American Motorcyclist 09 2012

SEPTEMBER 2012

HIGH DESERT ADVENTURE Conquering Nevada’s Backcountry

THE JOURNAL OF THE

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Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see off-road legend Malcolm Smith and dirt-track champion Mert Lawwill—stars of the iconic motorcycling film “On Any Sunday”—together on one stage.

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NAVIGATION

Cover

These dual-sport riders tackled Nevada’s high country.

Read about their adventure, starting on page 42.

Photo: Colby Kuschatka.

Navigation Photo

With the riding season in full swing, motorcyclists are taking part in numerous AMA events, ranging from the rides and rallies that are part of the AMA Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero Premier Touring Series to AMA Flash Tours announced on the AMA Facebook page.

Photo submitted by Nathan Fender.

10. LETTERS

You write, we read.

12. ROB DINGMAN Defense wins the day.

14. RIGHTS

Federal Recreational Trails Program funding saved, and 50 U.S. lawmakers oppose motorcycle-only checkpoints.

22. RIDING 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 2012.

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.

Getting the most out of your adventure bike, and AMA Member Tested: Adaptive Technologies Glow Rider jacket.

30. RACING

Ryan Dungey wins RedBud, and Patrick Smage is the 2012 MotoTrial champion.

38. HALL OF FAME

Donny Schmit’s 1990 Suzuki RM125 works MXer, and Hall of Famer Jeff Ward.

42. HIGH ADVENTURE

Exploring Nevada’s backcountry trails.

September 2012 Volume 66, Number 9 Published by the American Motorcyclist Association 13515 Yarmouth Dr. Pickerington, OH 43147 (800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646) www.americanmotorcyclist.com

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48. MYTHS BUSTED: ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS Can ABS keep you from crashing? Yes.

51. GO RIDE

What to do, where to go.

58. CHRIS STORRIE

From Texas to Ohio to Germany.

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Get the free mobile app for your smartphone at http://gettag.mobi to play the Nylon Cruiser III Luggage Video. Check out all our videos at youtube.com/helmethouse. For more information see your local dealer or visit tourmaster.com. Cortech and Tour Master are registered trademarks of Helmet House. ©Helmet House, Inc. 2012. Always maintain, inspect and wear protective motorcycle riding gear. No gear can offer complete protection from all situations. Obey all speed and safety laws. Riding and alcohol or other drugs don’t mix. Do not open, attempt to open or otherwise use the bags while riding.

EDITORIAL OFFICES

AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

Husqvarna is proud to sponsor the 2012 AMA National Dual-Sport Series

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

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

Stan Simpson, Chairman Cibolo, Texas

ADVERTISING Steve Gotoski, Advertising Director (Western States) (951) 566-5068, sgotoski@ama-cycle.org

Ken Ford, Assistant Treasurer Bartow, Fla.

Maggie McNally, Vice Chairwoman Albany, N.Y.

Perry King, Assistant Secretary Northern California

Zach Stevens, National Sales Manager (626) 298-3854, zstevens@ama-cycle.org

John Ulrich, Executive Committee Member Lake Elsinore, Calif.

Russ Brenan, Irvine, Calif.

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, 2012.

Sean Hilbert, Hillsdale, Mich.

Scott Miller, Milwaukee, Wis. Art More, Surprise, Ariz.

Jim Viverito, Chicago, Ill.

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AMA STAFF EXECUTIVE

DEVELOPMENT/OPERATIONS

Rob Dingman, President/CEO Rhonda Hixon, Administrative Asst./Litigation Manager Bruce Moffat, Chief Financial Officer Sen. Wayne Allard, Vice President, Government Relations Bob Chaddock, Vice President, Administration Jeff Massey, Vice President, Operations Jim Williams, Vice President, Industry Relations & Corporate Member Programs Grant Parsons, Director of Communications & Marketing Rob Rasor, Director of International Affairs

Jack Penton, Director Paula Schremser, Program Specialist

ACCOUNTING

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Marie Esselstein, Government Affairs Assistant Nick Haris, Western States Representative Jessica Irving, Grassroots Coordinator Sharon Long, Legislative Coordinator Rick Podliska, Deputy Director Imre Szauter, Government Affairs Manager - On-Road Royce Wood, Government Affairs Manager - Off-Road

Sandi Dunphy, Coordinator/Switchboard Operator Sean Maher, Director

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Dawn Becker, Accounting Manager Tyra Hines, Lead Accounting Clerk Melanie Hise, HR Assistant/Payroll Coordinator

AMHF/MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME Renee Bock, Management Assistant Beth Myers, Donor Relations Specialist Katy Wood, Operations Manager AMA RACING/ORGANIZER SERVICES

www.husqvarna-motorcyclesna.com

Kip Bigelow, Amateur MX Manager Joe Bromley, Director of Racing Jacki Burris, Organizer Services Coordinator Jane Caston, Racing Coordinator Lana Cox, Administrative Assistant/Switchboard Operator Kevin Crowther, Director SX & Pro Racing Relations Bill Cumbow, Director of Special Projects Dave Hembroff, Road Riding Manager Tamra Jones, Racing Coordinator Ken Saillant, Track Racing Manager Cherie Schlatter, Organizer Services Manager D’Andra Schwabel, Organizer Services Coordinator Serena Van Dyke, Organizer Services Coordinator Chuck Weir, Off Road Racing Manager Conrad Young, Timing & Scoring Manager

DISTRIBUTION/FACILITIES MANAGEMENT John Bricker, Mailroom Manager Heida Drake, Copy Center Operator/Switchboard Operator Bill Frasch, Mailroom Clerk GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Rob Baughman, Network Administrator John Boker, Developer Dave Coleman, Network Architect Amy Hyman, Senior Programmer/Analyst Ed Madden, Managed Services Manager Bill Miller, Web Architect Peg Tuvell, Operations Manager MARKETING Connie Fleming, Events Manager Tigra Tsujikawa, Marketing Manager MEMBER SERVICES/DATA ENTRY Lori Cavucci, Member Services Representative Deb D’Andrea, Member Services Representative Linda Hembroff, Member Services Representative Darcel Higgins, Member Services Manager Angie Miller, Member Services Representative Tiffany Pound, Member Services Representative Jessica Robinson, Member Services Representative Misty Walker, Member Services Representative

MEMBER LETTERS

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

LETTER OF THE MONTH RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS Rights are not absolute. My right to pursue my happiness may violate what Each month, a lucky AMA member wins a Bike others justly feel to be their rights. When Bandit gift card worth $100. Didn’t win? No worries. You can still take advantage of your disputes of whose rights are right occur, 10% AMA member discount at BikeBandit.com. to preserve the domestic tranquility, government determines [who is] right under existing law, sometimes makes new laws, and enforces laws. If your rights are being denied, it may be because you are making the wrong [choice] or a poor argument justifying your right—or maybe you’re just not trying hard enough.

To protect your rights, participate in your government. Participate as a citizen working for the good of the whole, but identifiable as a motorcyclist. As such, I’ve been appointed to serve on boards, councils and commissions, and called to testify before others. I often represent my town at meetings with the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. I’m not stating this as brag, but to show how easy it is to get involved. Governments don’t hate motorcyclists and off-roaders. But there are people in governments who do. By not participating, you get the government that other people want.

Robert Adams Pahrump, Nev.

GET INVOLVED It’s all about wind in your face. The wave (“salute”) is part of riding. When I’m riding pavement on my dual-sport bike, I give and receive the wave by most other bikers, especially Harley riders.

Also, belonging to organizations that share your goals is something every free American should do. Here in the western states, belonging to the BlueRibbon Coalition and other local organizations is a must.

Families that play together stay together.

Through my 40-plus years being involved with families who recreate on motor vehicles, I have seen youngsters both male and female on minibikes grow into world champions and go on to be very successful in whatever career they have chosen.

In my opinion, using a little fossil fuel is better than using some other recreational substances.

Eldon “Cap” Kuney Life Member Fruita, Colo.

PARTY BLIND The reason many of us joined was specifically to see to it that motorcycling is not unduly over-regulated. If that means that we vote for conservative candidates... so be it. After all, they are the ones fighting

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internet at their disposal. But I am simply astounded at the parents who permit their kids to ride on others’ private property without permission or supervision.

My husband and I have lived in several states, and this seems to be a persistent problem with both dirtbikes and ATVs. I love seeing kids who have fun outdoors (with support if very young) who get the private property owner’s permission to run the land.

However, I am appalled at the number of people who think that just because you live in the country that it is OK to tear up and down your fields and driveways.

We purchased about 12 acres of land in Alabama, and the parents thought it was wise that their kids ran dirtbikes down our gravel road that was adjacent to a stream and large power distribution lines!

I’m a motorcyclist and member of the AMA, but if I ever caught my kids attempting this stunt, they would lose their bikes for quite a while. Please, to all parents out there (and I have children myself) check on where your children are riding. You might be surprised.

M. Bice Fredericksburg, Va.

for less government, not more.

I joined the AMA, National Rifle Association and American Radio Relay League, not just for the fellowship, but to defend my rights in those associated pursuits. Yes, some may call them hobbies. Others may call them a way of life. Both descriptions are accurate.

After all, motorcycling, for me, is no more a hobby than driving my car.

It’s transportation, and fuel-efficient transportation at that. My amateur radio hobby can be used for personal enjoyment, or public service, and I have used it for both many times. My firearm ownership might be considered a hobby by some, but a “hobby” that is expressly protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution...go figure.

I don’t agree that the proposed voter guide will be a blueprint for Republican voting as much as a guide to selecting the best candidate for the job, regardless of his or her political affiliation.

GEOGRAPHY 101 I’ve long suspected that due to the number of AMA-sanctioned events located in Colorado compared to the number of events held in other states, that you didn’t really know that we existed out here. I now know that I am wrong. You do know that we exist, but the entire membership now knows you do not know where we are.

In the Go Ride section on page 50 of the July issue, No. 5 mentions a couple of motocross races to be held in Colorado.

Looking up to your map, however, I find two No. 5s in Wyoming. Wyoming is a fine state in which to ride a motorcycle, and you may even have a couple of AMA members up there, but it is not Colorado.

Oh, and you won’t find either motocross track there.

M. Bruce Waters Cotopaxi, Colo.

Thanks for the geography lesson, Mr. Waters, and sorry for the confusion our error caused.

Randy Jones Colville, Wash.

KEEP IT LEGAL I have nothing against kids riding dirtbikes. In fact, I encourage it, getting kids outside these days, considering the amount of cable TV, video games, and

M. Bruce Waters

RACING FOR LIFE Riding motorcycles is my life, and for the past two summers, racing them has been my life as well. Talked into it by a friend (who I thought was crazy at the time), I signed up for a local AMA hare scrambles race in the beginner class. I didn’t feel like a beginner because I’ve been riding dirtbikes for 15 years on and off (since I was a kid), but he told me that’s where I should go.

Boy, was I surprised! Those guys were quick! (I managed to beat just two guys out of 16, and one of them broke down.)

Then I figured it out. The “beginner” is a modifier of “racer,” not “rider,” and there’s a lot more to racing than just riding your dirtbike around for fun! Sure, the enjoyment is still there, but it’s the speed, intensity and 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time that creates situations and challenges that just don’t exist when you’re out riding with buddies. In a race, you can’t let up—ever! Well, if you’re there to do your best, anyway.

I still enjoy rides with my friends and kids, and always will, but now I’ve expanded my horizons. As we all know, business meetings and relationships are as much about casual conversation as business. Most of the time, these chats are about golf games or the local pro sports teams. Well, for the past couple years when I’ve found myself in the middle of one of these discussions and I’m asked what I do on weekends, I tell them, “I race motorcycles.” And guess what? Suddenly no one is asking anyone else about their golf handicaps anymore!

Joseph Brooks Oak Lawn, Ill. NEW HAMPSHIRE SOUND After reading your articles [on the motorcycle sound debate in New Hampshire] I did some web research on the New England “battleground” and was astonished by the sheer number of antinoise organizations and the passion of the comments. In a word, these people are [upset.]

I ride every day and motorcycles are my life, both on the road and in the dirt.

I constantly preach “less sound equals more ground,” “noise annoys,” etc. but my pleas often fall on deaf ears (pun intended). I know that there are many non-motorcyclists who hate loud vehicles.

Honestly, they deserve a quiet world when public roads and lands are concerned.

Paul Golde Life Member Mission Viejo, Calif.

HARE SCRAMBLES ACTION IN WISCONSIN Rider Nate Zambon is all concentration aboard his 2012 KTM 350 XC-F at the Stone Lake Hare Scrambles on July 8 in Wisconsin. Photo by AMA Member Mike Pohl, president, Straight Arrow Enduro Riders.

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America

FROM THE PRESIDENT

DEFENSE WINS THE DAY I was very gratified to hear that the embattled Recreational Trails Program was finally included in the transportation program reauthorization bill that was signed into law by President Obama on July 6.

For anyone who doesn’t know, RTP is a program that funds recreational trails projects around the country. The program is funded with revenue generated from the federal motorfuel tax that is attributable to fuel sales for

By Rob Dingman off-highway motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, four-wheel drives and snowmobiles. This means that you and I fund this program through the money we spend when we ride off-road.

I have a special interest in this issue because I was one of the primary advocates for the creation of the program while working for the Motorcycle Industry Council in the early 1990s. Thanks to the hard work of our AMA staff in Washington, D.C., our partners in the Coalition for Recreational Trails that exist to protect RTP (which includes the MIC, the AMA and other organizations) and—most importantly—you and the thousands and thousands of riders who wrote and called their representatives, the RTP will be around through at least 2014.

What does that mean for motorcyclists? That off-road motorcycle and ATV clubs, working with local and state governments, will continue to have access to funds to build and maintain trails in their communities. That the family sport we fought so hard to preserve when we eliminated the lead law requirements for kid-sized dirtbikes and ATVs last August can continue to thrive.

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When money from a motorcyclist-funded program is diverted from its intended purpose, motorcyclists are singled out for what amounts to a new tax.”

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Saving the RTP was a major victory for motorcycling. But dedicated funding is under attack elsewhere.

Recently, California lawmakers sought to transfer $21 million meant for off-highway vehicle programs—funds that were paid as taxes on gasoline sales by OHV enthusiasts—to the State Parks and Recreation Fund. When he signed the state budget into law, Gov. Jerry Brown took “only” $7 million, which means more than $160 million has been borrowed from the California OHV Trust Fund over the years with no guarantee that it will ever be paid back.

Those of us who love to ride on the street are also battling to preserve funding crucial to the future of motorcycling. In these difficult economic times, state motorcycle safety programs—many of which are funded by fees paid by motorcyclists—are frequent targets for our elected officials seeking to find money to help address tremendous budget shortfalls.

Affordable rider training is crucial not just for new riders, but also for returning and experienced riders. Being trained is one of the most effective strategies we can employ as riders to lower our risk of crashing and being seriously hurt or worse. When our elected officials raid the funds that provide the resources for this training, fewer motorcyclists get trained and the unfortunate results are predictable.

As if it isn’t bad enough that motorcyclists are always expected to fund our own street and off-road programs, when funding is taken from us and put toward other purposes, insult is added to injury.

That’s because when funding for these programs is diverted to other uses, we motorcyclists are still expected to foot the bill. When money from a motorcyclist-funded program is diverted from its intended purpose, motorcyclists are unfairly singled out for what amounts to a new tax. This situation is not much different from the motorcycle-only checkpoints that we have been fighting across the country. Motorcyclists are being singled out and asked to do something not asked of other citizens simply because we choose to travel on two or three wheels instead of four.

There are many actions taken by policy makers that adversely affect motorcyclists. Much of what the AMA does on your behalf is intended to expose these efforts and then rally our members and the motorcycling community to oppose the adverse actions.

To make a stick-and-ball sports analogy, everyone likes to talk about their team’s offense. Defense rarely gets the attention that it deserves. That’s true in government relations, too. Even when we have a proactive victory like the creation of the RTP more than 20 years ago, we have to play defense—as we did when we defeated the lead law—to protect it.

Rob Dingman is president and CEO of the AMA.

Photo Jeff Kardas

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RIGHTS FEDERAL RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM FUNDING SAVED $85 Million Per Year Included In Legislation

The embattled federal Recreational Trails Program that was threatened with possible extinction has survived. It was part of the sweeping transportation bill approved by Congress on June 29 and signed into law by President Obama on July 6.

The spending authorization bill, “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century,” known as MAP-21, includes $85 million per year through fiscal 2014 for the popular trails program, which provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trailrelated facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail use.

The original Senate-backed transportation proposal, S. 1813, would have effectively ended the

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RTP by severing the program from its dedicated funding. But in March, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and several bipartisan cosponsors offered an amendment to S. 1813, which was approved by the full Senate, enabling the RTP to continue.

The House version of the transportation bill included $85 million a year in RTP funding, and the HouseSenate compromise bill, which was approved by both chambers and signed by the president, includes that amount.

“Motorcyclists and all-terrain vehicle riders by the thousands spoke about the benefits of the Recreational Trails Program and the fact that it’s funded by off-highway vehicle users,” says Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for

government relations.

“Federal lawmakers listened and continued this vital program,” Allard says.

Funds for the RTP come from the federal Highway Trust Fund and represent a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax collected from nonhighway recreational fuel use.

In short, tax revenues from the sale of fuel used for off-highway vehicle recreation—by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles and off-highway light trucks—fund the RTP. The RTP is an assistance program of the U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Highway Administration.

The RTP program benefits hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, ATV riding, fourwheel driving, or using other off-road motorized vehicles.

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RIGHTS MOTORCYCLIST FATALITIES HOLD STEADY IN 2011

Research Needed To Decrease The Number Of Crashes

5 QUESTIONS WITH U.S. REP. REID RIBBLE Government Intrusion, Land Access Are Concerns

U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) is an avid motorcyclist who sits on some key House committees for motorcyclists: the Budget committee as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We decided to find out a little bit about the congressman as well as get his take on how to influence legislation.

American Motorcyclist: What do you ride?

Rep. Reid Ribble: My first motorcycle was a Kawasaki 750 Spectre. I was taken in by the cool maroon-and-black color scheme and low ride. It was a fast, fun and exciting ride for a 20-year-old guy getting his first motorcycle. That was a while ago, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Like many motorcycle enthusiasts, I have had several different motorcycles in my lifetime. Right now I enjoy riding my BMW K1200LT. AM: What is your favorite place to ride?

RR: Without a doubt it is northern Wisconsin. Riding in northeast Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan offer a lot of opportunities to experience riding at its best. Wisconsin has thousands of pristine lakes for swimming and fishing as well as beautiful national forests.

I also enjoy riding in world-famous Door County, which is part of my congressional district. Door County offers wonderful rides with vistas of Lake Michigan and Green Bay. With quaint northeast Wisconsin villages and state parks, it’s a

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must-see destination for riders nationwide.

AM: What are the biggest issues facing motorcyclists today?

RR: I am not sure there is a biggest issue, and they may differ between street motorcycle and off-highway vehicle riders.

OHV enthusiasts want to make sure they have equal access to ride through our national forests. Motorcyclists are concerned about too much government intrusion and influence on motorcycle use.

AM: How can riders get more involved with the members of their congressional delegations to influence their decisions on issues?

RR: Everyone who has a concern needs to express them to their member of Congress. We sometimes think that our representatives know everything that is going on, but it’s not possible to be aware of it all.

So, it is very important for stakeholders to weigh in on policy concerns that they have. It is essential to good government.

AM: Is there anything else you would like to add?

RR: Invite your member of Congress to get involved in rides at home and in Washington, D.C. If your representative does not ride a motorcycle, still engage him/her in your club activities.

Get to know each other as best you can and you may find a new friend.

Motorcyclist fatalities for 2011 will be about the same as 2010, according to a preliminary report released on May 21 by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Based on preliminary data, the GHSA reports that fatalities decreased by 1.67 percent during the first nine months of 2011. However, the association projects the final tally will be very close to the 4,502 fatalities reported for 2010. That figure is a slight increase over the number GHSA Motorcycle of fatalities reported Fatalities Report for 2009 2011...... (Estimate) 4,500 (4,469), which represented 2010.......................4,502 a dramatic 16 2009.......................4,469 percent decline from 2008.

“Any motorcycle fatality is one too many, but we are encouraged that the report’s preliminary finding suggests that overall motorcycle fatalities in 2011 will not be greater than 2010,” says AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman.

“Interpreting crash, injury and fatality data is challenging because states have historically struggled with calculating actual motorcycle usage,” says Dingman, who is a former governor’s highway safety program administer for the state of New York.

“Measuring fatalities against motorcycle registrations is not effective because it does not take into account how many miles riders are putting on their motorcycles at any given time,” he says.

Dingman adds that the economy, gasoline prices and weather are also variables that are difficult to quantify when determining motorcycle usage.

The lack of sufficient data underscores the critical need for a new comprehensive crash causation study, such as the one currently under way at Oklahoma State University. The study is being conducted at the Oklahoma Transportation Center under a $2.8 million Federal Highway Administration grant approved by Congress, along with more than $125,000 committed by the AMA and its members and funds from six state safety programs—New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin—totaling another $750,000.

The last comprehensive crash causation study was published in 1981 and provided a wealth of data that has been used to develop training and strategies to help keep riders safer on the road.

Bill Would Prohibit Checkpoint Funding

Some 50 U.S. House members have signed onto a bill that would bar the U.S. transportation secretary from providing funds for motorcycle-only checkpoints.

The measure, H.R. 904 authored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), would prohibit the transportation secretary from providing grants or any funds to a state, county, town, township, Indian tribe, municipality or other local government for use in any program designed to check safety equipment use or create arbitrary checkpoints for motorcycle riders or passengers.

“The AMA thanks these members of Congress and encourages motorcyclists to also thank them for their support,” says Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations.

The AMA began tracking motorcycleonly checkpoints when they first appeared in New York in 2007. In 2011,

using funds provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the state of Georgia conducted roadside motorcycle-only checkpoints as thousands of motorcyclists rode through the state on their way to Daytona Beach, Fla., for Bike Week, March 4-13.

Another motorcycle-only checkpoint was conducted in northern Virginia during one of the nation’s most visible motorcycle rallies—Rolling Thunder—over the 2011 Memorial Day weekend. Motorcycle-only checkpoints were also conducted in Utah when thousands of riders attended a world-class roadracing event.

Five states—California, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina and New Hampshire— have since outlawed or restricted the practice, and similar legislation has been introduced in Missouri and New Jersey.

Info: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/ rights/motorcycleonlycheckpoints.aspx.

NEW WAY TO DETERMINE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE TOP SPEEDS

SPY204_RSS 1-3_2.25x9.5_AMsep.indd 1

Should Result In Accurate Comparisons

Consumers wanting to compare top speed capabilities among various electric motorcycles will soon find help from a new test procedure developed by the Motorcycle Industry Council.

The “Top Speed Test Procedure for Electric Motorcycles,” just created by the MIC’s Electric Vehicle Subcommittee, establishes standards for determining an electric motorcycle’s maximum velocity.

“Manufacturers have used a variety of means for calculating top speed, presenting a challenge for shoppers interested in what an electric bike can really do,” says Tim Buche, MIC president and CEO. “Some methods used right now may not give an accurate measurement, even under similar test conditions. The more that electric motorcycle makers adopt this protocol, the more it can help buyers who are taking a good look at this emerging segment.”

The MIC anticipates that manufacturers will immediately and voluntarily begin using the new protocol. The MIC subcommittee also expects to have this new test procedure adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

For more information, go to www.mic.org.

Photo Checpoint: ©iStockphoto/JazzIRT; Electric: Beyond Images Photography

6/21/12 10:16 AM

sEE it in aCtion Adjusts required effort through acceleration, speed and steering angle data. More comfort and improved control.

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50 U.S. LAWMAKERS OPPOSE MOTORCYCLE-ONLY CHECKPOINTS

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THE RIDE YOU ALWAYS IMAGINED. ASSUMING YOU HAVE ONE HECK OF AN IMAGINATION.

S TAT E WAT CH

RIGHTS

CALIFORNIA A lawsuit against the Carnegie State Vehicle Recreation Area has been dismissed “with prejudice,” which means it cannot be re-filed. In September 2009, two organizations filed an action against California State Parks and the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division alleging violations of state laws regarding water pollution at the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area.

In other action, the governor has signed into law Assembly Bill 1047, introduced

by Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries (R-Lake Elsinore), which prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from setting up motorcycle-only checkpoints.

FLORIDA Effective Jan. 1, 2013, motorcycles displaying license tags perpendicular to the ground will no longer be required to be equipped with toll transponders. License tags must be clearly visible from the rear at all times and not concealed or obscured in any way. The law is the result of House Bill 1223, sponsored by Rep. Ben Albritton (RWauchula).

ILLINOIS Any law enforcement agency of the state or a political subdivision of the state is barred from accepting federal funding

for motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints, under House Bill 930, sponsored by Rep. Dan Beiser (D-Alton). The bill passed the House and Senate by unanimous votes and was signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn.

The ban on accepting federal funding for motorcycle-only checkpoints is now in effect.

MASSACHUSETTS Anyone under age 18 would be required to complete a “vehicle education safety and responsibility course” before operating a dirtbike or ATV, under Senate Bill 2199, authored by the Joint Committee on Transportation. The bill would also grant authority to state officials to exempt out-ofstate riders from the training requirement as well as the state’s vehicle registration requirements if they’re attending a “sanctioned race, rally or event.”

MINNESOTA A new law permits a person holding a motorcycle road guard certificate to act as a flagger escorting motorcycle group rides. After meeting certain qualifications, a flagger may direct operators of motorcycles within a motorcycle group ride and other vehicle traffic at intersections controlled by stop signs and traffic-control signals.

The new law is the result of House Bill 2685, sponsored by Rep. Michael Beard (R-Shakopee).

CALIFORNIA RAIDS STATE OFF-HIGHWAY-VEHICLE FUND $7 Million Used To Help Balance State Budget

Cash-strapped states needing money to balance their budgets always take a hard look at programs funded by motorcyclists, and California is the latest state to raid that pot of cash.

State lawmakers proposed taking $21 million meant for off-highway vehicle programs funded by the state’s OHV trust fund and capping the grants program at $10 million a year.

The gas-tax money is supposed to be used to maintain OHV recreational opportunities, but lawmakers decided to transfer the cash to the State Parks and Recreation Fund.

Gov. Jerry Brown, in signing the proposed state budget into law, didn’t entirely agree with the plan and only took $7 million of the OHV money for parks but left the cap for the grants in place.

The new budget took effect July 1.

“What right does the state assembly have to redirect funds collected directly from OHV recreation activities, and use them for any purpose other than to support OHV recreation?” asks Nick Haris, AMA Western states representative.

“The OHV community has always acted

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SOUTH DAKOTA A new law that took effect July 1 repeals the requirement that a motorcycle windshield or wind deflector be made of clear plastic. The law is the result of Senate Bill 140, sponsored by Sen. Jim Putnam (R-Armour).

RHODE ISLAND A new law requires public buildings, with certain exemptions, to provide designated parking spaces for motorcycles at the rate of one space per 30 spaces between April 1 and Nov. 30 each year. The law is the result of Senate Bill 2130 (Substitute A as amended), sponsored by Sen. John Tassoni Jr. (D-Smithfield) and championed by the Rhode Island Motorcycle Association.

TENNESSEE A new law makes it a Class C misdemeanor for a motorcycle operator to carry a child passenger whose feet are not on the footpegs. The requirement does not apply to anyone riding in a motorcycle sidecar. The law is the result of Senate Bill 74, sponsored by Sen. Doug Overbey (R-Maryville).

responsibly and paid its own way, and has never depended on general tax monies or park bonds,” he says.

“History has shown that, just like OHV areas, once funding is lost, it never comes back,” he says. “More than $160 million has been ‘borrowed’ from the California OHV Trust Fund over the years, and it is likely that it will never be paid back.”

CALIFORNIA GATED COMMUNITY VOTES DOWN MOTORCYCLE ACCESS Canyon Lake Maintains Its Bike Ban

Residents of the 4,500-home Canyon Lake gated community in California have voted to continue their ban on motorcycles.

Motorcyclists who live in the community successfully put language on the association’s May ballot to overturn the ban, but the proposal was rejected in the May 17 vote, with 1,261 residents voting to continue the ban and 501 voting to repeal it.

Under the proposal, motorcycles would have been allowed in Canyon Lake only under certain conditions. Those requirements would have included that the operator/owner live in Canyon Lake and that the motorcycle be street-legal and pass a Canyon Lake Property Owners Association safety and sound inspection.

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GREAT EXPLORATIONS

Getting The Most Out Of Your Adventure Bike By Luke Vanderberg When I first got my BMW R1200GS, I felt like I could conquer the world. But the reality was the bike was capable of far more than me. This was never clearer one day sitting at a café in Princeton, N.J. A college student admiring my GS asked if I had been anywhere “really cool” with it. I had to confess…I hadn’t. She was as pristine as the day I bought her. As I sipped my latte and stared at my bike, I resolved never to let this embarrassing encounter happen again.

Soon after, I attended a motorcycle camping seminar at my local BMW shop.

Chris, the sales manager, mentioned that they were sponsoring the Pine Barrens Adventure Camp Riding School (www. pinebarrensadventures.com). I hadn’t heard of it, but further research proved it was just what I needed to kickstart my love affair with adventure riding.

There are some great riding schools out on the West Coast, and BMW’s own riding school in South Carolina. However, schools tailored specifically to the big bikes have been relatively rare in the Northeast. Not only does the Pine Barrens Adventure Camp fit the bill, but their playground is phenomenal.

The Pine Barrens is a National Forest and U.S. Biosphere Reserve in Southern

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New Jersey. It is a unique natural marvel.

With its mix of gravel, dirt, wildlife, rare and indigenous pine trees, and sand, it’s a dual-sport rider’s paradise.

And who better to train you than men who call this their backyard: Dan Polak, Mike Bradway and Jack O’Connor. Each has more than 30-plus years of enduro, motocross and rally racing experience, and countless trophies to show for it.

The camp is a two-day weekend event.

The first day starts on a private closed course. First, I learned how to set up my bike, outfit myself with proper safety gear and the basic skills for riding off-road: balancing, standing, stopping on dirt, cornering, turning around, and more.

Not only did I see demonstrations of how to properly perform each exercise, but I saw big-bike skills in action to the extreme. Watching Dan fly through sand and go airborne over a hill on his Yamaha Super Ténéré is fantastic. Because classes are small, there is plenty of one-on-one instruction from Dan, Mike and Jack to set you on the right path.

The real thrill, however, comes when we go on a guided ride through the Pine Barrens. You experience great dirt and gravel roads, mud, fire cut trails and deep sand to paddle through. And let us not

forget Mike’s impromptu nature lessons.

The instructors, being locals, know the area well, and they adapt the ride on the fly to the skills of the students. You are challenged, but the group is there to see you through. I dropped my bike at least a half-dozen times in the sand, but there was always someone there to help pick it up and explain my mistakes.

If you are thinking about getting an adventure bike, build this class (or one like it) into the price of admission.

After finishing the course, a natural next step is an event in the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré Adventure Riding Series. A great option is the Pine Barrens 300 Dual Sport and Adventure Ride. The camp really prepares you well for this event and you’ll see even more of the Pine Barrens.

(Adventure bikes get their own route, while dual-sport bikes follow more single-track.)

Since taking the class, my GS and I have been on a trip almost every weekend, from West Virginia to Maine in all types of terrain: rocks, dirt, gravel, mud, sand and more. Every time I ride, I grow more confident using the skills I learned in the camp. The Pine Barrens Adventure Camp Riding School will not make you an adventure riding rock star, but it will provide the knowledge and confidence to take on just about any terrain.

Now when I sit at cafés with a bike covered in mud and scratches, and I’m asked about the “cool” places I’ve been on my motorcycle, I just point to a scratch and tell a story.

Luke Vanderberg is an AMA member from Hoboken, N.J.

Photo Cory Parris Photography

RIDING

MEMBE R T E S T E D

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E-mail submissions@ama-cycle.org for an application.

Adaptive Technologies Glow Rider Jacket

flap in the wind. The sculpted armor is comfortable and removable.

After wearing it exclusively on a multiday, 2,000-plus-mile trip in North Carolina, Tennessee and the Shenandoah region, I would recommend this jacket for dryer and cooler weather. While the multiple vents are great for airflow, the jacket’s heft makes it a bit warm for hotter days. In addition, while the jacket has some waterresistant qualities, it is not designed to be completely rainproof.

The Glow Rider jacket is ideal for riders looking to be more visible at night with its unique lighted technology. It is also available in a bright green for extra visibility during the day.—Kimberly Harvey, North Conway, N.H.

Sizes: XS-3XL Color: Black, Neon Green MSRP: $299 Website: www.AdaptivTech.com Right out of the box, the black Adaptive Technologies Glow Rider jacket fit comfortably and looked sharp. It has great articulation in the elbows, plenty of sleeve Kimberly Harvey length and ample width in the hips.

A main selling point of the jacket, though, is its ability to light up, making you more noticeable on the road. So, I immediately went for the battery pack to see this thing in action. The rechargeable battery came with full power. When I plugged it in and hit the switch, the jacket came to life.

The electrified strips are on the upper arm/shoulder and along the upper back of the coat making you visible from the side and back without the aid of headlights.

Strips of reflective taping continue up and

AGV K-4 EVO (Explorer Graphic) around the jacket to enhance the visibility even more and give the jacket a sharp, clean look.

The jacket comes with a quilted liner that zips in for cooler weather. When the liner is out, there are adjustment straps on the sleeves and waist to cinch in the excess material so the jacket doesn’t

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Sizes: XS-XXL (Two shell sizes) Approvals: DOT/E2205 (Euro) MSRP: $249.95 Website: www.agv.com I’ve been using AGV’s new K4 EVO for the past few weeks, and I’ve found it to be a very nice lid for a modest amount of cash. First, this is a beautiful helmet.

I typically go for solids, but the large antique compass rose that is so prominent in the Explorer photos really appealed to the cartographer in me. The graphics are even cooler in person, glossy, smooth and well finished. (If I have any complaint about the aesthetics, it’s the corporate colors of the AGV logo on the front of this helmet clash with this particular scheme.)

In terms of function, the K-4 is quite light compared to my last few helmets.

But lightweight does not mean quality is lacking—quite the contrary. Checking the exterior, the chin and two top vents open and close with a definite snap and feeling of durability. The visor, easily replaceable without tools, is scratch resistant with a fog-resistant interior. The multiple visor stops do feel slightly soft, but it does not affect performance at all and the visor maintains position quite well. The helmet’s center ridge and kicked-up rear exhaust vent give it a high-performance look and highlight AGV’s obvious attention to 2:49:39 PM aerodynamics.

The interior of the helmet is comfortable enough, with removable, washable pads and dry-comfort fabric that has been treated with a sanitizing agent. While the interior material seems durable and reasonably soft, it is by no means cushy.

For my particular head shape (long and thin with an “exaggerated” nose and chin), the helmet fit correctly according to AGV’s size charts, but there was admittedly little clearance between nose, chin and the chinbar. For those with more typical head

RIDING

shapes (such as my daughter, who also tried the helmet), the fit is excellent.

On the bike the light, snug fit and small shell is a major benefit at speed. The EVO shape is wonderfully smooth Mike Mekinda at pushing through the air, with little wind effect on the helmet. If it weren’t for the close confines of the chinbar, the light weight and aerodynamics would have made this helmet seem to all but disappear on a longer ride.

Although there is some wind noise, the helmet is reasonably quiet. Ventilation seems good.

Opening the top vents allowed a noticeable breeze across the top of my head. The vent tabs are small, and they click firmly into place, but they can be difficult to locate and slide with gloved fingers.

The clear visor sealed nicely even in the rain, and fogging was never an issue.

I really liked the AVG K-4 EVO overall, and loved the Explorer graphics. It’s nicely

featured, looks good and works well—all positive attributes that help a rider choose to wear a helmet. My only caveat is to make sure you try it on before you buy, especially if you have a decidedly “nonaverage” head shape like mine.—Mike Mekinda, Painesville, Ohio

GET YOUR HALL OF FAME HOLIDAY CARDS NOW Celebrate the Season With Motorcycles

Holiday cards are cool. Holiday cards with images of motorcycles on them are cooler.

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s holiday card program is now in effect for the 2012 season. Order your cards by going to www. amahofcards. com.

Unfortunately, as in past years, there are still some unscrupulous companies marketing holiday cards that appear to support the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame but don’t.

To ensure that the proceeds of your order benefit the Hall of Fame, make sure you order at www.amahofcards.com.

RIDING

Racing Vs. Riding By Steven Holt

It’s no secret why sportbikes are popular. They embody speed, handling, aggressive styling and performance. For many sportbike fans, the racetrack is the next step up from the mountain and canyon-riding scene. Fortunately, the racetrack no longer means just racing.

Track days are becoming more popular with each passing year. They allow spirited riding in a relatively safe and supervised setting without the pressures and expenses of racing.

Local closed-circuit racetracks are open to hordes of street riders of various skill levels who can now peruse the track on their sojourn to challenge their riding abilities. For a daily fee of approximately $100-$300 (often less at kart tracks that cater to the supermoto crowd) and with minimum bike setup, you can ride your own bike fast and free of street traffic or speed limits.

Track-day riding is a more relaxed environment than racing. Certain rules, such as limited passing zones, are established to prevent accidents and overzealous riders. Most track-day organizations divide riders into various levels, such as advanced, intermediate and beginning riders, as well as offer training in the finite mysteries of going fast. Many even co-join with the local racing organization to offer licensing and a stepping-off point to real competition.

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I’ve been a canyon carver, track-day enthusiast and club roadracer for years.

My street riding friends often ask me about the next step: jumping from trackday enthusiast to amateur roadracer.

While it’s all fun, of course, there are some distinguishing factors that indicate whether you’ll be as comfortable in a race as you are during a track day.

There are three key areas where racing differs greatly from track days.

1. Intensity. Track-day riders who join racing clubs are often shocked and awed by the level of the other racers’ intensity and speed on the track. After all, a race is a competitive event, not just a fun romp around the local track. Humans are competitive by nature and there’s no bigger competition than a race!

Those good lap times from yesterday’s practice mean nothing when the race starts. Once the flag drops, not only is everyone on his or her “A” game, they are on it at the same time, in the same place.

Paint may be swapped, bars may be banged and people get stuffed into turns without remorse.

A key point, however, is that intensity exists throughout the grid, from leading rider to back markers. Although most of the racers will not get a trophy or contingency money, they’re all racers seeking the same goal—to beat everyone

The bottom line: While there’s a big difference between track days and racing, both are great fun. Even better, both are available to scratch your racetrack itch.

Just take it safe, ride within your limits and respect your fellow riders, and you’ll ride away satisfied.

Steven Holt, a former AMA roadracer, is from San Diego County, Calif.

Photo © Kyle Hunter

THE COMPETITIVE CRUNCH

else around them. It’s what they’re there to do.

2. Commitment. For a track day rider, setup requires taping over your bike’s lights with some painter’s tape, making sure the tire pressure is proper and then transporting the bike to the local track. Depending on the track, you may be expected to safety wire some key fasteners and attach a belly pan in the unlikely event your bike loses its oil.

For even the lowest club racer, the preparation for both bike and rider is much more demanding. First, you must practice consistently and repeatedly. Second, your parts must be designed for the task at hand. That means buying items such as racing tires, aftermarket fairings, mass quantities of safety wire, performance parts (brakes, suspension) and a full complement of top-shelf gear.

The expenses add up quickly, particularly when additional costs such as licensing, racing schools (sometimes required for certification), entry fees, gate fees, additional travel, maintenance and spares come into play.

3. Risk. There are higher risk factors in racing than in the track-day environment.

At most track days, you often find yourself in impromptu casual competitions against one or two riders of similar skill for a few laps. At a race, there is nothing casual about the competition, which lasts the entire race and often involves a dozen or more riders, many of whom are faster and more experienced than you are.

Racing also requires you to be on the track for longer periods of time.

Regardless of the intensity level, this additional exposure creates more opportunity for a spill.

That said, for riders who prepare their bike, prepare themselves, ride within their limits, have the proper training and race with responsible organizations, the risk of competing in a controlled environment is relatively innocuous compared to irresponsible riding on public roads.

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BLASTING CONVENTIONS

BMW C 600 Sport And C 650 GT Defy Scooter Expectations What better arena to test the attributes of BMW’s all-new scooters than that bastion of dizzying traffic: Madrid. The city is a beehive of motorization and reflects the need for accessible urban mobility in the developing cities of the world. Recognizing scooters as a vital market, BMW has aggressively tackled the segment with two all-new machines: the C 600 Sport and C 650 GT. To label the new machines “scooters” seems somewhat inappropriate given their performance and physical presence.

According to Peter Maier, BMW’s product manager for the scooters, BMW engineers essentially attempted to bridge the gap between a traditional scooter and a full-size machine.

“If we can use the brand awareness of BMW, knowing BMW is building great bikes, telling the people of the basic advantages when they use a scooter, the easy access due to the step-through, the easy usage due to the automatic shifting, the performance, it’s so many points that make the usage of the scooter so easy,” he says. “But on the other hand you have all the advantages like riding a bike in terms of stability, dynamics and so on. It’s like the best out of two worlds.”

The result is a stable platform that still has the easy maneuverability inherent in a scooter.

The C-series represents a cleansheet project. The first thing on paper was an aluminum bridge chassis. Into that was placed a liquid-cooled, twocylinder, 647cc four-stroke engine with dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder delivering a claimed 60 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and a torque

rating of 66 foot pounds at 6,000 rpm.

Madrid’s freeway speed limit of 120 km/hr is easily reached and maintained without getting close to redline.

The twin is fed by electronic fuel injection through two 38mm throttle valves under a digital management system. Centrifugal clutch and BMW’s continuously variable transmission deliver power through chain drive.

Keeping the whole thing suspended is a 40mm diameter inverted front fork paired with a cast single-side swingarm with single shock on the rear. Travel at both ends is 4.5-inches. Cast aluminum 15-inch wheels contribute to the overall larger bike feel. The scooters weigh in at 549 pounds for the Sport and 575 pounds for the GT. The standard anti-lock brake system is bolstered by dual 270mm rotors on the front and a single 270mm disc on the rear. Stopping power is impressive and the ABS, when activated under very aggressive braking, does its business without any disconcerting fluctuation in lever pressure.

Given BMW’s aspirations, the Grand Tourismo moniker is no joke. The GT is capable of accommodating long stints in the saddle along with fun, around-town rides. An average of 50-miles per gallon and a 4.2-gallon fuel capacity deliver a range in the realm of 200 miles.

The price wasn’t set at press time, but BMW estimates an MSRP in the $9,000 to $10,000 range. A lot of money for a scooter? Yes. But if the thought of a scooter that offers performance, engineering and head-turning panache appeals to you, it may be a price worth paying.—Jeff Buchanan

RIDING WHAT’S THAT BIKE WORTH?

Up to dirtbike riders from Ridgecrest, Calif., who found and saved some elderly prospectors who were stranded in the desert.

Up to Honda for announcing that Team HRC will return to the 2013 Dakar Rally after a 23-year hiatus with a factorybacked works effort.

Up to Zero Motorcycles for being inducted into the Made in the U.S.A. Hall of Fame.

Up to former AMA Formula Extreme and 750cc Supersport champ Jason Pridmore for training National Guard members to be safer on the road by learning skills on the racetrack.

Down to a man from Albuquerque, N.M., who allegedly stole more than 70 motorcycles during his criminal career and who, police say, told them he just “really enjoys stealing bikes.”

Up to Illinois for being the latest state to pass a state law to allow motorcyclists to proceed safely through an intersection on a red light when a traffic sensor doesn’t detect the bike.

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RACING

RYAN DUNGEY WINS REDBUD James Stewart Comes Back, Finishes Third

The world’s fastest motocross riders took to the field on July 7 at the sixth round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Buchanan, Mich.

Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., kept his dominant run going in the 450 class, winning his fourth straight race with another 1-1 moto sweep.

Dungey took the holeshot in the opening 450 moto while Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., followed in second in his return to action. As Dungey pushed to open a gap on Stewart, the Suzuki rider went down, allowing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, and Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton, of Ft. Dodge, Iowa, to move past.

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Dungey kept the pace out front, taking the checkered flag by more than 45 seconds ahead of the field.

In the second moto, MotoConcepts Suzuki’s Mike Alessi, of Victorville, Calif., grabbed the holeshot and led early, but it didn’t take long for Dungey to take over the top spot and pull away. Alessi, who was involved in a first-turn crash in the first moto, settled into second for the remainder of the moto, while Stewart bounced back to finish third.

Dungey’s near 35-second win extended his moto-winning streak to eight.

“We made some more changes to the bike coming into (today) and I think we’ve made even more progress,” Dungey said of his win. “My starts were good and I

knew getting out front would make life easier, having a whole track to work with.

It’s (too) early to think points, but you’ve got to be smart. With James back, you knew he’d be there, so I didn’t want to downplay him. I just wanted to get a good start and see how things played out.”

Brayton brought home his first overall podium result of the season in second (3-4), while Stewart finished third (3-6) despite his troubles.

Dungey extended his lead in the 450 Class standings to 72 points over Alessi.

In the 250 class, Monster Energy/ Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett, of Grand Terrace, Calif., raced to his third victory of the season with his own 1-1 effort. Both were come-from-behind performances.

Baggett extended his lead in the championship to 19 points over GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia, of Monroe, N.Y.

Photos Motocross: Jeff Kardas; MotoTrial: Shan Moore; Lima: Dave Hoenig

Ryan Dungey

American motorcyclist Sep_Layout 1 6/22/12 3:35 RACING

DESIGNED TO

INCREASE HORSEPOWER

PATRICK SMAGE: 2012 AMA/NATC MOTOTRIAL CHAMPION Sherco Rider Claims Fifth Title By Shan Moore

With one round remaining on the eightround schedule, Sherco USA rider Patrick Smage wrapped up his fifth national MotoTrial title by taking a solid victory at round seven of the SWM AMA/NATC MotoTrial Series in Exeter, R.I. The Wisconsin rider capitalized on an impressive opening lap in the slippery and technical New England terrain, which gave Smage a 14-point lead over American Beta’s Cody Webb heading into the final two laps. Smage avoided any major mishaps during the final two circuits to finish off the day with an 11-point advantage over Webb for the win.

The performance gave Smage an

insurmountable lead in the series standings—and the crown.

“It’s awesome to win my fifth title,” said Smage. “This is something I never dreamed of back when I started riding for fun as a kid. I wanted to see if I could get to the top but there were no real goals and I definitely didn’t expect to win it five times. And for every championship, I couldn’t have done it without Ryan Young, and Brad Baumert and Sherco USA and Ryan Young Products.”

Sherco USA’s Bryan Roper grabbed his third-podium finish of the season with a third-place finish, topping Gas Gas USA’s Keith Wineland by 15 points.

SAMMY HALBERT WINS LIMA HALF-MILE Last Lap Lead Changes Cap Thrilling Main Event

Round five of the AMA Pro Grand National Championship gave the large crowd at the AMA Pro Flat Track Lima Half-Mile National a little bit of everything, and when the checkered flag fell on the 25-lap national South East HarleyDavidson’s Sammy Halbert came out on top, but it was far from easy.

“I didn’t get a very good start and was about fifth or sixth and wasn’t gaining anything,” Halbert said. “Then Jared (Mees) went around me on the outside and I thought ‘Well, I guess I better try that.’ I just went higher and higher until I found my line.”

While Halbert was looking for his line, Zanotti Racing’s Jake Johnson and Scott Powersports’ Johnny Lewis were having a great race for the lead. Johnson got the holeshot and led the first four laps before Lewis pushed his Kawasaki into the lead.

The two battled until lap 11 when Halbert blasted by both and looked to be running away.

Meanwhile, Henry Wiles, who had been sent to the penalty line when he jumped the start on his Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati, was

clawing his way to the front. By lap 19, Wiles was in second and in hot pursuit of Halbert when Brandon Robinson laid down his Werner-Springsteen Racing Kawasaki in turn four and the red lights came on.

This set up a five-lap dash for the win, with Wiles starting right on Halbert’s flank. Halbert got a great start with Wiles in chase. The two exchanged the lead several times, but Halbert officially led all five laps, including the last.

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MIKE BROWN TAKES X-GAMES GOLD IN AMA ENDUROCROSS Maria Forsberg Repeats In Women’s Class

AMA EnduroCross stars took center stage at the X Games on July 2 for the third round of the 2012 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship, presented by Lucas Oil. FMF KTM rider Mike Brown ultimately stood on top of the podium with Beta’s Cody Webb in second and Husqvarna’s Cory Graffunder in third, while defending champion Taddy Blazusiak crashed his KTM in the notoriously unpredictable sport of stadium-based extreme enduro racing.

The Staples Center, home of the 2012

Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings (plus the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers), was packed and the crowd was treated to an excellent show as 30 riders representing 12 different nations battled for the 10 spots in the men’s main event.

Brown showed that he was going to be a threat early by setting the fast time during the hot laps, which put the riders on the track by themselves for a single lap against the clock. Lucas Oil/Rockstar backed Colton Haaker was second fastest followed by Monster Kawasaki’s Taylor

Photos X-Games: Drew Ruiz; Hillclimb: Jeff Whitehead

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Robert. Blazusiak fell in a rock turn and finished 25th among the 30 riders.

In the heat races, Brown was the one who crashed, handing the lead and the win to Blazusiak in heat one. Webb won heat two after battling his way around multitime AMA National Trials Champion Geoff Aaron. Robert easily won the third heat race.

In the main, Brown rocketed to the front at the start and held on to lead every lap, although Webb closed to within striking distance on the last lap. Blazusiak, meanwhile, was last after the start and could only work his way up to fourth. The win, captured on the sport’s biggest stage, was Brown’s first in AMA EnduroCross.

“It feels so great to get this gold medal,” Brown said afterward. “I have been working really hard training for EnduroCross and it is great for it to pay off. I am so thankful to my team and very happy that my family was here to see me get this win.”

In the women’s class, the main event

DEVIL’S STAIRCASE HOSTS NIGHT MEET Jay Sallstrom Beats Himself

By Jeff Whitehead

Hillclimbers converged on the Dayton MC’s Devil’s Staircase in Oregonia, Ohio, for round four of the 2012 AMA Pro Hillclimb Championship for a rare night of competition on June 23. Teammates and fellow Minnesotans Jay Sallstrom and Nate Redmann took wins in both the Wiseco Unlimited class and the Tilt-ARack Xtreme class.

Redmann had dominated the Xtreme

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“My whole year is designed around this event,” Forsberg said. “It feels amazing to get the win here tonight. All of the women have improved so much since last year and it made it very difficult to get the gold tonight. I am so grateful to my team and my family that have helped me get here.

This is the best feeling in the world.”

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class coming into Oregonia, with three consecutive national championships and three wins in as many races in 2012. He left with an unprecedented four wins in a row and a 19-point lead over teammate Robby DeBusk from Brownstown, Pa. Sallstrom’s win in the Unlimited class strengthened his points lead to five points over rival Vinny Nuzzolilli of Massachusetts.

The Xtreme class rode first, starting at 7 p.m. Nuzzolilli, riding 10th in the order, posted the first session’s time to beat: a 7.167-second ride. At intermission, Phil Libhart and Robby Debusk were in the number two and three spots.

After the sun went down and the lights came on, just a few riders were able to better their times. But one of them was Redmann, who screamed over the top in 7.139 seconds, shaving 0.028 of a second off Nuzzolilli’s time and forcing him to defend his position. Nuzzolilli rode slower, settling for second place. Libhart filled out the podium in third.

In the Unlimited class, Sallstrom demonstrated convincingly why his bike wears the No. 1 plate by laying down the only sub-7-second ride in the first half with a 6.778.

In the second session, only Nuzzolilli came close to Sallstrom with a 6.832-second ride. Sallstrom, with victory already in hand, nevertheless rode the hillclimb equivalent of a victory lap with a 6.725-second dash to the top, beating his own time. Colby McCutcheon stood on the third step of the podium.

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ISDE TEAM SELECTS U.S. RIDERS The AMA has selected the 31 U.S. riders who will contest the 87th International Six Days Enduro in Saxony, Germany, Sept. 24-29.

The World Trophy Team of Russell Bobbitt, Mike Brown, Kurt Caselli, Robert Garrison, Charlie Mullins and Taylor Robert will lead the U.S. contingent in a hunt for the country’s first ISDE World Championship.

“The ISDE represents the pinnacle of world off-road competition, and winning this prestigious event has long been an American dream,” says AMA Off-Road Manager Chuck Weir. “For 2012, we have taken our program to an entirely new level, and we’re going to Germany with one goal in mind: making that dream a reality and standing on the top of the box this September.”

Caselli, from Palmdale, Calif., will captain the World Trophy Team. He will race a KTM in Germany. Garrison, from Hesperia, Calif., will compete on a Kawasaki. Bobbitt, from Fayetteville, Ga., will race a KTM. Robert, from Scottsdale, Ariz., will ride a Kawasaki. Brown, from Bluff City, Tenn., and Mullins, from Hickory, N.C., will race KTMs. The ISDE effort this year is managed

by Antti Kallonen, who guides KTM North America’s off-road racing teams in U.S.based series.

“I’m very excited about this year’s Trophy Team,” says Kallonen, whose own professional racing career included competition in the FIM Motocross World Championship. “We were able to assemble a very fast team. We have a few new riders on the team and they have proved their speed in our national series.

And with manufacturers on board, all the riders have full support behind them, so they can focus only on racing.“ The World Trophy Team is one of three premier teams that represent the United States at the ISDE. The others are the Junior Trophy Team, which fields four riders younger than 23 years old, and the Women’s World Cup Team, which fields three female riders.

The U.S. Junior Trophy Team will include Steward Baylor from Belton, S.C.; Travis Coy from Fremont, Calif.; Andrew DeLong from Morgantown, Pa.; and Thad Duvall from Williamstown, W.Va. Baylor and Coy will race KTMs in Germany, while DeLong will ride a Husqvarna and Duval will compete on a Honda.

The U.S. Women’s Cup Team will include Rachel Gutish from Terre Haute, Ind.; Mandi Mastin from Whitehouse, Ohio; Kurt Caselli

and Sarah Whitmore from Cheboygan, Mich. All three Women’s Cup Team riders will field KTMs in Germany.

The U.S. ISDE team has also designated a Senior Club Team of veterans from the club team members.

This year, the Senior Club Team will include Billy Burns from Dorset, Vt.; Jeff Fredette from Beecher, Ill.; and Ron Schmelzle from Colorado Springs, Colo.

Weir also thanked longtime World Trophy Team Captain Destry Abbott, who is not on the team this year, for his many years representing the United States at Six Days.

“With Destry paring back his competitive schedule, we’ll miss him in the competition in 2012,” Weir says.

“However, I’m pleased to report that Destry remains very much a part of the U.S. ISDE effort. Destry will go to Germany as our pre-rider and will provide invaluable intelligence to our riders this year.”

Companies supporting the ISDE effort include Arai, Spectro, Motion Pro, Wellard and Worldwide Materials Handling.

For the full list of riders on the U.S. ISDE team, see www.americanmotorcyclist.com > Racing > ISDE.

Photos Caselli: S. Cudby; Lafferty: Shan Moore

31 Riders Eye Saxony, Germany, And ISDE Gold

70 VICTORIES (AND COUNTING) FOR MIKE LAFFERTY Husaberg Rider Wins Inyan Kara National Enduro

Factory Husaberg rider Mike Lafferty registered his 70th career win at the sixth round of the AMA Rekluse National Enduro Championship Series in Upton, Wyo., on June 17.

Lafferty came out swinging strong at the sixth round to collect the first three special test wins aboard his Husaberg TE250. He continued to hold a solid pace through the remaining sections and was able to clinch his 70th career win with a 15-second lead over KTM’s Russell Bobbitt.

“I am really excited to get this win,” stated Lafferty. “I haven’t won a race since 2010 so it has been long overdue. I was able to start with a win in the first section and carry that momentum through to the last test. I am really comfortable with the terrain at the next two

national enduros and hope that I can remain consistent and hopefully close the point gap in the series standings.”

Lafferty’s teammate, Nick Fahringer, also had a strong showing, taking third at the race behind Lafferty and Bobbitt. Fahringer put together his best ride of the season and even won the day’s most challenging test. Fahringer’s third is his first podium finish of the 2012 season.

“I felt much stronger at this race than the previous rounds,” Fahringer said. “I have been making great improvements at each round this season and am happy to finally get on the podium. I am looking forward to stepping it up at the next few rounds and hopefully moving up two notches on the podium.”

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THE ONLY PLACE IT DOESN’T TAKE ME IS TO THE CLEANERS.

1990 SUZUKI RM125 WORKS BIKE Donny Schmit’s World Championship Machine Many of the bikes in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame tell the story of technological progress and innovation.

This bike tells the story of one very determined racer.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Donny Schmit carved out his own career path to motocross success. The Minnesota native got off to a good start by winning the 125cc West Region title in the 1986 AMA Supercross Series. But Schmit then struggled in the premier 250cc class, particularly on tighter Supercross circuits.

Recognizing that his skills translated better to outdoor motocross, Schmit dropped out of Supercross to focus on

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the 125 MX series, losing his Suzuki factory ride in the process. Focusing on a grueling training regimen, he was picked up in 1990 by Team Bieffe Suzuki to race the 125 Motocross World Championship.

Schmit won four races on this 1990 Suzuki RM125 en route to the 125 Motocross World Championship.

At the time, rules regarding competition MX bikes allowed for many modifications. That’s why this potent 125cc two-stroke race bike features a number of trick works bike bits, such as a carbon fiber silencer and a hand-

formed aluminum fuel tank.

After an injury sidelined him for 1991, Schmit came back strong in ’92. He moved up to the 250 grand-prix class, this time riding for Chesterfield Yamaha.

He won five races that year, nailing down the championship one year after future

Photos T. Paul Miller Photography/www.tpaulmiller.com

HALL OF FAME

fellow Hall of Famer Trampas Parker became the first American to complete the 125/250 world championship double.

Schmit retired, but would still race in selected races, including a crowd-pleasing performance in the Millville, Minn., motocross race in 1995.

Then, the day before the 1996 Minneapolis Supercross, Schmit died at the age of 29, only two days after he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare bone-marrow

disease. His superb conditioning had masked the symptoms of the disease until it reached a life-threatening stage.

Donny Schmit was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2002.

This RM125, on loan to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame by Carrie Schmit, is just one of the many remarkable machines that help tell the stories of the fascinating men and women of American motorcycling at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio.

Info: www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

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

HALL OF FAME Hall of Famer

JEFF WARD Motocross Ace Jeff Ward is remembered as one of the all-time greats in motocross, winning seven AMA national championships and proving to be one of the most versatile riders in the history of the sport by capturing 125cc, 250cc and 500cc national motocross titles.

Inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 for his motocross achievements, Ward further cemented his status as one of the greatest AMA champions by coming out of retirement to win the 2004 AMA Supermoto Championship.

During his motocross career, “Wardy” won 56 AMA Nationals, placing him third on the all-time motocross/Supercross win list at the time he first retired from motorcycle racing in 1992. He had one of the longest careers of elite motocross riders, covering 15 seasons in the pro

ranks.

Ward was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 22, 1961, and came to America with his parents when he was 4 years old.

He joined the professional motocross ranks in 1978, riding an FMF-backed Suzuki in the 125 class. He earned five top-10 finishes and finished his rookie season ranked seventh in the series.

In 1979, he moved to Kawasaki and would remain with that team through the duration of his career. That year in the 125 class he ended the season ranked sixth.

Ward continued to progress steadily through the ranks. In 1980, he finished third in the 125 motocross standings and earned his first Supercross podium finish (a third at Seattle). In 1981, he took third again in the 125 series, and in 1983 he finished a close runner-up in the 125

series to future Hall of Famer Johnny O’Mara.

Ward won his first AMA National, in the 125 class, on April 18, 1982, at Lake Whitney, Texas, and then won again at Washougal, Wash.

For Ward, 1984 proved to be a breakthrough season. He started the season by winning his first AMA Supercross race in Seattle. In all, he won four Supercross finals that season. He then hit the ground running in the 125 outdoor series, winning an amazing eight of the 10 nationals and earning his first AMA national championship.

It marked the first 125cc national title for Kawasaki.

The 1985 season proved to be Ward’s finest. Ward finished in the top five in eight of the 11 rounds, edging out future Hall of Famer Broc Glover by just two points to win his first Supercross championship.

He then went on to prove that he could win on 250cc bikes in the outdoor series, winning five 250 Nationals and earning the 250 title. Ward’s 250 title marked the first AMA 250 National Motocross championship for Kawasaki.

Ward came back and won his second AMA Supercross championship in 1987

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HALL OF FAME

over future Hall of Famer Rick Johnson.

The rivalry with Johnson continued in 1988 in the 250 motocross series—both Ward and Johnson won three races, but it was Ward nudging out Johnson by seven points for the championship.

Ward then moved up to contest the 500cc national motocross series. He won two championships on the 500s in 1989 and 1990. His 56th National victory came in the 500cc class at Delmont, Pa., on Sept. 27, 1992.

Those two titles brought his total number of AMA national championships to seven, tying Future Hall of Famer Bob Hannah and Johnson for the most motocross/Supercross championships at the time when he retired after the 1992 season.

Beyond his domestic successes, Ward also became one of the elite riders on the international level by being part of seven winning U.S. Motocross des Nations teams.

After retiring from motorcycle racing, Ward began a new career in automobile racing. He came within a few seconds and a yellow light of winning the 1997 Indianapolis 500 in an exciting race that saw him finish third. He won the

prestigious Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award.

By the time Ward returned to professional motorcycle racing in the new AMA Supermoto Championship he was in his 40s and winning against riders half his age.

To learn more about members of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, go to www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

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High Adventure

Exploring Nevada’s

Backcountry Trails

By Tom Clouse

M

otorcycles are not just fun to ride, but they are also excellent tools for going places and seeing country that is otherwise inaccessible to other vehicles. With a little initiative, you can accomplish some really cool things that nonriders can only dream about.

On June 1, four friends and I set out with those goals in mind, riding a 1,700-mile loop through Nevada in seven days, exploring abandoned mines, ranches and history as we went.

But we were out for more than a great ride. One mission on this trip was to commemorate the crash of a B-24 Liberator military bomber and the lives of 11 crewmen who made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country. In 1945, their plane mysteriously crashed in the Pueblo Mountains, near Denio, Nev., on the Oregon-Nevada border.

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In 2011, I visited the crash site and found no information about the tragedy, the crewmen or their mission. After that trip, I gathered the names of the crew, and riding buddy Andy and I split the cost to produce a laser-engraved stainless steel plaque and post. On this ride, we would install the plaque so other visitors to the site would learn about the crash.

Our timing for the ride couldn’t be better. We beat the brutal summer heat, but still enjoyed some nice green scenery that was left over from the winter and spring.

Day 1: June 1

The first stop is the local mini mart at 3:30 a.m. to fill up our haul vehicles for the drive to Nevada.

All of us are on off-road bikes for the trip.

Trever Larson is on a KTM 530 XC-W. Andy Romppel is riding a 450 EXC. Mark Knight is on

Photos Colby Kuschatka and Tom Clouse

From left: Tom, Trever, Andy, Mark, Alan

In The

High Desert

Making the climb into the Pueblo Mountains.

Off-loading the bikes at Denio Junction, Nev.

a 450 XC-W. Alan Cone is riding a Honda XR650R. My bike on this ride is my own just-broken-in KTM 530 XC-W, showing 1,306 miles on the odometer and 53.5 hours on the hour meter.

The last week has been nuts—tons of last-minute prep, typical of a ride like this.

Andy was originally going to ride his 530, but it lost a crank seal two days before we left. So, he had to transfer everything from his fully prepped machine to his wife’s 450

EXC. (Thankfully, she obliged.) Mark joined the ride late, and had to order a Riders before us placed flags at the crash site. desert tank, luggage, a GPS and more, then set it up with a week to go. Mark also left a day and a half later than us and, We leave Denio and head into using our SPOT tracks and his iPhone, he the Pueblo Mountains with our would try and catch us somewhere out on commemorative plaque. The weather is the trail. perfect, maybe a tad on the warm side as We arrive at Denio Junction, Nev. The we climb in altitude. plan is to leave the trucks here and head Soon, we arrive at the B-24 Liberator out on our adventure. We off-load the crash site—our first destination of the bikes and put on the finishing touches for ride. We get right to work unloading the the ride: pack supplies, gear up and look cargo, happy to get all the extra weight off over the motorcycles for any last-minute the bikes after the steep climb. We add a mechanical fixes. waterproof guestbook box and tablet to

September 2012

43

Trever draws the short straw and has to haul the two bags of concrete into the mountains.

The waterproof guestbook box and tablet.

the sign so that other people visiting the crash site can write down their thoughts about the disaster.

With the plaque installed, we explore the site. There’s a large amount of debris from the crash, including the four twin-row, 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 “Twin Wasp” 1,000-horsepower radial engines, main landing gear legs and wheels.

We pay our final respects and head toward the Bog Hot Springs to camp and soak. We’ve all been up since about 2:30 a.m. and had a long drive, plus the ride.

as a quick storm Lightning strikes in the distance morning. rolls in. Luckily the sky is clear by

We are all ready to relax for the night. It was a great day of riding—can’t wait until tomorrow!

Day 2: June 2

We wake up to a beautiful sunny morning, pack up the bikes and prepare for another awesome day of riding.

We leave Bog and return to Denio Junction to top up on fuel, eat a good breakfast and ditch the shovel at the truck.

From Denio Junction, our route leads north into Oregon before we angle back into Nevada.

Soon we come across an abandoned mine with huge tailings—large piles of waste rock. There used to be a large mill works here. It was called the Opalite Mine and was used to produce mercury. The mine produced a total of 12,367 flasks of mercury (a flask is equivalent to 76 pounds) between 1927 and 1961. I love checking out sites like this and can’t help

wondering what this place looked like back in its heyday.

We leave the mine site and head to McDermitt, Nev., for fuel and lunch. After fueling up we find the Snack Stop and stop for a burger. I fill my hydration pack with water and put a 1.5-liter bottle in my pack—it’s hard to be too hydrated for a ride like this.

We have good cell service here so we call Mark to find out where he is. He is getting ready to leave home (which means he’s still nine hours away). He will watch our SPOT tracks and try to intersect us somewhere. To save time he plans to drive his truck as close to us as he can, then unload the bike and catch up with us— while preferably timing his approach as we’re taking a planned break.

We leave McDermitt with full stomachs and full tanks of fuel, and a little farther up the trail we come across another old abandoned ranch. A lot of work went into building these old houses. Who lived here? What a hard life it must have been.

After leaving the ranch, we head to our destination for the night: another hot springs. We arrive shortly before dark, set up camp and make dinner.

Day 3: June 3

When going on long rides like this, filter skins are wonderful things. These are thin covers that stretch over your air filter.

They catch the first wave of dust that gets sucked into the airbox. Filter skins aren’t a perfect replacement for a fresh new filter,

44

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Photos Tom Clouse

Setting the post with concrete and stainless steel tubing to help it withstand the elements.

but they’re a lot easier to pack and change, and they catch most of the nasty stuff.

We swap out our skins and head back out to do battle with the desert.

One goal for today is to meet up with Mark in Battle Mountain, Nev. It doesn’t take long. At 7 a.m., while Andy stands at the source of a hot spring. we’re gearing up our bikes, we hear someone riding in the distance. Mark?

Yep. Apparently, he drove until 3 a.m.

Meanwhile, Trever’s GPS is acting up. following our SPOT tracks and made it We start disassembling and find that the within a couple miles. After jumping on antenna has broken off in the circuit board. the bike, he got confused, headed north The antenna is attached at the factory with and got off track. Eventually, he hooked a thin piece of double stick tape. The tape up with our actual route (pre-programmed came un-bonded, leaving the weight of into his GPS) and followed our tire tracks the antenna hanging on the thin soldered back to the springs. post to the circuit board.

Hey, he may have been lost, but Mark Mark gets his bike up and running and did an awesome job finding us out in the takes it for a quick test spin. Andy says middle of nowhere. he sees something fall off Mark’s bike. We On any ride like this, you have to expect look around and can’t find anything. Then, some mechanical gremlins, and a few Andy’s bike (with no one around it) falls start to crop up for us. Mark’s auto-clutch over. The stock kickstand snaps under the is giving him fits. We stop and take a weight of the gear on the bike! look and luckily it’s just a set screw. No We decide to head out before anything problem, we re-set it and tighten it, and bad happens, so we point our bikes we’re good to go. toward Battle Mountain for fuel. The bad

luck isn’t over, though, because here Mark realizes that his wallet is missing and fell out of his pack somewhere back out on the trail. We fill the bikes and roll over to the pizza shop next door to fill our stomachs and form a plan.

While eating lunch, we decide that the square object that Andy saw come off of Mark’s bike earlier in the day must have been the wallet. We talk about options: Trever and Mark head back to look for the wallet, and the rest of us continue south, or we all stick together as a group and look for the wallet and then head south to Soldier Meadows and Reno. A decision is made to stay together as a group so we head north—on slab to make time.

We arrive back at what we now know as the “ADV Bermuda Triangle” and can’t find the wallet. Then, Andy realizes that the slip-off sleeves that he had tied to the back of his bike are gone. The Triangle strikes again!

Disassembling Trever’s GPS reveals the antenna broken off the circuit board.

ks the map to

Trever, on the phone with Mark, chec set a meeting place.

September 2012

45

It’s time to get out of here! We look at the map and decide to head to Soldier Meadows for the night. Mark decides to pick up his truck and move it further north so it’s closer to Denio. While we are there, Mark loans Andy an extra kickstand that he has in the truck.

We hit gravel, park Mark’s truck and head for Soldier Meadows. It turns dark, and we’re riding by headlights now.

It’s too dark, however, and we make a navigational error. We are far north of Soldier Meadows, so we continue north back to Bog Hot Springs and camp there for the night.

No worries, though. It was a great day of riding. We arrive, have a great soak and fill up on grub.

Today’s lesson: You just never know how an adventure ride is going to go.

Day 4: June 4

With full stomachs from breakfast in Denio Junction, we head south to Soldier Meadows for our first stop and to say “hi” to Kathy.

Kathy owns the Soldier Meadows Ranch, a massive cattle ranch in the area that includes a lodge that offers food and accommodations for family vacations and local exploration. It’s also a favorite spot for off-highway enthusiasts.

Unfortunately, though, Kathy’s husband, Jim, recently passed away, and Kathy is selling the ranch. Hopefully, it will remain open to people traveling through this barren country. Kathy and Jim will be missed!

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Soldier Meadows has a rich history. It was originally called Mud Meadows and was used by the settlers as a rest stop as they made their way out west on the Applegate Trail. The U.S. Army even built a Fort here to protect the settlers as they made their journey westward.

We arrive at the ranch (unfortunately, Kathy is in Reno signing the paperwork for the sale), and we debate if we need to take on fuel or not. Ultimately, the old adventure-rider adage that you never pass up a chance to get fuel wins out. So we decide to take a gallon each. We roll up to the “pumps.” Soldier Meadows uses a very reliable way of measuring your fuel: an old onegallon cider jug. We line up and all get our gallon of fuel.

We leave Soldier Meadows and head up Fly Canyon, High Rock Canyon and Yellow Rock Canyon.

This is the original route of the Applegate Trail. There is lots of history here, and the scenery is Mail Cave incredible!

The stop in High Rock Canyon is a lot of fun. One find is something called Mail Cave. Settlers on the wagon trains would leave mail in this cave for family members or friends who were coming behind. It’s hard to imagine what it would have been like to travel through this country with horse and wagon.

After Yellow Rock Canyon, we start to climb in elevation. The trails are absolutely beautiful—too bad the rain gives them the Graffiti near Mail Cave, dated 1852. traction of a well-greased baking pan. The trail is not only slick, but the mud packs so thick onto the bikes that it can lock up the chain and front wheel. The bikes bowling ball duct-taped under one wing! are handling like a humming bird with a It soon turns really cold as our tracks take us up to 7,500-feet where we hit snow. It’s starting to get dark, and we’re all cold and hungry, not having eaten since breakfast in Denio Junction.

We map the fastest way down off the mountain to try to get to Gerlach before dark. A nice hot shower sounds pretty good at this point.

We are all glad we took on fuel at Soldier Meadows. The tanks are all pretty low by this point.

Then, finally, Gerlach! We make it in right before Bruno’s restaurant closes and have a great meal. We get some rooms at a motel and settle in for the night.

Photos Tom Clouse

Refueling at Soldier Meadows with a very reliable one-gallon cider jug.

Day 5: June 5

We wake up after a good night’s sleep.

It’s a fresh day and Trever is getting over his PTMD (post-traumatic mud disorder).

Even better, it’s time to head to Bruno’s for breakfast. After warming up and eating a good breakfast, we settle on our game plan. Trevor’s bum shoulder is bothering him, so we mutually agree to skip our planned route that would have taken us right into the snow. Unfortunately, our detour back north in the dark put us right in front of a cold front.

One option is to bomb south until we hit warmer weather, but that would pinch us on time to get back. We decide to continue north and base camp at the Alvord Desert, explore some abandoned mines and soak in the springs. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.

The plan is to ride up to the mines above the desert and check out the old miner’s orchard, but when we arrive at the Alvord Hot Springs we find the road to the mines closed off. The dirt access

road that connects the lakebed is also blocked. Luckily, a third access route a mile or so down the gravel road is open.

We learn from the attendant that while the springs are open to the public, some access routes cross private land and the landowners sometimes close them. If there’s anything common among rides like this, it’s innovation.

We leave Alvord and head to Fields Station for fuel before the final leg toward home. At Fields, we got another surprise: a young Ukrainian woman named Elena is getting fuel and asking how to get to British Columbia. She is

Alvord Hot Springs

on her own adventure up from Vegas to visit friends. Not wanting to get lost, she joins us for the leg north. Every time we stop, she stops with us. By the time we reach John Day, Ore., she is looking pretty drowsy, so we convince her to end her day’s journey there.

Meanwhile, we point our caravan toward home. We arrive around 2 a.m., another trip behind us and more memories in the books.

September 2012

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MYTHS BUSTED: Anti-Lock Braking Systems Anti-lock braking system technology is not new. ABS has been available on production motorcycles since BMW introduced it in 1988. Since then, all major manufacturers have offered it, mostly as an option on more expensive models. But that is changing. For its 2012 models, BMW has made ABS standard on every motorcycle in its lineup.

But while ABS is growing in popularity, many riders remain either unconvinced by the technology or unfamiliar with what it offers. That’s easy to understand. After all, the inexpensive and older motorcycles that many riders learn on don’t have ABS. Plus, even longtime motorcyclists who ride bikes equipped with the technology may have never been in a wheel-lockup situation that would have activated their ABS. The AMA and invited guests of the association got a quick course in ABS this spring at the Bosch Proving Ground in Flat Rock, Mich. The facility is one location where Bosch tests and improves the systems it develops for major motorcycle and car manufacturers. These systems include ABS, traction control and electronic stability control.

Riders experienced cutting-edge ABS technology in a controlled testing environment. We also asked numerous questions about how ABS works (and doesn’t work). It was an eye-opening experience, even for those who have been

The Components of Bosch Motorcycle ABS: Hydralic unit with attached control unit Wheel-speed sensor Sensor signal Brake circuit front wheel Brake circuit rear wheel

riding ABS-equipped bikes for years.

It also was obvious that a number of myths persist in the motorcycling community about ABS—myths that were busted by both the testing experience and discussions with Bosch engineers before and after the ride.

Here’s what we learned.

Myth: ABS may allow you to stop with more control, but it will take you longer to come to a stop.

This myth is generally based on the assumption that a locked-up wheel provides the most traction possible. This isn’t true. A skidding tire has less traction than a tire that is not skidding.

Here’s how ABS works. Speed sensors measure the rotational speed of each wheel. If a wheel risks locking due to intense braking or slick conditions, the ABS unit modulates hydraulic pressure in the braking system. Not only does the system maintain the “sweet spot” of maximum stopping force that occurs before lockup, but by avoiding lock-up, the inertial effect of the spinning wheel is maintained, stabilizing the motorcycle.

By keeping the wheels from locking up and skidding when you grab the brakes, ABS not only allows you to maintain some control, but it allows you to stop in a shorter distance.

Myth: ABS modulates system pressure whenever you apply the brakes.

A lot of the rider bias against ABS is that the system is always active, modulating your brakes in all stopping instances and thereby affecting the riding experience.

On the contrary, ABS only kicks in to prevent wheel lockup, such as during panic-stop situations or when you encounter black ice.

At other times, such as during typical controlled stops or slowing for corners, ABS does not affect how the brakes work.

Myth: All ABS systems work the same, making my

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

ABS Is Becoming More Common.

Here’s Where The Tech Stands Today. sportbike stop like a big touring motorcycle.

Like any other computer-controlled function of your motorcycle—fuel injection, ignition curves, even valve timing on some bikes—ABS can be customized for a specific application.

In fact, today some ABS-equipped motorcycles offer different settings for different riding preferences or conditions.

For example, a “rain” setting may activate the ABS sooner while a “track” setting may reduce the system’s modulating effects.

Myth: ABS is just another link in the system that can fail, and when it does I will have no brakes.

Not true. If the ABS unit fails, the braking system reverts to its traditional braking function.

Myth: ABS is dangerous off pavement.

It depends. In severe off-road situations, ABS does not always work very well. However, in most non-pavement environments, ABS-equipped motorcycles allow you to perform a panic stop or stop on slick surfaces with more control than non-ABS-equipped motorcycles.

An example of this type of scenario would be a sudden stop on a gravel road when a deer darts into your path. In this scenario, you would be able to use both brakes fully and come to a stop with more control on an ABS-equipped motorcycle than a motorcycle without ABS. However, in true off-road situations, such as deep sand or very rough terrain, ABS may cause unwanted pressure modulations in the brake system.

These types of conditions are rampant in off-road situations, such as singletrack trail. This is why it’s critical that ABS is optional equipment for dual-sport motorcycles and, when ABS is installed, an override switch is available so the rider can turn the system off when the bike is going to be ridden in true off-road environments.

Also, don’t forget that ABS is not always working: Unless you are in a wheel lockup situation, the ABS will not modulate the pressure in the braking system.

Continued on page 50

Testing Grounds: Experiencing ABS Riding is believing, and this spring, several riders were turned on to the benefits of ABS at the Bosch Proving Ground in Flat Rock, Mich.

Not only did participants experience production ABS on 2012 BMW motorcycles, but Bosch also provided access to a test unit fitted with safety outriggers that allowed testing on reduced-friction surfaces, such as deep gravel and wetted basalt that was formulated to replicate the slickness of ice.

Here are some quick impressions.

Imre Szauter, AMA Government Affairs Manager

My experience at the Bosch Proving Ground was confidence inspiring, to say the least. While I’ve owned two motorcycles equipped with ABS, riding the Bosch development motorcycle equipped with outriggers allowed me to significantly expand my braking technique.

Especially on the reduced-friction surface, being able to switch the ABS on and off and still safely grab a handful of front brake was eye-opening.

Testing the limits of one’s ability to safely stop a motorcycle is a life skill each rider should practice. However, not many riders find the right conditions under which they’re willing to experiment. Advanced rider training and track days provide some riders this opportunity, but adding technology such as ABS may increase a rider’s confidence in his or her ability to safely handle an emergency.

Without a doubt, hard braking and safely stopping on the BMW S1000RR under various conditions opened my eyes to what is possible when technology, confidence and practice are combined.

Under what’s best described as panic straight-line braking under wet and dry conditions, I was confidently able to stop this motorcycle in a shorter distance than possible without ABS. Street riding is a never-ending

change of traction scenarios, so technical enhancements such as ABS may make a difference in everyday rider safety.

Michelle Matheron, Motorcycle Safety Foundation Certified RiderCoach Trainer

Bosch’s Tim Ridley (right) and Jay Jackson

I think there needs to be training on ABS—an advanced safety course or practice in a safe location, working up to stops from higher speeds.

Threshold braking still needs to be practiced, too, and you always want to think ahead and ride to reduce the need for those skills.

ABS stops on a wet surface felt almost like dry pavement stops and were definitely shorter than I was willing to attempt without ABS. Even with focused practice, I don’t think I could stop shorter than ABS on the BMW S1000RR, and I definitely couldn’t beat it on a wet surface.

Jay Jackson, Executive Director, ABATE of Indiana, and MSF Certified RiderCoach Trainer

Prior to spending the day at the Bosch Proving Grounds riding a number of motorcycles under different conditions, I don’t believe I had strong opinions about ABS. I had assumed that ABS could be helpful in a panic situation or for inexperienced riders who have not fully developed their braking skills. Prior to experiencing the technology at the Bosch Proving Ground, I

was convinced that veteran motorcyclists utilizing the proper technique could stop as well or better without ABS. Furthermore, I was locked into the stomp-and-steer mentality and thought the only way the system worked was to “grab a handful” of brake. However, using the technique that I have practiced and developed for about 40 years was not compromised or diminished by the presence of ABS. While it did take some time to gain the confidence to brake hard in some of the reduced-traction environments (wet pavement, loose gravel and simulated ice), the results were quite impressive.

As much as I’d like to believe that I could, I don’t think that I could stop in a shorter distance on any surface without ABS.

Mike Graham, MSF Certified RiderCoach and amateur roadracer

I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive going into the ABS testing environment, but tried to keep an open mind. After riding the development motorcycle with outriggers on the wet basalt tiles, with and without ABS turned on, I came away a believer. On limited traction surfaces with ABS, you have the confidence to brake every bit as hard as you need without the bike doing anything unsettling. It’s a real advancement in rider safety.

September 2012

49

Continued from page 48 Myth: ABS can overcome a lack of riding skill.

Absolutely not. Neither ABS nor any other type of motorcycle technology can replace experience and proper training. For example, a rider who has not learned how to properly use the front brake will not stop effectively and safelty using just the rear brake, whether the motorcycle is equipped with ABS or not.

Myth: ABS only works with the rear wheel.

This is a strange one, but it’s nevertheless an assumption that we’ve come across in anti-ABS discussions with riders. ABS works with both the front and rear wheels to prevent lock-up. In fact, for most riders who brake most heavily with the front brake in wheel-lockup situations, the technology is probably more effective with the front brake.

Myth/Fact: ABS requires you to relearn how to brake.

Holiday Cards Proceeds benefit the Motorcycle Hall of Fame

www.motorcyclemuseum.org www.amahofcards.com

ABS does not affect typical braking function and, therefore, won’t affect how you brake your motorcycle in these situations. However, experienced riders admit that the presence of ABS may change their technique in some scenarios.

If you accept that ABS will modulate the brakes more effectively in a panic-stop scenario, experienced riders say they would be best served by simply braking hard and focusing on keeping the motorcycle upright.

That said, these same riders caution that more research, testing and curriculum development is necessary to make any definitive statements about exactly how ABS should impact hard-braking technique.

Myth/Fact: ABS is difficult to maintain.

This depends on the motorcycle—and

the motorcycle owner. Certainly, some owners can service their ABS-equipped motorcycles just fine. Others prefer to take their bike to the dealer. Consult your manual, honestly assess your own abilities and proceed with caution.

The good news, though, is that all modern braking systems—those with ABS and without—have relatively lenient maintenance schedules. Again, consult your manual.

Myth/Fact: ABS-equipped bikes are not safer. It’s just that riders who can afford and buy motorcycles that have ABS are more experienced and safer riders.

Without a doubt, correlation does not necessarily mean causation. Raw data that show bikes with ABS are involved in fewer crashes than bikes without ABS cannot be taken at face value as proof that ABS makes motorcycles safer.

That said, anecdotal experience suggests that the technology has significant safety benefits. After all, when interviewed about their experience with ABS in panic-stop and low-traction scenarios, longtime riders with a variety of backgrounds insist that the technology works (see “Testing Grounds: Experiencing ABS,” page 49).

What can’t be overlooked, however, is that while ABS has its benefits, there is one big caveat: safety will always begin with the rider. In other words, a skilled rider on a non-ABS-equipped bike will always be safer than an unskilled rider on an ABSequipped bike.

After all, the key to not crashing is to avoid situations that make you likely to crash in the first place. This is where riding training and experience come into play. Ultimately, consumers will determine whether ABS becomes the defacto standard, but in the meantime, riders already have a healthy spectrum of choices available to them in the marketplace.

Photo Bosch

A professional rider demonstrates Bosch ABS techonology at the 2011 International Automotive Press Briefing in Boxberg, Germany.

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

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November 16-17, 2012 Las Vegas, Nev.

1

One of the premier events of the year is the Golden Aspen Rally, an AMA National Convention that takes place Sept. 12-16 in Ruidoso, high in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. Ideal fall temperatures, great roads twisting up into the mountains and lovely pines all combine to make this rally an almost spiritual experience. It’s another great segment of the AMA Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero Premier Touring Series that offers the best rides in the country. Info: www.motorcyclerally.com.

2

How often do you get to mix motorcycles with high-performance racing airplanes? Here’s your chance at the 2012 Ride Reno 200 and Save the Public Trails Banquet hosted by the Dust Devils Motorcycle Club in Reno, Nev., Sept. 15-16. This self-guided dual-sport ride on 200 miles of designated routes takes riders within excellent viewing distance of the National Championship Reno Air Races on the 16th.

Info: www.dustdevilsmc.com/rr200.

3

You want excitement?

You’ve got it in the AMA Pro Hillclimb National Championship Series. The kings and queens of the hill will be battling in Pennsylvania on Sept. 9 in Freemansburg and on Sept. 30 in Jefferson. The series wraps up Oct. 14 in Oregonia, Ohio. Info: www.amaproracing.com.

4

You can watch the stars of tomorrow in AMA Pro-Am motocross racing action today. These high-flying gladiators can be seen in New Castle, Del., on Sept.

23 and Walnut, Ill., on Sept. 30. For the full schedule, see page 55.

5

There’s a full slate of rides set for September in the AMA Husqvarna National Dual-Sport Series, presented

by FMF, and the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré National Adventure Riding Series.

Events will be held in Helena, Mont., Sept.

13-16, Buck Meadows, Calif., Sept. 22-23, Wabeno, Wis., Sept. 29-30, Taos Ski Valley, N.M., Sept. 14-16, and Logan, Ohio, Sept.

22-23. For the full schedules, see page 55.

6

The steel-shoe crowd will be making its way to Santa Rosa, Calif., on Sept. 30 to watch the dirt-track action in the AMA Pro Flat Track Series. For the full schedule, see page 54.

7

Check out one of the wildest sports on two wheels when the AMA EnduroCross National Championship Series arrives at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., on Sept. 15. EnduroCross takes the race format of motocross and combines it with the challenging obstacles of an enduro, all packed into the tight confines of a fan-friendly stadium setting.

For the full schedule, see page 55.

COMING UP The Big Bike Weekend Oct. 12-14 in the Northern California town of Redding is a great destination for street riders looking for a fun time with numerous traditional rally activities. The event is part of the AMA Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero Premier Touring Series. Info: www.bigbikeweekend.com.

September 2012

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SEPTEMBER EVENTS COMPETITION

RACING, (574) 893-1649, READSRACING.COM

RECREATIONAL

MOTOCROSS

ROAD RUN

SEP 30: GAINESVILLE: UNLIMITED SPORTS MX INC, UNLIMITEDSPORTSMX.COM

SEP 22-23: (Includes ATVs) PIERCETON: READS RACING, (574) 893-1649, READSRACING.COM

ALABAMA

SEP 9: LEEDS: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG ARIZONA COMPETITION OBSERVED TRIALS SEP 2: CLINTS WELL: CENTRAL ARIZONA TRIALS INC, (602) 840-3640, CENTRALARIZONATRIALS.ORG SEP 23: FLAGSTAFF: CENTRAL ARIZONA TRIALS INC, (602) 840-3640, CENTRALARIZTRIALS.ORG ARKANSAS RECREATIONAL

RECREATIONAL

SEP 15: LITTLE ROCK: MARCH OF DIMES-AR LITTLE ROCK, (501) 663-3100, BIKERSFORBABIES.ORG CALIFORNIA RECREATIONAL ADVENTURE RIDE SEP 22: DOWNIEVILLE: NEVADA COUNTY WOODS RIDERS, INC., RECREATION.GOVCAL-IDA DUAL-SPORT RIDE SEP 15-16: MOJAVE: 2-DAY EVENT, CHAPARRALS MC, (562) 627-9693 SEP 22-23: BUCK MEADOWS: 2-DAY EVENT, FAMILY OFF-ROAD ADVENTURES, (209) 6493633, FAMILYOFFROADADVENTURES.COM

SEP 29: (Includes ATVs) AKRON: READS RACING, (574) 893-1649, READSRACING.COM IOWA COMPETITION

ROAD RUN SEP 21: DILLARD: MOTORCYCLE SPORT TOURING ASSOCIATION IDAHO RECREATIONAL

HILLCLIMB SEP 9: ANAMOSA: MIDWEST HILLCLIMBERS ASSOCIATION, (319) 489-2361, ANAMOSAHILLCLIMB.COM HARE SCRAMBLES

ROAD RUN SEP 15: COEUR D’ ALENE: KOOTENAI CO. POLICE & FIRE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC, (208) 762-8155, KCPOLICEANDFIREFOUNDATION.COM ILLINOIS

ROAD RUN

RECREATIONAL TRAIL RIDE - RECREATIONAL SEP 9: (Includes ATVs) OTTAWA: VARIETY RIDERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (815) 4343669, VARIETYRIDERS.COM SEP 23: (Includes ATVs) OTTAWA: VARIETY RIDERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (815) 4343669, VARIETYRIDERS.COM COMPETITION HILLCLIMB SEP 1-2: (Includes ATVs) NEOGA: CENTRAL ILLINOIS M/C, (217) 234-2505, CENTRALILLINOIS MOTORCYCLECLUB.ORG

SEP 16: SHELLROCK: NEW HARTFORD RACING INC, (319) 885-6469, NEWHARTFORDRACING. COM MOTOCROSS SEP 1: (Includes ATVs) CEDAR RAPIDS: CEDAR VALLEY TRAIL RIDERS INC, (319) 363-7800, CVTR.ORG SEP 2-3: (Includes ATVs) MONTEZUMA: FV MOTO X, (641) 623-3456, FVMOTOX.COM SEP 8-9: (Includes ATVs) SHELLROCK: NEW HARTFORD RACING INC, (319) 885-6469, NEWHARTFORDRACING.COM SEP 15: (Includes ATVs) CEDAR RAPIDS: CEDAR VALLEY TRAIL RIDERS INC, (319) 363-7800, CVTR.ORG SEP 29-30: (Includes ATVs) MONTEZUMA: 2-DAY EVENT, FV MOTO X, (641) 623-3456, FVMOTOX. COM KANSAS RECREATIONAL

HARE SCRAMBLES SEP 23: (Includes ATVs) BATTLE CREEK: BATTLE CREEK MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (269) 729-9691, BATTLECREEKMOTORCYCLE CLUB.COM SEP 30: (Includes ATVs) PORTLAND: PORTLAND TRAIL RIDERS, (517) 647-7045, PORTLANDTRAILRIDERS.COM MOTOCROSS SEP 1: MILLINGTON: BAJA MX INC, (989) 8713356, BAJAACRES.COM SEP 8-9: (Includes ATVs) PORTLAND: 2-DAY EVENT, PORTLAND TRAIL RIDERS, (517) 6477045, PORTLANDTRAILRIDERS.COM SEP 16: (Includes ATVs) CADILLAC: CADILLAC MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (231) 884-3729, CADILLACMC.COM SEP 23: MIDLAND: POLKA DOTS M/C, (989) 832-8284 OBSERVED TRIALS SEP 9: METAMORA: MICHIGAN ONTARIO TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (248) 634-2184, MOTATRIALS.COM SEP 23: WHITMORE LAKE: MICHIGAN ONTARIO TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (517) 849-9231, MOTATRIALS.COM SEP 30: FLUSHING: MICHIGAN ONTARIO TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (248) 583-1437, MOTATRIALS.COM SHORT TRACK

HARE SCRAMBLES

DICE RUN

COMPETITION

SEP 23: WHITE CITY: CAHOKIA CREEK DIRT RIDERS, (618) 946-4316, CCDIRT.COM

SEP 22: MULVANE: MARCH OF DIMES-KS, (316) 267-9255, BIKERFORBABIES.ORG/WITCHITA

DESERT SCRAMBLES

MOTOCROSS

ROAD RUN

SEP 15: (Includes ATVs) LUCERNE VALLEY: ROVERS MC, (559) 936-2937

SEP 2: (Includes ATVs) BYRON: MOTOSPORTS ENTERPRISES LTD, (815) 234-2271, MOTOBYRON.COM

SEP 16: KANSAS CITY: MARCH OF DIMES-KS, (913) 469-3611, BIKERSFORBABIESKC.ORG

SEP 22-23: (Includes ATVs) BARSTOW: 2-DAY EVENT, SUNLAND SHAMROCKS, (818) 767-4594

KENTUCKY

SEP 8: (Includes ATVs) MIDLAND: POLKA DOTS M/C, (989) 832-8284 TT SEP 9: (Includes ATVs) MIDLAND: POLKA DOTS M/C, (989) 832-8284 MINNESOTA RECREATIONAL

SEP 9: (Includes ATVs) GALESBURG: GALESBURG MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (309) 341-1714, GALESBURGMC.COM

RECREATIONAL

ENDURO

SEP 15: (Includes ATVs) BELLEVILLE: BELLEVILLE ENDURO TEAM INC, (618) 2773478, BETDIRT.COM

SEP 8-9: CADIZ: 2-DAY EVENT, K T RIDERS, (270) 522-3703

SEP 29: TAYLORS FALLS: NORSEMEN MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (612) 554-1083, NORSEMENM.ORG

SEP 8-9: SAN BERNARDINO: 2-DAY EVENT, PRAIRIE DOGS MC, (714) 231-6718, PRAIRIEDOGSMC.COM

SEP 15-16: (Includes ATVs) PECATONICA: 2-DAY EVENT, PRO SHOW INC, (815) 275-6686, STATELINEMX.COM

ROAD RALLY

TRAIL RIDE - RECREATIONAL

SEP 7: FRANKFORT: BLUEGRASS BEEMERS, (859) 223-5459, BLUEGRASSBEEMERS.ORG

SEP 8-9: THEILMAN: 2-DAY EVENT, GOLDEN EAGLES CYCLE CLUB, , GOLDENEAGLESMC. ORG

SEP 30: (Includes ATVs) LUCERNE VALLEY: DESERT DAISIES MC, (626) 483-5164, HILLTOPPERSMC.COM

ENDUROCROSS SEP 15: ONTARIO: SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, (909) 244-5600, CBBANKARENA.COM HARE & HOUND SEP 16: (Includes ATVs) LUCERNE VALLEY: ROVERS MC, (559) 936-2937, ROVERSMC.ORG SPEEDWAY SEP 7: AUBURN: FAST FRIDAYS SPEEDWAY, (530) 878-RACE, FASTFRIDAYS.COM SEP 15: RANCHO CORDOVA: BIG TIME SPEEDWAY, (925) 786-3263, BIGTIMESPEEDWAY.COM TT SEP 1: (Includes ATVs) LODI: LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (209) 368-7182, LODICYCLEBOWL.COM SEP 22: (Includes ATVs) LODI: LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (209) 368-7182, LODICYCLEBOWL.COM COLORADO

SEP 23: BYRON: MOTOSPORTS ENTERPRISES LTD, (815) 234-2271, MOTOBYRON.COM SEP 30: WALNUT: 4P PROMOTIONS INC, (815) 379-9534, SUNSETRIDGEMX.COM

DUAL-SPORT RIDE

SWAP MEETS SEP 8-9: BURLINGTON: 2-DAY EVENT, CLASSIC BRITISH MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (513) 646-2743 MARYLAND

SHORT TRACK

RECREATIONAL

SEP 2-3: (Includes ATVs) NEOGA: CENTRAL ILLINOIS M/C, (217) 234-2505, CENTRALILLINOIS MOTORCYCLECLUB.ORG

POKER RUN

TT SEP 22: (Includes ATVs) BELLEVILLE: BELLEVILLE ENDURO TEAM INC, (618) 2773478, BETDIRT.COM INDIANA RECREATIONAL ROAD RUN SEP 9: INDIANAPOLIS: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 2536530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

SEP 9: THURMONT: WESTERN MARYLAND MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION, (717) 476-0360, CLASSICMOTORCYCLEDAY.ORG/NRUN ROAD RUN SEP 23: ELLICOTT CITY: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 2536530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG MASSACHUSETTS RECREATIONAL DUAL SPORT RIDE

SEP 2: COLORADO SPRINGS: ROCKY MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE RIDERS, (719) 5107160, RMARIDERS.ORG

HILLCLIMB

SEP 30: (Includes ATVs) MONSON: QUABOAG RIDERS INC, (413) 267-4414, QUABOAGRIDERSMC.COM

COMPETITION

SEP 15-16: (Includes ATVs) CAYUGA: 2-DAY EVENT, PLEASURE RIDERS MC, (217) 247-2216, PLEASURERIDERS.NET

MOTOCROSS

HARE SCRAMBLES

RECREATIONAL

SEP 9: GREELEY: TWO RIVERS RACING LLC, (970) 587-5770

SEP 8: (Includes ATVs) CANAAN: MID AMERICA XC RACING, (317) 418-6084

BIKE SHOW

SEP 23: DACONO: IMI MOTORSPORTS INC, (303) 833-4949, IMIMOTORSPORTS.COM

SEP 22: (Includes ATVs) SPENCER: MID AMERICA XC RACING, (317) 418-6084, MIDAMERICAXC.COM

DELAWARE COMPETITION MOTOCROSS SEP 22-23: NEW CASTLE: BALTIMORE COUNTY TRAIL RIDERS ASSOC., (302) 834-JUMP, BCTRA.COM FLORIDA

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

MOTOCROSS SEP 1-2: (Includes ATVs) WABASH: 2-DAY EVENT, WABASH CANNONBALL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (765) 985-3657, WABASHCANNONBALLMC.COM SEP 1-2: (Includes ATVs) AKRON: READS RACING, (574) 893-1649, READSRACING.COM

HILLCLIMB SEP 15: (Includes ATVs) RED WING: 2 DAY EVENT, INDIANHEAD CYCLE CLUB, (651) 7641220, INDIANHEADMC.ORG HARE SCRAMBLES SEP 16: BROWERVILLE: MOTO CITY RACEWAY & RECREATION INC, (612) 919-3457, MOTOCITYRACEWAY.COM

SEP 2-3: BROOK PARK: 2-DAY EVENT, BERM BENDERS RACEWAY, (320) 679-2582, BERMBENDERS.COM

HILLCLIMB

SEP 30: GOSHEN: MARRAKECH, INC, (203) 3892970, MARRAKECHINC.ORG

SEP 9: (Includes ATVs) CAMBRIDGE: NORSEMEN MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (612) 8652661, NORSEMENMC.ORG

COMPETITION

COMPETITION

SEP 23: COLUMBUS: STONEY LONESOME M/C, (812) 342-4411, STONEYLONESOMEMC. COM

COMPETITION

SEP 23: CROSBY: NORTHERN LITES MC, (218) 829-6656, TRAXNORTH.COM

DUAL-SPORT/OFF-ROAD

POKER RUN

SEP 22-23: HUNTERSVILLE: 2-DAY EVENT, TWIN CITIES TRAIL RIDERS, , TCTRAILRIDERS. ORG

SEP 16: TOLLAND: BERKSHIRE TRAIL RIDERS ASSOCIATION, (860) 993-4462, MUDSLINGER. ORG

SEP 16: COLUMBIA CITY: OLD FORT MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (260) 504-6388

CONNECTICUT

DUAL-SPORT RIDE

1/2-MILE DIRT TRACK

RECREATIONAL

RECREATIONAL

52

GEORGIA

SEP 15-16: BRIDGETON TWP: MUSKEGON MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (231) 733-9856, MUSKEGONMOTORCYCLE CLUB.COM

MICHIGAN

SEP 9: ORCHARD LAKE: METRO TRIUMPH RIDERS, (586) 944-8456, METROTRIUMPHRIDERS.COM POKER RUN SEP 23: CRUMP: TRI-CITY TRAVELERS, (989) 501-0911 COMPETITION DIRT DRAG SEP 14-15: (Includes ATVs) BRIDGETON TWP: MUSKEGON MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (231) 7339856, MUSKEGONMOTORCYCLE CLUB.COM ENDURO

SEP 8-9: (Includes ATVs) ROCHESTER: READS RACING, (574) 893-1649, READSRACING.COM

SEP 9: FAIRVIEW: MICHIGAN OFF ROAD EVENTS

SEP 15-16: (Includes ATVs) ROCHESTER: READS

HILLCLIMB

MOTOCROSS

SEP 2-3: KELLOGG: MOTOKAZIE INC, (952) 2449996, MOTOKAZIE.COM SEP 2-3: (ATV only) BROWERVILLE: MOTO CITY RACEWAY & RECREATION INC, (612) 919-3457, MOTOCITYRACEWAY.COM SEP 9: MILLVILLE: HI WINDERS, (507) 753-2779, SPRINGCREEKMX.COM SEP 9: BROWERVILLE: MOTO CITY RACEWAY & RECREATION INC, (612) 919-3457, MOTOCITYRACEWAY.COM SEP 16: BROOKSTON: ECHO VALLEY MOTOCROSS PARK, (218) 348-4754, ECHOVALLEYMOTOCROSS.COM SEP 16: MAZEPPA: HURRICANE HILLS MX PARK INC, SEP 23: KELLOGG: MOTOKAZIE INC, (952) 2449996, MOTOKAZIE.COM SEP 23: LITTLE FALLS: MOTO CITY RACEWAY & RECREATION INC, (612) 919-3457, MOTOCITYRACEWAY.COM SEP 30: BROWERVILLE: MOTO CITY RACEWAY & RECREATION INC, (612) 919-3457, MOTOCITYRACEWAY.COM

SEPTEMBER EVENTS SEP 30: MILLVILLE: HI WINDERS, (507) 7532779, SCMXPARK@MR.NET OBSERVED TRIALS SEP 8-9: NORTH MANKATO: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (507) 351-8879, UMTA. ORG SHORT TRACK SEP 22-23: (Includes ATVs) NEW ULM: FLYING DUTCHMEN CYCLE CLUB INC, (507) 354-2306, FLYINGDUTCHMEN MOTORCYCLECLUB.COM MISSOURI RECREATIONAL

LOSTWHEELS.COM

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

ROAD RUN SEP 14-15: FINGER LAKES: 2-DAY EVENT, AMERICADE, (518) 798-7888, ROLLINGTHRUAMERICA.COM

PENNSYLVANIA

SEP 1: (ATV only) GOLDSBORO: MOTOPROMO, (919) 222-9614, BUSCOBONEH.COM

SEP 15: LIDO BEACH: MARCH OF DIMES-NY LONG ISLAND, (516) 628-6271, BIKERSFORBABIES.ORG

OHIO

SEP 23: NANUET: HUDSON VALLEY HARLEY RIDERS INC, (845) 429-8246, HUDSONVALLEY HARLEYRIDERS.COM SEP 23: MT. VERNON: BLUE KNIGHTS-NY CHAPTER 12, (914) 968-7716

ADVENTURE RIDE

DUAL-SPORT RIDE

SEP 22-23: LOGAN: 2-DAY EVENT, BUCKEYE DUAL SPORTERS, (740) 380-3050, KAEPNNERSWOODS.COM

SEP 23: LAWTON: BACK MOUNTAIN ENDURO RIDERS, (570) 675-1814, EEE.BMER.ORG

DUAL-SPORT RIDE

SEP 28: BOONVILLE: MARCH OF DIMES-MO GREATER MISSOURI CHAPTER, (573) 353-9822, BIKERSFORBABIES.ORG

SEP 30: QUEENS VILLAGE: WILD FLOWER PRODUCTIONS/ROCKING THE ROAD FOR A CURE, (516) 417-1911, ROCKINGTHEROAD FORACURE.ORG

SEP 22-23: LOGAN: 2-DAY EVENT, BUCKEYE DUAL SPORTERS, (740) 380-3050, KAEPNNERSWOODS.COM

ROAD RALLY

TRAIL RIDE - RECREATIONAL

SEP 5: CHEROKEE PASS: ROAD RIDERS FOR JESUS, (636) 285-9005

SEP 9: (Includes ATVs) E. QUOGUE: LONG ISLAND RECREATIONAL TRAILS CONSERVANCY, (631) 928-1153, LIRTC.ORG

SEP 7: THEODOSIA: MOTORCYCLE SPORT TOURING ASSOCIATION,

POKER RUN SEP 15: CIRCLEVILLE: ABATE-OH INC, (614) 306-2570, ABATE.COM SEP 22: MINGO JUNCTION: ABATE-OH INC, (740) 632-2950, ABATE.COM

COMPETITION

ROAD RUN

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

ENDURO

SEP 1: HANCOCK: BEAR CREEK SPORTSMEN, (908) 334-1637, BEARCREEKSPORTSMEN.COM

SEP 9: PARK HILLS: MISSOURI MUDDERS, (636) 639-6373, MOMUDDERS.COM MOTOCROSS SEP 1-2: (Includes ATVs) RICHWOODS: 2-DAY EVENT, LACHANCE RACING, (573) 701-8674, LACHANCERACING.COM MONTANA

MOTOCROSS SEP 1-2: (Includes ATVs) SOUTH EDMESTON: 2-DAY EVENT, THUNDER RIDGE SPORTS, (607) 847-6522, THUNDERRIDGE.BIZ

DUAL-SPORT RIDE

SEP 9: (Includes ATVs) AUBURN: FROZEN OCEAN MOTOCROSS INC, (315) 784-5466, FROZEN-OCEAN.COM

SEP 13: HELENA: RACING FOR LIFE, (951) 9663150, RACINGFORLIFE.ORG

SEP 15: (Includes ATVs) WALLKILL: WALDEN MX, (845) 895-2537, WALDENMX.COM

RECREATIONAL

NEVADA RECREATIONAL DUAL-SPORT RIDE SEP 15-16: SPARKS: 2-DAY EVENT, DUST DEVILS MC, (775) 358-4388, DUSTDEVILSMC. COM ROAD RUN SEP 30: LAS VEGAS: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG COMPETITION HARE & HOUND SEP 8: PANACA: SILVER STATE TRAILBLAZERS, (702) 994-6823 NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPETITION ROADRACE

SEP 16: LEBANON: LEBANON VALLEY MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (717) 270-9797, LEBANONVALLEYMC.COM SEP 27: YORK: WHITE ROSE THUNDER LLC, (717) 324-3868, WHITETHUNDER.COM SEP 28: YORK: WHITE ROSE THUNDER LLC, (717) 324-3868, WHITEROSETHUNDER.COM SEP 29-30: YORK: WHITE ROSE THUNDER LLC, (717) 324-3868, WHITEROSETHUNDER. COM SEP 30: LEBANON: LEBANON VALLEY MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (717) 270-9797, LEBANONVALLEYMC.COM ROAD RUN

ENDURO

SEP 16: POTTSTOWN: FRIENDS OF THE FORGOTTEN INC., (215) 362-7989, FRIENDSOFTHEFORGOTTEN.COM

SEP 9: ATHENS: ATHENS MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (740) 591-0648, ATHENSMOTORCYCLECLUB. COM

SEP 16: PHOENIXVILLE: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 2536530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

HILLCLIMB

SEP 23: LINE LEXINGTON: MOTORCYCLISTS FOR JESUS MINISTRIES, (215) 234-8611, GO2MJM.COM

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

1/2-MILE DIRT TRACK

SEP 30: (Includes ATVs) LOGAN: HOCKING VALLEY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (614) 989-3326, HOCKINGVALLEYMC.COM

SEP 8: (Includes ATVs) MINERSVILLE: SHIPPENSBURG MC, (717) 796-0294

SEP 29-30: (Includes ATVs) RICHFORD: 2 DAY EVENT, BROOME TIOGA SPORTS CENTER INC, (607) 849-4438, BROOME-TIOGA.COM

MOTOCROSS

OBSERVED TRIALS SEP 1: HANCOCK: BEAR CREEK SPORTSMEN, (908) 334-1637, BEARCREEKSPORTSMEN.COM SEP 9: CUBA: DISTRICT 4 TRIALS COMMITTEE, (585) 247-5508, DISTRICT4TRIALS.ORG SHORT TRACK SEP 15: (Includes ATVs) PORT CRANE: SQUARE DEAL RIDERS M/C, (607) 693-2634, SQUAREDEALRIDERS.COM RECREATIONAL ADVENTURE RIDE

POKER RUN

COMPETITION

SEP 15: PARSIPPANY: IRONHORSE CAVALRY MC, (973) 714-3359

MOTOCROSS

SEP 2: BRIDGEWATER: DAWN PATROL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (908) 722-4664, DAWNPATROLMC.COM

SEP 9: MARIETTA: AMERICAN LEGION RIDERS PA POST CHAPTER #466, (717) 898-0871

SEP 23: (Includes ATVs) MAPLEVIEW: SMX ASSOCIATES LLC, (315) 480-7733, MOTOMASTERS.COM

RECREATIONAL

ROAD RALLY

SEP 3: SCHUYLKILL HAVEN: SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (570) 385-1460, SCHUYLKILLCOUNTY MOTORCYCLECLUB.COM

SEP 15-16: (Includes ATVs) MARIETTA: PIONEER MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (740) 350-8626, PIONEERMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM

SEP 8-9: MORGANTON: 2-DAY EVENT, JB SAKI PROMOTIONS, (704) 309-3271, VOLUNTEERRIDERS.COM

NEW JERSEY

SEP 16: TOLEDO: OHIO CHAPTER MARCH OF DIMES FOUNDATION, (419) 534-3600, MARCHOFDIMES.COM/OHIO

POKER RUN

SEP 16: (Includes ATVs) RICHFORD: BROOME TIOGA SPORTS CENTER INC, (607) 849-4438, BROOME-TIOGA.COM

NORTH CAROLINA

SEP 3: LOUDON: UNITED STATES CLASSIC RACING ASSOCIATION, (413) 488-4433, RACEUSCRA.COM

SEP 7: POMEROY: FUR PEACE MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (303) 358-0172, FURPEACERANCH.COM

SEP 16: ORIENT: CAPITAL CITY MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (614) 877-1777

SEP 2: HANCOCK: BEAR CREEK SPORTSMEN, (908) 334-1637, BEARCREEKSPORTSMEN.COM

BIKE SHOW SEP 8: LANSDALE: BLUE COMET MOTOCYCLE CLUB INC, (267) 261-3580, BLUECOMET.COM

SEP 16: ATHENS: ATHENS MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (740) 592-6480, ATHENSMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM

SEP 22: ST. JOSEPH: MARCH OF DIMES-MO GREATER MISSOURI CHAPTER, (816) 238-8707

RECREATIONAL

RECREATIONAL

SEP 27: BROOKLYN: NYC METRO MOTORSKILLS, (718) 349-1006, NYCMETROMOTORSKILLS.COM

ROAD RUN

FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

TT

SEP 3: (Includes ATVs) MARYSVILLE: AMERICAN MOTORSPORTS LLC, (937) 3582427, AMERICANMX.COM SEP 9: BLANCHESTER: DIRT COUNTRY, (513) 625-7350, DIRTCOUNTRYMX.COM SEP 12: (Includes ATVs) LOGAN: AMERICAN MOTORSPORTS LLC, (937) 358-2427, AMERICANMX.COM SEP 16: GREENVILLE: TREATY CITY MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (937) 548-7197, TREATYCITYMC.COM SEP 19: (Includes ATVs) DELAWARE : AMERICAN MOTORSPORTS LLC, (937) 3582427, AMERICANMX.COM SEP 23: (Includes ATVs) SUGAR GROVE: CENTRAL OHIO COMPETITION RIDERS INC., (740) 983-3937, COCRMX.COM SEP 29: CHILLICOTHE: CHILLI TOWN MX, (740) 703-5791, KIM@CHILLITOWNMX.COM OKLAHOMA

COMPETITION

ENDURO SEP 9: SHIPPENSBURG: SOUTH PENN ENDURO RIDERS, (717) 712-0804, SOUTHPENNENDURORIDERS.COM SEP 16: BRANDONVILLE: VALLEY FORGE TRAIL RIDERS, (484) 948-5361, VFTR.ORG HARE SCRAMBLES SEP 9: BERWICK: EVANSVILLE MOTOCROSS PARK LLC, (570) 759-2841 SEP 15: BRANDONVILLE: VALLEY FORGE TRAIL RIDERS, (610) 476-3747, VFTR.ORG SEP 16: (Includes ATVs) CLIFFORD: BP PROMOTIONS, (267) 261-0186, PAHSRACING. COM SEP 22-23: CATAWISSA: 2-DAY EVENT, HIGH MOUNTAIN DIRT RIDERS, (570) 954-7799, HMDR.ORG MOTOCROSS SEP 1-2: ELKLAND: MILES MOUNTAIN MX, (607) 368-3429 SEP 9: HANOVER: HAPPY RAMBLERS, (717) 634-2353, HAPPYRAMBLERS.COM

SEP 9: (Includes ATVs) SANFORD: DEVILS RIDGE MX, (919) 776-1767, DEVILSRIDGEMOTOX.COM

RECREATIONAL ROAD RUN

SEP 30: (Includes ATVs) ASHEBORO: ZOO

SEP 16: THREE SPRINGS: ROCKET RACEWAY, (814) 448-2701, ROCKETRACEWAY.COM

SEP 16: TULSA: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR

SEP 16: BIRDSBORO: PAGODA MOTORCYCLE

COMPETITION MOTOCROSS SEP 9: CLIFFORD: HURRICANE HILLS MOTORSPORTS LLC, (570) 222-9290, HHMOTOCROSS.COM

Check Out the All-New AMA CLASSIFIEDS! YOUR ONLINE MARKETPLACE FOR MOTORCYCLES, POWERSPORTS & MORE.

NEW MEXICO RECREATIONAL ADVENTURE RIDE SEP 15-16: TAOS SKI VALLEY: 2-DAY EVENT, AEROSTICH TOURS, (575) 776-8785, AEROSTICHTOURS.COM NEW YORK RECREATIONAL DICE RUN SEP 8: ALBANY: BLUE KNIGHTS-NY CHAPTER VIII, (518) 459-5513 DUAL-SPORT RIDE SEP 16: NEWARK: WAYNE COUNTY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (315) 573-3383, WAYNECOUNTYMC.COM POKER RUN SEP 16: CARMEL: LOST WHEELS MC, ,

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September 2012

53

SEPTEMBER EVENTS CLUB, (610) 582-3717, PAGODAMC.ORG SEP 23: THREE SPRINGS: ROCKET RACEWAY, (814) 448-2701, ROCKETRACEWAY.COM SEP 30: SHIPPENSBURG: DOUBLIN GAP MX PARK INC, (717) 249-6036, DOUBLINGAP.COM OBSERVED TRIALS SEP 15: FARRANDSVILLE: DURTY DABBERS, (570) 726-3343, DURTYDABBERS.COM SHORT TRACK

High Adventure. No Hassle.

The best routes, roads and twotrack, mapped by local experts. A great challenge with like-minded riders. A full weekend’s activities, with camping, campfires, food and prizes.

For more information visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/Riding.

SEP 15: (Includes ATVs) HANOVER: TRAIL-WAY SPEEDWAY, (717) 359-4310, TRAIL-WAYSPEEDWAY.COM TT SEP 23: PARKESBURG: E PA PISTON POPPERS MC INC, (484) 933-6916 RHODE ISLAND COMPETITION OBSERVED TRIALS SEP 15-16: EXETER: RHODE ISLAND TRIALS CLUB, (508) 285-6074, RITRIALSCLUB.COM SOUTH CAROLINA COMPETITION ENDURO

THE ADVENTURE is out there

come

Get it

SEP 2: WHITMIRE: GREENVILLE ENDURO RIDERS, (864) 908-6109, GREENVILLEENDURORIDERS.COM TENNESSEE

COM VERMONT RECREATIONAL

COMPETITION

ROAD RUN

1/2-MILE DIRT TRACK

SEP 21: LUDLOW: UNITED STATES CLASSIC RACING ASSOCIATION, (413) 498-4433, MOTOGIRO-USA.COM

SEP 29: (Includes ATVs) ARKANSAW: 2-DAY EVENT, ARKANSAW CREEK CYCLE CLUB INC, (715) 285-5679, ARKANSAWMX.COM

VIRGINIA COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

CROSS COUNTRY

SEP 16: HILL POINT: MADISON MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (608) 220-4784, MADISONMOTORCYCLECLUB.ORG

SEP 16: (Includes ATVs) JAVA: LONE RIDER PRODUCTIONS LLC, (866) 9678927, VXCS.ORG GRAND PRIX SEP 23: SURRY: VIRGINIA COMPETITION HARE SCRAMBLE SERVICES, (757) 3650347, VCHSS.ORG

SEP 30: NEKOOSA: RAPID ANGELS MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (715) 4511168, RAPIDANGELS.COM MOTOCROSS

HARE SCRAMBLES

SEP 8-9: LAKE MILLS: AZTALAN CYCLE CLUB INC, (414) 265-1582, AZTALANMX. COM

SEP 1-2: ARRINGTON: 2-DAY EVENT, APRIL FOOLS PROMOTIONS LLC, (757) 375-5665

SEP 15-16: WITTENBERG: 2-DAY EVENT, FANTASY MOTO LLC, (920) 419-2863, FANTANSYMOTO.COM

SEP 9: SUTHERLIN: BIRCH CREEK PROMOTIONS, LLC, (434) 836-7629, BIRCHCREEKMXPARK.COM

SEP 16: GRANTSBURG: STRAIGHT ARROW ENDURO RIDERS, , STRAIGHTARROWS.ORG

MOTOCROSS

SEP 22: (ATV only) ATHELSTANE: PINE RIDGE RACEWAY LLC, (715) 856-6612, PINERIDGERACEWAY.COM

SEP 22-23: (Includes ATVs) SUTHERLIN: 2-DAY EVENT, BIRCH CREEK PROMOTIONS, LLC, (434) 836-7629, BIRCHCREEKMXPARK.COM WASHINGTON RECREATIONAL

COMPETITION

ROAD RUN

ENDURO

SEP 9: CARNATION: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION OF THE U.S., (800) 253-6530, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG

SEP 1-2: SEQUATCHIE: 2-DAY EVENT, SOUTHEASTERN TRIALS RIDERS ASSOCIATION, (423) 942-8688, TRIALSTRAININGCENTER.COM

SEP 29-30: WABENO: 2-DAY EVENT, WISCONSIN DUAL SPORT RIDERS, (920) 350-2030, WIDUALSPORTRIDERS.ORG

SEP 30: TIGERTON: FANTASY MOTO LLC, (920) 419-2863, FANTASYMOTO. COM OBSERVED TRIALS SEP 8-9: MAUSTON: 2-DAY EVENT, WISCONSIN OBSERVED TRAILS ASSOCIATION, (608) 434-5530, WISCONSINTRIALS.ORG

RECREATIONAL

SEP 29-30: BLACK RIVER FALLS: 2-DAY EVENT, WISCONSIN OBSERVED TRAILS ASSOCIATION, (608) 434-5530, WISCONSINTRIALS.ORG

POKER RUN - OFF-ROAD

SCRAMBLES

MOTOCROSS

SEP 22: (ATV only) CRESTON: CRESTON COMMUNITY BUILDING ORGANIZATION,

SEP 2: KEMP: UNDERGROUND MX PARK, (903) 498-4659, UGMXPARK.COM

ROAD RALLY

SEP 9: (Includes ATVs) BURNETT: BEAVER CYCLE CLUB INC, BEAVERCYCLECLUB. COM

TEXAS COMPETITION

SEP 16: LEFORS : KINGDOM MOTORSPORTS LLC, (806) 626-9950, LEFORSMX.COM SEP 30: EDGEWOOD: KINGDOM MOTORSPORTS LLC, (214) 939-4321, BUFFALOCREEKMX.COM UTAH COMPETITION ROADRACE SEP 1-2: TOOELE: 2-DAY EVENT, UTAH SPORT BIKE ASSOCIATION, (435) 277RACE, MILLERMOTORSPORTSPARK.

WEST VIRGINIA

SEP 6: SENECA ROCKS: NATION’S CAPITOL NORTON OWNERS GROUP, (800) 772-8342, YOKUM.COM COMPETITION MOTOCROSS SEP 15-16: HEDGESVILLE: 2-DAY EVENT, MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION, (410) 375-1059, MAMAMX. COM WISCONSIN RECREATIONAL DUAL-SPORT RIDE

SHORT TRACK SEP 8: (Includes ATVs) BURNETT: BEAVER CYCLE CLUB INC, BEAVERCYCLECLUB. COM SEP 15-16: (Includes ATVs) LAKE MILLS: AZTALAN CYCLE CLUB INC, (414) 2651582, AZTALANMX.COM WYOMING COMPETITION MOTOCROSS SEP 2: CHEYENNE: LARAMIE COUNTY RIDERS ASSOCIATION INC, (307) 4212289, LARAMIECOUNTYMX.COM

2012 EVENTS HALL OF FAME EXHIBITS AND EVENTS AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME MOTORCYCLEMUSEUM.ORG The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Closed: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Main Hall: AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Recognizing those who have made significant contributions to all aspects of motorcycling.

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

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

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

AMA Legends Weekend: Nov. 16-17, Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa, Las Vegas, Nev.; MotorcycleMuseum.org

See the event schedule in the Calendar section of this magazine.

Aug. 11: Southwick, Mass.: Moto-X 338

Sept. 8: Knoxville, Iowa: Knoxville Half-Mile, Knoxville Raceway

Aug. 18: New Berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla

Sept. 30: Santa Rosa, Calif.: Santa Rosa Mile, Sonoma County Fairgrounds

Sept. 1: Delmont, Pa.: Steel City Raceway Sept. 8: Lake Elsinore, Calif.: Lake Elsinore Motocross Park

AMA PRO ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP AMAPRORACING.COM Aug. 17-19: Indianapolis: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sept. 7-9: Millville, N.J.: New Jersey Motorsports Park Sept. 21-23: Homestead, Fla.: Homestead-Miami Speedway Oct. 5-7: New Orleans: NOLA Motorsports Park

AMA PRO FLAT TRACK AMAPRORACING.COM Aug. 12: Peoria, Ill.: Peoria TT, PMC Race Park Aug. 18: Indianapolis: Indy Mile, Indiana State Fairground

AMA PRO RACING

Sept. 1: Springfield, Ill.: Springfield ST, Illinois State Fairgrounds

AMA MOTOCROSS SERIES MXSPORTSPRORACING.COM

Sept. 2: Springfield, Ill.: Springfield Mile II, Illinois State Fairgrounds

Oct. 6: Tucson, Ariz: Tucson Half-Mile, Tucson Int’l Raceway Oct. 13: Pomona, Calif.: AMA Pro Flat Track Finals, Pomona Half-Mile, LA County Fairplex

AMA PRO HILLCLIMB NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AMAPRORACING.COM Sept. 9: Freemansburg, Pa.: Bushkill Valley MC; BikeHillclimb.com Sept. 30: Jefferson, Pa.: White Rose MC; WhiteRoseMC.org Oct. 14: Oregonia, Ohio: Dayton MC; DaytonMC.com

AMA PRO ATV MOTOCROSS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ATVMOTOCROSS.COM Aug. 11-12: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: Loretta Lynn’s AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AMA KENDA HARE & HOUND NATIONALHAREANDHOUND.COM

2012 EVENTS Sept. 8: Panaca, Nev.: Zach Livreri, Silver State Trailblazers; (702) 994-6823, https://sites.google.com/site/ silverstatetrailblazers/ Oct 14: Johnson Valley, Calif.: Justin Shultz, SoCal MC; (949) 9816776, SoCalMC.com Oct. 28: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Ryan Sanders, 100’s MC; (949) 584-9395, 100sMC.org AMA REKLUSE NATIONAL ENDURO, PRESENTED BY MOOSE RACING NATIONALENDURO.COM Sept. 9: Park Hills, Mo.: Michael Silger, Missouri Mudders; michael. silger@avnet.com, MoMudders. com

PVRMX.com Aug. 26: Millville, Minn.: Spring Creek MX Park; (507) 753-2779, SpringCreekMX.com

AMA GBC MOTORSPORTS HEARTLAND CHALLENGE HEARTLANDCHALLENGE.COM

Sept. 9: Clifford, Pa.: Hurricane Hills Motorsports; (570) 222-9290, HHMotocross.com

Aug. 17-18: Carlisle, Iowa

Sept. 23: New Castle, Del.: Blue Diamond MX Park; (302) 834-5867, BCTRA.com Sept. 30: Canton, Texas: Buffalo Creek Motocross Park; (214) 9394321, BuffaloCreekMX.com

Nov. 4: Stanton, Ala.: Glenn Hollingshead, Perry Mountain MC; (334) 872-4286, PerryMountain. com

Oct. 20: Everett, Wash.: Comcast Arena Oct. 27: Boise, Idaho: Idaho Center Nov 17: Las Vegas, Nev.: Orleans Arena AMA WEST HARE SCRAMBLES AMARACING.COM Aug. 25 (Youth) Aug. 26 (Amateur): Big Sky, Mont.: Jamey Kabisch, Lone Peak Racing; (406) 223-0478, BigSkyXC.com AMA EAST HARE SCRAMBLES AMARACING.COM Aug. 11 (Youth) Aug. 12 (Amateur): E. Freetown, Mass.: Gordie Coyle, Pilgrim Sands Trail Riders; (781) 294-8355, PSTR.org Sept. 1 (Youth) Sept. 2 (Amateur) Arrington, Va.: Chuck Honeycutt, April Fools Promotions; (757) 3755665; AprilFools62@verizon.net AMA ATV HARE SCRAMBLES AMARACING.COM Oct. 13: TBD: Mike Gibbs, Mid America XC; (317) 418-6084, TheMAXC.com Oct. 27: Gosport, Ind.: Mike Gibbs, Mid America XC; (317) 4186084, TheMAXC.com ITP/MOOSE RACING AMA ATV MOTOCROSS, PRESENTED BY PARTS UNLIMITED ATVMOTOCROSS.COM

Oct. 7: Englishtown, N.J.: Raceway Park; (734) 446-7800, RacewayPark.com Oct. 13-14: Roberta, Ga.: Hillbilly Hills MX, RPM Sports; (205) 6998857, RPMSportsOnline.com.com Oct. 14: Birdsboro, Pa.: Pagoda Motorcycle Club; (610) 582-3717, PagodaMotorcycleClub.com Oct. 27-28: Leonardtown, Md.: Budds Creek Motocross Park; (301) 481-6148, BuddsCreek.com Oct. 28: Prentiss, Wis.: Golden Pine Raceway; (601) 506-8669, GoldenPineRaceway.com Nov. 3-4: Pell City, Ala.: Mill Creek; (205) 699-8857, RPMSportsonline.com Nov. 4: Wortham, Texas: Freestone County Raceway; (713) 962-3386, FreestoneMX.com Nov. 10-11: Wortham, Texas: Freestone County Raceway; (713) 962-3386, FreestoneMX.com

Nov. 22-24: Gainesville, Fla.: Gatorback Cycle Park; (813) 4707498, UnlimitedSportsMX.com AMA FEATURED SERIES AMA MID AMERICA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP HARE SCRAMBLES SERIES THEMAXC.COM Aug. 11: Merango, Ind. Sept. 8: Canaan, Ind. Sept. 22: Spencer, Ind.

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AMA VINTAGE DIRT TRACK AMARACING.COM Aug. 17-18: Dundee, N.Y.: 4/10Mile, Black Rock Speedway, Dean Hoag; (607) 243-8686, BlackRockSpeedway.com Aug. 24: Peoria, Ill.: ST, Steve Nace Racing, Steve Nace; (270) 442-7532, SteveNaceRacing.com Aug. 26: Bartonville, Ill.: TT, Peoria Motorcycle Club, Tom Boyd; (309) 697-4981, PeoriaTT.net AMA PRO-AM MOTOCROSS AMARACING.COM Aug. 17: Pecatonica, Ill.: Stateline MX; (815) 275-MOTO, StatelineMX. com Aug. 26: Armagh, Pa.: Pleasure Valley Raceway; (814) 695-2453,

AMA HILLCLIMB GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS AMARACING.COM Aug. 17-19: Bay City, Wis.: AMA Hillclimb Grand Championships AMA LAND SPEED GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS/BUB MOTORCYCLE SPEED TRIALS BUBSPEEDTRIALS.COM Aug. 26-30: Wendover, Utah: Bonneville Salt Flats, Delvene Manning, (530) 272-4310

Oct. 27-28: Casey, Ind.

Sept. 29-30: Reno, Nev.: Wildhorse Enduro, Western States Racing Association Oct. 20-21: Fouts Springs, Calif.: Jackhammer Enduro, Jackhammer MC Oct. 20-21: Red Mountain, Calif.: Ghost Rider Enduro, Training Wheels MC Nov. 11: Stoneyford, Calif.: Climbers Enduro, Valley Climbers MC AMA ALL-STAR NATIONAL FLAT TRACK SERIES STEVENACERACING.COM Aug. 10: Peoria, Ill.: ST, Peoria Speedway Sept. 28: Hanover, Pa.: ST, Trailway Speedway Sept. 29: York, Pa.: Half-Mile, York Fairgrounds AMA CAN-AM IATVHSS IATVHSS.COM

Oct. 27-28: Chatsworth, N.J.: Meteor Ride in the Pines, Meteor MC, Jeff Fitzpatrick; (609) 654-5015, MeteorMC.com Oct. 27-28: Payson, Ariz.: Howlin’ at the Moon Dual Sport, Arizona Trail Riders, Don Hood; (602) 692-9382, dohood@us.ibm.com Nov. 3-4: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Hammer Run, Tri-County Sportsmen, Eldin Polhaumas; (888) 274-4469, TeamHammer.org Nov. 23-24: Palmdale, Calif.: LABarstow to Vegas, AMA D37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 4467386, District37AMA.org

Sept. 1-2: Sequatchie, Tenn.

AMA U.S. TEAM COMPETITION AMARACING.COM Aug. 12: FIM Junior Motocross World Championship: Sevlievo, Bulgaria Sept. 24-29: International Six Days Enduro: Sachsenring Circuit and Saxony, Germany Sept. 29-30: Trials des Nations: Moutier, Switzerland Sept. 30: Motocross of Nations: Lommel, Belgium AMA DUAL-SPORT/ADVENTURE SERIES

AMA YAMAHA SUPER TÉNÉRÉ NATIONAL ADVENTURE RIDING SERIES AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM Aug. 11-12: Columbus, Ind.: Buffalo 500 D/S Adventure Ride, Stoney Lonesome MC, Nathan Gaskill; (812) 343-9772, StoneyLonesomeMC.com Aug. 20-24: Various locations, Idaho: Sasquatch Adventure Tour, SoundRider!, Tom Mehren; (206) 329-7808, SoundRider.com Aug. 23-26: Lake Tahoe, Nev.: Lake Tahoe Adventure Ride & Rendezvous, Mike Bradford; (775) 586-7700, TahoeAventureMoto.com Sept. 8-9: Morganton, N.C.: Blue Ridge Adventure Ride, JB Saki Promotions, Ron Miller; (704) 3093271, VolunteerRiders.com

AMA HUSQVARNA NATIONAL DUAL-SPORT SERIES, PRESENTED BY FMF AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM Aug. 11-12: Columbus, Ind.: Buffalo 500 D/S Adventure Ride, Stoney Lonesome MC; Nathan Gaskill; (812) 343-9772, StoneyLonesomeMC. com/DualSport/index.html

Sept. 14-16: Taos Ski Valley, N.M.: Land of Enchantment, Aerostich Tours, Roger Pattison; (575) 7768785, AerostichTours.com Sept. 22-23: Logan, Ohio: Nutcracker 200, Buckeye Dual Sporters, Bill Kaeppner; (740) 3803050, KaeppnersWoods.com Oct. 27-28: Payson, Ariz.: Howlin’ at the Moon Dual Sport, Arizona Trail Riders, Don Hood; (602) 692-9382, ArizonaTrailRiders.org

Aug. 18-19: Wolverine, Mich.: Ted’s Chandler Hill Challenge, Great Lakes Dual Sporters, Jeremay Valley; (989) 751-6863, GLDSMC.org

Nov. 3-4: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Hammer Run, Tri-County Sportsmen, Eldin Polhaumas; (856) 785-2754, TeamHammer.org

Sept. 8-9: Golden Pond, Ky.: Land Between the Lakes 200, K.T. Riders, Jesse Thomas; (270) 522-3703, LBL200.com

Nov. 23-24: Palmdale, Calif.: LABarstow to Vegas, AMA D37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 4467386, District37AMA.org

Sept. 13-16: Helena, Mont.: Rocky Mountain Road Trip 2012, Racing for Life, James Filang; (951) 966-3150, RacingForLife.org Sept. 22-23: Buck Meadows, Calif.: Yosemite Dual Sport Adventure, Family Off Road Adventures, Lawrence Borgens; (209) 649-3633, FamilyOffRoadAdventures.com Sept. 22: Logan, Ohio: Nutcracker 200, Buckeye Dual Sporters, Bill Kaeppner; (740) 380-3050, KaeppnersWoods.com Sept. 29-30: Wabeno, Wis.: Big Woods 200, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, John Newton; (920) 3502030, WIDualSportRiders.org Oct. 6-7: Mt. Solon, Va.: Shenandoah 500 Dual Sport, Washington Area Trail Riders, Andy

com AMA NATIONAL GRAND TOURS AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM Jan. 1-Dec. 31: Polar Bear Grand Tour, AMA District 2 of New Jersey, (609) 894-2941, PolarBearGrandTour.com March 1-Nov. 30: Smoke Chasing Grand Tour, Team Strange Airheads, SmokeChasing.com March 17-Sept. 9: Prostate Cancer Pony Express Grand Tour, Prostate Cancer Awareness Project, http://prostatecancerponyexpress. wordpress.com April 1-Oct. 31: Tour of Honor Grand Tour, Tour of Honor, TourofHonor.com April 1-Nov. 30: Hodgepodge Grand Tour, Midnight Riders Motorcycle Club, (765) 566-3807, Midnight-Riders-MC.com AMA NATIONAL EXTREME GRAND TOURS AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM

AMA KENDA TENNESSEE KNOCKOUT TENNESSEEKNOCKOUT ENDURO.COM

Nov. 19-21: Gainesville, Fla.: Gatorback Cycle Park; (813) 4707498, UnlimitedSportsMX.com

Oct. 13-14: Culver, Ind.

Aug. 31-Sept. 1: Goldsboro, N.C.: Busco Beach, (919) 222-9614, BuscoBeach.com

AMA AMATEUR GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Nov. 10-11: Lizella, Ga.: Echeconnee MX Park; (205) 6998857, FreestoneMX.com

Aug. 11-12: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: Loretta Lynn Ranch

Aug. 11: Batavia, N.Y.: Batavia Motor Speedway, BataviaMotorSpeedway.com

Oct. 6-7: McArthur, Ohio: Baby Burr National Dual Sport, Enduro Riders Assn., Steve Barber; (614) 582-7821, EnduroRiders.com

Sept. 2: Athelstane, Wis.: Pine Ridge Raceway; (715) 856-6612, Gmellissa337@aol.com

Oct. 7: Gaylord, Mich.: Ostego Club; (989) 871-3356, BajaMX.com

Oct. 6: Denver: National Western Complex

Sept. 8-9: Beaconsfield, Iowa: Coyote Crossing Oct. 6-7: Carlisle, Iowa: Blue Ridge Run

Sept. 30: Walnut, Ill.: Sunset Ridge MX; (815) 379-9534, SunsetRidgeMX.com

Sept. 15: Ontario, Calif.: Citizens Business Bank Arena

Giordano; (540) 379-5631, NVTR. webs.com

Sept. 1-3: Millington, Mich.: Baja MX; (989) 871-3356, BajaMX.com

Oct. 14: Matthews, Ind.: Doug Spence, Muddobbers MC; (765) 998-2236, MuddobbersMC.org

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Aug. 17-18: Carlisle, Iowa: Heartland Challenge

AMA PREMIER TOURING SERIES

Jan. 1-Dec. 31: USA Four Corners Grand Tour, Southern California Motorcycle Association (SCMA), (949) 246-4941, USA4Corners.org Jan. 1-Dec. 31: Best US 15 Roads Challenge Grand Tour, Southern California Motorcycle Association (SCMA), SC-MA.com Aug. 30-Sept. 4: Three Flags Classic Grand Tour, Southern California Motorcycle Association (SCMA), SC-MA.com AMA SIGNATURE EVENTS AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM Nov. 12-13: Titusville, Fla.: March of Dimes Bikers for Babies, BikersforBabies.org AMA SIGNATURE EVENTS - RIDE FOR KIDS PBTFUS.ORG/RIDEFORKIDS/ EVENTS/2012/ Aug. 11: Salt Lake City: This is the Place Heritage Park, road ride Aug. 19: Cottleville, Mo.: St. Charles Community College, road ride Aug. 19: Fiskdale, Mass.: Tantasqua Regional High School, road ride Aug. 26: Ann Arbor, Mich.: Washtenaw Community College, road ride/dual-sport Aug. 26: Fletcher, N.C.: WNC Ag Center and Fairgrounds, road ride Sept. 9: Carnation, Wash.: Remlinger Farms, road ride Sept. 9: Leeds, Ala.: Barber Motorsports Park, road ride Sept. 9: Indianapolis: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, road ride Sept. 16: Tulsa, Okla.: Tulsa Health Dept., road ride Sept. 16: Phoenixville, Pa.: Valley Forge Christian College, road ride Sept. 23: Ellicott City, Md.: Turf Valley Resort, road ride

AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM AMA NATIONAL CONVENTION Sept. 12-16: Ruidoso, N.M.: Golden Aspen Rally, MotorcycleRally.com AMA NATIONAL GYPSY TOUR Aug. 6-12: Sturgis, S.D.: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, SturgisMotorcycleRally.com Oct. 12-14: Redding, Calif.: Big Bike Weekend, BigBikeWeekend.

Sept. 30: Las Vegas, Nev.: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, road ride Oct. 7: Fairfield, Calif.: Solano Community College, road ride Oct. 7: Grapevine, Texas: Grapevine Mills Mall, road ride Oct. 21: Cardiff, Calif.: MiraCosta College, road ride Oct. 21: Mesa, Ariz.: Desert Ridge High School, road ride Nov. 4: Lithia, Fla.: Heinrich Training Center, road ride

September 2012

55

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September 2012

57

GUEST COLUMN

DESTINATION: ISDE Growing up, it was always a dream of mine to race for my country at the International Six Days Enduro. As many others do, I’ve always thought of Six Days as the Olympics of off-road racing.

With 86 years of competition—2012 is the 87th running of the international event—the ISDE certainly has the credentials as one of the longest-running motorsports world championships on the planet.

I’ve been lucky that I’ve had a front-row seat for the ISDE. Year after year, my dad would get the great news of qualifying for the U.S. team. All that did was increase my drive to prepare myself for when that day might come for me. As a kid, I would go to school and brag to anyone who would listen about how awesome my dad was and what he was doing overseas. At the same time, it always remained my dream to one day get to race for the U.S. team and be just like him.

Years passed by, and my dad and I continued to ride and train together, loving every moment of it. There were times when I wanted to throw my helmet in the dirt and walk home, but I bit the bullet and got back at it. I’ve come to realize that those are the times that made me the racer and person I am today.

I was not raised getting everything I wanted or just getting a slap on the wrist when I would do something bad. The big deal to me was having my dirtbike taken away. It’s crazy, but now I’d like to give my parents a high five and thank them for it all. Working hard for what I wanted and being punished when I screwed up made me appreciate them, racing and life in general even more.

But while I’ve always respected and looked up to my dad, that doesn’t change the fact that my main goal in life had always been to race and beat my dad in the Pro/AA class. After years of moving up through the ranks, I had one goal and I was ready to achieve it. Sure enough, after a hot, brutal 2-hour, 10-minute race, I had finished fourth in my first-ever cross country Pro/AA race, with my dad 10 seconds behind in fifth.

There were about 20 AA racers that day, but no one seemed to care who won. Everyone knew about me and my dad competing against each other, and it seemed to be the life and entertainment for the day. I’ll be honest, after that race I had some good races, my best being a third, but for the most part my racing had tanked.

The whole next year, it was just one thing after another and I was about ready to throw in the towel.

My dad has always been clear, even though we race in the Pro/AA class, that we do it because it’s fun and because it’s something that we can do together. So my parents came up with a proposition: Sell the big four-stoke I had been racing and get a new KTM 125 two-stroke. They knew it was my favorite bike and that I could burn the dirt up on one. My part of the deal was, now that I had just graduated high school, I would try to qualify for the ISDE on my new 125.

This instantly blew my mind and put major pep in my step.

58

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

It had been what I always dreamed of, and this deal reminded me about that dream and what it meant to me. My parents met their end of the bargain, and once I got the 125 I was bound and determined to do whatever it took to qualify for the ISDE in Germany this year.

My dad could only take enough time off work to go to one qualifier. That meant we would have a long but much-appreciated journey to Ohio from Texas. Once we arrived at the Appalachian Dirt Riders’ qualifier in Wellston, Ohio, I was thrilled. We were greeted with huge rolling hills, nice woods and decent dirt. I felt like a kid in a candy store, but I knew there was business ahead of me.

Day one of the two-day qualifier was definitely a learning day for me, and my dad had minor issues as well. Day two was a different story. We both rode strong all day and finished very well.

Leaving Ohio, we had our fingers crossed that we would qualify for Germany and have the father-son team we had always dreamed of. A few days later we got a call. It was easily the best news I’ve ever received. We both qualified, and our dream came true.

This Sept. 24-29, my dad and I will be part of the same club team, the Missouri Mudders, as we race for American pride on offroad racing’s biggest stage. My dream of exchanging that frontrow seat for my place on the stage is finally here. Thanks, dad, for helping that dream come true. Now let’s go get some gold!

Chris Storrie is an eight-year AMA member. His father, Brian, is a Charter Life Member of the AMA, owner of SMS Racing and a nine-time ISDE team member.

Photo Jeff Cox/www.photographybyjeff.com

From Texas to Ohio to Germany

By Chris Storrie

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