American Motorcyclist 11 2009 Preview

November 2009

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Cover Photo by Mattson Photography Navigation Photo Just a few hundred of the riders who rode to Colorado for the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference, presented by Harley-Davidson and Buell, photographed by Tom Bear.

VIEWPOINTS

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Snapshots Your Images, Your World Letters You Write, We Read Rob Dingman Giving Back Lauren Bachor The View From The Back Seat

Navigation

THE LIFE

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The Best of the Best

Dave Surgenor Honored For Training Riders

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Living It The Triumph Rocket III Lives Up To Its Name

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Connections A Father-Son Ride

FEATURES

November 2009 Volume 63, Number 11 Published by the American Motorcyclist Association 13515 Yarmouth Dr. Pickerington, OH 43147 (800) AMA-JOIN AmericanMotorcyclist.com

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On The Inside Motorcyclist Legislators Sherm Packard And Bob Letourneau Have A Lock On The New Hampshire Capitol

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Adrenaline Miles Thornton Earns The AMA Road Race Horizon Award

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Heritage The Unsinkable Velocette LE Go Ride What To Do, Where To Go

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Power & Passion The Best From The AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference

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 2009. 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 ofďŹ ces.

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Snapshots

The AMA Racing Road Race Grand Championships proved to be a great time for racers, families and spectators Sept. 12-13 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Racer Joseph Dempsey (124, above) is all concentration as he negotiates the track. The Gerloff family (above right: Grayson, Garrett, Lisa and Mark) enjoy some quality time together. Pro Racer Josh Herrin (bottom left in hat) cut some fast laps, and Miles Thornton (72, bottom right) won the prestigious AMA Road Race Horizon Award.

See more Grand Championship photos by searching for “American Motorcyclist Association� at Flickr.com.

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The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum held an open house Sept. 12 that drew more than 1,200 enthusiasts to the home of the AMA in Pickerington, Ohio. Among those who showed up to check out the supercool bikes, memorabilia, and Rush drummer Neil Peart’s BMW GS1100 and drum set in the Hall of Fame was Pickerington Mayor Mitch O’Brien (above, left), who posed with AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. Pictured below are scenes from the AMA Racing Hillclimb Grand Championships held in New Ulm, Minn., Aug. 15-16. The gofast crowd tackled a steep hill for national No. 1 plates and, in some cases, for trophies as tall as they are.

November 2009

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Congratulations, Stephen.

You’re the winner this month!

Winner: Stephen Nelson of Fort Mohave, Ariz., captured this shot along a part of historic Route 66. Below: 1) Collin Bateman riding in his first AMA race. 2) Keith Falerios at the American Adventure Riders Challenge in Castaic, Calif.

3) Adam Bude. 4) John Bailik. 5) Craig Vetter gives a talk in England. 6) Ron Allen’s pic of his riding buds. 7) Guy Mastellone and Jimbo, atop the Burr Trail in Utah. 8) Dr. Vicken Totten of Cleveland and her uniquely stickered BMW.

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Got an image that captures what’s cool about motorcycling? Send it to American Motorcyclist. Send your high-resolution photos and mailing address to: submissions@ama-cycle.org. We’ll even pick one standout photo next month, and send the photographer a free SPOT satellite messenger. Editors decisions are final. No purchase necessary. SPOT device includes one year of tracking and service.

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AMA Racing Awards Banquet Friday, December 4

Induction Ceremony Saturday, December 5

TWO EVENTS, ONE WEEKEND.

LET’S ROCK.

For tickets please visit Ticketmaster.com and search for “AMA Awards Banquet,” or call 800-745-3000.

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AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

Stan Simpson, Chairman P.O. Box 1028, Cibolo, TX 78108 Jon-Erik Burleson, Assistant Treasurer 38429 Innovation Ct., Murrietta, CA 92563

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

Jim Williams, Assistant Secretary 9950 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA 92618-2084 Erik Buell 2799 Buell Dr., East Troy, WI 53120 Andy Goldfine 8 S. 18th Ave., West, Duluth, MN 55806 Charles Goman PO Box 81, Winder, GA 30680

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Ray Monroe, Advertising Manager (815) 885-4445, rmonroe@ama-cycle.org Misty Walker, Advertising Assistant (614) 856-1900, ext. 1267, mwalker@ama-cycle.org 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.

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Michael Lock 10443 Bandley Dr., Cupertino, CA 95014 Maggie McNally 114 Kent St., Albany, NY 12206 Arthur More 16153 Starlight Dr., Surprise, AZ 85374 John Ulrich 581-C Birch St., Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 Bill Werner 18405 Davidson Dr., Brookfield, WI 53045

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Contributors and Staff

JM

TB

KM

TOM BEAR, Photographer Living in Salt Lake City, only a few hours from the Bonneville Salt Flats, Tom had never made it to the AMA International Speed Trials by BUB until this year, and now he’s hooked.

KERRY MATTSON, Photographer Kerry and Seth Mattson are the creative team behind Mattson Photography and did some excellent work for us in the N.H. Capitol this issue. See more of their style at MattsonPhoto.com.

JIM MOORE, Contributor Jim may be the AMA’s director of business development, but he’s also a serious motorhead who’s not bad when he sits down to write an impression of a Triumph Rocket III, as he did for this issue.

NORA McDONALD, Production Coordinator Still on her first-bike buying high, Nora has already learned how to remove and clean the carbs on her 1974 CB360, discovering that spray carb cleaner doesn’t work nearly as well as the dip-bucket stuff, both for cleaning tiny jets and giving you one whopper of a headache if used in unventilated areas.

BILL KRESNAK, Government Affairs Editor Sometimes brilliant, sometimes wacky, always entertaining. His latest proposal for a racing class? Two-up.

GRANT PARSONS, Managing Editor Grant thinks few events are more perfect for his KLR650 than an AMA BMW

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JM

ML

National Adventure Ride—and look, there’s one coming up about 40 miles away in just two weeks. Now all he has to do is find his tent in the basement.

MARK LAPID, Creative Director Ever the designer, Mark surprised himself with the fact that when it comes to the idea of road racing, going fast is more important than looking good. Which is why, instead, he’s happily planning more track days—supermotos on the local kart track, anyone?

JEN MUECKE, Designer No one is more surprised than Jen that she emerged from the AMA Road Race Grand Championships with a national championship in the Femmoto Middleweight class. And though she keeps talking about how great it will be to grow the class, everyone else in the office remains way jealous of that coolio No. 1 plate.

JAMES HOLTER, Associate Editor The Holter Institute for Motorcycle Outreach continues its mission, with James bringing neighbor kids along when he takes his own brood woods riding. However, scientists worry that he’s nearing critical mass with all the helmets, gear, tools and Happy Meal bags that wind up in the back of the Jeep Cherokee every Sunday night.

Other contributors include: Dan Focht, Shan Moore, Lauren Bachur, Matt Polito, Brian J. Nelson, Mike Nelson, Grogan Studios, Jeff Kardas, David Smith, Jim Bowie, Striking Photography, Open Image Studio and Erin Lassahn.

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Letters [ ROCK ON, NEIL!

While visiting my sister’s new Paul Golde home in Gypsum, Colo., on the way to the 2009 AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference, I found my favorite living rock drummer and fellow motorcyclist Neil Peart smiling at me from the cover of the September issue on the kitchen counter. I devoured every word of Peart’s interview, as I have done with all of his books and Rush’s lyrically lush music. (I still play early Rush cassettes in the garage while working on my motorcycles.)

During the second and final day of my solo ride back to Southern California, I had hours of visor time to carefully consider all of Neil’s wisdom on motorcycling, safety and the paths we choose for our rides. I have always chosen the “path less traveled” and felt a kinship with him and his riding companion when they described their logic of wanting to enjoy every bit of a 10hour ride on back roads instead of dreading every mile of a quick, Interstate route. I have been a Charter Life Member of their Shunpiking Club without even knowing it!

Like Peart, I have always considered the journey at least as important as the destination.

Thank you, Rush, for decades of great music and to Neil Peart, congratulations on your AMA Honorary Life Membership.

Your wisdom and words are so incredibly valuable not only in motorcycling but in life itself. I hope to rock with you on my rides for another 30 years!

You Write, We Read

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

sport and protect our rights. I’m looking forward to a visit to the AMA Museum in the near future. Keep up the great work!

Andy Hardt AMA No. 764071 Amherst, Ohio If you hurry on that visit, Andy, you can see Neil Peart’s drum kit, along with his BMW R1100GS, as part of the Motostars: Motorcycles + Celebrities exhibit that runs through April.

THE POINT OF THE JOURNEY Thank you so much for featuring one of my favorite people in your most recent American Motorcyclist issue, Neil Peart.

Neil has been a positive influence in my life for decades.

I have been a fan of his work ethic and attention to detail (as well as bandmates and brothers Geddy and Alex) and make decisions, sometimes on a daily basis, in which his philosophies play a part in some way. I am sure your article will permeate into other riders’ thoughts and riding processes in a positive way and make our motorcycling world an even better and safer place.

As Neil so eloquently states in one of the many Rush songs I forever will enjoy, and this line is so appropriate to riding: “The point of the journey is not to arrive.”

Lou D’Angelo AMA No. 250461 West Deptford Township, N.J. Lou DAngelo

Paul Golde AMA Charter Life Member No. 364151 Mission Viejo, Calif.

WHAT A RUSH I was thrilled to see my favorite drummer from my favorite band involved in my favorite pastime on the cover of the September issue of American Motorcyclist.

I thoroughly enjoyed the article and recommend Ghost Rider to anyone out there who ever took a ride to clear their mind. I have not yet read Roadshow, but imagine it’s Andy Hardt equally well penned.

Thanks for all you do at the AMA to advance our

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PEART’S A GREAT WRITER, TOO As a long-time biker and member of the AMA, I always look forward to reading American Motorcyclist. You guys just get better and better, and I thank you for that.

But this time, the pleasure was even greater.

I’d just returned from a relaxing week at

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the beach, and opened my newly arrived September edition only to find a wonderful interview with Neil Peart. Amazingly, I had just finished reading Ghost Rider the previous week. A terrific book by one terrific guy.

Neil, it goes without saying that while we can sympathize with you over the great tragedy that beset you, we’re grateful that you found yourself, and we thank you for sharing your experiences on the “healing road,” for those stories of man and machine surrounded by the majestic beauty of God’s creation serve as a great reminder for why we are constantly drawn to our motorcycles and the motorcycling way of life.

Wayne Berkemeyer AMA Charter Life Member No. 746809 Broad Run, Va. WHAT ABOUT CAR NOISE? While there are clearly advantages to the SAE J2825 sound test procedure, isn’t it just giving officials tools to discriminate against motorcyclists? Are there similar standards for car, truck and bus exhausts and sound systems? What about nonvehicle sound tests?

I’m against any testing that isn’t across the board. I can just imagine standing by the side of the road as they test my motorcycle while some teenager goes by blaring his all-bass sound system.

Brian Hoffman AMA No. 351175 Port Matilda, Pa. We couldn’t agree with you more, Brian.

The AMA favors the universal enforcement of sound laws across the board, for all vehicles. When it comes to the motorcycle enforcement part of that equation, the new sound standard provides the best and most objective way to test motorcycles.

GREAT WORK ON THE NEW SOUND TEST My pride in being both an SAE International employee and AMA member went off the chart when I received the September Lindsay Brooke issue of American Motorcyclist. The four-page feature story on the new SAE J2825 noise-measurement procedure, plus Ed Moreland’s strong editorial on the same topic, clearly explains this huge step forward in helping to resolve the motorcycle-sound issue—and help us retain our riding rights. I’m delighted that

my colleagues on the SAE Standards team collaborated with the Motorcycle Industry Council to create this vital procedure.

Lindsay Brooke AMA Member 1084623 Senior Editor, SAE magazines Member of the AMA Hall of Fame Museum Nominating Committee THE SOUND ISSUE ISN’T NEW On page 16 of the October 1977 issue of American Motorcyclist, which I found at Books.Google.com, there is an ad appealing to riders to keep the noise down.

Published by the Motorcycle Industry Council, the text reads: “Avoid chilly receptions by riding quietly. Don’t modify your approved mufflers. Don’t crank it on where it’s going to annoy people. Ride cool and keep public lands open.”

Thirty-two years later we still have the same problem. It seems that education hasn’t succeeded, because there are always new riders who either don’t know or don’t care about the problem of excessive noise.

This same noise mentality has now extended to some pickup truck drivers but seems mostly to come from the motorcycle group.

I’m hoping this new SAE-designed sound-measuring standard is put into the hands of every law-enforcement officer in the land so that the selfish and/or ignorant riders can be put off the road, instead of punishing every responsible rider by encouraging bans. And if the sound test is also applied to other noisy vehicles, who can then say it’s unfair?

John Henrick AMA Life Member No. 511801 Lewes, Del.

A TOLL-ROAD DISCOUNT FOR NEW YORK MOTORCYCLISTS I read the Florida Toll Road Fix article in the September issue and it reminded me about a little-known fact (at least to the motorcyclists in the western New York area) for EZ Pass, the electronic toll system that is used throughout the northeast.

You can request a motorcycle-specific tag for your bike. This part is common knowledge. You can tell you have a motorcycle tag because it has a large “M” on the back of the tag. What is not well known (and not well advertised because you have to specifically request it from EZ Pass) is that motorcycles can pay half price tolls on the Thruway Motorcycle Discount Plan—the plan code is “MTRC” (info at: www.e-zpassny.com/en/about/plans.shtml).

EZ Pass does not automatically assign you to this plan just because you have an M tag. When I asked them why not, their answer was something along the lines they are not sure the owner would want the discounted plan. Answers like this make you wonder!

All it took was a phone call to EZ Pass (800-333-TOLL) to get the MTRC plan code associated with my motorcycle account.

Some of my riding buddies were told the only way to get onto the plan would be to present a copy of your registration (by fax or in person at a service John Henrick center). I guess it depends on the mood of the EZ Pass agent you get when you call in. I have to thank my riding buddy, Joyce, for turning me on to this economical tidbit.

Oh, and I tried to get credited back three years of tolls that I overpaid but they wouldn’t go for that idea.

Roman Paryz

Roman Paryz AMA 876339 Lancaster, N.Y.

THANKS, FROM A FAMILY Hey AMA, wanted to drop you folks a note. My kids Maggie (15) and Ben (13) and I really enjoy your magazine. We have been riding about seven years now and have recently raced in some enduro races including round 5 of the AMA Rekluse National Enduro. We got to meet Russell Bobbitt, Mike Lafferty, Jason Raines, Jeff Melik and several others (go, Yamaha!).

They were very approachable and took time to speak with us. What an experience...

Motorcycling has created a bond that will last forever.

Thank you, AMA, for being family oriented, and keep up the great work.

Scott Hamner AMA No. 888961 Killen, Ala.

Scott, Ben and Maggie Hamner

On Facebook? Us, too. Become a fan of the

American Motorcyclist Association and you could be leaving comments like these:

www.facebook.com/pages/American-Motorcyclist-Association/54932497639 Cool kid! He was soooooo fast this weekend!— Brandon Schweitzer, on Miles Thornton winning the 2009 AMA Road Race Horizon Award I’ve had one on the Shawano, Wis., Supermoto track (NOT the dirt!) and it is AMAZING.— William Bell, on the Can-Am Spyder That bike looks trick. Check out the swingarm. I know the Fox brothers are behind it, but who rode that thing?

—Chester Nodier, responding to a quiz on a new bike destined for display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum RIP Mike. Your legacy will live on in the kids and their families whose lives have been and will be made better thanks to you. Now all of us will have to pull just a little harder to support our local rides. I don’t think Mike ever

met a stranger, and he inspired all of us who met him.—Allen J. Gordon, on the passing of Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Ride For Kids co-founder Mike Traynor Wonderful! It was great having her as a speaker at the AMA International Women and Motorcycling Conference. Thanks!— JoAnna Gauntt Murray, on Leslie Porterfield setting a potential new national record of 234 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats at the AMA International Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB New Mexico is too far to travel from when you’ve just got the weekend.—Fletch Aldrich, on the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum open house in Pickerington, Ohio Follow the latest news from the AMA—and chat with fellow AMA members—on Facebook. In addition, you’ll always find the latest in-depth info at AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

November 2009

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From the President LET US ALL RESOLVE, IN THE MEMORY OF MIKE TRAYNOR, TO GENEROUSLY SUPPORT OUR CHARITY OF CHOICE.

Giving Back It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Ride for Kids co-founder and AMA Life Member Mike Traynor in early September. Together with his wife, Dianne, Mike launched in 1984 what has become one of the most philanthropic motorcycle charity rides in the world.

Mike and Dianne, both avid motorcyclists, saw the suffering of a co-worker’s child who had been stricken with a brain tumor, and they decided then and there to give something back.

For eight years they sacrificed every free moment to organize first the Atlanta Ride for Kids, and then the Chicago Ride for Kids. After raising a million dollars, and with corporate backing from Honda, the Traynors then took their passion on the road, working nonstop to start Ride for Kids events across the country. Under the umbrella of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF), the Ride for Kids program grew to encompass 39 events a year (a total of well over 400 to date), each staffed by scores of dedicated local volunteers who were touched by Mike’s heartfelt passion to help children stricken by one of the world’s deadliest cancers.

As we go to press, the PBTF has raised $54.7 million. Even more remarkable is that 82 percent of these funds are

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being channeled into the foundation’s research and family-support programs.

None of this would have been possible had Mike and Dianne not demonstrated to a skeptical public and the medical community that people who ride motorcycles have big hearts and are very generous when they see a need that must be met. These same people are the ones who will carry the PBTF mission forward in memory of Mike’s vision.

I am reminded that thousands of AMA members participate in noteworthy charity rides. Since the beginning of this year, the AMA has sanctioned nearly 80 “official” charity rides. I use quotes around the word “official” because proceeds from other AMA-sanctioned events support AMA-chartered clubs doing good works in their own communities as well.

Locally, clubs like the Schuylkill County Motorcycle Club in Pennsylvania support the Crippled Children Society with their annual benefit run. The Blue Knights and Axemen motorcycle clubs fund scholarships for the children of fallen police officers and firefighters.

During the holidays, dozens of AMA clubs host toy runs, collecting thousands of toys for underprivileged children in cities across the U.S. The giving doesn’t stop where the roads end, either. The

by Rob Dingman Colorado 500 Invitational Charity Rides (on- and off-road) have distributed more than $1 million in 34 years, supporting many charitable agencies and schools in the state. These efforts, plus national events such as the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies, the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation Adventure for the Cures, and the Real Divas Ride—Divas for a Cure demonstrate that American motorcyclists are arguably the most effective fundraisers of any community anywhere.

Occasionally, I get a letter from a member asking the AMA to help raise funds for their charity. In a polite manner I remind them that the AMA officially supports a 501(C)3 charity of our own: the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Take a moment to check out our holiday card fundraiser, which underwrites the Hall of Fame’s mission to showcase the legendary figures that have made lasting contributions to motorcycling.

Forgive me if I have not mentioned your favorite motorcycle charity in the limited space of this column. Let us all resolve, in the memory of Mike Traynor, to generously support our charity of choice.

Rob Dingman is president and CEO of the American Motorcyclist Association.

Photo Grogan Studios

Helping Others Is A Way Of Life For AMA Members

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The Life AmericanMotorcyclist.com

iNDOORS ONLY?

In an era when some top riders are opting to skip the outdoor motocross season, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Chad Reed is going back to his roots. The former AMA Supercross Champion, who himself skipped the full AMA Pro Motocross National Championships in 2007-08, fully committed to the outdoor season in 2009. The move paid off, as the one-time Australian national motocross champ rode to five overall wins to lock up the premier 450-class title two events early. It was Reed’s first major outdoor championship in the United States and was the first of two claimed by the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team this year—the other courtesy of 250-class champion Ryan Dungey.

Photo: Jeff Kardas

Protecting the Ride Page 18 Living It Page 22 Connections Page 26 Adrenaline Page 30 Heritage Page 34 November 2009

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The Life | Protecting the Ride

Dave Surgenor is passionate about putting safe riders on the road.

Innovative Trail-Related Efforts Earn Awards

The Best Of The Best Pennsylvania’s Dave Surgenor Honored For His Work Training Street Riders Dave Surgenor, who heads up Pennyslvania’s Motorcycle Safety Program, earned the prestigious Chairpersons’ Award from the National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators for his “outstanding contributions to motorcycle safety.”

“I’ve worked with Dave since 1994, and of his many accomplishments in the safety community, one of the highlights is his involvement in the transition to the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) Basic RiderCourse across the country,” said SMSA treasurer and former chairman Ken Kiphart. “He generously donated his own time to spend weeks in Oklahoma City creating professional development workshops, and we’re still

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using the materials he developed. The result would not have been nearly as professional without his involvement.”

Said Surgenor: “It’s such an honor to receive the Chairpersons’ Award from SMSA. What a rewarding ride it has been for me. I love my job and feel so blessed to be a part of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program.”

Surgenor, who began riding more than 39 years ago, became a certified MSF instructor in 1989 and an MSF chief instructor in 1994. He was also certified as an MSF RiderCoach trainer in 2000. He has worked for the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program since 1994.

Unique trail innovations in Texas, bridge construction to safely connect trails in Maine, a cooperative team of trail professionals in Oregon and a Minnesota committee made up of volunteers are among the winners of the 2009 Achievement Awards presented by the Coalition for Recreational Trails.

The Sam Houston Multiple-Use Trail near New Waverly, Texas, earned the Construction and Design Achievement Award for major renovations to the trails, as well as the use of pre-engineered fiberglass-reinforced polymer bridges and corrugated arched culverts made from recycled materials.

In Maine, the town of Houlton and the Aroostook Riders ATV Club earned the Multiple-Use Management and Corridor Sharing Achievement Award for building a suspension bridge over the Meduxnekeag River to connect trails. The bridge is the only legal connector between hundreds of miles of trail on each side of the river.

The Outstanding State Trail Program Achievement Award went to Oregon for maximizing limited resources with its team of experienced professionals. This includes a state trails coordinator, a grant program coordinator and staff from the All-Terrain Vehicle Program and Recreation Programs and Planning Office.

Minnesota received recognition thanks to the Minnesota Recreational Trail Users Association, made up of volunteers representing a variety of trail user groups who balance the interests of various trail users to successfully guide trail policy in the state.

The Coalition for Recreational Trails was founded in 1992 by a number of groups, including the AMA, to build awareness and understanding of the Recreational Trails Program, which returns federal gasoline taxes paid by off-highway recreationists to states for trail development and maintenance.

Photos Surgenor: The Susquehanna Photographic; Trails: Town of Houlton; Youth: David Smith/racedaypix.com

Coalition For Recreational Trails Names 2009 Honorees

The Life | Protecting the Ride

Take Steps Now To Change The Lead-Limit Law For Kids’ Dirtbikes And ATVs Make Your Voice Heard On Capitol Hill

A recent congressional hearing has once again focused attention on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), which caused a stir earlier this year when it blocked the sale of youthmodel motorcycles and ATVs. The continued interest by lawmakers gives concerned riders the chance to let legislators know the law needs to be changed to clear the way for sales.

On Sept. 10, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held an informational hearing to learn what issues related to the law the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is facing. CPSC Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum was the only witness called to testify.

The CPSIA essentially stopped the legal sale of dirtbikes and ATVs designed for children age 12 and under, but thanks to the efforts of tens of thousands of riders who wrote to Congress and the commissioners, the CPSC subsequently issued a stay of enforcement of the measure until May 2011.

Under the law, all youth products containing lead must now have less than 300 parts per million by weight.

The law initially specified 600 ppm, but it also called for that threshold to drop to 300 ppm in August 2009.

The CPSC has interpreted the law to apply to various components of youth-model motorcycles and ATVs, including the engine, brakes, suspension, battery and other

mechanical parts. Even though the lead levels in these parts are small, they are still above the minimum threshold.

“The CPSC earlier acknowledged that the law poses a safety risk to children because it may force them to ride adult-size motorcycles and ATVs that are too big for them to ride safely if they aren’t able to get youth-size models,” said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations.

“The law needs to be changed to exempt youth-model motorcycles and ATVs from the lead-limit requirements under the CPSIA. The simple fact is that small kids can get hurt riding big bikAes and ATVs. “Riders should contact their U.S. senators and representatives now to urge them to change the law to exempt kids’ dirtbikes and ATVs from the CPSIA so that those machines are available for kids to ride,” Moreland added.

“The lawmakers need to know that this law is hurting families who enjoy riding together and participate in the wholesome activity of youth racing, and that failing to make this change poses a real safety danger to children,” he said.

Concerned riders should ask their lawmakers to change the law. Information for contacting lawmakers can be found in the Rights section of American Motorcyclist.com. Go to the Issues and Legislation section. Also, a prewritten e-mail is available to send by clicking the Take Action option.

Photo Ron Graphman

The Life | Protecting the Ride

Riding With The Gov

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels Leads ABATE Charity Ride In August, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels led more than 500 motorcyclists on an ABATE of Indiana-sponsored fundraising ride to collect money for the Indiana National Guard Relief Fund, which donates money to Indiana soldiers and their families who are struggling financially.

With the governor in the lead, the riders headed out from the state capitol on a scenic tour that made stops in Milan and New Albany. The ride raised more than $5,000. This was the fifth “Ride with the Gov” hosted by ABATE of Indiana.

AMA Government Relations Department Launches Fundraising Effort Supporting Politicians Who Support Us Both street and dirt riders are under attack, and, thanks to the help of AMA members, we’re defending the rights of all riders.

Now, the AMA needs your help more than ever. Join forces with like-minded riders and take action to help fight unfair legislation, and hold elected officials accountable.

Watch your mailbox for a letter from Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for

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government relations, which details some of the threats motorcyclists face today, and explains how you can help by donating to AMPAC—the AMA’s Political Action Committee.

“AMPAC supports the campaigns of congressional candidates and political leaders who advocate on behalf of motorcyclists,” Moreland said. “It’s important that we support these lawmakers, so that they will support us.”

While a contribution of any amount is greatly appreciated, anyone donating $25 or more will receive a collectable AMPAC pin. Those who donate $500 or more earn elite status in the Leader’s Circle, and receive a commemorative bronze belt buckle and display stand.

For information, or to donate, call the AMA Government Relations Department at (800) 262-5646 or e-mail Sheila Andrews at sandrews@ama-cycle.org

the life | Protecting the Ride

California The Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area has reopened. A temporary closure was in place at the popular park because of fire damage.

The fire, which started on adjacent private property, burned about 250 acres. For more information see OHV. Parks.ca.gov.

Delaware A new law makes using a license plate frame with scrolling, strobe and/ or blinking lights a violation, except during special organized events such as parades and car shows. The law was an outgrowth of House Bill 122, sponsored by Rep. Earl Jaques (D-Wilmington). iDaho A new website focusing on responsible off-highway vehicle use has been launched by the Idaho OHV Public Education Campaign, a consortium of public land agencies whose goal is to educate OHV users about the rules of conduct for off-highway motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, utility terrain vehicles and four-wheel-drive vehicles on public land. For more information, go to StayOnTrails.com. louisiana House Bill 802, sponsored by Rep. James R. Fannin (D-Jonesboro) and signed into law by Gov. Bobby Jindal, authorized the transfer of $6,544 from the Motorcycle Safety and Training Fund to the state general fund. The transfer was part of a $24.4 million raid on 75 dedicated funds.

MiChigan House Bill 4205, sponsored by Rep. Tom Pearce (R-Rockford), would prohibit the intentional placement of an item that is likely to come into contact with a moving vehicle or a person riding in or on a moving vehicle in or across a road—or the placement of any dangerous item in or across a road. Proposed penalties range from a year in prison or a $500 fine, or both, for a violation that results in property damage, to 5 years or a fine of $10,000 or both for a violation resulting in death. To show your support for this bill, visit to the Rights section of AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Montana In anticipation of the fall riding season, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department is encouraging riders to “brush up” on off-highway vehicle safety and regulations. The department offers a free home study OHV safety course designed to help riders safely navigate difficult terrain.

The course is especially recommended for young riders. A print copy can be ordered by calling the agency at (406) 444-4585, or see the “Recreation” page of FWP.mt.gov. north Carolina A new law that takes effect Jan. 1, 2011, requires anyone under 18 seeking a motorcycle endorsement to take a rider-education class, and makes the learner’s permit valid for 12 months, with one 6-month renewal.

Pennsylvania The Philadelphia Parking Authority has begun to install special parking zones for motorcycles and scooters in the downtown business district. The spaces cost $1 per hour—half the rate for cars, and should be in place

by February. The parking authority will ticket motorcycles and scooters parked on sidewalks once parking zones are created. For more information, visit PhilaPark.org/permits/permit_info.aspx. texas The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has opened a new training facility in Irving. The new campus offers the complete system of MSF on- and offroad rider training programs, including the Basic RiderCourse, the Experienced RiderCourse, the DirtBike School, as well as the ATV Safety Institute’s ATV RiderCourse. Schedules and info are available at MSF-campus.org.

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The Life | Living It

Size Matters

Triumph Rocket III Lives Up To The Name is wide enough to double as a conference table for quick meetings on thrust vectors and escape velocity. The wheelbase is a limousine-like 67.2 inches—almost five inches longer than a Harley-Davidson Road King. Then there’s the engine.

Proving once again that there really is no replacement for displacement, it spins out a “detuned” 107 horsepower from its 2,294cc fuel-injected three-cylinder motor.

But how does all this pomp and circumstance actually work out on the road and in real life? I had the unique opportunity to pile nearly 9,000 miles on the Rocket III Touring in just over five weeks. Riding from my SoCal home, I attended AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in Ohio, and then rode the bike again to Colorado to attend the AMA International

Photos Rocket III: Tom Bear; Gerbing’s: Grogan Studios

When it comes to rockets, apparently size does matter. The United States first put a man in space on the Mercury Redstone, a comparatively petite rocket that stood 83 feet tall. To reach the moon, though, required the Apollo Saturn V, an absolute monster that scraped the sky some 360 feet above terra firma.

Fast-forward a few decades, and I suspect Triumph bamboozled a few of those Saturn V scientists into building a motorcycle. No worries, the transplanted engineers must have just followed the same principles of “bigger, bolder, faster, better” when they designed the Triumph Rocket III Touring.

The motorcycle certainly lives up to its namesake’s reputation as an extraordinary form of transport. First, it’s big. The tank

Women & Motorcycling Conference.

The Rocket III Touring was a supremely comfortable ride on even the longest days—one stretching to 1,046 miles.

From 12,095-foot Independence Pass to 118-degree Mojave Desert temps, the Rocket III Touring never lost its composure and never felt out of place.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of the Rocket III Touring, however, is its riding character. Expected was the schoolbus-like maneuverability and handling at slow speeds. The surprise came once the Rocket III Touring started rolling—in motion, the bike transformed into a downright docile motorcycle. Further evidence that some savvy rocket scientists were hard at work with their slide rules. The Rocket III Touring is far more intimidating to look at than it is to ride.

Functionally speaking, the rest of the Rocket III Touring proved just as impressive. The brakes were solid, even with the bike fully loaded. The storage from the hard bags was generous and weather-tight. The quick release windshield and passenger seat back allowed a total transformation of the bike from long-range tourer to boulevard cruiser in seconds. The only real disappointment was the lack of cruise control. For a bike that was created to devour highway miles, that struck me as a significant missed opportunity.

The Rocket III Touring, imperfections aside, is a great balance of pure machine and brute-force problem solving. There’s some real engineering genius behind its madness. Let’s just thank the rocket scientists for showing a little restraint; after all, who’d want to ride a 360-foot long stick through a mountain switchback? I’ll take the Rocket III Touring any day, thank you very much.—Jim Moore

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The Life | Living It

Make It Happen Now 10 Things To Do Before Autumn’s Gone

1

Get in that epic ride. Sure, work and family and everything else has been hogging your time. Hog back and do the ride you’ve been talking about since spring.

2

Buy an electric vest. It plugs into your bike, heats your torso and extends the riding season. If your fingers numb up, check out electric gloves while you’re at it.

3

Go on a fall color ride. Everything looks better in Technicolor.

4

Buy a new-to-you bike. Prices have never been better, and this is the best time of the year to buy. New or used.

5

Explore closer to home. Too cold in the morning and evening? Leave later and ride shorter.

6

Consider heated grips. Find options from $32 and up from AMA partner BikeBandit.com by searching “heated grips” under “products.” Don’t forget to get your 10 percent member discount.

7 8

Mmmm…Heat

Gerbing’s Newest Liner Warms Instantly Gerbing’s has long been a player in the field of heated motorcycle gear, and the company’s latest offerings have stepped up the game significantly. Gerbing’s new Microwire heating element is a serious advancement.

What It Is Developed for military applications, the Microwire heating element is a ribbon of Teflon-coated wires made up of hundreds of microscopic heating elements. In Gerbing’s $199 Heated Jacket Liner, it runs through the front and back, sleeves and collar.

The Big Difference Unlike most electric clothing, the Microwire liner heats instantly. The heat comes on from the moment you turn the thermostat, and the waiting is completely gone. No more wondering, “Is this on?”

How It Works Hook up a connector to your bike’s battery, plug in the vest, and regulate the heat through the thermostat, which comes with a leather belt case and a knob that’s easy to work with gloves.

Nice Touches The Teflon-coated polyester fabric slides beneath other jackets easily,

Ride south. For longer trips, head where it’s warmer.

Make reservations for Daytona Bike Week. If you’ve never been, you need to go.

If you have, you need to go again.

9

Stock up on motorcycling video games for winter.

MotoGP ’08 is a bargain-bin find right now. Trials HD is on Xbox live. Bikes are available for download for Burnout Paradise.

And if you can hold out until early next year, check out MotoGP 09/10.

10

For when you’ve decided your riding season is officially over, get the stuff to winterize your bike the right way. Think fuel stabilizer and trickle charger.

Dynamic

Traction Control

and its profile is slim. Connectors in the sleeves allow for easy heated-glove connections.

Bottom Line Gerbing’s latest really changes the game when it comes to heated gear. Not only does the liner extend the riding season, but it’s very much a safety device in cooler weather, allowing you to focus on the road, not the temperature.

Info Gerbing.com

The Life | Living It

Circles & Arrows Speedway Racing, Annotated

Popular mainly in California and New York, U.S. Speedway racing provides one of the greatest spectacles in motorsports: ultra-tight, ultra-quick, ultra-competitive action. Get more info at USASpeedway.org.

In part because there is only one gear, riders adjust to traction conditions and corners by broad sliding the bike and modulating the throttle. On ultra-tight tracks, riders may slide nearly all the way around the oval.

In the U.S., Speedway racing typically takes place on oval tracks about a 10th-mile long, though occasionally larger tracks are used.

Since speedway machines use only a single gear, gearing is adjusted in the pits with exchangeable sprockets.

Speedway bikes have no brakes so that no one rider can slow suddenly in the pack..

The broad-sliding style makes for serious roost. A guard deflects most, but front-row fans often bring shields to avoid getting blasted.

Speedway engines are typically methanol-burning 500cc singles, usually with the cylinders oriented upright or, in more recent years, slanted forward in a “laydown” configuration. High-compression ratios and methanol produce more power than would be expected from similar-sized motors running gasoline.

ON THE WEB

Forks are typically leading-link, while rear suspension is often rigid. Frames are minimalist and ultra-light.

24

Motorcycle-Daily.com The latest news and views from the world of motorcycling, with some of the fastest posting around.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

YouTube.com Keep up with what’s new at the AMA on the Association’s YouTube channel. Just search “AmericanMotorcyclist” for all the latest videos.

Twitter Get updates from the AMA by following ama_racing, for racing-related news, and womenandmoto, for info related to women and motorcycling.

The Life | Living It

HUNDRED-YEAR WAR: RED BULL INDY GP

OCT/NOV ’09

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Road Racer X

Group Ride Meetings: What Should Be Covered?

Photos Speedway: Jim Bowie; MSF/Throttle Locks: Grogan Studios

YOU ASK: I do a lot of riding in groups with friends, often with four to eight motorcycles, and we’re always careful to have a discussion about where we’re going before we start.

But I wonder if there’s more we should be communicating about before we leave.

THE MSF RESPONDS: As part of a group ride, the riders’ meeting should include the Where, the How and the What-ifs.

The “where” includes a review of the route, highlighting important points along the way, such as scheduled gas, meal, rest or sightseeing stops, as well as identification of known construction zones or potential traffic tie-ups. Copies of a simple map can be very useful.

The “how” includes the rules of the ride.

That would include choosing the lead and sweep riders (both should be experienced and safety-conscious riders), reviewing hand signals to simplify communication under way, discussing the conditions in which you’ll use staggered or single-file formations, and deciding where to position the least-experienced riders.

“What-ifs” cover the unexpected. The group needs to be prepared in case a bike breaks down, the weather turns bad, or the group is split apart by stoplights or traffic. Lead and sweep riders should be assigned specific responsibilities in those circumstances.

General planning should include everyone having cellphones and other riders’ phone numbers. The lead or sweep should have a first-aid kit and possibly a more complete tool kit. MSF recommends that if your group exceeds seven riders, you consider splitting into smaller groups.

You can watch a 10-minute version of the MSF Guide to Group Riding video and print a Group Riding tip sheet for free at msf-usa.org.

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The Road Racer X Staff Says According to Editor Chris Jonnum: “With every issue, our goal is to pull back the velvet rope and bring the reader behind the scenes in the sport of road racing. Through industrystandard photography and design, plus interviews, profiles, and creative features, we capture the experience of the track.”

Though the entire staff rides, RRX forgoes product testing and instead focuses on the sport from a fan’s perspective, with insightful looks at all levels of the sport. “Our writers know the sport intimately,” Jonnum says, “and with columnists that include Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies, Colin Edwards, and Randy Mamola, there’s no filter between the heroes and our readers.”

Find It On newsstands, or online at RoadRacerX.com.

What It Is Manic Salamander’s throttle lock is a new bar-end design that features a spring-loaded action that deploys against the handgrip to keep the throttle tube from moving against its spring return.

You can override its pressure by twisting the throttle.

How It Works Because the design is spring-loaded, you only twist the barend until the spring engages, at which point you can set the throttle tube in the required position. The lock doesn’t twist into its final position, which makes setting the throttle easier. Even when set, you can still override its pressure by twisting the throttle. Disengage by pulling outboard and turning the opposite direction.

Pros The unit works, and once set, is remarkably fiddle-free. It also looks nice.

Info ManicSalamander. com

4-stage Race ABS

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The Life | Connections

Eric Swanson

A Father-Son Ride

Few Things Are Better, Really By Steve Swanson For the past 29 years, my son, Eric, has spent a large part of his talking years sharing his desire to ride alongside me to parts unknown on his own motorcycle. Over those same years I would parade him and his sister around the neighborhood on the pillion of whichever BMW K-bike I owned at the time, and wishing the same. That chance finally came this last July 4th weekend.

Several months earlier, my local Kansas City BMW motorcycle dealership, Engle Motors, was holding an open house to show off its newly renovated facilities. There, hanging on the “Local News” bulletin board, was a freshly printed flier promoting the BMW Bash. Sponsored by the various central states BMW dealerships, it was to be held at The HUB motorcycle resort in Marble Falls, Ark., over the holiday weekend.

After a few flurried text messages, Eric was hooked on the idea. What better way to break in his recently purchased 2009 Kawasaki ZX-10R? A few

26

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

BikeBandit.com purchases later, he was fitted with Cortech’s Sport Saddlebags and matching Seat Duffle-bag luggage system, while I rounded out our camping gear with another moto-camping-friendly sleeping bag, mattress and my tent.

Friday, July 3, came all too slowly, but at 7:30 a.m. we were finally on our way, heading east through Overland Park and Leawood, Kan., picking up southbound Route 71 in Missouri and winding our way south and east to Harrison, Ark. Eight miles later, we arrived at the rally just after lunchtime to be greeted by a couple hundred other riders and passengers.

At our first chance, we hooked up with an accommodating tour guide and fellow moto-camper for the first of our weekend rides through the beautiful Ozarks of northwest Arkansas. It was simply amazing.

And I can’t thank the great state of Arkansas enough for spending what would appear to be their entire road maintenance budget on their backroad

blacktops.

The next morning, I again settled into the saddle of my trusty K1200R and carved up more twisties on Arkansas two-lanes. The day was one wonderful adventure after the next.

Even the rain couldn’t dampen the fun we all had—and it actually helped me learn how sticky my Michelin tires really are.

Saturday evening, we enjoyed a barbecue pulled-pork dinner and celebrated the Fourth with a great local band playing late into the night.

Retracing our outbound route, Eric and I reached my home about 3 p.m.

Sunday afternoon, July 5. The trip was an absolutely wonderful time for both Eric and me, with a few things learned along the way: • Be certain to put your kid out front while riding together. Watching for their well-being in the rear-view mirror is a recipe for disaster: your own!

• Street bikes the likes of Eric’s Kawasaki ZX-10R are no match for Dad’s BMW K1200R in the longdistance comfort arena.

• Even a long-distance bike can benefit from an Airhawk seat pad!

• Kids are fast!

I hope to enjoy many more “runs with my son” for years to come.

Photos Swanson Portrait: Striking Photography; Traynor: Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation; Crash Course: Grogan Studios

Steve Swanson

The Life | Connections

Mike Traynor, 1939-2009

said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “He has elevated the image of motorcycling in so many ways, and what he created in support of pediatric brain tumor research is truly monumental. We have lost a great motorcyclist.”

The foundation and rides that Traynor, and his wife, Dianne, championed will continue.

“For many years the army of volunteers, task force members and the motorcycling public have dedicated themselves to beating this devastating disease,” said Brian Traynor, executive director of the foundation and Mike’s son. “The best way we can honor Mike’s accomplishments and memory is by continuing the fight to cure the kids.”

Co-Founded Ride For Kids Charity Rides The motorcycle community lost one of its brightest lights in September, when the co-founder of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and co-founder of the Ride for Kids motorcycle charity program, Mike Traynor, died after a brief illness. He was 70.

Traynor was known throughout motorcycling as a tireless, dedicated and thoughtful rider who turned his passion for

finding a cure for childhood brain tumors into a foundation and a series of rides that have raised more than $50 million for research and family support programs.

The successful Ride for Kids® events have been AMA-sanctioned for years.

“Everyone who has met Mike knows how inspiring he was, not only on behalf of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, but to everyone in motorcycling and beyond,’’

Crash Course

Get A Grip—And Keep It I was riding in the rain from Maine to Connecticut with a few friends. I had a relaxed grip on the handlebars of my Harley-Davidson Ultra Glide when I started to change lanes.

Suddenly, the bike was on its side, and I was sliding down the rain-slicked road. I came to a rest face down on the freeway.

Luckily, except for some pain in my ribs and shoulders, everything worked.

My problem had been a recent tarring of the center strip, which had been distorted for a short distance.

The lessons? Keep a controlled grip on the bars at all times, and be prepared for the unexpected.

Jim Overmyer, Niles, Mich.

AMA No. 692910 Got a Crash Course? Send it to submissions@ama-cycle.org.

193 hp

1000 cc 404 lbs

The Life | Connections

THROWBACK. A Look At Past Issues Of American Motorcyclist On Google Books.

American Motorcyclist February 1961 With more than 600 issues of American Motorcyclist available online for free at Books.Google.com, there’s plenty of good reading to be found. Each month, we highlight a past story or issue.

The AMA has long been a supporter of responsible riding, and that was certainly

the case in 1961, when the Association launched its “Put Your Best Wheel Forward” campaign: “What we are planning is a program to encourage all motorcyclists to present a good appearance to the public, not only by their personal appearance, but also by

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their riding habits (in such measures as safety, mufflers, special consideration of quiet zones, and in many other ways).”

The campaign was launched with the support of dealers, with signs for counters and a large recruiting effort to sign up new AMA members.

“If we all get behind it, I think we will find that public acceptance of motorcycling will increase in all areas of the nation,” the AMA wrote.

Want to search past issues Of American Motorcyclist On Google Books?

Visit books.google.com and search for “American Motorcyclist.”

A New Voting System For The AMA Board Of Directors Changes Provide More Transparency, Allow Easier Input From Members

This year, casting a ballot for a member of the AMA Board of Directors will be simpler than ever.

Instead of using paper ballots bound into the January 2010 issue of this magazine in regions where elections are being held, this coming year, election voting will be securely conducted online in December and January. Paper ballots will still be available upon request.

“We’re excited to bring the election of members of the AMA Board of Directors into the 21st century,” said Sean Maher, AMA administrative services director. “This new secure system will offer several advantages over the paper ballot, including lower costs and ease of voting. And of course, as in the past, the results will be tallied by an independent organization to preserve the integrity of the election process.”

The AMA Board of Directors consists of 12 members—six elected by corporate members, and six by the general membership. The online system will govern general-membership elections, with elections in two of six regions taking place every year.

This year, seats up for election are in the North Central and Northwest regions.

The nomination process is under way, and candidates will be announced shortly.

Full details of the election and candidates, including platform statements, will be published in a future issue and on AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

The Life | Connections

AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAMER Nick Nicholson

From Trials To Road Racing To Enduros, Nicholson Did It All Nick Nicholson was one of the most versatile racers of the 1950s. From desert racing to trials, from road racing to dirt track, hillclimb and enduros, Nicholson was a leading contender in almost every category of two-wheeled racing.

Vernon Keith Nicholson was born in Iowa in 1924, and grew up in the Los Angeles area. Nicholson first became interested in motorcycling after his older brother brought home an old Indian motorcycle. Nick was soon competing in Southern California club field meets and hillclimbs.

He went to work for Slim Karns HarleyDavidson. Karns put young Nicholson on a flat-track bike, and he quickly became one of the few novices to frequently make the program against expert and pro riders.

In 1949, Nicholson set the outright motorcycle track record at Carrell Speedway while still a novice rider.

Nicholson’s talent also translated to trials riding and off-road racing. In the late 1940s, he was the top Southern California trials rider and one of the leading desert racers. He won the Southern California Trials Championship in 1949 and 1950.

By the early 1950s, Nicholson seemed destined to move full-time to the AMA Grand National Championships. Fellow competitors who were already Grand National regulars knew Nicholson had the talent.

But he favored off-road and road racing.

In 1951, the Catalina Grand Prix was established, featuring a 10-mile mountain course that combined road sections, fire roads and single-track trails. In the race’s first year, Nicholson won Saturday’s 250cc race. On Sunday’s 100-mile race, he led the premier 500cc event by a large margin before the gas tank on his motorcycle split with just 3 miles to go.

In 1952, Nicholson returned to Catalina and not only did he successfully defend his 250cc victory, but he also scored the win in the prestigious 500cc class, beating 182 other racers. Both his 250 and 500cc wins came on BSAs. His showing on Catalina earned Nicholson an invitation by William Thompson, an American military officer stationed in Germany, to ride his Nortons in the famous Isle of Man TT over 37 miles of closed public roads.

In the Senior TT, Nicholson was running securely in silver medal contention when he came upon a multi-bike accident that claimed the life of former TT winner Les

Graham. Nicholson unselfishly stopped to see if he could offer any help, then got back on the course and rode up the track to warn course marshals of the crash. The stop cost him positions in the race, but he still managed to finish 18th, earning a bronze medal.

In 1953, he won the 100-mile support race to the Daytona 200 at Daytona Beach. Later that season, Nicholson was injured in practice for the AMA Grand National road race at Willow Springs in California, and was forced to sit out of racing for a couple of seasons. Although he returned to competition, Nicholson began to shift his focus on his dealership and helping up-and-coming riders.

In 1965, Nicholson returned to the Isle of Man to race in the ISDE for the American team. He was 41 years old.

Nicholson enjoyed trail riding until the day he died in 1994, just shy of his 70th birthday.

He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005.

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The Life | Adrenaline

Miles Thornton (72) stood out in a field of the country’s best amateur road racers.

AMA Racing Road Race Grand Championships Deliver National Titles Amateur Racers Dice It Up On The Asphalt

Miles Thornton, a and current World 15-year-old motorcycle Superbike racer Ben road racer from West Spies. “I never thought RACING ROAD RACE Point, Ga., says that I’d go this far racing he’s not intimidated as a little kid. I’m so 2009 GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS when he lines up happy, and I hope to against the best amateur riders in the follow in (Spies’) footsteps.” country.

Thornton won Middleweight Superbike, He’s inspired. finished second in Middleweight That inspiration fueled one of the Supersport and took first in the 250GP best performances of Thornton’s career class in the U.S. Grand Prix Riders Union at the AMA Racing Road Race Grand program that was part of this year’s AMA Championships, held at the Mid-Ohio Racing Road Race Grand Championships.

Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, The field that Thornton raced against Sept. 12-13. Thornton’s results and didn’t include only amateurs. While their sportsmanship earned him the 2009 AMA results weren’t included in the national Road Race Horizon Award, which honors championship tallies, pro-licensed riders the amateur road were welcomed at this year’s AMA Racing racer poised to Road Race Grand Championships, which make an impact also served as a regional round of the in the pro ranks.

Championship Cup Series (CCS) and paid “It’s crazy,” CCS points and contingency. said Thornton, One of those pros was Brian Stokes, who was thrilled the 2003 AMA Road Race Horizon Award to win the same winner and grand marshal of the 2009 award previously event. Stokes did battle with Thornton won by the in both Middleweight Superbike and likes of former Middleweight Supersport.

AMA Superbike For full results, video and coverage of Miles Thornton Champion the event, see AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

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Other special awards presented at the AMA Racing Road Race Grand Championships included the Vet/Senior Award, the Youth Award and the Top Novice Award.

Sam Gaige from Rochester, N.Y., won the Vet/Senior Award. Gaige won Unlimited Grand Prix, Middleweight Supersport and Unlimited Superbike.

He finished second in Unlimited Supersport, Middleweight Sam Gaige Supersport and Middleweight Grand Prix.

“The competition was pretty good, and the award was a surprise,” Gaige said.

“I’m older, and this is a hobby for me. We may not always be fast, but we try to look good.”

Jake Lewis was the top youth rider at the AMA Racing Road Race Grand Championships. The 13-year-old from Princeton, Ky., won the Expert 125 GP class, finished third in Lightweight GP and Jake Lewis finished second in the 125 GP class in the USGPRU program.

“My dream is to go to MotoGP,” Lewis said. “I’m going to work hard and train hard to get there. I’m pretty happy to be the best youth rider this weekend, and I’m going to keep trying hard to get better.”

Lewis added the 2009 AMA Racing Road Race Youth Award to a diverse trophy case that also includes the 2006 AMA Racing Dirt Track Fast Brain Award.

Scott Stall from Scott Stall Huxley, Iowa, won the Top Novice Award. Stall took home first-place trophies in the novice divisions for Heavyweight Supersport, Middleweight Supersport and Middleweight GP. He finished second in Middleweight Supersport and Unlimited Grand Prix and third in Unlimited Supersport. His weekend also included a 13th in Unlimited Superbike.

“This award is a pretty big deal,” Stall said. “The competition out there was fierce. It was a lot tougher than what I experience back home in Iowa.”

Photos Road Race: Dan Focht Motorsport Photography; Hillclimb: Mike Nelson

Top Vet, Youth And Novice Riders

Nathan Prebe had a championship locked up but took another run at the hill anyhow, setting a new fast time in the process.

Racing To The Top

AMA Racing Hillclimb Grand Championships The top amateur hillclimbers in the U.S. gathered in New Ulm, Minn., to battle for No. 1 plates at the AMA Racing Hillclimb Grand Championships Aug. 15-16.

When the dust settled on the 210foot hill, laid out by the Flying Dutchmen Motorcycle Club, 21-year-old Jay Sallstrom of Mankato, Minn., had the fastest time, set in the Open class on a Honda CRB1000RR-powered hillclimber.

Sallstrom’s winning run of 3.791 seconds came late on the second day of climbing and provided a thrilling conclusion to an action-packed weekend.

Sallstrom wasn’t the only fast rider on the hill. Among the other champions were Todd Cipala, who won the AMA Racing Vet/Senior Award; Nathan Prebe, who took home the Youth Award; and Josh Perry, who claimed ATV honors.

Cipala dominated the big-bike classes on the first day of racing as the only rider to break into the 3-second range with

identical times of 3.962 seconds in both the 750cc class and in the Open class.

In the 750cc class, Cipala dropped his time on Day 2 to 3.873 seconds to hold onto the title. Despite lowering his time in the Open class to 3.826 seconds, though, Cipala fell to Sallstrom’s blistering run.

Prebe, 11, set a fast time in the Mini Jr. class at 7.449 seconds on the first day.

That time held through Day 2 despite much better conditions. With the title in hand, the Frontenac, Minn., rider didn’t turn down another shot at the hill, however, and ripped his Honda to the top in 6.193 seconds, putting an exclamation point on his first national title.

Perry won the two-stroke ATV class, with fellow Missouri rider Tyler Clark less than a hundredth of a second behind.

Perry’s time of 4.272 seconds was the fastest ATV time of the meet. Set on the second day, it was more than 2.5 seconds faster than Perry’s first run.—Mike Nelson

Champions Will Be Honored In Vegas

One Stage, Two Nights: See Yesterday’s Heroes And Today’s Stars All class winners at the AMA Racing Road Race Grand Championships and the AMA Racing Hillclimb Grand Championships, along with all of the AMA’s 2009 amateur national champions, are invited to the AMA Racing Championship Banquet. There, they will receive championships awards and Expert-level riders will receive personalized AMA Racing National No. 1 plates.

The banquet will be held Dec. 4 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, which will host the 2009 induction ceremony for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame the following evening.

For info about the banquet and the induction ceremony, see AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

For tickets, visit Ticketmaster. com and search using “AMA Racing Banquet” and “AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”

The Life | Adrenaline

Hayes Caps Season With Four Straight Wins

Keith Lynn is all concentration on the way to victory at Atco.

Sportbike Giants Slain At Atco Lynn Gets First Win This Year In AMA Dragbike

Three-time Funnybike champ Keith Lynn took on the hoard of nitro HarleyDavidsons entered in the Funnybike class this season to score his first win of the year at the AMA Dragbike Orient Express

See you at the World’s Largest Touring Rally NEXT year! June 7- 12, 2010

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518-798-7888

in Atco, N.J., on Sept. 12-13. Lynn ran the second-quickest elapsed time in the history of the class at 6.440 seconds on his turbo Kawasaki to earn his fourth straight final. Lynn won the final round over fellow Kawasaki rider Danny Allaire.

The sportbike heavyweights fell—and fell hard—at Atco. Local hero and multitime Pro Street champ Mike Slowe was out in the semifinals as Mike Kavos took the Hayabusa flagship of event sponsor Orient Express from the No. 1 qualifying spot to the winner’s circle for Kavos’ firstever Pro Street win.

They say nobody beats Rickey Gadson at Atco, the Kawasaki factory superstar’s home track. Apparently nobody told Joey Gladstone, as the second-year rider took out Team Green’s main man in Gadson’s own backyard for his second SuperSport win of the year.

Going into Atco Super Street, rider John Fernandez was the only undefeated rider left in the AMA Dragbike series.

Fernandez left Atco with the points lead but with his first loss of the season.

Second-generation rider Joe Franco Jr. scored his first Super Street win, bringing his nitrous Hayabusa to the winner’s circle from the pole position in qualifying.—Matt Polito

While Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin had already wrapped up his seventh AMA Pro Racing Superbike title at the penultimate round, Yamaha’s Josh Hayes claimed the final battle, taking two wins at the season-ending doubleheader at Thunderbolt Raceway at the New Jersey Motorsports Park on Sept. 4-6.

Hayes won his fourth straight and seventh overall AMA Pro American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited race of the year and moved into second in season championship points at the event.

“I’m really proud of how the end of the season has come around,” Hayes said.

“Congratulations to Mat on his career. I only hope that I can achieve half of what he’s done.”

Mladin made his final American Superbike start in a record-setting career and raced true to form before gearbox issues emerged in the second race. Mladin is retiring with an unmatched total of seven AMA Superbike championships and a record 82 career victories.

“Today was a really good race,” Mladin said. “I really didn’t want to be in second place, and I was trying to lead and was doing as much as I could from the front.

We put it in as much as we could. About 10 laps to go, I couldn’t get the thing in fifth gear.”

In Daytona SportBike, Yamaha’s Josh Herrin claimed his fourth win in a row, which vaulted him into second in the final championship standings, just five points behind Powersports/RMR Buell rider Danny Eslick. Eslick finished seventh in the final round.

Josh Hayes

Photos AMA Dragbike: Matt Polito; Hayes: Brian J. Nelson; Blazusiak: Shan Moore; Bonneville: Tom Bear

Mladin Finishes Second In Last Superbike Race

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Blazusiak Rules Endurocross

Geoff Aaron Races From Last To Second

Taddy Blazusiak knows rocks.

KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak left no doubt at the third round of the GEICO Powersports AMA Endurocross Series in Florence, S.C., on Sept. 12 that he’s one of the world’s best at extreme indoor enduro racing.

After moving into the lead shortly after the start of the main event, Blazusiak ultimately gapped the field to win with a

Speed Records Set At Bonneville Leslie Porterfield Raises The Bar

The International Speed Trials by BUB, where AMA national and FIM world motorcycle land-speed records are targeted, produced several records on Aug. 30-Sept. 3 despite less-than-ideal conditions on the salt.

However, one of those was not the outright FIM world record, which stands at 360.913 mph and was set by rider Rocky Robinson and builder Mike Akatiff in 2008.

Rider Chris Carr gave it a shot, however, in the Denis Manning-built No. 7 streamliner. Unfortunately, a mechanical breakdown at the end of Carr’s first run— the exhaust broke, igniting a portion of the fuselage—ended the seven-time AMA Grand National Champion’s hopes.

“As you’re well aware, I name all my motorbikes,” said Manning. “I call this one ‘7’ because It’s my seventh bike,

half-lap lead in the eight-lap race.

The ride of the night, however, might have been Aaron’s. The 10-time AMA National Trials Champion got the holeshot but was caught out by the first log crossing. That had him at the back of the field when he finally got restarted.

Aaron wasn’t flustered, however.

Riding the two-wheel-drive Christini bike, he carved through the pack to third, then ultimately second when Zip-Ty Husqvarna’s Cory Graffunder crashed and handed Aaron the position.

Graffunder remounted to take third while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Damon Huffman finished fourth.—Shan Moore

but I should have named it ‘if,’ as in, ‘If it doesn’t rain, if the wind doesn’t blow or if it doesn’t catch fire, we’ll set the record.’”

Records that were set included Leslie Porterfield’s top national time in the APS BF 1350 class. Porterfield, the fastest woman on two wheels, added a few miles per hour to her two-run average, going 234 mph through the measured mile.

Mission Motors product manager and test rider Jeremy Cleland claimed a record in the class for electric motorcycles. Cleland had a two-way average of 150.059 mph.

For more information and full results, go to SpeedTrialsByBUB.com.

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Heritage A Motorcycle For Everyone– Including The Police The Unsinkable Velocette LE

frame. The engine is water-cooled to keep noise down. It has a shaft drive and a hand-operated shift lever, with a standard three-speed shifting pattern, like you’d find in a proper British car, located in the middle of the frame.

This Velocette also has a long lever below the shifter that serves as a starter and retracts the center stand. Other features include floorboards, leg guards, a glove compartment and optional saddlebags.

Although the engine size eventually increased to 192cc, the LE never offered much performance. But it did its job so well that it became a favorite of British police departments, with more than 50 agencies adopting its use. The LE stayed in the Velocette lineup through the ’60s.

This 1949 Velocette LE, donated by Jerry Hooker, is just one of the many rare machines owned by the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.

Photos Open Image Studio

Over the years, many motorcycle manufacturers have tried to create an easy-to-ride motorcycle for every man or woman. Velocette made one of the more unique attempts with this 1949 Velocette LE. Produced in post-World War II Great Britain, this machine was designed to meet the needs of a country getting back on its feet after a devastating war. The LE stood for “Little Engine,” and the bike’s aim was to get ordinary people from their homes to their jobs, and back.

It marked a departure for a company best known for its sporting singles.

Velocette company owner Eugene Goodman and engineer Charles Udall wanted to create a machine to entice new buyers with easy starting, quiet operation and good gas mileage. They felt this 149cc flat twin would fit the bill.

What appears to be massive stampedsteel, silver-gray bodywork is actually the

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Heritage features the machines and people of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio.

The Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 non-proďŹ t corporation that receives support from the AMA and from motorcycling enthusiasts. For info and directions, visit MotorcycleMuseum.org, or call (614) 856-2222.

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Motorcyclist Legislators Bob Letourneau (Left) And Sherm Packard Have A Lock On The New Hampshire Capitol, And They’re Making Their State A Much Better Place For Riders.

Words By Grant Parsons Photos By Mattson Photography

here are two paths to creating change: You can ask others to do it for you, or you can be in a position to make the change happen yourself.

Guess which one is more effective?

When it comes to looking out for the interests of motorcyclists in New Hampshire, few people have been more effective at stopping bad laws and championing good ones than Sherm Packard and Bob Letourneau. Their secret?

They’re on the inside—as active and respected members of the New Hampshire legislature.

Packard, a representative for 19 years, and Letourneau, a representative and senator for 13 years, are well known among their peers for being responsible legislators who work for the common good. But they’re also committed motorcyclists who got involved in politics expressly for the sake of motorcycling.

As Packard says it: “I had done everything I could on the outside.”

Over the years, they’ve done much for their state’s motorcyclists, from creating a comprehensive motorcycle rider education program to improving road safety to working against and defeating anti-motorcycling laws. At one point, they chaired the transportation committees in the House and Senate at the same time, which allowed them to keep unprecedented tabs on motorcycling legislation.

We sat down with Packard and Letourneau at the New Hampshire statehouse to talk motorcycles, politics and the art of blending the two. Here’s what they had to say.

ON GETTING STARTED IN MOTORCYCLING Sherm Packard: My first experiences were through my father’s business. We sold Benelli motorcycles for three or four years, back when they weren’t too spiffy. They were only 200cc and 250cc bikes back then.

I first started riding my own bike in 1968.

Some friends of mine had bikes, and it was something I had wanted to do. I went out and bought a 1954 (Harley-Davidson) Panhead. I paid $175 for it, and I got ripped off. It was a basketcase, all apart. I rebuilt it over the course of 1968, and in 1969 I came out with that Harley, and I’ve been riding ever since.

I was somewhat mechanically inclined.

Of course, they were pretty simple back then and it didn’t take much to tear them apart and put them back together. I was 21, 22, something like that. Once I started riding, I was hooked. I had the Panhead for six or seven years, and in ’76, I bought a ’67 FLH. I still have it, in fact. I put probably 150,000 on the ’67, and it kind of gave out on me. I rode it exclusively for 10 or 12 years. These days I have a ’96 Ultra Glide.

Bob Letourneau: My dad hated

motorcycles, and he forbade me from ever getting near one or being around one. I could race stock cars, though—for some reason that was OK. One of his close friends had been killed on a bike, and he didn’t want me to have anything to do with them. When I was a teenager, I hitchhiked a lot of places, and I got a ride from a guy on a Harley, and I just loved the feel of riding.

That was when I was a teenager, and it kind of went away, because there were no bikes around.

Then the kids I went to school with started coming back from Vietnam and buying motorcycles. One of my friends let me take his bike for a ride. There was snow on the ground, and he said, “Go ahead and take it.” I didn’t come back for three hours. He thought I had crashed and died somewhere. As cold as it was, he couldn’t believe I was gone so long. I just fell in love with riding.

That winter I bought a 1969 Triumph TR6 basketcase and spent the whole winter putting it back together. That’s how you did it in those days. There weren’t that many dealerships around. I rode the Triumph for a while and sold it and bought a Harley Sportster and hated it. So I bought a brand-new Norton and rode that for 10 years. Then I bought a Panhead and put that together, and had the Panhead and the Norton together. Then I got a Kawasaki 900, and then a Yamaha. None of my friends wanted to ride with me because I had a Japanese bike. They couldn’t keep up with

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Letourneau: I had been very much involved in the NHMRO, and held pretty much every office. I was president at the time, and I always told Sherm, “I’d like to join you up there at the statehouse sometime.” One day he called and said, “This is your year. You have to do it.” So I threw my hat in the ring. I was involved in a small business here in town, and I had been practically in everyone’s house, so for me, name recognition wasn’t an issue.

I was driven by motorcycles, but I was also driven by politics and the way things were wrong.

Bob Letourneau

me anyway.

ON HOW THE PAIR GOT INVOLVED IN MOTORCYCLING ISSUES Letourneau: Sherm and I became very close friends in the 1970s, when we were involved in motorcycle activism. Sherm was a leader in the movement, and he and several other guys put together the New Hampshire Motorcycle Rights Organization.

My membership number is 8, so I go back to the very beginning. I remember coming to the statehouse for the rides and the protests and whatever.

Packard: We met through the NHMRO. The movement was fast and swift, and we became very good friends through that.

The NHMRO started in 1974. Some friends of mine came to me. We had a mandatory headlight bill that had been proposed. A lot of bikes back then had generators, and they couldn’t handle that, so we were looking for a way to defeat it.

My friends knew my father was in politics— he was speaker of the Senate for a while, even—and they came to me to see if I could help them.

I made some calls, and someone—it may have even been the AMA—got me hooked up with Jed Tranquill in New York. He was head of a motorcycle rights organization there, and he suggested I start one in New Hampshire. I thought that sounded like a good idea, so we made a bunch of phone calls and when the headlight bill came out to a vote it was defeated 22 to 1.

Right after that, I basically started the NHMRO. I called up three or four people and said: “You’re the president, and you’re the vice-president, and I’ll be the secretary-treasurer.” We incorporated in 1975, and that’s when stuff was going on in Washington over the blackmail bill.

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Congress was saying that if states didn’t require all kinds of things like seatbelts and helmets and other things, that the states would be sanctioned. We started fighting that, going to Washington, D.C., with (the AMA’s then-Legislative Department Associate Director) Rob Rasor and others. I remember before the bill passed, they were bringing in California officials for hearings to decide how to sanction them. The bill passed in 1976, but the helmet part was taken out for riders 18 and older.

ON RUNNING FOR OFFICE Packard: I had been involved in politics my entire life. I had helped out in campaigns, and I was basically the lobbyist for NHMRO for years. But it got to the point that I couldn’t do anything more from the outside. I had gone as far as I could. I couldn’t do anything more. So I figured I’d run for office and see what I could do on the inside.

The first time I ran, I lost in the primary.

It was a crowded field, and a lot of people pegged me as a one-issue candidate. My dad had died by that point, so I couldn’t go to him for advice, and I kind of fumbled around. I was still kind of new to the political scene. For the next two years I got heavily involved in the Republican County Committee—basically I started running for two years. Then I ran the second time, and was elected.

When my father grew up, he didn’t have to get involved in politics to enjoy the freedoms of liberty. But as I was growing up, I was watching those liberties going away one by one, incrementally. What’s the quote? Something like, “All you have to do to lose freedom is stand by and do nothing.” If you want to keep it, you have to do something about it.

With motorcycles our rights were being taken away. And the only way to stop it was to get inside politics and gain respect.

You can’t be a one-issue candidate. You have to make people realize that you’re not some kook—that you really care about what you’re doing. Sherm and I, other people in the legislature recognize that we educate them on issues like motorcycling.

And if you’re not in the building, you’re not part of the system. When I came in, Sherm taught me the ins and outs of this building.

ON THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES TO BE A PLAYER Packard: I was always on the transportation committee. And being on the inside made all the difference in the world. I’ll give you one example. I was in my first or second term, and at the time we had the Division of Motor Vehicles keeping statistics on motorcycle fatalities.

One of the people who was lobbying for the NHMRO had been trying to get those statistics for two months. One day we were having a hearing with the folks from the DMV, and I called them up to testify and said that I’d like that information. And they said, “Would you like an officer to deliver it to your house tonight?” I said, “No, just have it ready, and I’ll stop by tomorrow.” It was on my desk when I came in the next day.

“While Sherm and Bob have gone above and beyond in overall service to the community, at heart they’re still the same guys they were 20 years ago—a couple of passionate motorcyclist rights advocates who will never, ever quit fighting the good fight. We’re lucky to have them.”

Mark Buckner, former president of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation

That’s the difference between being on the inside and being on the outside. I had to go through the revolving door and become a player—not just a member, but a player. Being a member, in most cases you won’t get any advancement, or leadership positions. Being a player means you get to be a chairman or vice chairman, or a whip or something. But with it comes the work.

ON BAD LAWS AND GOOD LAWS Letourneau: What a lot of people don’t realize is that New Hampshire has more motorcyclists per capita than any other state. There are 1.2 million people, and almost 100,000 motorcyclists. I think one of the reasons is all the freedoms that motorcyclists have. It’s not a mandatory health insurance state, and it’s not a mandatory helmet state. Several times, there had been bills that would allow you to ride without a helmet if you had insurance, and we successfully fought off four efforts in a row to do that.

But there’s a lot we’ve done on the proactive side, too. For one session, he was chairman of the House Transportation Committee, and I was chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

“Both are very well respected. Sherm is the type of guy who doesn’t open his mouth unless he really has something to say. When he talks, people listen. Bob’s a phenomenal guy. When Bob stands up to speak everyone wants to hear what he has to say because not everyone comes from a tough background, a poor background, and they want to hear what he has to say.”

Bob Clegg, former four-term New Hampshire state senator of the transportation committees of both bodies were motorcyclists. We passed several pieces of legislation to improve the safety of motorcycling. We passed a bill that changed the height law for handlebars.

We managed to get the curriculum changed in all the state’s drivers’ education classes focusing on watching for motorcycles. I’m talking in drivers’ education—not motorcycles. Meaning for everyone. And we did that because we knew that 75 percent of the accidents that involve a car and a motorcycle result because the car violates the motorcyclist’s right of way.

The same year we passed legislation that required new people coming in for a motorcycle permit to pass a test that proved they at least understood what Packard: It doesn’t get any better than motorcycles were about. And we got it that. That’s as good as it gets. You name so that if you failed the motorcycle test me any other state where the chairmen twice, you had to take the motorcycle education course. We couldn’t make Sherm Packard it mandatory for everyone because there’s no way we could fund that across the state. So we not only killed bad bills, we put in good stuff, too.

ON STARTING NEW HAMPSHIRE’S MOTORCYCLE RIDER EDUCATION PROGRAM Packard: In 1979, there was a bill for rider education. That failed because there was not enough money out there.

We worked on that on and off for 10 years, and in 1989 we got a motorcycle education bill passed. The original bill was written horribly and wouldn’t have worked because there wasn’t enough money to fund it. We got the majority leader in the House to amend the bill to add $5 to every license renewal and $1 for every registration to make it self-funding.

But we still needed the money to get it started.

We made a deal that if they passed it, the NHMRO would come up with the money to get it started. And we funded the whole start-up. It was close to $30,000. We paid for the course and the instructors for two years. We put our money where our mouths were. We won numerous awards for our program, and we gained a lot of respect in the legislature.

ON THE MOST REWARDING PART OF THE JOB Letourneau: When we celebrated the first 15 years of the motorcycle rider education program, from 1990 to 2005, we realized we trained something on the order of 23,000 or 25,000 motorcyclists during that time. What’s amazing is that during that timeframe, for those who took the course, there was only one fatality. Now, that’s an unusual piece of data because it doesn’t reflect the reality of motorcycle crashes across the country. But it’s true.

We know it because, with Sherm and I here, we were able to work with the DMV and track information from every crash— whether or not they took the course, or had an endorsement.

Packard: That has to be the crowning achievement of everything we’ve done.

That’s some kind of impact.

ON WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES Packard: Another thing we did: The original motorcycle test was a joke. You just drove around a couple of pylons and that was it. I remember going to the director of motor vehicles and saying, “We have to make the test harder,” back in the mid-70s. We set up a course here. We came up on our bikes, and we spent the whole day up here with the new course.

After that, they instituted the new test. We were responsible for putting that in place.

We didn’t have to do it through legislation.

We were able to do it administratively, through a rules change. It worked well. One of the things we do is work quietly behind the scenes. Respect is key for that.

ON THE NEED TO WALK THE WALK Letourneau: It’s not just motorcycling.

We’re involved in budgets. We’re involved in policy-making decisions that are important to the state as a whole. The motorcycling part is something we’re

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passionate about, but we work for all of it.

We’re not just here as motorcyclists.

ON THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING MOTORCYCLISTS TODAY Packard: We’ve been successful twice defeating an anti-tampering bill (requiring that exhaust pipes display an EPA stamp for sound-level compliance, which most aftermarket pipes, even compliant ones, don’t have – Ed.). There are those out there who insist on making a racket, and they’re hurting all of us. We believe in enforcing the existing sound laws. You can get pipes that pass the tests. My pipes aren’t the quietest, but they pass the test.

The point is that you can have aftermarket pipes that sound good without

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breaking windows. We have people come before us who are as angry as wet hens, people who are upset over the noise. It’s a real sticking point, this loud exhaust. You have to respect people’s privacy.

It’s something that motorcyclists are going to have to solve themselves. You can’t make 98 percent of the people mad and not expect to get some reaction. And motorcyclists have to learn one thing: If they don’t fix the problem of these loud bikes, government is going to step in—and you are not going to like the consequences.

This last bill—an anti-tampering bill— would have taken literally 80 percent of the motorcycles out there off the road. It was just a bad law. The answer is to enforce the laws we have.

Letourneau: The people in New Hampshire recognize the freedom issue of the helmet law. But there’s no way you can convince a legislator to vote for noise.

People tell me all the time that we have to do something about it.

ON THE FRUSTRATING PART OF BEING A MOTORCYCLIST LEGISLATOR Letourneau: I don’t know that there have been any. I’ve been pretty happy here as a motorcyclist.

Packard: Once I came up here and people realized we could sit down and talk about dozens of issues, there were no issues (with other lawmakers working with us). When Bob and I were together in the House, we passed numerous pieces of

Advice On Working With Legislators — From Legislators Packard and Letourneau share what they’ve learned...

Passing good motorcycling laws—and defeating bad ones—doesn’t just happen. You have to work for it.

And you have to work to defeat bad laws. That means making your feelings known. Sherm Packard and Bob Letourneau offer up these tips for working with legislators: SUPPORT THOSE WORKING FOR YOUR RIGHTS: “If you don’t have the time, but do care and are interested in helping the issues, support your organizations. Nationally, support the AMA and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and support your state organizations. They will work for you.”— Letourneau GET INVOLVED ON THE CAMPAIGN LEVEL: “If a legislator earnestly supports you, support them. Put up signs, make a donation, whatever. Once you have that intimate connection with your legislator, it makes things easier.”—Packard THINK GRASSROOTS: “Motorcyclists are a minority.

Take all the flavors of national issues, cars, planes, whatever. We are the smallest segment, but we have been successful because we have banded together.”— Letourneau

legislation on things like child seatbelts and graduated drivers licenses and more.

Once people realized that we could understand, we could comprehend, and we could put forth good legislation and talk about it and make people understand, it wasn’t a factor anymore. Nobody looks at Bob and me and says, “Oh, those are the two helmet guys.”

ON THE BOTTOM LINE Packard: The key has been working quietly behind the scenes to get things done, and that’s how we wind up in the positions we’re in. We work quietly and convince people that these are the right things to do.

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR ON THE ISSUES: “E-mail is the standard today. And an individual letter— not a form letter—will get the most attention. Follow up after a bit of time with a phone call. Depending on the locality, you may talk to a staffer or you may talk to a legislator, but politely make your position known.”— Packard SHOW UP WHEN YOU NEED TO: “Legislators are impressed when something like 400 or 500 people turn out on an issue. If you’re on the e-mail lists of your motorcycling organizations, you can be there when something comes up. The vast majority of people are in a position where they can show up when they need to.

If you care, be there.”—Packard DRESS THE PART: It’s important to wear the right clothes when you go before the your legislators. It shows respect for the institution. When in Rome, do as the Romans do and dress the part.”—Letourneau BE POLITE: “Be civil. Have respect.”—Letourneau

November 2009

41

&

Power Passion What brings women riders from 43 states and five foreign countries together to share enthusiasm, swap stories and ride the Rockies?

The AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference, presented

by Harley-Davidson and Buell.

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&

With great roads, great company and great stories from the likes of Lois Pryce (above right), there were plenty of reasons to head for the Rockies.

As a woman rider, I have to say that this year’s AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference in Keystone, Colo., was one of the most spectacular and emotional motorcycling events I’ve ever attended.

But while many may agree that motorcycling is an emotional experience itself, what makes someone say that about a conference? And why have a conference for women, when women can go to just about any other motorcycle event?

by Sarah Schilke photography by Tom Bear and AMA Staff

November 2009

43

This was the AMA’s fifth Women & Motorcycling Conference, and my fourth. I have had deep soul-searching, emotional and fun experiences at these conferences, and I know for certain there is something different going on here than at other rallies and motorcycle events. But how do I describe what that something is? I’m tempted to boil it down to the old motorcycle adage, “If I had to explain it, you just wouldn’t understand.”

But there’s way more to it than that.

The mood of the four-day event was set during the welcoming ceremonies on Wednesday, Aug. 19, when the AMA’s Washington, D.C., legislative assistant, Sheila Andrews, was visibly moved while introducing

keynote speaker Ashley Fiolek. Ashley is 18 years old, profoundly deaf, and last year won the AMA/WMA Women’s Motocross Championship. This year, with Honda Racing, she became the first pro female motocrosser sponsored by a major factory team.

As Sheila stood at the podium to deliver the introduction, she glanced down at Ashley sitting in the front row with her parents and was overcome by emotion at the significance of her achievements and at the loving support of her family. By the time Ashley took the stage, many in the audience were also dabbing their eyes. The strength of the support Ashley enjoys from her family was clear in her mom’s heartfelt interpretation.

Ashley won the audience over with an impassioned, signed speech about her trials as a young woman in a male-dominated sport, which she views as her biggest challenge in ascending the professional ranks—even moreso than being deaf. The teary-eyed audience gave Ashley a standing ovation as she urged women to band together for encouragement and support. If anyone wondered why a teenage motocross star was chosen to open a conference that has traditionally catered to veteran street riders, by the end everyone recognized Ashley as an extraordinary inspiration, and an important figure in a new genre of female motorcycling pioneers.

Ashley Fiolek’s signed speech detailed her trials as a young which she views as her biggest challenge in ascending the pro

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ÂŤ Ashley Fiolek

(left), the 2008 and 2009 AMA/ WMA Women’s Motocross Champion, brought the crowd to its feet and earned the signlanguage version of wild applause (below, left) for her inspired message of overcoming obstacles.

woman in a male-dominated sport, ranks, even moreso than being deaf.

The Kawasaki-sponsored Barn Dance offered up everyting from enthusiastic line dancing to bonfires, great food and more, resulting in smiles all around from attendees who gathered in the Rocky Mountains of Keystone, Colo.

November 2009

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“What’s different at an event for women? The underlying independence, support, bonding and, of course, fun.”

That is what these conferences are about.

I have choked up at one time or another at each of the conferences. Emotions and crying and sappy women’s stuff—OK, sure, it’s definitely there, as is the predominance of form-fitting, bedazzled and pink riding gear.

But let’s back up to the original question: What’s different at an event for women? The underlying factors include empowerment, inspiration, independence, camaraderie, support, bonding and, of course, fun.

I talked with newbie Elisa Sothers who has been riding her Honda Rebel 250 for just over one month, who said, “As a brand new rider, I decided to come to the conference to just jump right in. I’ve been to many professional conferences but the thing I was immediately struck by was how friendly everybody was.

I’m just amazed, absolutely amazed. I mean, women that are like me, women that are totally the opposite, everywhere I went, people wanted to know about me and were very warm and receptive.”

Elisa hit on a key reason these conferences are so popular. It’s the same reason women like to have “Ladies Night Out” or quilting clubs—there is a distinctly different vibe when women rule the proverbial roost, changing this event from a conference to a marvelous celebratory gathering. Attendees shared that sentiment no matter what they rode.

“It helps to recharge my batteries to be around other women who are so passionate about the sport of motorcycling,” said Jody Waltemeyer of Denver, who has been

Great roads in the Colorado Rockies were just the start of the attractions of the conference, which lived up to its international name with riders from as far away as Japan (right) enjoying the demo rides and the camaraderie of friends.

46

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riding for 14 years and spent one day of the conference on the dual-sport ride. “To narrow that focus down to the dirt riding was really nice, and everyone was sort of connected and on the same page. It was very empowering and very fun.”

One mother-daughter team traveled all the way from Australia to take part in the conference. Lorrie Hemming, the secretary of the Australian Motorcycle Council, and her daughter, Cat, talked excitedly about how welcoming everyone was.

“It has been a fabulous bonding time with my very special daughter,” said Lorrie. Cat said her mother, who started riding at age 55, has been her inspiration in many areas in her life. They are taking advantage of their time in the U.S. and going on a mother-daughter road trip after the conference. “I’m looking forward to Mum and I hiring bikes and riding next month,” says Cat. For over a decade, women have been named the fastest growing segment of new motorcycle riders. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, women now make up 10 to 12 percent of the market.

Significant, yes, but still a vast minority.

So for women, the motorcycle experience continues to be one of being an outsider in a man’s sport. This conference was a breath of fresh air, a place where women could ride in from great distances, get off their motorcycles, and walk confidently into the registration area without being asked: “Isn’t that bike too big for you?” Or, “You didn’t

factors include empowerment, inspiration,

ride that here did you?” Or, “Where is your boyfriend/husband/brother?”

I’m not joking about this phenomenon.

Many of the women probably encountered these questions as they stopped at gas stations en route to Keystone. I know I did.

People generally view women on motorcycles as a novelty, but the truth is that women have been riding motorcycles just about as long as there have been motorcycles to ride. That was clear from another source of inspiration at the conference: the female pioneers in motorcycling history who are generally absent from most motorcycle culture.

The conference was a place where conversations regularly included discussions about the impact of motorcyclists such as Bessie Stringfield, “The Motorcycle Queen of Miami,” an African-American U.S. Army motorcycle dispatch rider who completed eight solo cross-country tours in the 1930s and 1940s. Or about the Van Buren sisters, who, in 1916 before women had the right to vote, became the first women to make a transcontinental journey on two solo motorcycles. Or about Dot Robinson, who competed in endurance runs in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. They made it possible for other women in later years.

November 2009

47

The conference was also a place for us to meet and learn from our current two-wheeling pioneers. I got to meet some of my heroines, such as solo world traveler and author of American Borders, Carla King, who mentored attendees in a seminar on “Solo Riding and Touring: Gaining Confidence in Taking to the Open Road.” There was Sue Slate, co-founder of the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation (WMF), who has tirelessly devoted her motorcycling to fundraising for breast cancer research. (The WMF also organized guided tours, self-guided tour routes and organized the “Dirty Dozen” dual-sport ride for cancer research.) One of my most influential motocross mentors, Bonnie Warch, was on hand to introduce street-riding women to the dirt with her Coach2Ride school.

3.

The conference also offered learning opportunities. Dirtbike classes showed participants new horizons, while seminars on everything from accident-scene management to road safety to making your bike fit you offered new viewpoints.

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Also deserving thanks is the Motorcycle Confederation of Canada and the Women’s Rider Council, which sponsored the International Street Party.

The seminars proved particularly popular.

Said Elisa: “I’m more technically confident now after going through some of the sessions. I‘d have to ask very basic questions, and no one made me feel less or invalidated the question. I thought, OK, I can get better at this. I can improve at my own pace, because people are saying ‘ride your own ride.’”

The fact is that women get inspired by witnessing other women doing things we want to do, and the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference offered this opportunity for both new and veteran riders.

“I felt a range of emotions from elation to reflection,” said Nicole McMurray, an attendee from San Diego who has been riding for 10 years. “There’s elation to see old friends, make new friends and feel a general understanding for one another. Stopping to reflect on the past struggles of women only inspires me to continue down the road paved before me. I feel honored to ride alongside all these remarkable women.”

In a world where women are still often viewed as the “weaker sex,” the conference was a place where women shined and were recognized for their strengths, accomplishments and general awesomeness.

I spoke with one of my riding friends and inspirations, Alice Sexton, a road racer and the president of the U.S chapter of the

Riders at the conference shopped with dozens of vendors who offered everything from riding jackets to women-specific T-shirts to books and movies and even the latest motorcycles.

Women’s International Motorcycle Association. She expressed a similar sentiment to mine.

“For me the most amazing realization was that, as a veteran rider, I was actually able to inspire and even mentor less experienced riders,” Alice said. “As you put more miles on the odometer, you tend to forget what those first riding experiences were like. There truly is no other venue where you can reach so many riders at one time. I can’t wait for the next one!”

Even the men in attendance at the conference could feel the strength.

As Richard Watts from Chicago, put it, “I’ve been riding with women riders, among others, for over 20 years, and all of them have been strong and empowered individuals.

It doesn’t surprise me that 1,000 of them would show up for this conference.”

The conference united women from all over the world, showcased our unique abilities, and provided an exceptional opportunity for bonding, inspiration, support and learning specific to women’s needs and experiences. It’s different because of the intangible, inexplicable factors that you can more easily feel than describe.

I left Keystone with a sense of gratitude to the AMA for recognizing the powerful force of the women’s motorcycle scene. Many others expressed similar appreciation, including one of the attendees from Japan, Yoriko Sato, who summed it up by saying, “I am deeply grateful for a great opportunity to meet many female motorcyclists. I enjoyed a good time at the conference. I hope to see you again someday.”

Sarah Schilke participated in the fifth AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference as an Advisory Council member and seminar speaker. She is an avid street rider, MSF instructor and amateur AMA desert and motocross racer. She has ridden and worked in the motorcycle industry for over 15 years and is the first woman elected to the Motorcycle Industry Council Board of Directors, and is a member of the Women’s Commission of the the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme.

November 2009

49

Go Ride [

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

]

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5

1

You want deep sand, huge rocks, tires taller than you are and racers riding over them? Then don’t miss the final round of the AMA EnduroCross Championship set for Nov. 21 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Info: Endurocross.com.

2

Can’t get enough live road racing action in one sitting? Are those 45-minute sprint races just a little too short for you? Then you need to attend the AMA Superbike Championship 8 Hours at Daytona Oct. 16-18 at the famed Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Info: AMASuperbike.com.

3

Get out your maps now and get rolling because most of the AMA Grand Tours with KOA Along the Way wrap up at the end of November. These include the USA 4 Corners Tour, Grand Tour of Ireland and the Ride with the AMA 85th Anniversary Classic Grand Tour. The SCMA Parks Adventure Grand Tour ends at the end of December. For contact info, see the schedule on page 51.

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Jake Johnson, Nichole Cheza, Jared

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

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Mees and JR Schnabel are just some of the pros who will duke it out in the last race of the season in the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship that will be held in Pomona, Calif., Oct. 24. The half-mile action is set for the Los Angeles County Fairground. Info: AMAProRacing.com.

5

The Lone Star Rally, one of the greatest rallies in the country and a National Convention in the AMA Premier Touring Series, is set for Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Galveston, Texas. It’s also billing itself as “The World’s Largest Halloween Party.” Don’t miss it. Info: Ron Limbock (832) 437-2318, or LoneStarRally.com.

6

It’s the perfect time to climb on your dual-sport or adventure-touring machine and take part in one of the end-of-season events in the AMA KTM National DualSport Trail Riding Series and the AMA BMW National Adventure Riding Series.

Rides are scheduled in various parts of the country, including McArthur, Ohio, Oct. 17-18 and Los Angeles Nov. 27-28. Check

2 7

out the full schedules on page 53.

7

Here’s your chance to get in some good riding and benefit charity at the same time. Ride For Kids charity runs, which are AMA Premier Touring Series Signature Events and benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, are set for Oct. 11 in Phoenix; Oct. 18 in San Diego; Oct. 18 in Knoxville, Tenn.; Oct. 25 in Lafayette, La.; and Nov. 1 in Sarasota, Fla. Get all the details at PBTUS.org/rideforkids.

COMING UP A rockin’ event you won’t want to miss is set for Dec. 4 in Las Vegas. The best amateur racers in the country will be honored at the AMA Racing Championship Banquet at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. These stand-out members of the AMA will receive the well-earned respect of their peers, family, friends and fans at one of the event’s coolest locations ever. Info: AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

The 2009 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is set for Dec. 5 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. Nine greats in the motorcycling world will be honored. Info: MotorcycleMuseum.org.

THE

GuiDE TO EVENTS

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

AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

The biggest events—pro races, national-championship amateur competition, and major rides and rallies—are highlighted in color boxes.

Type of Event Date

For these series, we list all of the remaining events for the entire year.

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

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

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

Contact Phone Number

NOV 7 (R): NOV 21 (R): CASTAIC: 4 DAY EVENTS: RAWHYDE ADVENTURES , JAMES HYDE; 9 AM; 39950 GOLDEN ST HWY; (213) 713-5652; AWHYDEOFFROAD.COM NOV 27 (R): PALMDALE: NATIONAL: 2 DAY EVENT: AMA-DIST 37 DUAL SPORT DI , PAUL FLANDERS; 6:30 AM; 38910 CARRIAGE WAY; (626) 792-7384; DISTRICT37AMA.ORG

Oct. 11: Oregonia, Ohio: Dayton Motorcycle Club

AMA Superbike Championship Daytona Motorsports Group AMASuperbike.com

Oct. 16-18: Daytona beach, Fla.: 8 Hours at Daytona; Daytona Int’l Speedway

Oct. 24: Pomona, Calif.: L.A. County Fairgrounds: Half-mile Event Promoter

Sign-in Time

DuAL SPORT RiDE

AMAProRacing.com

AMAProRacing.com

NOV 6 (S,T,Y): REYNOLDS (D-9): SILVER DOLLAR MX, C/O STEVE JONES; 6 AM; HWY 96 W/JST W OF TWN; (478) 555-4673

CALiFORNiA

AMA Pro Hillclimb Championship

AMA Pro Flat Track Championship

MOTOCROSS

Directions

AMA PRO RACiNG

DIAMOND MX , ALAN J DECARLO; 6 AM; BLUE DIAMOND PARK /765 HAMBURG RD/RT 13 & HAMBURG RD; (302) 8345867; BDMXPARK.COM HARE SCRAMbLES

NOV 15 (S): BEAR: DELAWARE ENDURO RIDERS , PETER R PARLETT; BLUE DIAMOND MX PARK /FOLLOW ARROWS FROM RTS 1 & 40 TO HAMBURG RD; (302) 834-4411; DELAWAREENDURORIDERS.COM

MuSEuM ExHibiTS AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Museum

MotorcycleMuseum.org The Hall of Fame is located on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week year-round except for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s Day. Dec 5: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas: AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; (614) 856-2222.

ROAD RiDiNG

FLORiDA

AMA Premier Touring Series

TuRKEY RuN

ROAD RuN

NOV 15 (R): FULLERTON: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MOTOR , BLAKE ANDERSON; 7 AM; (714) 851-4668; SCMA.COM

NOV 1 (R): NAPLES: MARCH OF DIMES-FL SOUTHWE , NORMA EVELAND; 8 AM; 15000 LIVINGSTON RD /EX 111 OFF I75, 1.5MI THURN L ON LIVINGSTON; (239) 433-3463; BIKERSFORBABIESFLORIDA.COM

AMADirectlink.com/RoadRide/ Touring

NOV 22 (R): SACRAMENTO: AMA-DIST 36 ROAD DIVISION , KAY NEELY; 9 AM; 2414 13TH ST; AMA-D36.COM SCRAMbLES

NOV 21 (S,T,Y): LUCERNE VALLEY: 2 DAY EVENT: AMA-DIST 37 SPORTS COMM , BILL HOWELL; JOHNSON VALLEY OHV AREA; (760) 220-6575; DISTRICT37AMA.ORG HARE SCRAMbLES

NOV 1 (S,T,Y): PLASTER CITY: CHICKEN BONES RACING CLUB , MARTIN KAMERY; 6 AM; 90 MI EAST OF SAN DIEGO /I-8E T OCOTILLO EX/L UNDER BRIDGE/R ON HUGHES; (619) 921-9245; CHICKENBONESRACING.COM NOV 7 (S,Y): RANCHO CORDOVA: 2 DAY EVENT: DIRT DIGGERS NORTH MOTORC , ED SANTIN; 6 AM; 13300 WHITE ROCK RD; (800) 426-4869; HANGTOWNMX.COM NOV 21 (S,Y): WILSEYVILLE: 2 DAY EVENT: 2 + 2 RACING TEAM INC , MELVIN BRADLEY; 7 AM; SCHAAD RANCH /HWY 26 TO RAILROAD FLAT RD; (209) 847-7880; 2PLUS2RACING. COM ENDuRO

NOV 7 (S): NOV 8 (S): UPPER LAKE: HAYWARD MOTORCYCLE CLUB , CLIFF STREIB; MIDDLE CREEK CAMPGROUND /US101N TO HWY 20E NOV 15 (S,T,Y): LUCERNE VALLEY: FOUR ACES MC , RICHARD M WOHLERS; MEANS DRY LAKE /BOONE RD OFF HWY 247, EAST OF LUCERNE; (805) 358-2668; FOURACESMC.ORG NOV 15 (S): STONYFORD: VALLEY CLIMBERS MC , STEVE A FREITAS; DAVIS FLAT /MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST; (707) 678-1292 NOV 22 (S,Y): STONYFORD: RICHMOND RAMBLERS MC , SCOTT ROSE; 9 AM; GRINDSTONE RANGER DISTRICT /7 MI E OF TOWN;(510) 245-3758; RRMC.CC

DELAWARE MOTOCROSS

NOV 8 (S,Y): NEW CASTLE: BLUE

NOV 1 (R): SARASOTA: CHARITY;: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU , KYLE CLACK; 8 AM; SARASOTA CO TECH INSTITUTE /4748 BENEVA RD; (800) 2536530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG MOTOCROSS

NOV 23 (M,Y): NOV 26 (M,Y): GAINESVILLE: 3 DAY EVENTS:UNLIMITED SPORTS MX, WYNDELL T KERN; GATORBACK CYCLE PARK; (813) 470-7498; UNLIMITEDSPORTSMX.COM

GEORGiA DRAG RACES

NOV 13 (S): VALDOSTA: 3 DAY EVENT: AMA DRAGBIKE , BRANDI NEITHAMER; 9 AM; S GEORGIA MOTORSPORTS; (513) 943-9700; AMADRAGBIKE.COM

NATiONAL CONVENTiONS Oct 29-Nov 1: Galveston, Texas: Lone Star Rally: Ron Limbock; (832) 4372318; lonestarrally.com SiGNATuRE EVENTS Oct 18: San Diego: Ride For Kids: Registration 8 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.. Mira Costa College, Cardiff, Calif.; pbtfus. org/rideforkids Oct 18: Knoxville, Tenn.: Ride For Kids: Registration 8 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Chilhowee Park; pbtfus.org/rideforkids Oct 25: Lafayette, La: Ride For Kids: Registration 8 a.m. - 9:45 a.m..

SLEMCO; pbtfus.org/rideforkids Nov 1: Sarasota, Fla.: Ride For Kids: Registration 8 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.. Sarasota Tech. Institute; pbtfus.org/rideforkids

iLLiNOiS

AMA GRAND TOuRS With KOA Along The Way

DuAL SPORT RiDE

Apr 1- Nov 30: uSA 4 Corners Tour:

NOV 1 (R): LEAF RIVER: FOREST CITY RIDERS MC , RYAN MOSS; 7:30 AM; 7 MI W OF BYRON; (815) 624-6535; FORESTCITYRIDERS.COM HARE SCRAMbLES

NOV 8 (S,T,Y): BELLEVILLE: BELLEVILLE ENDURO TEAM IN , EDWARD M HOEFFKEN; 8 AM; 3000 CENTERVILLE AVE /2 MI S OF TOWN ON RT 158; (618) 233-1318; BETDIRT.COM NOV 8 (S,Y): OAKLEY: DIRT RIDERS INC , JAY C HALL; 8 AM; OFF OF I 72 ARGENTA EXIT /FOLLOW ARROWS; (217) 424-8950; DIRT-RIDER.ORG NOV 29 (S,Y): WHITE CITY: CAHOKIA CREEK DIRT RIDERS , BOBBY G BROWN; 8 AM; I-55 EXIT 44 HWY 138 WEST 2MIL; (618) 946-4316; CCDIRT. COM

iNDiANA HARE SCRAMbLES

NOV 15 (S,Y): COLUMBUS: STONEY LONESOME MOTORCYCL , BEN B BREEDLOVE; 8 AM; 6 MILES W I-65 ON

MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles: Priceless machines, exclusive memorabilia and tales from celebrities’ favorite adventures. On display through April 2010.

Awesome-Ness: The life and art of Arlen Ness: King of Choppers.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Bikes and memorabilia recognizing those who have made significant contributions to all aspects of motorcycling.

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

So. CA Motorcycling Assoc; David L. Johnson; (909) 796-2277; usa4corners. org Apr 1- Nov 30: Color the World with KOA Grand Tour: Midnight Riders; Charles Kirkman; (765) 566-3807; midnight-riders-mc.com Apr 1- Nov 30: Grand Tour of Ireland: Irish Riders Motorcycle Club; Maggie McNally; (518) 209-2464; irishridersmc. com Apr 1- Nov 30: Ride with the AMA 85th Ann. Classic Grand Tour: Dayton Motorcycle Club; Kevin Looney; (937) 263-9321; daytonmc.com Apr 1- Nov 30: Roadside Attractions Grand Tour: Road Winders M/C; Joe Sloan; (215) 322-4436; hogman19053@ yahoo.com Jan 1- Dec 31: SCMA Parks Adventure Grand Tour: SCMA; Blake Anderson; (310)345-9799; mitch0399@earthlink.net STATE RALLiES Oct 23-25: New Orleans bikefest: Westwego, La.; Barry Lee & Kay Miller; (504) 274-0226; neworleansbikefest.com

MOTORCYCLE SHOWS Cycle World international Motorcycle Shows www.motorcycleshows.com Nov. 13-15 : Dallas, Texas: Dallas Convention Center; DallasConventionCenter.com Nov. 20-22: San Mateo, Calif.: San Mateo County Expo Center; SanMateoExpo.org Dec. 4-6: Long beach, Calif.: Long Beach Convention Center; LongBeachCC.com Dec. 11-13: Seattle, WA: Qwest Field Event Center; QwestField.com

First Center; CarolinaFirstCenter.com Jan. 15-17: Washington, D.C.: Washington Convention Center; DCConvention.com Jan. 22-24: New York, N.Y.: Javits Convention Center; JavitsCenter.com Jan. 29-31: Cleveland, Ohio: I-X Center; IXCenter.com Feb. 5-7: Minneapolis, Minn.: Minneapolis Convention Center; MplsConvCtr.org Feb. 19-21: Chicago, ill.: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont.com

Jan. 1-3: Novi, Mich.: Rock Financial Showplace; RockFinancialShowplace.com Jan. 8-10: Greenville, SC: Carolina

November 2009

51

AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AMA Racing West Hare Scrambles

Oct. 23-25: Mesquite, Nev., Sean Reddish, Off Road Sports, info@westernharescrambles.com

World Off-Road Championship Series

Oct. 23-25: Mesquite, Nev., (435) 635-1597; info@ worcsracing.com

Grand National Cross Country Series

Oct 24-25: Crawfordsville, Ind., Racer Productions; (304) 284-0084; info@gnccracing.com

AMA Racing National Hare & Hound

Oct. 25: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Tommy Russell, 100s MC; (760) 578-7943; 100smc.org

AMA Dragbike AMADragbike.com

Nov. 13-15: South Georgia Motorsports Park, Valdosta, Ga., AMA Dragbike; (513) 943-9700

AMA EnduroCross Championship

sourceinterlink.com

WesternHareScrambles.com

WORCSRacing.com

GNCCRacing.com

Endurocross.com

Oct. 24: National Western Complex, Denver, Source Interlink Media Motorsports; endurocross@

Nov. 21: The Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nev., Source Interlink Media Motorsports; endurocross@ sourceinterlink.com

FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT THE RIDING SE CTION OF AMERICANMOTOR CYCLIST.COM

April 18-19, 2009 Bybee , TN • May 2-3, 2009 Buck Meadows, CA May 30-31, 2009 Waben • May 16-17, 2009 Za o, WI • May 30-31, 200 leski, OH 9 Mill Hall, PA • June June 19-20, 2009 Logan 6-7, 2009 Hood River, , OH • August 28-31, OR 200 9 North Cascades, WA Sept. 19-20, 2009 Mo rganton, NC • Sept. 19• Sept. 12-13, 2009 Ca 20, 2009 Sterling, IL diz, KY Sept. 26-27, 2009 Co • Sept. 26-27, 2009 Lo lumbus, IN • Sept. 26gan, OH 27, 2009 Wabeno, WI Oct. 10-11, 2009 Hamm • Oc t.

3-4 onton, NJ • Oct. 24-25, , 2009, 2009 TBA, KY 2009 Delta, AL • Oct. Oct. 31 - Nov. 1, 2009 24-25, 2009 Payson, Port Elizabeth, NJ • AZ Nov. 7-8, 2009 Jenkin s, NJ • Nov. 27-28, 200 9 Los Angeles, CA

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS International Six Days Enduro

Oct. 12-17: Figueira da Foz, Portugal: Federação Nacional de Motociclismo; fnm-geral@netcabo.pt; www.fnm.pt

ST ROAD 46; (812) 350-5732; STONEYLONESOMEMC. COM

REIGHN; 85 GODFREY BRIDGE RD; (856) 287-8170; METEORMC.COM

NOV 15 (S,T,Y): LYNNVILLE: LYNNVILLE AREA DIRT RIDER , JEFF ULREY; 6 AM; LYNNVILLE PARK /I-64 EXIT 39; (812) 550-0323; LADIRTRIDERS.COM

DUAL SPORT RIDE

ENDURO

NOV 1 (S): NEW PARIS: RIDER MC , JIM BINKLEY; 7 AM; TURKEY CREEK ENDURO; (574) 642-4067; RIDERSMC.ORG

IOWA ARENA CROSS

NOV 6 (M,Y): DES MOINES: 3 DAY EVENT: FELD MOTOR SPORTS , JAYME DALSING; 6:30 AM; WELLS FARGO ARENA; (800) 216-7482; ARENACROSS.COM

MARYLAND MOTOCROSS

NOV 21 (S,T,Y): BUDDS CREEK: STATE CHAMP; 2 DAY EVENT: BUDDS CREEK MOTOCROSS PAR , JONATHAN E BEASLEY; BUDDS CREEK MX PARK /27963 BUDDS CREEK RD; (301) 475-2000; BUDDSCREEK.COM

MICHIGAN MOTOCROSS

NOV 1 (S,Y): MILLINGTON: BAJA MX INC , ROSANNA GRZEBINSKI; 7 AM; 8683 BIRCH RUN RD /I-75 EX 136E/6.5 MI E TO TRACK; (989) 871-3356; BAJAMX. COM

NOV 7 (R): JENKINS: NATIONAL: 2 DAY EVENT: METEOR MOTORCYCLE CLUB IN , MICHAEL D REIGHN; 85 GODFREY BRIDGE RD; (856) 287-8170; METEORMC.COM MOTOCROSS

NOV 8 (S,Y): ENGLISHTOWN: RACEWAY PARK , RICHARD SC HMIDT; 7 AM; 230 PENSION RD; (732) 446-7800; RACEWAYPARK.COM NOV 22 (V,Y): ENGLISHTOWN: RACEWAY PARK , RICHARD SCHMIDT; 7 AM; 230 PENSION RD; (732) 446-7800; RACEWAYPARK.COM

NEW YORK ROAD RUN

NOV 1 (R): MASSAPEQUA: CHARITY; LEATHERNECKS MOTORCYCLE C , PAUL F RUSSELL; 9:30 AM; MARINE CORPS LEAGUE /RIDE TO VA HOSPITAL IN NORTHPORT; (516) 509-9512; LEATHERNECKSMCNEWYORK.COM TURKEY RUN

NOV 22 (R): RONKONKOMA: IDONTKNOW MC , FRED MOSS; 10 AM; SKF MOTORCYCLE SUPERMARKET / EAST SIDE OF LAKELAND AVE; IDONTKNOWMC.COM MUD & SNOW SCRAMBLES

MISSISSIPPI

NOV 15 (S,T,Y): NOV 29 (S,T,Y): HARPURSVILLE: SQUARE DEAL RIDERS M/C , ANDY BALMER; 9 AM; ALLEN RD; (607) 759-8800; SQUAREDEALRIDERS.COM

ROAD RUN

NORTH CAROLINA

NOV 14 (R): TUPELO: MARCH OF DIMES-MS , KELLY BREWER; 7:30 AM; BENCORP SOUTH ARENA 315 E MAIN /DOWNTOWN TUPELO; (662) 844-6901; BIKERSFORBABIES.COM

MOTOCROSS

MOTOCROSS

NOV 22 (S,T,Y): REIDSVILLE: BOXSTAR SPORTS LLC , CHAD LOUGH; 3:30 PM; ROLLING HILLS CYCLE PARK /156 MOTOCROSS TRAIL; (336) 577-2067; ROLLINGHILLSCYCLEPARK.NET

NOV 1 (S,Y): PRENTISS: GOLDEN PINE RACEWAY , RANDY R RECTOR; 6 AM; 103 GOLDEN PINE RD; (601) 506-8669; GOLDENPINERACEWAY.COM

OHIO

NEVADA

NOV 14 (R): COLUMBUS: ABATE-OH INC , JAMES ELGIN; 11 AM; 4285 GROVES RD /70 W TO HAMILTON RD S. 1/8 M ON RIGHT; (614) 319-3644; ABATE.COM

INDOOR ENDURO

NOV 21 (S): LAS VEGAS: INDOOR; SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA , BECKY J KOONS; ORLEANS ARENA 4500 TROPICANA; (817) 246-6751; ENDUROCROSS.COM

NEW JERSEY ADVENTURE RIDE

NOV 7 (R): JENKINS: NATIONAL: 2 DAY EVENT: METEOR MOTORCYCLE CLUB IN , MICHAEL D

TOY RUN

MOTOCROSS

NOV 20 (S,T,Y): JACKSON: INDOOR; AMERICAN MOTOSPORTS LLC , MATT EASTMAN; 2 PM; HENDERSON’S ARENA COMPLEX /SR 32 10 MI W OF TOWN; (937) 358-2427; AMERICANMX.COM NOV 21 (S,T,Y): JACKSON: AMERICAN MOTOSPORTS LLC , MATT EASTMAN; 8 AM; HENDERSON’S ARENA COMPLEX /SR 32 10 MI W OF TOWN; (937) 358-2427;

DuAL-SPORT AMA KTM National Dual-Sport Trail Riding Series

Sportsmen, E. Polhaumus; (856) 785-2754; teamhammer.org.

AMADirectLink.com/RoadRide/DS/

Nov. 7-8: Jenkins, N.J.: Meteor MC, Mike Reign; (856) 287-8170; meteormc.com.

Oct. 17-18: McArthur, Ohio: Enduro Riders Assoc., Steve Barber; (614) 891-1369; enduroriders.com.

Oct. 24-25: Delta, Ala.: Dixie Dual Sport, Robert Frey, dixiedualsport.com.

Nov. 27-28: Los Angeles, Calif.: AMA District 37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders, (626) 792-7384; district37ama.org.

Oct. 24-25: Payson, Ariz.: Arizona Trail Riders, Don Hood, (602) 692-9382; arizonatrailriders.org.

Oct. 24-25: Study Butte, Texas: Trail Riders of Houston, Jack Jennings; (713) 248-7222; trh-cycle. org.

Oct. 31-Nov. 1: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Tri-County

ADVENTuRE SERiES AMA BMW National Adventure Riding Series AMADirectLink.com/RoadRide/ADV/

Oct. 24-25: Delta, la.L; Dixie Dual Sport, Robert Frey, dixiedualsport.com.

Oct. 24-25: Payson, Ariz.; Arizona Trail Riders, Don Hood; (602) 692-9382; arizonatrailriders.org.

Nov. 7-8: Jenkins, N.J.; Meteor MC, Mike Reign; (856) 287-8170; meteormc.com.

Nov. 27-28: Los Angeles, Calif.; AMA District 37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 792-7384; district37ama.org.

Oct. 31-Nov. 1: Port Elizabeth, N.J.; TriCounty Sportsmen, E. Polhaumus (856) 785-2754, teamhammer.org.

Nov. 7-8: Port Elizabeth, N.J.; Tri-County Sportsmen, E. Polhaumus; (856) 785-2754; teamhammer.org.

AMERICANMX.COM

6036; DOUBLINGAP.COM

HARE SCRAMBLES

NOV 8 (S,Y): HANOVER: HAPPY RAMBLERS , SHARON L FISHER; 6 AM; 4340 HANOVER RD /RT 116/5 MI W OF TOWN/SEE WEBSITE; (717) 633-7708; HAPPYRAMBLERS.COM

NOV 28 (S,Y): DAYTON: DAYTON MOTORCYCLE CLUB , KEVIN BOOHER; 6 AM; 3515 STONY HOLLOW RD /I-75/35W/S GETTYSBURG RD/LEFT; (937) 263-9321; DAYTONMC.COM

TENNESSEE

ENDuRO

HARE SCRAMBLES

NOV 15 (S): GREENVILLE: TREATY CITY MOTORCYCLE CL , DAN R KNECHT; 10 AM; 7270 MOTORCYCLE DR /3.5 MI W OF TOWN OFF ST RT 571; (937) 548-7197; TREATYCITYMC.COM

NOV 8 (S,Y): BYBEE: JB SAKI PROMOTIONS, JOHN B STRANGE; 6 AM; I-81 EX 12/5 MI S ON HWY 160 / FOLLOW ARROWS; (865) 322-0193; SETRA.ORG

GRAND PRiX

NOV 14 (S,T): 2 DAY EVENT: ACTION SPORTS PROMOTIONS , DREW WOLFE; TBA; (740) 594-6686; ACTIONSPORTSRACING.COM NOV 22 (S,T): NELSONVILLE: FAST TRAXX PROMOTIONS LLC , SHAWNA BICKLEY; 8 AM; 5999 WARREN DR /BTWN ATHENS & TOWN ON RT 33; (740) 767-3740; FASTTRAXXRACING.COM

OREGON HARE & HOuND

NOV 14 (S,Y): BEND: 2 DAY EVENT: LOBOS MC INC , BILLY TOMAN; CAMP 2510 HWY 20 E MP 23 /FROM BEND EAST ON HWY 20 TO MP 23; (503) 656-5801; LOBOSMC.COM

PENNSYLVANiA POKER RuN

NOV 14 (R): PARRYVILLE: BLOCKER ENTERPRISES INC , DENNIS BLOCKER; 10 AM; 770 STATE RD /.5 MI E OF LEHIGHTON OFF RT 248; (610) 377-0440; BLOCKERS. COM TOY RuN NOV 1 (R): LEESPORT: CHARITY: CLASSIC HARLEYDAVIDSON , DOT BASILE; 9 AM; 983 JAMES DR /I MI N OF RT 222 ON RT 183; (610) 916-7777; CLASSICHARLEY.COM TuRKEY RuN

NOV 1 (R): BIRDSBORO: PAGODA MOTORCYCLE CLUB , RANDY KASTLE; 10 AM; 441 RED LANE /422 TO 82 TO LINCOLN RD TO RED LANE; (610) 582-3717; PAGODAMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM MOTOCROSS

NOV 1 (S,T,Y): CLIFFORD: HURRICANE HILLS MOTORSPOR , JOSEPH C FRITZ RT81, EX 206, 374E TO RT 106 E TRACK 3 MI; (570) 222-9290; HHMOTOCROSS.COM NOV 1 (S,Y): SHIPPENSBURG: DOUBLIN GAP MX PARK INC , RODNEY YENTZER; 7 AM; 100 REASNOR LANE / RT 81 EXIT 24 TO RT 696N/6 MI N OF TOWN; (717) 249-

TEXAS MOTOCROSS

NOV 7 (S,Y): WORTHAM: STATE CHAMP; 2 DAY EVENT: FREESTONE COUNTY RACEWAY , TONY MILLER; 470 COUNTY ROAD 995; (713) 880-5533; FREESTONEMX. COM

ViRGiNiA ROAD RuN

NOV 8 (R): HAMPTON: ABATE-VA INC , BRYAN REILLY; 1 PM; VET HOSPITAL; (757) 874-3670; MOTOCROSS

NOV 7 (S,T,Y): DILLWYN: 2 DAY EVENT: ACTIONTOWN MX CLUB , CARL REYNOLDS; 6 AM; SR20/2 MI N OF US15; (434) 836-7629; BIRCHCREEKMOTORSPORTS. COM NOV 14 (S,T,Y): SUTHERLIN: 2 DAY EVENT: BIRCHCREEK PROMOTIONS,LLC , KEN FERRELL; 6 AM; 12725 KENTUCK RD; (434) 836-7629; BIRCHCREEKMOTORSPORTS.COM NOV 28 (S,T,Y): DISPUTANTA: 2 DAY EVENT: SOUTH FORK MX CLUB , SHERRY ROBBINS; 6 AM; 6148 BAXTER RD /20 MIN FROM PETERSBURG OFF I-95; (804) 221-3689; SOUTHFORKMX.COM GRAND PRiX

NOV 8 (S,Y): SPRING GROVE: VIRGINIA CHAMPIONSHIP HAR , RALPH BENHART; PIPSICO; (757) 356-0354; VCHSS.NET CROSS COuNTRY NOV 15 (S,T,Y): PETERSBURG: LONE RIDER PRODUCTIONS , TIMOTHY L NORRIS; 6:30 AM; VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK /I-85S FROM TOWN EXIT 63A/4 MI ON RT; (804) 966-7595; VXCS.ORG

WASHiNGTON MOTOCROSS

NOV 1 (S,T,Y): NOV 15 (S,T,Y): PORT ANGELES: OLYMPIC PENINSULA MOTORCY , MELISSA BAAR; 7 AM; 1306 DEER PARK RD /HWY 101W/S ON DEER PK RD; (360) 565-0303; OPMC.ORG

Y alley, K enfro V R 6 2 5 April 2 7 Zeleski, OH -1 I May 16 1 Wabeno, W -3 on May 30 1 Mill Hall, PA ers Associati id 3 R 0 il 3 ra y T Ma est -7 Midw June 6 Custer, MI R -7 June 6 Hood River, O -7 June 6 Loudon, NH -7 June 6 5 Gaylord, MI -2 9 , NY 1 July ancock iz, KY t 8-9 H Augus er 12-13 Cad itsville, OH a b tr m S te w Ne Sep R ber 5-6 ford, O Septem er 19-20 Med , IL g b in Septem er 19-20 Sterl bus, IN b m Septem er 26-27 Colu nd, CA b vela m ro te G p e 7 S -2 I ber 26 eno, W Septem er 26-27 Wab , OH b n a Septem er 26-27 Log Falls, MI b ne Septem er 26-27 Boy A b ,V Septem 3-4 Mt. Solon OH r ur, e h b rt A to Oc 8 Mc L er 17-1 Octob 24-25 Delta, A Z ,A er n b o s to y c a O 5P utte, TX er 24-2 Octob 24-25 Study B beth, NJ r liza e Octob Nov. 1 Port E J ,N 1 s 3 in Oct. Jenk s, CA ber 7-8 Angele Novem r 27-28 Los be Novem ,

TAILS RE DE O M R FO HE VISIT T SECTION G N I RID ERICAN OM OF AMRCYCLIST.C O T MO

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November 2009

55

Get inVolVeD

Learn the Snell Story at www.SMF.org/thestory

american motorcyclist .COM/riGHts 56

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November 2009

57

Guest Column

A Teenage Daughter’s Impression Of Motorcycling “All set?” My father’s voice was muffled against the sound of his 750cc V4 Honda Magna. I flashed a thumbs up, my heart picking up speed as his foot swept up the kickstand, and his right hand twisted the throttle. We set off into a whole new world, a journey of the mind and soul as well as the road itself.

Soon we were rolling, rolling down the country roads. I felt the wind, the breeze running through my jacket. The sun’s rays radiated over the land, creating an exhilarating view. A mild lean to the right told me we were making our way steadily around a curve in the winding road. Knowing my dad was maneuvering the bike rid me instantly of any second thoughts about our safety.

The bike was steady, and the road had straightened out. I looked to my right, turning my head so I could fully see the land. The scenery had changed—it had improved, taking a huge leap from an everyday view to something you’d find inside a National Geographic. If my head hadn’t been inside my silver modular helmet, my jaw would’ve been down to the ground from the beauty flooding my eyes.

When I hear the words “motorcycle ride,” an image flashes through my head.

It’s an image that plays out like a movie, a

58

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

memory—the memory of when my dad took me on a ride over the Maryland Conowingo Dam. I remember riding over the dam, seeing the oddly shaped rocks, confused at the actuality of their size. I remember the water and how it had a color that I never really saw water have before? But I also remember how the sun reflected off of it, completing the scene. The water sparkled and shined, making the rocks seem more than just rocks. Instead they were works of art, placed there for a purpose.

Then I remember being in the woods, surrounded by trees with leaves greener than the rainforest. The trees were a blur as the bike shot past. And just like Bob Seger sings, “We rolled clean outta sight.”

The bike thundered on. We’d been out for over an hour, time frozen in the space of such beauty. The sun was beginning to set, leaving the sky a mixture of purple, orange and yellow. My dad maneuvered the Magna as if he were a part of it, as if he were the bike and not the rider.

We didn’t turn straight back toward home. We took a different route. Not as scene-filled, but a mild one—a cool-down

By Lauren Bachur from a heavy workout. It didn’t take long to reach our destination of home.

Once you lose track of time on a bike, you never have to worry about the rides getting boring, and time passes as if all you had done was blinked an eye.

My mom was standing outside our house, waiting for us when we pulled into the driveway. The rumble had faded away, and a peaceful, almost harmonious sound of quiet pervaded its place.

“How was the ride?” Mom asked with enthused curiosity, as my dad and I both took off our helmets and jackets. I smiled, exchanging a tacit glance with my dad.

We didn’t need words to explain. We understood.

“Just like any other ride,” I said simply, still smiling and headed for the house. I finished taking off my gear, making sure it found its way back to its proper place. I was at peace.

Lauren Bachur is a high school sophomore and an Honors English student. She has been an avid reader and writer since age 4.

Photos Erin Lassahn Photography

The View From The Back Seat

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