American Motorcyclist October 2023

Editorial Director Mitch Boehm on VMD Behind the Scenes

12

34 RETRO AND RUSTY REDUX

Returning to VMD and racing vintage motocross after a 14-year layoff

48 THE ROYAL ROOTS

Exploring Royal Enfield’s earliest days via its “Motor Bicycle”

64 AMA GARAGE

Tips, tweaks, fixes and facts: The motorcycle ownership experience, explained

66 LAST PAGE VMD: By the Numbers

ON THE COVER:

What do you call several hundred vintage bike enthusiasts following Grand Marshal Steve Wise and his Royal Enfield

Continental GT650 around the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July? AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, of course! It took a while, but photographer Kevin Wing and the AMA’s Todd Westover nailed the shot.

Our

EDITORIAL

Mitch Boehm Editorial Director

Todd Westover Chief Creative Consultant

Keaton Maisano Managing Editor

Kerry Hardin Senior Graphic Designer

John Burns Contributing Editor

Contact the Editorial Team at: submissions@ama-cycle.org

Michael Kula Business Development Manager (949) 466-7833, mkula@ama-cycle.org

Alex Boehm Associate Sales Representative (614) 729-7949, aboehm@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. For information on AMA membership benefits, call (800) AMA-JOIN or visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Manuscripts, photos, drawings and other editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage. No responsibility is assumed for loss or damage to unsolicited material.

Copyright© American Motorcyclist Association, 2021.

AMA STAFF

EXECUTIVE

Rob Dingman President/Chief Executive Officer

James Holter Chief Operating Officer

Jeff Wolens Chief Financial Officer

Donna Perry Executive Assistant to President/CEO

Danielle Smith Human Resources Manager/Assistant to COO

RACING AND ORGANIZER SERVICES

Mike Pelletier Director of Racing

Bill Cumbow Director of International Competition

Michael Burkeen Deputy Director of Racing

Ken Saillant Track Racing Manager

Michael Jolly Racing Manager

Jeff Canfield Racing Manager

Connie Fleming Supercross/FIM Coordinator

Olivia Davis Racing Program Manager

Jensen Burkeen Sanctioned Activity Coordinator

Damian George Sanctioned Activity Coordinator

MUSEUM

Paula Schremser Program Specialist

Ricky Shultz Museum Clerk

Kobe Stone Museum Clerk

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Nick Haris Government Relations Director/ Western States Rep.

Zach Farmer Government Relations, Washington Rep.

Nick Sands Government Relations, Central States Rep.

AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Contact any member of the AMA Board of Directors at americanmotorcyclist.com/ama-board-of-directors

Russ Ehnes Chair

Great Falls, Mont.

Gary Pontius Vice Chair

Westfield, Ind.

Brad Baumert Assistant Treasurer

Louisville, Ky.

Jerry Abboud Executive Committee Member

Thornton, Colo.

Mark Hosbach Executive Committee Member

Franklin, Tenn.

Hub Brennan

E. Greenwich, R.I.

Christopher Cox

Florence, S.C.

Steve Drewlo

Bismarck, N.D.

Clif Koontz

Moab, Utah

Shae Petersen

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Tom Umphress

Jordan, Minn.

Faisel Zaman

Dallas, Texas

(800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646) (614) 856-1900

AmericanMotorcyclist.com @AmericanMotorcyclist @ama_riding

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Joy Burgess Marketing & Communications Director

Joe Bromley Program Development Manager

Makenzi Martin Membership Event and Program Manager

Lauren Kropf Marketing and Communications Specialist

Bob Davis Program Volunteer Specialist

Jack Emerson Corporate Communications Specialist

MEMBER SERVICES

Amanda Donchess Director of Membership

Lynette Cox Membership Manager

Tiffany Pound Member Services Manager

Pam Albright Member Fulfillment Coordinator

Carolyn Vaughan Member Fulfillment Representative

Stephanie McCormick Member Services Representative

Vickie Park Member Services Representative

Charles Moore Member Services Representative

Kelly Anders Member Services Representative

Sarah Lockhart Member Services Representative

Sieara Thomas Member Services Representative

John Bricker Mailroom Manager

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Shaun Holloway Director of Information Technology

Jarrod Gilliland Application Developer

Ed Madden Systems and Database Analyst

Rob Baughman Support Technician

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PERSPECTIVES VMD: Behind the scenes

BY MITCH BOEHM

Amonth has passed as I write this, and I’m just now starting to get some clear-headed perspective on the annual happening that is AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.

As a classic-bike fan forever and a vintage racer since the early 1990s, I have always considered VMD to be the best event of the year by far, and I’m certainly not alone. As anyone who’s attended will tell you (and probably vociferously), VMD is a literal 9-ring motorcycling circus…a fourday and seemingly nonstop extravaganza of all things two-wheeled, retro or modern, mighty or mini.

From several disciplines of onand off-road racing to the absolutely insane swap meet (where you can get literally lost) and everything in between, VMD offers the most pressure-packed and immersive long weekend of two-wheeled fun you’ll find anywhere.

It takes a superhuman effort to put the thing on, too, which I have learned firsthand over these last three years, right along with the AMA (and Mid-Ohio) staff that work the event and are part of the year-long planning process that goes into VMD. It’s a monster of a million details and involves plenty of stress and teeth grinding for staff during setup and for the four days. But the end result (of which every cent collected goes to fund and support the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame) is always worth it — even if it takes a few weeks to recover and realize it.

I’m fortunate to have some of the more interesting responsibilities during VMD week, two of which are securing a Grand Marshal and appropriate motorcycles for the Hall of Fame display. After doing a 50-year

On Any Sunday anniversary theme with Hall of Famer David Aldana as GM in 2021, and then hosting HOFer Kevin Schwantz as GM last year and featuring a couple of his most important race bikes, we knew we had to do something very cool this year…and I think we pulled it off.

The most obvious idea was to celebrate the 50- and 40-year anniversaries of three of Honda’s most important motorcycles: the 1973 CR250M Elsinore and XR75, and 1983 V45 Interceptor. We had a stock V45 in the HOF museum, but also added a trio of pedigreed factory V45 AMA Superbikes from my good friend Brian O’Shea’s collection: HOFer Freddie Spencer’s 1985 Daytona 200 winner, a real-deal Roberto Pietri Interceptor, and a HOFer Steve Wise VF750 he rode during 1983.

Many thanks to Eamon and Ryan Massett, who provided a beautiful Elsinore 250 for our tent, and to Nick

Schiattareggia, who brought pristine examples of Honda’s XR75 and 125 Elsinore. Also to my good friend Alex Moroz, who shuttled bikes back and forth from the East Coast to Ohio.

Of course, with Elsinores and Interceptors on the docket, we needed a Grand Marshal with experience on both, and that meant one person and one person only: Mr. Steve Wise, who somehow won AMA Nationals in motocross, AMA Supercross and roadracing, a feat that will never be accomplished again.

Now it’s onto planning for next year’s VMD, which will feature another anniversary, and a big one: The AMA’s 100th. It’s gonna be good, so don’t miss it.

Mitch Boehm is the Editorial Director of the AMA and a long-time member.

Two first-year Elsinores (and an XR75) at VMD. See the racing Interceptors in the VMD piece, top of page 32.

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As you can see from the coverage in this month’s edition, the 2023 version of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days did not disappoint. Each year after VMD I have the same two thoughts: Is there any way next year’s VMD will top this one, and then, I can’t believe this year’s event topped last year’s.

The fact that VMD gets better every year is a testament to our great AMA staff that works hard all year long to put on such a great event, always improving upon the previous year’s effort. So a big thank you to our staff! I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our sponsors, as well, a complete list of which you can see on page 46.

As you likely already know, VMD is the largest single fundraiser for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and museum. The event is co-promoted by the AMA and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and the AMA’s share of the proceeds goes to the HOF and museum.

VMD is much more than simply a vintage motorcycle event. In addition to raising money for such a worthwhile cause, the greatest thing about VMD for me is that it is representative of almost everything the AMA is and does. The AMA’s mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling, and I can think of no better example of what is meant by the motorcycle lifestyle than what can be experienced at VMD.

VMD is truly a family gathering, as it showcases how motorcycling, in all its forms, is a family sport. It’s so gratifying to see kids, parents and grandparents enjoying themselves. The event provides the type of experiences that foster great passion for motorcycling, and there is no doubt in my mind that VMD is an event where that passion leads to the development of lifelong

From the President and CEO

VMD: The Bigger Picture

BY ROB DINGMAN

motorcyclists.

I was struck by Alex Boehm’s description (on page 34) of his VMD experience this year, and how it brought him back to his VMD experience well over a decade ago as a 13-year-old. His words and the accompanying then-and-now photos illustrate my point about VMD and families very well.

While lifelong motorcyclists and motorcycling families are what the motorcycle lifestyle is all about, they are also key to protecting the future of motorcycling. Indeed, it is their future that we are so preoccupied with protecting.

Not only does VMD generate memories that last a lifetime among families and extended families, the event is also a gathering of the AMA family. One of the greatest things about the AMA is the diversity of motorcycling interests represented by the organization. The AMA is an all-thingsto-all-motorcyclists organization, and there is no other event on the calendar where that diversity is on display more boldly.

The AMA has evolved a great deal since it was formed by the industry association in 1924 to give people things to do with their motorcycles so they would literally buy more motorcycles. I wonder if the gentlemen who created the AMA envisioned what the organization would become…or what they would think of VMD. To say that VMD gives people something to do with their motorcycles is quite an understatement, but I can’t believe anyone in the early 1900s could have

imagined anything like what occurs at VMD today. I am not quite sure they could have envisioned that the AMA would evolve into the all-things-to-allmotorcyclists entity that it has become.

You may think I just glossed over the fact that the AMA was formed in 1924, 100 years ago, next year. In fact, I mentioned the date to specifically call your attention to it, as next year we’ll mark a tremendous milestone as we celebrate the AMA’s 100th anniversary!

It is amazing to think of all that has transpired in motorcycling over the last 100 years. Motorcycling, and the AMA, for that matter, has changed quite a bit, even during my relatively short tenure of 17 years as the organization’s president and CEO.

We have big plans in store to commemorate and celebrate this momentous anniversary over the coming year. You can read all about it in the pages of this magazine going forward, and keep an eye out for an AMA 100th Anniversary logo coming soon.

Thank you for being part of the amazing AMA family!

Rob Dingman is the President and CEO of the AMA, and a Charter Life Member

Just as Steve McQueen said in On Any Sunday, “People out having a good time on motorcycles.” That’s VMD.

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BACKFIRES

MORE MINIBIKE MEMORIES

Just read the August issue’s Last Page on minibikes and thought I’d add something about my dream ride. The day after seventh grade in 1969 I got hired at the local Coast-to-Coast in my hometown of Stillwater, Minn., my goal being to raise enough money to buy the beauty seen in this photo. It was called the Aggie Bike from Montgomery Wards, which happened to be about five doors down from our Coast-to-Coast store. I ended up getting it, but didn’t have it very long seeing that it constantly fell

LETTER OF THE MONTH

While thumbing through the August issue I came to the Last Page and suddenly felt like I was having some sort of flashback. Of the nine vintage minibike ads pictured, I immediately recognized eight of them with a pleasant shock and flood of intense memories. In 1969, I was 12 years old and my best bud got a blue Honda Mini Trail 50 for Christmas. That techy little thing simply blew my mind. He wouldn’t let me ride it for a long while (though he’d let me wax it), so I started papering my bedroom walls with any and all motorcycle ads I could find. (To my mom’s later dismay I often used Elmer’s glue.) The SL70 was my absolute dreambike; I drooled over that ad you pictured there, and it still sends shivers. Also, another kid nearby had one of those Benelli Dynamo 65cc two-strokes shown on the page…I can still smell the exhaust, and boy, that was a magical time.

Greg Webb New City, N.Y.

That’s pretty much the response we were after with that particular Last Page, Greg, so thanks for noticing…and sharing. I had all those images pinned (with thumb tacks) to my walls, too, and they stayed there right into high school — and I still get goosebumps seeing them. Magical, indeed. — Ed.

apart. Still, it was a great start toward purchasing more bikes in my riding career: a 1971 Honda 350 Scrambler, a 1976 Honda 750 Four, a 1981 Suzuki GS850G, and finally a 1986 Suzuki Cavalcade. Great memories with each and every one of them.

Dale Peterson, AMA Life Member Stillwater, Minn

PASSING THE TORCH

Thank you so much for the article on the Nevada 200 in the August issue, and for including my son Ryan and me in it. The piece was really

LAST PAGE

The ’60s and ’70s: Minibike heaven

Mitch Boehm

well done, and we are so proud to be part of it, especially considering the great things our industry and the sport of motorcycling have brought to my family — and hundreds of thousands of other families — over the years. The AMA has been a leader in so many ways for our sport and the people that get to be part of it, and I hope this story will remind people of the importance and value of family and motorcycles and riding together.

Chuck Miller California

RIDER DOWN

Please let Joy Burgess know that she wrote an excellent AMA Insider column in the August issue. Ms. Burgess hit a nerve for me, as I have been the first responder in at least four motorcycle accidents. Some of the injured people I knew, some were strangers, but they all needed immediate help. Thanks in some part to my training from both the Boy Scouts and the Navy, all recovered from their injuries, some of which were very serious. I commend Ms. Burgess for remaining calm and talking to the injured person. That is a key point that can’t be stressed enough, as they are in a very vulnerable situation. Calm is good for both the injured and the person giving aid.

Ted Pasche, Charter Life Member Argyle, Texas

EARDRUM, NO CONUNDRUM

I’ve been riding since Junior High (1965) and didn’t start wearing earplugs until late 2001. I did a solo ride to the Art of the Motorcycle in Las Vegas without my lovely wife on the back (she’s pillion about 99.9 percent of the time) and did a lot of triple digit riding over the five days I was on the road. When I got home, I was just about deaf in my left ear. I’d lost

some hearing in my right ear while doing a stint with Uncle Sam in ’Nam, and losing more hearing really startled me. The thought of losing your hearing should startle everyone.

I’d like to add a bit to your Garage-section essay on the subject above. There are various types of earplugs, but most importantly

“...reducing the decibel levels running through your head means you’re less tired at the end of the day.”

there are different levels of hearing protection, or Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). Simple sleep helpers with an NRR of 16 are almost worthless for protecting your eardrums while riding. A more common rating is 32, and for many, a 32 NRR works well on the bike. I prefer an NRR of 33, which is actually much more effective than the 32s despite the one-digit numerical difference. A second benefit to wearing effective earplugs is fatigue, as reducing the decibel levels running through your head means you’re less tired at the end of the day. BTW, I like the new format of the magazine. Keep up the good work.

Deryle & Wanda Mehrten Sierra Vista, Ariz.

GO COLSON, GO!

Hello! My son just turned 3 years old and loves getting your magazine each month. This is his first year as an AMA member, and we’d love to surprise him with a photo of himself with his bike. His name is Colson and he’s a rad little ripper!

Raven Finnefrock

Your wish is our command, Mom! — Ed.

BACK IN THE DAY

Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!

My racing buddy Deb and I (24X) on the starting line at the races in Wallkill, N.Y. I loved my Honda Elsinore. Best bike ever!

Evelyn (Van Kennen) Hodges

6This is a photo from 1982 of my little brother Marty relaxing on his 1975 Triumph T160. At that time, I was riding a 25th Anniversary Sportster, and his triple was always faster…and it handled better, too! For some reason he left the bike in our sister’s garage for 28 years, until I had it shipped to Florida to get it running again. Marty had developed cancer, and I wanted us to take another ride together. Sadly, by the time I got the bike resurrected and running great, Marty was too weak to ride, and he told me to keep the bike and ride it. He passed on a few months later, but he got to see the Black Widow fly down the highway in front of his home one more time. I am still riding it today, and it is my favorite bike in my stable of vintage Triumphs.

Col. Glenn M. Scott

This is me with my 1970 Honda CT70H, and the beginning of what would be the start of many years of motocross racing throughout the 1980s in Northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan. Over the years I’ve become an enthusiastic collector of late-’60s and early-’70s Japanese machines. Little did I know that in 1986 I would end up with my own Honda dealership, which would grow to 13 franchises and one of the largest dealerships in the country. If you’re curious: HondaEastToledo.com

Randy Fork

5Photos of me and my 1980 Honda CB750 Custom. Here I am leading a ride of the Quaboag Riders of Monson, Mass., and posing at Laconia in 1981 (The flat stomach dates the photo). I still have the bike and put about 1,000 miles on it every year (it has 79k miles on it). Each ride provides many smiles.

John Colleton

6I’m almost old enough to go on an Edelweiss tour, so I felt a need to represent Gen X with a “Back in the Day” photo. This is a 2001-2002 Kawasaki ZX-7R. Previous bike was a ZX-6E, which didn’t quite cut it on Sunday morning rides when dudes were showing up on Hayabusas, ZX12Rs and GSX-R750s. I rode it like it was on rails, with the classic butt-up/head-down posture, and with a full Muzzy exhaust the bike was deafening. Oh, those days of old!

John McGuire

I started riding friends’ bikes around �63 when the Japanese bikes hit the market, and we had bike shops for Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki close by. The Yamaha shop rented bikes, and I ended up buying this YA-6 for $200 in 1965. I rode the heck out of it, on and off road (not recommended), and also to college with a pile of books on the back that made wheelies easy. Through the years I’ve had an assortment of Hondas and Yamahas for on- and off-road fun. I’ve also ridden Harleys and Triumphs along the way.

In 2006, I went to Star Days in Longmont, Colo., on my Roadstar and demo rode the new Road/Stratoliner. A few months later this 2006 Stratoliner was in my garage. Sixteen years and 75,000 miles later — which includes trips from California to Florida and a few trips to Sturgis — and we’re both still going strong.

Having just turned 75, I figure I have quite a few more years to ride. I also host the Star Stratoliner & Roadliner Forum on Delphi. Rich Lauxen

Bad boy, John, bad boy. —Ed.

up to speed

News, notes, insight and more from the motorcycling universe

Zach Farmer and Nick Sands

Get to know the AMA’s new Government Relations Department staffers

When the AMA set out in May to restructure its Government Relations Department, it created an opportunity to make some changes to the department in a continued effort to deliver on its mission to protect the future of motorcycling.

With Government Relations Director Nick Haris spearheading the department, Zach Farmer (left) and Nick Sands (right) were recently hired in this first step of reconfiguration. Farmer has stepped into the role of Washington representative, and Sands’ position serves motorcyclists throughout the central states.

Based in Washington, D.C., Farmer is focused on heading up the AMA’s presence at the federal level, while

Sands — a Colorado resident — is tasked with advocating for the interests of motorcyclists at the state and local levels within the Central United States. With Haris still serving as western states representative, the AMA is actively working to fill the role of eastern states representative.

Both Farmer and Sands are motorcyclists and have backgrounds in activism, making them perfect fits for their respective positions. But don’t take our word for it, listen to what they have to say…

AM: Who taught you to ride, and what are your earliest riding memories?

ZF: My earliest riding memory is my grandfather taking me to school on

his Goldwing in first grade. I grew up next to his house in the country on a few acres and got a 50cc dirt bike and, briefly, a 125cc four-wheeler when I was around 7 years old.

My dad taught me to ride a bike on that property and was there when it came to dirt bike riding and showing me how to use the clutch on my TTR-125. Growing up, he was more interested in Mopar and muscle cars but got on board with motorcycles when I inevitably needed help working on one. (We spent last Christmas putting handlebars and exhaust on my Harley-Davidson.) He was, and still is, the first person to remind us before we ride that “motorcycles have no conscience; it will buck you off like a mule and not

hurt its feelings.” That’s a pretty good message to remember before you think about that quick throttle twist.

NS: My dad taught my brother, sister, and me to ride dirt bikes when we were growing up. My parents refused to let us have anything bigger than pit bikes, so my earliest riding memories include finding ways to make pit bikes more exciting in whatever ways my brother and I could come up with.

AM: What is your favorite riding memory?

ZF: Pinpointing favorite memories is always a tricky exercise. I imagine picking the best moment or motorcycle is like asking someone to pick their favorite child. There might be one, but it’s hard to leave anyone out.

It’s easy to remember the first time I rode a motorcycle on the road, partially due to the excitement but also because it was December in North Carolina and there was snow on the ground. I don’t know if there was snow, but my memory of cold lets me think there were at least a few inches. In true high school fashion, my best friend Nathan gave me the keys to his Honda Rebel 250 to ride to McDonald’s. Naturally, I had to buy a motorcycle, and in May, I somehow convinced my parents that a CBR954RR was a responsible choice for a 17-year-old.

That led to years of Nathan and I riding our CBRs around Windy Gap, Va., between Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake. Great memories for me, less so for him after a dozen or so speeding tickets.

Right next to that are memories riding around cornfields and through the woods of Yadkinville with buddies James and Jack, around North Carolina with my friend Councill during the pandemic, and then with Pat every time the Harley dealerships hand out free hot dogs here in DC. NS: My favorite riding memory is my first attempt at amateur motocross racing in Colorado Springs. I had zero experience in racing and only about six months of track riding experience on a 250, but I was able to place high

enough in the LCQ to qualify for the main event.

AM: How and why did you get into activism?

ZF: My high school civics teacher Mr. Kesler taught us about the process and role of government in such a compelling way that I decided to major in political science in college.

I joined all the clubs in college and attended their meetings, Republicans and Democrats. It was interesting to hear from both sides and understand the ideology behind the beliefs. As I was weighing a decision on law school, I was fortunate to intern with folks who had worked on Capitol Hill. Their encouragement and network in North Carolina helped connect me with interesting candidates, a couple of jobs, and eventually, a job offer from Congressman Mark Walker to work in Washington.

NS: Having a career in activism is not something I ever saw for myself growing up. I had planned on going to law school after undergrad, so I

have folks like AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman and Government Relations Director Nick Haris, who bring decades of insight to the government relations team. I look forward to following the direction of our Board of Directors and senior leadership to ensure we continue our advocacy work.

In my role at the AMA, I aim to use my recent experience as a staffer on Capitol Hill to make issues facing motorcyclists relatable. Staffers in Washington need information and an argument for why these issues are important to constituents and, in turn, why the agency, administration, or Member of Congress should engage. In my last government relations position, we identified creative ways to approach challenging issues. I look forward to doing the same, working with the team at the AMA, engaging with our grassroots membership, and connecting with former colleagues on Capitol Hill, to protect the future of motorcycling.

chose a political science major to work on improving my analytical skills. However, life took over and I decided law school was not the right path for me, and I moved to Colorado to start as a legislative aide for the late-Representative Hugh McKean (HD51 - Loveland) going into the 2020 legislative session. Since that time, I found a passion for negotiating among different perspectives and advocating on behalf of commonsense policies.

AM: What can people expect in the way you pursue the AMA’s mission to protect the future of motorcycling?

ZF: We are fortunate to have an abundance of institutional knowledge at the AMA. It is great to

NS: I have loved motorcycling from a young age, and that would not have been possible if not for others before me passing on their passion for motorcycles. People can expect that I will work to communicate what it means to be a member of the motorcycling community to policymakers, so they understand why it’s important to protect motorcycling’s future.

AM: How does a regionalized approach to the AMA Government Relations Department improve your ability to work effectively and positively impact AMA members?

ZF: Democracy in America is intentionally most effective at the state and local levels. Access to public officials on a state and local

“In my role at the AMA, I aim to use my recent experience as a staffer on Capitol Hill to make issues facing motorcyclists relatable.”

ZACH FARMER

up to speed

level, and the power those individuals have to enact change, is much greater than at the federal level. Our grassroots members are the best advocates for the AMA and the issues facing motorcyclists. At every level of government, officials must hear from their constituents. Connecting with these individuals and building those long-term relationships is much easier at the state and local levels. The regional approach to government relations assures that we make these connections and engage with state representatives before they seek higher office.

NS: A regional approach to government relations will improve my ability to effectively communicate with AMA members by creating opportunities for longterm relationship building with members, motorcycle activists, and policymakers on any number of

backcountry areas will always be an issue for Congress and the Department of Interior. As they designate more areas as wilderness or national conservation areas, offroad users, including motorcyclists, lose access to these spaces. Several coalition groups in Washington, D.C., focus on preserving access to this land for recreational use. We are working with these groups to include motorcyclists in these conversations.

NS: Maximizing safety for

tab on the AMA website, “Rights” includes information, actions, and subscribe options to receive updates from the government relations team.

NS: Motorcycle activism can take a few different forms, but the easiest way to be involved with motorcycle activism is to treat others on the road or trail with the same respect we as riders expect. Additionally, staying actively engaged with policy and funding decisions made in your community can help ensure motorcyclists’ access and safety are protected.

AM: Is there anything you would like to say to AMA members?

issues so that problem solving is more proactive and less reactionary.

AM: Within the scope of your current position and the community you serve, what are issues that motorcyclists should be monitoring now and into the future?

ZF: At the federal level, we are monitoring autonomous vehicle and automatic emergency braking developments. As these autonomous features become standard on vehicles, drivers depend on cameras and technology to monitor blind spots and their surroundings rather than actively paying attention to the road. Congress, the Department of Transportation, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration must implement safeguards to protect vulnerable road users.

Access to public land and

motorcyclists on the road is priority one, so riders should be monitoring rules and regulations developed around automated vehicle technology to ensure that technology properly identifies and responds to motorcycles in all traffic situations.

AM: How can AMA members be involved when it comes to motorcycle activism?

ZF: Advocacy works best at a state and local level. Supporting elected officials and candidates who share our enthusiasm for motorcycles is the best way to get involved. There are always opportunities to engage with politicians during town halls, public meetings, or on campaigns. The sooner we can build relationships with policymakers, the more likely they will become long-term allies of the motorcycling community. The first

ZF: I will emphasize again how important it is to get involved in advocacy on a local level. The mayor of my hometown is one of my former high school teachers. These connections exist all over the country and are incredibly valuable. The Government Relations Department exists to advocate in key areas while providing our membership with the knowledge, resources and support for independent advocacy.

I also encourage motorcyclists to find an opportunity to explore vehicles with new technologies. Knowledge of these autonomous features helps me be more defensive and aware on the road.

NS: I am very excited to represent AMA members and the future of motorcycling at the state-level and hope to connect with as many AMA members as possible in that effort.

“Staying actively engaged with policy and funding decisions made in your community can help ensure motorcyclists’ access and safety are protected.”

NICK SANDS

A 17-year-old Zach on a 2002 Honda CBR954RR (above). Nick in 2020 racing around the Trojan MX track in Indiana (left).

RiGHTS ROUNDUP

CONGESTION PRICING PROGRAM PUSHBACK

he State of New Jersey is suing the federal government to halt a congestion pricing program that will charge motorists to enter Midtown Manhattan.

New Jersey fears the tolling program will place unfair financial and environmental burdens on the state’s residents. With the program beginning as soon as spring 2024 according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the congestion pricing plan — which could cost a motorist entering the city as much as $23 — aims to reduce traffic in New York City while raising billions of dollars for mass transit.

In any implementation of congestion pricing programs, the AMA strives for motorcyclists to have a reduced tolling fee compared to other motorists, or no fee at all. This stance stems from the inherent nature of motorcycles reducing congestion both on roadways and in parking lots.

TEAM OREGON LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

tilizing improved technology to benefit the motorcycling community, the Team Oregon Motorcycle Safety Program — which has provided statewide training, education and outreach for riders of all experience levels since 1984 — has launched a new, mobile-friendly website. Featuring an improved course locator, streamlined

course descriptions and responsive registration, the website enables visitors to find a training course, learn how to get an endorsement, get free safety tips, and more. Check it out at https://team-oregon.org/.

HOME RECYCLING AT RISK ACROSS THE POND

he European Commission (EC) has recently adopted a proposal for a regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and the management of end-of-life vehicles — a vehicle which is considered waste or irreparable.

While motorcycles are currently exempt from the end-of-life directive thanks to the lobbying of the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA) in the late 1990s, a push by the EC to include motorcycles could mean the end of home recycling practices within the motorcycling community.

Home recycling — ending a motorcycle’s registration by disassembling the bike to reuse old parts — is a staple for motorcyclists.

The regulation aims to cover the entirety of a vehicle’s lifespan, from its design through end-of-life handling. This would require owners to deliver their vehicles to an authorized treatment facility when the vehicle reaches the end-of-life stage.

Although currently a foreign affair, the AMA opposes any measures that would eliminate home recycling for motorcyclists.

www.mimiandmoto.com

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Riding ROUNDUP up to speed

Capital City MC Celebrates 110th Anniversary

Club stays strong and grows through changing landscape

BY JOE PERFECTO

In the heart of downtown Sacramento, Calif., there stands an unassuming, little WWII-era bungalow, with the entryway overhang bearing the words CAPITAL CITY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, handpainted in orange. On a given Friday evening, passersby will likely see the little hut surrounded by motorcycles, and perhaps some of the leatheradorned owners milling about. The uninitiated might take this to be the hangout of Sacramento’s version of the Sons of Anarchy, but nothing could be further from the truth, for the Capital City Motorcycle Club (CCMC) is anything but menacing.

Since its inception, the club has advocated for better traffic conditions and safe riding, while engaging in numerous community projects. Anyone wanting to remain a member in good standing must adhere to a long list of rules regarding rider comportment, and CCMC does not associate with non-members who engage in dangerous behavior.

“We are aware of such things and we do not condone it at all,” club president Richard “Toad” Sherman said. “We are opposed to stunts on motorcycles in public areas, and we would not ride with a group that engages in that.”

Now in its 110th year of operation, CCMC is the fourth-oldest club in California and fifth-oldest in the nation. The group was initially founded as the Sacramento Motorcycle Club (SMC) in 1911, at which point both recreational and competitive motorcycling enjoyed popularity in the city, with wellattended races held regularly.

Yet, popular though it was, motorcycling was a relative newcomer to Sacramento, which had long been dominated by bicycle racing. At the heart of the local cycling scene was the Capital City Wheelmen organization.

To keep up with the times and ensure their races maintained relevance, the Wheelmen expanded

their events to include those “firebelching beasts.” Deciding to explore opening their charter to motorcyclists, the SMC and CMCC agreed to work as one entity on a trial basis. The experiment proved successful, and in June of 1913 the now-merged groups began operation under the present name.

CCMC meetings were conducted at the former Wheelmen clubhouse until construction of a bespoke clubhouse was completed in May 1940. Despite 80 years of urban growth, the clubhouse remains in continuous use, and not only still serves its purpose today but represents a portal to the past, with its walls lined with trophies and other memorabilia.

During that same period, change was sparked within the club. In its early days, the club limited its membership to 60; today membership stands at just over 100. The club was initially exclusive to Harley riders; now, the

The club’s 110th anniversary was formally acknowledged by the City of Sacramento via an official Certificate of Recognition presented by Councilmember Katie Valenzuela.

club is brand-agnostic. There was also the matter of exclusion of women, who are now wellrepresented among the club’s ranks. Over time, the cycling element was also phased out.

The establishment of CCMC played a central role in transforming Sacramento into one of California’s largest motorcycling hubs. Today, CCMC is strictly focused on recreational riding, with a portion of proceeds from events going to various local charities, after decades of hosting races.

“We sponsor several rides throughout the year, including random rides throughout Northern California whenever the weather allows,” club spokesperson Corbett “Captain Smarta” Waddingham said. “We use both MeetUp and Facebook to announce these rides, and they are open to any motorcyclist who wants to ride with us. This year we are also sponsoring the annual Gypsy Tour and will be riding to Fort Bragg with members of other motorcycle clubs from everywhere from San Jose to Yuba City.”

In addition to offering sponsored events, the club does many rides to a variety of destinations in the greater Sacramento region and beyond. Information about the club can be found at http://www.capitalcitymc. com/ and https://www.facebook.com/ CapitalCityMC/

up to speed

Racing Roundup

What’s what in the world of AMA amateur competition

Bennick Claims Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award

Fappani, Robbins, Emig secure other honors

BY JACK EMERSON AND LAUREN KROPF

Upon arriving at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch for the 2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, Daxton Bennick had one goal in mind: collect championships.

Bennick did just that, and then some, during the six-day event in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. After capturing an AMA No. 1 plate in the Open Pro Sport class, Bennick parlayed that success into earning the prestigious Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award, which is given to the amateur racer that is primed for success at the professional level.

“I’ve been coming here for 12

years, so a lot has gone into it, for sure,” Bennick said. “I’ve always liked this track and this place. Every year, I’ve seen guys win it and I’ve always wanted to win it. So, it’s just a lot of hard work.”

“Whenever you get here, you can’t let the pressure get to you,” he continued. “You just have to go out and ride.”

Bennick, a Yamaha rider from

Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award winner Daxton Bennick (lead photo and next page). From left to right: AMA Hall of Famer Jeff Emig receiving the AMA Vet Racer of the Year award, AMA Youth Racer of the Year Klark Robbins, and AMA Amateur Racer of the Year Jeremy Fappani.

Morganton, N.C., swept his way in the motos — 1-1-1 — en route to the Open Pro Sport class victory, but fell just short of claiming the win in the 250 Pro Sport class, placing second with a 7-2-6 finish in the motos.

Despite coming up just shy of a pair of No. 1 plates, the Morganton, N.C., native emphasized that his amateur career could not have ended in better fashion after capturing the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award.

“I’m pumped on it for sure,” Bennick said. “I had the goal of winning both championships and the Horizon award. I didn’t get the other one, obviously, but I’m pumped on it and I think it was a good way to end my amateur career.”

The 17-year-old Bennick is already getting a jump on his professional pursuits after signing a multi-year deal with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team in March. Bennick had previously spent

the last six months with the team on a trial deal, during which he competed in the 2023 AMA Supercross Futures season.

Elsewhere at the event, which ran from July 31-Aug. 5, Jeremy Fappani — who hails from Scottsdale,

Ariz. — dashed his way to the AMA Amateur Racer of the Year Award after capturing victories in the 250 B Limited class with a 2-1-3 finish in the motos and landed on the podium with a second-place finish in the 450 B Limited class, producing a 1-8-1 line in the motos.

Shamong, N.J. native Klark Robbins brought home AMA Youth Racer of the Year honors behind a pair of national championships in the 125 Jr. (12-17) B/C — going 2-1-6 in the motos — and the Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C with a 7-1-2 finish.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Emig was awarded the AMA Veteran Racer of the Year after capturing a pair of national championships during the event. The Riverside, Calif., native collected victories in the Senior (40+) and Masters (50+) classes behind 2-2-2 and 1-2-1 results in each class respectively.

It’s more than the biggest, baddest and bestest single-weekend motorcycle event in North America…though that’s saying quite a mouthful right there. Yep, this year’s Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Royal Enfield blew past the normal boundaries of weekend motorcycle fun like a nearly-naked and prone Roland Free blasting past painted timing marks on the Lake Bonneville salt flats back in 1948 — or Grand Marshal and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Steve Wise (at right on a shiny new Royal Enfield) ripping past road race competitors back in the day.

The explanation for all this is a more-than-the-sumof-its-parts thing: You’ve got the swap meet, motocross, hare scrambles, trials, road racing, bike shows, Wall of Death stunt show, demo rides, camping, campfires, evening shenanigans, all-weekend riding, people watching, Hall of Fame exhibits and vendors and activations in the infield, and much more. But even added up they don’t measure up to the near-religious pilgrimage that is VMD.

Those who’ve been, know. Those who haven’t? Well, best saddle up for next year, which will feature the AMA’s 100th Anniversary (1924-2024), and it’s gonna be HUUUUGE.

For this year’s coverage we’ve assembled a range of stories from a wide swath of angles and interests, so there’s sure to be something that tickles your vintage bones. Have a look and see if you don’t agree.

If it had two wheels and was A-level fun, it probably happened at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in July. Grand Marshal Steve Wise (red shirt), who won AMA Nationals in motocross, Supercross and road racing, led the festivities in superb style.

BY JOHN BURNS

ROOKIE

Our own VMD Virgin gets a taste of what AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is all about. Way to go, Ohio!…

Writing as a man whose two-car garage is stuffed to the rafters even though it contains but one car and one motorcycle (at the moment), I really want to understand: How can you come to have 18 Honda CT70 frames, 56 fork assemblies, 42 rusty wheels, several milk crates of assorted shock absorbers and a bunch more unidentifiable stuff? This particular vendor is offering it all for sale piecemeal, or one lucky customer could buy the whole lot.

“Wouldn’t you feel, like, kind of empty and sad if you sold all of it at once,” I asked the lady shoring up the display?

“What? Oh, no! He’s got 10 times more stuff than this back home,” she added, gesturing to her husband.

Home, she said, contains an eight-car garage somewhere not too far from what’s said to be the world’s biggest motorcycle swap meet at the AMA’s Vintage Motorcycle Days event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Is that it? Is it just a matter of storage? Why not? The simplest explanation is usually the best. Why does the gambler not quit when they’re ahead? Why does the alcoholic reach for that next drink? Sir Edmund Hillary knew: Because it’s there. Why not buy another CT70 if the price is right and you’ve got a place to stick it? Old motorcycles are at least a healthy addiction. And judging from the fact I saw about a million old CT70s running around VMD, there’s definitely a market.

There are something like 800 20 x 20-foot (and 20 x 30-foot “prime”) swapmeet vendor spots spread out over the southern end of Mid-Ohio’s 330 acres. The sun rises over it like the day after the Battle of Gettysburg, if the combatants had been using old motorcycles and parts as

projectiles instead of cannonballs and bullets.

A man in overalls and a stovepipe hat rolls slowly through on a Yamaha DT-1 to complete the image. You might think that any given pile of parts must be a lifetime’s accumulation, but you’d be wrong. Most of the vendors come back year after year, with a fresh load of treasures. Like neighborhood garage sales, we’re told, if you pay attention, you’ll probably spot a bunch of the stuff you got rid of last year. Maybe you buy it back if the market has shifted?

There’re plenty of complete motorcycles, too. At my first AMA VMD swap meet, I had the good fortune to help man the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum’s own EZ-Up for a few hours. The museum’s constantly acquiring

new stuff, which means it needs to occasionally get rid of old stuff (with the donor’s approval, of course) to make room. Today it’s an original Honda ATC90 and an early Dream.

they’d kept one just like it (but nicer), how they fixed what was wrong with it from the factory (in minute detail), and what medical condition precludes them from riding it now. Turns out COO James

The guy next to us had three late’70s Yamaha IT400/425s of deep patina for sale, one with a duct tape seat. Now and then, a person from the constantly passing parade would pause and eyeball one of the bikes warily. One in 10 might have some interest in buying one; the other nine are really only waiting for you to say hello or make eye contact so they can share that they have/had/wish

Holter, who also manned the booth, knows an impressive amount of early dirtbike trivia, including what year the IT got a disc brake.

HOW THE AMA SAUSAGE IS MADE

In fact, this three-day weekend was a golden opportunity for me to see the AMA in action at its biggest event of the year. I latched onto Michael Kula,

Why not buy another CT70 if the price is right and you’ve got a place to stick it? Old motorcycles are at least a healthy addiction. there’s definitely a market.

who’s a buddy and the AMA’s Business Development Manager. Along with that title comes the executive perk of a golf cart. Without it, I would’ve been a casualty after one day wandering VMD on foot. With it, we are mechanized AMA Officials!

Most of the AMA crew is an hour’s drive from Mid-Ohio, down Columbus way. I flew into Columbus on Thursday and was standing tall with most of the staff (the Racing folks were already at it) at 0730 Friday as things began to stir. Holter and AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman were there in the same AMA Staff t-shirt uniform as the other 40 or so troops. Going around the room, everybody reported in: I said I was there strictly as a non-combatant observer.

“This is our Super Bowl,” said Dingman, “our biggest event of the year. Let’s make it a success. I’m always

impressed with how well our team pulls together to make this event happen. Let’s do it again, and… don’t forget to have fun!”

Shortly thereafter we’re unloading a bunch of classic Honda VF750F AMA Superbikes (from Brian O’Shea’s collection) and original-year Elsinores from Alex Moroz’s trailer, and setting up this year’s HOF display under the big tent where the staff takes turns signing up and renewing AMA memberships, selling AMA Raffle Bike tickets and hawking t-shirts and other HOF/VMD merchandise. It gets crowded, and reminds me of some kind of big church social from my Midwestern childhood. (We won a ’63 Chevy Biscayne wagon once!) This year’s big VMD prize was a cool custom GSX-R1000 raffle bike signed by AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer

Kevin Schwantz, and a BMW R90S in great shape debuted as the 2023/’24 raffle bike. Nice.

And here’s Grand Marshal and HOFer Steve Wise, who won the AMA National road race here 40 years ago, giving a great interview to our fearless Editor Boehm under the nearby AMA circus tent. Mitch is slightly cranky because of a re-injured knee (three surgeries already), but it all smooths out because Joy Burgess is also here — officially AMA Marketing & Communications Director, but unofficially the “Mitch Whisperer.” One big mostly happy family.

WE RIDE

It’s Kula’s job to keep all the sponsors and advertisers happy, but he also needs to chauffeur yours truly around the grounds so I can write these words

There was a little of everything at VMD this year, including the unveiling of the AMA’s 2023/’24 Raffle Bike — an original and low-mileage BMW R90S, a bike that saved BMW’s motorcycle division from extinction. Tickets available now.

— a perfect excuse for both of us to become fish in the school. By 11 a.m., the plot is thickening as more and more campers begin to stir on their motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and powered Amish buggies, while a steady stream of RVs, box vans, and all manner of creative camping conveyances shuffle into their assigned spots.

LET’S RACE

Over yonder in the south 40 are the Hare Scrambles and Motocross tracks, which are hugely popular judging by the masses of campers and haulers there. Trials are going on somewhere over there in the treeline. Meanwhile, WERA roadracing is winding/screaming/thumping through the whole organism on Mid-Ohio’s excellent 2.4-mile road circuit, including lots of vintage classes since it’s VMD.

it’s greatly exacerbated by motorcycles that are being ridden everywhere.

We got the official count from Connie Fleming, AMA Supercross/ FIM Coordinator, a couple weeks after the event: 805 MX entries, 467 Hare Scrambles entries, 457 road race entries, 109 pit bike entries, and 105 trials entries. For each entry, I estimate there were five or more support crew zipping around on their own vehicles. This calc is based upon Junior Sales Associate Alex Boehm’s 250-class Post-Vintage racing effort (see story on page 34), which was tended to by Kula and me in our cart, Joy, Jack and Jarrod in her cart, Mitch on his KLR650, Lauren and various other AMA people, too. It’s all for a good cause, as every dollar raised

A lucky customer walks away with a prize (a Yammie TY80 from the looks of it) from the lovely morass that is the VMD swap meet, which springs up small city-like on Thursday and is gone three days later. Folks have been known to get lost for days in those retro rows of hardware and humanity.

Basically everybody wants to be wherever they’re not, which seems to just be the human condition – and

It was quite a shock seeing this many of the unobtainable motorcycles of my unrequited youth all at once. Luckily, they’re mostly still unobtainable.

The AMA’s HOF tent was hummin’ this year, with original Elsinores (and an XR75) on one side and a trio of pedigreed V45 Interceptor AMA Superbikes from Brian O’Shea’s collection on the other. That’s “Fast Freddie” Spencer’s Daytona 200 winner (19) in the middle.

from VMD goes to the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Everybody camped down there by the MX/Scrambles tracks wants to be in the middle of the action at the AMA infield show, the food vendors, the classic bike show, the seminars, the Wall of Death, the stunt show… or at the swap meet, with Triumph and Royal Enfield tractor trailers disembarking fleets of demo bikes in the middle of it all in the upper paddock. Basically everybody wants to be wherever they’re not, which seems to just be the human condition – and it’s greatly exacerbated by

and the crowd swells. By Day Two, you almost appreciate the EPA. Kula and I are drinking plenty of water to keep hydrated in the heat, and by Day Two in the cart our bladders are synched: We’re an unstoppable force that makes frequent stops as we go about our business providing excellent customer service and gathering intel.

OUT IN THE COUNTRY

It’s good for me to get out of my SoCal bubble. In Cali, it’s mostly about impressing people with how much you can spend on your stuff. Here in rural Ohio, it seems like just the opposite: How little can you spend to concoct

goes down. I’d like to report on that, but we’re off the clock at 1800 hours, beat from a day of moto sensory overload.

RICH MAN, POOR MAN

I can appreciate a ’76 IT400 with a duct-tape seat almost as much as the next guy, but for me the icing on the cake is the WERA roadracing going on Mid-O’s excellent 2.4-mile road circuit, the one that used to host an AMA National every year. Nowhere is that contrast between dirt and asphalt as clearly demarcated as the chain link DMZ that separates swap meet from road race pit: On one side, rusted relics disgorged from repurposed Baptist-school short buses, on the other, brand new luxury motorcoaches pulling trailers full of (mostly) shiny, pampered roadracers, some vintage, some not.

While Kula was tasked with manning the AMA booth most of Sunday to try to sell the ATC90 (somebody’d bought the Dream), I made off with our cart to do some exploring. The northern end of the 330-acre facility, bounded by MidO’s turns 7 through 10, was nearly completely depopulated, a hilly green lawn shaded by old trees – a perfect place to seek out new viewing areas and watch some roadracing. The Esses, Thunder Valley… I may have dozed a bit between races… bliss, until the radio crackled. iPhone, actually. Party’s over. Time to head back into the morass.

motorcycles that are being ridden everywhere.

Under scattered clouds and temps in the 80s it’s lovely to ride around in the cart in a sea of other brightly colored fish. Though this is not the Barber “Small Bore” event, it seems like over half the crowd is riding some small-displacement vintage bike or other. Plenty of them are two-strokes, so there’s enough haze in the air to preclude the need for sunscreen.

Day Two, Saturday, is the big day, the day when not just the campers but also the day trippers arrive en masse

a cool vehicle that gets the job done? It’s the farmer gene coming through instead of the consumer one. It occurs to me that wherever there’re lots of barns, there will be more barn finds. Way more my style.

The other farmer gene busting out is the one that likes to party on Saturday night. The campers who don’t get their fill of road racing, motocross, hare scrambles, trials, flat track (at the nearby Ashland County Fairgrounds), pit-bike races, etc., are known to start up their own semiimpromptu competitions when the sun

It was quite a shock seeing this many of the unobtainable motorcycles of my unrequited youth all at once. Luckily, they’re mostly still unobtainable, since I have no room in the garage for a new/old dirtbike and even less ambition to try to ride one at this stage of the game.

I have to say, though, it was an absolute blast watching other old, I mean vintage, racers going for the gusto, lots of them in a shockingly youthful manner. Good for them. Say, my 2000-spec Yamaha R1 is vintage pretty soon, isn’t it?

RETRO REDUX and RUSTY

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, because I kept hearing that the human body is strongest in its late 20s…and I’m 27. But racing vintage at VMD wasn’t the easy thing I thought it might be.

Of course, it’d been years since I last raced a motocross (and 13 since I last raced at VMD), so I should have known better. My dad has pulled the same sort of illogical move time and again over the years — thinking he was still as fast and capable as he was at 16 or 17 — and has the broken collarbones, ribs and chest-tube scar to show for it, so you’d think I’d learn from him, as well. But no. Apparently, DNA is a strong predictor of clueless behavior. Who knew?

Since I’d be working VMD this year, I wanted to at least try it all out again on Sunday if I could, and once I got the OK from The Boss (Joy, not my Dad) I got working on a loaner bike — and our buddy Alex Moroz stepped right up, putting us in touch with Brian Loveless, who owns a very nice ’80-spec Yamaha YZ250, which is pretty much like the ’78 YZ250 I rode here 13 or 14 years ago before football took over my middle- and highschool life.

When I finally made it over to the MX track on Sunday morning, the smell of 2-stroke hydrocarbons and the dew on the slightly overgrown grass immediately brought me back to being 13 again. Few places on Earth exert a more nostalgic feeling for me, which seems to be a primary element of VMD anyway, right?

Practice was a bit of an eye opener, and should have been an indication of what was to come: arm pump within a lap, lack of oxygen and muscle fatigue within two, and an almost complete inability to hold onto the motorcycle by lap three. All of that almost made the ugly contusion I got behind my knee (when I landed off a jump and caught the kickstart lever badly) seem mild in comparison. Let’s just say I was not a model of fitness in the wake of practice.

After lots of water and a couple of ibuprofen I felt reasonably ready for moto number one, and being on the line again with 20 or so screaming, smoking two-

BY ALEX BOEHM

strokes absolutely made me smile. Loveless was right there, reminding me to start in second gear and “just pin it.”

I took that advice to heart and got a great jump off the gate, but then wheelied off the line, which may have looked stylish but ultimately cost me a handful of places by turn one. No matter, though; I was toward the back, and toward the back was where I was gonna stay.

By the second lap my hands were numb and I was hurtin’, and while I picked up a spot or two on the last

Top to bottom: 14 years ago at VMD with our stock ’78 YZ250 (pay no attention to the “400” sticker on the side panel…strictly for psyche purposes), and this year with my dad. At bottom, Brian Loveless, who loaned me his ’80-spec YZ.

13 years after first racing at VMD as a young teen, yours truly learns a hard lesson in Lexington

RETRO REDUX and RUSTY

lap (good for the ego), I had never been so happy to see a checkered flag…and even thanked the flag lady as I rode by. I got back to my pit and laid down in the shade up against the wheel of the trailer like Bengt Aberg in On Any Sunday

Once the second moto came around I was sore, but it was a good sore, and I knew the bike now and my leg pain was holding steady, so I was ready...sorta. I got to the line, did the final pre-checks and waited for the board. All I could think was, “slip the clutch longer, don’t wheelie again...” I didn’t, but I did miss the shift from second to third and went right towards the back, again.

The words I really should ride more crossed my mind more than once before a rock blasted my arm and dirt

found its way into my mouth from the riders that had capitalized on my rookie error. I kept up with the pack for about a lap, but then the arm pump and lack of oxygen took over. I naively thought I would get a second wind, but it never materialized. Shocker, that.

In the end, though, my Mid-Ohio miscalculation was all good, as I got to revisit an experience from my childhood that I have valued so much over the years. Many thanks to Brian Loveless for the bike loan and the help in the pits, and to Alex Moroz for putting us together. But most of all to my boss Joy, who gave me a few hours off to experience VMD the way I’d remembered it all those years ago as a kid.

Great memories seem to be pretty good currency at Vintage Motorcycle Days.

The words I really should ride more crossed my mind more than once before a rock blasted my arm and dirt found its way into my mouth.

Wheelie whoopsie!

Below: Team AMA’s Lauren and Jack minister to one tired pup between motos.

BY JACK EMERSON

DUSTING COMPETITION THE

Wentzel, Gawne claim top honors during 2023 AMA Vintage Grand Championships

When it came to the hundreds of racing participants at the 2023 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Royal Enfield, only a pair of racers could ultimately stake their claim on the weekend.

That dynamic duo proved to be Canfield, Ohio, native Quinn Wentzel — who raced his way to the 2023 AMA Vintage Grand Championship — and AMA Senior Vintage Grand Champion Jim Gawne, who hails from Oxford, Mich. The champions were determined by their cumulative points earned across the three vintage off-road racing events: hare scrambles, trials and motocross.

Entering the weekend, Wentzel was seeking to end a five-year dry spell after claiming four AMA Vintage Grand Championship titles in five years from 2014-2018. He did just that, turning in strong outings in all three disciplines en route to the 2023 AMA Vintage Grand Championship. For Wentzel, it came

down to focusing on each individual race rather than the overarching championship.

“For me, it’s just trying to get through the whole weekend,” Wentzel told us. “In past years we’ve had some bad luck in the hare scramble or motocross, so it’s good to get through each event with a good finish.”

Like Wentzel, Gawne also sought a return to the podium after a prolonged absence — having

As both Wentzel and Gawne reclaimed their status as AMA Vintage Grand Champions, the duo also reflected on the special nature of the racing scene at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.

“It means a lot. My dad is really into vintage bikes and gave me the bug, so we always enjoy coming here and seeing all the old bikes and racing them,” Wentzel said. “We’ve got a garage full of vintage bikes at home. It’s probably one of my favorite weekends of the year, just coming here and racing the vintage bikes and stepping back in time.”

Gawne, who travels the United States to compete in trials events, noted that Vintage Motorcycle Days holds a special place in his heart both as a racer and a motorcycle enthusiast.

“I ride national trials and they’re a blast,” Gawne said, “but I always tell people when they ask me, ‘What’s your favorite event that you’ve ridden?’ that It’s AMA Vintage Days. I travel across the U.S. riding trials and although that’s fun and I have great memories, I still say this is the most fun place to be.” previously claimed the Senior Vintage Grand Championship in 2017. He set his goal in motion by winning the Super Senior (50+) A division in Hare Scrambles on July 21, providing him with some momentum for his titlewinning weekend.

“I came in knowing that I’m not good at all three, so I focus my practice on hare scrambles and trials,” Gawne said. “I was focusing on hare scrambles, trying to win that, and I did this year. So that made me feel good coming into Saturday’s motocross and Sunday’s trials.”

Jim Gawne navigating the trials portion of the AMA Vintage Grand Championship. Left: Quinn Wentzel donning red during a moto.

BY KEATON MAISANO

DeSantis Dominance SHOWS

Pete DeSantis, 67, proves age is but a number on the vintage flat track scene

momentum.

“I went down, and I spent six hours in the hospital,” DeSantis said. “The year was good up until that point and it kinda slowed me down.”

Forced to overcome a concussion, bleeding in the brain and a sprained wrist, DeSantis struggled to find his groove on the track and replicate the performances he had put together earlier in the year.

However, DeSantis’ championship pedigree refused to be stifled for long, as he started to regain the positive energy during AMA VMD weekend at the Ashland County Fairgrounds.

“Ashland had been two months since the crash and that’s the first time I’d felt comfortable on a motorcycle since then,” DeSantis said. “I felt aggressive. I wasn’t afraid of mixing it up with fellow riders.”

Ultimately, the Ashland Round netted DeSantis a second-place finish, but as of publication, the veteran rider is in a favorable position to the claim his 14th consecutive title.

While DeSantis said he plans to continue racing part time for years to come, he acknowledged his full-time commitment to racing is nearing its conclusion in the next year or two.

On the eve of the final day of the 2023 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, a vintage flat track legend was rekindling a confidence and ability that sparked a run of dominance that can be traced back to 2010 — the inaugural year of the AMA Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series.

Pete DeSantis, a 67-year-old flat track racer, entered the 2023 season having won the 1970s Vintage 360cc class each of the past 13 years. Over that span, DeSantis sprinkled in other class victories to bolster his impressive resume.

“Never imagined 13 consecutive years winning the same class,” DeSantis said. “I had tough competition along the way and managed to squeak out a win by one or two points at the end of the year in some cases.”

It was much of the same for DeSantis to start the 2023 campaign, winning three of his first five events, but a turn of events during Round 6 in New York altered the

And while his streak of winning will eventually end — by way of being defeated or stepping away — DeSantis’ impact on the vintage flat track scene has surpassed any collection of titles.

“Being one of the older riders in the series now, it’s important to have the younger guys enjoy riding the series, enjoy coming to the races,” DeSantis said on the importance of being an ambassador. “You try to help them out. You try to encourage them to keep on trying, and you want to keep the series going the best you can.”

DeSantis, at speed in Ashland.

BY JACK EMERSON

GRAND HISTORIAN MARSHAL

Since 1998, Allen Brotz has collected the signature of every VMD grand marshal

When Allen Brotz makes his annual pilgrimage to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, there’s one thing he never leaves behind: his trusty cloth.

On the surface, it may seem silly to get excited over an average cloth, but Brotz’s carries great significance, not only to him but to VMD as a whole. Since 1998, Brotz has collected the signatures of each AMA VMD grand marshal on his cloth, which depicts several road racers competing.

“I just thought it would be a neat way to keep them all together,” Brotz said.

Despite possessing more than 20 signatures from top-tier names in

motorcycling, Brotz keeps his cloth tucked away in a safe spot rather than displaying it outright to preserve the quality of the signatures.

Of all the Grand Marshals Brotz has met since 1998, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Malcom Smith stands alone as his favorite, with Brotz pointing to Hall of Famer Bruce Brown’s legendary moto documentary On Any Sunday as one of the primary reasons. Regardless of who serves as the grand marshal, though, Brotz always enjoys getting to meet them and add to his collection.

“He was kind of my hero from the movie On Any Sunday,” Brotz said. “They’re all really neat people and approachable.”

You Meet Nicest People… the

BY JOY BURGESS

… in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days swap meet!

Entering the 800-plus-booth swap meet at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days feels like entering another world. Your eyes and mind are assaulted from all directions by all manner of vintage motorcycles, parts and memorabilia, all while thousands of people on foot, motorcycles and in golf carts cruise around looking for that elusive part or amazing deal…or just to people watch. For my son Ty, that one thing he wanted was a vintage motorcycle helmet. Not for riding…just to enjoy. The kid already owns way more helmets than I do, but like any motorcycle lover he believes that you always need one more.

After a bit of searching we found a vendor with a slew of vintage helmets. Some were far out of my price range, so I steered my son away from those, afraid his eyes would outspend my wallet. Luckily, he found a perfect vintage blue helmet among the lower-priced wares, and the vendor took a shine to my son, cutting the price from $50 to $20 as a “Ty special.”

Ty was so excited he gave the grizzled vendor a huge hug, and our new friend asked for a picture of him and Ty together so he could show it off to his “lady friend” back home. I didn’t even get this kind man’s name, but I won’t forget his kindness to me and my son. You really do meet the nicest people in the swap meet!

BY KEATON MAISANO

Love FIRST Sight AT

Winning the Honda Elsinore auction at AMA VMD completed a half-century journey for one man

Each year motorcyclists flock to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days for a multitude of reasons: To participate in the vintage racing; some, to meet and talk with a motorcycling legend like AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Steve Wise; or maybe it’s to experience the jaw-dropping swap meet, where they can buy, sell or do both.

For 69-year-old Armando Arredondo, however, his first trip to AMA VMD was for none of the typical reasons. He came to be reunited with his “first love.”

Arredondo, a happily married man for more than a quarter-century, was not there for any of the tens of thousands of eventgoers, but rather, he had his eyes — and heart set on a 1974 Honda MT250 Elsinore, a beloved bike he cherished in his 20s.

The bike being a featured item in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame silent auction that ran until the final day of AMA VMD, Arredondo was determined to be the highest bidder, so he could relive the magic from his early years.

“I saw the bike and it was like the angels were singing to me,” Arredondo recalled. “I saw it and was like, ‘That’s my bike. That’s my motorcycle. I need to have it.’”

Growing up in a middle-class family in Mexico City, Arredondo started riding minibikes around 9 years old. Although heavily involved in dragster racing — claiming three national championships (’74, ’75, ’76) and holding the national record for several years — Arredondo’s fondest memories came on his 1974 Honda MT250 Elsinore, which he raced in enduros as well as took out for rides around Mexico with friends.

“Every Sunday or Saturday we went camping and explored little towns around Mexico City,” Arredondo said.

Fast forward 50 years to present day and Arredondo — a certified court interpreter by the Supreme Court of Ohio and an insurance agent — is married to his wife, has two kids and is a resident of the United States. With a collection of more than 15 motorcycles and five collector

cars, the Elsinore remained a missing piece to his puzzle, so it was imperative that he left AMA VMD with the bike.

On the final day of the auction and possessing the highest bid, Arredondo did not let the Elsinore out of his sight.

“I couldn’t get farther than 50 feet from it,” Arredondo said. “I was famous for being around the bike, like a puppy!”

Finally, after several bids and days of waiting for the auction to end, Arredondo’s half-century journey back to his Elsinore was complete.

“I have aged, I’m nearly 70,” Arredondo said, “but my bike is still 1974. She’s still young and exactly how I remember her. I can touch her and work on her. We can go to the mountains and kill time. That’s a magical moment.”

In the time since, Arredondo has spent plenty of time in his garage working on the bike to get it running again so he can race it in the AMA Vintage Enduro and Hare Scramble series.

“I’m not customizing this one. I’m just going to transform it into a real-life motorcycle,” Arredondo said in response to purists wanting him to preserve the bike. “This feels different. This is a motorcycle that is going to come alive. I feel like I rescued her from a ‘boring’ life at the museum. And she rescued me from the risk of feeling old.”

“It couldn’t be in better hands with all the respect and all the humbleness,” Arredondo added. “I’m going to love this bike more than probably anyone else in the world, because this is my bike, this is my baby.”

With his first AMA VMD — which he said would not be his last — in the books, Arredondo has another cherished memory to look back on, as well as a two-wheel time machine to the past that he will certainly enjoy.

“They are not people, but somehow they have a soul,” Arredondo said about motorcycles. “The soul comes from all these moments you have shared with your friends, all these moments you have shared with the road, crossing rivers, going uphill, downhill in the mud. They mean freedom, and that’s what I found in Vintage Motorcycle Days.”

We could not have said it better, Armondo.

BY JACK EMERSON

FUELING next GENERATION THE

All Kids Bike and Mimi and Moto team up to impact the next generation at AMA VMD

The little tykes are well cared for at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, especially at the All Kids Bike and Mimi and Moto activation.

Sharing the common goal of getting kids excited about being on two wheels, All Kids Bike and Mimi and Moto provided the perfect opportunity for kids to enjoy themselves at VMD, setting up a bike course outfitted with Strider balance bikes and ramps for the young ones to

bicycles led by the Strider Education Foundation, and Mimi and Moto — a children’s book series that follows the motorcycling adventures of two adorable monkeys — forged a connection through their shared interest in promoting cycling, and, in turn, motorcycling, to the youngest demographic.

With that mission in mind, both Augustyn and McFarland recognized the value of starting kids out young when it comes to getting them aboard

two wheels. And AMA VMD proved the perfect setting for them to spread that message.

“It’s a huge event, it’s extremely unique and it’s a lot of fun,” Augustyn said. “I think everything looked great, we certainly had a lot of good traffic, sold a bunch, interacted with a lot of people. And that’s what it comes down to for us and what we’re trying to do with Mimi and Moto, and then also trying to help with All Kids Bike…you cannot understate the value of talking to people.”

run through during the day.

For both Mimi and Moto and All Kids Bike, AMA VMD provided a hands-on opportunity for them to spread their shared message and get kids on two wheels at the same time.

“We’ve equipped [the activation] with a ride experience that kind of enhances the Mimi and Moto booth,” founder and CEO of Strider Sports International and All Kids Bike Ryan McFarland said, “but it also gives [Mimi and Moto co-founder] Mark Augustyn an opportunity to have bigger conversations with people.”

All Kids Bike, a national movement to get Kindergarten-aged kids on

The Mimi and Moto and All Kids Bike activation at VMD was well-equipped for up-and-coming riders with a mini course for kids to ride Strider bikes.

BY KEATON MAISANO

Bonneville BOND

1969 Triumph Bonneville T120R sparks memory, wins Grand Marshal Award at VMD Bike Show

Among the sea of memories that is AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, there is the occasional bike that spurs a significant memory from back in the day.

For AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and event Grand Marshal Steve Wise, that motorcycle was Gregory Howard’s 1969 Triumph Bonneville T120R — which Wise selected as his Grand Marshal’s Choice for the 2023 Old Bike Barn Bike Show.

Wise’s connection to the motorcycle finds roots in his childhood when his father owned a few 650 Bonneville models, one of which he loaned to a friend who created quite the memory with the bike.

“Our friend, Howard Winchester, won that night under the lights on my father’s Triumph, and then at the trophy presentation, he gave me the first-place trophy he won to take home,” Wise said. “Howard was my first childhood hero and then, as he tells me, I became his hero! To a 6-year-old kid at the time that was very special and began my lifelong love for motorcycles.”

Owning a 1973 Triumph Bonneville that he rode through college, Howard also has a history with Triumphs, which can be traced back to his uncle who loved the brand and taught Howard to ride.

Howard had attended AMA VMD for years, but this year was the first in which he entered the bike show — a decision he made at the request of the Classic British Motorcycle Club of Cincinnati president.

“I was very, very surprised to learn it won a prize,” Howard said. “My motorcycle is a rider and not really a show bike. It shows well, but up close it has plenty of flaws.”

The ’69 Bonneville that he entered into the contest was given to Howard by his brother Bob about four years ago. Howard says he uses it as his local ride-around bike, as it scratches his itch to ride a vintage bike.

“I’d just like to thank my brother for talking me into bringing the bike to Mid-Ohio this year,” Howard added. “I’d like to thank Steve Wise for choosing it, and I certainly recall watching him ride back in the day. As an old Interceptor fan, I dig that as well.”

Gregory Howard proudly displaying his Grand Marshal’s Choice award.

THANK TO OUR SPONSORS YOU

Each year the AMA takes great pride in organizing AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, which provides motorcyclists with a weekend of celebrating vintage bikes, spending time with friends, and the chance to enjoy the freedom offered by two wheels, This event wouldn’t be possible without a long list of partners, supporters and volunteers. We appreciate them all, and everyone who attended from the diverse motorcycling community, for enabling us to raise money for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”

PERMCO

ROYAL ENFIELD

OLD BIKE BARN

BILTWELL

FEDERAL MOTORCYCLE TRANSPORT

B’LASTER

TOTAL ENERGIES

KENDA TIRES

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Kevin Wing, Stephanie Vetterly, Todd Westover, Willie Browning, Joy Burgess, Scott Zimmermann, Mark Adams, Bob Davis, Royal Enfield, Keaton Maisano, Mia Moore

AMA PRESIDENT AND CEO ROB DINGMAN

BY JACK EMERSON

ROYAL ROOTS THE

Royal Enfield’s Project Origin provides the furthest glimpse into the past at AMA VMD

There were thousands of classic motorcycles at the 2023 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, but none quite captured the definition of vintage quite like Royal Enfield’s ambitious engineering venture dubbed Project Origin.

An idea sparked by Royal Enfield’s in-house historian Gordon May four decades ago, Project Origin set the renowned motorcycle manufacturer on a collision course with its own past. For 18 arduous months, engineers at Royal Enfield operated in a voluntary capacity to produce a working replica of the brand’s veryfirst motor-bicycle — which was initially produced in 1901 — in honor of the bike’s 120th anniversary in 2021.

“I had been searching for 40 years, looking for an original 1901 Royal Enfield, and we just found that none had survived,” May said. “So I put down a challenge to the engineers to make a faithful, working replica. I was absolutely amazed that they turned around and said, ‘Yes,’ within five minutes.”

“And I think that speaks volumes for the passion of the people in the business,” May continued, “that they would put in their time during weekends and evenings into this, and that the company would support them in doing it.”

Upon its completion in 2021, Project Origin spent its first two years touring Europe before finally making the trek across the pond to the United States in July. And there was no better place to introduce the motor-bike than for the tens of thousands of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts at Vintage Motorcycle Days.

May recognized as much, emphasizing that the three-day event was the perfect place to unveil Project Origin to Royal Enfield’s American audience.

“There are so many enthusiasts for classic and vintage motorcycles here,” May said. “This event, it’s my first visit, has an enormous reputation and draws in a massive crowd. And to be able to show the bike to these enthusiasts, and especially getting out on the track so they’ll see it being run, is huge.”

At VMD, Project Origin furthered its standing in motorcycle history when it made its inaugural ride on North American soil, with May taking the motorbike around the 2.4-mile track — marking the longest continuous ride for the motorbike — at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course twice during the three-day event.

For May, they were a pair of exhausting-but-exciting rides that hammered home the incredible work of his team.

“I feel so proud of what our engineers have achieved in actually building this and making it run so well that it could complete this circuit twice continuously,” May said after one of the rides around the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. “I think prior to this the longest run was 1.8 miles and she’s still going strong. So, I’m feeling really, really pleased.”

While May’s ambition sparked Royal Enfield’s efforts in constructing Project Origin, that feeling was felt

NATHAN KOLBE

engineers were tasked with building the replica based off photographs and promotional material of the original motorbike from the early 1900s. The Royal Enfield team also brought in comparable bikes from the era to get a foundational understanding of how they were constructed at that point in time.

“We only had a couple of photographs to go on,” May said, “and over time there were a couple of advertisements, magazine and

throughout the company.

“Building an authentic working replica of our very first ‘motor-bicycle’ was a thrill for the entire Royal Enfield company, and now bringing this amazingly hand-crafted machine to ride at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is extremely special,” said Nathan Kolbe, Head of Marketing — Americas Region. “We’re incredibly proud to showcase the foundation upon which Royal Enfield has built its enduring legacy of ‘Pure Motorcycling’ here at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.”

With no surviving models or blueprints, the Royal Enfield

newspaper reports of it being launched. But we didn’t have any blueprints; we had no diagrams. So, to achieve this was quite remarkable from our engineers.”

The first six months of production were dedicated to digitally mapping out the motorbike, setting the foundation for the actual construction process. With the objective of making Project Origin a working replica, the Royal Enfield engineers combined 21st-century technology with a 20th-century manufacturing process to produce a rideable product.

“The first six months of work was done in CAD (computeraided design), they just went for it in that,” said May. “Then, what they had to work out was how everything lined up to make it fully functional as a machine because this was never intended to be something that we’d just put on a

Ian Bain is a vintage motorcycle engineer who fabricated the tank and assisted with much of the engine work.

“We’re incredibly proud to showcase the foundation upon which Royal Enfield has built its enduring legacy of ‘Pure Motorcycling’ here at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.”

stand or in a glass box.”

“This was always intended to be something that lived and breathed, that we could let people hear sing as it went down the road,” May continued. “So, we really went the extra mile to get it as a properly functioning, rideable machine.”

The process of construction also forced Royal Enfield engineers to rethink everything they knew about the motorcycle-building process, with several parts utilized in Project Origin long phased out of the modern era of bikes.

“We had to learn so much about how it functioned,” May said. “This is a motor-bicycle. So, we borrowed a couple of 1900 and 1901 bicycles to see how the shafting was constructed, to see how they brace it together, so we could replicate that. Then we could also understand how a band brake worked, because they had them on those bikes. So, it was a real learning curve for everybody involved.”

With the desire to create a working replica, May and his team handcrafted the motor-bike and

poured into each minute detail to keep the charm of the original design.

“It’s all hand-made, hand-soldered, it’s got three compartments in it for the oil, the fuel and the gas, and the battery or the electrics, and it’s all pressure tested. You can see the workmanship of how it’s built beautifully,” May said. “I mean, the workmanship in that is incredible.”

In addition to the learning curve endured by Royal Enfield engineers during the construction of Project Origin, May also underwent a similar acclimation process to riding the 1901-based motor-bike. In fact, May is one of the only people on the planet that is capable of riding Project Origin, and is the only member of the Royal Enfield company with clearance to ride it.

Despite the old-school nature of how Project Origin operates, with pedals to help the engine operate and the need for a push from the back to get moving, May is always excited for the

AMA Director of Information Technology Shaun Holloway (right) briefs Royal Enfield’s Gordon May (left) about the road track at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

opportunity to take it for a spin.

“I absolutely love it. It’s a real challenge. It’s nearly had me off a couple of times. But the more I ride it, the more I relax,” May said. “There’s a real art to it. I’ve probably put it through about 40 miles now. And every time I ride it, I can’t wait to do it again.”

The track at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course brought May faceto-face with several challenges, including 16 winding turns and multiple hills. As a result of these difficult stretches, May pushed Project Origin to its maximum potential, which the bike handled

gracefully during both of its trips around the track.

“Most of the bends, I can go really wide and sweep around the bend,” May said prior to his first trip around the track. “But when I sweep around the bends, it’s to keep as much speed up for those hills as possible. There’s one long, long incline, and if I don’t get enough speed at the bottom I’ll be pedal assisting to get to the top. So yeah, it’s going to be a challenge.”

Turning has proven to be especially difficult aboard Project Origin, and with the wide array of twists and turns on the Mid-Ohio

Sports Car Course, May was required to use an unorthodox turning method to complete the ride unscathed.

“The biggest challenge is turning,” May said. “This has only one gear, no clutch, no throttle. It just goes full power, full speed. The way you slow it isn’t by just the brake, it’s by cutting out the engine. So, you cut the engine, start it, cut it, start it, because the rear wheels drive the engine, so you just restart it. So, that will get you around the curve by bleeding off power.”

Beyond that, May dealt with an

GORDON MAY

“It’s nearly had me off a couple of times. But the more I ride it, the more I relax. There’s a real art to it. I’ve probably put it through about 40 miles now. And every time I ride it, I can’t wait to do it again.”

added challenge during his second run around the course, causing him to push the bike a little harder than normal, but that didn’t stop him from embracing the ride with a smile on his face.

“There’s a fine art to how much oil you hand pump into the engine — I think I pumped a little bit too much in and the plugs slightly failed because I was pedaling more,” May said with a grin. “I’m still out of breath now, but I think, as you can see from the smile on my face, 122 years in the making, and still going strong. It’s an absolutely pure Royal Enfield motorcycling experience and I’m thrilled to be here doing this.”

And with the opportunity to ride in front of the thousands of classic motorcycle admirers, May had an absolute blast aboard Royal Enfield’s piece of history at Vintage Motorcycle Days.

“It’s been absolutely awesome,” said May. “What’s been really encouraging is the support of the crowd as I go around, it’s been fabulous to honk the horn and give them a wave.”

As Project Origin captivated the crowd of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts during the three-day event, May also left the weekend gratified by what he and his team accomplished both on the track and off it.

“I feel so proud of what our engineers have achieved in doing this,” May said. “And to have this living and breathing, and it smells amazing — it’s running castor oil — to have all that out there so people can experience it, it just fills my heart with pride.

“That passion, that love of riding, the simplicity of these machines, that’s been carried forward…” he continued, “that fills my heart with pride.” AMA

GORDON MAY

Project Origin completed a pair of rides around the road track at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during VMD, surpassing the motor-bike’s previous longest ride on both occasions.

“I feel so proud of what our engineers have achieved in doing this, And to have this living and breathing, and it smells amazing — it’s running castor oil — to have all that out there so people can experience it, it just fills my heart with pride.”

MAKE IT YOURS

The AMA offers a variety of card types and designs for members. In addition to our standard card, we offer a number of themed cards that identify you as belonging to a specific group or speak to your passion as a motorcyclist.

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Rider Magazine AMA members receive a discount on a 1-year subscription.

Risk Racing 15% off products at

Rockwell Time

Save 20% on select products. Rockwelltime. com. Use code AMA20

Spot LLC

Exclusive service credit on SPOT Gen3, SPOT Trace or SPOT X device

STKR Concepts 15% off products at stkrconcepts.com. Use code AMA15

Third Eye Design

10% discount on inView, a wireless brake and signal light. Use code AMA at thirdeyedesigninc.com

US Chrome $30 discount on cylinder plating and dealer pricing on Wiseco, Wossner, ProX and Vertex piston kits.

Warm & Safe 20% discount. Use code AMA

COMING EVENTS

Be sure to check the event website or call the organizer for the latest information, including postponements or cancellations.

ALABAMA

Enduro: Oct. 14 - 15. Robertsdale. Big Cypress

Enduro, Gulf Coast Sandblasters, seraracing.com

Road Race: Oct. 19 - 23. Leeds. 2023 WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc., 770-720-5010, wera@wera.com, wera.com

ARIZONA

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 7. Springerville. Devils Cut, Concours Owners Group, dcharby@msn.com, https://concours.org/

Grand Prix: Oct. 13 - 15. Lake Havasu City. National Grand Prix Championship, Lake Havasu GP, Vikings Desert Motorcycle Club, 562-349-3320, garrettrodriguez86@gmail.com

Dual Sport: Oct. 14 - 15. Prescott. Prescott 350, Countdown, 775-884-0399, DualSportWest.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 14. Flagstaff. AMRA - Round 8 - Harescramble, Ghostriderz, 928-527-8240

Observed Trials: Oct. 15. Kingman. Dunton Ranch, Central Arizona Trials Inc., 928-279-4861, www.duntonranch.net

Adventure Ride: Oct. 23 - 24. Tuscon. Parts Unlimited The Sidewinder, Lemans Corp DBA: Drag Specialties, Parts Unlimited, Thor, 608-741-5350, ksommervold@parts-unltd.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 23 - 24. Tuscon. Parts Unlimited The Sidewinder, Lemans Corp DBA: Drag Specialties, Parts Unlimited, Thor, 608-741-5350, ksommervold@parts-unltd.com

ARKANSAS

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 6 - 7. Fort Smith. Valkyrie Moto Rally, Lone Star Long Riders, 214-250-1340, paultong971@gmail.com, www.vmrally.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 7. Clinton.Horseshoe

Mountain Rendezvous, Concours Owners Group, diamondj304@msn.com, https://concours.org/

CALIFORNIA

Road Rally: Oct. 7 - 8. Redding. Big Bike Weekend, Big Bike Weekend, 530-276-5802, info@ bigbikeweekend.com, www.bigbikeweekend.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 7. Sacramento. 27th Annual Black Widows Poker Run, Black Widows Inc., 916-649-2240, Blackwidowsinc@aol.com, www. blackwidowspokerrun.org

Speedway: Oct. 7. Auburn. USA vs The World, Fast Fridays Speedway, 530-878-7223, fastfriday@aol.com, fastfridays.com

Flat Track - TT: Oct. 7. Lodi. 2023 AMA/D36 Dirt Track Championship Series, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-368-7182, lodimcemail@gmail.com, lodicyclebowl.com

Dual Sport: Oct. 7 - 8. Cantil. Alpine Trails, Chaparrals MC, 562-667-6039, mikexr400@ hotmail.com

Dual Sport: Oct. 13 - 14. Bishop. Bishop Dual Sport, Ventura County Motorcycle Club, 805-3205300, simplyred805@twc.com, vcmc.clubexpress. com

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 14. Newman. 2023 D36 Championship Series, Fast Times Promotions Hare and Hound: Oct. 21 - 22. Lucerne Valley. 100s MC National Hare and Hound, 100’S MC, 719-332-5492, desertracer411@gmail.com, www.100smc.org

Flat Track - TT: Oct. 21. Lodi. 2023 AMA/D36 Dirt Track Championship Series, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-368-7182, lodimcemail@gmail.com, lodicyclebowl.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 22. Lodi. 2023 AMA/D36 Dirt Track Championship Series, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-368-7182, lodimcemail@gmail. com, lodicyclebowl.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 28. San Jose. October Club Ride, BMW Motorcycle Club of Northern California, 408-464-8094, safetydirector@bmwnorcal.org, bmwnorcal.org/events

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 28. Dixon. 2023 D36 Championship Series, Fast Times Promotions COLORADO

Observed Trials: Oct. 1. Lake George. RMTA Series Event #9, Rocky Mountain Trials Association, 719-239-1234

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 7. Dacono. Colorado Speedway and Flat Track, IMI Motorsports Complex, 303-833-4949, imimotorsports@hotmail.com, imimotorsports.com

Observed Trials: Oct. 22. Royal George. RMTA Series Event #10, Rocky Mountain Trials Association, 719-239-1234

DELAWARE

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 21. New Castle. Mason Farro Memorial, Heart and Soul Racing FLORIDA

Motocross: Oct. 1. Bithlo. Florida Gold Cup, Unlimited Sports MX, Inc., info@unlimitedsportsmx. com, unlimitedsportsmx.com

Motocross: Oct. 8. Alachua. Florida Gold Cup, Unlimited Sports MX, Inc., info@unlimitedsportsmx. com, unlimitedsportsmx.com

Motocross: Oct. 15. Okeechobee. Florida Gold Cup, Unlimited Sports MX, Inc., info@unlimitedsportsmx.com, unlimitedsportsmx.com

Speedway: Oct. 20 - 22. Daytona Beach. ASRA Sprint Series Round 7, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, 301-712-8450, support@asraracing.com, https://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/

Speedway: Oct. 20 - 22. Daytona Beach. ASRA Team Challenge Round 6, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, 800-748-7476, support@ asraracing.com, https://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/

Adventure Ride: Oct. 28 - 29. Daytona. CrossFlorida Adventure Ride, Dixie Dual Sport, Inc., 727-919-8299, president@dixiedualsport.com, www.dixiedualsport.com

GEORGIA

Motocross: Oct. 1. Washington. BIG/SAS Series, Aonia Pass MX Motocross: Oct. 7. Union Point. Durhamtown MX Series, Durhamtown Off Road Park, 706-486-0091, robin@durhamtown.com, www.durhamtown.com Motocross: Oct. 21. Union Point. Durhamtown MX Series, Durhamtown Off Road Park, 706-4860091, robin@durhamtown.com, www.durhamtown. com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 21. Suches. True Grits 50CC Fun Ride, Fun and Reliable Tiddlers, 770-3293259, ben4072003@yahoo.com, champsclock.com

ILLINOIS

Motocross: Oct. 1. Casey. Thor Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, drew@ lincolntrail.com, www.ridelincolntrail.com

Observed Trials: Oct. 7. Bartonville. Peoria

OctoberTest Trials, Peoria Motorcycle Club Inc., 309-697-4981, jdebmwalker@gmail.com, www. peoriamotorcycleclub.com

Motocross: Oct. 8. Walnut. District 17 Motocross Series, 4P Promotions, Inc., 815-379-9534, jan@ sunsetridgemx.com, www.sunsetridgemx.com

Observed Trials: Oct. 8. Bartonville. Peoria

OctoberTest Trials 2, Peoria Motorcycle Club Inc., 309-697-4981, jdebmwalker@gmail.com, www. peoriamotorcycleclub.com

Trail Ride: Oct. 8. Ottawa. Egg Hunt, Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc., 815-434-3669, varietyriders@ yahoo.com, varietyriders.com

Grand Prix: Oct. 14. Wedron. Fox Valley Off Road Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815-884-9361, megatraxs. com

Enduro: Oct. 15. White City. CCDR Big Red

Enduro, Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders, cahokiacreekdirtriders.com

Motocross: Oct. 15. Casey. Thor Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, drew@lincolntrail.com, www.ridelincolntrail.com

Observed Trials: Oct. 21.Lena. Lena Trials Event Day 1, NITRO-Northern Illinois Trials Riders Organization, 815-703-6555, warrenlange@yahoo.com, nitrotrials.com

Motocross: Oct. 22. DuQuoin. Indian Hills MX Race, Indian Hills MX LLC, indianhillsmx55@gmail. com, www.indianhillsmx.com

Motocross: Oct. 22. Byron. Halloween-O-Cross, Motosports Enterprises LTD, 815-234-2271, motobyron@mac.com, motobyron.com

Observed Trials: Oct. 22. Lena. Lena Trials Event Day 2, NITRO-Northern Illinois Trials Riders Organization, 815-703-6555, warrenlange@yahoo. com, nitrotrials.com

Trail Ride: Oct. 22. Ottawa. Off Road Poker Run/ Trail Ride, Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc., 815434-3669, varietyriders@yahoo.com, varietyriders. com

Grand Prix: Oct. 29. Canton. CMC 2023 Grand Prix, Canton Motorcycle Club, 309-224-6367, Motocross: Oct. 29. Casey. Thor Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, drew@lincolntrail.com, www.ridelincolntrail.com

INDIANA

Enduro: Oct. 1. Matthews. Muddobbers National Enduro, Muddobbers MC Inc., 765-998-2236, dougspence43@yahoo.com, muddobbersmc.org

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 21 - 22. Crawfordsville. Grand National Cross Country Series - Ironman, Racer Productions, Inc., 304-2840084, info@gnccracing.com, www.gnccracing.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 29. Columbus. Stoney Lonesome Harescramble Series, Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club, 812-343-4411, info@stoneylonesomemc.com, www.stoneylonesomemc.com

IOWA

Motocross: Oct. 1. Garwin. Rumble at Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge MX, 641-844-4849, oakridgemx@gmail. com, www.oakridgemx.com

MARYLAND

Motocross: Oct. 8. Mechanicsville. AMA Maryland State Championship, Pro Ready Racing LLC, 443-223-9171, ezra@buddscreek.com, www. buddscreek.com

Adventure Ride: Oct. 15. Little Orleans. Green Ridge Moto Adventure, Maryland Competition Riders, 717-515-4220, ajkalke09@gmail.com

Motocross: Oct. 28 - 29. Oldtown. MAMA MX Series, Middle Atlantic Motocross Association, Inc., 919-259-4890, secretary@mamamx.com, www. mamamx.com

MICHIGAN

Observed Trials: Oct. 1. Flushing. MOTA Championship, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, 734-355-0637, fangnam70@hotmail.com, motatrials.com

Motocross: Oct. 1. Midland. D14 Motocross, Polka Dots M/C, 989-832-8284, correycolthorp@yahoo. com, polkadotsmc.net

Trail Ride: Oct. 14. Vermontville. Vermontville, Vintage Trails, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, 574-386-4061, mont@jeffersondentalcenter.com, motatrials.com

Observed Trials: Oct. 15. Vermontville. MOTA Championship, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, 574-386-4061, mot@jeffersondentalcenter.com, motatrials.com

Motocross: Oct. 28. Millington. Baja Acres Motocross, Baja Acres, 989-871-3356, ride@bajamx. com, www.bajaacres.com

Motocross: Oct. 29. Millington. Baja Acres Motocross, Baja Acres, 989-871-3356, ride@bajamx. com, www.bajaacres.com

MINNESOTA

Motocross: Oct. 1. Brook Park. Berm Benders Raceway, Berm Benders Incorporated, 320-2792238, bermbendersraceway@outlook.com, www. bermbendersraceway.com

Motocross: Oct. 8. Brookston. MX North Star Series, Echo Valley Motopark, LLC, 218-391-8422, echovalleymotopark@gmail.com, echovalleymotocross.com

Motocross: Oct. 8. Millville. Super Series Round 1 of 2024/Halloween Bash sponsored by EZ Camper Rentals, Hi-Winders, 507-753-2779, springcreekmxoffice@gmail.com, www.springcreekmx.com

Observed Trials: Oct. 8. Theilman. UMTA 2023 Events, Upper Midwest Trials Association, 651-2615977, bobbywarner@gmail.com, umta.org

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 29. Willow River. Big Rack Hare Scramble, Straight Arrow Enduro Riders, 651-226-2305, president@straightarrows.org, straightarrows.org

MISSOURI

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 8. Bixby. Missouri Hare Scrambles Championship Series, Midwest Trail Riders Association, 314-409-6936, ridemtra@hotmail.com, ridemtra.com

NEW JERSEY

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 14 - 15. Millville. Meteor Fall Brawl Hare Scramble, Meteor MC, http://www.METEORMC.COM

Adventure Ride: Oct. 27 - 29. Cookstown. Pine Barrens 500, Pine Barrens Adventure Camp LLC,

COMING EVENTS

Be sure to check the event website or call the organizer for the latest information, including postponements or cancellations.

856-297-1981, pbacridingschool@gmail.com, www. pinebarrensadventures.com

Motocross: Oct. 29. Englishtown. Raceway Park Motocross, Raceway Park, 732-446-7800, racewaypark1965@gmail.com, www.racewaypark.com

NEVADA

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 15. Las Vegas. Las Vegas Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, 773-706-7030, bmcnamara@curethekids.org, rideforkids.org/lasvegas

NEW MEXICO

Observed Trials: Oct. 7 - 8. Roswell. NMTA #13 & #13, New Mexico Trials Association, 505-780-2551, newmexicotrials@gmail.com, newmexicotrials.com

Road Race: Oct. 14 - 15. Deming. ASMA Championship Series, Arroyo Seco Motorcyclist Association, 575-494-4794, roger@asmaracing.com, asmaracing.com

Road Race: Oct. 22. Albuquerque. Law Tigers SMRI Roadracing Championship, Sandia Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc., 505-917-1514, smri@ smri-racing.org, www.smri-racing.org

NEW YORK

Observed Trials: Oct. 1. Big Flats. D4 Observed Trials, District 4 Trials Committee, 607-426-1019, jaredhowe414@gmail.com, d4mototrials.weebly. com

gmail.com

Motocross: Oct. 8. Middletown. MSC AMA D34 - Orange County Fair MX, Metropolitan Sports Committee, 845-342-2573, info@ocfsracing.com, mscmotocross.com

Trail Ride: Oct. 8. Pavilion. Fun Trials Ride, Niagara Trials Riders, 716-930-0766, ntrclub@yahoo. com, ntrmototrials.weekly.com

Motocross: Oct. 15. Coeymans Hollow. MSC AMA D34 - Echo Valley MX, Metropolitan Sports Committee, mscmotocross.com

Trail Ride: Oct. 15. Sloatsburg. Fall Foliage Run, Ramapo Motorcycle Club, 201-463-4064, tslockbo@gmail.com, https://www.parapomc.org/ Motocross: Oct. 15. Vernon. CNY MRA D3 Motocross, URMX LLC, 315-725-4407

OHIO

Observed Trials: Oct. 1. Toronto. Trials Inc., trav99ss@hotmail.com, trialsinc.org

Motocross: Oct. 7 - 8. New Vienna. 2023 Buckeye Series, Race Ohio MX, 513-266-2866, s.plessinger@yahoo.com, Eastforkmx.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 8. Salem. WRMC 2Man/4 Hour ATV Harescramble, Western Reserve Motorcycle Club, 330-332-0818, wrmcinfo@yahoo.com, westernreservemc.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 14. Newton Falls. Zip It Up Run, Region 3, ABATE of Ohio, Inc., 419-654-5446, mikestock419@gmail.com, abate.com

Adventure Ride: Oct. 14 - 15. Langsville. Fire Works and Fire Hoses, Enduro Riders of Ohio, 740-506-1288, jrpoffroad@yahoo.com, enduroriders.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 15. Portsmouth. Fall Leaf Run, Portsmouth Motorcycle Club, 740-961-9865, portsmouthmotorcycleclub@gmail.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 15. Salem. WRMC 2Man/3 Hour ATV Harescramble, Western Reserve Motorcycle Club, 330-332-0818, wrmcinfo@yahoo.com, westernreservemc.com

OKLAHOMA

Motocross: Oct. 5 - 8. Ponca City. The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City, MPG Creative Group LLC, 816-582-4113, layne@mpgcreativegroup.com, www.poncamx.com

OREGON

Enduro: Oct. 23. Bend. China Hat ISDE, Lobos MC Inc., 503-261-3416, ryan.hawkins47@gmail.com, lobosmc.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Trail Ride: Oct. 7. Skippack. Fall Trail Ride, Blue Comet Motorcycle Club, 610-489-1240, bcmcnomad@verizon.net, Bluecometmc.com

Motocross: Oct. 7. Hanover. Masters MX, Happy Ramblers MC, 717-969-8089, happyramblersmx@ gmail.com, happyramblersmx.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 7. Shoemakerville. Short Track, Shippensburg MC, 717-503-8030, candybaer@comcast.net, baermotorsports.com

Dual Sport: Oct. 8. Pine Grove. RORR Dual Sport, Reading Off Road Riders, 844-440-7677, jim.graffius@gmail.com, www.rorr.org

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 8. Shoemakerville. Short Track, Shippensburg MC, 717-503-8030, candybaer@comcast.net, baermotorsports.com

Adventure Ride: Oct. 11 - 15. Lock Haven. Explore

The PA Wilds Four Tour, Appalachian ADV-Adventure & Dual Sport Motorbiking LLC, 330-2724186, kane@appalachianadv.com, https://www. appalachianadv.com/events.html#/

Motocross: Oct. 15. Pine Grove. District 6 Henrietta Classic/MDRA Series, Dutchmen MX, 570-915-4141, info@dutchmenmxpark.com, www. dutchmenmxpark.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 21. Skippack. Blue Comet Fall Race, Blue Comet Motorcycle Club, 610-489-1240, bcmcnomad@ verizon.net, bluecometmc.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 28. York Haven. Short Track, Shippensburg MC, 717-503-8030, candybaer@comcast.net, baermotorsports.com

Motocross: Oct. 29. Shippensburg. Doublin Gap - PAMX Pennsylvania State Championship Series, Doublin Gap Motocross, Inc., 717-2496036, doublingap@gmail.com, www.doublingap. com

TENNESSEE

Road Rally: Oct. 5 - 7. Tellico Plains. LTaR Eastern Rendezvous, Let’s Take a Ride LLC, 615-335-7644, davidbairdltar@gmail.com, letstakearide.com

Motocross: Oct. 14. Blountville. Thor Mega Series, Victory Sports Inc., 423-323-5497, jane@ victory-sports.com, www.victory-sports.com

Motocross: Oct. 15. Blountville. Top Gun Showdown/Mega Series, Victory Sports Inc., 423-323-5497, jane@victory-sports.com, www. victory-sports.com

Dual Sport: Oct. 21 - 22. Crawford. Upper Cumberlands Fall Classic, Upper Cumberland Trail Riders, 513-479-6627, uppercumberlandtrailriders@gmail.com, www.cubmountainatv.com

TEXAS

Motocross: Oct. 1. Red Rock. 2023 EMX Championship Series FINAL, EMX, LLC, 832-646-2455, EmxMoto@gmail.com, www.EMXonline.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 21. Alpine. Big Bend, Concours Owners Group, stauros@tx.rr.com, https:// concours.org/

Motocross: Oct. 21 - 22. Wortham. Tony Miller Memorial Race, Freestone County Raceway LLC, 713-962-3386, freestonemx@gmail.com, www. freestonemx.com

Motocross: Oct. 21 - 22. Wortham. Best of Texas Fall Series Rd 6 / Tony Miller Memorial ProAm Race, Freestone County Raceway LLC, freestonemx@gmail.com, www.freestonemx.com

Motocross: Oct. 28 - 29. Conroe. AMA Texas State Championship, E.S.E. We Make Tracks Inc., 936-321-8725, info@threepalmsesp.com, www. threepalmsesp.com

Motocross: Oct. 30. Red Rock. 2023 EMX Championship Series FINAL, EMX, LLC, 832-646-2455, EmxMoto@gmail.com, www.EMXonline.com

VIRGINIA

Motocross: Oct. 1. Sutherlin. District 13 Motocross/Mega/Ultra Series, Birch Creek Promotions LLC, 434-253-0505, birchcreekmx@gmail.com, www.birchcreekmotorsportspark.com

Dual Sport: Oct. 7 - 8. Mount Solon. Shenandoah 500, Washington Area Trail Riders, Inc., 619-2439630, info@watr.us, www.watr.us

Motocross: Oct. 28. Axton. Halloween Bash,

Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park, 276-650-1158, laesugartree@gmail.com, www.lakesugartree.com

Motocross: Oct. 29. Axton. Halloween Bash, Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park, 276-650-1158, laesugartree@gmail.com, www.lakesugartree.com

WASHINGTON

Extreme Off-Road: Oct. 7. Everett. Everett EnduroCross, EnduroCross LLC, 425-322-2600

Motocross: Oct. 7 - 8. Richland. 10th Annual Mini/Youth Warrior Championships, HRMC, Inc., 509-496-2958, info@hornrapidsmx.com, www. hornrapidsmx.com

WEST VIRGINIA

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 7 - 8. Newburg. Grand National Cross Country SeriesBuckwheat 100, Racer Productions, Inc., 304-2840084, info@gnccracing.com, www.gnccracing.com

Motocross: Oct. 22. Hedgesville. AMA West Virginia State Championship/PAMX/Capitol Cup “Civil War”, Tomahawk MX, LLC, 304-582-8185, www.tomahawkmxA2:I132.com

WISCONSIN

Dual Sport: Oct. 1. Merrimac. Badger, Driftless Dual Sport Riders, 608-509-5618, driftlessdsr. info@gmail.com, driftlessdsr.org

Motocross:Oct. 1. Hillpoint. District 16 Motocross Series, Sugar Maple MX Park LLC, 608-425-8643, sugarmaplemxpark@gmail.com, www.sugarmaplemx.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 7. Dodgeville. Hunt For Red October, Concours Owners Group, dmcclurg@ wi.rr.com, https://concours.org/

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 7. Nekoosa. Dyracuse Park, Four Wheeler Dirtbike Cross Country (FDXC), 920-360-4405, info@ rendlux.com, fdcxr.com

Motocross: Oct. 8. Lake Mills. District 16 Motocross Series, Aztalan Cycle Club, Inc., www. aztalanmx.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 14. New Richmond. Cedar Lake Arena Flat Track, Cedar Lake Arena, info@cedarlakespeedway.com, cedarlakespeedway.com

Dual Sport: Oct. 14. Kewaskum. Kettle Moraine

Field+Forest Dual Sport Ride, Kettle Moraine Sport Riders Inc., michael-wolf@live.com, www. kettlemorainesportriders.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 15. New Richmond. Cedar Lake Arena Flat Track, Cedar Lake Arena, info@cedarlakespeedway.com, cedarlakespeedway.com

Dual Sport: Oct. 28. Cross Plains. 2023 Bucky Dual Sport #14, Madison Motorcycle Club, 608225-5001, madisonmotorcycleclub@gmail.com, madisonmotorcycleclub.org

MOTOCROSS

FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES

The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City

Oct. 5-8. Ponca City, Okla. Ponca City MX. (816) 582-4113. poncamx.com

Top Gun Showdown/Mega Series

Oct. 15. Blountville, Tenn. Muddy Creek Raceway. (423) 323-5497. victory-sports.com

COMING EVENTS

Be sure to check the event website or call the organizer for the latest information, including postponements or cancellations.

Halloween Bash

Oct. 29. Axton, Va. Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park. (276) 650-1158. lakesugartree.com

Cash for Class Scholarship Race

Nov. 11-12. Cairo, Ga. GPF. (810) 348-8700. gpfmx. com

PRO-AM EVENTS

Pro-Am Schedule

47th Annual Race of Champions sponsored by Kawasaki: Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Englishtown, N.J. Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. (732) 446-7800. racewaypark. com

Megacross Shootout Series: Sept. 30. Mendota, Ill. Megacross. (815) 539-9021. megacross.com

The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City: Oct. 5-8. Ponca City, Okla. Ponca City MX. (816) 582-4113. poncamx.com

Top Gun Showdown/Mega Series: Oct. 15. Blountville, Tenn. Muddy Creek Raceway. (423) 323-5497. victory-sports.com

Tony Miller Memorial Race: Oct. 21-22. Wortham, Texas. Freestone County Raceway LLC. (713) 9623386. freestonemx.com

AMA Texas State Championship: Oct. 28-29. Conroe, Texas. 3 Palms Action Sports Park. (936) 321-8725. threepalmsesp.com

Halloween Bash: Oct. 29. Axton, Va. Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park. (276) 650-1158. lakesugartree.com

AMA South Carolina State Championship/Mega Series: Nov. 12. Hamer, S.C. South of the Border MX. (423) 323-5497. victory-sports.com

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Maryland State Championship: Oct. 8. Mechanicsville, Md. Budds Creek MX. (443) 223-9171. buddscreek.com

AMA West Virginia State Championship: Oct. 22. Hedgesville, W. Va. Tomahawk MX. (304) 582-8185. tomahawkmx.com

AMA Texas State Championship: Oct. 28-29. Conroe, Texas. 3 Palms Action Sports Park. (936) 321-8725. threepalmsesp.com

AMA South Carolina State Championship: Nov. 12. Hamer, S.C. South of the Border MX. (423) 3235497. victory-sports.com

TRACK RACING

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Supermoto National Championship Series amasupermotonational.com

Rounds 6 & 7: Nov. 4-5. Tucson, Ariz. Musselman Honda Circuit

AMA Road Race Grand Championship asraracing.com

Oct. 20-22. Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona International Speedway

FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES

AMA AHDRA Featured Series, raceahdra.com

Round 7: Oct. 27-29. Rockingham, N.C. Rockingham Dragway

OFF-ROAD

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Grand National Cross Country Championship, gnccracing.com

Round 11: Buckwheat 100 – Oct. 6-8. Newburg, W. Va. CJ Raceway.

Round 12: Ironman – Oct. 20-22. Crawfordsville, Ind. Ironman Raceway.

AMA National Grand Prix Championship Series, ngpcseries.com

Round 9: Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Ridgecrest, Calif.

Round 10: Nov. 10-12. Lake Havasu, Ariz.

AMA National Hare and Hound Championship Series, nationalhareandhound.com

Round 6: Oct. 21-22. Lucerne Valley, Calif.

AMA National Enduro Championship Series, nationalenduro.com

Round 8: Muddobbers National – Oct. 1. Matthews,

fleece pull-overs

tee

Ind. (765) 998-2236. muddobbersmc.org

Round 9: Gobbler Better National – Oct. 29. Stanton, Ala. (334) 267-2463. perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA West Hare Scrambles Championship, westharescramble.com

Round 6: TBD

Round 7: Oct. 7-8 Washougal, Wash.

Round 8: Nov. 18-19. Wilseyville, Calif.

FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES

AMA Mid East Racing Championship Series mideastracing.com

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Nov. 4-5. Hammer Run. Port Elizabeth, N.J. TriCounty Sportsmen M.C. Inc. teamhammer.org

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Gara ge

Tips,Tweaks, Fixes and Facts: The two-wheeled ownership experience, explained

FUNCTIONAL DUDS TECH GEAR

Great (and not-so-great) dirt and street gear choices from the last 50 years

BY MITCH BOEHM

I’ve always been the historian of sorts in my family, collecting and storing Instamatic and Polaroid snapshot prints — and newspaper clippings — from my earliest years in shoeboxes and scrapbooks…and now digitally.

All that collecting coincided pretty closely with my early motorcycling, too, so I’ve got a good bit of riding and racing photos to go along with all those Little League, Christmastime and family-vacation images.

Some are pretty amusing, especially considering the “gear” I was wearing — or not wearing, in many cases. Seems I thought tennis shoes, T-shirts and bare hands were acceptable while on my SL70 and XR75 in those early years. What could happen, right?

Of course, gear choices got more serious once I started racing in ’74 on my stock XR75 (at left), though that does not mean they were leading-edge or optimal. There was the cotton Army jacket, leather gardener’s

gloves and blue jeans that first year; the red-and-white vinyl “leathers” the following year; and the cotton-denim “MX bib overalls” I wore in early ’76 on my YZ100C. Totally rookie.

From there it got better, with real Bates leathers (AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Pierre Karsmakers replica!), Hi-Point boots (just like HOFer Roger DeCoster!) and, in ’78 on my YZ250E, a full set of bad-ass JT Racing gear with a JOFA mouthguard and matching Electro helmet (which I still have) like the late HOFer Marty Smith wore. My 15-year-old butt thought it was HOFer Bob Hannah, but for some reason, the factory contract never showed up. HOFer Keith McCarty, what happened?!

I raced more moto during college, and once I joined Motorcyclist magazine in ’85, it was wall-to-wall street riding, testing and roadracing…going on nearly 40 years now. So yeah, I’ve lived, loved and hated a ton of gear over those five decades, and figured I’d share.

important, so I stick to non-Snell lids there. I’m very much liking Scorpion’s VX-16 Prism, which so far is super comfy, great looking, and has all the bells and whistles.

Boots are a tough one. On the dirt I’ve had great luck over the years with Alpinestars Tech 10s, and various SIDI models, but your best bet, given how different each model and brand are, and how differently shaped feet are, is to try them on at a local shop or gear store. Not always easy or convenient, but definitely worth your time.

It’s much the same with street boots, and with so many styles to choose from, from casual to custom to touring/weatherproof to more racing- and performance-oriented, trying before buying is key. Stick to the major brands.

For my hands on the street, it’s always deerskin gloves, and for a lot of reasons. The hide itself is thick, luxuriously soft and warm, and whether they’re from Aerostich, KLIM, Lee Parks Design or someone else,

KLIM and RevIt!, but there are other quality outfits out there. One-piece suits such as the Aerostich Roadcrafter work just as well if they’re of similar construction.

For track days or racing I was always pulled toward Vanson suits, as they have an indestructible feel, but suits from Kushitani and RS Taichi always had that buttery-soft Japanese element to them, which is hard to ignore. Lots of options out there, but stick to the top makers.

Want more? Base layers are key if you’re riding in colder climates, and while there are a million brands to choose from, I love the stuff from ZeroFit. These days when I’m riding off-road I always slip into a full-upper-body flak jacket, which offers chest, back, elbow and shoulder armor. Broken ribs, punctured (and collapsed) lungs, and chest tubes will do that to a person. Mine is from EVS, but Alpinestars makes a good one, too.

Knee braces are key when riding

Helmet-wise, on the street, I’m a big fan of modulars, especially Shoei’s Neotec 2, which easily the most comfortable lid I’ve ever worn — and has attention-to-detail that’s often missing in cheaper (yet still protective) helmets. I’ve been wearing the same one for nearly three years now, and until I find something I like better, I ain’t giving it up. On the racetrack it was almost always an Arai, and they’re great, but I’m fairly sure my road racing days are over…sniff.

On the dirt a softer helmet is extra

you can be pretty certain you’ll love them as I do. On the dirt there are a bazillion glove choices, with the majority seeming seriously less protective than they should be…but you’d expect to hear that from a street rider, so that one’s up to you.

When it comes to upper- and lower-body gear for the street, it’s pretty hard to beat today’s nylon/ textile jackets and pants with built-in armor and a waterproof element such as Gore-Tex. Manufacturers I’ve had great luck with include Aerostich,

off road — or skiing or skateboarding. I’ve had two pairs of Asterisk braces over the years (I wore out the first pair), and while there are others to choose from, these things are the bomb. And when it comes to a gear bags in which to hold all this stuff, the KLIM, Troy Lee Designs and Ogio bags I’ve used over the years do a great job.

There it is. All good stuff, and all thoroughly whipped and tested over the last several decades. You’re welcome.

SCORPION VX-16 PRISM HELMET

AEROSTICH DEERSKIN GLOVES

ALPINESTARS TECH 10 BOOTS

KLIM CARLSBAD JACKET

LAST PAGE

By The Numbers...

• Vintage Hare Scrambles Entries – 467

• Grand Marshal Autographs Signed – 974

• Vintage Motocross Entries – 805

• Cases of Mild Sunburn* – 9,987

• Vintage Trials Entries – 105

• Road Racing Entries – 457

• Pit Bike Racing Entries – 109

• AMA Memberships Sold – 400+

• Brats, Burgers and Dogs Consumed* – 59,529

• Infield Vendors – 30+

• Swap Meet Spots – 800+

• Gallons of Gas Burned* – 2,549

• Laps For History Participants – 497

• Tires Shredded* – 6,278

• Bags of Ice Used* – 18,987

• Demo Rides Taken – 396

• Grins Produced* – 40,000 +

• Minds Blown* – 39,987 and counting

rIDE into the unknown

Confidently go wherever your inner voice leads you with the new KTM 890 ADVENTURE R. With a new rally-inspired styling to match its renowned offroad ability, and a class-leading electronics package, it is the ultimate machine for the most extreme adventures.