else really had.”

Miller says the Kawasaki is a great bike to ride.

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Allen Family Does Trials‘The Old Bikes Are Fun Too’

Norton, Mass.’ Daniel and Caroline Allen don’t typically ride vintage bikes in trials competition. The 22-year-old brother and his 19-year-old sister grew up in the sport, but they usually compete on modern machinery,

both in local and national competition.

At AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, however, Daniel is on a 1976 Bultaco Sherpa T. Caroline opts for a Yamaha TI

175. Dad, David, rides his Bultaco.Caroline, who will also represent the

United States in the Trials des Nations in Italy this summer, says vintage competition is a nice diversion.

“It’s really cool seeing all the people showing up to watch vintage racing and to see all the old bikes still running,” she says. “I like riding with my family, and this is a fun way to do that.”

Daniel says he’s been to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days four times: “It’s neat to see all the riding. Seeing the old bikes scream up and down the roadrace track is awesome.”

The kids’ dad, David, loves the scene, too. “The guys camped next to us had ‘On Any Sunday’ playing, there are vintage bikes everywhere, the people are friendly, and the whole atmosphere is just great,” he says. “There’s a lot to do. We watched the motocross, the roadracing and the cross country, we took some of the Kawasakis and KTMs out for demo rides, we went to the swap meet.”

David says that even through they don’t fit the demographic of what most people consider vintage enthusiasts, his kids really dig the old stuff. “Danny has an old Yamaha that he rides on the street,” he says. “The nice thing about the old bikes is they’re relatively inexpensive. If you blow something up, just get another.”

Kawasaki Steps UpSupporting The Hall Of Fame

With Kawasaki as Marque of the Year, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is decidedly green this year—a quality that takes on new meaning at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame tent Saturday afternoon when Kawasaki’s Russ Brenan presents American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF) Chairman Jeffrey V. Heininger a $5,000 donation. The AMHF raises money for the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, which gets significant support from the event.

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Craig Vetter notes that inventor and architect Buckminster Fuller once said, “We don’t have to worry about the future if we do more with less.”

And that quote, Vetter says, is the inspiration behind the Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.

“The goal of the contest is to discover the least amount of energy—in dollars and cents—it takes to travel the way we really ride,” Vetter says.

Vetter, a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, first sponsored fuel-economy runs during the early 1980s. He calls his fuel-economy contests, “racing for the right reasons.” That’s because he believes that motorcycles are better transportation than cars since they burn less fuel, and motorcycles can be made even more fuel-efficient than they are now.

From 1980 through 1985, Vetter hosted fuel-economy challenges, hoping competitors could squeeze out 125 miles per gallon of gas at 55 mph. By the time

they ended in 1985, Matsu Matsuzawa of Honda rode a Honda XL 125 to 470 miles per gallon.

Typcially, Vetter thinks big about his revived contest. “I don’t want to create museum queens,” he says. “I want to change the world.”

The route for the Mid-Ohio challenge covered 104 miles. The team of Charly and Max Perethian of Parabellum, a fairing company, with Max at the controls, won the challenge aboard a 1989 Honda NX250.

Max covered the route using two-thirds of a gallon of gas. That translates into a cost of 2.37 cents a mile, or 157 miles per gallon.

Fred Hayes earned second place with a diesel-powered motorcycle, covering the route with 0.726 gallons of bio-diesel at a cost of 2.57 cents a mile.

Third place went to Jack McCornack in a diesel-powered car that covered the route at a cost of 3.01 cents a mile.

“The future is living better on less energy,” Vetter says. “We’re learning how to do that. We’re racing for the right reasons.”

It’s Not Just For The Go-Fast CrowdCraig Vetter Explains The Other Reasons To Race

Gladiators At The Crown Jewel Of Vintage Roadracing EventsNew Yorker Kenny Cummings and Canadian Doug MacRae

Off the track, Kenny Cummings of New York City and Doug MacRae of Toronto, Canada, are best of friends. On the track, they are fierce competitors.

And on this weekend, they face off for trophies and bragging rights.

“I do 12 vintage racing events a year, for the past seven years,” Cummings says. “This one is the best.”

MacRae agrees, noting that he and several other Canadian roadracers make the trek to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days each year: “This is a cornerstone event, and we want to support it.”

In the garage on race stands are Cummings’ 1968 Seeley Norton Commando and MacRae’s 1972 Norton Commando race machines.

There are 558 entries in the roadracing classes, and 33 class champions will be crowned at the end of the weekend. WERA Motorcycle Road Racing is keeping everything running smoothly on the track.

Besides the thrill of speed and satisfaction in conquering race tracks, Cummings and MacRae say they enjoy vintage roadracing because of the camaraderie among the racers. Despite the friendliness in the pits, MacRae says: “When the race starts, everyone wants to go fast.”

Cummings says he first raced here in 2004, and MacRae was the first vintage roadracer he talked to. Through MacRae, he met other Canadian roadracers.“These guys have become my best friends.”

Todd Narduzzi Takes Vintage Track Racing HonorRoadracing Wins And Flat Track Points Add Up To One Prestigious Award

For Todd Narduzzi, winning the 2011 AMA Racing Track Racing Vintage Grand Champion title was unexpected.

“This certainly means a lot to me,” Narduzzi says. “It’s a true honor. The AMA does a good job at VMD. Someone said it’s like the Superbowl of vintage racing. I only hope that I can live up to what this honor means.”

Narduzzi, 45, of Wadsworth, Ohio, rode his 1968 Honda 450 to victory in the Grand Prix 500 and Clubman 500 roadracing classes on one day and repeated the next day.

And in his first dirt-track race of the year, he earned points at the Ashland County Fairgrounds in the 500 Masters class, finishing 10th. The points sealed the title.

He says he can’t wait for the AMA Racing Championship Awards Banquet in Las Vegas, Nev.

“We’re amateurs, but for one day we get to feel like pros,” he says, referring to the awards banquet.

More racing news from AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is in AMA Racer, bound in this issue if you’re a Competition Member, or online at AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

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For John Basore and several others, keeping the flame alive for Harley-Davidson/Aermacchi motorcycles is a labor of love.

“They’re just a great piece of motorcycle history,” says Basore, who spearheaded the effort to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Harley-Davidson/Aermacchi Sprint with a display of historic machines from the marque’s history. “They were small motorycles that gave a lot of people their start in motorcycles.”

As the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Classic Club, Basore’s group amassed an amazing collection of machines, with a

championship-winning RR 250 heading the bill—along with one of about every racer Aermacchi ever made.

Aermacchi Harley-Davidsons, sold in the 1960s and ’70s, were the result of an unusual partnership between Harley-Davidson and a small-bore Italian bike brand that yielded beginner-friendly bikes.

“At the time, Aermacchis may have seemed like an unusual choice to put in Harley-Davidson dealerships,” Basore says. “But the fact is that Harley’s ownership allowed Aermacchi to win world championships for Harley-Davidson.”

You don’t get a nickname like this for nothing.

Kane “Insane” Friesen and his thrilling street extreme stunt show puts on an awesome display of riding talent, leaving attendees amazed at what’s possible on two wheels.

Friesen has that rare ability to defy gravity on his ZX10R. He’s able to loft his front end seemingly past vertical in slow wheelies, pull off incredibly long nose wheelies, and turn increasingly tight doughnuts, all while smoking his rear tire.

“I grew up around motorcycles, and I love to see how the technology has changed,” he says. “It’s amazing to look at the old bikes and compare that to a new machine. Even the changes in a few model years are incredible, let alone those from the vintage era to today.”

Remembering an unlikely partnershipHarley-Davidson/Aermacchi Bikes Showcased

Crazy Talent Entertains CrowdsYeah, ‘Insane’ Just About Sums It Up

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Semi-Factory, Full-Time Fun, All DedicationRaising The Bar For Amateur Vintage Racing

Kent Knudson isn’t your typical vintage racer. He’s a team owner—a rarity in a discipline dominated by individual efforts.

Indeed, at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Knudson has 10 racers competing in 23 classes. His numerous Penton vintage racebikes are meticulously maintained, built with factory and custom parts. His team includes mechanics as well as riders, with each bike getting an assigned wrench.

As for the riders, Knudson has attracted plenty of talent, including Cory Buttrick, who races for the factory KTM team, and Adam Giddings, who won the AMA Racing Vintage Off-Road Grand Championship this year.

So, why does Knudson make the investment to get involved on such a high level? He’s here just because he loves vintage racing, as well as this event.

“I’ve always been interested in motorcycle history,” Knudson says. “These were the cool bikes when we were kids, either the bikes we couldn’t afford or the bikes we had. As for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, I’ve been to every one. I love it here.”

For more information, visit MotorcycleMuseum.org or

call (614) 856-2222

noveMber 18-20, 2011red rock casino resort & spa

Las vegas, nevada

Legends ChampionsWeekend 2011

&

Gala event featuring history’s motorcycling legends, today’s amateur champions and yesterday’s collectible motorcycles. Three days of celebration, memories and camaraderie.

| Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Friday, nov. 18 | Concours d’elegance, Saturday, nov. 19 || AMA Racing Championship Banquet, Sunday, nov. 20 |

americanmotorcyclist.com/events/LegendsandChampions

LC_FullPage 1 8/18/11 9:09 AM

VICTORY!It seemed crazy in 2008 when Congress

passed a law that essentially outlawed the sale of kids’ dirtbikes because of potential lead content in certain components.

Now, three years later, both houses of Congress and President Barack Obama agree a fix was needed, and the future of new generations of off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders is now bright.

That’s right—the long battle is over!In a whirlwind 12 days in August, the fix

that the AMA and others had pushed for three years passed the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate and earned the president’s signature to end 36 months of intense efforts.

Specifically, on Aug. 12, President Obama signed into law H.R. 2715 that exempts kids’ OHVs from the lead-content limits of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008—known as the lead law—once again making it legal to sell those machines.

Introduced by Reps. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) and G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), H.R. 2715 cleared the House by a 421-2 vote on Aug. 1. The bill earned Senate approval by unanimous consent the same day.

“Without the involvement of everyone in the community—from motorcycle and ATV industry officials to very young riders—this couldn’t have happened,” says

IT TOOK NEARLY THREE YEARS and massive efforts by AMA members and others—including an impressive showing at an AMA rally in Washington, D.C.—but in the end, the good guys win. Kids’ dirtbikes can now legally be sold, and the future is secure for generations of riders.

AUGUST 12, 2011 • H.R. 2715

AMA MEMBERSCRUSH THE LEAD LAWBy Bill KresnakPhoto By Peggy Malcolm

VICTORY!

Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO. “Everyone involved deserves a lot of thanks not only for ensuring that kids can continue to ride today, but for ensuring that our sport will continue to grow in the future as young riders become adult riders.”

The CPSIA was signed into law by then President George Bush on Aug. 14, 2008, and went into effect on Feb. 10, 2009. It banned the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under that contained more than a trace amount of lead in any accessible part, including kids’ dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

The CPSIA also required that all children’s products undergo expensive periodic testing by independent laboratories approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which is responsible for implementing the law.

Aimed at children’s toys, the CPSIA also ensnared kids’ dirtbikes and ATVs because trace levels of lead can be found in parts such as brake calipers. Other children’s products were also affected by the CPSIA, such as books, clothes, bicycles, telescopes and microscopes.

The CPSC delayed enforcing certain parts of the law until the end of this year, granting a reprieve for child-sized dirtbikes and ATVs. That gave those concerned about the law time to change it before the reprieve ended.

The AMA and its members have been at the forefront of the fight to exclude child-size motorcycles and ATVs from the CPSIA since early 2009.

“The AMA has participated in news events to focus media attention on

the issue, lobbied on Capitol Hill, and organized campaigns to encourage riders and parents to contact their federal lawmakers to exempt kids’ OHVs from the CPSIA,” Dingman says.

As a result, every member of Congress, as well as members of the CPSC, received powerful statements from members of the AMA and its partner organization, the All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA).

Efforts Were Intense To Change Law“Federal legislators deserve a lot of

thanks for their tireless efforts, especially U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and all the other lawmakers who supported an exemption,” Dingman says. “Hundreds of thousands of parents, kids and motorcycling club members responded to AMA calls for action to contact their elected officials and their efforts, along with all those volunteers who circulated petitions and took other actions, brought this issue to the attention of Congress and turned the tide in our favor.

“Make no mistake, those letters, emails and telephone calls to Congress played a pivotal role in convincing lawmakers to exempt OHVs from the lead law,” he says. “In the end, legisators responded to the pressure applied by OHV activists.”

“I’m also convinced that the AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb held on May 26 played a major role, since it put a human

face on the issue by showing lawmakers the kids and families who are suffering because of the CPSIA,” Dingman says.

“I want to thank Racer X magazine, Doublin Gap Motocross Park, Mason Dixon Riding Association 6 and 7, Tomahawk MX Park, the Middle Atlantic Motocross Association, Budds Creek Motocross Park, High Point Raceway and advocates such as the Yentzer family and Moto-Patriot Nancy Sabater, who brought youngsters to Washington, D.C., for the AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb to lobby their lawmakers,” he says.

Dingman also thanks other organizations and individuals that worked diligently on the effort, including:• The Motorcycle Industry Council

(MIC) and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), which are trade groups representing members of the motorcycle and ATV industries.

• The motorcycle enthusiast and trade media.

• Sean Hilbert, president of Cobra Motorcycles, which makes kids’ competition motocross machines.

• The Coombs family and Tim Cotter of MX Sports, which has conducted the famed AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, featuring thousands of promising young riders, for 30 years.“I want to extend a very special thanks

to Malcolm Smith, a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, who brought a

“Letters, emails and telephone calls to Congress played a pivotal role in convincing lawmakers to exempt OHVs from the lead law. In the end, legisators responded to the pressure applied by OHV activists.” – Rob Dingman

lot of media attention to the unfairness of the lead law when he hosted a media event in 2009 at his motorcycle dealership and sold some youth OHVs despite the law,” Dingman says.

Children Win—And LearnAfter years of effort to overturn the de

facto ban, the real winners are the families and children who enjoy responsible motorized recreation.

“It would have been devastating to my children and thousands more just like them if they were unable to ride, and it would have been a shame if the reason they couldn’t ride was because our government failed them,” says Peggy Malcolm of Littleton, Colo.

She is the mother of Erin, 11, Adi, 7, and Carter, 5, who won an AMA video contest that earned them a trip to Washington, D.C., to be the honored guests at the AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb on May 26 that brought families together to lobby their lawmakers.

Tyler Newcomer, who was instrumental in getting families with young racers from the Tomahawk MX Park in Hedgesville, W.Va., to the AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb, says: “Through the hard work of the AMA and the families that support young riders, the voices of our children were heard on Capitol Hill.

“This bill will help protect our children by assuring them the opportunity to ride age-appropriate motorcycles,” he says. “The children who attended the Hill Climb know that they helped save their right to ride, but it’s also important for them to know they helped protect the motorcycle industry during tough economic times.

“This bill will help save jobs. Our children truly made a difference,” Newcomer says.

David Newell of Montpelier, Va., says he was out riding with his sons, Shane, 5, and Michael, 8, when Obama signed the bill into law.

“Michael races 70cc Production in District 13 (Virginia) of the AMA. Shane wants to race as well. Michael loves racing. As long as he keeps his grades up, he can continue to race. We also spend more time together as a family by riding the track together.

“If it wasn’t for the bill being passed, my son would probably end up sitting in front of the TV playing video games instead of getting all of this exercise,” Newell says.

Rod Yentzer of Carlisle, Pa., whose son, Chase, 9, has been an avid motocross racer for several years, adds: “Chase and I are both ecstatic that this thing’s finally over and that all the little kids to come won’t have an issue with buying bikes.

“For me, it’s the only thing that Chase and I do. We either ride motorcycles or go to work or school and if we weren’t able to buy motorcycles, it would be devastating,” Yentzer says. “But all the kids to come who won’t be affected by the lead law, that’s what we’re excited about.”

Industry Officials And Dealers React

Like others in the motorcycling and ATV communities, Paul Vitrano, general counsel of the MIC and executive vice president and general counsel of the SVIA, is pleased with the new law.

“We are gratified that all the powersports community’s efforts paid off. This will ensure that youth models will be available for them to ride safely with their families,” Vitrano says. “It’s very important because the youth models were created to give them appropriate-sized vehicles to enter into the sport.”

Sean Hilbert, president of Cobra Motorcycles, which makes kids’ competition motocross machines, also is glad that the long fight is over.

Hilbert had feared that his company would be forced to close its doors because it wouldn’t be able to afford to comply with the testing requirements of the CPSIA. Now, he sees a bright future for his

company and for the mini-racers who ride Cobras.

“I’m extremely relieved that we will be able to stay in business after Dec. 31 of this year,” Hilbert says.

“It affects the 30 or so direct employees we have at Cobra but we also do business with about 150 companies in the Midwest so it affects them as well.

“The question I was asked a lot is whether we could have made a motorcycle that met the requirement for lead,” he says. “Eventually we could have gotten there... But the cost of compliance would have made it economically unviable to make children’s motorcycles.

“There’s never been any evidence whatsoever that kids have ingested any lead in their bloodstreams from riding a motorcycle,” Hilbert adds. “So there is no safety issue with lead.”

Tim Cotter of MX Sports, which has been on the front lines fighting the lead law with the AMA and others, said the law’s change will have far-reaching consequences.

“You don’t have to go very far in your economics textbook to see what this means for us,” he says of the company that runs AMA motocross qualifiers and

the Loretta Lynn’s AMA Motocross National Championships.

“If you can still buy minibikes, kids can still race minibikes. But it goes farther than that,” he says. “This will help motorcycling,

both on- and off-road, to continue to grow. When you take away the ability of kids to be introduced to motorcycling before the age of 12, you probably lost those kids. They’ll be on to something else.

“Now the choice is still there,” he says.For motorcycle and ATV dealers already

suffering because of the nation’s flagging economy, passage of the exemption to the CPSIA for kids’ OHVs is welcomed news.

“The signing of H.R. 2715 brings to an end the unfortunate example of a law that simply went beyond its intended purpose and well into the private lives of parents in America concerning their right to choose and guide their children’s recreational pursuits,” says Jerry Abboud, executive director of the Powersports Dealers Association of Colorado.

“Kudos to the AMA for leading the charge and every other motorized organization, club, dealer, family and

Families representing Hedgesville, W. Va.’s Tomahawk MX Park at the AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb in Washington, D.C.

Sean Hilbert

Tim Cotter

“You Have Made Them

Feel Like Little Heroes!”

By Peggy Malcolm of Littleton, Colo.

There are so many things our kids are exposed to these days—some good and some bad. While I know it is our responsibility to protect our children from preventable dangers, I feel, in this particular case, youth motorcycles and ATVs were being unfairly accused of being dangers.

Kids gain so much from riding—no matter what level or for what reason—whether it’s recreationally or competitively. They learn self-discipline, sportsmanship and responsibility. Riding builds confidence and with that, kids thrive.

Even if they’re not always leading the pack, it’s awesome to see the effort that they put into it. Whether it’s finally conquering a tough section of trail in the woods, making it through all four motos without crashing, getting the holeshot, or making just one pass during a race—there is almost always something positive to put in your pocket when it comes to riding.

Just the little successes in this sport give kids a great sense of accomplishment. And the camaraderie that is shared between off-road families. WOW! We have met so many wonderful people through this sport and pastime—some who have truly become “family” to us and, I have to say, through all of my life experiences I have never experienced anything like it.

It would have been devastating to my children and thousands more just like them if they were unable to ride, and it would have been a shame if the reason they couldn’t ride was because “our” government failed them.

So, a sincere thank you to all members of Congress, committees, subcommittees, House and Senate, and President Obama. Knowing you have many other important

issues on your agendas today, you took the time to listen to our kids and did what needed to be done. You also showed youngsters across America the value of getting involved.

I want to thank everyone who got involved and followed it through. At our local level, the RMXA (Rocky Mountain Motocross Association) and the RMEC (Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit) for creating the banners that would be signed by hundreds in support of the “Kids Just Want to Ride Act” that we brought with us to Washington, D.C. for the AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb to have on display at the rally.

I would like to thank Arin Tegtman, who is an announcer for our local races here. He helped get the word out, not only at our races but at the motocross National held at Thunder Valley in Lakewood, Colo. David Clabaugh, who is the promoter for the Thunder Valley National, was gracious enough to let us stand up in the announcer’s tower and do a six-minute plug to show and gain support for our kids.

A big thank you going out to Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) for taking the time to hear our side and jumping on board to fight the good fight.

To the AMA—you are AMAzing! You took us all under your wing and showed us exactly what we needed to do. Your knowledge and guidance through this whole process was exceptional. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Mostly, I would like to thank you for letting my kids be a part of something so important and truly meaningful in their lives. You have made them feel like little heroes! They are so excited that this has ended in their favor and have taken such pride in knowing that it was because of their actions and their words.

I think it has taught them an important life lesson—that you should always stand up and fight for what you believe and for what is right. It really can make a difference.

When I told them it was on the president’s desk to finally be signed and that we won, they said, “That’s because of us, right?”

I told them they were exactly right.

individual who made this possible through one united voice,” he says.

“A tip of the hat to the bill’s sponsors and members of Congress for getting this one right,” he says.

“Perhaps more important than just righting a wrong, this

gives the anti-access bunch a major set back in their quest to end the handing down of a great sport from generation to generation,” Abboud says. “They have worked for years to find a way to stop kids from enjoying motorized recreation. This will no longer be a weapon in their arsenal.”

Bill Hearne, operating manager for Outdoor Motorsports, a multiline dealership in Spearfish, S.D., says the ban never should have happened and took way too long for lawmakers to fix.

“But through the efforts of the AMA and a lot of other people, we got a bad thing turned around,” Hearne says. “The sad part is that when we’re trying to have economic development, thousands of dealers lost sales. It’s many millions of dollars nationwide, I’m sure.

“When you take the whole dealer market, there is always someone on the margin, just hanging on,” he says.

“And for some, those 10 bikes that weren’t sold would be enough to push him over the edge, and you don’t have just the owner, but the workers too,” Hearne says.

A Long Fight For ChangeRep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), one of

the champions for motorcyclists and ATV riders in efforts to change the lead law, praised the passage of H.R. 2715, which included language to exempt kids’ OHVs.

The bill ensures federal regulators won’t force children to ride adult-sized OHVs, and the bill is good for business, he says.

On the Senate side, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) noted that she worked with the AMA, the MIC and the SVIA to get legislation approved to exempt OHVs from the lead law and is happy this bill passed: “This legislation will help both ensure children’s safety and spare countless businesses and individuals unnecessary cost and disruption.”

In the end, thankfully, kid motorcyclists and ATV riders are the winners.

Carter, Peggy, Erin and Adi Malcolm

Jerry Abboud

Bill Hearne

October 2011 43

A few of the hundreds of AMA-sanctioned events this month, detailed on the following pages. GO RIDE

1 The warriors of the dirt oval close out their season this month in AMA Pro Grand National Championship

Series action. First up is the Calistoga Speedway Half-Mile in Calistoga, Calif., Oct. 1. The season finale takes place at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., Oct. 15. For more info, see page 47.

2 Don’t miss out on the last AMA Premier Touring

Series National Gypsy tour of the season: The Big Bike Weekend that will be held Oct. 7-9 in Redding, Calif.

This is a three-day lifestyle event that takes place at the base of the mountains in far northern California, featuring fun and great entertainment. Info: BigBikeWeekend.com.

3 See the best of the best amateur roadracers from around the nation face off in the AMA Roadrace

Grand Championships, Oct. 8-9, at the Putnam Park Road Course in

Greencastle, Ind. They will be vying for national No. 1 plates, bragging rights, and the prestigious Horizon Award that is given to the amateur roadracer who shows the most promise for a successful professional career. Info: [email protected].

4 Don’t forget that the AMA Right to Ride Grand Tour wraps up Oct. 30. Now is your last chance to

saddle up and earn points by heading off to locations that illustrate battles to defend motorcyclists’ rights. Info: AmericanMotorcyclist.com/RoadRide/Touring.

5 Some of the best woods riders on the planet will be battling each other in two rounds of the

Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series this month: Oct. 8-9 in St. Clairsville, Ohio, and Oct. 22-23 in Crawfordsville, Ind. Info: GNCCRacing.com.

6 The 17th annual Shenandoah 500 AMA KTM

National Dual Sport Trail Riding Series event is set for Oct. 1-2 at Natural Chimneys Park in Mt. Solon, Va. The two-day ride covers nearly 300 miles on scenic back roads, dirt roads and trails. This is a relaxed and fun ride for all riders with some trail riding and road experience. But there are optional “hero” sections for more experienced riders. Info: NVTR.org.

COMING UP

The AMA Legends & Champions Weekend, Nov. 18-20 in Las Vegas, Nev., kicks off with the 2011 Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Nov. 18, followed by the Dave Mungenast Memorial Motorcycle Hall of Fame Concours d’Elegance bike show on Nov. 19 and the AMA Racing Championship Banquet on Nov. 20. Info: AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

1

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ARIZONA

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RUN

OCT 16: MESA: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

COMPETITION

MOTOCROSS

OCT 22: BUCKEYE: ARIZONA CYCLE PARK/CMC ARIZONA RACING LLC, (623) 853-0750, ARIZONACYCLEPARK.COM

OCT 23: BUCKEYE: ARIZONA CYCLE PARK/CMC ARIZONA RACING LLC, (623) 853-0750, ARIZONACYCLEPARK.COM

ARKANSAS

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RALLY

OCT 14: PARIS: MOTORCYCLE SPORT TOURING ASSOCIATION, (479) 963-2400

CALIFORNIA

RECREATIONAL

DUAL SPORT RIDE

OCT 1: UKIAH: 2-DAY EVENT, NORTH BAY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (707) 823-9256

POKER RUN

OCT 1: ROSEVILLE: BLACK WIDOWS INC, (916) 649-9224, BLACKWIDOWSPOKERRUN.ORG

ROAD RUN

OCT 2: FAIRFIELD: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

OCT 16: CARDIFF: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

TOY RUN

OCT 15: JAMESTOWN: SONORA, (209) 694-0370

COMPETITION

1/2 MILE DIRT TRACK

OCT 22: RANCHO CORDOVA: 2-DAY EVENT, MCALLISTER MOTORSPORTS, (916) 837-3243, ARENACROSS-TT.COM

ENDURO

OCT 16: RIDGECREST: TRAINING WHEELS MC, (661) 822-0331, TRAININGWHEELSMC.COM

OCT 23: STONEFORD: OAKLAND MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (510) 828-8149, OAKLANDMC.ORG

HARE & HOUND

OCT 9: JOHNSON VALLEY: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (949) 981-1677, SOCALMC.COM

OCT 23: LUCERNE VALLEY: 100’S MC, (949) 584-4939, 100SMC.ORG

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 8: SAN JOSE: 2 DAY EVENT, TIMEKEEPERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (408) 739-9576, TIMEKEEPERSMC.COM

OCT 9: EL CENTRO: OVER THE BELT RACING, INC, (619) 589-7067, OTBRACING-D38.NET

REL-ENDURO - ISDE

OCT 22: GRIZZLY FLATS: POLKA DOTS MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (916) 608-0676, POLKADOTSMC.COM

OCT 29: TRACY: CALIFORNIA ENDURO

RIDERS ASSOCIATION, (800) 477-7147, CERA.ORG

SCRAMBLES

OCT 9: LODI: LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (209) 368-8718

SHORT TRACK

OCT 8: LODI: LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (209) 368-8718

CONNECTICUT

COMPETITION

OBSERVED TRIALS

OCT 30: MERIDEN: MERIDEN MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (203) 235-9669

FLORIDA

RECREATIONAL

POKER RUN

OCT 30: FORT WALTON: SAND DOLLAR MC INC, (850) 244-0376, SANDOLLARMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM

COMPETITION

MOTOCROSS

OCT 2: GAINESVILLE: UNLIMITED SPORTS MX INC, (407) 473-4373, UNLIMITEDSPORTSMX.COM

OCT 9: DADE CITY: UNLIMITED SPORTS MX INC, (407) 473-4373, UNLIMITEDSPORTSMX.COM

OCT 16: REDDICK: UNLIMITED SPORTS MX INC, (407) 473-4373, UNLIMITEDSPORTSMX.COM

OCT 23: GAINESVILLE: UNLIMITED SPORTS MX INC, (407) 473-4373, UNLIMITEDSPORTSMX.COM

GEORGIA

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RUN

OCT 1: ALPHARETTA: FUN AND RELIABLE TIDDLERS, (770) 923-1685

ILLINOIS

RECREATIONAL

POKER RUN

OCT 9: BARTONVILLE: PEORIA MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (309) 697-1285, PEORIATT.NET

COMPETITION

ENDURO

OCT 16: WHITE CITY: CAHOKIA CREEK DIRT RIDERS, (618) 946-4316, CCDIRT.COM

GRAND PRIX

OCT 9: WALNUT: 4P PROMOTIONS INC, (815) 379-9953, SUNSETRIDGEMX.COM

OCT 15: BYRON: MOTORSPORTS ENTERPRISES LTD., (815) 234-2271, MOTOBYRON.COM

OCT 30: WEDRON: MOTO PRO INC, (815) 431-9913, FOXVALLEYOFFROAD.COM

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 9: BELLEVILLE: BELLEVILLE ENDURO TEAM INC, (618) 277-3478, BETDIRT.COM

OCT 16: TAYLORVILLE: SOUTH FORK DIRT RIDERS, (217) 237-4752

MOTOCROSS

OCT 1: MENDOTA: MOTO PRO INC, (815) 539-9021, MEGACROSS.COM


OCT 15: MENDOTA: MOTO PRO INC, (815) 539-9021, MEGACROSS.COM

OCT 15: SALEM: 2 DAY EVENT, SOUTH CENTRAL MOTOCROSS, (618) 322-2840, SOUTHCENTRALMX.COM


OCT 30: BYRON: MOTORSPORTS ENTERPRISES LTD., (815) 234-2271, MOTOBYRON.COM

INDIANA

COMPETITION

ENDURO

OCT 1: MATTHEWS: MUDDOBBERS MC INC, (765) 998-2236, MUDDOBBERSMC.ORG

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 16: CULVER: PLYMOUTH BLACKHAWKS MC INC, (574) 259-9010

OCT 22: CRAWFORDSVILLE: RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, (304) 284-0084, GNCCRACING.COM

OCT 23: CRAWFORDSVILLE: RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, (304) 284-0084, GNCCRACING.COM

IOWA

COMPETITION

ENDURO

OCT 29: ZWINGLE: ENDURO PILOT MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (319) 465-5001, IERA22.COM

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 16: CARLISLE : IOWA ATV HARE SCRAMBLE SERIES, (515) 971-3136, [email protected]

MOTOCROSS

OCT 8: MONTEZUMA: 2-DAY EVENT, FV MOTO X, (641) 623-3456, FVMOTOX.COM

OCT 15: CEDAR RAPIDS: CEDAR VALLEY TRAIL RIDERS INC, (319) 363-7800, CVTR.ORG

LOUISIANA

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RUN

OCT 23: LAFAYETTE: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

MARYLAND

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RUN

OCT 9: MECHANICSVILLE: MARCH OF DIMES-MD NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA, (703) 824-0111, BIKERSFORBABIES.COM

COMPETITION

MOTOCROSS

OCT 2: LEONARDTOWN: BUDDS CREEK MOTOCROSS PARK, (301) 475-2000, BUDDSCREEK.COM

OCT 8: MECHANICSVILLE: 2-DAY EVENT, MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION, (410) 375-5105, MAMAMX.COM

OCT 29: LEONARDTOWN: BUDDS CREEK MOTOCROSS PARK, (301) 475-2000, BUDDSCREEK.COM

MASSACHUSETTS

COMPETITION

HILL CLIMB

OCT 2: MONSON: QUABOAG RIDERS INC, (413) 267-4414,

QUABOAGRIDERSMC.COM

MICHIGAN

RECREATIONAL

POKER RUN

OCT 2: GRAND RAPIDS: PARA-DICE MC, (616) 205-6342

COMPETITION

MOTOCROSS

OCT 8: BELDING: GRATTAN RACEWAY MOTOCROSS, (616) 691-7221

OCT 9: BELDING: GRATTAN RACEWAY MOTOCROSS, (616) 691-7221

OCT 16: MILLINGTON: BULLDOG RIDERS M/C, (248) 284-4557, BULLDOGMX.COM

OBSERVED TRIALS

OCT 2: FLUSHING: MICHIGAN ONTARIO TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (248) 583-3143, MOTATRIALS.COM

MINNESOTA

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 2: BROWERVILLE: MOTO CITY RACEWAY & RECREATION INC, (612) 919-9345, MOTORCITYRACEWAY.COM

OCT 9: MAZEPPA: GOLDEN EAGLES CYCLE CLUB, , GOLDENEAGLESMC.ORG

MOTOCROSS

OCT 2: FARIBAULT: MOTOKAZIE INC, (952) 601-1169, MOTOKAZIE.COM

OCT 2: BROOK PARK: BERM BENDERS RACEWAY, (320) 679-9258, BERMBENDERS.COM

OCT 9: MILLVILLE: HI WINDERS, (507) 753-3277, SPRINGCREEKMX.COM

OBSERVED TRIALS

OCT 1: REDWING: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (507) 351-8879

OCT 2: REDWING: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (507) 351-8879

OCT 15: THEILMAN: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (507) 351-8879

OCT 16: THEILMAN: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (507) 351-8879

MISSISSIPPI

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 16: WIGGINS: MASTERLINKS ENDURO TEAM, (228) 860-8335

MISSOURI

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RUN

OCT 8: ST LOUIS: 2-DAY EVENT, MARCH OF DIMES-MO GREATER MISSOURI CHAPTER, (314) 513-3996, BIKERSFORBABIES.ORG

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 16: PARK HILLS: MISSOURI MUDDERS, (636) 639-9637, MOMUDDERS.COM

MOTOCROSS

OCT 29: COLUMBIA: 2-DAY EVENT, MOTOCROSS PARENTS, (660) 621-1029, MXPRACING.COM

NEVADA

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RUN

OCT 2: LAS VEGAS: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S.,

October 2011 45

(800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

COMPETITION

ENDURO

OCT 1: DAYTON: 2-DAY EVENT, WESTERN STATES RACING ASSOCIATION, (775) 851-1527, WESTERNSTATESRACING.COM

NEW JERSEY

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RUN

OCT 16: AUGUSTA: BLUE KNIGHTS-NJ IX, (973) 271-9248

COMPETITION

MOTOCROSS

OCT 1: ENGLISHTOWN: 2-DAY EVENT, RACEWAY PARK, (732) 446-6780, RACEWAYPARK.COM

OCT 8: WILDWOOD: 2-DAY EVENT, NEW JERSEY THUNDER MOTORSPORTS INC, (609) 523-8051, THUNDERMOTO.COM

NEW MEXICO

COMPETITION

OBSERVED TRIALS

OCT 8: LA QUAVA: 2-DAY EVENT, NEW MEXICO TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (505) 332-3172

NEW YORK

RECREATIONAL

POKER RUN

OCT 23: HICKSVILLE: AMERICAN SPIRIT MC NY HEMPSTEAD, AMERICANSPIRITMCINC.COM

ROAD RUN

OCT 2: AMITYVILLE: SOUTH SHORE MC, (631) 316-6300, BREATHEFORBRITT.ORG

OCT 16: ELMSFORD: RAMAPO MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (201) 767-3594, RAMDPOMC.ORG

OCT 30: BRONX: CELTIC MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (914) 924-2170, CELTICM.C.C.COM

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 15: RICHFORD: BROOME TIOGA SPORTS CENTER INC, (607) 849-4438, BROOME-TIOGA.COM

MOTOCROSS


OCT 9: MAPLE VIEW: SMX ASSOCIATES LLC, (315) 480-7733, MOTOMASTERS.COM

OCT 15: WALLKILL: WALDEN MX, (845) 895-5253, WALDENMX.COM


OCT 29: JAPHAH: LONG ISLAND MOTOCROSS INC, (631) 286-9411, ISLANDMOTOCROSS.COM

OBSERVED TRIALS

OCT 9: MORELAND: AMA-DIST 04 TRIALS COMMITTEE, (607) 535-9321

SHORT TRACK

OCT 2: PATTERSONVILLE: ELECTRIC CITY RIDERS, (518) 542-2144

NORTH CAROLINA

COMPETITION

MOTOCROSS

OCT 22: ASHEBORO: ZOO CITY

MOTOR SPORTS PARK, (336) 873-9447, ZOOCITYMX.COM

OCT 30: ELLERBE: WINDY HILL SPORTS, (910) 895-4387, WINDYHILLSPORTSMX.COM

OHIO

RECREATIONAL

DUAL SPORT RIDE

OCT 8: MCARTHUR: 2-DAY EVENT, ENDURO RIDERS ASSOCIATION, (614) 582-7821, ENDURORIDERS.COM

OCT 23: ATHENS: ATHENS MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (740) 592-6480, ATHENSMOTORCYCLCECLUB.COM

POKER RUN

OCT 16: PORTSMOUTH: PORTSMOUTH CYCLING CLUB, (740) 352-7200

ROAD RUN

OCT 8: MORROW: TRAIN MRO INC, (513) 939-4036

COMPETITION

GRAND PRIX

OCT 2: SUGAR GROVE: AMA-DIST 11, (740) 474-2751, DISTRICT11AMA.COM

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 1: SUGAR GROVE: AMA-DIST 11, (740) 474-2751, DISTRICT11AMA.COM

OCT 8-9: ST. CLAIRSVILLE: RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, (304) 284-0084, GNCCRACING.COM

OCT 16: ATHENS: ACTION SPORTS PROMOTIONS INC, (740) 591-7223, ACTIONSPORTSRACING.COM

MOTOCROSS

OCT 1: SUGAR GROVE: AMA-DIST 11, (740) 474-2751, DISTRICT11AMA.ORG

OCT 2: BLANCHESTER: DIRT COUNTRY, (513) 625-7350, DIRTCOUNTRYMX.COM

OCT 2: NEW VIENNA: NEW VIENNA MOTORSPORTS, (937) 987-2100, NEWVIENNAMOTORSPORTS.COM

OCT 9: SUGAR GROVE: CENTRAL OHIO COMPETITION RIDERS INC., (740) 983-3937, COCRMX.COM

OBSERVED TRIALS

OCT 1: LITTLE HOCKING: 2-DAY EVENT, TRIALS INC, (740) 732-4056, TRIALSINC.ORG

PENNSYLVANIA

RECREATIONAL

POKER RUN

OCT 2: SCHUYLKILL HAVEN: SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (570) 385-5146, SCHUYLKILLCOUNTY MOTORCYCLECLUB.COM

OCT 2: KRESGEVILLE: ZINC CITY MC, (610) 681-9903, ZINCCITYMC.ORG

OCT 9: COLUMBIA: THUNDERBIRD MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (717) 898-0871

ROAD RUN

OCT 2: LANCASTER: TWIN ROSE LADY RIDERS, (717) 898-0100, LANCASTERHONDA.COM

OCT 9: PARRYVILLE: BLOCKER ENTERPRISES INC, (610) 377-0440, BLOCKERS.COM

OCT 22: PHILADELPHIA: NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, (678) 801-6238, MAKINGNOISEFOR SILENTSUFFERERS2011.EVENTBRITE.COM/

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 2: HOOKSTOWN: 10 SECONDS RACING, (412) 877-9459, 10SECONDSRACING.COM

OCT 2: BLOOMSBURG: ROAD WINDER MC

OCT 16: PINE GROVE: DUTCHMEN MX PARK, LLC., (570) 345-5668, DUTCHMENMXPARK.COM

OCT 29: LAWTON: 2-DAY EVENT, VALLEY FORGE TRAIL RIDERS, (610) 476-3747, VFTR.ORG

MOTOCROSS

OCT 2: SHIPPENSBURG: DOUBLIN GAP MX PARK INC, (717) 249-6036, DOUBLINGAP.COM

OCT 2: THREE SPRINGS: ROCKET RACEWAY, (814) 448-8270

OCT 9: NEW ALEXANDRIA: PITTSBURGH RACEWAY PARK, (724) 668-7600, PITTSBURGHRACEWAYPARK.COM

OCT 15: SEWARD: 2-DAY EVENT, PLEASURE VALLEY RACEWAY, (814) 539-4114, PVMX.COM

OCT 16: HANOVER: HAPPY RAMBLERS, (717) 633-7708, HAPPYRAMBLERS.COM

OCT 16: THREE SPRINGS: ROCKET RACEWAY, (814) 448-8270, ROCKETRACEWAY.COM

OCT 30: SHIPPENSBURG: DOUBLIN GAP MX PARK INC, (717) 249-6036, DOUBLINGAP.COM

SHORT TRACK

OCT 22: SPRING RUN: TWO WHEEL PROMOTIONS, (717) 349-9711, PATHVALLEY.COM

OCT 23: PORT ROYAL: TWO WHEEL PROMOTIONS

TT

OCT 9: PARKESBURG: E PA PISTON POPPERS MC INC, (484) 336-9160, [email protected]

SOUTH CAROLINA

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 30: GASTON: COLUMBIA ENDURO RIDERS ASSOC, (803) 788-4220, SETRA.ORG

TENNESSEE

COMPETITION

MOTOCROSS

OCT 15-16: BLOUNTVILLE: VICTORY SPORTS INC, (423) 323-5497, VICTORY-SPORTS.COM

TEXAS

RECREATIONAL

DUAL SPORT RIDE

OCT 22: STUDY BUTTE: 2-DAY EVENT, TRAIL RIDERS OF HOUSTON, (713) 248-7222, TRH-CYCLE.ORG

ROAD RUN

OCT 2: GRAPEVINE: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

OCT 15: HOUSTON: RIDERS FOR THE CURE, (713) 563-9230, RIDERFORTHECURE.ORG

ROAD RALLY

OCT 21: LUCKENBACH: 2-DAY EVENT, CENTRAL TEXAS MOTORCYCLE CHARITIES, (512) 922-5494, HARVESTCLASSIC.ORG

OCT 28: KERRVILLE: MOTORCYCLE SPORT TOURING ASSOCIATION, (877) 967-3767

VIRGINIA

RECREATIONAL

DUAL SPORT RIDE

OCT 1: MT SOLON: 2-DAY EVENT, NVTR AKA- WASHINGTON AREA TRAIL RIDERS, INC., (540) 379-5631, NVTR.ORG

ROAD RALLY

OCT 1: MANASSAS: 2-DAY EVENT, VIRGINIA BRITISH MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (703) 368-0173, PWCFAIR.COM

COMPETITION

CROSS COUNTRY

OCT 22: ALTON: LONE RIDER PRODUCTIONS, (804) 920-2529, VXCS.ORG

OCT 23: ALTON: LONE RIDER PRODUCTIONS, (866) 967-8927, VXCS.ORG

GRAND PRIX

OCT 2: RURAL RETREAT: VIRGINIA CHAMPIONSHIP HS SERIES, (757) 871-1573, VCHSS.ORG

OCT 16: CARTERSVILLE: VIRGINIA CHAMPIONSHIP HS SERIES, (757) 871-1573, VCHSS.ORG

MOTOCROSS

OCT 8: DISPUTANTA : 2-DAY EVENT, SOUTH FORK COMPETITION PARK, , SOUTHFORKMX.COM

OCT 22: AMELIA: 2-DAY EVENT, AMR MX, (804) 221-1368, AMRMX.COM

OCT 29: AXTON: 2-DAY EVENT, LAKE SUGAR TREE, (276) 650-1158, LAKESUGARTREE.COM

WEST VIRGINIA

COMPETITION

MOTOCROSS

OCT 22: HEDGEVILLE: 2-DAY EVENT, MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION, (410) 375-1059, MAMAMX.COM

OBSERVED TRIALS

OCT 15: MAIDSVILLE: 2-DAY EVENT, TRIALS INC, (304) 376-4469, TRIALSINC.ORG

WISCONSIN

RECREATIONAL

DUAL SPORT RIDE

OCT 16: HARTFORD: KETTLE MORAINE SPORT RIDERS INC, (262) 334-1743, KETTLEMORAINESPORTRIDERS.COM

POKER RUN

OCT 22: CROSS PLAINS: MADISON MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (608) 220-5564, MADISONMOTORCYCLECLUB.ORG

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

OCT 2: NEKAOSA: RAPID ANGELS MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (715) 421-5038, RAPIDANGELS.COM

MOTOCROSS

OCT 2: TIGERTON: FANTASY MOTO LLC, (920) 419-9286, FANTASYMOTO.COM

OCT 9: LAKE MILLS: AZTALAN CYCLE CLUB INC, (608) 692-4648, AZTALANCYCLE.COM

OCT 16: HILLPOINT: SUGAR MAPLE MX LLC, (608) 393-8812, SUGARMAPLEMX.COM


HALL OF FAME EXHIBITSMOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME MOTORCYCLEMUSEUM.ORG

The Hall of Fame is on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Closed: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Main Hall: Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Recognizing those who have made significant contributions to all aspects of motorcycling.

Dirt-Track! All-American Motorcycle Racing: Celebrating the storied history of the men and machines who battle on the dirt oval.

30-Year Ride: Honda’s Ohio-made Motorcycles: Gold Wings aren’t the only bikes that Honda produced at its plant in Marysville, Ohio. This exhibit showcases the 30 years of production, from the CR250 to the Rune.

Founder’s Hall: Honoring the Hall of Fame’s generous contributors.

AMA PRO RACING

AMA PRO SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP AMAPRORACING.COM

AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP MXSPORTSPRORACING.COM

Sept. 10: San Diego, Calif.: Pala Raceway

AMA PRO GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AMAPRORACING.COM

Sept. 10: Knoxville, Iowa: Knoxville Raceway Half-Mile

Sept. 24: Minneapolis: Canterbury Park Mile

Oct. 1: Calistoga, Calif.: Calistoga Speedway Half-Mile

Oct. 15: Pomona, Calif.: AMA Pro Flat Track Season Finale, LA County Fairplex

AMA PRO HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP AMAPRORACING.COM

Sept. 11: Freemansburg, Pa.

Sept. 25: Jefferson, Pa.

Oct. 9: Oregonia, Ohio

AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

CAN-AM GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY GNCCRACING.COM

Sept. 10-11: New Berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla Raceway

Sept. 24-25: Somerset, Pa.

Oct. 8-9: St. Clairsville, Ohio: Powerline Park

Oct. 22-23: Crawfordsville, Ind.: Tom’s Marine Polaris

Nov. 4-6: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: Loretta Lynn’s Ranch

AMA RACING NATIONAL HARE & HOUND NATIONALHAREANDHOUND.COM

Oct. 9: Johnson Valley, Calif.: Justin Shultz, SoCal MC; (949) 981-6776, SoCalMC.com

Oct. 23: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Ryan Sanders, 100’s MC; (949) 584-9395, 100sMC.org

AMA NATIONAL ENDURO NATIONALENDURO.COM

Oct. 1: Matthews, Ind.: Doug Spence, Muddobbers MC; (765) 998-2236, MuddobbersMC.org

ENDUROCROSS ENDUROCROSS.COM

Sept. 17: Ontario, Calif.: Citizens Business Bank Arena

Oct. 1: Denver: National Western Complex

Oct. 22: Boise, Idaho: Idaho Center

Nov 19: Las Vegas, Nev.: Orleans Arena

AMA RACING EAST HARE SCRAMBLES AMARACING.COM

Sept. 18 (Youth & Amateur): Lynnville, Ind.: Kenny Moore, IN IL KY Enduro Riders; (812) 549-8385, BlackCoal.org

Oct. 15 (Youth) Oct. 16 (Amateur): Westfield, Mass.: Scott Fontaine, Knox Trail Riders; (508) 864-7316, WNYOA.net

Oct. 30 (Youth & Amateur): Gosport, Ind.: Mike Gibbs, Mid America XC; (317) 418-6084, TheMAXC.com

Nov. 5 (Youth) Nov. 6 (Amateur): Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: Rita Coombs, Racer Productions; (304) 284-0084

AMA RACING ATV HARE SCRAMBLES AMARACING.COM

Oct. 29: TBD: Mike Gibbs, Mid America XC; (317) 418-6084, TheMAXC.com

AMA RACING PRO-AM MOTOCROSS AMARACING.COM

Sept. 11: Walnut, Ill.: Sunset Ridge MX, 4P Promotions Inc.; (815) 379-9534, SunsetRidgeMX.com

Sept. 17-18: Richford, N.Y.: Broome-Tioga, Broome-Tioga Sports Center; (607) 849-4438, Broome-Tioga.com

Sept. 18: Buchanan, Mich.: RedBud, RedBud; (269) 695-6405, RedBudMX.com

Sept. 24-25: New Castle, Del.: Blue Diamond MX Park, Baltimore County Trail Riders; (302) 834-5867, BCTRA.com

Sept. 25: Canton, Texas: Buffalo Creek Motocross Park, , Kingdom Motorsports; (214) 939-4321, Buffalocreekmx.com

Oct. 2: Gaylord, Mich.: Baja MX, Baja MX Inc.; (989) 871-3356, BajaMX.com

Oct. 2: Englishtown, N.J.: Raceway Park, K.R.O.C.; (734) 446-7800, Racewaypark.com

Oct. 2: Danville, Va.: Birch Creek Motorsports, Birch Creek Motorsports; (434) 836-7629, BirchCreekMotorsports.com

Oct. 9: Birdsboro, Pa.: Pagoda Motorcycle Club, Pagoda Motorcycle Club; (610) 582-3717, PagodaMotorcycleClub.com

Oct. 16: Blountville, Tenn.: Muddy Creek Raceway, Victory Sports Inc.; (423) 323-5497, VictorySportsRacing.com

Oct. 22-23: Buckeye, Ariz.: Western Pro-Am Motocross Championship, Arizona Cycle Park, Arizona Cycle Park; (623) 853-0750 ext. 4, ArizonaCyclePark.com

Oct. 29-30: Leonardtown, Md.: Budds Creek Motocross Park, Budds Creek Motocross Park; (301) 481-6148; Buddscreek.com

Oct. 30: Prentiss, Mich.: Golden Pine Raceway, Golden Pine Raceway; (601) 506-8669, GoldenPineRaceway.com

Nov. 6: Pell City, Ala.: Mill Creek, RPM Sports; (205) 699-8857, RPMSportsonline.com

Nov. 13: Musella, Ga.: Hillbilly Hills, LLQ; RPM Sports, (205) 699-8857, RPMSports.online.com

Nov. 21-23, Gainesville, Fla.: Gatorback Cycle Park, Unlimited Sports MX; (813) 470-7498, UnlimitedSportsMX.com

Nov. 24-26: Gainesville, Fla.: Gatorback Cycle Park, Unlimited Sports MX; (813) 470-7498, UnlimitedSportsMX.com

AMA AMATEUR GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA RACING ROAD RACE GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS AMARACING.COM

Oct. 8-9: Greencastle, Ind.: AMA Racing Road Race Grand Championships

AMA DUAL-SPORT/ADVENTURE SERIES

AMA KTM NATIONAL DUAL SPORT TRAIL RIDING SERIES AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM

Sep 10-11: Golden Pond, Ky.: LBL 200, KT Riders, Jesse Thomas, (270) 522-3703, [email protected]

Sept. 24-25: Buck Meadows, Calif.: Yosemite Dual Sport Adventure, Family Off Road Adventures, Lawrence Borge; (209) 649-3633; FamilyOffRoadAdventures.com

Sept. 24-25: Wabeno, Wis.: Big Woods 200, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, John Newton; (920) 350-2030; WiDualSportRiders.org

Sept. 24-25: Wolverine, Mich.: Ted’s Chandler Hill Challenge, Great Lakes Dual Sporters, Jeramy Valley; (989) 751-6863; GLDSMC.org

Oct. 1-2: Mt. Solon, Va.: Shenandoah 500 Dual Sport, NVTA, Detter Merz; (703) 505-9123; NVTR.org

Oct. 8-9: McArthur, Ohio: Baby Burr National Dual Sport, Enduro Riders Association, Steve Barber; (614) 582-7821; Enduroriders.com

Oct. 22-23: Study Butte, Texas: 14th Annual Terlingua National DS, Trail Riders of Houston, Jack Jennings; (713) 248-7222; TRH-Cycle.org

Oct. 29-30: Chatsworth, N.J.: Meteor Ride in the Pines, Meteor MC, Jeff Fitzpatrick; (609) 654-5015; MeteorMC.com

Nov. 5-6: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Hammer Run, Tri-County Sportsmen, E. Polhaumas; (856) 785-2754; TeamHammer.org

Nov. 5-6: Wickenburg, Ariz: Howlin’ at the Moon Rally, Arizona Trail Riders, Don Hood; (602) 692-9382

Nov. 25-26: Palmdale, Calif.: LA-Barstow to Vegas, AMA D37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 792-7384; District37AMA.org

AMA YAMAHA SUPER TÉNÉRÉ ADVENTURE RIDING SERIES AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM

Sep 15-19: Pendenton, Wash.: Sasquatch Dualsport Adventure Tour, Soundrider, Tom Mehren; (206) 329-7808; SoundRider.com

Sep 17-18: Logan, Ohio: Nutcracker 200, Buckeye Dualsporters, Bill Kaeppner; (740) 380-3050; KaeppnersWoods.com

Sept. 17-18: Morganton, N.C.: Blue Ridge Adventure Ride, JB SAKI Promotions, Ron Miller; (704) 309-3271

Sept. 17-18: Taos Ski Valley, N.M.: New Mexico Natl Adventure Ride, Aerostich Tours, Roger Pattison; (575) 776-8785; AerostichTours.com

Oct. 1-2: McCloud, Calif.: McCloud Adventure Ride, McCloud Dualsport Adventures, Michael Lingsch; (530) 925-0151; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com

Oct. 15-16: McCloud, Calif.: McCloud Adventure Ride, McCloud Dualsport Adventures, Michael Lingsch; (530) 925-0151; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com

Nov. 5-6: Wickensburg, Ariz.: Howlin’ at the Moon Rally, AZ Trail Riders, Don Hood; (602) 692-9382; ArizonaTrailRiders.org

Nov 5-6: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Hammer Run, Tri-County Sportsmen, E. Polhaumus; (856) 785-2754

Nov 25-26: Palmdale, Calif.: LA-Barstow to Vegas, AMA D-37, Paul Flanders; (626) 792-7384; District37AMA.org

AMA PREMIER TOURING SERIES

AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM/ROADRIDE/TOURING

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

Sept. 14-18: Ruidoso, N.M.: Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally; Golden Aspen Rally Assn; Patric Pearson, (800) 452-8045, Motorcyclerally.com

NATIONAL GYPSY TOURS

Oct. 7-9: Redding, Calif.: Big Bike Weekend; BigBikeWeekend.com

GRAND TOURS

Jan. 1 - Dec. 31: USA Four Corners Tour, SCMA, (909) 271-0137, USA4Corners.org

March 25 - Oct. 1: Smoke Chasing 2011, Eddie’s Road, [email protected], SmokeChasing.com

April 1 - Nov. 30: Ride For Your Rights Grand Tour, AMA, Dave Hembroff, (614) 856-1900 ext. 1202, AmericanMotorcyclist.com/Roadride/Touring.com

April 1 - Nov. 30: Travel the USA with KOA, Midnight Riders MC, (765) 566-3807, Midnight-Riders-MC.com

Jan. 1 - Dec. 31: California Parks Adventure, SCMA, (760) 985-7660, SC-MA.com

Jan. 1 - Dec. 31: California Mission Tour, SCMA, (760) 985-7660, SC-MA.com

Jan. 1 - Dec. 31: Three Flags Classic, SCMA, (626) 274-2237, SC-MA.com

SIGNATURE EVENTS

Sept. 25: Lido Beach, N.Y.: 9th Annual Dee Snider Ride (road ride), March of Dimes, (561) 496-8442, BikersforBabies.org

SIGNATURE EVENTS: CHARITY RIDE FOR KIDS, PBTUSRIDEFORKIDS.ORG

Sept. 11: Carnation, Wash.Sept. 11: Leeds, Ala.Sept. 11: IndianapolisSept. 18: Cottleville, Mo.Sept. 18: Phoenixville, Pa.Sept. 25: Ellicott City, MdOct. 2: Las Vegas, Nev.Oct. 2: Grapevine TexasOct. 2: Fairfield, Calif.Oct. 16: Mesa, Ariz.Oct. 16: Cardiff, Calif.Oct. 23: Lafayette, La.Nov. 6: Lithia, Fla.

October 2011 47

AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM/RIGHTS

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Motorcycling is more than just a sport that I love to participate in and watch. It is quality time spent with my family at races, work or other motorcycling events. I’m very passionate about the motorcycle industry, and I wouldn’t have chosen to grow up knowing any other lifestyle.

Motorcycles have been part of my life since I attended my first motorcycle race at 3 months old. I owe it all to my dad, Wally Wilson. He has raced dirtbikes since he was 15 years old. Then, in 1977, when he was 19, he opened up a Husqvarna shop in Pataskala, Ohio. In 1980, he moved his business to Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and changed the name to Wheelsports. He added KTM motorcycles in 1985.

I remember waking up at 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings to head to the races with my dad, mom and younger brother. We would leave when it was dark outside, and arrive home when it was dark outside. I loved holding up signs that read, “Go faster, Daddy!”

Since I was 8 years old, I helped my mom and my grandma at the AMA and District 11 (Southern Ohio) registration table for the Hocking Valley Motorcycle Club, where my dad’s a member. I remember signing up some of Ohio’s finest over the years—Mark Hyde, Cory Buttrick and Nick Fahringer, to name a few.

At the races, I’ve become known as “Wally’s daughter.” Now, when I go to watch my boyfriend race, I still have people ask, “Aren’t you Wally’s daughter?” I don’t mind, though. I’m honored, actually! He has worked hard to accomplish what he has, and I admire that.

I remember thinking that my dad was the coolest guy in the world to have ridden dirtbikes his whole life, opened a motorcycle shop, and raced for the U.S. national team at the International Six Days Enduro in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984. (And I still believe he is the coolest guy in the world!)

He taught me to ride when I was 5 years old. Soon, my parents were taking me and my brother down to Logan, Ohio, to camp and ride. My skills improved, and I went from the follower of the group to the leader. I had such a good time riding, and I found it so relaxing. Once, my dad asked me when we stopped for a break in the woods if I was singing to myself while riding.

Sure enough, I was guilty.

As soon as I could, I took the Motorcycle Safety Course and obtained my streetbike license at age 16. I am pretty sure that I was one of a few ladies in the safety course of at least 20 men.

I admire so many people in the motorcycle industry, from past riders to current riders—people such as John Penton, Malcolm Smith and Mike Lafferty. It takes a great deal of dedication, hard work, and personality to do what they have done—and are doing. One of my favorite photos was from when I was 10 years old. John Penton attended an open house at my dad’s shop in 2003, and I had my photo taken with him. The best part was, I was wearing a skirt, a KTM motorcycle jersey and a KTM hat on backwards. I have no idea what I was thinking back then!

But style-consciousness aside, I love KTM. I bleed orange! This year, I helped KTM with its demo fleet at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the second year in a row. I had a great time. My favorite event to watch is the vintage motocross. It is so neat to see how the bikes have developed and improved throughout the decades.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to turn my attention to promoting motorcycling. From school presentations to meeting folks at races or my dad’s shop or anywhere, really, I love to talk and promote motorcycling. Motorcycle enthusiasts are the friendliest people around.

At 18 years old, and ready to begin college this fall, my goal is to earn a degree in journalism and ultimately work in public relations. Maybe someday this will lead me to a career in motorcycling, promoting manufacturers, organizations or riders. Working in an industry that I am passionate about would be a dream come true. Motorcycles are in my blood. But one thing is for certain. No matter what career path I discover, I will always be an American motorcyclist.

Heather Wilson is an AMA member from Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

GUEST COLUMN

Motorcycle enthusiasts are the friendliest people around.“ ”

GROWING UP MOTOPastime Becomes A PassionBy Heather Wilson

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