American Motorcyclist 07 2010

JULY 2010

[ Malcolm Smith’s Amazing Life On Two Wheels ]

‘It’s All Come From

Riding Motorcycles’

THE JOURNAL OF THE

Introducing the Sabre. One of four new custom-style cruisers from Honda, SabreTM has a long and low posture with raked-out forks. Sporty fenders. And a tall, 21-inch front wheel. All powered by a 1312cc V-twin. It’s got the pro-street custom look you’ll want to check out. Just remember: you do so at your own risk.

Gawk.Honda.com BE A RESPONSIBLE RIDER. ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ YOUR OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. INTERSTATE,TM SABRE TM and FURY® are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ©2010 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (4/10)

FURY

SABRE

STATELINE

INTERSTATE

NAVIGATION

Cover Malcolm Smith, at his motorcycle shop in Riverside, Calif., photographed by Holly Carlyle.

Navigation Photo It’s that time of year again—to think and live “vintage.” Get pins galore, and more, at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 9-11, at the MidOhio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Photo by Ken Frick.

8. LETTERS

You write, we read.

10. GRANT PARSONS “Typical Malcolm”

12. RIGHTS

Possible national monument designations drawing more heat.

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 2010.

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.

July 2010 Volume 64, Number 7 Published by the American Motorcyclist Association 13515 Yarmouth Dr. Pickerington, OH 43147 (800) AMA-JOIN AmericanMotorcyclist.com

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18. RIDING

The sport-tourer tire dilemma, member bike impressions, and more.

26. RACING

Supercross Champ Ryan Dungey crowned, racing registration made easy.

32. HALL OF FAME

1959 Harley-Davidson dirt tracker, and Danny “Magoo” Chandler.

36. IT’S MALCOLM SMITH’S WORLD The rest of us just ride in it.

44. AN END TO THE BAN?

New federal legislation could fix the ban on kids’ dirtbikes.

48. GO RIDE

What to do, where to go.

58. DAVE TUCKER Starting over.

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Editorial officEs

aMa Board of dirEctors

American Motorcyclist 13515 Yarmouth Drive Pickerington, OH 43147 (614) 856-1900 submissions@ama-cycle.org

Contact any member of the AMA Board of Directors at www.AmericanMotorcyclist. com/whatis/trustees.asp stan simpson, Chairman Cibolo, Texas

Grant Parsons, Managing Editor James Holter, Associate Editor Bill Kresnak, Government Affairs Editor Mark Lapid, Creative Director Nora McDonald, Production Coordinator Jen Muecke, Designer

Jim Williams, Vice-Chairman Irvine, Calif.

Jon-Erik Burleson, Assistant Treasurer Murrietta, Calif.

Perry King, Assistant Secretary Northern California

advErtisiNg Bob Buchanan, Advertising Manager (310) 505-3241, bbuchanan@ama-cycle.org

John Ulrich, Executive Committee Member Lake Elsinore, Calif.

Ray Monroe, Advertising Manager (815) 633-8011, rmonroe@ama-cycle.org

andy goldfine, Duluth, Minn.

Misty Walker, Advertising Assistant (614) 856-1900, ext. 1267, mwalker@ama-cycle.org

charles goman, Winder, Ga.

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, 2010.

Michael lock, Cupertino, Calif.

Maggie McNally, Albany, N.Y. scott Miller, Milwaukee, Wis. art More, Surprise, Ariz.

Jim viverito, Chicago, Ill.

(800) AMA-JOIN AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Contributors and staff

2010 RAFFLE BIKES

ENTER TO

WIN Ml

a 1965

HONDA CUB C100 a 1969 HONDA

&

CB750 FOUR

dt

Holly carlylE, Photographer You’ve seen plenty of Holly’s work in this magazine, with cover shoots of Neil Peart and Carson Daly. Last year, we also relied on Holly to capture the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and AMA Racing Championship Banquet. This month, she pointed her able lens at off-road racing legend Malcolm Smith.

1969 HONDA CB750 FOUR

davE tUcKEr, guest columnist Dave Tucker may be what some people consider a late bloomer. He started his motorcycling love affair in his mid-60s. That hasn’t slowed him down, however. Dave is on his fourth bike—this one a BMW GS—and is planning a riding trip to Alaska. Read more about how he got to where he is today on page 58.

$5 donation per entry, five entries for $20.

More information: (614) 856-2222 WWW.MOTORCYCLEMUSEUM.ORG

Nora McdoNald, Production coordinator The CB360 is pointed toward the coast, cans tied firmly to the tailpipe, sappy and suggestive one-liners scrawled in soap on the 40-year-old fuel tank. Nora grips the bars, eyes fixed forward. And the horizon rolls ever closer. Hang on, Mike. It’s going to be one heck of a ride.

1965 HONDA CUB C100

All original, never sold or titled.

Restored by Vic World of World Motorcycles.

ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME MUSEUM a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to preserving the history of motorcycling.

JEN MUEcKE, designer Somewhere, Jen found a sucker who traded her a like-new DRZ supermoto bike for a 22-year-old Honda and something called a “Baghira.”

JM

NM

graNt ParsoNs, Managing Editor “Why do I need a car? I have the KLR for longer trips and the Moo-Scoot for around town. I think I’ll sell the car now and get something this fall.” That, kiddies, is the incantation for conjuring up a freak mid-May, two-week-long snow storm for central Ohio.

MarK laPid, creative director Can you believe that Mark actually pulled off a one-for-two swap, trading his decidingly single-purpose supermoto for a do-it-all dual-sport and a “barely ridden” Honda Hawk GT for tearing up the twisties? There’s one born every minute.

Bill KrEsNaK, government affairs Editor Krez was really, really jazzed to ride an AMA KTM National Dual Sport Trail Riding Series event until he found out the riders’ meeting wouldn’t be held in his living room and the start area wasn’t in his driveway. Oh well, back to Mech Warriors.

JaMEs HoltEr, associate Editor New bike. ’Nuff said. other contributors include: Dave Hoenig, Jeff Kardas, Karen Harrison Photography, Dove Photography, Jeff Buchanan, Grogan Studios, Adam Kaempf, Tacoma MC, Motorcycle Safety Foundation, Hendrik von Kuenheim.

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MEMBER LETTERS FRAZIER WELCOMED I savored your June 2010 issue, especially the guest column by Rashmi Tambe and the articles

by Doug Wothke (“Back in the U.S.S.R.”) and the always-interesting Dr. Stew Gregory Frazier (“Still Salowitz Traveling...”).

Frazier has been a welcome read in many motorcycle publications over the years and is thought-provoking and smart. He is able to impart knowledge without sounding over-important. His “Riding the World” paperback is as useful and entertaining as any book of its kind.

Stew Salowitz AMA No. 904874 Normal, Ill. RASHMI ROCKS Thank you, Rashmi Tambe, for your excellent essay, “Worth Every Moment,” in the June 2010 issue of American Motorcyclist.

You told more story in fewer words than I can recall reading anywhere else.

Leonard Lloyd AMA Life Member No. 291270 Oakley, Calif.

WHAT IS A MOTORCYCLE? The June 10 edition of American Motorcyclist asked for input on defining a motorcycle.

Tony Fettig I think the number of wheels is irrelevant (one, two, three or four—the Viperengined Dodge concept bike fits this category).

I believe the major distinction of a motorcycle is the rider straddles the chassis. So, if you sit in it, it is not a motorcycle. It’s a scooter or contraption.

Straddling is a key tenet.

So, a motorcycle is motor-driven (internal combustion or electric), enclosed or not, but the rider must straddle the chassis.

Thank you for the opportunity to add my two cents.

Tony Fettig AMA Life Member No. 280233 Discovery Bay, Calif.

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Send your letters (and a high-resolution photo) to submissions@ama-cycle.org; or mail to 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147.

We received plenty of thoughts in response to the column by AMA Senior Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland on the definition of a motorcycle, and they all illustrate how personal the answer can be. They also show that when it comes to classifying motorcycles for licensing and statistical purposes, the question, “What is a motorcycle?” will only get more complicated. A selection of letters on the issue follows.

MOTORCYCLES HAVE TWO WHEELS After reading the Viewpoint and Rights section of the June 2010 issue of American Motorcyclist, I have come to the conclusion that a motorcycle is defined as a two-wheeled vehicle. The wheels of the vehicle are inline with each other. The vehicle is propelled by a type of motor or engine or battery or alternate fuel source not yet developed for this vehicle. The vehicle is operated by a single operator and may have a passenger. Operator and/ or passenger will be in a straddling position on top of the vehicle near its center of mass when the vehicle is in motion. Steering, braking, throttle control and training wheel devices are not part of this definition.

In addition, I feel that all types of vehicles should have a specific definition. This would clear any doubts about vehicle types in the future. Thank you for your time and excellent articles on this subject.

Ron Smith AMA No. 605263 Medina, N.Y. AIRCRAFT FACED A SIMILAR QUESTION Before sharing my take on a motorcycle, I’d like to suggest that you contact the Experimental Aircraft Association and chat with them about their experience with defining airplane types. Something akin to what is going on with motorcycles started years ago in the flying business.

There were ultra-lights and powered kites, and the differences between these devices and conventional airplanes got real fuzzy. There were a lot of struggles to define new categories of flying machines and the licensing and safety standards that should apply. There may be some useful knowledge there.

My take on a motorcycle: It is a twowheeled powered vehicle that the operator sits astride. The wheels are in tandem and, if carrying a passenger, the passenger sits behind the operator.

I don’t have a problem with trikes and sidecar rigs and all the variations inbetween. There are some I would consider

riding, some that look pretty cool, and some I would not want my friends to see me on. To each his own. But as your story suggests, there are different considerations for design, regulation and operator training.

Grouping them all together makes no sense.

Here in Washington state, they started requiring a separate license endorsement for sidecars a few years back. Probably a good move as the skill test was not relevant to operating a sidecar.

Ralph Leslie AMA No. 463673 Kirkland, Wash.

WHAT ABOUT ATVS? I have the following opinion about what the new definition of a motorcycle should be defined as in the United States.

The motorcycle category should be divided into three types: 1) Two wheels.

2) Three wheels (with a provision for a sidecar).

3) Four wheels (all-terrain vehicles).

Some of the criteria that defines what a motorcycle is: 1) You ride a motorcycle. You do not drive a motorcycle. This means that a motorcycle has handlebars and not a steering wheel.

2) No side-by-side seating for passengers. Passengers should ride behind the rider. The only exception is a sidecar passenger.

3) The riding position should be a straddle position on the bike. No standing.

The law should be changed to include street-legal manufactured quads that are equipped with a street-legal kit (the kit should have mirrors, correct headlights, signal lights, street suspension, street tires and odometer), license plate and street registration.

With a struggling industry in this bad Bryan economy, adding quads Lagrange to the motorcycle category could be the boost this industry needs.

Bryan Lagrange AMA No. 745661 Leonville, La. FOUR WHEELS CAN MAKE SENSE I am a paraplegic who loves to ride. I have a 500cc scooter with an insta-trike kit that adds two support wheels, one on each side, as being a paraplegic, I cannot hold a

two-wheeled bike up.

Technically, though registered as a motorcycle, I have four tires on the road.

I know of several other disabled drivers adapting bikes to meet their needs. They should be registered as motorcycles.

John Welton AMA No. 1089349 St. Petersburg, Fla. THIS IS SIMPLE… I don’t know what the big deal is about the definition of a motorcycle. Look in Webster’s and you will find: “Motorcycle: two-wheeled motorized vehicle. Sometimes fitted with a sidecar giving it three wheels.”

Why don’t they just use the dictionary?

Jack Coulson AMA Life Member No. 642648 Elk Grove, Calif.

NO, THIS CAN GET COMPLICATED….

If it has a motor and only has two wheels, it automatically qualifies as a motorcycle. If it has more than two wheels, the following criteria must be met: a) The operator must straddle the vehicle, and b) there should be no seat belt or restraint system. The reason for this is because on a “motorcycle” in the event of a fall or accident, it is logical for safety reasons for the operator to not

LETTER OF THE MONTH John Penton Rules!

I just made a $1,000 donation to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in honor of John Penton.

The cover photo of your April 2010 American Motorcyclist magazine was fantastic. I loved the article, and it really made me reflect back over my many years of riding and what a debt we all owe to Mr. Penton. His vision and passion is the reason we all are riding such great motorcycles today!

Thank you for featuring one of the true heroes of motorcycling!

Steve Fox, President Hoy Fox Automotive AMA No. 232419 El Paso, Texas be fastened to the vehicle, but rather part ways. So two-wheeled motorcycles with sidecars, trikes and even conventional quad-type ATVs would meet the definition of a motorcycle. (The Can-Am Spyder and even GG Quad, which distributes roadgoing quads based on BMW boxers, would also meet this definition of a motorcycle.)

However, as soon as one does not straddle the vehicle but sits in or on it— regardless of the controls, be it handlebars or a steering wheel—it is then logical for the operator to be strapped in for safety reasons. I feel this does not meet the requirement of a motorcycle. So, vehicles

such as the ZapCar or even the T-Rex do not meet this requirement.

I realize this may make it difficult for specialty vehicles such as the T-Rex, but I would hope that our laws allow some exemption to low-volume, specialty manufacturers not to have to meet the standards that typical high-volume cars would have to meet.

I wish the AMA well on helping shape this definition.

Jim Marchbank AMA No. 374525 Colorado Springs, Colo.

On Facebook? Us, too! Become a fan of the American Motorcyclist Association and you could be leaving comments like these: www.facebook.com/AmericanMotorcyclist

Wow! Great news! Congratulations, Jack! — Jeff Reid, commenting on the AMA’s hire of Jack Penton as director of operations (see page 24).

It’s about time. Jersey needs this badly.

Illegal riding has damaging consequences. — Daryl Fornuff, in response to an AMA Action Alert notifying motorcyclists about possible public OHV parks in New Jersey.

What percentage of motorcyclists ride in the rain, and other foul weather? 5 percent? And what percentage of bike accidents would have different outcomes using bikes with ABS? I’m guessing about the same percentage. This is just one more instance where people justify their jobs by imposing themselves on the lives of others. Move on to some other safety issue. — Eric Robinson, responding to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety call that all motorcycles be mandated to come with anti-lock braking.

Hey thanks for roadside assistance coverage, AMA! I used it to get my wife’s minivan towed last week.

It worked great and the gal on the phone was very pleasant and helpful. It’s a great member benefit. — Jay Shannon, about the free roadside assistance that’s available to all full AMA members who elect to automatically renew their memberships (sign up at AmericanMotorcyclist.com).

First time my old man took me to a race was up to Sears Point in Sonoma (now Infineon). I remember Magoo and Hannah battling that day. Even at such a young age, I remember Hannah had such talent, but Magoo, he had style. — Todd Hayos, commenting on the passing of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Danny “Magoo” Chandler (see page 34).

Follow all AMA news—and chat with fellow AMA members— on Facebook. You can also always get the latest info at AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

July 2010

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VIEWPOINT ‘TYPICAL MALCOLM’

One of the great things about motorcycling is the fact that it’s so accessible.

That’s true when it comes to bikes, since you can get supercar-level performance for budget-car prices. It’s true when it comes to other motorcyclists, since conversations spring up easily among riders. And it’s even true when it comes to our bona fide heroes, who somehow remain approachable at a level that far exceeds other sports.

Take Malcolm Smith, for example.

Few names in motorcycling are as highly regarded by as many generations of riders. He became an icon among those who frequent garages, bike nights and rallies for his starring role in “On Any Sunday” in 1971, for his nine International Six Days Enduro medals, his considerable off-road-racing success on bikes and in cars, and his success in the motorcycle industry with his own product line and a multi-line dealership in Southern California.

Sit down and talk with him at length, though, as I was fortunate enough to do for the profile story on page 36, and Malcolm comes across as down-to-Earth as ever. Yes, he’s aged a bit since 1971, but who hasn’t? And at 69, he may move a little more deliberately, at least when he’s not behind the wheel of the off-road buggy he planned to race in Baja a week after I visited.

The trademark smile is still there, as is the somewhat mischievous outlook, and he displays the same passion whether he talks about racing motorcycles or traveling in Baja, Mexico. I particularly liked his advice that applied equally to business and racing, when he suggested that most people underestimate perseverance and tenacity: “You keep at it, and you get smarter.” And pretty soon, he figures, you might be winning the race.

He remains “typical Malcolm.” Those are the words from filmmaker Bruce Brown’s iconic voiceover for “On Any Sunday” that sum up Malcolm’s riding talent, broad smile and can-do spirit. They were usually spoken after Malcolm had done something particularly superhuman, and had then shrugged it off as nothing. “Typical Malcolm.”

What’s even better is that, thanks to the aforementioned accessibility of motorcycling’s heroes, you don’t have to take my word for it. You can meet Malcolm yourself at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 9-11, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. There, he will sign autographs, meet fans and make some laps of the track as grand marshal for the country’s premier gathering for vintage bikes and the people who love them.

If you’ve never been to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days before, you really owe it to yourself to make the trek to central Ohio. And if you’ve been there before, you don’t

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need me to tell you that it’s a spectacular three-day gathering of fellow riders enjoying vintage racing, the country’s largest motorcycle swap meet, seminars, laps of the track, vendors, used bike corrals and more. You can get the full details at AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com.

Fittingly, with Malcolm as grand marshal, the 2010 Marque of the Year is the brand that he helped make famous: Husqvarna. The lightweight Swedish bikes became a favorite for Malcolm since he raced them for the American importer, Edison Dye. He rode one in “On Any Sunday,” and he still sells Huskys at his dealership today.

Fans of early Japanese bikes will also get a rare treat as a group of enthusiasts will arrive with an impressive collection of memorabilia and bikes representing the Bridgestone brand.

What really makes AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days so cool, though, is the people. Whether it’s a vendor in the swap meet selling 100 square feet of gleaming exhaust pipes, a fellow competitor on the roadrace, motocross, off-road or dirt track, or the people you meet at the exhibit tents or seminars, it seems everyone shares the same thing: a passion for all kinds of motorcycling.

And like Malcolm, the folks who attend AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days are as approachable as they come. Then again, as riders you already understand exactly what I’m saying. See you there!

Grant Parsons is the managing editor of American Motorcyclist

Photo Holly Carlyle

Meet The Legend Yourself At AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

By Grant Parsons

covers each trip, there and back. has been riding to rallies since 1972.

TRIP INTERRUPTION COVERAGE. One thing Charlie St. Clair, Executive Director of Laconia Motorcycle Week, knows is the road can be pretty rough if your bike breaks down. That’s why Progressive offers Roadside Assistance for only $10 a year and Trip Interruption Coverage, which helps pay for places to stay and living expenses due to mishaps, for only $5 more.* This way, anywhere you are in the country, you’re covered. Call 1-800-PROGRESSIVE or call an independent agent.

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RighTS

Stu Kerr and Max Hendrix on the Fins and Things Trail in Moab, Utah, submitted by Steve Quinn of Kansas City, Mo.

Possible NatioNal MoNuMeNt DesigNatioNs DrawiNg More Heat State And Federal Lawmakers Continue To Fight Back

The battle is heating up over the federal Interior Department’s plan to designate some 13 million acres of land in the West as national monuments.

In two states, officials are sending a message to federal officials who want to control land—possibly closing it to offhighway recreation—without consulting with local authorities: Back off.

In Utah, lawmakers passed a law to allow the state to seize federal land. And in Oregon, a federal lawmaker wants to pass a law barring the federal administration from naming any national monuments in

his state without congressional approval.

In addition, federal lawmakers are pushing a bill to require Interior Department officials to release all documents related to the national monuments idea.

At the heart of the issue are numerous potential national monument designations, which would make it easier to close the affected 13 million acres to responsible off-highway motorized recreation in 11 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

In Utah, U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) introduced legislation, with U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), to bar any president from designating Utah national monuments without a congressional nod.

U.S. Reps. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and Jim Matheson (D-Utah) agree Congress should decide.

In addition, Hastings and Bishop also

introduced a resolution to try to force the Interior Department to make public all documents related to its national monuments idea. The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, chaired

by Rep. Nick Rahall II (D-W.Va.), refused to endorse the resolution. Rahall and House leadership now will determine if this resolution will be heard on the House floor.

Hastings, ranking member of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, acknowledged the AMA’s support of the resolution, noting in a news release that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AMA support it.

Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, continues to push for full disclosure on the possible national monument designations, noting the Interior Department has released only 383 out of more than 2,000 pages of the relevent internal documents.

Your oPiNioN CouNts

letting us know where you stand on issues ranging from helmet use to the closure of public land to off-highway riding.

It’s easy to do. Just fill out the short survey in the Members Area of AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Remember, this is your Association and we listen to you. So let us know what you think.

help Steer The AMA’s Efforts The AMA’s Government Relations Department is gearing up to set its priorities for the next couple years, and we need your input.

You can help set those priorities by

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RIghTs Motorist who Painted nails while driving convicted in death of Motorcyclist

Mayor Joel McGuire of Harrison, Ohio, joined with off-highway riders and others to open a new motocross park.

Photo Monument: Steve Quinn; Zaffke: Julie Monacella; MX Park: City of Harrison, Ohio

Driver Faces Up To Five Years In Prison

Public-Private cooPeration Paying off for off-highway riders New Riding Opportunities In Ohio, Colorado, California

At a time when off-highway riding opportunities are threatened around the country, there are some bright spots, thanks to the efforts of dedicated riders and sympathetic government officials.

On April 29, Harrison, Ohio, Mayor Joel McGuire, wearing motocross gear, officially opened the Doug Dunaway Memorial Motocross Park. In Summit County, Colo., officials will decide soon whether to reopen the Summit County Landfill to riding. And in Kern County, Calif., officials are exploring the idea of building an off-highway vehicle (OHV) park near Bakersfield.

“These are cases where riders didn’t just sit around waiting for something to happen,” says Jessica Irving, AMA grassroots manager. “They got involved with local officials, pitched in, addressed any concerns, and saw progress.”

The Doug Dunaway Memorial Motocross Park, off Campbell Road in Harrison, Ohio, features a 1.2-mile track. The mayor—a motorcyclist himself—sees the track as a way to give riders a place to ride as well as draw riders from other areas to help boost the local economy.

In Colorado, the Summit County OffRoad Riders (SCORR) group has been

working with government officials and local residents to come up with a plan to reopen the Summit County Landfill area to OHV riding.

The area has been closed to offhighway riding since Jan. 1 while a new management plan is created. If the new plan is approved by county officials, the park could reopen by July 1.

The area, between Dillon and Keystone on Highway 6, is expected to include a new motocross park and parking lot.

In California, about 40 people showed up for a Kern County Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on April 22 to support county creation of a new riding area near Bakersfield.

The county is considering the move to try to keep riders from trespassing on private land. County officials are reviewing about half a dozen parcels it owns, ranging in size from 22 acres to 237 acres, to see if one of them is a suitable site for a public riding area.

For information on getting involved to create riding opportunities in your areas, contact Irving at jirving@ama-cycle.org or go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Get Involved.

A verdict has been handed down in the case of a woman who was painting her fingernails while driving, resulting in the death of motorcyclist Anita Zaffke.

Despite her lawyer’s efforts to persuade the jury that her actions were no worse than talking on a cellphone while driving, the jury decided otherwise and found Lora Hunt, 49, guilty of felony reckless homicide. She faces up to five years in prison when she is sentenced in June.

Zaffke, 56, was killed when Hunt, who police said admitted she was painting her fingernails at the time of the crash, smashed into the back of Zaffke’s motorcycle at a stoplight in Lake Zurich, Ill., about 40 miles north of Chicago last year.

Greg Zaffke II of Wauconda, Ill., the victim’s son, told WGN News: “There are no winners today. There is no celebration or happiness. Two families will forever carry the hurt and anguish caused by one person’s reckless actions.”

After the fatal crash, Zaffke began painting his fingernails black as a reminder to anyone he meets of his mother’s death. He formed the Black Nail Brigade Foundation Against Distracted Driving (www.BlackNailBrigade.org) to publicize the dangers of distracted driving, and to boost awareness to share the road with motorcycles.

Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, says: “This episode puts into stark relief the tragedy that can result from distracted driving, and we hope that the contined efforts of Greg Zaffke and the AMA will help prevent further tragedies.”

July 2010

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BMW is well-known for the antilock braking systems it offers on some of its machines.

INSURANCE GROUP WANTS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ON ALL MOTORCYCLES AMA Says ABS Should Be An Option, Not A Requirement

conclusion. In the late 1980s, the IIHS produced a study that it claimed showed sportbikes were dangerous, and enlisted a U.S. senator to introduce a bill to ban them. The effort didn’t discuss miles ridden, whether riders were licensed, or what actually caused the crashes.

BOSTON CREATING MOTORCYCLE PARKING

More Planned For Future If Popular Boston is the latest U.S. city to offer designated motorcycle and scooter parking, with as many as 50 parking spots planned.

The slots will have their own meters and allow bikes and scooters to park perpendicular to the sidewalk.

Other cities that have dedicated motorcycle and scooter parking include San Francisco and Columbus, Ohio.

For information on how to get motorcycle parking spaces in your city, contact AMA Grassroots Manager Jessica Irving at jirving@ama-cycle.org or go to AMADirectlink.com/legisltn/mcparking. asp.

Photos ABS: BMW; Parking: Joe Pemberton

An insurance industry group that tried to ban sportbikes in the past and, more recently, claimed that sport-style motorcycles are more dangerous than other types of bikes, is now asking the federal government to mandate anti-lock brakes for all new motorcycles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which is backed by insurance companies, asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 6 to mandate anti-lock brakes based on IIHS research.

But Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, says that anti-lock brakes shouldn’t be required for all motorcycles, and that the IIHS has trotted out flawed research in the past to further its agenda against motorcycles.

“Anti-lock brakes are already an option for some models, and ABS should continue to be an option,” Moreland says.

“Mandating anti-lock brakes, however, is unwise.”

For example, Moreland notes that there are situations when anti-lock brakes could increase the risk of a crash, such as when riding an off-highway motorcycle on a trail, or when riding an on-highway or dualsport motorcycle on a dirt or gravel road.

Additionally, adding ABS could increase the cost of a new bike by $1,000 or more.

“It’s simply a bad idea,” Moreland said.

The IIHS has a history of grabbing headlines for its conclusions, which have at times been based on questionable data.

Three years ago, for example, the IIHS released a report claiming that sportstyled motorcycles are considerably more dangerous than other types of bikes. But an AMA analysis of the report showed that the methodology didn’t support the

Ethanol 101 What you nEEd to KnoW about E10/Ethanol FuEl

4 Main problEMs With E10/ Ethanol FuEl Problem 1: Debris in Fuel Gums rapidly form in the fuel tank and fuel delivery systems as ethanol fuels age.

However, ethanol is also a powerful solvent that will strip away and disperse this build up back into the fuel as large, performance-robbing particles. This leads to clogged filters, injectors and carburetors.

Problem 4: ethanol causes lost PoWer, PerFormance anD DecreaseD Fuel economy Ethanol fuel does not produce as much energy as traditional fuel. This results in inefficient combustion, decreased performance, reduced throttle response and poor fuel economy.

Star tron® Solution: star tron®’s enzymes break down debris into sub-micron sized particles that can be easily burned during the combustion process, restoring full performance.

Star tron® Solution: star tron’s® enzyme formula helps to break apart large clusters of fuel molecules, creating more surface area. this allows additional oxygen to react during combustion, which results in a more complete burn of the fuel, improved fuel economy, engine power, throttle response and reduced toxic emissions. star tron® removes carbon deposits, keeping your engine clean and operating at peak performance.

Problem 2: excessive Water in the Fuel anD Phase seParation Ethanol attracts moisture from the atmosphere, forming an ethanol/water solution mixed in the gasoline. E-10 fuel will naturally hold .5% water in suspension, but when water levels exceed this threshold, or when the fuel cools significantly, the water/ethanol mix drops out of suspension. This is phase separation. Excessive water in the fuel tank causes engines to run rough, stall, and can lead to internal damage to engine components. Ethanol provides a significant amount of the fuel’s octane, so when the ethanol/water solution separates and drops to the bottom of the tank, the remaining fuel is left without enough octane to properly operate the engine.

Additionally, the ethanol/water solution can become partially combustible, which can lead to engine damage.

Star tron® Solution: star tron®’s enzyme formula reduces interfacial surface tension between fuel and water. the molecular cluster size is greatly reduced, allowing more water to be dispersed throughout the fuel. these sub-micron sized droplets are safely eliminated as the engine operates. star tron® treated fuel helps prevent phase separation by allowing more water to be burned off than with untreated fuel, drying out the tank and preventing water buildup.

Problem 3: ethanol Fuels break DoWn Quickly Over a short period of time ethanol fuel begins to break down. As ethanol and other components evaporate, the fuel loses octane and becomes “stale.” This causes hard starts, pinging and engine knock, which robs your engine of power and can cause damage. ®

Star tron Solution: star tron is a powerful fuel stabilizer which helps prevent fuel breakdown for up to two years. this results in easier starts and prevents pinging and knocking. star tron® improves octane levels of sub-standard, non-spec or old fuel and in many cases can rejuvenate stale fuel, restoring it to serviceable condition. ®

Star Tron® is a unique, multifunctional fuel additive that addresses all ethanol issues. Star Tron® has been solving fuel problems for boaters across the US since 2003. It will improve the performance of: boats, cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, PWCs, generators, lawn & garden equipment and all other gas-powered engines. Star Tron® is safe for use in all 2 and 4-cycle engines under all conditions, even in ethanol fuels.

Star Tron® is an ideal all-season, all-purpose additive, and does all this at one of the lowest costs of any fuel additive.

Be careful of what additive you use – many contain alcohol.

Adding more alcohol to ethanol fuels can lead to engine problems. Read the MSDS of any fuel additive before using it with ethanol fuel. Star Tron® does not contain any alcohol and is 100% safe for use in all ethanol blends.

Star Tron® is easy to use, effective and cannot be overdosed.

®

Today’s Fuels Demand New Additive Technology

To learn the entire Star Tron® story and to find the nearest retailer, log onto www.startron.com or call (800) 327-8583

RIGHTS

MOTORCYCLING DEATHS DROP BY 10 PERCENT Reasons For Decline Unknown

A new report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) shows that motorcycling fatalities nationwide dropped by at least 10 percent in 2009—the first decline in 12 years. While many have speculated as to the reasons, nobody really knows why.

Based on preliminary data the GHSA, which represents the state highway safety offices nationwide, projects that motorcycling deaths declined from 5,290

in 2008 to 4,762 or fewer in 2009. The projection is preliminary and based on data collected from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The GHSA cautioned that the report only involves one year, so it’s too soon to predict a steady decline.

“We will need to see three to five years of decline before we are ready to say that a positive trend has developed,” said GHSA Chairman Vernon Betkey.

In fact, the report notes that fatalities

have significantly decreased in the past but then rose again. For example, from 1980 to 1997 they dropped by almost 60 percent. But then fatalities increased steadily from 1997 through 2008.

“The death of any motorcyclist is one too many, so this news is encouraging,” says Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations.

“While we are pleased that the number of motorcycling fatalities dropped dramatically in 2009, we need to see that trend continue.”

Moreland notes that there aren’t any solid answers for the drop.

“The motorcycling community looks forward to getting some real answers about motorcycle crashes and what causes them from the new federal crash causation study that is getting under way,” Moreland says. “Then we can put our heads together to find solutions, reduce crashes and save more lives.”

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) formally announced the new crash causation study on Oct. 5. The FHWA is overseeing the four-year, $3 million study, which is being conducted by Oklahoma State University through the Oklahoma Transportation Center in Stillwater, Okla.

32 leading motorcycle oils compared. o

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S TATEWAT CH COLORADO The controversial Hidden Gems Wilderness proposal was recently submitted to Colorado’s congressional delegation. The proposal seeks Wilderness designation for more than 243,000 acres of public land managed by the White River National Forest and federal Bureau of Land Management. Maps depicting the proposal for Eagle and Summit counties are now available at local public libraries and the Colorado Mountain College Campus in Edwards.

MAINE A new law cracking down on sound prohibits a motor vehicle exhaust system from exceeding 62 decibels at a distance of 50 feet or greater in an area designated as a quiet zone. House Paper 1170 was introduced by Rep. Meredith Strang Burgess (R-Cumberland) and signed into law by Gov. John Baldacci.

NEW YORK Senate Bill 7302, known as the New York State Consumers’ Right to Repair Act, would require motor vehicle manufacturers

RIGHTS

to make available to vehicle owners, repair shops and the Department of Motor Vehicles the necessary information to diagnose, service or repair a vehicle. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Queens).

OHIO In April, the AMA joined with the Ohio Motorized Trails Association, the Ohio State University Extension and the Wayne National Forest to educate youngsters about dirtbike and ATV safety and environmental stewardship. The Earth Day event was held on the Logan County fairgrounds and drew groups from a number of area schools.

PENNSYLVANIA Rep. Joseph Markosek (D-Monroeville) is offering legislation to deal with pesky “stuck” traffic lights. His House Bill 590 would permit a motorcyclist or bicyclist, after coming to a full and complete stop, to proceed with caution through an intersection controlled by a traffic-actuated signal if the detection system fails to recognize the motorcycle or bicycle.

TEXAS A diverse group of trail enthusiasts has come together in New Waverly to form the Sam Houston Trail Coalition. The coalition says it will work closely with the U.S. Forest Service to plan, develop and maintain a comprehensive and sustainable trail network for diverse outdoor recreation while protecting natural resources and educating the public. Immediate objectives include the development of a Master Trail Plan and securing funding and volunteer support to construct and maintain the trails. Information is available on Facebook at the Sam Houston Trail Coalition page and through the Yahoo group SHTrails.

WISCONSIN Senate Bill 456 was signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle on May 5. Sponsored by Sen. Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa), the bill establishes a “Share the Road” license plate that provides funds for the Type 1 motorcycle, moped and motor bicycle safety program. The special license plates will also feature a logo associated with Harley-Davidson.

RIDING

 (Clockwise from above) Donn Anderson on a 2002 KTM 200MXC at Carnegie SVRA near Tracy, Calif.—Stefan Anderson of Tracy, Calif.; “This is a picture from a trip through Colorado and Utah. I was riding the Ducati 900SS and my friend, John, was riding the Moto Guzzi Daytona 1000. We were stopped near the summit in Rocky Mountain National Park.”—Matt Rosen of Madison, Wis.; Liz Peterson of Fort Bragg, Calif., rounding the Abert Rim in Oregon. Photo

by Tony Reed.

Got a picture you’d like to see in American Motorcyclist? Send it to submissions@amacycle.org.We’ll pick a stand out each month to receive a $500 gift card from BikeBandit.com.

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 Brit Iron Rebels on Route 66, Truxton, Ariz., at the Frontier Motel.—Jeff Holmes of Gilbert, Ariz.

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Photo Kaempf: Dove Photography

Adam Kaempf

The SporT-Tourer Tire Dilemma

Combining High-Performance Grip With Open Road Comfort Sport-touring motorcycles have hit new levels of performance. From Yamaha’s FJR1300 to Kawasaki’s Concours 14, from the BMW K1300S to the Honda VFR1200F, the common denominator is motor—a lot of it. Tire manufacturers have had to work hard to keep up. We connected with Bridgestone’s Adam Kaempf to find out what it takes to put all those sport-touring ponies to the pavement.

American Motorcyclist: How do the horsepower demands of today’s sport-touring motorcycles affect tire manufacturers?

Adam Kaempf: Well, the biggest challenge is getting adequate mileage out of a tire on a high-horsepower motorcycle while still affording good

grip and feedback for the rider. In our latest sport-touring tire, the BT-023, we have applied a technology called NanoPro-Tech, which uses RC Polymers to improve the distribution of silica within the rubber compound. That improves tread flexibility for enhanced wet and lowtemperature performance. The tire can be deformed more to gain a larger contact patch without over-stressing the rubber compound.

Another example would be the use of multiple rubber compounds in a single tire. A durable center rubber compound flanked by shoulder compounds with added traction supplies good mileage from the center of the tire, while allowing good grip from the shoulder of the tire

when leaned over in a corner.

AM: What does a rider need to know when they are replacing the tires on their sport-touring motorcycle?

AK: The most important thing is safety, so the proper load and speed rating should always be maintained when purchasing new tires. Also, bike owners should not change from the OE, or Original Equipment, tire size without first consulting with the motorcycle manufacturer.

There are many different tires available to suit the needs of the different categories of motorcycles being ridden today and the different riding styles. So each rider should think about what kind of riding they’re doing, and choose a tire accordingly. For example, typically, the more racetrackoriented a tire is, the less wet weather capability it has. Most sport-touring riders ride in the rain at some point and will need good wet weather performance.

Don’t overlook the tires that came on the motorcycle when new. With the technology and development that goes into these tires, many times a standard replacement tire cannot match the performance, especially in the sporttouring and touring categories.

AM: What’s the difference?

AK: Typically, an OE tire is developed in conjunction with the motorcycle engineers when the bike is being designed to achieve specific performance targets. Rubber compounds and tire constructions are tweaked to suit the weight, horsepower, ride and handling requirements of each individual model of motorcycle. A replacement tire, on the other hand, must work on a wide range of applications, which can be challenging.

That is why, with the new BT-023 line, we have launched a standard 120/70R17 and 180/55R17 as well as a “GT” spec that is designed for the specific needs of the heavier sport touring bikes.

AM: What’s the most common tirebuying mistake?

AK: When a rider puts on a sport or even track-day tire, even though they aren’t doing much aggressive riding.

These tires stick well and feel good on the bike, but usually wear out quickly, particularly on a heavier sport-touring bike. Typically, sport-touring riders will not be satisfied with the rate at which they will have to replace this type of tire.

Also, any time a new tire is put on, the rider should allow a 100-mile break-in period during which sudden acceleration, maximum braking, and hard cornering should be avoided. This not only allows the tire to be scuffed-in, but also gets the rider adjusted to the “feel” and handling characteristics of the new tire.

July 2010

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MEMBERS REVIEW

RIDING

Tom Bithell

SUZUKI DRZ400

The Do-It-All Off-Road Solution Tom Bithell: I own a 2007 DRZ400S. It is the perfect do-all dual-sport bike for the guy who can’t afford the spendy high-end models. It is reliable, low maintenance, can go 65 mph on the highway, and yet can take on some serious off-road terrain.

There are plenty of customizations you can do depending on the type of dualsport riding you do. I ride 80 percent dirt roads traveling all over Idaho, so I put on DOT knobbies, a larger tank, and a rack and saddle bags.

I love the DRZ! Jack Johnson: I have owned an ’05 DRZ400S for three years now, and I love it. I ride trails, two-track, dirt roads, around town, and I have put on a set of 17-inch Supermoto wheels and done a few track days with it. It’s a little Swiss Army bike.

Tracy Payne: I have a 2000 DRZ400E that I bought in 2001. I have performed all the necessary changes to get a California street plate on it (not easy, but I did it!).

I have every guard and reinforcement available, a Pro Circuit pipe, an IMS 3.2-gallon tank, Pro Taper handlebars, a Scott’s steering damper, an aftermarket gel seat, a Trail Tech speedo…

Anyway, I love this bike. I have ridden this bike everywhere. I have participated in countless dual-sport events, including the Death Valley 350, the China Lake 250, Barstow to Laughlin—you name it, she’s done it! Thousands of hardcore trail, single-track, sand, forests, etc.

My biggest complaint about the bike is that it is heavy. For a girl, this can be a problem when you drop it (and, whoo boy, I drop it often!). On an off-camber downhill, I have a really hard time picking it up by myself. Also, I have had over-

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heating issues. I have replaced the entire waterpump a couple times because it starts to leak coolant.

All in all, I love this bike. Thousands and thousands of miles, two top ends, countless smiles and laughs, many tears and my DRZ keeps on keepin’ on!

Charles Williamson: I purchased a 2000 DRZ400E in June 2000. With fewer than 200 trail miles on the bike, I hauled

KAWASAKI ZX-14

Power And Manners All In One Joe DeWitt: I have been commuting daily on a 2006 ZX-14 for 3-1/2 years and am having the time of my life! My only micro-complaint: It’s a little bit cramped on rides over 230 miles one-way, which occur about once or twice a month.

I can’t recall more than one or two times when I wasn’t at least looking forward to my ride, if not flat-out being excited to go to work or ride home. On a ZX-14, even the on-ramps are fun: 0 to 65 mph in 3.8

it to Ouray, Colo., to ride the mountain passes around that area. After logging 700-800 miles that week, I took it to Moab to ride the Shafer Trail, then merging into the White Rim trail and riding all 110 miles on a full tank of gas. Riding along with a friend, a former “A” enduro competitor, he commented that the DRZ400’s handling and power capabilities seemed to make me a better rider.

Properly maintained and ridden within its designed parameters, the DRZ400E or DRZ400S is bulletproof.

My positive comments are: • The large aftermarket support.

• Knowledgeable owner/rider input on the Internet geared toward making a great bike even better.

• Torque and horsepower are sufficient for intended purposes.

• Adjustable suspension fore/aft (DRZ400E).

• Quick and easy air-filter access.

My negative comments: • The seat, even the factory gel version, is uncomfortable after a 30-minute ride.

It certainly is not a one-size-fits-all perch.

Why do consumers have to spend $4,000plus for a new motorcycle only to find it necessary to buy a more comfortable replacement seat to enjoy riding?

• Many dualsporters would have preferred for Suzuki to have found a way to trim about 25-30 pounds of weight.

• Did I mention that it’s too heavy? nanoseconds! Then, extremely wellbehaved just cruising around.

In talking with other motorcycle friends who are into performance cars, we all agree: Nothing touches the performanceto-cost ratio of a motorcycle!

Dan Campbell: After making some ergonomic changes, my 2007 ZX-14 is the best bike I’ve ridden. I use it as my primary mode of transportation and still get a big smile on my face every time I fire her up.

The bike is great for commuting, hitting the twisties, or even long multi-day trips.

After owning a few European bikes, the reliability and lower maintenance means a lot more time in the saddle. Right now, I don’t see anything on the market that would make me trade in my 14.

DANNY ESLICK

2009 AMA Daytona SportBike Champion

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, and features are not available in all states or in all GEICO companies. Boat and PWC coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. Government Employees Insurance Co. • GEICO General Insurance Co. • GEICO Indemnity Co. • GEICO Casualty Co. These companies are subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. GEICO: Washington, DC 20076. © 2010 GEICO

I AMAware: Your Thoughts On Safety See, Be Seen On The Open Road

I AMAware is a new AMA campaign that promotes rider and driver awareness.

On our Facebook page (Facebook.com/ AmericanMotorcyclist), we asked fellow motorcyclists for safe practices and strategies that they follow to reduce the risk of a crash—whether on a bike or behind the wheel.

Here’s a sample of what they wrote.

Want to contribute? Join the Facebook conversation at the above address, or e-mail us at submissions@ama-cycle.org.

Karen Renkel: Cellphone calls and texts can wait until I’m done driving! When there are motorcycles on the road, I let them go first.

Eric Lloyd: When I’m in my car, I always check my blind spot for bikes before changing lanes.

Sabina Ross: When going on all-day rides, I take along my clear visor to swap out with my tinted one for night riding on the way back home.

Dave Edwards: When I’m waiting to turn onto another road, and there’s a car approaching in the turn lane, I always wait. There could be a bike behind the car that you can’t see.

Michael Llanos: I look twice and even three times when pulling out in an area that clearly has a blind view.

Particularly if the road has a higher cruise speed of, say, 50 mph. Here in the suburbs, the overgrowth is a killer! Also, I come out with one foot on the gas and the other the brake. Riders really need to slow down at blind intersections (T-streets) if they are familiar with them. Speed is always a factor!

David Cantey: I’ve totally stopped texting while driving and have my passenger look at Google Maps on the PDA. On the bike, I expect a vehicle to come out of every driveway and road crossing.

Mary O’Mara: I always try to look ahead and have a way of escape. In

our area, there are a lot of hidden on-ramps, I check for oncoming cars to make sure they’re not merging into me. I use my bike skills in the car to look ahead.

Wayne Spencer: When I come upon a group of motorcycle riders in my lane, I leave twice the distance between us and give them a wide berth when passing. I also constantly check my mirrors once I am ahead to ensure other drivers do the same.

Bob Dickey: Mirrors show you what isn’t there. An overthe-shoulder look shows you what is there.

Lin Chambers: In our group, which is made up of all women motorcycle riders, we don’t drink, text or use a cell phone while riding. That’s our rule. We are a no-phone zone!

Dean Mellor: I’m not drinking and driving, smoking and driving, talking and driving, texting and driving, eating and driving. I’m not playing and driving. I’m driving. It’s your life and mine!

Ron Morris: Most people, including myself, were always taught to adjust car mirrors to just barely see the sides of the car as you are in your normal seated position. This is wrong.

Lean in toward the center of the car so your head is in the middle of the vehicle.

Then, adjust the right mirror to just barely see the edge of the car. Then lean to the left and put your head against the driver’s window and adjust the left mirror to just barely see the left edge of the car. Sit directly in the middle then and adjust the inside mirror normally.

It is a little unnerving at first, but it eliminates the blind spots. For a test, watch a car that starts to pass you. You will see him in the inside mirror then as he starts to pass, you will see the car leave the inside mirror and appear in the outside mirror concurrently. It is really cool the first time you see this happen.

Even with doing this, I still try to look over my shoulder, just for safety’s sake.

pr odu ct s Kriega r35

Carry More Stuff A backpack is often the most convenient way to take stuff along on your bike. But regular backpacks aren’t designed for the riding position. Kriega’s packs are.

Kriega’s R35, for example, uses the company’s innovative harness system, which transfers the load to the hips and chest, not the shoulders. The result is more freedom for arm movement, and less neck strain. It’s also weather-resistant, offers 35 liters of capacity and has a 10year guarantee.

MSRP: $195.

More info: Kriega.us

Ask the MSF

Photo MSF: Tom Bear Photography

What’s a safe folloWing Distance?

You Ask: “I’ve been taught to leave a 2-second gap between me and the car in front of me, and I’ve even heard of longer recommended gaps. The problem is that in most in-town traffic situations if I leave a gap that large someone will pull into it.

What’s the recommended procedure here?

Just keep dropping back and back while people pull in front of me?”

The MSF Responds: A safe following distance helps ensure that you won’t rearend a car that stops suddenly, and won’t hit a road hazard (pothole, debris) that you spot after the car in front of you passes over it.

Following distance must account for the three components of stopping distance: • Perception distance: how soon you’re able to notice a hazard in your path.

• Reaction distance: how quickly you can decide to take evasive action.

• Braking distance: how skillfully you apply the brakes.

The MSF recommends a minimum 2-second following distance in most riding conditions. Some traffic safety organizations are now recommending 3 seconds (or more) because vehicle operators tend to be more distracted these days.

But, as you mention, too great a following distance may lead to people pulling into the gap, forcing you to decelerate. It also might lead to riders being lulled into a false sense of security

because they feel they’re no longer within striking distance of another vehicle.

Therefore, the following distance you choose must balance the need for adequate spacing so you can react to a hazardous condition and the need to protect your space. The more you employ a good street strategy (Search/Evaluate/ Execute, keeping escape routes in mind, covering the brakes when in heavy traffic, etc.), the less you’ll need to rely on your good maneuvering skills to extract yourself from a dangerous situation.

RiDing 3 Questions With...

BMW CEO HEndrik vOn kuEnHEiM

Urban Transportation And Cruisers On The Horizon This August, Hendrik von Kuenheim celebrates 25 years with BMW. He has served in various capacities with the company, steadily moving up the corporate ladder in both the automotive and motorcycle divisions. In 2008 his devotion, dedication and hard work was rewarded with promotion to chief executive officer for BMW motorcycles worldwide.

Recently, after several hundred kilometers of demanding off-road riding in Morocco, he sat down over some strong Moroccan mint tea to talk with motojournalist Jeff Buchanan about the company and products he loves.

American Motorcyclist: Do you see an evolving trend in motorcycling concerning displacement, models or customer base?

Hendrik von Kuenheim: In Europe, I clearly see there will be a forever-growing demand for urban mobility transportation.

There is a market developing, also pushed by the European governments in this direction. You will see in the future products that, basically from the ground up, have been designed as electricpowered vehicles.

AM: You have said that there are two segments that BMW needs to get into: scooters and cruiser.

HK: You know, we have naked bikes, we have enduros—we basically invented

aMa HirES JaCk PEnTOn Hall Of Famer Serving As Director Of Operations

Jack Penton, AMA Life Member and a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, is the Association’s new director of operations as of June 1.

Penton reports to AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman, and assists him in managing the day-to-day functions of the AMA. He also oversees the Hall of Fame.

Penton has worked in the motorcycle industry more than 40 years, starting with Penton Imports, a brand founded by his father, AMA Hall of Famer John Penton.

Later, he worked for Kawasaki, MSR and KTM America. Most recently, Penton served with Tucker Rocky Distributing, a world leader in motorcycle merchandise.

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the enduro segment—we have sportbikes, we have touring bikes, and in each of those segments we have enormous offerings, so we’re well-covered. These are really two segments. You call it the scooter market, and I call it the urban transportation market. Yes, BMW will enter this, and we will enter that market with more than just one model.

And the other market is the cruiser market, which is the single largest segment in the world of motorcycles above 500cc. No other segment, not the supersport bikes, not the enduro bikes, nothing is as big as the cruisers. Cruisers are a North American phenomenon. In North America, roughly 64 percent of all motorcycles sold above 500cc are cruisers, so we will have to address this sooner or later. How? The 100-percent solution I don’t have yet, but I think 2010 should be the year of our decision.

AM: The GS, is there anything on the drawing board, something interesting, that people should know about?

HK: We will constantly update our bike because it is our bread-and-butter motorcycle. We created the segment and we will defend this. There will be a time coming when even the present GS will have to be replaced by another GS. For this we will take a very long time, to be very, very clear of what we have

TaCOMa MC

A Century On Two Wheels On April 24, 1910, the members of the Tacoma Motorcycle Club had their first ride in Eatonville, Wash.

In those days, even club members saw motorcycling more as practical transportation than sport. However, that has changed significantly over the years. In the 1930s and ’40s, club activities were centered around racing, field meets and hillclimbs.

In 1947, the club bought land south of

Hendrik von Kuenheim

and which direction we want to go. We know exactly the date when there will be a new GS, this date has been set. It is in the distant future. Still many, many years away, but it will be again an absolute milestone in setting the benchmark again.

Let the competition come on, I’m more than happy to take on the competition.

Puyallup and built a quartermile dirt oval. Later came the Graham Speedway, which featured races nearly every Friday night for 15 years.

Celebrating 100 years of history in 2010, the Tacoma Motorcycle Club has been an AMA-chartered club for 75 years—since 1935.

Today, the club holds the May 2 Wet Duck Poker Run, an off-road recreational event; the June 5 Dinosaur Daze Vintage Racing Weekend; and the August Dry Duck Poker Run, a road ride.

More info: TacomaMC.com.

ON THE WEB

RIDING

BUSABEATS.COM

converge every year to set new records for speed, you need to see it. It’s one of the few places on earth that earns the out-ofthis-world hyperbole.

Can’t get there? With hundreds of images on tap, this website is the next best thing.

BONNEVILLESTORIES.COM

GALLERY.AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST. COM

Busabeats qualifies as a classic when it comes to websites. This favorite of karaoke addicts everywhere has been letting fans lay their own sweet rhymes over some heavy beats for a couple years now. New contests, always with a Suzuki Hayabusa theme, come and go and keep it fresh.

To truly experience the Bonneville Salt Flats, where the world’s speed freaks

&

UPS

DOWNS

There’s nothing like getting out and

riding, but for those times when you’re stuck behind a computer and you need a little vicarious travel, check out the ever-growing gallery of AMA-member-submitted pictures at Gallery.AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Better yet, submit your own and show the world your trips.

NINA’s AN orIgINAl.

Harrison, Ohio. The elected officials of this small town just outside of Cincinnati worked with local businesses to build the Doug Dunaway Memorial Motocross Park, which spans more than eight square miles and features a 1.2-mile track.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, for calling for an ABS mandate for motorcycles. ABS can actually be a hazard in certain riding conditions.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey for bringing home one of the most coveted trophies in motorsports: the AMA Supercross No. 1 plate.

The Summit County Off-Road Riders in Summit County, Colo., for working with a local homeowners association to retain access to a riding area.

The Corning, N.Y., Police Department, for a systematic crackdown on traffic laws, including sound, aimed only at motorcycles. We don’t like excessive sound, either, but plenty of cars sport loud exhausts or loud stereos, too.

Why focus just on bikes?

Lucas Oil/RoadRacingWorld. com/RMR Suzuki’s 16-yearold Elena Myers for becoming the first woman to win a major AMA Pro Roadracing event in the SuperSport class at the Infineon round.

And so is her Yuasa battery – the original equipment battery on more motorcycles, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and personal watercraft than all other brands combined. To locate your nearest Yuasa dealer, visit www.yuasabatteries.com.

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p Jacob Cranston during a Collegeboy race at Delmarva Motorsports Park in Easton, Md., at an AMA District 7 (Maryland, Delaware) Gold Series race, submitted by Bill Evans of Queen Anne, Md. u (Clockwise from the left) “Here is a picture of my son Wyatt’s first race. It was at the Springfield TT. He was lapped by the field yet enjoyed it so much we raced all season.”— Sterling Taber of Mahomet, Ill. Photo by Flattrak Fotos (Dave Hoenig); a vintage Honda 650 sidecar rig piloted by Lawrence Hanlon of Manchester, N.H.; dirt-tracker having fun, submitted by Rob Cavenagh of Mason, Mich.

Got a picture you’d like to see in American Motorcyclist? Send it to submissions@amacycle.org. We’ll pick the best each month to receive a $500 gift card from BikeBandit.com.

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

RACING

Photos Dungey: Jeff Kardas; Smith: Dave Hoenig

Bryan Smith, Bill werner at ama racing dirt track grand championShipS …As Event Honoree And Special Guest

Ryan Dungey in Vegas.

SupercroSS championS crowned Ryan Dungey Wins 2010 AMA Supercross Title

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey has put together one of the most successful AMA Lites class careers in recent years, winning both the AMA SX Lites West Region title and the 250 National Championship in 2009.

This season, Dungey wasted no time serving notice that his small-bike speed would translate to the bigger machines, winning the AMA Supercross premier class championship in his rookie year.

Although he had already mathematically locked up the crown, Dungey closed out his championship run with a 70-point lead over GEICO Powersports Honda’s Kevin Windham following his season-ending win at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, May 8.

“It’s been an amazing year,” Dungey says. “This has been something I never thought I would do. It’s something you have worked so hard for since a kid...

Everything worked out for the best. Roger [DeCoster] gave me an opportunity of a lifetime, and everyday I’ll remember that.”

While Dungey was usually the fastest rider on the track all season, winning rounds 2, 3, 8, 11, 14 and 17, his title was partially a function of survival. Early season favorites, Kawasaki’s Chad Reed and Yamaha’s James Stewart, were taken out by injuries, as was Kawasaki-mounted Ryan Villopoto.

Villopoto had seven wins on the year and was chipping away at Dungey’s points lead when he crashed hard in round 14, ending his season.

Christophe Pourcel Wins East Region AMA Lites Championship For the second straight year, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel laid claim to the AMA Supercross Lites Eastern Region Championship.

Pourcel locked up the title at the Houston round with his fifth win of the season.

The win came with two races remaining in Pourcel’s remarkable AMA Supercross Lites career. In SX Lites, Pourcel has 12 wins in 19 starts.

In the West AMA Lites Region, It Was All Jake Weimer With Pourcel winning in the East, another Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider, Jake Weimer, took care of business in the West. Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, won four of eight rounds to win the SX Lites Western Region title with a 15-point lead over Honda pilot Wil Hahn.

Weimer also put an exclamation point on his season with a win at the season-ending Dave Coombs East/West Shootout, leading three other Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki riders to a sweep of the top four positions at the race.

“I couldn’t be any happier than I am right now,” Weimer says. “This was my last Supercross Lites race, and I wrapped up my career with a win. That No. 1 plate is heavy, and everyone handles it differently.

I was fired up to come here. Since there are no points here, I was able to just concentrate on getting the win. I wanted to make a statement.”

Helping celebrate 35 years of AMA amateur national championship dirt-track racing at the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships on July 17-23 in Du Quoin, Ill., will be AMA Pro Racing Grand National Championship contender Bryan Smith and famed tuner Bill Werner.

Smith, who will serve as event honoree, and Werner, as special guest, will meet and greet the best amateur racers in shorttrack, TT, half-mile and Mile competition.

“I remember growing up, going down there for a week every summer,” says Smith, who races for Werner’s Monster Energy Kawasaki Werner Springsteen Racing Team. “The best in the country show up there. For the kids, you never know who you are racing, where they will be. One could be the world champion someday.”

Werner, whose team also includes AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jay Springsteen as mentor and test rider, says the event represents the heritage of amateur dirttrack racing in America.

“For amateur dirt-track racers in America, it’s the highlight of every summer, and being involved in the event is an honor,” says Werner, whose bikes over the years have won more than 130 Grand Nationals and 13 Grand National Championships.

The AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships feature nationalchampionship racing in TT, short-track, half-mile and Mile competition. A schedule and registration information can be found online at AMARacing.com.

Bryan Smith

July 2010

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RACING

CHARLIE MULLINS LIGHTS IT UP

DREW GOSSELAAR PUTS QUANTYA TRACK ON TOP Electric Bikes Kick Gas At Mixed Event

The lesson learned from the first electric vs. gas dirtbike race? Regardless of the means of propulsion, it’s still the rider more than the machine.

Riding a Quantya Track electric motorcycle, Drew Gosselaar won the first AMA-sanctioned electric vs. gasoline dirtbike race, dubbed the Energy Crisiscross (ECX), held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., as part of the 2010 MiniMoto SX. Electric bikes dominated the tight track, claiming the top six spots.

Gosselaar says he wasn’t turned off by the electric power delivery of the Quantya.

“Even though Quantya is a new company, they’ve made an all-around awesome machine,” he says. “I was comfortable from the second I got on the bike. It just shows the potential of electric bikes and how easy they are to ride.”

The ECX featured top talent. In addition to Gosselaar, two-time AMA SX Lites Champion Damon Huffman raced a Quantya, while former MX World Champ Sebastian Tortelli lined up on a Zero.

Finishing behind Gosselaar were five racers on Zero motorcycles. Chris Dvoracek took second, while Tortelli claimed third. In all, 10 electric bikes—five bikes from Zero and five from Quantya— and 10 four-stroke gasoline-powered machines attempted to qualify for the Friday night main event.

The rules for the ECX restricted the modifications to the gas-powered bikes and required the stock frame, forks, cylinder, carburetor and engine cases.

For more information on the ECX and MiniMoto SX, which also featured some of the world’s top mini-bike racers, see MiniMotoSX.com.

REGISTER TO RACE ONLINE

Save Time And Avoid The Crowd Standing in line is lame. Skip the lines this year and use AMARaceManager. com instead. It’s your link to quick and easy signup for several 2010 AMA Racing Championship events.

There, you can create an account and register for the July 9-11 AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships, the July 12-14 AMA Racing Road Race Grand Championships and the July 17-23 AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships.

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Obermeyer/Am Pro/FMF Yamaha rider Charlie Mullin lit the off-road world on fire in May. On May 16, he won his third straight event in the AMA Racing Rekluse National Enduro Championship Series, presented by Moose Racing, in Park Hills, Mo. Then, on May 23, he took his third overall win at the at the Moose Racing Mountain Ridge Grand National Cross Country in Somerset, Pa. Mullins leads the points race for the AMA National Enduro Championship ahead of Husaberg factory pilot Mike Lafferty. He is second to FMF Makita Suzuki’s Josh Strang in the battle for the Grand National Cross Country Championship.

Mullins credits his recent run of success to “the elimination of silly mistakes.”

“I’ve been getting a little smarter in my racing,” Mullins says. “I’m winning, and it’s great, but there will be a time when I won’t win, so I’m just going to keep working hard and take it a race at a time.”

Mullins says he’s learned patience.

“I actually didn’t want to lead right away,” reveals Mullins. “I was happy to follow someone and see the lines.”

At the Missouri enduro, Mullins dominated in difficult conditions. He won four of the six tests outright, and then tied FMF/KTM’s Cory Buttick for the fastest time in one other. In all, Mullins finished the 65-mile event almost a minute faster than Buttrick, who won the fourth test.

“The track held up well and I just tried to ride to the best of my abilities and things turned out well,” Mullins said after the enduro. “I did what I wanted to do, and that was win and get in the points lead.

This event had a little bit of everything.

The club did a great job.” — Shan Moore That’s Charlie Mullins under all that mud, riding smart and winning.

Photos Mullins: Shan Moore

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The 2010 AMA Arenacross Series came to a close with the AMA Arenacross Grand Championships on Saturday, May 8.

Held at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev.,following the Monster Energy AMA Supercross finale, the event featured the nation’s top amateur Arenacross racers.

Austin Coon, of Spencer, W.Va., and Beau Judge, of Carmichael, Calif., each won a pair of national titles. Coon took the AX Lites Intermediate and AX Intermediate titles and Judge the Over 30 and Over 25.

Other AMA National Champions from the event are: 65cc (7-11), Timmy Crosby, Confluence, Pa., KTM; 85cc (9-15), Peyton Malugani, Weatherford, Texas, Kawasaki; 65cc (7-9), Austin Black, Portland, Ore., KTM; AX Lites Novice, Tanner Sisson, Lemoore, Calif., Honda; Over 35, Michael Faulk, Connersville, Ind., Kawasaki; 50cc (4-6), Corey Passieu, McDonald, Pa., Cobra; 85cc Super Mini, Chase Marquier, New Castle, Okla., Suzuki; 85cc (711), Mitchell Harrison, Brighton, Mich., Kawasaki; AX Novice, Jake Mohnike, Templeton, Calif., Yamaha; Pit Bike AM, Tyson Clark, Carlisle, Pa., Kawasaki; Women, Lauren Volentir, Thornton, Colo., Kawasaki; 50cc (7-8), Bobby Semelsberger, Windber, Pa., Cobra; 85cc (12-15), Logan Karnow, Vermillion, Ohio, KTM; Collegeboy (16-24), Bretton Engle, Tahoka, Texas, Yamaha; Girls (9-13), Allyson Miller, Spring Creek, Nev., Suzuki; Schoolboy, Zachary Jaynes, Princeton, Texas, Yamaha; 65cc (10-11), Javier Loera, San Jose, Calif., Honda; Over 40, Jack Lambert, Kansas City, Mo., Yamaha; Expert, Bracken Hall, Rock Springs, Wyo., Honda.

Log on to Arenacross.com for more information, as well as a full list of results.

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HALL OF FAME

1959 HARLEY-DAVIDSON KR DIRT TRACKER

Photo Grogan Studios

Joe Leonard’s Last Racer

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Introduced in 1953, the Harley-Davidson KR 750 had a long and distinguished life as a dirt-track and roadracing weapon.

From 1954, when AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Joe Leonard won his first title aboard the machine, through 1962, KR Harleys won the AMA Grand National Championship every year.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

This immaculately restored 1959 HarleyDavidson KR 750 is the last motorcycle that Leonard raced before embarking on what became a successful car-racing career. And it’s only through luck that it landed in the hands of aficionado Al Bergstrom.

Riding machines built by Tom Sifton,

Leonard won the AMA Grand National Championship in 1954, 1956 and 1957, and lost by only one point to fellow Hall of Famer Carroll Resweber in 1958. But in 1959 Sifton stopped building engines to concentrate on his cam manufacturing business, and Leonard technically became a privateer.

Leonard won Daytona twice, Laconia three times and the Peoria TT seven times on machines similar to this during his career. This particular side-valve, V-twin, 45-cubic-inch (750cc) motorcycle— restored by Marsh Runyon who tuned Leonard’s bikes from 1959 through ’62— won four GNC races.

Bergstrom acquired this bike from a Los Angeles dealership after it was traded in on a Honda trike. The dealer wanted $3,500 and Bergman bought it, not knowing how special the bike really was.

The bike came with a bunch of papers, including one with the phone number of former flat-track racer Marshall “Digger” Helm. In 1962, Helm was traveling with Leonard on the dirt-track circuit. At the end of the season, he bought Leonard’s bike from Monte’s Harley-Davidson of Fresno, Calif., the dealership that had sponsored Leonard.

In other words, the motorcycle Bergstrom had purchased wasn’t just raced by Helm—it was also the last motorcycle raced by a dirt-track legend.

“I worked on it when it was fresh and new, and then I was able to put it back to the way Joe rode it, which was pretty neat,” Runyon says.

The result is a perfect period piece, preserved just as it was raced in ’62, right down to the hundreds of holes drilled in every possible part to shave critical ounces.

This KR, through the generosity of Bergstrom, is just one of the many exciting machines on display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.

Heritage features the machines and people of the AMA 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.

July 2010

33

HALL OF FAME

Danny ‘Magoo’ ChanDler 1959-2010

Despite appearances to the contrary, professional motocross is a sport of precision and finesse. Few riders have achieved prominence through sheer guts and abandon, and fewer still have maintained that prominence over time.

To all who saw him race, however, there was one AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer who had an unprecedented ability to ride wide open, adhere to his own laws of physics and some way, somehow, stay in perfect, beautiful chaotic control.

Yes, “controlled chaos” had a poster boy, and it was Danny “Magoo” Chandler.

Chandler’s unorthodox and never-quit racing style won him legions of loyal fans at home and abroad. Chandler was known as one of the boldest riders of any era. He often attempted jumps on his motocross bikes that were previously considered impossible, endearing him to fans and intimidating his competitors.

Chandler, who passed away at the age of 50 on May 4 due to complications from a long-time health issue, was born in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 5, 1959, into a racing family. He started riding when he was 4 and first competed when he was 9.

Chandler earned his pro license in 1976 and his first factory ride in 1979, with Maico. His breakout year was 1981. Riding a privateer Suzuki, he finished ninth in the AMA 125cc National Motocross series.

Then, on a Honda, he won the Trans-USA 500cc support series, which earned him a spot on the factory team for 1982.

Chandler won four AMA 500cc outdoor Nationals over the next two seasons, finishing third overall in 1983.

At the end of 1982, Chandler was part of the American team for the Trophies des

Nations and the Motocross of Nations.

On the smooth and fast racing circuits of Gaildorf, Germany, and Wohlen, Switzerland, Chandler came through and won every moto in both events. Chandler became the only rider ever to win both motos of both events in the same year.

He returned to the U.S. as a bona fide national and international MX hero.

Chandler’s racing career came to a premature end when he was left paralyzed after a crash at the Paris Supercross in December of 1985. Despite his disability, Chandler became a positive influence on thousands of people by giving talks on his life story at schools, hospitals and other assemblies. Read more about the life of Danny “Magoo” Chandler at MotorcycleMuseum.org.

Heroes Honored In new exHIbIt

Photo Grogan Studios

At the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, objects have long taken center stage when it comes to exhibits.

That’s changed. Now, it’s all about the people.

A new exhibit is in the forefront that stays true to the core mission of the Hall of Fame. The main floor celebrates Hall of Fame inductees—the heroes of the track, road, trails and halls of government who have elevated the sport to new heights.

Of course, motorcycles and memorabilia are well-represented. The incredible machines include a Wayne Rainey Superbike; Gary Nixon’s Formula 750 racebike; one-of-a-kind Craig Vetter bikes, Doug Henry’s YZM400, which is the bike that started the four-stroke motocross revolution; Denis Manning’s 23-foot-long Tenacious II streamliner, and many, many more. Each has a unique story to tell about a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

The exhibit follows the eight areas for which riders are inducted into the Hall of Fame: ambassadors and industry, design and engineering, dirt-track, leadership and motorcycle rights advocacy, motocross and Supercross, off-road, roadracing, and specialty competition.

And this is just the half of it. The lower floor of the Hall of Fame includes expanded themed displays. Currently, we are putting the finishing touches on areas that celebrate the glory years of American dirt-track racing, and the impressive machines that were built at Honda of America’s Marysville, Ohio, facility, starting with the 1979 CR250.

Check out the new look at MotorcycleMuseum.org, or visit at 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, Ohio 43147.

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IT’S MALCOLM

SMITH’S WORLD

The Rest Of Us Just Ride In It

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Words by Grant Parsons Photos by Holly Carlyle

One of the most iconic and outgoing riders in motorcycling, Malcolm Smith became famous for his starring role in “On Any Sunday” in 1971.

But that’s only one chapter of a life spent getting the most from adrenaline, speed and a neversay-die outlook.

O

n three separate occasions, Malcolm Smith has sworn off motorcycles entirely.

Lucky for Malcolm—and for us—he’s always come back.

Blame adrenaline. Because without that craving, which only could be filled by riding off-road motorcycles with blazing speed through some of the world’s most challenging terrain, Malcolm Smith may never have become one of motorcycling’s most highly regarded icons.

That means there would be no appearance in the legendary movie “On Any Sunday.” Or nine medals in the International Six Days Enduro. Or six victories in the Baja 1000, and four more in the Baja 500. There would be no Malcolm Smith Racing gear, or Malcolm Smith Motorsports dealership in Riverside, Calif, no induction into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. And he wouldn’t be this year’s grand marshal at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 9-11, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

And this particular afternoon, there would be no easy-going guy relaxing at his comfortable home in the hills above Riverside, reminiscing on how he somehow accomplished all that despite giving up on motorcycles three times.

“It’s almost like it was fate,” he says, offering the trademark smile that millions of motorcycling fans remember from “On Any Sunday.” I’ve been extremely lucky, and it’s all come from riding motorcycles. I have no idea what it’s like to be a normal person. I’d be bored out of my mind as a normal person.”

The key, he notes, has been a lifelong love affair with motorcycling that was jumpstarted when he was 13 by, of all things, a scooter that wouldn’t even run. Born on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Malcolm first noticed motorcycles on trips into Vancouver, but it wasn’t until he moved with his family to Southern California at the age of 5 that the obsession took hold.

“I had always loved working on things that were mechanical—ever since I can remember,” Malcolm says. “I was walking home from school one day, and there was

a garage on the way that was open, and I noticed a Powell motor scooter, all apart and in pieces. I had always loved working on things that were mechanical, and my interest was in putting it back together and hearing it run. I don’t even remember thinking about riding it.”

The man said he’d sell it for $50, so Malcolm went out and earned the money by mowing lawns and pulling weeds through the neighborhood. Only problem is that when he came back to buy the scooter, the guy had changed his mind and said he wouldn’t sell.

It broke the young boy’s heart, and he did what anyone else would do in that situation.

“I went home and cried, and my mother took pity on me,” he says. “She just spoiled me, and she took me down to a Lambretta dealership downtown, and we got a 125cc model, a stripped-down ’53 model that was a holdover from the year before.”

After a brief lesson from the dealer, John Burr, in the alley behind the shop on the use of controls, a scooter rider was born.

Living in a farming community near the San Bernardino National Forest, Malcolm rode the scooter through sand washes and orange groves, through the hills and everywhere. Things really got interesting when a friend bought a 150cc scooter, and the two would race.

He learned how to work on the scooter, particularly the carburetors. Lacking knobby tires, Malcolm took screw-on athletic cleats leftover from the local high school football team and screwed them into the tires. They worked pretty well, Smith recalls.

“We’d ride to the base of the mountains, and then ride up to the snow level,” he says.

“I was up that way a few years ago on the same roads, and I just can’t believe I ever got that Lambretta up there. Some of it is pretty steep.”

If the Lambretta taught him ingenuity, his next bike taught him riding skills.

“It was a ’49 Matchless single with a rigid frame,” he says. “I was kind of a small kid, though, so I couldn’t kickstart the engine. I didn’t weigh enough. So I’d coast it down the hill to fire it and go off riding. If I ever killed the

July 2010

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38

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

engine, I couldn’t start it, and I’d have to walk all the way home to get some friends to help me push-start it. I really learned how not to stall a motor while riding.”

The Matchless, in turn, led to his first motorcycling job. After becoming known among local motorcycle stores for his dumpster-diving behind dealerships to find parts, one of them, Pappy Moss, offered him a job sweeping floors.

“After sweeping the floors for a while, I graduated to washing parts,” he says. “We had these 5-gallon buckets of gas, and I didn’t wear gloves, and I was washing magnetos that would make sparks. To this day I can’t believe that I never caught myself on fire.”

He also started using his mechanical skills, putting together some of the first Honda step-through 50cc machines to arrive in the States.

“The real mechanics didn’t want anything to do with them, so at night after everyone went home, I’d clean an area of the dealership, open up five or six crates at a time and put 10 bikes in a circle and start assembling them,” he says. “They’d come in the next morning and see what I’d done and say, ‘My God, how long were you here.’ I’d tell them 2:30 in the morning, but I was really home by 8:30 at night—and I was making more money than they were in a day!”

The racing part actually came pretty easily—after an initial crash in his first race.

“It was a hare scrambles,” Malcolm remembers. “I knew how to win races: you held the throttle wide open, and you went faster than anyone else, right? Well, we started in a field and it narrowed down to a road, and when everyone else shut the throttle off, I was still going wide open, trying to pass everyone on the outside. I think I took out about five guys when I crashed, but all

I could think of was getting up and getting going again. I think I crashed another eight or 10 times in that race.”

Driving home, he had a revelation.

“I lost the race by 8 minutes, and I figured I was on the ground about 10 minutes,” he said. “If I wasn’t on the ground, I would have won the race. So they had a race the next month at the same place, with the same start. This time I was smart. I never hit the

college to study to be an aircraft engineer.

Of course, the story doesn’t end there.

Malcolm returned to riding again after a long rehabilitation on his leg. And he returned to racing, which turned out to be a very good thing indeed. Racing a Greeves, he made a name for himself. That opened the door for his next big break—the one that has forever aligned him with the Husqvarna brand.

By this time, Malcolm had met Norm

“I never had to work at riding fast.

It all just came naturally.”

—Malcolm Smith ground, and I won the race.”

The insight stuck with him throughout his racing: ride smart.

“It’s funny,” he says. “I never had to work at riding fast. It all just came naturally. What I had to work at was controlling myself so I didn’t go too fast. And throughout my career I’ve reverted to that stupidity from time to time. I have to work to keep that in check.”

It was about then that Malcolm had his first bad crash while play-riding with a friend.

The two of them crashed head-on. Malcolm broke his lower left leg in seven places, and his upper one in three. It was bad enough that the doctors were talking about amputating the limb. His mother, however, sought a second opinion at a better hospital and the leg was spared.

Spooked, that was the first time Malcolm swore off riding motorcycles. And his motorcycling career could have ended right there, with Malcolm going on to do something else entirely, and we’d never have heard of him. In fact, he even started going to

McDonald and Kenny Johnson of K&N Motorcycles. He had dropped out of school to start his own business at the age of 25.

He was running the service department at the shop.

“I was working one day when this guy sticks his head in the window looking for me,” Malcolm says. “He had a French beret cap on, and he said, ‘My name is Edison Dye, and I’m going to import Husqvarnas, and I’m looking for a rider to race them.’ I knew what Huskys were from reading the English magazines, and I said, ‘Let’s go talk.’”

The problem was, Malcolm didn’t have much confidence in the bike he saw in the back of Dye’s truck—at least at first glance.

“It had this spindly little frame,” he says. “I was kind of running it down, and he wasn’t getting anywhere with me.”

Then Dye offered to pay Malcolm’s way to race in the International Six Days Trial (ISDT— now known as the International Six Days Enduro, or ISDE) if he’d ride his bikes for a year. Malcolm was a fan of this European off-

July 2010

39

The dealership family: Malcolm’s wife, Joyce, his son, Alexander, and his daughter, Ashley.

road racing. In this ISDT, riders must maintain their own race bikes over the course of a torturous multi-day event, turning Malcolm’s tuning skills into an advantage. Malcolm agreed to test the bike.

“We went up to Nevada State Mountain, unloaded the bike, and I did one lap on the course and came in and said, ‘You’ve hired yourself a rider,’” Malcolm says. “The bike was that much better. That Saturday, there was a big race, and I got third overall on the little 250, and that was when 650s were the norm in the desert. The key was the average speed. The next weekend I won the overall.”

He was impressed enough to become a Husqvarna dealer, buying the bikes from Dye, putting them on the dealership sales floor, and splitting the profits with McDonald.

Malcolm bought a Dodge van, put in some

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shelves, and every weekend at the races he would sell parts before and after the races, and race in-between.

Eventually, the time came for the ISDT, which was held in Sweden. Dye bought Malcolm a plane ticket to Stockholm, and lined up a VW van for him to drive to Oslo for the race.

“The only problem was that he didn’t know what color the van was, or where it was parked at the airport,” Malcolm says. “He just gave me the keys and told me to keep trying vans until I found it. Well, I got there at 2:30 in the morning, in the rain, and do you know how many different VW vans were in the parking lot?”

He eventually found the van and made it to the race. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as he would have liked. “I was too over-

enthusiastic,” Malcolm says. “I hit the ground a lot. I broke my throttle cable, so I held the throttle wide open and tried to ride using the kill switch. I was carrying a cable, and if I had stopped right away and put it in, I would have stayed in contention.”

Still, he was hooked.

“I loved it,” Malcolm says. “I loved that the rider was the only one who could take care of the motorcycle, and I’ve always been intrigued by flying up over a blind rise or around a corner and not knowing what’s coming, but having to deal with it. I really loved calculating all you needed to do in those surprise situations.”

The next year, Malcolm broke his leg a second time, and again swore off motorcycles. Of course, that second vow didn’t last, and he was soon back racing.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gunnar Lindstrom (left), a former motocross star and current Husqvarna expert, visits with Malcolm.

Again, it was a good thing, because the next phase of his motorcycling career brought him fame as the star of “On Any Sunday.”

Still, that life-changing experience almost didn’t happen. At the time, Bruce Brown, who was filming and producing the movie, was well known for the surfing film “Endless Summer” and was a customer of Malcolm’s. But when Brown was ready to start filming “On Any Sunday,” Malcolm had just bought out the entire dealership and was overwhelmed.

“I told him I just couldn’t do it, and he said he’d call me back in about a month when they were filming. Luckily, by then, I had enough time to get things under control and I could do it.”

Filming the movie was a blast, Malcolm says, but he had no idea that he’d have such a big part in the film. “There were only three days of real shooting, but Bruce came to a lot of the races and filmed in addition,” he says.

His best memory of the time was the day Bruce shot the closing scenes of Malcolm, racer Mert Lawwill and actor Steve McQueen play-riding on the beach. Ironically, that shoot almost didn’t happen either.

“That was shot at Camp Pendleton, and when Bruce called up to get permission, he had been told, ‘No way, absolutely not!’” Malcolm remembers. “When he told McQueen, McQueen calls up and says, ‘This is Steve McQueen, and we’d like to do a movie with some motorcycles and ride on

the base,’ and the commanding officer says, ‘Yes, sir. When would you like to do it, sir?’”

The rest, as they say, is history. The movie came out, Husqvarna sales doubled and Malcolm became an overnight sensation to motorcyclists everywhere, gaining a legion of fans—including his mother.

“She was a proper schoolteacher, and she never liked my racing, but once ‘On Any Sunday’ came out, she was all, ‘My son, the motorcycle racer!’”

The movie became an icon for motorcyclists.

“I honestly thought I’d be in the movie for a few minutes,” he says. “I had no idea. I still meet people at trade shows, and they tell me, ‘That movie, you and McQueen—that’s why I’m in the motorcycle business.’ It’s amazing.”

After the movie, Malcolm continued racing, excelling as usual and ultimately earning a total of nine medals in the ISDE—eight of them gold, awarded to those finishing in the highest bracket.

It was in 1974 that Malcolm swore off racing for a third time after another serious motorcycling accident.

You can probably guess what happened: He didn’t stop riding, or racing. What he did, though, was concentrate more on growing his dealership, and on building up a line of accessories that started with nylon-lined throttle cables imported from Europe and soon branched into clothing and

more. Malcolm Smith Racing Products was born—an enthusiast-driven product line he eventually sold to Tucker Rocky Distributing.

Malcolm also focused more on off-road car racing in Baja. He’s a six-time winner of the famed Baja 1000—three times on a motorcycle and three times in a car. He’s also a four-time winner of the Baja 500, a twotime winner of the Mint 400, and a two-time winner of the Roof of Africa Rallye.

Over time, the dealership became quite successful, and two years ago Malcolm was able to relocate to a new facility in Riverside. It’s an impressive place just off the 91 freeway, with a massive sales floor and a state-of-the-art service area. There’s even a special area on the second level that honors his accomplishments and features several of his racebikes and displays that originally were part of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s “Malcolm!” exhibit. He counts himself as fortunate that he’s able to work with his wife, Joyce, son, Alexander, and daughter, Ashley, every day.

“The keys to this have been pretty simple,” Malcolm says. “A lot of it is picking the right people to do the job. I’m not good at sales.

I can get people excited about the bike, but I can’t ask for the sale well. I’m not good at accounting. Parts I’m OK at, and service I’m OK at. But picking the right people is important.”

The other part that people underestimate, he says, is persistence and tenacity.

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They don’t hand these out to just anyone: Malcolm’s ISDE medals.

History Of A Legend

Fueling The Two-Stroke Revolution

“A lot of it is just keeping at it,” he says. “You just keep at it, and you get smarter. Running a business is like a long-distance race. I’ve been in last place at the start, and I’ll be behind everybody, but I won’t give up. I’ll just keep pounding on, pretending I’m going to be leading.

And pretty soon, the lead guy has a problem, or the next guy might have a problem, and pretty soon I might be up to winning the race again.”

Still, he says, like with racing, there are no guarantees, as the tough economy in recent years has shown.

“The motorcycle business is not a cakewalk as it was for many years,” he says. “Until about two years ago, it seemed like you couldn’t miss, and you were patting yourself on the back for the great job you were doing—but it wasn’t you, it was circumstances. These days, you have to be more careful, more creative.”

It sure didn’t help, he notes, when the federal government decided to ban dirtbike sales to kids when motorcycles got caught up in a law aimed at lead levels in children’s toys. Working with the AMA and others in the motorcycle industry to fight the ban, Malcolm came up with his own brand of high-profile response in 2009. He staged a press conference and sold a couple dirtbikes and an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) for kids, making the point that the machines had no place being included in the ban.

Yet, to hear Malcolm tell it, as he approaches the age of 70—he’s 69 now—he admits to mellowing a bit.

He’s devoted more time to a fundraising project for his beloved Baja.

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His newest endeavor, under the name Malcolm Smith Adventures Inc., leads a fund-raising ride through some of the best off-road riding Baja has to offer.

He’s raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to build an orphanage in Valle Trinidad. It’s home to more than 50 children—the youngest of whom, from the orphanage’s early days, are now in college.

“I really wanted to give back to the people in Baja,” he says. “They’ve always been so nice.”

And he still trail rides, and races buggies off-road. In April, he competed in the Mexican 1000 Rally, a race for vintage cars from Mexicali to La Paz in Baja, and finished third. He raced the Bel-Ray Bullet, a car that he and Bud Feldcamp originally fielded in the mid-’70s, making the car-and-driver combination appropriately vintage.

At his house in the hills above Riverside, it’s clear that motorcycling has been good to Malcolm, that his speed on the race course and his tenacity in business have paid off. He has a garage full of motorcycles and off-road racers that are appropriately drool-worthy.

He lives in a sprawling, well-manicured orange-tree-scented home with his family.

But the secret for him, he says, is not dwelling on what’s happened already.

There are times, such as when he’s asked about his accomplishments, when he’s happy to oblige and look back, but generally, not.

“I may have been lucky, but I never really look at it backward,” he says. “I look at what’s next. What am I going to do next? What’s around the next corner?”•

In the United States, the Husqvarna brand—this year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Marque of the Year—is closely tied to Malcolm Smith, who helped establish the motorcycles as formidable off-road racebikes in the 1960s and ’70s. However, the company’s history dates back centuries. In fact, the company started in 1689 when Husqvarna produced munitions in Sweden.

It wasn’t until 1903 that the company began selling motorcycles, fitting engines from makers into Husqvarna frames. Then, in 1920, Husqvarna began building its own engine—a 550cc, four-stroke, 50-degree side-valve V-twin.

Another early milestone for the company was the legendary “Svartkvarna” built in 1946. It was a lightweight, reliable two-stroke that could endure hard use. The machine established a reputation that would define Husqvarna for decades.

That reputation was mostly written in the 1960s. The two-stroke revolution had yet to take hold in the United States. U.S. riders were still tackling the woods and deserts on converted Harley-Davidsons, Triumphs and BSAs. AMA Hall of Famer Edison Dye became enthralled with European motocross, ultimately teaming with Malcolm Smith to raise the brand’s profile in the States.

As part of his early marketing, Dye organized visits to the United States by the reigning Swedish world motocross champion, Torsten Hallman, who has since also taken a seat in the Hall of Fame. He came over for U.S. races and won every moto he entered.

The following year, Dye brought Hallman over again, along with world championship motocross stars Lars Larsson, Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster, each of whom would later earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.

European heroes racing on American shores not only helped sell motorcycles, they laid the foundation for the growth of motocross on tracks across America.

This year, the AMA will celebrate the storied off-road history of both Husqvarna and Malcolm Smith at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 9-11, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. For more information on the event, see AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com.

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AN END TO THE BAN? New Federal Legislation Could Fix The Ban On Kids’ Dirtbikes

For two years, the AMA, its members and others in the motorcycling community have been fighting a congressional action that threatens to end the sale of kids’ dirtbikes. Now, the logjam appears to be breaking up, with a new, fast-moving bill that has the potential to fix the mess. The key is making sure the right bill moves forward.

By Bill Kresnak Sean Hilbert was very clear in his written testimony to members of Congress: You’ve made a horrible mistake.

The president of Cobra Moto in Hillsdale, Mich., Hilbert builds competition-level mini motocross bikes, and he fears that his company has less than a year to live because of an unfair law passed two years ago that could end the sale of kids’ dirtbikes.

“As the law is written, we will be closing our doors in May of 2011 because the costs of complying with this law will outweigh our yearly revenues (of about $5 million),” Hilbert told the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection on April 29.

He was speaking about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, which bans the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under that contains more than a specified amount of lead in any accessible part.

Aimed at children’s toys, the law ensnared kids’ dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), as trace levels of lead can be found in parts such as batteries and brake calipers. The law will be enforced beginning May 1, 2011.

The CPSIA also requires all children’s products be tested by an independent laboratory approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and be certified that they comply with the law. Plus, the law requires that the product continue to undergo periodic testing.

“On behalf of our 30 employees and nearly 100 family members who rely on Cobra for

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their livelihood and medical benefits, we urge the committee to draft a law that will allow exceptions for products like ours that pose absolutely no risk of lead ingestion,” he says.

“And we suggest you implement it in such a way that small companies can afford to apply for, and be granted, such an exception,” he adds.

Luckily, thanks to motorcyclists like Hilbert, along with AMA members and lobbyists from the AMA and the motorcycle industry, there may be a solution to this misguided law.

At presstime, a new law was being considered, and it was moving rapidly through committees of the U.S. House.

NEW FIX-IT LAW PROPOSED The U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held a hearing on April 29 to consider the proposed Consumer Product Safety Enhancement Act (CPSEA) of 2010. Drafted

by U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the law is intended to fix problems caused by the CPSIA. “Despite recent efforts by the [CPSC] to clarify and improve implementation of the [CPSIA], a number of problems persist,” subcommittee staff told committee members in a memorandum dated April 19.

“Some affected manufacturers have asserted that there are some products that require lead and do not pose a serious threat to public health or safety,” the staff wrote. “Others have claimed that the law’s lead requirements should not apply to used

children’s clothing.

“In addition, some affected industry members have asserted that the third-party testing requirements are overly burdensome for smaller businesses and that alternative testing could be used without compromising public health or safety,” the staff wrote.

As a result, the staff said, the CPSEA is being proposed to: • Give the CPSC flexibility to grant exemptions from the CPSIA’s lead limits for certain products, components and materials.

• Provide relief for thrift stores and other retailers from the lead limits through an exclusion for certain used children’s products, and to apply a more stringent lead limit that takes effect in August 2011 only to new products.

• Provide relief for small manufacturers and businesses that may not be able to meet the CPSIA’s testing requirements by allowing the CPSC to approve alternative testing requirements.

RELIEF NEEDED QUICKLY Paul Vitrano, general counsel for the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), painted lawmakers a bleak picture in his testimony about the state of the youth motorcycle and ATV industry because of the CPSIA, and the dire effect it is having on young riders.

The MIC is an industry trade association of manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles and ATVs, parts and accessories, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment,

Concerns about certain children’s toys containing dangerous amounts of lead ultimately produced a federal law that effectively bans the sale of kids’ motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Here’s how we got to where we are today.

Sources: U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection; AMA

2006

A 4-year-old Minneapolis boy dies of lead poisoning after swallowing a charm given away with athletic shoes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends restricting or eliminating non-essential uses of lead in consumer products.

2007

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection holds hearings on the safety of children’s products following numerous recalls of children’s toys due to unsafe lead levels. On Nov. 1, Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and others introduce H.R. 4040—the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2007, which later becomes the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008.

Aug. 14, 2008 President George Bush signs H.R. 4040 into law effective Feb. 10, 2009. The law calls for a ban on the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under that contains more than 600 parts per million of lead in any accessible part. Manufacturers and others must have their products tested at government-approved labs to certify they comply with the law.

2009

March 17, 2009 U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) introduces H.R. 1587 to amend the CPSIA to exempt kids’ dirtbikes and ATVs. U.S. Sen. Jon Testor (D-Mont.) introduces S. 608 to exempt machines meant for kids 7 and older.

March 19, 2009 In an act of defiance, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Malcolm Smith sells two 65cc motorcycles and a youth ATV at a rally he organizes at his dealership despite the ban.

May 1, 2009 The CPSC delays enforcement of the CPSIA until May 1, 2011.

July 7, 2009 U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) attaches an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act that would bar the CPSC from using funds to enforce the CPSIA as it relates to kids’ dirtbikes and ATVs. It’s later removed.

2010

PROPOSED LAW NEEDS CLARIFICATION Officials representing the motorcycle and ATV industry, and the AMA and ATVA, which represent riders, are optimistic now that lawmakers are considering the issue as the clock ticks down to May 2011. Some say the CPSEA and a committee report accompanying the measure should fix the problems with the CPSIA. But others caution that the proposed law is still too ambiguous and believe the legislation’s language needs to be strengthened.

Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, praises lawmakers for tackling the issue. But he argues that the CPSEA proposal needs to be further refined to avoid future conflicts.

“With the enormity of the economic hardship caused to families that recreate, and the industry, enthusiasts remain concerned that the current language of the CPSEA does not effectively address the issues that exist, and may create additional barriers to industry and true market relief,” Moreland said in written testimony.

Specifically, Moreland believes there are

Path To Disaster

2008

media companies and consultants.

“The CPSIA has effectively banned the sale of age-appropriate youth ATVs and motorcycles because of the lead content of certain components,” Vitrano testified.

“As a result of its broad reach, the Act has inadvertently crippled an industry unrelated to the toy manufacturers that were the intended target of the lead provision.

“In addition, the resulting ban has resulted in unsafe situations for youth off-highway enthusiasts,” he said.

That’s because with no small kids’ machines available, children who still want to ride risk climbing aboard full-sized machines that may be too big for them to safely handle.

Vitrano noted that the CPSC recognized that risk to children, so it issued a stay of enforcement of lead-content limits until May 2011. But, he said, that hasn’t resulted in children being able to get appropriately sized machines.

“Due to the risks of selling under the stay, many manufacturers and dealers are no longer selling youth-model off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and there is now a limited availability of these products for consumers,” Vitrano testified. “Half of the major ATV manufacturers are no longer selling youth models, despite the stay.”

Vitrano argued that relief is needed because the lead content in metal parts of ATVs and motorcycles poses no risk to kids, and the CPSIA puts kids in more danger because it forces them to consider larger machines since only a limited number of youth-size machines are now available.

Vitrano also noted that the CPSIA is unnecessarily hurting the economy and jobs. “(The) MIC estimates that a complete ban on youth-model vehicles would result in about $1 billion in lost economic value in the retail marketplace every year,” he said.

Dec. 2009 The CPSC delays the law’s lead-testing requirements until Feb. 10, 2011.

Jan. 15, 2010 In a report to Congress, the CPSC says it can’t exempt kids’ dirtbikes and ATVs from the CPSIA unless the law is changed and asks for flexibility.

March 2008 The Senate passes an amended version of H.R. 4040. The measure is later massaged by House and Senate conferees and then approved by Congress.

Feb. 5, 2009 The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) rejects a request by the National Association of Manufacturers’ CPSC Coalition to delay the law.

Feb. 10, 2009 The CPSIA takes effect.

April 1, 2009 Chase Yentzer, then 6, says at a Washington, D.C., rally in support of overturning the ban on the sale of youth dirtbikes and ATVs: “I ride dirtbikes with my family. I race dirtbikes.

Please give me my dirtbike back. I promise not to eat it.”

April 3, 2009 AMA President Rob Dingman, AMA Government Relations head Ed Moreland, plus MX Sports and Cobra officials meet with federal officials and lawmakers to ask for relief.

April 17, 2009 The CPSC rejects a request for an exclusion for kids’ machines.

Aug. 14, 2009 Under the CPSIA, the threshold of allowable lead in children’s toys drops to 300 parts per million. It will drop to 100 parts after Aug. 14, 2011.

April 29, 2010 The U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection holds a hearing on the proposed Consumer Product Safety Enhancement Act (CPSEA) of 2010 meant to address the unintended consequences of the CPSIA. July 2010

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too many areas in the proposed law that remain unclear, or too many phrases that are undefined, which could later cause problems.

The proposed law stipulates a three-part test to delineate the criteria that must be met for a product to be exempt from the CPSIA’s lead limits: (1) accessible lead is required in the manufacture of a product because it is not practicable or technologically feasible to remove it, (2) the lead-containing part is not likely to be mouthed or ingested, and (3) there is no measureable adverse impact on public health.

In believing that the proposed law needs to be fine-tuned, Moreland notes, for example, that the phrase “not practicable” is not defined in the actual legislation, which effectively means that no one would be able to prove that it is “not practicable” to make a part with less lead.

Cobra’s Hilbert says that, in theory, the CPSEA “offers an avenue for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to grant exceptions for products that can be proven not to pose any lead poisoning risk to kids.

“But the problem is that the three-part ‘test’ that products are forced to go through is difficult, if not impossible, to pass, and, furthermore, the third and final test opens up the floodgates for any overzealous regulator to permanently ban a product for any reason,” Hilbert says.

Hilbert notes that the CPSC, under the third part of the test, may reject an exception to the law if a product has a “measureable effect on public health.” He believes this clause is too broad and may be interpreted to mean any measureable effect—not one solely based on lead.

“For example, baseball bats and roller skates have measurable negative effects on public health, but not in the context of the CPSIA,” Hilbert says. “This clause should be reworded such that the commission must stay within the context of the CPSIA when making decisions regarding the granting of an exception.”

The proposal also contains language onerous to small businesses, he says.

The proposal states that the commission may base its decision solely on the materials presented by the party seeking the exception.

“This clause is absolutely unfair to companies that don’t have massive legal and scientific research budgets and, furthermore, does nothing to further the safety of children,” he says.

Finally, Hilbert notes that the definition of “Small Batch Manufacturer” apparently is based on craft production of toys or clothes “but does not serve well for most other small companies including bicycle, powersports, medical device and sporting goods manufacturers” and should be redefined.

Vitrano and the MIC support the CPSEA, particularly the section that would create an exception to the lead-content requirements of the CPSIA if the lead serves a functional purpose, such as with batteries and certain metal parts on motorcycles and ATVs.

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“But the problem is that the three-part ‘test’ that products are forced to go through is difficult, if not impossible, to pass, and, furthermore, the third and final test opens up the floodgates for any overzealous regulator to permanently ban a product for any reason.” Sean Hilbert, Cobra Moto But he also would like to see the proposed law clarified.

“We already have submitted evidence to CPSC sufficient to obtain exclusions for youth ATVs and motorcycles under the proposed language of the CPSEA,” Vitrano testified. “Ultimately, however, it is the CPSC that will interpret that language to determine whether or not to grant an exclusion for the metal parts of ATVs and motorcycles.

“That is why the industry is strongly urging the committee to provide as much clarity as possible in developing a legislative solution so that the CPSC is left with no doubt about Congress’ intent to ensure the continued availability of youth-model motorized recreational vehicles,” he said.

“Throughout our discussions, we have encouraged the committee to include statutory language to provide the CPSC with explicit guidance,” he continued in his testimony. “Although the committee has not included this language in the proposed amendment, we do support the inclusion of report language accompanying this Act that defines the words ‘practicable’ and ‘no measureable adverse effect.’”

The AMA’s Moreland agrees, however noting that the law provides greater protection with those terms spelled out in the bill itself.

“The outstanding issue is that ‘report language,’ which is guidance intended for regulators, is not legally binding, which leaves greater opportunity for misinterpretation,” Moreland says. “All things being equal, it’s better for those terms to be made clear within the language of the bill itself.”

U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) told the committee in written testimony: “I am concerned that as the bill stands now, the exception provisions are too broadly written and will only lead to increased confusion about congressional intent.

“I firmly believe that the CPSEA’s exclusion provisions need to specifically include an exclusion for youth-model motorcycles and ATVs,” he said. “I ask the committee to include the language of my legislation, H.R. 1587, that would exempt youth-model motorcycles and ATVs from the lead-content limits in any final version of the Consumer Product Safety Enhancement Act.” CPSC CommiSSionerS SPlit on the meaSure Inez Tenenbaum, chairwoman of the CPSC, likes the three-part test.

“Much of the debate over lead limits in the CPSIA has focused on the issue of whether there is a ‘safe level of lead’ for children’s products,” she testified. “Lead is a toxic substance. The scientific and pediatric

communities have thoroughly studied this issue, and are near[ly] unanimous in their opinion that there is no known safe level of lead.”

Even so, she said she has learned during her tenure on the CPSC that there are cases where lead must be used in a product, and the CPSC doesn’t have the flexibility under the CPSIA to grant exemptions to the leadlimit requirements for those products.

Therefore, she said she supports the three-part test.

“If it is required, then the [three-part test] allows the [CPSC] to take a common-sense, health-protective approach to granting an exception. If it is not required, then it should not be present in children’s products at levels higher than the limits [in the CPSIA],” she said.

Two other commissioners on the fivemember CPSC, however, have concerns.

CPSC Commissioner Nancy Nord, who is the CPSC’s former acting chairwoman, believes the CPSEA’s three-part test has serious problems, including the lack of a definition for the phrase “not practicable.”

CPSC Commissioner Anne Northup stated in written testimony: “I believe the bill before you falls short of resolving the problems...”

She agrees with Nord that the three-prong test could be eliminated if lawmakers just stick with the requirement that the product “will have no measureable adverse effect on public health or safety.”

She also suggests other changes to the proposed law that would give the CPSC the flexibility it needs to grant exemptions to the lead-content limits of the CPSIA without endangering children.

What’S next Lawmakers are expected to act quickly on this proposal. At presstime, it was unknown whether they will fine-tune the language, or even hold another public hearing.

The AMA is urging all motorcyclists to contact their federal lawmakers and encourage them to establish an exclusion for youth-model OHVs and clear up the potentially confusing language in the bill.

Ask your legislators to consider H.R. 1587, which will exempt youth-model bikes and ATVs from the lead limits in the CPSIA. You’ll find information on your federal lawmakers by going to Rights > Issues and Legislation at AmericanMotorcyclist.com, and entering your zip code on the right side.

You can immediately send an online prewritten letter by selecting the “Take Action” option and entering your information. In the “Issue Area,” select “Commerce.”

For the latest information on this issue, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.•

AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION

JULY 9-11, 2010 MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE LEXINGTON, OHIO FEATUR ING:

Nationa l track, championship mo c the big tocross, off ompetition in -ro ge v Americ st vintage m ad, trials an intage dirt a, d ot AMA M Husqvarna M orcycle swap roadracing; ot ar m semina orcycle Hall que of the Y eet in North of rs from ea motorc Fame exhibit r display, s ycling expert , demo rides s, and , more!

2010 MARQUE OF THE YEAR

FOR MO

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WWW.AE INFO: M MOTOR AVINTAGE CYCLED AYS.CO FOR TI M CKETS: WWW.M OR BY IDOHIO.COM (800) MPHONE AT ID-OHI O

GO RIDE

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

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It doesn’t get any better than this: Husqvarna as the featured marque and off-road racing legend Malcolm Smith as grand marshal at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, set for July 9-11 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

The weekend includes the world’s largest motorcycle swap meet, new bike demo rides, seminars, bike shows, various forms of vintage racing and lots, lots more. Info: AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com.

2

The 26th Annual Six Days of Michigan is a must-do event for dual-sport riders.

Hosted by the Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan, this year’s Six Days is set for July 24-31 and is based in Newberry.

It’s part of the AMA KTM National Dual Sport Trail Riding Series. Info: CycleConservationClub.org.

3

Enjoy 500 miles of gorgeous scenery and backroads by taking part in the 34th Annual “Ramapo 500” Weekend Motorcycle Tour Classic July 17-18 in Congers, N.Y. There’s a reduced fee of $33 (save $12) for road

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riders who pre-register by mail and whose early entries are received before June 30.

Info: Ramapomc.org.

4

The best amateur dirttrack racers in the nation will be vying for bragging rights at the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships July 17-23 at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Il. Info: AMARacing.com.

5

Don’t miss the high-flying action that’s part of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series. The pros will be in Buchanan, Mich., July 3, Millville, Minn., July 17, and Washougal, Wash., July 24.

Info: MXSportsProRacing.com.

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Whether you ride a sportbike, sporttourer, dual-sport or a scooter, Stevenson, Wash., is the place to be July 28-Aug. 1.

The Sound RIDER! Rally in the Gorge, held in the scenic Columbia River Gorge area, offers ralliy opportunities for riders of all

those machines. Info: SoundRIDER.com/ rally.

7

The National Parks Grand Tour presented by the Iron Butt Association is now under way, offering riders a great way to see some of the most beautiful spots in the nation. Visit at least 50 national parks, monuments, historic sites or recreation areas in at least 25 states by the end of the year to complete the tour. Info: IronButt. com/NPT.

COMING UP The 29th annual AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships, presented by Amsoil, will be held Aug. 2-7 at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

Racers compete nationwide from March through June in the various qualifiers and regional championships to earn the right to compete in this prestigious event. Info: MXSports.com.

The AMA Racing Hillclimb Grand Championships will be held Aug. 7-8 at the Devil’s Staircase in Oregonia, Ohio. Info: AMARacing.com.

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THE

GuidE TO EvEnTS

The following pages list AMA-sanctioned events for this month, up to date at press time. Current listings are in the Riding and Racing sections of www.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

The biggest events—pro races, nationalchampionship amateur competition, and major rides and rallies—are highlighted.

For these series, we list all of the remaining Type of Event

Date MOTOCROSS

events for the entire year.

Then there are the local events, the backbone of the AMA’s riding and racing calendar. These events are listed by state and are broken down by type, so you can quickly find the ones near you.

Here’s a guide to what you’ll find in these local listings:

Event Class (Competition events only) S - Standard (Amateur classes) Y - Youth Classes T - ATV classes M - Pro-Am classes R - Recreational Location/City

Directions

Event Promoter

Contact Phone Number

ALASKA

COnnECTiCuT

TOY Run

ROAd RALLY

JUL 24 (R): ANCHORAGE: ABATE-AK, CRAIG BRESHEARS; 9 AM; 7500 E 4TH AVE; (907) 2309205; ABATEOFALASKA.COM

JUL 12 (R): EAST WINDSOR: 5 DAY EVENT: HARLEY DRESSERS, JOSEPH TRAVIS; 8 AM; CLARION INN /161 BRIDGE ST; (860) 623-9411; HARLEYDRESSERS.COM

CALiFORniA POKER Run JUL 10 (R): OAKLAND: OAKLAND MOTORCYCLE CLUB, LARRY STEWART; 3 PM; 742 45TH AVE /OFF OF COLLISIUM & HIGH ST; (510) 534-6222; OAKLANDMC.ORG JUL 10 (R): STOCKTON: STOCKTON MOTORCYCLE CLUB, ROBERT M KENDALL; 6 PM; 2739 S HWY 99; (209) 956-1505; STOCKTONMC.ORG JUL 11 (R): OXNARD: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MOTOR, JAN STAWS; (310) 387-3974; SC-MA. COM duAL SPORT RidE

JUL 17 (S,T,Y): FOSTERBURG: 2 DAY EVENT: SPLINTER CREEK DIRT RIDER, TODD E ROMANN; 6 AM; 2996 TERPENING LN /8 MI N OF RT 140/L ON TERPENING; (618) 372-4355; SPLINTERCREEK.COM JUL 27 (G): GRAYSLAKE: 2 DAY EVENT: SCHAEFER TRACKS LLC, SHANE SCHAEFER; 3 PM; 1060 E PETERSON RD /CORNER OF PETERSON RD & MIDLOTHIAN RD; (608) 3303600; FAIRMX.COM HARE SCRAMBLES

JUL 6 (S,Y): BREAUX BRIDGE: QUALIFIER; 2 DAY EVENT: DIRT BIKE MIKE LLC, ; 6 AM; 1640 MILLS HWY; (870) 342-5373; DIRTBIKEMIKE.COM Sign-in Time

5100 ST CLAIRE AVE; (618) 781-0505; ARCHVIEWMXPARK.COM

idAHO ROAd Run JUL 17 (R): PRIEST LAKE: RIDE FOR LIFE, DAVID CAZEL; 10 AM; CAVANAUGH BAY RESORT /HWY 52 TO CAVANAUGH BAY RESORT TO COOLIN RD; (208) 765-3527; RIDEFORLIFEIDAHO.NET

iLLinOiS ROAd Run JUL 18 (R): ELGIN: CHARITY; PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU, KYLE CLACK; 7 AM; ELGIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE /1700 SPARTAN DR; (800) 253-6530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

JUL 11 (S,T,Y): COLONA: WFO PROMOTIONS, RON E WHIPPLE; 7 AM; SWANS FARM / FOLLOW SIGNS OFF I-80 EXIT 7; (309) 3143343; WFOPROMOTIONS.COM JUL 25 (S,T,Y): GLASFORD: WFO PROMOTIONS, RON E WHIPPLE; 7 AM; 26897 E BIRDS CORNER ROAD /FOLLOW ARROWS FROM GLASFORD CANTON; (309) 314-3343; WFOPROMOTIONS.COM OBSERvEd TRiALS JUL 31 (S,Y): LENA: 2 DAYS: NORTHERN ILLINOIS TRIALS, JEN MAUPIN; 9 AM; 8835 IL RT 73 N; (630) 690-1625; NITROTRIALS.COM MiLE JUL 23 (S,Y): DU QUOIN: NATIONAL; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TAMRA JONES; 7 AM; DU QUOIN STATE FAIRGROUNDS /US RT 51; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM TTS JUL 19 (S,Y): JUL 20 (S,Y): DU QUOIN: NATIONAL; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TAMRA JONES; 7 AM; DU QUOIN STATE FAIRGROUNDS /US RT 51; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM

indiAnA ROAd Run JUL 11 (R): SOUTH BEND: CHARITY; PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU, KYLE CLACK; 8 AM; PINHOOK PARK /2801 RIVERSIDE DR; (800) 253-6530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG duAL SPORT RidE

SHORT TRACK JUL 23 (S,Y): JUL 30 (S,Y): TIMONIUM: BALTIMORE COUNTY TRAIL RI, BRETT FRIEDEL; 3 PM; MD STATE FAIRGROUNDS /I-83 TO TOWN/TIMONIUM RD; (410) 557-7043; BCTRA.COM MOTOCROSS JUL 11 (S,T,Y): BUDDS CREEK: BUDDS CREEK MOTOCROSS PAR, JONATHAN BEASLEY; 8 AM; BUDDS CREEK MX PARK /27963 BUDDS CREEK RD; (301) 475-2000; BUDDSCREEK. COM

MiCHiGAn ROAd Run JUL 10 (R): LAKE ODESSA: I-96 SPEEDWAY LLC, MIKE MOUCH; 3823 WEST PORTLAND RD; (616) 299-2534; I96SPEEDWAY.COM JUL 18 (R): TAYLOR: CHARITY; AXEMEN PROFESSIONAL FIRE, STEVEN KUZMANOVICH; 5 PM; 14100 TELEGRAPH; (248) 506-4326; AXEMENMC.ORG duAL SPORT RidE JUL 24 (R): NEWBERRY: NATIONAL; 8 DAY EVENT: CYCLE CONSERVATION CLUB O, LEWIS SHULER; 12 PM; HWY M-28 /N M. I-75 TO M-28 WEST TO NEWBERRY; (517) 781-4805; CYCLECONSERVATIONCLUB.ORG 1/2 MiLE diRT TRACK JUL 3 (S,T,Y): ADRIAN: BOULIS RACING, ETHEL BOULIS; 12 PM; LENAWEE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS; (810) 686-7083; JUL 24 (S,T): STANDISH: LUCKY THUMB MC, GENELDA STOLZMAN; 12 PM; STANDISH FAIR GROUNDS; (989) 635-2282; JUL 29 (S,T,Y): CARO: FLINT MOTORCYCLE CLUB, LINDA LOWELL; TUSCOLA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS; (810) 687-7379; FLINTMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM SHORT TRACK JUL 4 (S,T,Y): ADRIAN :BOULIS RACING, ETHEL BOULIS; LENAWEE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS; (810) 686-7083 HiLLCLiMB JUL 11 (S,Y): WEST BRANCH: PORT HURON MOTORCYCLE CLU, LARRY TACK; 8 AM; 3247 COOK RD; (810) 531-0031; PHMC-USA.ORG

JUL 10 (R): MCCLOUD: NATIONAL: 2 DAY EVENT: MCCLOUD DUAL-SPORT ADVENT, MIKE LINGSCH; PO BOX 331 / EAST OF I-5 ON HWY 89; (530) 925-0151; MCCLOUDDUALSPORTADVENTURES.COM

REC TRAiL RidE JUL 11 (R): JUL 25 (R): OTTAWA: VARIETY RIDERS MOTORCYCLE, STEVE CHURCHILL; 8 AM; 1414 US RT 6 /USRT 6 WEST OF OTTAWA; (815) 434-3669; VARIETYRIDERS.COM

JUL 11 (R): MATTHEWS :MUDDOBBERS MC INC, DOUG SPENCE; 9:15 AM; BOX 236 /COVERED BRIDGE NORTH SIDE OF MATTHEWS; (765) 998-2236; MUDDOBBERSMC.ORG

JUL 24 (R): BIG BEAR LAKE: BIG BEAR TRAIL RIDERS CLU, JIM NICHOLSON; 6 PM; BIG BEAR LAKE CONVENTION CTR /42900 BIG BEAR BLVD; (818) 391-3083; BIGBEARTRAILRIDERS.COM

1/2 MiLE diRT TRACK

1/2 MiLE diRT TRACK

MOTOCROSS

SHORT TRACK

JUL 21 (S,Y): JUL 22 (S,Y): DU QUOIN: NATIONAL; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TAMRA JONES; 7 AM; DU QUOIN STATE FAIRGROUNDS /US RT 51; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM

JUL 31 (S,Y): GOSHEN: GOSHEN IRON HORSEMEN, RANDY DILLON; 8 AM; ELKHART CO FAIRGROUNDS /17746 CR34; (574) 8253399

JUL 10 (S,Y): JUL 11 (S,Y): BLOOMINGDALE: DUTCH SPORT PARK, DREX AKIN; 6:30 AM; 13566 CR 665 /5 MI N OF GLENDALE (M43) ON CR665; (269) 683-4418; DUTCHSPORTPARKMX.COM

JUL 10 (S,T,Y): LODI: LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, JEFF G TAYLOR; 1 PM; LODI CYCLE BOWL/5801 E MORSE /HWY 99 TO 8 MILE/N ON FRONTAGE/R ON MORSE; (209) 368-7182; LODICYCLEBOWL.COM

JUL 24 (S,Y): DU QUOIN: NATIONAL; VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TAMRA JONES; 7 AM; DU QUOIN STATE FAIRGROUNDS /US RT 51; (614) 856-1900; AMADIRECTLINK.COM

JUL 11 (S,T,Y): GOSHEN: GOSHEN IRON HORSEMEN, JEFF COLE; 11 AM; 19919 HIDDEN MEADOW TR /2.5 EAST OF IN STATE RT 13 ON I 120; (574) 825-3399

SCRAMBLES

JUL 25 (S,Y): DUQUOIN: NATIONAL; / VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TAMRA JONES; 7 AM; DU QUOIN STATE FAIRGROUNDS /US RT 51; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM

JUL 18 (S,Y): COLUMBUS: STONEY LONESOME M/C, BEN B BREEDLOVE; 7 AM; 14001 W HWY 46 /8 MI W OF COLUMBUS ON HWY 46; (812) 350-5732; STONEYLONESOMEMC.COM

JUL 17 (S,T,Y): LODI: VINTAGE; LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, JEFF G TAYLOR; 1 PM; LODI CYCLE BOWL/5801 E MORSE /HWY 99 TO 8 MILE/N ON FRONTAGE/R ON MORSE; (209) 368-7182; LODICYCLEBOWL.COM JUL 17 (S,T): LUCERNE: 2 DAY EVENT: VENTURA COUNTY MOTORCYCLE, KRISS J KUDLA; NORTH ANDERSON STAGING AREA /HWY 18 TO CAMP ROCK RD FOLLOW ARROWS; (805) 485-5271; VENTURACOUNTYMC.COM MOTOCROSS JUL 25 (S): GORMON: PROSPECTORS MC, DOUG CLAGG; 6 AM; QUAIL CANYON MOTOCROSS TRACK /I-5 N EXIT SMOKEY BEAR RD; (626) 285-9104; PROSPECTORSMC. COM OBSERvEd TRiALS JUL 31 (S): NORDEN: NATIONAL; 2 DAY EVENT: SACRAMENTO P.I.T.S., INC., MIKE CODDE; DONNER SKI RANCH /I-80E TO SODA SPRINGS EXIT/19320 DONNER PASS; (530) 426-3635; DONNERSKIRANCH.COM

COLORAdO MOTOCROSS JUL 18 (S,T): ALAMOSA: CAT SUPER SPORTS, DWIGHT E CATALANO; 5:30 AM; COUNTY RD 11 /S ON 285 TO RD 11,E 1 MI. ON LEFT; (719) 589-9717; CATSCLASSICS.COM JUL 18 (S): DACONO: IMI MOTORSPORTS INC, BRAD LINKUS; 5 AM; 5074 SUMMIT BLVD /I-25N OF DENVER/EX 232/2 MI E; (303) 8334949; IMIMOTORSPORTS.COM

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SHORT TRACK JUL 17 (S,Y): JUL 18 (S,Y): DU QUOIN: NATIONAL; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TAMRA JONES; 7 AM; DU QUOIN STATE FAIRGROUNDS /US RT 51; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM SCRAMBLES JUL 25 (S,T,Y): FOSTERBURG: SPLINTER CREEK DIRT RIDER, TODD E ROMANN; 6 AM; 2996 TERPENING LN /8 MI N OF RT 140/L ON TERPENING; (618) 372-4355; SPLINTERCREEK. COM HiLLCLiMB JUL 18 (S,Y): POLO: ROCK RIVER RIDERS MC, MATTHIAS KEMMEREN; 8:30 AM; CLUBGROUNDS/WHITE PINES RD /ACROSS FROM WHITE PINES STATE PARK; (815) 9462183; RRRMC.TRIPOD.COM JUL 24 (S,T,Y): WESTVILLE: 2 DAY EVENT: PLEASURE RIDERS MC, KELLY BRADY; STATELINE RD /SEE WEBSITE; (217) 247-2216; PLEASURERIDERS.NET MOTOCROSS JUL 11 (S,T,Y): JUL 25 (S,T,Y): BYRON: MOTOSPORTS PARK, AARON J VINCER; 6 AM; MOTORSPORTS PARK /2525 ASH ROAD; (815) 234-2271; MOTOBYRON.COM JUL 11 (S,Y): WASHINGTON PARK:ARCHVIEW MX PARK LLC, TODD M RUHL; 6 AM;

HiLLCLiMB

HARE SCRAMBLES

dRAG RACES JUL 31 (S): INDIANAPOLIS: 2 DAY EVENT: AMA DRAGBIKE, BRANDI NEITHAMER; 9 AM; OREILLY RACEWAY PARK; (513) 943-9700; AMADRAGBIKE.COM CROSS COunTRY JUL 10 (S,T,Y): GREENFIELD: MID AMERICA CROSS COUNTRY, MIKE GIBBS; 6 AM; 9673 WEST 1050 N; (317) 418-6084

iOWA MOTOCROSS JUL 10 (S,T,Y): JUL 24 (S,T,Y): CEDAR RAPIDS :CEDAR VALLEY TRAIL RIDERS, CURT HEJDA; 1 PM; HAWKEYE DOWNS /4400 6TH ST SW; (319) 363-7800; CVTR.ORG

KAnSAS ROAd Run JUL 25 (R): OVERLAND PARK: CHARITY; PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU, KYLE CLACK; 7:30 AM; JOHNSON CO COMM COLLEGE /12345 COLLEGE BLVD; (800) 253-6530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

KEnTuCKY ROAd RALLY JUL 9 (R): CARROLLTON: 3 DAY EVENT: MOTORCYCLE SPORT TOURING, JANET CAMPBELL; COMFORT INN; (513) 932-3341

MARYLAnd

JUL 31 (S,Y): IRON MOUNTAIN: BIG BEAR TRAX LLC, CYNTHIA HALADA; 8 AM; PINE MOUNTAIN SKI HILL /US 2 TO PINE MOUNTAIN ROAD; (715) 674-7802; BIGBEARTRAX.COM

JUL 10 (S,T): BARK RIVER: 2 DAY EVENT: ZAMBON’S MX PARK, JESSE E ZAMBON; 2 PM; 2231 12TH RD /FRM MENOMINEE: US 2&41 N 50 MI TO TOWN; (906) 420-2794; ZAMBONSMXPARK.COM JUL 11 (S,T,Y): CADILLAC: CADILLAC MOTORCYCLE CLUB, RICK AUGUSTSON; 7 AM; 3747 S 39 RD, PO BOX 236 /.25 MI N OF 34 RD (BOON RD) ON 39 RD; (231) 884-3729; CADILLACMC.COM JUL 17 (V): JUL 18 (S): MIDLAND: POLKA DOTS M/C, THOMAS WOODS; 7 AM; 760 W BROOKS RD /8 MI N OF M46 OR 5 MI S OF M20; (989) 832-8284; POLKADOTSMC.NET JUL 17 (S,T,Y): ATLANTIC MINE: 2 DAY EVENT: RANGE MOTO X, MATT SOLKA; 12 PM; 47350 HWY M-26 /1 MILE EAST OF HOUGHTON ON HWY M-26; (906) 231-7733; RANGESNOMOBILECLUB.COM JUL 17 (S,Y): NEWAYGO: 2 DAY EVENT: BIG AIR MOTOCROSS, MATT POWERS; 7 AM; 1262 SPRING DRIVE; (231) 652-5225; BIGAIRMOTOCROSS.COM JUL 24 (S,T,Y): JUL 25 (S,T,Y): PORTLAND: PORTLAND TRAIL RIDERS, LUKE T ADAMS; 7 AM; 11999 SANDBORN RD /4 MI S OF TOWN ON CHARLOTTE HWY; (517) 647-7045; PORTLANDTRAILRIDERS.COM JUL 31 (S,Y): BELDING: GRATTAN RACEWAY MOTOCROSS, SAM FAASEN; 7 AM; 7201 LESSITER; (616) 691-7221; GRATTANRACEWAYMX.COM HARE SCRAMBLES JUL 18 (S,T,Y): BENTLEY: VALLEY TRAIL RIDERS, BRAD BOTZAU; 7 AM; 4957 E BROWN RD; (989) 879-6397; VALLEYTRAILRIDER. TRIPOD.COM EnduRO JUL 25 (S): MOORESTOWN: NATIONAL; LANSING MOTORCYCLE CLUB, JEFF HUNT;

P O C A H O N TA S C O U N T Y

Cass Scenic Railroad

Play. Stay.

Cruise ridges with stomach curdling dips, drop-off descents, and sweeping curves with breathtaking scenery in Nature’s Mountain Playground . ®

Get your free visitor guide and motorcycle touring maps!

800.336.7009 NaturesMountainPlayground.com

Snowshoe Mountain

Mountain Valley Properties

Places to Stay.

Snowshoe Mountain Epic roads. Exceptional restaurants.

Comfortable lodging. Memorable experiences. The only thing missing is your group. Call to book your group reservation today! Visit our Web site and enter to win a weekend in this biker’s paradise.

(877) 536-5797 www.snowshoemtn.com

Mountain Valley Properties

Chestnut Ridge Country Inn

Mountain Valley Properties offers private homes and condominiums with paved driveways and garages for your BIKES. For the more adventurous, secluded cabins, private hot tubs and outdoor fire pits! Mention BIKES for your value rate!

Ride all day, stay with us at night.

Enjoy comfortable guestrooms with private baths. Kick back, park your bike, have dinner at the Inn. Level, hardpacked parking, garage parking in rainy weather, and bike washing.

(304) 456-4280 www.chestnutridgecountryinn.com

(877) 572-2210 www.snowshoerentals.com

We offer discounts to AMA members. Please check with individual lodging establishments.

Chestnut Ridge Country Inn

706 JOHNSTON ROAD; (231) 267-9534; LANSINGMOTORCYCLECLUB.ORG OBSERVED TRIALS JUL 17 (S,Y): JUL 18 (S,Y): VERMONTVILLE: MICHIGAN ONTARIO TRIALS A, PAUL LAGRAND; 9 AM;; (616) 821-6920; MOTATRIALS.ORG

MINNESOTA ROAD RUN JUL 18 (R): WHITEBEARLAKE: CHARITY; PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU, KYLE CLACK; 8 AM; CENTURY COLLEGE /3300 CENTURY AVE N.; (800) 253-6530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

11 AM; 40 W FRONT ST /EX 35 TO W. FRONT STR. RED BANK; (732) 603-8434; RARITANROADRUNNERS.COM

NEW YORK ROAD RUN JUL 11 (R): CONGER: BLUE KNIGHTS-NY XVIII, GUY A COOK; 9 AM; KENNELLY’S GRILL HOUSE /RTE 9W TO KENNELLY’S ACROSS FROM ROCKLAND LK; (845) 386-2852; BKNYXVIII.ORG

1/2 MILE DIRT TRACK

JUL 17 (R): CONGERS: 2 DAY EVENT: RAMAPO MOTORCYCLE CLUB IN, RAY PORCELLI; 7 AM; VETERANS MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION /65 LAKE ROAD EAST; (914) 523-6642; RAMAPOMC.ORG

JUL 10 (S,T,Y): CAMBRIDGE: ON TRACK PROMOTIONS INC, ROBERT ANDERSON; 1 PM; ISANTI CO FRGRNDS /HWY 95 E OF CAMBRIDGE; (612) 328-4410

JUL 18 (R): MILTON: IRON RIDERS MC NY, LIZ CRISPELL; 9 AM; CLUETT-SHANTZ PARK /S OF MID-HUDSON BRIDGE; (845) 691-9312; IRONRIDERSMC.NET

JUL 11 (S,T,Y): CAMBRIDGE: ON TRACK PROMOTIONS INC, ROBERT ANDERSON; 8 AM; HWY 95 & HWY 47 /HWY 95 TO HWY 47 N 1 1/2 MI ON LEFT; (612) 328-4409

JUL 18 (R): DEERFIELD: CHARITY; PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU, KYLE CLACK; 8 AM; DEERFIELD VFD /5476 TRENTON RD/N OF I-90; (800) 253-6530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

HILLCLIMB

DICE RUN

JUL 18 (S,T,Y): RED WING: INDIANHEAD CYCLE CLUB, DAN PREBE; 400 CHERRY STREET; (651) 764-1220; KINGOFTHEHILL.ORG

JUL 25 (R): HAVERSTRAW: SECOND GENERATION MOTORCY, KAREN HILLEY; 8 AM; HAVERSTRAW MOTORSPORTS /66 N RT 9W; (845) 629-1942;

JUL 31 (S): MANKATO: KATO CYCLE CLUB, JOHN E WINCH; 3 PM; 19836 539TH LANE /7 MI S OF TOWN; (507) 381-4708; KATOCYCLECLUB.COM MOTOCROSS JUL 4 (S): JUL 5 (S): MAZEPPA: HURRICANE HILLS MX PARK I, JEFFERY GRAY; 6:30 AM; 43560 232ND AVE /6 MI E OF ZUMBROTA ON CR10 TO 232ND AVE; (507) 843-5154; HURRICANEHILLS.COM JUL 11 (S,Y): MANKATO: MOTOKAZIE INC, LEE M THEIS; 6:30 AM; 44.117663,-94.114499 /169S THRU MANKATO, LT ON 169S LT ON 539TH LN; (952) 601-1169; MOTOKAZIE.COM JUL 16 (S,Y): MILLVILLE: HI WINDERS, JOHN C MARTIN; SPRING CREEK MX PARK /63633 298TH AVE/9 MI E OF HWY 63 ON HWY60; (507) 753-2779; SPRINGCREEKMX.COM JUL 18 (S,Y): JUL 25 (S,Y): KELLOGG: MOTOKAZIE INC, LEE M THEIS; 6:30 AM; 58374 HWY 42 /ON HWY 42 BETWEEN PLAINVIEW & KELLOGG MN; (952) 244-9996; MOTOKAZIE. COM JUL 25 (S,Y): BROOK PARK :BERM BENDERS RACEWAY, KURT CASWELL; 6:30 AM; 2393 SHERWOOD ST /HWY 23E 8 MI TO SHERWOOD ST CR 68N; (320) 679-2582; BERMBENDERS.COM ENDURO JUL 24 (S,Y): MORA: 2 DAY EVENT: NORSEMEN MOTORCYCLE CLUB, TODD MATHWIG; 7 AM; SNAKE RIVER FOREST /HWY 65 17 MI. N OR MORA, FOLLOW ARROWS; (763) 753-2287; NORSEMENMC.ORG JUL 31 (U): WOODLAND: NORSEMEN MOTORCYCLE CLUB, MATT STUKEL HWY 65 17 MI N OF MORA; FOLLOW ARROWS; (612) 867-5049; NORSEMENMC.ORG OBSERVED TRIALS JUL 17 (S,Y): JUL 18 (S,Y): THEILMAN: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSO, GORDON BOGGIE; 9 AM; COUNTY RD 4 SOUTH TO WHIPPOORWILL CAMPGROUND; (952) 881-9427; UMTA.ORG

MISSOURI MOTOCROSS JUL 3 (S,T,Y): FARMINGTON: 2 DAY EVENT: SEAT TIME MOTORCYCLE CLUB, ED LACHANCE; 6 AM; WASHITA OFF ROAD TRAILS /410 THOMAS RD; (573) 701-8674; WASHITAOFFROADTRAILS.COM

NEVADA ENDUROCROSS JUL 17 (S,Y): LAS VEGAS: INDOOR; SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, BECKY J KOONS; 9 AM; ORLEANS ARENA 4500 TROPICANA; (817) 2466751; ENDUROCROSS.COM

NEW HAMPSHIRE ROAD RACE JUL 24 (S): LOUDON: VINTAGE; 2 DAY EVENT: UNITED STATES CLASSIC RAC, ROBERT S COY; 8 AM; NH INT’L SPEEDWAY /RT 106/N OF CONCORD; (413) 498-4433; RACE-USCRA. COM

NEW JERSEY FUN RUN JUL 18 (R): RED BANK: RARITAN ROAD RUNNERS, FRED BUTCH DELLA PIETRO;

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

1/2 MILE DIRT TRACK JUL 17 (S,T,Y): JUL 31 (S,T,Y): PORT CRANE: SQUARE DEAL RIDERS M/C, CRAIG ESTELLE; 2 PM; 163 ALLEN RD /EX 5 I-88 RT 7 W TO ALLEN RD; (607) 206-5494; SQUAREDEALRIDERS.COM SHORT TRACK JUL 11 (S,T,Y): PATTERSONVILLE: ELECTRIC CITY RIDERS, FRANK J CARPINELLO; 8 AM; INDIAN LOOKOUT COUNTRY CLUB /1142 BATTER STREET; (518) 542-2144; .ELECTRICCITYRIDERS.COM HILLCLIMB JUL 25 (S,T): CAROGA LAKE: ROYAL MOUNTAIN SKI AREA, JAMES BLAISE; 6 AM; 3072 RT 10; (518) 835-6445; ROYALMOUNTAIN. COM MOTOCROSS JUL 3 (S,T): CAROGA LAKE: 2 DAY EVENT: ROYAL MOUNTAIN SKI AREA, JIM BLAISE; 3072 RT 10; (518) 835-6445; ROYALMOUNTAIN. COM JUL 10 (S,T,Y): RICHFORD: BROOME TIOGA SPORTS CENTE, TOM HURD; 7 AM; 50 SHAFFER RD /I-81 EX 8/RT 79W 8 MI; (607) 849-4438; BROOME-TIOGA.COM JUL 11 (S,T,Y): AUBURN: FROZEN OCEAN MOTOCROSS IN, BILL M DENMAN; 7 AM; 4415 VANDERSTOUW RD /NYS THRUWAY EX 40 TO 34S; (315) 784-5466; FROZEN-OCEAN.COM JUL 17 (V,Y): NEW BERLIN: NATIONAL; 2 DAY EVENT: ROBINSON ENTERPRISES, LLC, JILL ROBINSON; UNADILLA MX 5986 ST HWY 8 /ST HWY 8, 30 MINS. SOUTH OF UTICA; (607) 9658784; UNADILLAMX.COM JUL 18 (S): CAROGA LAKE: ROYAL MOUNTAIN SKI AREA, JIM BLAISE; 3072 RT 10; (518) 8356445; ROYALMOUNTAIN.COM JUL 24 (S,T,Y): WALLKILL: WALDEN MX, JAMES H WILD; 6 AM; 300 ORCHARD DR / GPS/W74 07.281, N41 37.518; (845) 895-2537; MXWALDEN.COM JUL 25 (S,T,Y): NEW BERLIN: THUNDER RIDGE SPORTS, JAMES L SIMMONS; 224 MICHAEL LANE /CO HWY 18 S EDMESTON JUST OFF STATE ROUTE 8; (607) 847-6520; THUNDERRIDGE.BIZ HARE SCRAMBLES JUL 18 (S,T,Y): NEWARK VALLEY: BEATEN TRAILS, DAN M LEONARD; 5912 WEST CREEK RD; (607) 657-8433; WNYOA.NET JUL 25 (S,T,Y): FULTON: HIGH GEAR DIRT RIDERS, STEPHEN GEER; 68 COUNTY RT 35; (315) 598-1590; OBSERVED TRIALS JUL 18 (S,Y): PINE CITY: AMA-DIST 4 TRIALS COMMITT, KIDU DIFASI; 10 AM; 48 LEWIS RD; (607) 742-6648;

OHIO ROAD RUN JUL 10 (R): PLASON: TRAIN MRO INC, MIKE BALLARD I-71 TO KINGS MILLS; (513) 4044034; TRAINMRO.ORG JUL 17 (R): ORIENT: CAPITAL CITY MOTORCYCLE C, MARY HAMILTON; 3 PM; 9700 BORROR /3 MI S OF SR665/1 MI W OF

SR104; (614) 877-1777 JUL 24 (R): MARYSVILLE: CHARITY; PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU, KYLE CLACK; 8 AM; SCOTT’S PARK /14111 SCOTTSLAWN RD; (008) 002-3653; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG JUL 25 (R): AKRON: GREATER AKRON MOTORCYCLE, RICH ROBINSON; 10 AM; 1540 SMITH RD; (330) 760-3715; POKER RUN JUL 10 (R): ZANESVILLE: ABATE-OH INC, JAMES ELGIN; 11 AM; 1633 PUTNAM ST /I-70 X@S. 6TH ST S ON 6TH BECOMES PUTNAM ST; (614) 319-3644; ABATE.COM JUL 25 (R): GREENVILLE: TREATY CITY MOTORCYCLE CL, DAN R KNECHT; 12 PM; CLBGRNDS/7270 MOTORCYCLE DR /3.5 MI NW OF TOWN OFF SR 571; (937) 548-7197; TREATYCITYMC.COM ROAD ENDURO JUL 31 (R,T,Y): WELLSTON: APPALACHIAN DIRT RIDERS I, WILLIAM DEPUE; 1 PM; JAYMAR/JOLLY MINE /5 MI E OF TOWN ON SR 32; (740) 384-6379; ADROHIO.ORG ROAD RALLY JUL 9 (R): LEXINGTON: 2 DAY EVENT: AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TIGRA TSUJIKAWA; 8 AM; MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE /VINTAGE MC DAYS/I-71 EXIT 165; (800) 262-5646; AMAVINTAGEMOTORCYCLEDAYS.COM BIKE SHOW JUL 25 (R): CLEVELAND: MYSTIC KNIGHTS, RUSHIE DENNIS; 11409 MILES AVE; (216) 6411525; MKMCCLEVELAND.COM 1/2 MILE DIRT TRACK JUL 9 (S,Y): ASHLAND: NATIONAL; VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TAMRA JONES; 11 AM; ASHLAND CO FAIRGROUNDS; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST. COM JUL 24 (V,Y): ASHTABULA: NATIONAL; 2 DAY EVENT: FISCHER CYCLE SALES, BUD FISCHER; 3924 MAPLE RD; (440) 997-4166; FISCHERCYCLERACING.COM ROAD RACE JUL 10 (S,Y): LEXINGTON: NATIONAL; VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, CONNIE FLEMING; 7 AM; MIDOHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE /VINTAGE MC DAYS/I-71 EXIT 165; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM JUL 11 (S,Y): LEXINGTON: NATIONAL; VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, CONNIE FLEMING; 7 AM; MIDOHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE /VINTAGE MC DAYS/I-71 EXIT 165; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM JUL 13 (S,Y): LEXINGTON: NATIONAL; 2 DAY EVENT: AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, TAMRA JONES; 7 AM; MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE /VINTAGE MC DAYS/I-71 EXIT 165; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST. COM HILLCLIMB JUL 24 (S,T,Y): JUL 25 (S,T,Y): MARIETTA: PIONEER MOTORCYCLE CLUB I, RUTH HUGHES; 8 AM; 114 MASONIC PARK RD /ST RT 339 TO WATERFORD OHIO FOLLOW SIGNS; (740) 373-9566; PIONEERMOTORCYCLECLUB. COM MOTOCROSS JUL 3 (S,T,Y): JUL 4 (S,T,Y): JUL 24 (S,T,Y): JUL 25 (S,T,Y): NELSONVILLE: FAST TRAXX PROMOTIONS LLC, SHAWNA BICKLEY; 8 AM; 5999 WARREN DR /BTWN ATHENS & TOWN ON RT 33; (740) 767-3740; FASTTRAXXRACING. COM JUL 4 (S,T,Y): MARYSVILLE: AMERICAN MOTOSPORTS LLC, MATTHEW D EASTMAN; 7 AM; 24400 YEARSLEY RD /FROM MARYSVILLE TO SR 31N TO SR 347 W; (937) 358-2427; AMERICANMX.COM JUL 10 (S,Y): LEXINGTON: NATIONAL; VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, CONNIE FLEMING; 7 AM; MIDOHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE /VINTAGE MC DAYS/I-71 EXIT 165; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM JUL 11 (S,Y): LEXINGTON: NATIONAL; VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, CONNIE FLEMING; 7 AM; MIDOHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE /VINTAGE MC DAYS/I-71 EXIT 165; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM JUL 11 (S,Y): BLANCHESTER: DIRT COUNTRY, CYNTHIA KING; 6901 RT 133 /3.5

MI S OF TOWN ON RT 133; (513) 625-7350; DIRTCOUNTRYMX.COM JUL 17 (S,T,Y): JUL 19 (S,T,Y): HILLIARD: AMERICAN MOTOSPORTS LLC, MATTHEW D EASTMAN; 3 PM; FRANKLIN CO FAIR /I-270 EX HILLARD CEMETERY RD; (937) 358-2427; AMERICANMX.COM JUL 18 (S,T,Y): SUGAR GROVE: WILD WILDERNESS RACEWAY L, TONY A KILBARGER; 6 AM; 9171 BUCKEYE RD /6 MI E OF LANCASTER/LEFT AT LIGHT; (740) 216-0010 JUL 20 (S,Y): NEW LEXINGTON: / AMERICAN MOTOSPORTS LLC, MATTHEW D EASTMAN; 4 PM; PERRY COUNTY FAIR /SR 37; (937) 3582427; AMERICANMX.COM JUL 22 (S,T,Y): WELLSTON: AMERICAN MOTOSPORTS LLC, MATTHEW D EASTMAN; 4 PM; JACKSON CO FAIR /SR 93; (937) 358-2427; AMERICANMX.COM JUL 25 (S,T,Y): JUL 26 (S,T,Y): SPRINGFIELD: AMERICAN MOTOSPORTS LLC, MATTHEW D EASTMAN; 4 PM; CLARK CO FAIR /OFF I-70; (937) 358-2427; AMERICANMX.COM HARE SCRAMBLES JUL 9 (S,Y): LEXINGTON: NATIONAL; VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSn, CONNIE FLEMING; 7 AM; MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE /VINTAGE MC DAYS/I-71 EXIT 165; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST. COM JUL 11 (S,T): AMESVILLE: / ATHENS MOTORCYCLE CLUB, JIM C BARNHART; 7 AM; ST RT 550 690 /OFF 33 TO 550 GO 8 MILES; (740) 541-2095; ATHENSMOTORCYCLECLUB. COM JUL 18 (S,T,Y): LOGAN: FIVE BROTHERS RACEWAY, MARIE WESSELHOEFT; 8 AM; 15111 ST RT 664 S /EX US RT 33 TO ST RT 64 S 3 MILES TO TRACK; (740) 385-3532; FIVEBROTHERSRACE.COM JUL 25 (S,Y): CHILLICOTHE: CHILLICOTHE ENDURO RIDERS, TOM MEEKER; 7 AM; 322 CATTAIL RD; (740) 773-6115; CHILLICOTHEENDURO.COM ENDURO JUL 18 (S): CHANDLERSVILLE: ZANESVILLE TRAIL RIDERS, KORY T YOUNG; 6 AM; CHANDLERSVILLE SCHOOL /SR 146 SOUTHEAST FROM ZANESVILLE; (614) 2041438; ZTR.CC OBSERVED TRIALS JUL 11 (S,Y): LEXINGTON: NATIONAL; VINTAGE; AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSN, CONNIE FLEMING; 7 AM; MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE /VINTAGE MC DAYS/I-71 EXIT 165; (614) 856-1900; AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST. COM GRAND PRIX JUL 3 (S,T,Y): NELSONVILLE: FAST TRAXX PROMOTIONS LLC, SHAWNA BICKLEY; 8 AM; 5999 WARREN DR /BTWN ATHENS & TOWN ON RT 33; (740) 767-3740; FASTTRAXXRACING. COM JUL 17 (S,T,Y): LOGAN: FIVE BROTHERS RACEWAY, MARCIE WESSELHOEFT; 7:30 AM; 15111 ST RT 664 S /EX US RT 33 TO ST RT 64 S 3 MILES TO TRACK; (740) 385-3532; FIVEBROTHERSRACE.COM JUL 24 (S,T,Y): LITTLE HOCKING: WILDWOOD LAKE RACEWAY, BRENT WINDLAND; 7 AM; 2392 WILDWOOD LAKE RD /SR50/7 TO SR555 TO WELCH RD TO WILDWOOD LAKE; (740) 3315163; WILDWOODLAKERACEWAY.COM JUL 31 (S,T,Y): NEW LEXINGTON: KRASH RACING DIRT PARK, JAYME KONKLER; 8 AM; 7250 TWP RD 219; (740) 605-2711; KRASHRACINGDIRTPARK.COM

PENNSYLVANIA ROAD RUN JUL 5 (R): LEBANON: H.O.G.-PA BLUE MOUNTAIN C, JOSEPH C WHITE; 9 AM; LEBANON VALLEY MC /11 S 22 ST; (717) 2724986; BLUEMOUNTAINHOG@YAHOO.COM JUL 11 (R): LEBANON: LEBANON VALLEY MOTORCYCLE, HENRIETTA STEINER; 9 AM; LEBANON VALLEY MC /11 S 22 ST; (717) 2709797; LEBANONVALLEYMC.COM JUL 18 (R): KRESGEVILLE: ZINC CITY MC, PHYLLIS KRESGE; 11 AM; ZC CLUBGROUNDS /1 MI SO. OF KRESGEVILLE ON ROUTE 209; (610) 681-9903; ZINCCITYMC.ORG POKER RUN JUL 11 (R): LANCASTER: GENTLEMEN MC SPORTSMEN, E DEAN VITATOE; 9 AM; GMC CLUBGROUNDS /10 MI S OF LANCASTER ON 272; (717) 284-2270

JUL 18 (R): YORK: YORK MOTORCYCLE CLUB, JERRY MYERS; 9 AM; 2333 WHITEFORD RD /83-30E MT ZINN RD(NORTH) WHITEFORD RD(LF); (717) 755-1311; YORKMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM JUL 25 (R): COLUMBIA: THUNDERBIRD MOTORCYCLE CLUB, SAM BRINTON; 11 AM; 1472 HABECKER RD /CALL FOR DIRECTIONS; (717) 898-0871 CARNIVAL RUN JUL 18 (R): SCHUYLKILL HAVEN: SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MOTORCY, BEVERLY A MILLER; 9 AM; 958 SCHUYLKILL MTN RD /E OFF 183; (570) 385-1460; SCHUYLKILLCOUNTY MOTORCYCLECLUB.COM BIKE SHOW JUL 10 (R): BOYERTOWN: MOTORCYCLISTS FOR JESUS M, FRED MCCLINCY; 4 PM; BOYERTOWN PARK/MADISON ST /SW OF INT RTS 100 & 73; (215) 234-8611; GO2MJM.COM JUL 23 (R): CARLISLE: / 3 DAY EVENT: CARLISLE PRODUCTIONS, EDWARD SCHOLLY; 9 AM; 1000 BRYN MAWR RD /FAIRGROUNDS; (717) 243-7855; CARLISLEEVENTS.COM 1/2 MILE DIRT TRACK JUL 31 (S,T,Y): YORK: SHIPPENSBURG MC, DARRYL L BAER; 8 AM; YORK FAIRGROUNDS; (717) 796-0294 MOTOCROSS JUL 2 (V,Y): JOHNSTOWN: NATIONAL; 3 DAY EVENT: PLEASURE VALLEY RACEWAY, JEFF CERNIC; 6 AM; 500 COOPER AVE; (814) 5394114; PVRMX.COM JUL 4 (S,T,Y): JUL 17 (S,T,Y): JUL 18 (S,T,Y): CLIFFORD: HURRICANE HILLS MOTORSPOR, JOSEPH C FRITZ; 4 PM; 200 RTE 106 /RT81 EX206,374E TO 106E TRACK 3 MI ON R; (570) 222-9290; HHMOTOCROSS.COM JUL 4 (S,T,Y): MT MORRIS: RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, RITA COOMBS; HIGH POINT RACEWAY; (304) 284-0084; RACERPRODUCTIONS.COM JUL 9 (S,T,Y): JUL 23 (S,T,Y): LATROBE: MX PRODUCTIONS, GEORGE TESLOVICH; 5 PM; 5114 PLEASANT UNITY RD /RT 981 S. PAST AIR PORT 2 MILES; (724) 322-0415; LATROBEMOTORSPORTS.COM JUL 10 (S,Y): JUL 31 (S,Y): BIRDSBORO: 2 DAY EVENTS:PAGODA MOTORCYCLE CLUB, RANDY KASTLE; 7 AM; 441 RED LANE /422 TO 82 TO LINCOLN RD TO RED LANE; (610) 5823717; PAGODAMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM JUL 11 (S,T,Y): CLEARVILLE: AMA-DIST 05 MC ASSN, DENNIS BATES; 6 AM; 4626 ROBINSONVILLE RD /SEE WEBSITE; (814) 7343605; BREEZEWOODPROVINGGROUNDS.COM JUL 11 (S,T,Y): JUL 25 (S,T,Y): SUGAR GROVE: MAPLE SHADE MX, SHERRY LAWSON; 7 AM; 5920 MATTHEWS RUN RD /RT 27 BETWEEN TOWN & YOUNGSVILLE; (814) 489-3266; MAPLESHADEMX.COM JUL 16 (S,T,Y): JUL 30 (S,T,Y): GREENSBURG: DBL SPORTS PROMOTIONS, D BUDD LITTLE; 5 PM; GREENSBURG/MT PLEASANT RD / RT30-GREENSBURG/MT PLEASANT EX; (724) 929-5396; DBLSPORTS.COM JUL 17 (S,T,Y): ELKLAND: 2 DAY EVENT: MILES MOUNTAIN MX, PHILLIP EGLESTON; 6 AM; 446 RIVER ST; (814) 258-5593; MILESMOUNTAINMX.COM JUL 18 (S,T,Y): BOSWELL: DREAM PROMOTIONS INC./FIE, TINA BERKEY; 7

AM; 473 BERKEY RD /OFF RT 30 FROM JENNERSTOWN ON 985N; (814) 629-6774; FIELDOFDREAMSMX.COM JUL 18 (S,Y): SHIPPENSBURG: DOUBLIN GAP MX PARK INC, RODNEY YENTZER; 8 AM; 100 REASNER LANE /6 MILES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN SHIPPENSBURG; (717) 249-6036; DOUBLINGAP.COM JUL 24 (S,T,Y): JOHNSTOWN: STATE CHAMP; 2 DAY EVENT: PLEASURE VALLEY RACEWAY, JEFF CERNIC; 6 AM; 500 COOPER AVE; (814) 539-4114; PVRMX.COM JUL 25 (S,Y): HANOVER: HAPPY RAMBLERS, SHARON L FISHER; 7 AM; 4340 HANOVER RD /RT 116/5 MI W OF TOWN/SEE WEBSITE; (717) 633-7708; HAPPYRAMBLERS.COM HARE SCRAMBLES JUL 4 (S,T,Y): JUL 25 (S,T,Y): MARKLEYSBURG :BRADDOCK’S TRAIL RACEWAY, HEATHER SAVAGE; 7 AM; 4834 NATIONAL PIKE / GPS: 39.770894,-79.48028; (724) 880-5416; BRADDOCKSTRAILRACEWAY.COM JUL 17 (U): VALLEY VIEW: NATIONAL; RAUSCH CREEK POWERSPORTS, TIFFANY TOBIAS; 6:30 AM; TBA; (570) 682-4600; RAUSCHCREEKRACING.COM JUL 18 (S,T,Y): VALLEY VIEW: NATIONAL; RAUSCH CREEK POWERSPORTS, TIFFANY TOBIAS; 6 AM; TBA; (570) 682-4600; RAUSCHCREEKRACING.COM JUL 18 (V): VALLEY VIEW: NATIONAL; RAUSCH CREEK POWERSPORTS, TIFFIANY TOBIAS; 6:30 AM; TBA; (570) 682-4600; RAUSCHCREEKRACING.COM JUL 31 (S,Y): CATAWISSA: NATIONAL; HIGH MOUNTAIN DIRT RIDERS, MICHAEL N SOUDA; 7 AM; SOUTHSIDE CONSERVATION CLUB; (570) 954-7799; HMDR.ORG ENDURO JUL 11 (S): GILLET: SOUTHERN TIER ENDURO RIDE, MATT EGGLESTON; 144 SITZER RD; (607) 792-3760; STER-MC.ORG JUL 18 (S): BLAIN: SUSQUEHANNA OFF ROAD RIDE, MICHAEL H VANOVICH; BLAIN PICNIC GROUNDS /RT 274/ARROWED; (717) 533-2242; SORRMC.ORG JUL 25 (S): CROSS FORK: BRANDYWINE ENDURO RIDERS, ROBERT T STUART; 6 AM; QUIET OAKS CAMPGROUND /212 GAROY RD; (610) 914-5530; BER.US

TENNESSEE ROAD RALLY JUL 30 (R): ERWIN: 3 DAY EVENT: MOTORCYCLE SPORT TOURING, JANET CAMPBELL; HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS; (513) 932-3341 MOTOCROSS JUL 10 (S,T,Y): JUL 11 (M,T,Y): BLOUTVILLE :VICTORY SPORTS INC, SAM R GAMMON; 7 AM; MUDDY CREEK RACEWAY/450 RIDGEWAY DR; VICTORYSPORTSRACING.COM OBSERVED TRIALS JUL 2 (U): SEQUATCHIE: NATIONAL; 3 DAY EVENT: SOUTHEASTERN TRIALS RIDER, CATHERINE BEDLEY; 7 AM; TRAILS TRAINING CENTER /300 WOODLAND RD/I-24 EX 155/30 MIN W OF CHATT; (423) 942-8688

TEXAS

0024; BIKERSADULTRALLY.COM

10 SNOWSHOE DRIVE /CONSULT WEBSITE; (877) 441-4386; SNOWSHOEMTN.COM

VERMONT

MOTOCROSS

ROAD RUN JUL 6 (R): STRATTON: 3 DAY EVENT: WOMEN ON WHEELS (R), JOYCE A SHOOK; 7 AM; STRATTON MTN RESORT; (800) 322-1969; WOMENONWHEELS.ORG

VIRGINIA ROAD RUN JUL 15 (R): BRISTOL: 3 DAY EVENT: ROADRUNNER MOTORCYCLE TOU, HEATHER OLIVER; 2 PM; 3005 LINDEN DR; (276) 4664100; ROADRUNNER.TRAVEL SCRAMBLES JUL 10 (V,Y): SUTHERLIN: NATIONAL; BIRCHCREEK PROMOTIONS, LL, KEN FERRELL; 12725 KENTUCK RD; (434) 836-7629; BIRCHCREEKMXPARK.COM MOTOCROSS JUL 3 (S,T,Y): JUL 31 (S,T,Y): PETERSBURG: 2 DAY EVENTS:VMP MX, STEFFANIE EDEN; 6 AM; 8018 BOYDTON PLANK RD; (804) 732-7888; VMP-MX.COM JUL 10 (S,Y): PETERSBURG: 2 DAY EVENT: MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS, RUTH ANN BENSON; 6 AM; VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK /I-85S FROM TOWN EXIT 63A/4 MI ON RT; (410) 375-1059; MAMAMX.COM JUL 17 (S,T,Y): DISPUTANTA: 2 DAY EVENT: SOUTH FORK COMPETITION PA, LAWRENCE SHAIA; 6148 BAXTER RD /20 MIN FROM PETERSBURG OFF I-95; (804) 339-8565; SOUTHFORKMX.COM JUL 18 (S,T,Y): WYTHEVILLE: VICTORY SPORTS INC, SAM GAMMON; 7 AM; PRO SPORT MX PARK /2036 ATKINS MILL RD; (423) 323-5497; VICTORYSPORTSRACING.COM JUL 24 (S,T,Y): SUTHERLIN: BIRCHCREEK PROMOTIONS, LL, KEN FERRELL; 12725 KENTUCK RD; (434) 836-7629; BIRCHCREEKMOTORSPORTS.COM GRAND PRIX JUL 24 (S,Y): BRISTOL: VIRGINIA CHAMPIONSHIP HAR, DARRYL DALTON; HARLEYWOOD FARM /I-81 EXIT 7; (276) 6690981; VCHSS.NET

WASHINGTON CONVENTIONS JUL 28 (R): STEVENSON: 4 DAY EVENT: SOUND RIDER!, TOM MEHREN; 9 AM; 710 SW ROCK CREEK DR /HWY 14 BETWEEN VANCOVER & GOLDEN DALE; (206) 329-7808; SOUNDRIDER. COM/RALLY MOTOCROSS JUL 11 (S,T,Y): PORT ANGELES: OLYMPIC PENINSULA MOTORCY, MELISSA BAAR; 7 AM; 1306 DEER PARK RD /HWY 101W/S ON DEER PK RD; (360) 417-7509; OPMC.ORG JUL 22 (S,Y): WASHOUGAL: 2 DAY EVENT: WASHOUGAL MX PARK LLC, CAROLYN HUFFMAN; WASHOUGAL MX PARK /40205 NE BORIN/205 TO HWY 14E; (541) 673-1671; WASHOUGALMXPK.COM JUL 31 (S,T,Y): PORT ANGELES: OLYMPIC PENINSULA MOTORCY, MELISSA BAAR; 7 AM; 1306 DEER PARK RD /HWY 101W/S ON DEER PK RD; (360) 565-0303; OPMC.ORG

ROAD RALLY

WEST VIRGINIA

JUL 15 (R): ALVARADO: STATE CHAMP; 4 DAY EVENT: BIKERS ADULT RALLY, SHEILA QUICK; 8 AM; 8901 E HWY 67 /STATE RALLY; (972) 551-

JUL 16 (R): SNOWSHOE: 3 DAY EVENT: SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN INC., ANITA PHILLIPS;

MUSEUM EXHIBITS AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL Of fAME MotorcycleMuseuM.org The Hall of Fame is located 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.

ROAD RUN

JUL 24 (S,Y): HEDGESVILLE: 2 DAY EVENT: MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS, RUTH ANN BENSON; 6 AM; TOMAHAWK MX/863 TOMAHAWK RN RD /I-81 EX 16W/6 MI TO RT 7/L; (410) 375-1059; MAMAMX.COM JUL 24 (S,T,Y): GRN SULPHUR SPR: STATE CHAMP; 2 DAY EVENT: LICK CREEK MX, PHILIP GWINN; 6:30 AM; EX 143 ON I64 FOLLOW SIGNS; (304) 673-7992; LICKCREEKMX.COM

WISCONSIN ROAD RALLY JUL 12 (R): TOMAH: 5 DAY EVENT: CONCOURS OWNERS GROUP INC, GUY B YOUNG II; 9 AM; 319 WITTIG ROAD /CRANBERRY COUNTRY LODGE; (804) 745-1439; COG-ONLINE.ORG SHORT TRACK JUL 17 (S,T,Y): LAKE MILLS: AZTALAN CYCLE CLUB INC, JUDY E SUMNER; 1:30 PM; N 6643 GOMOL RD /I94N TO 26 S TO B-W. TO GOMOLRIGHT; (414) 297-9367; AZTALANCYCLE.COM MOTOCROSS JUL 4 (S,T,Y): HILLPOINT: SUGAR MAPLE MX LLC, JASON W ERDMANN; 5 AM; S5711 SUGAR MAPLE ROAD /1/2 MILE N OF HILLPOINT ON SUGAR MAPLE RD; (608) 393-8812; JUL 10 (S,Y): LAKE MILLS: 2 DAY EVENT: AZTALAN CYCLE CLUB INC, JUDY E SUMNER; 6 AM; N 6643 GOMOL RD /I94N TO 26 S TO B-W. TO GOMOL-RIGHT; (414) 297-9367; AZTALANCYCLE.COM JUL 21 (S,T,Y): PORTAGE: CMJ RACEWAY LLC, CHRIS HALVERSON; 3 PM; PORTAGE FAIRGROUNDS; (608) 220-6853; CMJRACEWAY.COM JUL 23 (S,T,Y): CHILTON: GRAVITY PARK USA, ROBERT SCHNEIDER; 3:30 PM; W2571 HICKORY HILLS RD /1 MI N OF TOWN ON HWY 57; (920) 849-7223; GRAVITYPARKUSA.COM JUL 25 (S,T,Y): WITTENBERG: FANTASY MOTO LLC, SCOTT BIESE; 6 AM; MOHAWK STREET /INTERSECTION OF 292 ROBIN RD S ON ROBIN; (920) 419-2863; FANTASYMOTO.COM JUL 31 (S,T): ARKANSAW: 2 DAY EVENT: ARKANSAW CREEK CYCLE CLUB, RANDY RICHARDSON; 6 AM; ARKANSAW CREEK CYCLE PARK /HWY 10 TO TOWN/S ON CR N/R ON CR SS/L CR D; (715) 285-5679; ARKANSAWMX.COM JUL 31 (S,T,Y): TOMAH: CMJ RACEWAY LLC, CHRIS HALVERSON; 3 PM; TOMAH FAIRGROUNDS; (608) 220-6853; CMJRACEWAY.COM HARE SCRAMBLES JUL 11 (S,Y): STONE LAKE: STRAIGHT ARROW ENDURO RID, JESSICA KIGHT; 7 AM; SUMMIT LAKE GAME FARM /WI HWY 70 TO STONE LAKE/E TO CR ‘F’/ARROWED; (651) 456-0224; STRAIGHTARROWS.ORG OBSERVED TRIALS JUL 10 (S,Y): BARABOO: 2 DAY EVENT: WISCONSIN OBSERVED TRIALS, JAMES VOIGTLANDER; 9 AM; MT ROAD; (608) 4345530; WISCONSINTRIALS.ORG

WYOMING MOTOCROSS JUL 11 (S,Y): CHEYENNE :LARAMIE COUNTY RIDERS ASS, CHRIS GLECKLER; 5:30 AM; I-80 EAST TO EXIT 370 TURN RT; (307) 214-7861; LARAMIECOUNTYMX.COM

July 23-25: Monterey, Calif.: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

AMA PRO fLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP AMAProrAcINg.coM

Aug. 13-15: Alton, Va.: Virginia International Raceway

June 26: Lima, Ohio: Lime Half-mile, Allen County Fairgrounds

Sept. 3-5: Millville, N.J.: New Jersey Motorsports Park Sept. 24-26: Birmingham, Ala.: Barber Motorsports Park

July 10: Lake Odessa, Mich.: I-96 Half-mile, I-96 Speedway July 31: Calistoga, Calif.: Calistoga Half-mile, Calistoga Fairgrounds

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

LUCAS OIL AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP MXsPortsProrAcINg.coM

Honda Of Marysville: Gold Wings aren’t the only machines that Honda produced at its plant in Marysville, Ohio. This exhibit showcases the many wonderful bikes.

June 19: Mechanicsville, Md.: Budds Creek Motocross

Aug. 7: Hagerstown, Md.: Hagerstown Half-mile, Hagerstown Speedway

June 26: Lakewood, Colo.: Thunder Valley Motocross

Aug. 14: Grove City, Ohio: Beulah Park Mile

July 3: Buchanan, Mich.: RedBud

Aug. 22: Peoria, Ill.: Peoria TT

July 17: Milleville, Minn.: Spring Creek Motocross

Aug. 28: Indianapolis: Indiana Mile, Indiana State Fairgrounds

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

AMA PRO RACING AMA PRO SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP AMAProrAcINg.coM July 16-18: Lexington, Ohio: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

July 24: Washougal, Wash.: Washougal Motocross Aug. 14: New Berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla Aug. 28: Southwick, Mass.: Moto-X 338

Sept. 4: Springfield, Ill.: Springfield Short Track, Illinois State Fairgrounds

Sept. 4: Delmont, Pa.: Steel City Raceway

Sept. 5: Springfield, Ill.: Springfield Mile II, Illinois State Fairgrounds

Sept. 11: San Diego: Pala Raceway

Sept. 11: Minneapolis: Canterbury Park Mile July 2010

53

Sept. 18: Knoxville, Iowa: Knoxville Half-mile, Knoxville Raceway Oct. 9: Prescott, Ariz.: Yavapai Downs Short Track Oct. 10: Prescott, Ariz.: Yavapai Downs Mile II AMA PrO HIllclIMB cHAMPIOnSHIP AMAPRORACING.COM/hC/ July 11: Avoca, n.Y.: Avoca-Howard Hillclimb Aug. 1: Muskegon, Mich.: “All-Star Challenge,” Muskegon MC Aug. 15: Dansville, n.Y.: Poags Hole Productions

ETRA.net Aug. 21-22 - Big Sky, Mont.: Jamey Kabisch, Lone Peak Racing Big Sky XC; (406) 223-0478; BigSkyXC.com nov. 6-7: rancho cordova, calif.: Ed Santin, Dirt Diggers North MC; (800) HANGTOWN; HangtownMX.com AMA vIntAge nAtIOnAl DIrt trAcK cHAMPIOnSHIP SerIeS AMARACING.COM June 25-26: Short track, Harpursville, n.Y.: Square Deal Motorcycle Club; Don Miller, (607) 725-3069, Squaredealriders.com

Dual Sporters, Bill Kaeppner; kaeppners@verizon.net, Kaeppnerswoods.com Sept. 18-19: Mccloud, calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adv, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com Sept. 18-19: Diamond lake, Ore.: Motorcycle Riders Assn; Jeff Moffet; (541) 773-7433; jeff@omatours.com Sept. 18-19: Morganton, n.c.: JB Saki Promotions; (704) 483-6833, millerron@bellsouth.net Sept. 25-26: Wolverine, Mich.: Great Lakes Dual Sporters, Jeramey Valley; GLDSmc.org

July 9: Half-Mile, Ashland, Ohio: AMA Racing; Ken Saillant, (614) 856-1900, AMARacing.Com

Sept. 25-26: Wabeno, Wis.: Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, Duane Baer; WIDualsportriders.org

July 24: Mile, Du Quoin, Ill.: AMA Racing ; Ken Saillant, (614) 856-1900, AMARacing.com

Oct. 2-3: renfro valley, Ky.: 4-Fun Trail Riders, Vicky Stephenson; 4FunTrailRiders.com

Oct. 10: Oregonia, Ohio: Dayton MC

July 25: Half-Mile, Du Quoin, Ill.: AMA Racing ; Ken Saillant, (614) 856-1900, AMARacing.com

AMA nAtIOnAl cHAMPIOnSHIP SerIeS

Sept. 11: Half-Mile, Waco, texas: Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club; (254) 875-9955

Oct. 9-10: Mccloud, calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adventures, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures. com

Aug. 29: canaan, n.H.: Ridge Runners MC Sept. 12: Steel city, Pa.: Bushkill Valley MC Sept. 26: Jefferson, Pa.: White Rose MC

AMA rAcIng/nAtc OBServeD trIAlS nAtIOnAl cHAMPIOnSHIP SerIeS June 19-20: exeter, r.I.: Bob ONeil, Stepping Stone Ranch; Rhode Island Trials Club; (508) 285-6074; trialsriders@hotmail.com; RITrialsClub.com June 26-27: cayuta, n.Y.: David Reed, (607) 796-9558; District 4 Trials, District4Trials.org July 24-25: Howard, colo.: Stan Hensley, (719) 5646476; Rocky Mountain Trials Assoc (RMTA), webmaster@ rockymountaintrials.org; RMTA.org July 31-Aug. 1: norden, calif.: Mike Codde, (530) 4263635; Sacramento P.I.T.S., Inc.; dsrinfo@donnerskiranch. com; DonnerSkiRanch.com

Sept. 12: Half-Mile, Waco, texas: Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club; (254) 875-9955 AMA PrO-AM MOtOcrOSS ScHeDule AMARACING. COM June 13: Mt. Morris, Pa.: Racer Productions; (304) 2840800, RacerProductions.com June 20: Mt. carroll, Ill.: MC Motopark; (815) 238-1614, reidabook@centurytel.net, MCMotoPark.com July 4: Buchanan, Mich.: Red Bud Recreation; (269) 6956405, RedBudMX.com July 11: Kingsbury, Ind.: Motoland, (219) 988-6686, Motoland.com

AMA rAcIng nAtIOnAl HAre & HOunD NAtIONAlhAReANdhOuNd.COM

July 11: Blountville, tenn.: Victory Sports; (423) 323-5497, VictorySportsRacing.com

Oct. 10: tBA: SoCal MC, Justin Shultz; (949) 981-6776; SoCalMC.com

July 22-23: Washougal, Wash.: Washougal MX Park; (360) 837-3975, WashougalMXpk.com

Oct. 24: lucerne, calif.: 100s MC, Ryan Sanders; (949) 584-9395; 100sMC.org

Aug. 2-7: Hurricane Mills, tenn.: MX Sports; (304) 2840084, MXSports.com

AMA reKluSe nAtIOnAl enDurO cHAMPIOnSHIP SerIeS PreSenteD BY MOOSe rAcIng NAtIONAleNduRO.COM

Aug. 13-16, new Berlin, n.Y.: Unadilla Valley Sports Center; (607) 965-8784, UnadillaMX.com

June 20: upton, Wyo.: Paul Douglas, Inyan Kara Riders; (307) 468-2840; NationalEnduro.com July 25: Moorestown, Mich.: Jeff Hunt, Lansing Motorcycle Club; (231) 267-9534 Aug. 22: north Berwick, Maine: Peter Anania, Seacoast Trail Riders; (603) 436-4331; SeacoastTrailRiders.org Oct. 2: Matthews, Ind.: Doug Spence, Muddobbers MC; jspence@me.com; Muddobbers.org geIcO enDurOcrOSS eNduROCROSS.COM July 17: las vegas, nev.: The Orleans Arena Aug. 14: guthrie, Okla.: Lazy E Arena Aug. 27: Indianapolis: Pepsi Coliseum Sept. 11: everett, Wash.: Comcast Arena Oct. 30: Denver: Nat’l Western Complex nov. 20: las vegas, nev.: The Orleans Arena cAn-AM gncc ScHeDule GNCCRACING.COM June 26-27: Snowshoe Resort, W.Va. Sept. 11-12: New Berlin, N.Y. Sept. 25-26: Lafayette, Tenn.

Oct. 9-10: St. Clairsville, Ohio

Aug. 22: Armaugh, Pa.: Pleasure Valley Raceway; (814) 695-2453 Aug. 29: Millville, Minn.: Spring Creek MX Park; (507) 7532779, SpringCreekMX.com Sept. 4-6: Millington, Mich.: Baja MX; (989) 871-3356, BajaMX.com Sept. 5: Delmont, Pa.: Bellco; (304) 284-0080 Sept. 5: Athelstane, Wis. Pine Ridge Raceway; (715) 8566612, PineRidgeRaceway.com Sept. 19: Prentiss, Miss.: Golden Pine Raceway; (601) 506-8669, GoldenPineRaceway.com Sept. 19: richford, n.Y.: Broome-Tioga Sports Center; (607) 849-4438; Broome-Tioga.com Sept. 26: canton, texas: Kingdom Motorsports; (214) 9394321, BuffaloCreekMX.com Oct. 2-3: englishtown, n.J.: Raceway Park; (732) 4467800, RacewayPark.com Oct. 3: gaylord, Mich: Baja MX; (989) 871-3356, BajaMX. com Oct. 10: Mason, Ill.: Crossroads MX; (618) 686-2769, CrossroadsMX.com Oct. 16-17: Blountville, tenn.: Victory Sports; (423) 3235497, VictorySportsRacing.com nov. 6-7: Pell city, Ala.: RPM Sports; (205) 699-8857, MillCreekMotocross.com

Oct. 23-24: chatsworth, n.J.: Meteor MC, Mike Reign; MeteorMC.com Oct. 23-24: Prescott, Ariz.: Arizona Trail Riders, Frank Staley; ArizonaTrailRiders.org nov. 6-7: Port elizabeth, n.J.: Tri-County Sportsmen, E. Polhaumus; TeamHammer.org nov. 26-27: Palmdale, calif.: L.A.-Barstow to Vegas: AMA D-37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 792-7384, District37AMA.org AMA KtM nAtIOnAl DuAl SPOrt trAIl rIDIng SerIeS AMAdIReCtlINK.COM/ROAdRIde/dS/ June 19-20: Bend, Ore.: China Hat Dual Sport National, Lobos MC, Billy Toman, (503) 656-5801; n7wxd@aol.com; Lobosmc.com July 24-31: newberry, Mich.: 26th Annual Six Days of Michigan, Cycle Conservation Club of Mich., Lewis Schuler, (517) 781-4805; ccckids@verizon.net, CycleConservationClub.org Aug. 7-8: Hancock, n.Y.: Bear Creek Sportsmen, Linda Rizzon; (973) 953-6308, BearCreekSportsmen.com Aug. 21-22: columbus, Ind.: Buffaloe 500 D/S Adventure Ride, Stoney Lonesome MC, Nathan Gaskill, (812) 3439772; ngaskill3@yahoo.com; StoneyLonesomemc.com/ DualSport/index.html.

Sept. 11-12: cadiz, Ky.: LBL 200, KT Riders, Jesse Thomas, (270) 522-3703; ginny42211@yahoo.com Sept. 11-12: logan, Ohio: Nutcracker 200, Buckeye Dual Sporters, Bill Kaeppner; (740) 380-3050, KaeppnersWoods.com Sept. 18-19: Sterling, Ill.: Cow Patty Cruise, Brushpoppers MC, Jack Sumption, (815) 622-4099; tgerken@wireless.essex1.com, BrushPoppersmc.com Sept. 18-19: Diamond lake, Ore.: Motorcycle Riders Assn; Jeff Moffet; (541) 773-7433; jeff@omatours.com Sept. 25-26: Buck Meadows, calif.: Yosemite Dual Sport Adv, Family Off Road Adventures, Lawrence Borgens, (209) 649-3633; lawrence@familyoffroadadventures.com, FamilyOffroadAdventures.com Sept. 25-26: Wolverine, Mich.: Ted’s Chandler Hill Challenge, Great Lakes Dual Sporters, Jeramey Valley, (989) 751-6863; info@gldsmc.org; GLDSmc.org Sept. 25-26: Wabeno, Wis.: Big Woods 200, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, Duane Baer, (920) 350-2030; bigwoods200@hotmail.com; WIDualsportriders.org Oct. 2-3: Mt. Solon, va.: Shenandoah 500 Dual Sport, Northern VA Trail Riders, Detter Merz; (703) 505-9123, NVTR.org

nov. 22-24: gainesville, Fla.: Unlimited Sports MX; (813) 470-7498, UnlimitedSportsMX.com

Oct. 9-10: McArthur, Ohio: Baby Burr Nat’l Dual Sport, Enduro Riders Assoc., Steve Barber, (614) 582-7821; EnduroRiders.com

nov. 25-27: gainesville, Fla.: Unlimited Sports MX; (813) 470-7498, UnlimitedSportsMX.com

Oct. 23-24: chatsworth, n.J.: Meteor Ride in the Pines, Meteor MC, Mike Reign, (856) 287-8170; MeteorMC.com

Oct. 9-10: norwalk, Ohio: Summit Motorsports Park

DuAl-SPOrt/ADventure SerIeS

nov. 12-14: valdosta, ga.: South Georgia Motorsports Park

AMA BMW nAtIOnAl ADventure rIDIng SerIeS AMAdIReCtlINK.COM/ROAdRIde/AdV/

Oct. 23-24: Study Butte, texas: 13th Annual Terlingua Nat’l Dual Sport Ride, Trail Riders of Houston, Jack Jennings, (713) 248-7222; captjack530@aol.com; TRHcycle.org

Oct. 23-24: Crawfordsville, Ind. AMA DrAgBIKe cHAMPIOnSHIP SerIeS AMAdRAGBIKe.COM July 31 - Aug. 1: Indianapolis: O’Reilly Raceway Park Sept. 10-12: Atco, n.J.: Atco Raceway

AMA rAcIng eASt HAre ScrAMBleS AMARACING. COM July 17-18: valley view, Pa.; Tiffany Tobias, Rausch Creek Powersports; (570) 682-4600; RauschCreekRacing. com

June 17-21: Fairbanks, Alaska: Aerostich Tours, Roger Pattison; AerostichTours.com July 10-11: Mccloud, calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adventures, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com

Oct. 23-24: Prescott, Ariz.: Arizona Trail Riders, Frank Staley, (623) 826-1092; ArizonaTrailriders.org nov. 6-7: Port elizabeth, n.J.: Hammer Run, Tri-County Sportsmen, E. Polhaumus, (856) 785-2754; mdreighn@ msn.com; TeamHammer.org nov. 26-27: Palmdale, calif.: L.A.-Barstow to Vegas: AMA D-37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 792-7384, District37AMA.org

July 31-Aug. 1: catawissa, Pa.: Mike Soudas, High Mountain Dirt Riders; (570) 954-7799; HMDR.org

Aug. 7-8: Hancock, n.Y.: Bear Creek Sportsmen, Linda Rizzon; (973) 953-6308, BearCreekSportsmen.com

Aug. 7-8: Hill city, Minn.: Paul Otto, Range Riders MC; (763) 229-1177; RangeRidersMC.org

Aug. 21-22: Mccloud, calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adventures, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com

Aug. 28-29: cortland, n.Y.: Cindy Davis, Knobby Acres; (607) 756-5277; WYNOA.org

Aug. 21-22: columbus, Ind.: Stoney Lonesome MC, Nathan Gaskill; Stoneylonesomemc.com

Sept. 18-19: lynnville, Ind.: Kenny Moore, IN, IL, KY Enduro Riders; (812) 549-8385; Blackcoal.org

Aug. 23-27: north cascades, Wash.: Sound Rider!, Tom Mehren; Soundrider.com/dsport

AMA rAcIng WeSt HAre ScrAMBleS AMARACING.COM

Sept. 11-12: cadiz, Ky.: KT Riders, Jesse Thomas; ginny42211@yahoo.com

Sept. 15-19: ruidoso, n.M.: Golden Aspen Rally: Golden Aspen Motorcycle Assn; Patric Pearson, (800) 452-8045, Motorcyclerally.com

June 19-20: elkton, Ore.: Toni Bamford, (541) 688-5428;

Sept. 11-12: logan, Ohio: Nutcracker 200, Buckeye

nAtIOnAl gYPSY tOur

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AMA PreMIer tOurIng SerIeS AMADIRECTLINK.COM/ROADRIDE/ TOURING nAtIOnAl cOnventIOnS

Jun 12-20: Laconia, NH: Laconia Motorcycle Week: Laconia Motorcycle Week Assn; Charlie St. Clair, (603) 3662000, LaconiaMCWeek.com AMA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS July 9-11: Lexington, Ohio: AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days: American Motorcyclist Assn; Tigra Tsujikawa, (614) 8561900, AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com SIGNATURE EVENTS July 11: South Bend, Ind.: South Bend Indiana Ride For Kids; Pinhook Park; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids July 18: White Bear Lake, Minn.: Minnesota Ride For Kids; Century Colleage East Campus; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS. org/rideforkids July 18: Deerfi eld, N.Y.: Utica Ride For Kids; Deerfield Volunteer Fire Department; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids July 18: Chicago: Chicagoland Ride For Kids; Elgin Community College; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids July 24: Marysville, Ohio: Marysville Ride For Kids; Scotts MiracleGro Headquarters; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids July 25: Overland Park, Kan.: Kansas City Ride For Kids; Johnson County Community College; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids July 28-31: Stevenson, Wash.: Rally Week in the Gorge; Sound Rider!; Tom Mehren, (206) 329-7808, SoundRider. com/rally Aug. 1: Central Valley, N.Y.: Hudson Valley Ride For Kids; Central Valley Elementary School; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS. org/rideforkids Aug. 1: Middleton, Wis.: Wisconsin Ride For Kids; Firemans Park/Next to high school; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids Aug. 8: Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Ride or Kids; Home Depot, 25 Ditilh Rd., Cranberry Township; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS. org/rideforkids Aug. 14: Salt Lake City: Utah Ride For Kids; This Is The Place Heritage Park; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids Aug. 15: Fiskdale, Mass.: New England Ride For Kids; Tantasqua Regional High School; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS. org/rideforkids Aug. 29: Ashville, N.C.: Asheville Ride For Kids; Tantasqua Regional High School; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids Aug. 29: Ann Arbor, Mich.: Michigan Ride For Kids (and Dual Sport); Washtenow Community College; (800) 2536530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids Sept. 12: Carnation, Wash.: Puget Sound Ride For Kids; Remlinger Farms; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids Sept. 12: Indianapolis: Indianapolis Ride For Kids; Indianapolis Motor Speedway; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids Sept. 12: Leeds, Ala.: Birmingham Ride For Kids; Barber Motorsports Park; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids Sept. 19: Cottleville, Mo.: St. Louis Ride For Kids; St. Charles Community College; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids Sept. 26: Ellicott City, Md.: Baltimore/Washington DC Ride For Kids; Turf Valley Resort; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS. org/rideforkids Oct. 3: Grapevine, Texas: Dallas/Fort Worth Ride For Kids; Grapevine Mills Mall/SE Parking Area; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids Oct. 3: Las Vegas, Nev.: Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation; Las Vegas Motor Speedway; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids Oct. 3: Fairfi eld, Calif.: Northern California Ride For Kids; Solaro Commuity College; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids Oct. 17: Mesa, Ariz.: Phoenix Ride For Kids; Desert Ridge High School; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids Oct. 17: Cardiff, Calif.: San Diego Ride For Kids; Mira Costa College-San Elijo Campus; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS. org/rideforkids Oct. 17: Andersonville, Tenn.: Knoxville Ride For Kids; Norris Dam Tail Water; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/ rideforkids Oct. 24: Lafayette, La.: Louisiana Ride for Kids; SLEMCO; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids Nov. 7: Lithia, Fla.: Tampa Ride for Kids; SLEMCO; (800) 253-6530; PBTUS.org/rideforkids AMA GRAND TOURS WITH KOA ALONG THE WAY Through Sept. 15: Titanic Grand Tour: Great Lakes Motorcycle Club; Lee Bruns, motopsycho@wat.midco.net; GLMC.org/grand-tour.html Through Nov. 30: USA 4 Corners Tour: So. CA Motorcycling Assoc; David L. Johnson, (909) 271-0137, USA4Corners.org Through Nov. 30: Call of the Wild Grand Tour: Midnight

Riders; Charles Kirkman, (765) 566-3807, Midnight-RidersMC.com

Hi-Rollers MC; Ed Harris, (509) 326-7154, Community.

Spokane.net

Through Nov. 30: I’ve Been Everywhere Classic Grand Tour: Road Winders Motorcycle Club; Joseph Sloan, hogman190530@yahoo.com

June 21-24: Galena, Ill.: MTA Gathering: Motorcycle Touring Assn; Harvey Wilson, (800) 397-1320, ChestnutMtn.com

Through Dec. 31: The National Parks Grand Tour: Iron Butt Association; Mike Kneebone, kneebone@ironbutt. com; IronButt.com

Aug. 29: Dallas, Pa.: D-6 Tour – Endless Mountain District Tour: Back Mountain Enduro Riders; Marty Moon, (570) 675-1814, BMER.org

DISTRICT RALLIES AND TOURS June 19: Kingston, Idaho: D-24 Tour – Gyro Daze Run:

Sept. 4-6: Groveland, Calif.: Hey Day Rally: Dist 36 Road Div.; Kay Neelyl, (209) 983-9106, AMA-D-36.com July 2010

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   

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See you at the World’s Largest Touring Rally NEXT year! June 6-11, 2011

www.americade.com

518-798-7888

GET INVOLVED

AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM/RIGHTS ADVERTISER INDEX Adaptiv ....................................................56 Aero Design .............................................56 All-State ...................................................60 AMA BMW Adventure Series ..................23 AMA Hall of Fame Raffle ...........................6 AMA KTM DS Series ...............................22 AMA Roadside Assistance ......................59 Americade ...............................................57 AMSOIL ...................................................16 BikeBandit .................................................7 Black & Gray............................................57 Black Book ..............................................57 Bohn Body Armor ....................................56 Bridgestone ...............................................5 Brookside/S100 .......................................35 Can Am.............................................. 30-31 Discount Ramps ......................................17 F2P Technologies ....................................29 Fed Co .....................................................14 Foremost Insurance.................................49 Geico .......................................................21

Honda .................................................... 2-3 JC Motors ................................................34 Kriega ......................................................35 Manic Salamander ..................................57 MCPRW ...................................................57 McGraw Insurance ..................................43 Motorcycle Tour Conversions..................56 Mountain Fest Rally .................................34 National Sprint Car HOF & Museum .......55 Pocahontas .............................................51 Port-A-Chopper.......................................56 Powerlet ..................................................56 Progressive Insurance .............................11 Ronnie’s ...................................................29 Star Brite, Inc...........................................15 Super-Visor ..............................................56 VIR ...........................................................55 Washington Town & Counrty .....................6 Whitehorse Gear......................................56 Yuasa .......................................................25

July 2010

57

GUEST COLUMN STARTING OVER

In 2006, I ended a self-imposed hiatus from motorcycling. Off a bike for almost 50 years, I hoped to replicate the motorcycle experiences of my teenage years.

For me, that meant simplicity.

The most common bikes when I grew up in western Massachusetts were Triumphs, BSAs and Arials. There was the occasional Harley-Davidson and a few CZs, Jawas, NSUs and Puchs. This was the era before mega horsepower, cushy passenger seats, trikes and traction control. Maybe you needed to be a shade-tree mechanic to keep your motorcycle on the road, but systems were simpler, bikes were more forgiving and speeds were more manageable. In 1953, Hollywood released “The Wild One” with Marlon Brando riding a 650cc Triumph Thunderbird.

In those days it seemed like everyone wanted to ride.

Of course, this is not the mid-1950s. Times have changed, and as I planned my return to motorcycling, I had no desire to spend the money and effort to run down a ’50s Brit bike and fulfill my fantasies of yesteryear. But I was determined to return to riding. It helped that three of my older brothers, then aged 76, 72, and 67, continued to ride. I didn’t want to be left out of the fun any longer.

After taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation weekend motorcycle course to earn a state motorcycle license endorsement, I needed a motorcycle. Since I was unashamedly chasing the past, so to speak, I decided the bike for me was a new 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet. Riding a Bullet was like stepping back into the 1950s. I found a new white 2005 sitting in a showroom in Sarasota.

The following September, my brother Ken and I trailered our bikes from Tampa Bay, Fla., to Portsmouth, N.H., for a couple of weeks of riding with our brother Alan. The Bullet was great on the back roads of New England but had difficulty keeping up with the big boys on their HarleyDavidsons. On Sept. 11, along with nephew Steve, we rode from Portsmouth to the top of Mount Washington.

At 6,288 feet, natives insist that the mountain has “the world’s worst weather.” However, on that day, the sun god was smiling.

I ultimately decided that if I wanted to ride with Ken and Alan, I should be on a comparable bike—a cruiser. So, I kept the Bullet as my Sunday bike and purchased a 2007 Hyosung GV650. Sporting a PPALLI (Korean for “fast” or “hurry up”) license plate, the Hyosung and I were ready to run with my older siblings.

Another year, another trip to Portsmouth and 17,000 miles later, I traded in the GV650 for a 2008 BMW F800ST, and in September 2008, Ken and I rode north to Bryson City, N.C. Brother Alan rode down from New Hampshire and joined us. From there, we rode the Tail of the Dragon, made a side-trip to Seneca, S.C., and visited The Wheels

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Through Time motorcycle museum in Maggie Valley, N.C., before heading north to Washington, D.C. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the F800ST, but after I did some dual-sport riding I traded it in on a new 2009 BMW R1200GS. The shakedown trip for that bike in October was a ride north to North Carolina and Tennessee to ride the Cherohala Skyway from Robbinsville, N.C., to Tellico Plains, Tenn.

My return to riding has evolved over four years. My skills have improved, as have my bikes and gear. At age 70, I will never be the dual-sport rider that I fantasize I could become, but with more than 10,000 miles on the R1200GS, I feel it is the ultimate riding machine for me. It will be with me for a long time. Very soon, I look forward to an advanced skills class and a cross-country trip to visit family and friends in the Pacific Northwest.

Then, in 2011, I hope to do “Tampa Bay to Prudhoe Bay.” David Gary Tucker, Ed. D. is a former military intelligence officer, professor and leadership consultant who now dabbles in international consulting, mentors doctoral students and rides and writes for fun.

Photo Karen Harrison Photography

Full Throttle Ahead At 70 And Counting By Dave Tucker

Get Free AMA Roadside Assistance Sign up for auto-renewal of your AMA membership and get the peace of mind knowing that you’re covered on the road—for your motorcycles, your cars, your trailers, your RVs and even your family’s vehicles.

We’re able to deliver this incredible value at no additional cost to you because when you choose auto-renewal of your membership, we don’t need to send you renewal mailings. That means we can save on paper and postage, along with staff time, energy and resources, and apply the savings to providing this great benefit. It’s that simple.

Get a Free Hat Motorcycling is under threat like never before, with local, state and national officials taking aim at everything from streetbikes on Main Streets to dirtbikes on federal land and even in backyards across America.

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