Editorial Director Mitch Boehm on buying used dirt bikes sight-unseen off the internet
10 AMA INSIDER
AMA COO James Holter on the realities and importance of race and event insurance
12 BACKFIRES
Membership feedback on recent issues and happenings
14 BACK IN THE DAY
Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!
18 CAN’T MISS EVENTS
Everything you need to know about this year’s coolest AMA-tinged happenings
28 COVER STORY: MECUM LAS VEGAS
The inside scoop on the biggest (and best) motorcycle auction of the year
42 PROJECT SUZUKI DR650
Sharpening the edges of what’s likely the best all-around dual-sport thumper
52 JUGGERNAUT: JT RACING USA
The birth, life and death of JT Racing, the world’s first moto-gear powerhouse
64 EVENT CALENDAR
AMA-sanctioned rides, races and events you just can’t miss
72 AMA GARAGE
A top-level Kawasaki Triple restoration expert on his most difficult rebuild ever
74 LAST PAGE
Malcolm Stewart and his very first 450-class AMA Supercross win in Tampa
ON THE COVER:
It’s no secret that auctions are crazy happenings, but when they involve motorcycles, things often intensify. Which is exactly what happened at the annual Mecum Auctions Las Vegas event, with one machine — a beautiful 1915 Cyclone — breaking the all-time high-price record when it hammered for $1.32 million. We sent the intrepid and curious John Burns to investigate. Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
EDITORIAL
Mitch Boehm Editorial Director
Todd Westover Chief Creative Consultant
Keaton Maisano Managing Editor
Kerry Hardin Senior Graphic Designer
Bob Griffith Contributing Editor
John Burns Contributing Editor
Aaron Frank 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 Sales and Events Specialist (614) 729-7949, aboehm@ama-cycle.org
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American Motorcyclist magazine (ISSN 0277-9358) is published monthly (12 issues) by the American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Copyright by the American Motorcyclist Association/American Motorcyclist 2021. Printed in USA. Subscription rate: Magazine subscription fee of $39.95 covered in membership dues.
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Members who join or renew their AMA membership from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025 are automatically entered to win one of these awesome motorcycling prizes!
MONTHLY DRAWINGS
• MOTION PRO Digital Tire Pressure Gauge 60 psi
• Warm & Safe 12V USB Adapter
• Bohn Armor Skull Cap
• AMA T-Shirt
• nelson-rigG cover
• quinn Spitfire Vanta Helmet
• Butler Motorcycle Maps
• ASV set of three y handle socket tools
sockets not included
QUARTERLY DRAWINGS
• Bohn Armor Pant & Shirt Set
• Strider Sport 2-in-1 Rocking Bike
• ASV set of f4 Dirt or f3 Street Levers
• chatter box Bit 2 hands-free
• Mimi & Moto Children’s Books
• Slacker V5 and a Wireless Remote Display
• Third Eye Design inView Wireless Brake and Turn-Signal Light
Ihad some trouble with upper-level math in college (English and writing classes were much more my speed), but I’m pretty sure I just bought my 50th motorcycle.
The list I compiled that suggested I’d hit the 50 mark has some really interesting stories buried within it, and I suspect I’ll get to some of them in time. But first I feel the need to tell you a little about that 50th machine — a 1993 Suzuki RMX250.
Committed off-roaders will remember the RMX well, as it was Suzuki’s answer between 1989 and 1998 to race-winning off-road two-strokes from Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM and others. Based on the excellent RM250 motocrosser, the X added a larger tank, lighting coil and lights, sidestand, 18-inch rear wheel, softer suspension, heavier flywheel, milder porting and taller gear ratios to the mix, and in the hands of Hall of Famers Randy Hawkins and Rodney Smith, RMX-based racers won numerous off-road and enduro titles.
I’d been wanting an off-road twostroke for a while, but for whatever reason the RMX didn’t appear on my radar. Brand-new KTM and Husky 300s did, and they were really nice, but at $11K-plus were a little too pricey for me, and used ones weren’t much less. I considered used WR450Fs and CRF450Xs, but didn’t want to deal with the extra weight and potential of expensive top-end rebuilds, their magic buttons be damned.
During all this back and forth, my buddy Thad Wolff mentioned he had a ’90s-spec Suzuki RMX, and that he loved it. “It’s faster and better suspended than a KDX200,” Thaddeus said, “and dead reliable.” And so I began learning about and looking for RMXs. Most were clapped out, and the one
PERSPECTIVES MY LITTLE YELLOW CREAM PUFF
BY MITCH BOEHM
nice unit I found online was on the other side of the country. Ugh.
But one night on Facebook Marketplace I found a super-low-hour, ’93-spec RMX up in Portland, Ore., that looked in the photos to be literally nearly new. The ad read like this: “MUST-SEE BIKE. Less than 20 hours. Truly a time capsule. All fluids replaced. New fork seals. Answer spark arrestor. New tires. Clear title. OE manual included. $4,000.”
Somehow, I lucked out and got hold of the owner, a very nice elderly gent named Mark, who told me about the bike’s history. Seems an older buddy of his who was a Lobos MC club member bought the bike new and used it almost exclusively for enduro and hare-scrambles route setup, and when he got too old to ride the bike, it sat…for years. Mark bought it a year or so ago from the original owner, and didn’t ride it much at all, either, and figured he’d sell it to a good home.
Apparently, my home was satisfactory, because as I type these words the bike is a week from being picked up to be transported to Salt Lake City…and my garage.
I’m really excited to get the thing, and not only because it’s a two-stroke and yellow and therefore reminds me
Facebook Marketplace has cost me some pretty motorcycling pennies over the years, but in this case — a nearly-new ’93-spec RMX250 — I believe it’s worth every one.
of the ’78 YZ250 I raced in Ohio back in the day. Yeah, it isn’t fuel-injected and there’s no magic button, but two-strokes start pretty easily, non-ethanol premix doesn’t clog carburetors if you’re even a little bit careful, and, hey, two-stroke dirt bikes are all the rage these days. So I got that going for me.
It’ll need some suspension help, I’m sure. I’m not 180 pounds anymore, and stock springs are too soft for most riders anyway, but I know a couple of people in that industry, including Paul Thede and Matt Wiley at Race Tech and the good folks at Cogent Dynamics.
Otherwise, both Thad and longtime industry writer and photographer Mark Kariya assure me the RMX is a helluva dirt bike, one with 250-class power and a chassis that can deal with environments from single track to the local motocross venue to the wide-open desert…which is pretty much what I’m gonna use it for.
Four grand isn’t peanuts for what is a 32-year-old dirt bike. But I don’t have to be a math major to calculate that this Suzuki survivor is very likely to be just what I needed.
Mitch Boehm is the Editorial Director of the AMA and a long-time member.
Motorcycling is fun, thrilling and, yes, risky. Those who organize motorcycling events, the smart ones, at least, look for a way to transfer that risk. They do that with insurance.
One option exclusively for AMAchartered organizers is the AMA insurance program. It is competitive and comprehensive, but it has a price. Every year, the AMA, working with our broker, negotiates price and terms with the insurance company. (The AMA makes no money off premiums, with all savings contributing to lower rates.) Some renewals are harder to negotiate than others, and 2025 was one such renewal.
Unfortunately, industry-wide racing-related claims in recent years have put upward pressure on premiums for both AMA-sanctioned and non-sanctioned events. In fact, anecdotal evidence indicates rate increases have been much higher outside our program. Some non-AMA organizers, even those with favorable claim histories, have called to charter and sanction after being quoted premium increases of 100 percent or more on non-AMA policies. They want access to our program for good reason.
With a few exceptions — such as large events or those with distinctive risk profiles, usually due to a unique location or mix of activities — AMA organizers avoid rigorous individual scrutiny and lengthy additional paperwork.
The coverage limit also is relatively high, and organizers or landowners who require excessive insurance can get it. Excess coverage is becoming harder, if not impossible, to find on the open market. Importantly, AMA insurance protects the organizer from claims by both spectators and participants. NonAMA insurance may exclude participant liability coverage, leaving organizers to rely entirely on waivers for protection.
INSIDER
THROTTLING RISK
JAMES HOLTER
The advantages of AMA insurance are rooted in the bargaining power of AMA-chartered organizers, which helps us negotiate better terms. Further, the insurance provider values the application, evaluation and risk-management training involved in securing a charter. AMA-chartered organizers are a safer bet.
Also, only events defined by the AMA’s various sanctions — both competition and recreational — are eligible. Rules and guidelines for these events are included in the AMA
• We also are asking organizers, who know their events and participants best, to put additional rules into place where appropriate.
• Risk exposure goes beyond the racetrack itself, and organizers need to take steps to address it; one example is “premise liability” due to upkeep and control of the facility.
• If an event includes activity not covered by the AMA rulebooks, it is not eligible for the AMA insurance program; otherwise, organizers risk coverage as well as future access to the program.
The last year has reminded us that affordable, quality insurance is a privilege, not a right. We must work to keep it available.
Competition and Recreational Riding Rulebooks, which are exclusively for AMA organizers.
Perhaps most significant, participants are AMA members. Insurers have the reasonable expectation to know whose activities they are insuring. They also consider AMA membership a personal commitment to the sport. This is why membership is required for all races and national-level recreational events. (The importance of membership is also why insurance providers have recently strongly scrutinized AMA recreational events that don’t require membership. Not surprisingly, rates for those events have increased more on a percentage basis, and to some degree the effect has spilled over to other event types.)
The last year has reminded us that affordable, quality insurance is a privilege, not a right. We must work to keep it available. Here are some ways we are doing that now:
• The AMA is providing chartered organizers with updated risk-management guidelines, created with help from large and experienced promoters.
• Organizers of smaller recreational events should consider requiring membership; this matters to the insurance provider and doing so may improve our standing for future renewals.
We do not own this sport. We are its stewards. It is the responsibility of all of us to protect it for the next generation. Events and series come and go. Promoters sell, merge or close shop. AMA administrators and officials move on. Clubs fade away. We must nurture, grow and protect the sport until it’s time to get out of the way.
A flippant approach to risk will fail our forebearers and our progeny. Take event rules and guidelines seriously. Collaborate on improving them. Be mindful of your own safety and how your actions impact the safety of others. Promote motorcycling in safe and responsible ways. The future of the greatest sport in the world depends on it.
James Holter is a Charter Life Member and the AMA’s chief operating officer.
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BACKFIRES
GOODBYE, MALCOLM
Kudos on the Goodbye, Malcolm section in the February edition. By now, all of us long-time Malcolm aficionados and friends know of his exploits post-On Any Sunday. Your reveal of how Malcolm got to that moment in his life is what was truly captivating and unique. Reliving Malcolm’s childhood, and the key moments and relationships that led to him becoming the man he later became, was a great read. Something about the era Malcolm grew up in and his experiences as a youth made me realize just how fortunate some of us were to grow up in a time and place where you could chase practically any dream you could imagine. Even one that included risking your life on practically any given Sunday, all in the name of adventure!
Scot Harden
AMA Hall of Fame Class of 2008
Being a long-time motorcyclist and an even longer bike-mag addict, I have enjoyed the magazine over the last few years as well as the excerpts from Malcolm’s autobiography, but your tribute in the February issue was simply outstanding. Goodbye, Malcolm truly encapsulated his life, his mission, his love of the outdoors and all things two-wheeled. Thank you for this dedication to memorializing those who helped build the foundation of our motorcycle obsession.
Norm Spafard Woodstock, Ga.
Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the retrospective article on Malcolm Smith in the February issue. It’s probably the most complete and in-depth article I have ever read on the man. The sign of a great story is when you learn something new about a person you already know (or know of), and I learned things in your piece.
I met Malcolm for the first time in 1984 after going to work for Husqvarna in San Diego. He was always kind to me, and always asked me what Husky I was riding every time I’d see him. Thanks for keeping amazing people like Malcolm front and center while recognizing all of their contributions to our industry and sport.
Mark Hosbach
Kawasaki Motor Corp., Retired
Just finished reading Malcolm! The Autobiography what a fantastic read. Bought it for myself for Christmas, as the best gifts are always the ones you buy for yourself! Thanks for convincing the late, great Malcolm Smith that he needed an autobiography, and then stepping up to make it happen. The early Malcolm reminded me of myself; my dirt riding happened just south of San Francisco (way too young for a license) in the hills before everything got developed. I still remember how cool the police were back then, stopping us kids on the street but then letting us go when we explained we were on the way to bike some off-road trails. See how that one flies today!
Bruce Brown certainly did an amazing job with On Any Sunday, and Malcolm, Steve and Mert will always be heroes.
Eric Bickel
Normally, when I get the new issue of American Motorcyclist, I take my sweet time reading every column, article and story cover to cover. But this month I had to go straight to the cover story, Goodbye, Malcolm
Being a 15-year-old and seeing On Any Sunday in the theater in 1971, I learned that Malcolm was “The Man.” What a great personality to represent the sport of motorcycling! He will be missed. The 30 pages you devoted to him were well deserved; nice job, and God bless Malcolm Smith!
Dave Knoetgen Spanaway, Wash.
Mike Peterson San Carlos, Calif.
What a tribute you folks gave to Malcolm, certainly one of my heroes and inspirations. One year my friend Mark from Arizona was passing his shop in Southern California and decided to pop in. Malcolm excused himself from a meeting when he found out Mark had come all that way, and gave him a tour of the store and a lot of his time. That’s the kind of guy Malcolm was.
Thank you for the article memorializing Malcolm Smith. When I heard of his passing, I was truly saddened. I’m abundantly aware that nobody lives forever, but it is still hard to imagine someone like Malcolm no longer being with us. At 72 (I’ll be 73 in 12 days, dammit!), much of what you shared about Malcolm’s life rang true for me. Although I never pursued racing in my youth (my mom was just not having it), I did grow up on dirt bikes and riding in the Pine Bush, an upstate New York
version of the hills and trails Malcolm explored as a kid. My first bike was also a scooter. In my case a 1960 HD Topper. And I rode that thing as a dirt bike in spite of it protesting regularly as to what I put it through. But it lit my fire for motorcycles and that fire still burns today. I wish I had kept it. It took me three evening sessions to read the entire article. I was in no rush to get through it and really did not want it to end. Last night, after my second session, I found myself searching for On Any Sunday on our streaming services and told the wife that is what we’re watching. And she actually watched with me! Although I’d seen the movie many times over the years, watching it again resurfaced so many memories of being a kid and riding dirt bikes wherever they would take us. My wife was a city kid and did not have the same upbringing, but last night she got to savor a bit of my youth.
I realize the AMA is not about keeping old farts like me happy with stories like this. I know that the future of the organization resides in the youth of today. I realize the challenge that is before you with the mindset of the current youth looking to phones and digital games as their diversions. But when I go to the local flat track and ice races and see kids on small bikes chasing each other around the track, I’m comforted to know that not all of today’s youth find their excitement through their fingertips. I am sure that kids that read this article will be inspired to take a crack at being the Malcolm of their generation. Not sure if that thought had entered your mind when you put pen to paper. But I’m sure that someday, some kid will walk up to you and tell you that this article changed their life for the better.
I’m not one to save old magazines. But I might just save this one. And I know that I now need to get a copy of Malcolm’s book for those warm summer nights on our deck at the lake. Thanks for your efforts.
Rob Sigond
BACK IN THE DAY
Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!
This is me at age 15 on a bright yellow 1950 Indian Scout that my mom bought me for $300, money she’d inherited from an aunt. I had a cap, leather jacket and boots way before I had a motorcycle. All my friends had Whizzer motorbikes and Cushman scooters, but I was lucky enough to have a real motorcycle. I didn’t have a driver’s license, so my dad said let’s fib about your age and get the license. My age was wrong on my license till I was 60 years old. I am 88 years old now and still ride my 2005 Honda Gold Wing. John Voyles
This is pretty cliché in these pages, but in 1972 I saw On Any Sunday with my best friend and learned to shift a motorcycle on his S65 Honda. After riding several stripped-down street bikes on the trails, I bought a 1972 Maico 400 square-barrel and started racing motocross in the summer between college semesters. I had a blast racing District 7 the next two years. I got to experience the birth of long-travel suspension and the short experiment of 45-minute motos! Like my laceup boots? Malcolm Smith wore those in that iconic Baja picture! I’m 69 now and still take my grandsons dirt riding. I ride a Beta Xtrainer, KLX300 and BMW G650GS. Jeffrey Scott
This is from Christmas, 1981. Yamaha factory rider Bob Hannah was my idol! Best Christmas present ever! Dan Mayer
The picture is from around 1982 with my future wife. She still looks the same 39 years later, but my hair is gone! I never should have let that Yamaha go. Today, I ride an FLHTP Harley and a BMW R1150R. My wife and I are active in the local Harley Owners Group (HOG) chapter, and all the kids ride. I’ve developed friendships through riding that have lasted forever. Marc Horowitz
Submit your Back in the Day photos and stories to submissions@ama-cycle.org. High-rez images are preferred, and please understand we have quite a backlog, which means it may be months before your submission — if acceptable — makes it into the magazine. Thanks!
In 1973, and with no interest in motorcycles, I bought a 1966 Honda S90 because I thought 50 cents a gallon was a ridiculous price for gasoline, so I needed something with better mileage. More than 50 years and 400,000-plus miles later, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I immediately felt a freedom that I have been unable to experience any other way since. That bike ended up totaled when I hit a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado head on. (The Olds was totaled, also.) After a few months, I was back on the road with my next motorcycle.
Tim Wiseman
My mom was never onboard with me having a motorcycle growing up in Jacksonville, Fla., so shortly after starting Naval Nuclear Power School at age 18, I was able to purchase a 1984 Honda Interceptor 500. This was the start of a lifetime of riding, racing, good friends and amazing off-road motorcycle adventures with my wife. In this picture, I was on my way to my cousin’s wedding. Cary West
Talking about way back when…how about this old-timer on his newly purchased 1948 Indian? Sure was a great bike! William Cornell
BACK IN THE DAY
I was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Atsugi, Japan, from 1968 through 1969, assigned to the reconnaissance squadron VQ-1. I found there was a scrambles track located at the end of the runway that was used and maintained by a group of enthusiasts who had utilized an old building adjacent to the track for their workshop. I already had a 125cc Honda street scrambler and a 650cc BSA that I’d purchased locally.
After getting to know the guys at the shop, I mentioned I wanted to find a race bike. It was meant as a joke, but one guy had an old Kawasaki pressed-metal frame he’d put a 120cc Suzuki twin engine in. I ended up buying and finishing it, but it wasn’t very competitive, especially on the Japanese tracks. After a three-month assignment in Da Nang, Vietnam, I was able to purchase a new DT-1. After a few hundred street miles, the GYT kit went on and the racing began! The dealer also built some of the factory road racers for Yamaha, so when we took our bikes in for service, one would look or run differently. We’d comb through it and see what trickery was done and copy it. (Oh, that porting and extended swingarm were perfect!) I went from a No. 43 novice to earn the No. 1 plate before having to come home on emergency leave. We tore down two DT-1s and shipped them as “parts”
along with my BSA so we could race back here. By ’73, the DT-1 was tired, so a 250MX took its place. (That’s me jumping just after I ported it to match the DT-1.) I loved both of those bikes, but the DT-1 got me going! W. Lee Zimmerman
Dad and I preparing for our ride to the AMA Del Mar Mile flat track races. I’m aboard the 1966 Triumph Bonneville, and Dad is with his 1974 BMW R90S. He rode ol’ Blue over 160,000 miles before retiring it. I can’t remember who won that race, though I’ll never forget those two TZ750s dicing it up for a few laps. Any day riding is a good day, but this day was a memorable one with my dad at the races. Charlie Snyder
This was taken in 1969 behind the Oxford Hall student co-op building in Berkeley, Calif. Anyone recognize themself? Any of the bikes still around? There was some great riding around the Bay Area back then. That’s me on the Ariel. Buck Pilkenton
This is a photo of me and my wife on my first motorcycle, a 1965 305cc Honda Dream, which I bought in 1966 with 5,670 miles on it. (It now has 256,680 miles on the odometer!) We have ridden it on many tours from our home in Wisconsin. These rides have been about 50 percent solo and 50 percent with my wife on the passenger seat. The trips included three treks to Americade in Lake George, N.Y., twice to Colorado (including up Pikes Peak), several times to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, the Honda Homecoming three times, and lots of other vacation trips. I still ride it regularly.
Homer Weber
up to speed
News, notes, insight and more from the motorcycling universe
CAN’T-MISS EVENTS 2025
All you need to know about this year’s slate of AMA motorcycle events
BY KEATON MAISANO
TAKE A KID DIRT BIKING MONTH
May will once again be Take a Kid Dirt Biking Month, an initiative to get America’s youth riding motorcycles and hopefully sparking a lifelong bond with the sport.
The month-long celebration has grown over the years, with the 2025 rendition featuring special contests and prizes, your photo and video submissions, the second-ever American Motorcyclist for Kids magazine, and much more!
Organizers of May events can also receive special packages — containing support materials, packets and potential prizes for kids. Those looking to get involved can contact AMA Director of Communications Joy
Burgess at jburgess@ama-cycle.org Go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com and click “Take a Kid Dirt Biking Month” under the “Events” tab for more information on the event. Stay tuned to the AMA’s social media channels for updates throughout the month!
AMA HALL OF FAME SPRING BIKE NIGHT
Twice a year the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame welcomes the community onto the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, for a good ol’ fashioned bike night, the first of which takes place Saturday, May 17.
The AMA Hall of Fame Spring Bike Night will feature music, motorcycle-oriented vendors, food trucks,
bike shows and more. Throughout the afternoon and evening, eventgoers will receive free admission to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. For more information, check the AMA’s Facebook and Instagram pages for updates.
AMA FLAT TRACK GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP
The best amateur flat track competitors will once again descend on the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill., for the 2025 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship
Running June 29–July 5, the AMA Flat Track Grand Championship is the only event in the country where a rider can earn an AMA National No. 1 plate in amateur flat track racing. The racing
PERMCO AMA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS JACK SNYDER
will consist of Short Track, TT, HalfMile and Mile competitions.
In addition to crowning each class champion, the prestigious Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award, which celebrates the racer who shows the necessary skill and professionalism to make the jump to the professional level, will be awarded. The AMA Vet/ Senior Racer of the Year, Youth Racer of the Year and Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award, given to the racer who shows quickness on the track and in the classroom, will also be handed out.
For more information on the 2025 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/racing/track-racing/flat-track/
FIM MOTORCYCLE TRIALS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The best trials riders in the world will converge on Rhode Island to defy gravity as the FIM Trials Grand Prix comes stateside this summer.
The 2025 FIM Motorcycle Trials World Championship is scheduled for July 11–13 in Exeter, R.I. Along with the breathtaking action, the family-friendly atmosphere will feature camping, motorcycle demonstrations, autograph sessions and more. Visit trialgpusa.com for more information.
PERMCO AMA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS
The hum of thousands of vintage
motorcycles is drawing nearer with Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution slated for July 25–27 in Lexington, Ohio.
The event, held at the MidOhio Sports Car Course, will feature vintage racing, camping, a bike show, demo rides, stunt shows and so much more. All this plus the largest swap meet in North America and there is a little something for everyone at the three-day event that has benefited the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
ute drive northeast of AMA VMD). The flat track action is scheduled for Saturday, July 26.
For more information on all things AMA VMD, visit vintagemotorcycledays.com
AMA AMATEUR NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
As the summer heat turns up a notch, the best amateur motocross riders from across the country converge on Hurricane Mills, Tenn., for a week of blistering competition.
The AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship will run July
for more than three decades.
Additionally, the event will run concurrent with Round 11 of the AMA Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series, held at the Ashland County Fairgrounds (about a 30-min-
28 through Aug. 2 at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. Getting its start in the early 1980s, the national championship has seen many AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers — including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Dungey, Travis Pastrana and others — use the event as a launching point for greatness.
As the largest amateur motocross event in the world, the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship is where riders from all over and in many different classes will compete for AMA National No. 1 plates.
For more information on the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, visit mxsports.com.
AMA HILLCLIMB GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP
The AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship will visit the Buckeye State in 2025, running Aug. 8–10 in
up to speed
Waterford, Ohio.
With AMA National No. 1 plates up for grabs, the event will also crown the AMA Hillclimb Racer of the Year, AMA Vet/Senior Hillclimb Racer of the Year, AMA ATV Hillclimb Racer of the Year, and AMA Youth Hillclimb Racer of the Year. For the event’s finale, the 10 fastest riders will compete in a one-run class for the King of the Hill honor.
The event is hosted by the Pioneer Motorcycle Club (pioneermotorcycle club.com), and more information can be found by going to AmericanMotor cyclist.com/hillclimb
FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS
After coming up just shy in 2024, Team USA will be looking for redemption at the 2025 FIM Motocross of Nations event, which will take place on home soil.
Motocross of Nations will span Oct. 2–5 at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Ind. The last time the event took place in the United States (RedBud, 2022) was also the last time Team USA stood atop the podium.
In 2024, Team USA took second place while Australia claimed their first event title in the country’s history.
AMA ROAD RACE GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP
As temperatures across the country begin to cool, the pavement will be heating up for the 2025 AMA Road Race Grand Championship.
This year’s event, hosted by the American Superbike Racing Association (ASRA), will run Oct. 17–19 at Daytona International Speedway. The championship is part of ASRA Race of Champions weekend and runs in conjunction with the 33rd annual Biketoberfest.
For more information on the event
go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com/racing/track-racing/road-racing/
AMA HALL OF FAME DAYS
Each year the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame welcomes its next class of motorcycling greats, with a four-day celebration surrounding the
newest members’ induction.
2025 AMA Hall of Fame Days is scheduled to run Oct. 23–26 on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio. The flagship event of Hall of Fame Days is the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, set for Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Violet Township Event Center in Pickerington. Following the event will be a cocktail reception at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, where the
inductees will unveil their museum exhibits and sign autographs for fans. The remaining three days of Hall of Fame Days will feature an AMA Heritage Adventure Ride, fall bike night, pit-bike exhibition and more! Check the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s Facebook and Instagram pages or go to AmericanMotorcyclist. com/events/scheduled-events/hallof-fame-days/ for more information regarding the event.
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AMA HILLCLIMB GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP
AMA HALL OF FAME DAYS
WILLIE BROWNING
BY AMA STAFF
Tup to speed Rights ROUNDUP
CATCHING UP WITH THE CAUCUS
AMA hosts Congressional Motorcycle Caucus at February event
he American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) hosted a reception on behalf of the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus at the American Legion Kenneth Nash Post 8 in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12, 2025. The event brought together members of the Caucus and newly elected members of Congress, along with motorcycle advocacy groups and industry leaders, to discuss the future of motorcycling in America.
Caucus Co-Chairs Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI-05), Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH-08), Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03) provided remarks emphasizing the importance of motorcycle safety, infrastructure and the economic impact of the motorcycle industry. They were joined by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-01) and newly elected Reps. Dave Taylor (R-OH-02) and John McGuire (R-VA-05), further highlighting strong bipartisan congressional support for motorcyclists.
“Motorcycling is not just a pastime, it is a way of life for millions of Americans,” Rep. Walberg said after the reception. “This event illustrates how dedicated we all are to protecting rights of riders and promot-
ing motorcycle safety.”
Along with multiple members of the AMA Government Relations Department, the event featured senior staff from Harley-Davidson, Polaris, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), and the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), representing the interests of riders, manufacturers, dealers, and the aftermarket industry. General discussion focused on issues important to preserving the motorcycling lifestyle, roadway safety, common sense regulation and promoting motorcycle-friendly legislation.
“As a motorcyclist, I understand the importance of protecting riders and keeping our roads safe for everyone,” Rep. Balderson said. “I’m proud to represent the American Motorcyclist Association headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio, and to be part of a caucus that champions the rights and needs of motorcyclists.”
The Congressional Motorcycle Caucus serves as a vital forum for addressing issues and legislation impacting motorcyclists at the federal level. The AMA is grateful for this collaboration and continues to work with the Caucus to ensure motorcycling remains both safe and accessible for future generations.
L to R: Rep. Tim Walberg, Harley-Davidson Government Affairs Manager Guido Zucconi, AMA Government Relations Washington Rep. Zach Farmer, Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Rep. Dave Taylor.
up to speed Rights ROUNDUP
NATIONAL PARKS PASS PROBLEM
AMA urges Department of the Interior to reconsider change to America the Beautiful Pass
The AMA’s Government Relations Department tirelessly defends the rights of motorcyclists and works to improve the motorcycle lifestyle. Often these efforts require writing to elected officials on behalf of motorcyclists.
In February, the GRD team penned a letter to the Department of the Interior — specifically to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum — regarding a change to the America the Beautiful Annual Pass. The change negatively impacted motorcyclists by reducing each pass’ coverage from two motorcycles to just one. The letter below is the AMA’s call for the America the Beautiful change to be revoked.
Dear Secretary Burgum: On behalf of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and our members across the country, we
respectfully urge the Department of the Interior to reconsider the recent change to America the Beautiful — The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands (Annual Pass) that inadvertently limits admission to only one motorcycle per pass. This policy shift places an unnecessary financial burden on motorcyclists and contradicts admission guidelines that currently exist for automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians.
As you are aware, the Annual Pass allows individuals to access our nation’s national parks and federal lands. Previously the Annual Pass allowed for two signatures and two individuals to share the benefits. In 2024, the change was made to only allow one signature, eliminating the ability for two motorcyclists to share the same pass. For example, a married couple traveling together on two separate motorcycles can no longer use one Annual Pass for
admission. Additionally, motorcycles possess less capacity to bring guests into these areas. This new policy creates confusion and unneeded disparity between motorcycles and other forms of transportation:
• Private Vehicles: Annual Pass admits the Annual Pass owner and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas; and pass owner plus three adults, not to exceed four adults, where per-person fees are charged.
• Bicycles: In many locations, generally, the Annual Pass holder and up to three other bicyclists can enter for free.
• Motorcycles: Annual Pass admits one motorcycle, two passengers.
Motorcycling offers numerous benefits that align with the Department of the Interior’s goal of environmental conservation and good stewardship of public lands. Motorcycles are fuel-efficient and produce a smaller carbon footprint compared to single-occupancy automobiles. They also take up
less space, reducing congestion and demand for parking areas. Given the limited parking available at many national park sites, compact motorcycle spaces contribute to a more efficient use of available infrastructure.
The AMA recognizes that some national parks face challenges with parking capacity. We welcome the opportunity to connect local AMA members with park administrators to assist in identifying designated motorcycle-only parking areas that maximize space and improve overall visitor experience.
This policy change was implemented without a public comment period, denying stakeholders, including the motorcycling community, an opportunity to provide input. The issue has come to the attention of our membership, and we contend there is a straightforward solution. While we acknowledge the importance of preventing fraud and misuse of the pass system, these problems can be mitigated by printing identifiable information on the Annual Pass and requiring photo identification for admission.
We respectfully request that the Department of the Interior issue guidance allowing two motorcycles per Annual Pass, reinstating the benefits allowed to motorcyclists under the two-signature system. This direct policy adjustment will restore parity between automobiles, bicycles, and motorcycles, allowing entry for two motorcycles, not to exceed four passengers. Further, this change will promote motorcycle travel and encourage motorcyclists to continue visiting and supporting our national parks.
We appreciate your time and consideration of this important matter and welcome the opportunity to discuss solutions. Please feel free to contact the AMA staff in Washington, D.C., to explore how we can collaborate to promote common-sense policies for motorcyclists.
Sincerely,
Zach Farmer Washington Representative American Motorcyclist Association
Tup to speed RACING ROUNDUP
RACING REWARDS
AMA announces 2024 AMA Racing, Organizer and Volunteer awards
BY JACK EMERSON
he 2024 AMA racing and recreational riding season was unforgettable, with several outstanding individuals and groups separating themselves as worthy of the 2024 AMA Racing, Organizer and Volunteer Awards.
Recognizing the excellent individuals and groups that created a strong and healthy competitive and recreational environment in 2024, the AMA awards acknowledge racers who have excelled throughout the year and those who have worked to further the AMA’s mission of promoting the motorcycle lifestyle and protecting the future of motorcycling.
“We had another exciting year for the AMA’s racing and recreational riding pursuits in 2024, and there are so many people that contributed to its success,” AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier said. “Congratulations to all the winners of these special awards. We are so grateful for their contributions to the sport.”
AMA members participated in the selection process of certain racing categories — including the Athlete of the Year awards — while AMA staff selected the recipients of the organizational and volunteer awards.
The AMA Athlete of the Year
honors were given to Josh Toth (National Championship), Walker Porter (Grand Championship) and Joel Hetrick (ATV).
Michael Grizzle was recognized as the AMA Veteran/ Senior Racer of the Year, while Caleb Wood was awarded as the AMA Youth Racer of the Year.
The AMA Female Racer of the Year was awarded to the ISDE Women’s Trophy Team — which consisted of Brandy Richards, Rachel Gutish and Ava Silvestri — who secured their fifth ISDE title in Galicia, Spain.
The AMA also gave out organizational awards to Moto Pro Inc. (Motocross Organizer of the Year), U.S. Hard Enduro (Off-Road Racing Organizer of the Year), WERA (Track Racing Organizer of the Year) and NYOA (ATV Organizer of the Year), who were all recognized for their prowess in operating AMA-sanctioned races.
Coast Riders Motorcycle Club Inc. was named the Recreational Road Riding Organizer of the Year.
Baer Racing earned AMA Club of the Year honors, while Jason Weigandt secured the AMA Media Award. Dalton Shirey was awarded the AMA Sportsman of the Year.
The AMA also recognized Liz Kiniery as the AMA Volunteer of the Year.
Walker Porter with his 2024 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award. Lead photo L to R: ISDE U.S. Women’s team members Ava Silvestri, Brandy Richards and Rachel Gutish.
MARY RINNELL
TIM LESTER
MECUM 2025:
JUST YOUR AVERAGE FOUR-DAY, 1,500-MOTORCYCLE, $27.2 MILLION BUY-AND-SELL MOTO EXTRAVAGANZA
Gavel Bangers’
BY JOHN BURNS PHOTOS: MECUM AUCTIONS & JOHN BURNS
The heart wants what the heart wants, and if the object of desire is a $33,000 ’86 Yamaha Radian or a $27,500 ’89 Honda Transalp, who’s to deny it? These two were in great condition, and the Radian even had the “extremely rare OEM Yamaha accessory nose fairing.” And while we still can’t believe someone paid those sorts of dollars for what are two fairly nondescript motorcycles, it’s pretty much guaranteed there’s something for every motorcycle person at a Mecum bike auction.
Who knows what mechanical/emotional bonds lurk in the hearts of the 10,000 attendees at the biggest
motorcycle auction in the world? Or in the uncounted more lurking online and on the phone? At the Las Vegas motorcycle auction, which has been getting bigger every January for more than three decades (the last 11 years under Mecum ownership), there are few moto desires that can’t be requited.
Beginning on that last Wednesday in January, a stunning 1,493 motorcycles crossed the auction block in four days, and 1,333 were sold for $27 million, said Mecum — everything from a $1.32-million ’15 Cyclone V-Twin (the most expensive motorcycle ever sold at auction) to a $55 ’78 AMF Roadmaster moped.
Bangers’ Ball
We’re told motorcycles converged from 47 states and 17 countries, and while I assume that was also true of the attendees, most folks I talked to were from either North or South Dakota, Iowa, or Michigan. I’m guessing late January is a great time to visit the warmish Nevada desert when it’s winter up in there.
David, Tony and Mark from North Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba, respectively, have been meeting up at the auction for years. One has eight motorcycles in his barn, David has 80, including a “strap-tank Harley,” which meant nothing to me when he mentioned it on my first morning at the auction, but does now that I’ve learned a
strap-tank Harley was the previous high-price record-holder from two Mecums ago — $935,000. Anyway, it was a lot of salt-of-the earth farmer/ construction-type fellas looking at motorcycles while the wives shopped; Mark the Canadian gave me the auction program off his back and some basic instructions, as I was completely new to the auction biz.
ORDER OF BATTLE
That half-inch-thick, glossy program has from six to 12 motorcycles per page, all in the order they’re to be auctioned off, with each also assigned a lot number. Each lot starts with a letter: W for Wednesday, T for Thursday, etc. And since the program was printed up pretty far in advance, Mecum provides green update sheets every morning highlighting the latest changes. It’s also all online at Mecum.com
While I stumbled in from the wilderness to my first live auction, your experienced buyers and sellers had been plotting their moves for months, if not years, and knew exactly when and where their prey would be at any given
Read the descriptions, inspect the object(s) of your desire in person, mill about. Here, Steve Garraffa of kawitriples.com checks out the VIN on a – what else? – Kawi triple.
time. Before the auction is when everybody mills around eyeballing the goods and chanting the homily: “I had one just like it…my dad had one…I wish I’d never sold her.”
It does snap the synapses, because most of the bikes were in such excellent condition it was easy to be instantly transfixed to the first time you saw one, in print
or maybe in a showroom. With bikes dating from the 1900s, it’s easy for even the oldest codgers to feel that ancient stirring; the most popular hair shade among this crowd is gray or missing.
From where I sat and walked around, it all ran like a well-oiled 1938 Crocker Twin. All the bikes were lined up in long rows by lot number, in a giant warehouse adjacent to the auction floor; all were rolled along and finally onto the rotating auction dais as scheduled by white-gloved handlers. Has anybody ever dropped one? Oh yeah, it happens.
Wednesday was mostly cheaper little bikes and scooters. Were you needing a Moto Guzzi Tuttoterreno
BEFORE
THE
AUCTION
125 trials bike or a ’73 Rickman Montesa? Both sold for just $1,925, along with all manner of vintage Brit scooters, including a BSA Dandy ($1,375). But what’s this? A ’97 Suzuki Bandit 1200S, Lot W153, which sold for $1,100? Can’t be right…Let’s not bog down.
JOURNALISM!
My go-to question was, “Are you here to buy or sell?” Which I eventually figured out was the wrong thing to ask strangers, because it was usually met with a suspicious look — like maybe I was going to rush in and drive up the bidding on the ’67 Royal Enfield 350 Bullet of their dreams ($3,025), or suddenly flood the market with a pallet of ’70 Ossa Pioneer 250s ($2,200 each).
IS WHEN EVERYBODY MILLS AROUND EYEBALLING THE GOODS AND CHANTING THE HOMILY: “I HAD ONE JUST LIKE IT…MY DAD HAD ONE…I WISH I’D NEVER SOLD HER.”
This ’36 hemi-head Crocker, for reasons known only to people who buy Crockers, was bid only to $575,000, which didn’t meet its reserve. It can still be yours!
Suspicion of the MEDIA (what my name tag labelled me as) is at an all-time high. Once engaged in conversation and assured I was as clueless and non-partisan as I appeared, most of those friendly Midwestern motorcycle people would ramble on for as long as you could take it; the intriguing part is the variety of bikes people choose to make the object of their desire. But then, as an AMA member, you already know all about that. It’s imprinted early. Let’s move on, then.
Speaking of “as long as you can take it,” one of my favorite parts of the auction was the expansive westernthemed Cinch Saloon, whose big glass windows overlook the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center auction floor on one side, with a long, well-stocked bar on the other. Behind the bar are three or four big screens broadcasting the auction action live, too. Anytime your feet or brain get overloaded is the right time for a cool drink in the Cinch. I admit to having a lowish threshold for talking about motorcycles unless we’re talking about my own. I always liked riding them more, but there are waaaay more interesting bikes and characters at the big auction than at most moto gatherings.
“To have an opportunity to purchase one of the 40 or so big-motor, big-tank Crockers is a rare event, and I was willing to pass on the Cyclone in order to make sure this girl came home — where she belongs.”
GLENN ZIRKLE
URBAN HIRSCH III
One extremely interesting character who was not there was Urban Hirsch III, who passed last year and whose collection of more than 100 motorcycles — including, I heard, 38 American brands — was up for sale, including the star-of-show 1915 Cyclone and 1938 Crocker Twin. A Los Angeles native, printing ink magnate and all-around great eccentric by all accounts, Hirsch’s Benedict Canyon mansion was reportedly under constant construction while being packed ever-more full with motorcycles and art. Hirsch was partial to pre-1916 bikes (I counted 61 in the catalog including a few cars), but his Mecum offerings encompassed everything from a 1901 Holley Single ($132,000) to a ’76 Yamaha TT500 ($2,200) to a 2006 Vespa Piaggio. I kick myself for not buying the Vespa. Hirsch ran errands on it around Beverly Hills, but not too many, because it only showed 181 miles. It sold for $2,200. Bumping around pre-sale in the Hirsch collection (conveniently bivouacked just behind the Cinch), I wanted
to get a feel for the market for pre-1916 motorcycles. I mean, do people still ride these or do they just sit around? Michael Madden, a gray-bearded stalwart of the vintage community, said he not only rode his 1915 Harley in the last Cannonball, but that he’s put thousands of miles on it since. The reason it’s important to have lots of old bikes, Madden said, is because the more you have, the less you wear them out. How do you keep these things on the road? No one’s stocking parts, after all. Madden and another guy simultaneously pointed to another guy hanging around, Pat Murphy.
NETWORKING
Murphy didn’t say aw shucks, but he implied it: “I just help people out now and then when I can.” He can’t be much past 60, but Murphy recalls buying an old, basketcase Harley as a kid that all his friends laughed at, and he made it a point to show them. Nobody laughs anymore, and Murphy’s one of a select group of go-to restorers for the monied vintage crowd.
The 1925 Henderson Deluxe he “helped out on” at
it’s easy to get carried away. Just like attending a concert, there’s nothing like being at a live auction, especially as things heat up toward the two main attractions on the last day.
this year’s Mecum, Lot F164, was more of a custom hot rod than a restoration, he told me. “That headlight’s not original,” he said. “We flipped over and machined the intake manifold; I made that shifter; and these taillight switches…” I was trying to type into my phone the long list of meticulous and beautifully nickel-plated/fabbed/modified items, when another couple who’d been drooling on the Henderson when we walked up joined the convo. This guy (from South Dakota) has a ’25 Super X he got from his dad, he said. Oh really? Yes, and I was smart enough to have bought two more parts bikes 20 years ago.
calls? The ’25 Henderson Deluxe hot rod hammered down for $187K on Friday. When it comes to this kind of money, it pays to know the right people. Or to be one of them.
Did you do those pinstripes, he asked Murphy? He did, and the perfect maroon paint, too. At that point, Murphy and the South Dakota guy were off to the races — and I was off to the Cinch. Murphy said he already works more than he wants to in his outside-ofSyracuse, N.Y., shop, but what’re you gonna do when duty
STIFF UPPER LIP
Back at the Cinch, I met up with an old Army colleague I’d never met until a few years ago thanks to the Facebook. John Sartorius and I were in the Army at the same time, and he’s now a retired “Soviet Foreign Area Officer” with a predilection for weird, old British cars and motorcycles… and a deep knowledge of all kinds of bikes, probably because his dad owned a motorcycle shop in Accord, N.Y., in that British/Japanese transition era. His claim to racing fame was finishing 42nd in the 1978 Daytona 250 race on his TZ (out of about 120 entries!) and being lapped by Freddie Spencer.
When a ’37 Royal Enfield 500 J2 — rare and desirable, John said — hammered for just $4,950, he
Above: That’s Pat Murphy and the ’25 Henderson he “helped out on.”
Mecum Auctions, which began life around a dining room table somewhere in Wisconsin, brought 140 employees and four semi-trailers full of gear to Las Vegas.
was appalled: “That’s the twin-exhaust port version! Oh, the Brits will be pissed!”
Maybe one or two were, watching across the pond on the YouTube. I allowed John (and his excellent wife, Anne) to drown his disappointment by buying me a nice filet and a bottle of Penfold Shiraz blend in the casino steakhouse that night; I’d have returned the favor if I’d found the “Free bottle of wine w/ entree purchase” in my little coupon booklet sooner. The South Point is nice, and huge: I didn’t step outside for three days. They call it a “locals” casino, which means it’s less geared to tourists, and with a higher payout rate on its games. The poker room was packed. Speaking of British bikes, Tom Ordway’s first bike and
only transpo for a while was a ’73 Norton Roadster he used to transport blasting caps, as they had to be moved separately from the dynamite up there in Connecticut for stump removal. Now he restores old British bikes to unwind from his president/CEO responsibilities. “It just makes me happy somebody bought this, somebody else appreciates it,” he said while we were admiring the ’61 Matchless Typhoon G80 he’d just sold. “It feels good when you finish one; it really is an accomplishment to do a thing right.”
While we were chatting, a guy who’d been easing up moved all the way in: One of Jay Kleinjan’s good friends was the buyer of the Matchless, and Jay showed Tom
pictures on his phone of the moto shrine, with heated granite floors, where the Typhoon would now be residing in Grafton, N.D. I think Tom actually welled up a bit but pulled himself together as Jay refocused on the bike and the two launched into a discussion of how zinc-plating nuts, but not polishing them, can make them look just like original cad-plated ones. Cinch, anyone?
BACK IN THE BLEACHER SEATS
The Kawasaki Z1 is the prom queen of my generation. Some 17 first-year models were sold in Vegas, including a ’73 with sidecar and Windjammer ($9,900), and a ’78 Z1R TC turbo ($19,800). Of the ’73 first-year Z1s, Lot S87 went
Legendary Rush
drummer Neil Peart’s (RIP) ’04 BMW GS included a pair of his drumsticks, and brought $88,000.
Above, Jay Kleinjan and Tom Ordway get into the weeds re: the ’61 Matchless Typhoon G80 Jay’s buddy just bought from Tom.
for $35K, and F231 went for less than half that. (If you log in at Mecum.com, there’s an excellent search engine with all the sales results.) Weirdly, the $15K one was from the highly respected Mitzel collection from North Dakota. (If you could settle for a ’74, with the striped paint job I always preferred, you could get a much better deal.) Apparently, prices are down a bit this year: A guy on the elevator, when I asked the usual question, seemed sad and told me he had too many Z1s.
Of the more than 100 bikes Mr. Mitzel off-loaded over the weekend, a gleaming 1914 Henderson Four went dearest, at $132K, and a ’28 BMW R42 went for $66K. You could’ve stolen his ’82 Honda Motocompo for
$5,500. Don’t feel too bad for Lee Mitzel, though. He’s got 100 more motorcycles stashed in Scottsdale, Ariz., and around 400 more in a couple of locations in Mandan, N.D., according to the Mecum program.
STROKING OUT
If you lump them together, Kawasaki Triples outnumbered Z1s: I counted 11 H1s and 26 H2s. Our new friend from San Diego, Steve Garraffa, helped pass judgement on quite a few of them. Why would you use the wrong rubber grommet in the sidecover? The correct one is 15 bucks. See this shiny paint on the headlight bucket? That should be satin. What were you thinking? Wrong turn signals, wrong year seat lock…
Lot S75, a ’72 Mach IV H2, boasted a “comprehensive frame-up concours restoration,” upon which the seller “invested 12 years locating NOS/OEM parts to restore the bike to showroom specifications…correct Showa or Gregorian date code stamps matching February 1972… original parts used throughout restoration down to the nuts, bolts and washers — the only reproduction parts are the front and rear tires and the inner tubes.” Bang went the not-that-impressed gavel, $33,000!
That seemed to be about the going rate for a really nice H2, with an identical blue one — purportedly built on the first day of production, according to its frame #H2F00074! — going for $35,200. In a serious blow to the purists, the Mitzel collection’s Allen Millyard-built four-cylinder H2 special brought $49,500.
What’s the difference between the $15K bikes and the $35K ones when they’re all beautiful to the point of being “over-restored?” It’s your job to find out; all the bikes’ tags say “No Warranty” in bold letters. Hmmmm…I’m skeptical. Brian Hansen, Mecum’s Director of Resolutions, Titles and VIN, soothed my fears. For one thing, he told me, motorcycle people tend to be way more knowledgeable as to what they’re buying compared to car guys — and bikes are obviously easier to inspect. Also, Mecum buyers and sellers are on the serious end of the enthusiast spectrum, and nobody wants a bad reputation; the few people who achieve that status aren’t invited back. And the Auction Listing Contract and Bidders Agreement have real teeth; the Seller must know what he’s selling and represent it accordingly, and the Buyer is responsible for inspecting. Trust but verify. Hansen said 99 percent of his motorcycle problems are easily resolved, and the sale is unwound for the 1 percent where an agreement can’t be reaced.
LIVE ON STAGE
And it’s easy to get carried away. Just like attending a concert, there’s nothing like being at a live auction, especially as things heat up toward the two main attractions on the last day, Lots S106 (the ’15 Cyclone) and S108 (the ’38 Crocker). It’s fitting that we’re in South Point’s Equestrian Arena as the cowboy-hat-adorned
auctioneers rattle off their old-timey spiel. (Kinda loud, though…I wished I’d remembered earplugs.) There were around 140 Mecum people at the auction, five or 10 of the most eagle-eyed of whom were poised on the auction floor to spot the subtle movements or even eye blinks that pass for a bid. HEEEEYAA!
From where I was sitting it was impossible to tell who was bidding. It was exciting as hell when the ’15 Cyclone surpassed the aforementioned $935K strap-tank Hog’s record price from 2023, punched through the speedof-money million-dollar mark Chuck Yeager-style, and hammered down at Mach $1.32M. But in all the hubbub I had no idea who’d bought it, and Mecum policy is not to reveal buyers. (I was actually more interested in who’d bought the $33K Yamaha Radian, anyway; we may never know.)
The second-most anticipated bike had to wait for five or six more of Urban Hirsch’s antiques (including a couple of ’teens automobiles) to sell before Urban’s highly coveted 1938 Crocker Twin rolled onto the dais. It must be a strange feeling to know that many of your friends are waiting for you to kick the bucket so they can snap up your stuff. Provenance is all with these guys (though they try not to use the word provenance as much as the car people), and this ex-Ernie Skelton bike had all its pedigree papers in order. It’s also alloriginal and unrestored, which is the other very big deal; that’s 87-year-old paint and chrome, Mac.
When the hammer fell at $880,000 (fourth priciest bike ever sold at auction), a bunch of people just behind and left of my front-row seat started whooping and clapping a happy, regular-looking guy on the back. Eureka! (A more observant person might have noticed sooner that a good way to ID the buyer is that the Mecum person shows up immediately with the clipboard and pen. Then again, maybe only truly immediately when the sale is in the $800K range.)
F MECUM METHODOLOGY
acebook Marketplace for your Flying Merkel? Craigslist for your Crocker? Errrr, no.
For serious buyers and sellers of collectible motorcycles, there’s no substitute for the 800-pound-gorilla motorcycle auction that is Mecum Las Vegas. It’s the world’s biggest: Four 18-wheelers full of equipment, five days of setup, and 140 employees converge on the South Point Casino following months of painstaking preparation and selection of the fittest to make this thing happen.
Mecum does its best to make its auctions a full-service affair for buyers and sellers, with all the info you need on its Mecum. com website. If you’re selling, start out by picking which of its 11 auctions spread around the U.S. each year you want to attend. Las Vegas is of course the big motorcycle event, but there’s a smattering of bikes at the car auctions, too. Click “Consign,” a questionnaire/consignment form will pop up, and you’re off to the races…er, auction. If your motorcycle gets the thumbs-up from Mecum’s experts, you’ll pay a consignment of at least $350, plus a commission of 6 to 10 percent when it sells. For non-computer types, Mecum reps are happy to handle it all via telephone at (262) 275-5050.
Naturally, you want your motorcycle to look its best, so there are videos to help you achieve that, and a photography guide. Or you can hand all that off to Mecum. You don’t even have to attend the auction to sell your bike: If you’d rather watch your baby leave the nest from the comfort of your couch, they can also arrange to ship your bike to the auction.
In any case, I got myself right over there and congratulated the lucky winner (very firm handshake) as soon as he’d put pen to paper. I waved my MEDIA pass and got his contact info, as it was too loud and inappropriate to question him then and there. Just as well. There will be time to grill this big fish later. Cinch me up, Scotty!
AND THE WINNER IS…
Glenn Zirkle had bid on the Cyclone, too. His collection, which he emailed a couple days later, is mostly focused on 1920s bikes. But he prizes originality more than anything, and his research had the Crocker pegged as the more original of the two juiciest prizes, with only one engine bracket that may have been replaced. “Crocker #46 has no mystery as to its provenance and that made it extra noteworthy for me. To have an opportunity to purchase
If you’re lucky enough to have a collection that needs to be sold, you already know there can be a lot of moving parts. The Mecum crew are not only enthusiasts, they have an expertise and marketing reach that would be hard to duplicate anywhere else. Collections are a Mecum specialty; that Urban Hirsch chose Mecum to sell his amazing collection says a lot.
If you’re buying, you’ll need to register to bid ahead of time — another thing easy enough to do at Mecum.com, or by calling (262) 275-5050. For $100, you can bid live on the internet; $200 gets you and a guest floor passes to the live auction and bidding privileges; Annual and Gold passes are $400 and $500, respectively, and get you live, internet, phone bidding and all the perks — the latter comes with food and beverage credits, too.
If you’re planning to spend over $50,000, you’ll need to provide financial verification ahead of time in the form of an ACH (automated clearing house) profile, a letter of guarantee from your bank, pre-approval from Mecum Financing, or a blank check made out to Mecum. Under $50K, your cash, check or wire transfer are good here. – John Burns
one of the 40 or so big-motor, big-tank Crockers is a rare event, and I was willing to pass on the Cyclone in order to make sure this girl came home — where she belongs.”
I can see that. The canary-yellow Cyclone is almost too rare and perfect a thing to touch; transitioning from the nickel-plate into the chrome era 23 years later, the snub-nosed Crocker looks like Ernie Skelton might walk up any second, kick it to life, and roar off. Looking at it set Gordon Lightfoot on an endless loop in my brain: I will never be set free as long as I’m a ghost that you can’t see.
Since he was already there, Zirkle, who is president of a petroleum company in Portland, Ore., picked up four more of Urban’s bikes, including a 1915 Indian V-twin, a 1915 Yale Twin w/ sidecar and a 1913 Thor 2 Speed Single. He also bought a Honda Dream 50 racer from the Slow Joe Gardella collection, and you can never have too many 1927 Brough Superior SS80s, as there are only nine known to exist of that vintage.
all gonna be joining Urban Hirsch III. So act now if you can.
I’m with Glenn Z, who said: “Value is something that does not disappear with the generation that built the collectible item. Value is something that carries over to the next generation because they realize the genius of the creativity, the uniqueness of design characteristics, the beauty that each generation comes to appreciate in time. I believe all of Urban Hirsch’s bikes will enjoy an extra measure of value and desirability because of his reputation in the industry, and because he was such a card!”
I never met Urban, but dammit, I can’t believe I missed out on that 181-mile Vespa. Even so, I have to say the big Las Vegas auction was the most moto-fun I’ve had in a while. I may have to go back next year, but next time in my vintage Ford Ranger with some tie-downs in the bed. Plan ahead! AMA
Zirkle’s a high-end collector, for sure, but also a regular guy who started on a Honda 50 at 14 and graduated to a Kawasaki 500 triple at 18: “I was amazed at what they [all the Kawis] went for!” He’d strapped the Crocker down in the bed of his GMC pickup for the ride home to Portland: “I wrapped her in a blanket and then tarped it and put cinch straps all around her — she was like a mummy in her coffin.” Once home, he said he immediately started in cleaning the bike “right down to the Q-tip treatment!!” Looks like that suspect engine bracket is original after all, just painted.
Quite the little man cave it must be, with Glenn’s 30 other motorcycles and assorted vehicles and vintage gas pumps and things; he’s been collecting petroliana for years. Let’s not get started on the cars. There are at least two Ford GT40s and a bunch of Porsches, and while I was writing this epic, I watched him win the auction for a 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort on Bring-a-Trailer — for barely less than what the Cyclone sold for. Good call in my book, G.
WAS IT WORTH IT?
From my brief exposure, vintage bikes are just like the stock market. They go up and down and everybody claims to know why, but nobody really does. The longterm trend is up, though, and also in the long term we’re
Far left: Our new BF Glenn Zirkle drove his new Crocker home to Portland, Ore., in back of his pickup, where it joins his 30 other antique bikes and things.
Left: The new top-dog auction-price 1915 Cyclone during bidding, which ended up fetching a whopping $1.32 million.
DR PROJECT SUZUKI DR650
DO IT ALL
SHARPENING THE EDGES OF WHAT’S MAYBE THE BEST ALL-AROUND DUAL SPORT OF THE LAST 30 YEARS. IT’S GRANDPA-APPROVED, TOO!
BY THAD WOLFF
BY KEVIN WING
don’t want to date myself (or the bike), but my interest in Suzuki’s venerable DR650 dual sport started even before it debuted in 1996, when I somehow was lucky enough to be the guy riding it in late 1995 for promotional photos Suzuki would use in that first-year model’s ads and brochures.
IAs I was trying to look heroic riding the DR past the camera in the dirt, I couldn’t help comparing it to my Honda XR600R from years ago…or the ’74-spec XL350 I
rode every day and everywhere as a teenager…or the XR650R I own and ride today, 90 percent of which is off-road.
My first impression of the DR in the dirt was that it was heavy and lacking the XR’s suspension performance (and dirt-oriented tires, which explained some of that feeling). I did like the electric starter, though, and later, after riding a friend’s DR on the street, I began to change my mind about the bike. Pretty nice and smooth. Maybe this thing had some potential?
Fast forward to our Editor’s Perspectives column, aptly titled DR Doofus, in our April 2023 issue, where he somehow ended up with two DR650s. [Hey, I bought one, but found a lower-mile and more fully outfitted one two weeks later! What’s a guy to do? – Ed.] I told Mitch I’d take the more stock one off his hands and pitched the idea of building it into a fully capable street and off-road dual sport.
And since I’d just become a grandfather, I started calling the whole thing “Grandpa’s Adventure Bike.” Seemed to fit.
PHOTOS
SO, WHAT’S GOOD FOR GRAMPS?
Grandpa wants to ride everywhere, ’cause he’s a stubborn ol’ mule and doesn’t want anyone telling him what to do or where to go, so it has to work well on the street and in the dirt. He wants to be able to pack enough gear to be gone for at least a week. He wants to cruise down the freeway comfortably at 75 mph all day long
you need. That all the bugs have been worked out, and a lot of the aftermarket research done, is part of the beauty of adopting — and outfitting — a 30-year-old motorcycle.
LET US WRENCH
So, what exactly was in the ProCycle boxes arriving on my doorstep? For starters, probably the best thing you can bolt on is the
Grandpa wants to ride everywhere, ’cause he’s a stubborn ol’ mule and doesn’t want anyone telling him what to do or where to go, so it has to work well on the street and in the dirt.
— and when he sees a trail out of the corner of his eye that looks like it might get a little rocky, sandy and maybe a bit gnarly, he wants to be able to go for it. He’s reliving his glory days, you know?
Editor Boehm gave the green light, and I cruised up to Salt Lake City to pick it up. Let the fun begin. Turns out there’s an outfit called ProCycle (541-688-9543 or https://procycle.us) up in Oregon that specializes in the DR (along with many other dual-sport bikes). When I dialed their number, my old SoCal club racing buddy, Carl Nagy, answered. Small world. After catching up, Carl said ProCycle would love to help with the build. According to Carl, ProCycle bought a DR about 20 years ago and was surprised by the lack of accessories for it. They started right away working with others to create and source quality parts for the popular Suzuki, and today they’ve got more parts and accessories than you knew you needed… plus a staff that’s highly knowledgeable and willing to spend all the time on the phone
42mm Mikuni flatslide pumper carb ($579) where the stock 40mm CV unit used to be. Yes, I said carb. No fuel injection, as Grandpa likes things ol’ fashioned. This one came jetted perfectly for my sea-level conditions and made a noticeable difference throughout the power range and
offered crispier throttle response. It still runs well at higher elevations, and I’ve gotten up to 57 mpg. It also runs fine with the stock muffler, as Grandpa likes to be stealthy on his adventures. With that kind of mileage, you might be fine with the standard bike’s 3.4-gallon steel fuel tank (3.2 for California models), but there was also a 5.3-gallon Acerbis plastic tank ($306) in the box, along with an Acerbis skid plate ($105), frame guards ($55) and handguards ($99). The skid plate is plastic; Acerbis says it’s twice as thick as the
Above: The DR donor bike, preproject, in all its blue-and-white glory. Main image: The author, sampling his DR’s newfound long-haul capabilities, courtesy of a Pro Cycle windscreen, Seat Concepts saddle, Nelson Rigg soft luggage, Koso heated grips, larger Acerbis fuel tank and lower JNS footpeg mounts. She cruises nice, just as our 95-yearold friend and fellow DR650 owner Neil Fergus told us.
typical alloy one but about half the weight, and that plastic glides over rocks and roots better than aluminum and even reflects less terrain-impact noise. Okay, then. It all bolted on easily, and those extra two gallons mean you’re good for around 300 miles.
You’ll find a lot of tempting engine hopup items at ProCycle, including a 790cc kit, and while we hear from owners that the 790 is beastly, Grandpa is more into thumping steadily along with the lowest chance of mechanical drama. Aside from the upgraded carburetor, engine work consists of about two quarts of our preferred Maxima ProPlus+ full-synthetic motor oil (from $15.99 per liter).
BUSINESS CLASS
you know at a glance which level they’re on, along with a shut-off that detects if the battery voltage is too low. Our Aerostich Heated Bib ($77) is never far away during California’s cold months, and neither are our Zerofit base layers ($90 each).
Since highway cruising is a decent part of Grandpa’s mission, we needed at least a small fairing. ProCycle offers a wide variety that’ll fit the DR; we settled on its Universal Fit Dual Sport Windscreen ($130); at 14 in. tall and 10 in. wide, it splits the wind nicely. Fully adjustable mounting brackets clamp to the bike’s seven-eighths of an in. handlebar. Hands are shielded from the wind by the Acerbis handguards, but while we’re at it, why not some Koso Apollo Heated Grips ($145)? These have a five-color LED display that lets
Compensating for the electrons those items use gave the perfect excuse to stick in a Cyclops LED H4 Headlight bulb ($80), packed with four Cree XHP 50 emitters capable of more than 2,500 lumens each. Superbright, in other
NOW BOTH ENDS OF OUR DR PROVIDE A CADILLAC RIDE ON THE ROAD BUT ALSO COPE MUCH BETTER WITH THE RIGORS OF OFF-ROAD RIDING.
words, and it only draws 38 watts, which means the stock alternator is fine. A low-draw LED brake light/ taillight ($22) brings up the rear.
The Seat Concepts Comfort Seat ($380), Grandpa figures, might be his No. 1 bolt-on for the DR. SC’s proprietary foam does a superior job cushioning the mature hindquarters, while still offering good support. The shape of the thing is narrow at the front just like the stocker, then it tapers out toward the middle to distribute your weight over a greater area, which equals much nicer steady-state cruising. JNS Engineering Footpeg Low Mounts ($85), meanwhile, let your dogs rest
Suzuki’s DR650, while no motocrosser, is surprisingly sporty, especially with upgraded suspension and tires, Cogent Dynamics and Michelin, in this case. Stock, the DR engine is punchy (and very reliable), but there are numerous ways to amplify power with big-bore kits, cams and the like. Grandpa likes his bikes durable and quiet, donchaknow.
an inch lower and rearward — and that feels better.
SHE’S GOT LEGS
ProCycle offers less-expensive ways to upgrade the DR’s suspension via its partnership with Cogent Dynamics out of North Carolina (828628-9025), including having the stock rear shock rebuilt. But for this build we went whole hog, ponying up for
the company’s top-line Mojave Pro Series shock ($1,241). This highquality remote-reservoir-equipped item is completely tunable; ours came with the 7.6 kg/mm spring Cogent recommends for loads under 250 lbs. Up front, Cogent’s DDC (Drop in Damper Cartridge) Fork Solution Kit ($330) comes with, in addition to the DDC, your choice of five fork springs to firm things up anywhere
from 24 to 84 percent stiffer than stock, and three quarts of 5W fluid. It couldn’t be much easier. Now both ends of our DR provide a Cadillac ride on the road but also cope much better with the rigors and surprises of off-road riding. Great stuff here.
UNCHAINED MELODY
We swapped the stock odd-sized 525 chain for ProCycle’s 520 EK
Chain and Sprocket kit ($120). Less spinning mass is always better, and so is less expensive and more readily available, with more sprocket size options. This particular chain is an EK SRO6 O-Ring, with a clip-type master link. Stock gearing — 15/42 — seems perfect to me overall, but ProCycle offers 14- and 16-teeth countershafts, as well. While we’re back here, let’s protect our investment with a Warp 9
Rear Shark Fin brake guard ($110) and a Warp 9 Lower Chain Guide ($60). Easy bolt-on stuff; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of not getting stuck someplace Grandpa can’t extricate himself from.
And speaking of that, I added a brand-new Yuasa battery to ensure Grandpa wouldn’t be getting stuck anywhere questionable.
In the fine tradition of the “magazine project bike” I probably went a little overboard, and I’m afraid to add it all up.
Depending on your preferred usage, tire design is a key component of the dualsport experience. We chose Michelin’s Anakee Wild skins, which occupy a 30/70 position on the street-dirt continuum, and we like them a lot. Pro Cycle windscreen is unobtrusive and removes a little windblast when you’re heading home on paved roads.
WHEELS GO ’ROUND
You may have seen the Garage write-up in the December 2024 issue featuring Buchanan’s Spoke and Rim. Well, seniority has its privileges. Excel fixed us up with some beautiful rims, and Kennie Buchanan supplied the spokes, and laced and trued them, too ($1,080 total). There’s nothing wrong with the alloy rims that were on the DR, but, well, Excels are stronger and lighter, and have always been cooler Grandpa needs good brakes, too, so into the calipers went a set of EBC sintered pads ($70), which work well and wear even better.
Deciding on the right tires for your machine is important, and ProCycle has you covered here, too, with an impressive selection arranged from 10-percent street/90-percent off-road to 90/10 in the opposite direction. I chose 30/70 Michelin Anakee Wilds ($205 front, $290 rear), which so far work incredibly well. These seem like perfect do-it-all tires, and I believe they’ll last a long time on the light-ish DR. We’ll report back!
BEAUTY, EH?
Gramps has some connections at Suzuki that fixed me up with classic yellow bodywork, including a
circa-2000 RM250 front fender that bolts right up to the stock mounting holes. That fender looks great and doesn’t blow in the wind as much as the stock unit at highway speeds. All I did was drill a hole for the speedo cable and shorten a couple of mounting bosses to adjust the fender’s droop. (Plan B would’ve been to get back on the phone with ProCycle, which offers Body Plastic Kits [$475] for the DR in a range of colors, including yellow.)
PACK MULE
You need to bring plenty of stuff on your adventures. Precision Racks
provided its Enduro Series Top Rack ($110) and Side Luggage Racks ($155). These are mild steel, MIG welded and semi-gloss black powder-coated. They work great, but I welded extra tie-down points to the bottom rear of each one to even better attach my semi-large Nelson-Rigg Hurricane Adventure Dry Saddlebags ($300) when riding. Nelson-Rigg’s Dual Sport Tail Bag ($140) fits just right on the rear rack, and its Dual Sport Tank Bag ($90) seems made for my DR because, uh, it’s a dual sport.
ProCycle’s Tool Tube ($60) mounts in place of the little stock
tool carrier, a simple 3.5-in. OD by 13-in. ABS pipe held on by three powder-coated steel straps. Both ends are sealed with waterproof expanding plugs, with a locking end cap available as an option. Handy for small items.
NO FURTHER ADO…
And with that, Grandpa is all set to go. I made custom signal-indicator mounts and blinkers because I like to do stuff like that, but ProCycle sells relocation brackets and various turn signals as needed, depending on your luggage/accessory configuration.
In the tradition of the “magazine project bike” I probably went a little overboard, and I’m afraid to add it all up because it’s probably close to the $7,199 asking price of a brand-new DR. Think of my bike as more a rolling catalog of possibilities than a list of must-haves.
mph, anyway.
For me, the must-haves are really the seat, the carburetor, the big gas tank and the upgraded suspension. With that stuff, I hate to brag, but I seem to not only be able to cruise comfortably, but also to go places many modern (and way heavy) ADV bikes fear to tread.
There’s a reason Suzuki hasn’t changed this bike in almost 30 years. The people who own them for serious long-distance riding love them, and outfitted correctly, they work quite well in the dirt. I am not at all anti-tech; in fact, I’m amazed every year at how modern engineering marches on.
Then again, I’ve now got a DR that’s just about as adventurous, comfortable and sweet-handling as anything out there — at less than 80
At the same time, for plenty of us, all that “new” only reinforces the fact that there will always be a place for a simple, basic, air-cooled, do-it-all bike that’s as reliable as a sledgehammer. Just ask 95-year-old Neil Fergus. Heck, I might pass this one down to my new grandson, who’ll adventure-ride it to vintage bike shows.
I’m grandfathered in. AMA
Main image: The author during a quiet moment during testing near California’s Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous U.S., with an elevation of 14,505 feet. Nelson Rigg’s waterproof and super-durable Hurricane Adventure bags and packs provided a ton of storage capacity.
THAD WOLFF
JUGGERNAUT
BY MITCH BOEHM PHOTOS: GREGORY ARCHIVE, FRAN KUHN
It’s a scenario that couldn’t happen today.
“It was 1982,” AMA Hall of Famer David
Bailey told me some years back, “my first year with Honda. I’d been drafted for the MX des Nations team to replace Donnie Hansen, who’d been injured. I wore Fox gear at the time, but I saw [JT Racing founders and AMA Hall of Famers] John and Rita Gregory cruising through the pits in Switzerland with their then-new V2000 chest protector — and immediately wanted to wear it.”
one, I wore a white one, and [Johnny] O’Mara — already with JT — had one, as well. I felt so badass!”
Team USA — Bailey, Magoo, O’Mara and Jim Gibson — scored a dramatic victory that day in Wohlen, Switzerland, and the “Little Professor” Bailey credits part of his excellent ride — he went 4/2, with Chandler winning both motos — to that chest protector.
“The track was littered with fist-sized rocks, and we were on 500s that weekend. I didn’t have a chest protector, and that V2000 was really cool. So I asked them if I could wear it that day, and they said OK. Magoo [Danny Chandler] had a yellow
“Sounds a little silly,” he said, “but I rode better with it on. I knew I could soak up the roost. I just felt sooo cool in that thing; I’ll never forget the feeling. At the time I remember wishing I was a JT rider; nothing against Fox, mind you. I’d started out on JT, wore their stuff in the late ’70s. JT was the first gear I ever felt proud to wear. I couldn’t wait to get dressed!”
THE BIRTH, LIFE AND DEATH OF JOHN AND RITA GREGORY’S JT RACING USA,
THE WORLD’S FIRST MOTO-GEAR POWERHOUSE
After the race, the Gregorys offered Bailey a contract, and he signed on the spot. “JT offered 10 times what I was making with Fox,” Bailey remembered, “but I think I’d have signed for free. I’d had some champagne when I signed, and a lot of stuff going on in my head, but I could sense there was something special about John and Rita — that they were different.”
“Heck,” he added, “I’d just ridden the best race of my life, and had just signed a contract with JT Racing! Things couldn’t get any better.”
Bailey’s 40-plus-year recollection is more than simply an anecdotal snapshot of life in the interconnected worlds of JT Racing and U.S. motocross, circa 1982. It touches on many of the elements — product, innovation,
personality and timing — that came together, fusion-like, to transform JT Racing into the motocross world’s first true riding-gear dynasty.
Considering today’s crowded and cutthroat moto-gear industry, it’s amazing to consider the impact JT had on the sport during the ’70s and ’80s. By that MX des Nations weekend in ’82, JT had nearly every top-level rider in the U.S. wearing its gear and promoting the brand. The company had revolutionized moto-gear marketing, with splashy ads and colorful brochures utilizing those riders to the fullest. It controlled some 50 percent of the motocrossgear market, a market some say generated $100 million at
its peak. Until competition heated up in the 1980s, JT was the MX-gear innovator, bringing all sorts of new ideas, designs and styles to market. And even after companies such as Fox, Answer, Sinisalo, AXO, O’Neal and others waded in with technical and design guns a-blazin’, JT continued to innovate, even if some of its new products fell short of expectations.
“JT socks were the coolest. Joel Robert and the Euros wore them, and you’d see their pictures in the magazines. JT was a local company, but they had a real Euro flair, which was neat.”
BROC GLOVER
JT Racing was much more than simply a motobusiness juggernaut. It was also a veritable window on the motocross world during the ’70s and ’80s, one with a prime-time view of the explosive and stratospheric rise of the sport itself.
EARLY DAYS
JT founders John and Rita Gregory hailed from Oklahoma, far from Carlsbad’s adobe or the Mojave’s sand and cacti. John, a pharmacist by trade, wasn’t a motorcyclist when he and Rita moved to Corona, Calif., in the mid-1960s to open their first drug store, but he
became one after befriending local Honda dealer Floyd Burke. Trail riding on Honda CT90s eventually turned into desert racing, and after a while, even Rita — then attending college at UC Riverside — was putting down her books to pit for John, who rode Huskys in SoCal District 37 events.
“The final straw,” Rita told me with a laugh, “was when John hit a pucker bush and crashed hard. He had bruises all over his body, and I mean all over. From then on, I went with him.”
By the late 1960s John had noticed a couple key things
Left page: Team USA in 1982: From left, Dave Arnold, David Bailey, Johnny O’Mara, Danny Chandler, Jim Gibson. JT’s early sock ads featured the company’s first-generation logo, which soon morphed into the more stylish one seen on the JT van during a SoCal desert race. This page: John and Rita Gregory on a business trip in Tijuana. Below: John looking stylish aboard his Husky desert racer.
on the two-wheeled front, one of which was the sudden uptick in motocross enthusiasm.
“I rode desert and trails,” he told Eric Johnson of Racer X years back, “but I could see that motocross was going to be big.”
The second item was more innocuous, but hugely significant: a new type of sock some riders were wearing… colorful, stretchy and long enough to fold over the boot. “We’d all been wearing thick wool surplus socks,” John recalled, “which itched, were hot and didn’t last. When I saw these new socks — which were cotton — I approached a guy wearing them, who said he’d gotten them from a sporting goods store in Tijuana, Mexico.”
John, who’d been told by his accountant that racing was likely to put him and Rita in the poorhouse, saw an opportunity. “I found the store in TJ,” John told me, “bought a dozen or two, and we began selling them at desert and motocross races.”
“I had a sock mannequin,” Rita remembered, “and we sold ’em right out of the trunk of our car, and eventually from the pharmacy.” For the Gregorys, selling socks was simply a way to help support their racing. Little did they know what that move would eventually bring.
The Gregorys moved to San Diego in early 1970 to open a new drug store. Their fledgling motocross business continued to grow, with John now buying larger quantities of socks directly from the manufacturer, driving back and forth across the border in his El Camino. By this time, they’d met AMA HOFer Lars Larsson, then importing Hallman gear from Sweden. “Lars talked us into selling Hallman gear,” remembered Rita, “and he sold our socks.” In essence, Hallman Racing — now THOR — became JT’s first distributor, an ironic twist considering what was to come.
The Gregorys also hired AMA HOFer Joel Robert to wear and promote their socks. “We were getting to know some of the international riders,” John said, “Joel, Roger DeCoster, Ake Jonsson and others.” John offered the multi-time world champion $100 a year, plus all the socks Robert needed. Robert agreed, and the Gregorys established additional credibility in the industry.
Longtime JT rider and AMA Hall of Famer Broc Glover remembered the early days well as a So Cal minibike racer: “JT socks were the coolest. Joel Robert and the Euros wore them, and you’d see their pictures in the magazines. JT was a local company, but they had a real Euro flair, which was neat.”
When the Gregorys applied for a business license for
An early collaboration with Torsten Hallman’s Hallman Racing and Lars Larsson provided JT Racing with an expanded lineup of gear to augment its then-meager offerings. Hallman also offered JT socks and jerseys, and essentially became JT’s first distributor.
“Not a lot of thought was put into style by riders at the time, but as Rita and I began to see more ways to match clothing, I began to put it all together in my mind.”
JOHN GREGORY
their fledgling company, they were asked for a name. “We didn’t have one,” Rita told me, “so they told us to come back. We’d waited in line for an hour, so John asked me, ‘How about TJ Racing?’ — meaning, Tijuana. I said, ‘John, Tijuana means hookers, drunks and sleaze…how about we flip it and call it ‘JT’? He said ‘Fine,’ and that was that!”
John had also begun to notice some riders wearing colorful rugby jerseys. “I didn’t think about gear much,” he said. “The Hallman stuff was good. But when I saw those jerseys, Rita and I figured we’d make our own, in colors that matched our socks.”
Suddenly, the JT Racing line had doubled in size and
was proving to be plenty stylish. “Not a lot of thought was put into style by riders at the time,” John said, “but as Rita and I began to see more ways to match clothing, I began to put it all together in my mind.” Their first ads appeared, along with their first logo, sharp-edged and funky-looking, at least relative to the rounded, ’70s-tinged JT logo we all know now.
BUILDING A BRAND
From such humble beginnings, things accelerated quickly for what was now known officially as JT Racing Imports. The company grew steadily, with the Gregorys adding riding and technical gear such as Twin Air filters to their line.
“We’d begun to make some money,” John told Pulp MX/Transworld’s Steve Mathes, “so we converted half
the pharmacy into a bike shop. I’d be working on a bike, and when a customer came in, I’d go fill their prescription. Our growth was sorta like surviving a crash. There wasn’t really a plan. Stuff happened quickly, like a Chinese fire drill…the sport was young, you couldn’t do anything wrong, and we were lucky enough to be in the right
place at the right time. I’d never had any formal business training, even in college. Just an innate sense of what to do…watching others, getting your name out there, hooking up with the right rider or riders.”
Aside from the right riders, John would also hook up with several Swedes and Finns who’d have a substantial impact on his and Rita’s future. AMA Hall of Famer Rolf Tibblin was one. “Rolf was doing motocross schools,” John remembered, “and introduced me to Juha Tirinen of Koho, a Finnish company that made hockey gear and who’d become a bit of a pioneer in motocross gear.”
Above, left: John, Rita and family in the early days. Above: The Gregorys were like family to a lot of their sponsored racers, including Broc Glover. “They were almost like a second set of parents,” Glover remembered.
Gregory’s first big signing was ’74 and ’75 AMA 125cc National Champion and Team Honda wunderkind Marty Smith. “He was a true American hero,” John said of AMA Hall of Famer Smith.
One day a large truck showed up in front of the JT shop wanting to deliver a load of boxes. Turns out they were filled with Koho motocross pants, nylon and leather motocross pants, the original JT “Unleathers,” really. The shipment was supposed to go to motocross pioneer and AMA HOFer Edison Dye, but Dye refused them, so Tirinen called Koho and, instead of having it all sent back, he convinced Koho to sell them to JT.
“We got them cheap,” John remembered, “and suddenly we became the Koho importer.” JT began selling the innovative pants, which were considerably lighter than traditional leathers and much easier to clean. It took a while for them to catch on, but they eventually did…and changed the MX-pant market forever.
They’d also decided by this time to go on the motocross route full time.
yet. But even then, John’s plan was clear: He wanted to outfit riders head-to-toe with quality stuff that looked great together. You could tell he was on a mission.”
By the late 1970s, JT was the major player in the motocross business. Business was booming, their products were stylish and leadingedge, motocross had become a significant motorsport, American riders were catching the Europeans in terms of speed if not fitness, and those riders — AMA Hall of Famers Brad Lackey, Jimmy Weinert, Marty Tripes, et al. — had become bona fide superheroes.
“The lease on our building was up,” remembered Rita, “so we shut down the pharmacy for good, sold everything — the drugs, the dog food, everything — and moved into an 800-square-foot place in National City, a suburb of San Diego.”
Over the next few years, JT would offer much of the stuff motocross enthusiasts the world over remember fondly to this very day: Mikkola chest protectors. Phase 2 filters. Mechanic’s clogs. Baruffaldi, Carrera and Scott goggles, the latter with the legendary Scott Face Mask. Bell helmets, including the Moto Star. Gear bags. Koho Face Fenders. Boogie Britches. Unleathers and cotton jerseys in a multitude of colors, with custom lettering for both. Champion motocross boots. And, in John’s opinion, “possibly the most successful product we ever offered”: JT World Champion gloves in several iterations.
“Early on,” recalled 1982 250cc World Champion and AMA HOFer
Danny LaPorte, who signed with JT around 1976, “it was pretty much pants and jerseys and gloves. John and Rita didn’t have their own helmet or goggles
Gregory realized that rider sponsorships and endorsement deals were going to be key going forward, and he set out to sign the best and brightest — and youngest. Veteran Gerrit Wolsink was already helping promotionally, his wins at Carlsbad being televised by ABC’s Wide World of Sports
But Gregory was looking younger, and his first big signing was ’74 and ’75 AMA 125cc National Champion and Team Honda wunderkind Marty Smith. “He was a true American hero,”
John said of AMA Hall of Famer Smith. “I lived nearby,” Smith told this author before his tragic death in 2020, “so I did a lot of testing for them. John was really good about accepting input, and he and Rita were good people.”
JT’s next rider was just as prolific. “Bob Hannah was the first real superhero of motocross,” John told Racer X, “and one of our best salesmen. He also helped with design, trying new things, offering input.”
The collaborations with riders pushed JT to even higher technical, design and sales heights, setting the stage for the company’s insane run through the early and mid-1980s, when the brand cemented its place as a true worldwide motocross icon.
From Smith, LaPorte and Hannah came a veritable rush of top-shelf riders to the JT ranks: Glover. Tripes. Howerton. Ward. O’Mara. Bailey. Johnson. Hansen. Sun. Gibson. Lechien. And Burnworth. In Europe there were Robert, Mikkola, Wolsink, Vimond, Bayle and Jobe. The ad on page 52 tells the tale pretty clearly: JT Racing had the bestlooking, best-performing products, and they
had the best riders wearing them — all of which made JT Racing the brand to be with.
“I remember getting my own set of custom gear with my name on it as a support rider,” noted Ron Lechien, a longtime JT rider. “I’d get dressed in the truck and think, ‘This is so cool.’ The pros wearing JT gear were my heroes, so it was all very influential.”
“In ’78,” remembered Bailey, “I wore blue-andwhite JT gear, which matched my blue-andwhite Bultaco perfectly. It was so stylish. Later, during my Honda years, I couldn’t wait to get dressed. When I’d go out and sign autographs after a race, I’d keep my gear on. I just loved being in that stuff.”
There was plenty more to come on the product side, the aforementioned V2000 chest protector being just one example. “The JT stuff was special,” recalled Bailey. “They had the look, the logo on the butt, and all the good guys. But the V2000? First time I saw and wore it in Switzerland, I knew it was gonna change things, knew it would work. You felt confident in it. I’m amazed someone could make something that protective, light and breathable look that good. It changed the industry.”
was most proud of the V2000. It was our pride and joy.”
On the heels of the V2000 came the open- and full-face ALS helmets, the latter being the first fully integrated full-face helmet ever. Bell had its Moto Star, but it didn’t have an integrated visor assembly, and it looked positively antique next to the breathable, futuristic and stylish ALS-2. Still, the helmet didn’t sell as well as expected.
“The helmet was incredible,” John told me years back, “and way before its time. I still wear one. But it wasn’t successful for us like the V2000 was. It wasn’t Snell-approved, which I didn’t feel was a good standard for off-road use. So we got browbeaten about that, and it never sold as well as we’d hoped. Overall, though, we always tried to make things better.”
“John and Rita always considered rider safety,” said Glover. “They were always looking to improve designs. That’s why everyone was always chasing them.”
“Of all our products,” John Gregory says now, “I think I
If you talk to folks in the industry, especially riders involved with JT, you hear some common themes: Great products. Innovative thinking. Bold colors and designs (Glover’s pink gear, Lechien’s Dalmation stuff, Glover’s white gear, etc.). Savvy rider hires.
Left: The late, great Marty Smith was an early adopter of JT gear, even before the company had much of a lineup. The Gregorys recognized the value the sport’s first true superstar had on the JT brand, especially as it grew exponentially in the middle 1970s. This page, top: The ahead-of-its-time V2000 chest protector. Above: JT’s breathable, futuristic and stylish ALS-1 and ALS-2 helmets, also very much ahead of their time.
“I remember testing the new helmet’s venting by standing up through the sunroof of Rita’s BMW. We drove right down National Boulevard with my head in the wind! John and Rita really got into it.”
DAVID BAILEY
Groundbreaking marketing. But the theme that comes up most often is more personal.
“John and Rita were like family to me,” Lechien remembered. “They helped me, looked out for me…I appreciated it then, and I appreciate it now. We’re still good friends.”
Glover agreed: “Those two have always been very dear friends, and I enjoy their friendship to this day. It was a family, no doubt. They were almost a second set of parents.”
“I remember testing the new helmet’s venting by standing up through the sunroof of Rita’s BMW,” Bailey recalled. “We drove right down National Boulevard with my head in the wind! John and Rita really got into it. But it wasn’t just business. They wanted their riders to be stoked, wanted them to feel part of the JT family. They treated us like their own kids. It was really special.”
THE END OF THE ROAD
After a decade and a half of virtual domination, the granite began to shift beneath the Gregory’s feet, the fissures forming in the early 1980s with increased competition and the extravagant levels of cash some companies were willing to throw around. Naturally, JT’s riders were prime targets for the poaching, and some left for greener pastures.
“People have to do what’s best for them,” Gregory told me. O’Mara moved to Answer. Ward went to Sinisalo. Johnson went to Fox. This left JT with some legends,
but injuries, attrition and life’s challenges began to pick them off one by one. LaPorte was slowing down with age. Glover broke his wrist in ’86, which slowed him steadily afterward. Jacky Vimond, JT’s leading rider in Europe, broke himself badly in a freak promotional accident.
But the killer was Bailey, who broke his back in a 1987 practice crash and would tragically end up in a wheelchair. And even after Johnson returned to the JT fold in the
late ’80s, a wrist injury put him out of commission. As John Gregory told Racer X, “If there was ever a turning point, that was it.”
JT soldiered on throughout the ‘90s, signing world champion Jean-Michel Bayle early in the decade. Bayle won the coveted triple crown — Supercross, 250 and 500cc National Championships — in 1991, but his success didn’t translate to hero status among many U.S. fans, and thusly didn’t seem to help JT’s sales much, especially the following year when he switched to Taichi gear and JT lost the benefit of being connected to all those number-one plates.
The Gregorys kept at it, but some of the magic was clearly gone. “It was hard,” Gregory remembered. “Margins were down, everything was being made in Taiwan and China, and it got hard to make any money.” JT’s market share dropped precipitously, along with revenues.
Salvation, for the Gregorys if not for the JT motocross brand, came from an unlikely source: paintball. Marty Tripes, working for John and Rita at the time, was into the sport, and he convinced John to attend a session sometime in ’87. John enjoyed it, and as he got more involved, he saw a familiar sight… an industry in the early stages of massive growth, but one with an immature aftermarket. “Guys were running around with very little protection,” John recounted, “just motocross and ski goggles. So, we built a goggle with a highly protective lens, and it absolutely took off. It
was unreal.”
During the 1990s, the Gregorys parlayed their knowledge and expertise gained over 20 years of motocross-gear production into paintball, and it paid off handsomely. “We were aggressive,” John told Steve Mathes, “and we ended up getting the Walmart account.”
As it turned out, a large company (Brass Eagle) with deep pockets who’d lost the Walmart account wanted it back — badly — and were willing to pay.
John and Rita, who’d been through this sort of “we wanna buy you” talk before, told Brass Eagle they wanted a non-refundable deposit of $150,000 before they let anyone into their skunk works to see what was what. Amazingly, the Brass Eagle folks complied, and the sale of JT Racing was finalized months later to the tune of millions. Unfortunately, the new owners wanted only the paintball element of JT, and quickly trashed 30 years of motocross archives — photos, layouts, artwork, molds, prototypes, correspondence, logos, etc. Sad.
Still, the JT Racing years were powerful ones on the product design, styling and marketing fronts. And with JT’s rise and dominance coinciding with what is arguably the most epic period ever in the sport of motocross — the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s — it’s no wonder that, even today, the JT logo generates goosebumps and good vibes among a certain age group.
As we wrote up front, it’s a scenario that couldn’t happen today. But many of us are darn glad it did back when it could. AMA
Left page, top to bottom: Bailey, Glover, Lechien. This page: The Gregorys (center) being inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2010. Glover honored the pair with a superb speech, and even wore appropriate gear.
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SANCTIONED COMING EVENTS
Be sure to check the event website or call the organizer for the latest information, including postponements or cancellations.
Dual Sport April 11-13. Plantersville. Perry Mountain Tower Run, Perry Mountain M/C Club, (334) 327-5086, perrymountainmotorcycleclub@gmail.com, www.perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com
Adventure Ride April 11-13. Plantersville. Perry Mountain Tower Run, Perry Mountain M/C Club, (334) 327-5086, perrymountainmotorcycleclub@gmail.com, www.perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com
Flat Track: Short Track April 26. Elkmont. Snake Hill Speedway/Old Goats Racing 2025 Alabama AMA State Championship Flat Track Series, Old Goats Racing, (256) 714-0552, lostriver25@yahoo.com
Road Race April 26-27. Casa Grande. ASMA Roadracing, Arroyo Seco Motorcyclist Association, 575-494-4794, roger@asmaracing.com, asmaracing.com
AMA CALIFORNIA
Adventure Ride April 5. Santa Margarita. 2025 Adventure Ride, Penguins Motorcycle Club At Cal Poly, (831) 235-0222
Motocross April 5-6. Pala. Cal Classic, 2xp LLC dba 2xpromotions, https://www.2xpromotions.com/events/ category/cal-classic/
Grand Prix April 5-6. 29 Palms. Hilltoppers Grand Prix at 29 Palms, Hilltoppers MC, Inc., (714) 747-1211, plumrdy@aol.com
Grand Prix April 5-6. Redding. Shasta Dam GP, Redding Dirt Riders, (530) 515-6521, reddingdirtriders.com
Dual Sport April 6. Inyokern. Dash to the Piute’s, Lost Coyotes MC, Inc., 661-803-3179, fastdesertdude@gmail. com, lostcoyotes.org
Observed Trials April 11-13. Anza. 2025 NATC national trials championship rounds 3&4, Southern California Trials Association, hellosocaltrials@gmail.com, www. socaltrials.com
Motocross April 12. San Bernardino. Midwest Area Qualifier, 2xp LLC dba 2xpromotions, info@2xpromotions.com
Motocross April 13. San Bernardino. Southwest Area Qualifier, 2xp LLC dba 2xpromotions, 740-297-6686, info@2xpromotions.com
Observed Trials April 13. Anza. 2025 NATC national trials championship round 4, Southern California Trials Association, hellosocaltrials@gmail.com, www.socaltrials.com
Motocross April 19. Tulare. Northwest Area Qualifier, 2xp LLC dba 2xpromotions, 740-297-6686, info@2xpromotions.com
Enduro April 19. Johnson Valley. D37 AMA Sprint Enduro Racing Series Round 3, Vikings Desert Motorcycle Club, (714) 864-9556, Vikingdesertmc@gmail.com, AMADistrict37.org
Hare Scrambles/Cross Country April 19-20. Chrome. Burrows Ranch Cross Country/Hare Scramble, Richmond Ramblers MC, (510) 761-6115
Motocross April 20. Tulare. Road to Mammoth Round 4, 2xp LLC dba 2xpromotions, https://www.2xpromotions. com/events/category/road-to-mammoth/ Road Ride/Run April 26. Sacramento. Rolling on the River, Capital City Motorcycle Club, 916-402-0557, dragnmist@sbcglobal.net, capitalcitymotorcycleclub.com
Dual Sport April 26. Ventucopa. CCMA Leapin Lizard 100, Central Coast Trail Riders Association, (805) 440-7830
Motocross April 26-27. San Bernardino. Mini Monsters, CMXRS, 909-880-3090, lori@glenhelen.com, https:// glenhelen.com
AMA FLORIDA
Road Ride/Run April 5. Zephyrhills. 75th Anniversary Poker Run, Golden Eagles Motorcycle Club, 813-4693926, GEMC33625@gmail.com, GoldenEaglesMotorCycleClub.com
Hare Scrambles/Cross Country April 12-13. Punta Gorda. Florida Trail Riders, Old School Dirt Riders, Inc., (941) 650-1473, ftr90racer@Yahoo.com, www. FloridaTrailRiders.org
Road Race April 12-13. Bushnell. SFL MiniGP, South Florida MiniGP, 954-552-1355, info@sflminigp.com, www.sflminigp.com
AMA GEORGIA
Motocross April 13. Cairo. Boss Series at GPF, GPF, (810) 348-8700, joshwoods126@aol.com, gpfmx.com
AMA ILLINOIS
Motocross April 5-6. Casey. Thor Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, (217) 932-2041, info@ridelincolntrail.com, ridelincolntrail.com
Motocross April 19-20. Casey. The Abe w/ Motoplayground, Lincoln Trail Motosports, (217) 932-2041, info@ ridelincolntrail.com, ridelincolntrail.com
Motocross April 26-27. Walnut. North Central Area Qualifier, 4P Promotions, Inc., 815-379-9534, jan@ sunsetridgemx.com
AMA INDIANA
Observed Trials Apri 26. New Paris. MOTA Championship, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, (248) 6284541, lwm248@gmail.com, motatrials.com
Observed Trials April 27. New Paris. MOTA Championship, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, (574) 8558003, Tjuif1986@yahoo.com, motatrials.com
AMA IOWA
Trail Ride April 26. Shell Rock. New Hartford Racing MX, New Hartford Racing Association, Inc., (319) 885-6469, newhartfordracing@gmail.com, newhartfordracing.com
Motocross April 27. Shell Rock. New Hartford Racing MX, New Hartford Racing Association, Inc., (319) 885-6469, newhartfordracing@gmail.com, newhartfordracing.com
AMA KANSAS
Motocross April 12-13. Maize. North Central Area Qualifier, Bar 2 Bar MX Park, LLC, 316-744-5283, bar2barmx@yahoo.com
AMA KENTUCKY
Motocross April 12-13. Leitchfield. Mid-East Area Qualifier, NXT LVL Sports LLC South Fork Motoplex, 270-230-2005, nxtlvlsports@yahoo.com
Motocross April 19. Leitchfield. 2025 St. Jude Racing For a Cure Benefit Race, NXT LVL Sports LLC South Fork Motoplex, 270-230-2005, nxtlvlsports@yahoo. com, www.southforkmotoplex.com
AMA LOUISIANA
Enduro April 5-6. Forest Hill. NEPG Cajun Classic National Enduro Acadiana Dirt Riders, Inc., (337) 658-1922, acadianadirtriders@gmail.com, acadianadirtriders.com
AMA MASSACHUSETTS
Motocross April 5. Foxborough. Supercross Futures Premier Qualifier, Feld Motorsports, https://www. supercrosslive.com/supercross-futures/ Motocross April 26-27. Southwick. Northeast Area
Qualifier, The Wick 338 Promotions LLC, info@ thewick338.com
Hare Scrambles/Cross Country April 27. Park Hills. Leadbelt Hare Scrambles, Missouri Mudders, (636) 639-6373, michael.silger@momudders.com, www. momudders.com
AMA MONTANA
Motocross April 5-6. Shepherd. Northwest Area Qualifier, Dream Chasers Racing, 406-598-3944, dreamchasersracing@gmail.com
AMA NEW JERSEY
Enduro April 13. New Libson. Pine Hill Enduro, Central Jersey Competition Riders, (609) 937-5210, cjcrmc@ gmail.com, cjcrmc.org
Motocross April 6. Walkill. MSC Championship MX Series AMA District 34 Pro Am, Walden MX, (862) 2206505, waldenplayboysmx@gmail.com, www.mxwalden. com
Hare Scrambles/Cross Country April 12-13. Richford. NEXC Series round#1 @Broome Tioga, Broome Tioga Sports Center Inc., (607) 206-2795, nexc24hr@gmail. com, nexcseries.com
Motocross April 13. Middletown. MSC Championship MX Series AMA District 34 ProAm, Metropolitan Sports Committee, 845-342-2573, mgurda@yahoo.com, www. mscmotocross.com
Motocross April 27. Coeymans Hollow. MSC Championship MX Series AMA District 34, Metropolitan Sports Committee, 518-727-0311, sflach@camppinnacle.org, www.mscmotocross.com
Grand Prix Apri 26. Kings Mountain. Full Gas Off Road Series, Full Gas Off Road, 704-775-2390, info@sprintenduro.com, fullgasoffroad.com
AMA OHIO
Motocross April 26-27. Chillicothe. Mid-East Area Qualifier, Race Ohio MX, 513-266-2866, s.plessinger@ yahoo.com
AMA PENNSYLVANIA
Flat Track - Short Track April 5. Shoemakerville. AMA Vintage National PM/ District 6, Baer Racing, 717-5038030, candybaer@comcast.net
Road Ride/Run April 5. Olen. AMA Dice Poker Run, Reading Motorcycle Club, Inc., 484-955-0083 Hare Scrambles/Cross Country April 5-6. Fairmount City. American Woods Racing Championship, American Woods Racing Championship, (412) 607-0960, AWRCS. COM
Motocross April 5-6. Shippensburg. Northeast Area Qualifier, Doublin Gap Motocross, Inc., 717-385-1224, doublingap@gmail.com
Motocross April 13. Seward. PAMX Spring Championship, Pleasure Valley Raceway, (814) 317-6686, jeffcernic@gmail.com, pvrmx.com
Flat Track - Half-Mile April 19. Gratz. District 6 Half Mile, Baer Racing, 717-503-8030, candybaer@comcast.net
Motocross April 26. Pittsburg. Supercross Futures AMA National Championship, Feld Motorsports, https://www. supercrosslive.com/supercross-futures/
Flat Track - Short Track April 26. Birdsboro. Pagoda MC ST, Pagoda Motorcycle Club, 610-582-3717, pagodamc@gmail.com, pagodamc.org
Observed Trials April 27. Elizabethtown. Candytown Modern Trials, Candytown Motorcycle Club, (717) 9194458, mail@candytownmc.org, www.candytowmc.org
AMA SOUTH CAROLINA
Motocross April 26-27. Donalds. Southeast Area Qualifier, The Shoals MX, theshoalsmx@yahoo.com
AMA TENNESSEE
Motocross April 6. Blountville. Mega Series, Victory Sports Inc., 423-323-5497, jane@victory-sports.com, victory-sports.com
Hare Scrambles/Cross Country April 11-13. Monterey. Grand National Cross Country Series, Racer Productions, Inc., https://gnccracing.com/event/the-old-grayround
AMA TEXAS
Observed Trials April 5. Saint Jo. NATC/AMA Moto Trials Series Round #1, North Texas Trials Association, (972) 965-5707, ntxtrials@gmail.com, www.ntxtrials.com
Observed Trials April 6. Saint Jo. NATC/AMA Moto Trials Series Round #2, North Texas Trials Association, (972) 965-5707, ntxtrials@gmail.com, www.ntxtrials.com
Motocross April 12-13. Alvord. South Central Area Qualifier, MX Racer, LLC dba Oak Hill Raceway, 940577-2225, oakhillmx@oakhillmx.com
Road Race April 26. Cresson. Texas Mini Cup, Texas Mini Cup, 682-529-7227, texasminicup@gmail.com, www.texasminicup.com
Motocross April 27. New Ulm. Texas Dirt Jam, Irondog MX, (979) 229-1100, irondogmotorcycles@gmail.com, Irondogmx.com
AMA UTAH
Hare & Hound April 12. Jericho. Sugarloafers MC 64th Annual Cherry Creek Hare & Hound, Sugarloafers MC, (435) 660-1811, sugarloafersmc.ut@gmail.com, www. raceumora.com
Motocross April 12-13. Delta. RMX Championship Series - Rnd 2, Grassroots MX, LLC, (801) 540-8625, grassrootsmx1@gmail.com, GrassrootsMX.com
Grand Prix April 19. Delta. Grassroots Off-Road Rnd 2, Grassroots MX, LLC, (801) 540-8625, grassrootsmx1@ gmail.com, GrassrootsMX.com
Motocross April 26. Delta. Midwest Area Qualifier, Grassroots MX, LLC, grassrootsmx1@gmail.com
Motocross April 27. Delta. Northwest Area Qualifier, Grassroots MX, LLC, 801-540-8625, grassrootsmx1@ gmail.com
AMA WASHINGTON
Motocross April 12-13. Richland. Northwest Area Qualifier, HRMC, Inc., (509) 496-2958, info@hornrapidsmx. com, www.hornrapidsmx.com
AMA WEST VIRGINIA
Motocross April 26. Hedgesville. Masters of Motocross, Tomahawk MX, LLC, 304-582-8185, tomahawkmotocross@gmail.com, tomahawkmx.com
Round 1: April 4-6. Birmingham, Ala. Barber Motorsports Park
Round 2: May 2-4. Braselton, Ga., Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Round 3: May 30-June 1. Elkhart Lake, Wisc. Road America
Round 4: June 27-29. Shelton, Wash. Ridge Motorsports Park
Round 5: July 11-13. Monterey, Calif. Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca
Round 6: Alton, Va. VIRginia International Raceway
Round 7: Aug. 15-17. Lexington, Ohio. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Round 8: Sept. 12-14. Austin, Texas. Circuit of the Americas
Round 9: Sep. 26-28. Millville, N.J. New Jersey Motorsports Park
2025 Progressive American Flat Track americanflattrack.com
Short Track
Round 5: May 3. Chico, Calif. Silver Dollar Speedway. Short Track
Round 6: June 7. Midwest. TBA. Half-mile
Round 7: June 27. Lima, Ohio. Allen County Fairgrounds. Half-mile
Round 8: June 28. Lima, Ohio. Allen County Fairgrounds. Half-mile
Round 9: July 5. Qu Quoin, Ill. Du Quoin State Fair-
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Endless scenery to captivate.
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grounds. Mile
Round 10: Aug. 4. Sturgis, S.D. Jackpine Gypsies. Short Track
Round 11: Aug. 5. Sturgis, S.D. Jackpine Gypsies. Short Track
Round 12: Aug. 10. City of Sturgis, Downtown. TT
Round 13: Aug. 16. Peoria, Ill. Peoria Motorcycle Club. TT
Round 14: Aug. 30. Springfield, Ill. Illinois State Fairgrounds. Mile I
Round 15: Aug. 31. Springfield, Ill. Illinois State Fairgrounds. Mile II
Round 16: Sept. 13. Eldon, Mo. Lake Ozark Speedway, Short Track
2025 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship americanmotorcyclist.com/flat-track-racing
June 29-July 5. Du Quoin, Ill. Du Quoin State Fairground American Hillclimb West Schedule www.americanhillclimb.com
Round 1: May 17. Sunnyside, Wa. WashingtonNitro National I
Round 2: May 18. Sunnyside, Wa. Washington Nitro National II
Round 3: June 28. Soda Springs, Idaho. Lloyd’s Performance Nitro National I
Round 4: June 29. Soda Springs, Idaho. Lloyd’s Performance Nitro National II
Round 5: Sept. 13. New Plymouth, Idaho. Nitro National I
Round 6: Sept. 14. New Plymouth, Idaho. Nitro National II 2025 American Hillclimb East Schedule www.americanhillclimb.com
Round 1: May 10. Red Wing, Minn. Minnesota National
Round 2: June 1. Spring Grove, Pa. White Rose I, White Rose Motorcycle Club
Round 3: June 8. Freemansburg, Pa. Freemansburg I, Bushkill Valley Motorcycle Club
Round 4: Aug. 2. Muskegon, Mich. Mount Garfield National, Muskegon Motorcycle Club
Round 5: Sept. 6. Wathena, Kan. Over The Hill National
Round 6: Sept. 20. Spring Grove Pa. White Rose II, White Rose Motorcycle Club
Round 7: Sept. 28. Freemansburg, Pa. Freemansburg II, Bushkill Valley Motorcycle Club
2025 AMA Pro Racing American Hillclimb National Championship (East/West) www.americanhillclimb.com
Sept. 27-28. Big Woods 200. Wabeno, Wis. Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders. 920-350-2030. bigwoods200@ hotmail.com
Oct. 4-5. Shenandoah 500. Mt Solon, Va. Washington Area Trail Riders, Inc. 619-243-9630. info@watr.us Oct. 11-12. Wolverine Dual Sport. Boyne Falls, Mich. Tomahawk Trail Riders. 517-242-1142. glennie. tomahawktrailriders@yahoo.com
Nov. 1-2. Howlin’ at the Moon. Prescott Valley, Ariz. Arizona Trail Riders. 602-692-9382. the1phxman@gmail. com
Nov. 1-2. Hammer Run. Port Elizabeth, N.J. Tri-County Sportsmens Motorcycle Club Inc. 856-265-3911. epolhamus@comcast.net
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Garage
Tips,Tweaks, Fixes and Facts: The two-wheeled ownership experience, explained
RESTORATION TECH
RUST-BUCKET RESURRECTION!
A leading H1/H2 restoration pro talks about the “Tree Bike,” his most difficult back-from-the-dead project ever
STORY AND PHOTOS BY STEVE GARRAFFA
y addiction to Kawasaki H1and H2 twostrokes goes back to my 10-year-older brother who used to take me to the local drag strip where he spectated, raced and helped wrench on local heroes’ cars.
MOne day we watched a guy on a Japanese triple two-stroke Kawasaki running times faster than anything I’d ever witnessed out of a stock motorcycle. That rider was none other than dragstrip and development legend Tony Nicosia. The smell and sound of that motorcycle shrieking down the strip was music to my ears; I never forgot it.
Fast forward to 2015, when I met a neighbor who owned some vintage motorcycles. When I mentioned my long-ago emotional connection to Kawasaki triples, he drove me to a local shop that had, in a back room, triples and parts galore. Shortly thereafter I helped restore a 1969 H1, which eventually sold for $24,000. Wow. Big money.
When that neighbor decided to move away from California and offered me all of his old two-stroke stuff for $1,500, I couldn’t pass it up. That cache led to more bikes, more parts and more restorations, and since I’d recently taken an early retirement
from my aerospace job, the headlong jump into award-winning H1 and H2 restorations made a lot of sense… and has become a serious and fun hobby. Nowadays, folks just know how to find me.
What I call the “Tree Bike” was a basket-case H2 that was brought to my attention by a dealer in North Carolina. I saw pictures of the bike with a tree growing through the frame and front wheel and thought, “Well, here’s the worst bike I’ve ever seen.”
Still, a little digging revealed that it was a one-owner bike with correct-range engine and frame numbers, so I bought the thing. Ugh. But
when the bike arrived at my home, I was shocked to see how bad it really was. Many commented online that the bike should have been left under the tree to let God finish his work…but I’m stubborn and made it a quest to rescue this time capsule at all costs.
The teardown was brutal. Just about every bolt was a waste and had to be tossed. The front rim was a goner, but I found another with the correct date code to replace it. The caliper, fender, lower fork legs and hub were salvageable.
The engine was a bear, but with help from an elder master technician it only took four weeks to get it apart. Though the crank, shift forks, clutch plates, clutch cover, one cylinder and the other bits had to be replaced, we were able to rescue everything else, including the gears and carburetors. The engine cases required some welding and cleanup, as the tree had invaded spaces unimaginable.
The frame was a different story. Corrosion ran rampant and parts were bent from nature’s wooden might. A donor frame that back in the day was a Kawasaki replacement frame with no serial number helped, as we built a jig and used parts of it to replace un-saveable sections. And once it was straightened and all weld points tested, it got powder-coated gloss and satin per stock spec.
The fuel tank and body parts were painfully straightened, sealed and painted. I don’t like decals, so we stenciled and painted all markings. The wiring harness had to be replaced, but the electronics were restored and re-installed.
Throughout this process I remained diligent on hunting down as many OEM replacement parts as possible, and amazingly, a lot were available in people’s stockpiles, on eBay, etc. It’s amazing there’s such a plethora of aftermarket parts available for this particular bike (H2s and H1s both), so I definitely dove in there for commonly replaced parts such as brake lines, cables, rotors, etc., as it made no sense do anything else.
Above: Aside from the tree’s incursion, obscene levels of corrosion permeated the H2’s engine and chassis architecture. The restoration took a while, but the end result (below) is pretty sano, the bike winning a recent SoCal two-stroke bike-show award. Contact steve@kawitriples.com for more info.
MALCOLM’S MOMENT!
Malcolm Stewart claims his first-ever AMA Supercross 450SX win in Tampa
BY JACK EMERSON
here’s no place like home…especially for Florida native Malcolm Stewart of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, who claimed his first AMA Supercross 450SX class win in Tampa, Fla., during the fifth round of the AMA Supercross season on Feb. 8.
TStewart battled back from an adverse start, dropping from fourth to eighth after the first lap, but slowly gained ground throughout the race. It wasn’t until the 19th lap that Stewart jumped into the lead, passing Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton and grabbing an emotional victory at Raymond James Stadium.
“I don’t know if [the fans] were twisting the throttle for me, because for a split second I was like, ‘Alright, I need to get this done,’” Stewart said. “I was feeling really good, and you know what, Stewart is back in the whoops, y’all!”
Not only did Stewart claim victory in front of his home crowd, but he also had the pleasure of hoisting the trophy with his brother James Stewart — a 2022 inductee to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and current AMA Supercross commentator on Peacock. In the moments after his ultimate triumph, Stewart dedicated the victory to James.
“There’s one person that I want to give this win to, my brother,” Malcolm said. “He’s been pushing me…I know he’s just as proud of me as I am of myself. So, I love you brother.”
The win marked Malcolm Stewart’s first podium appearance in 2025. Dad hugs are the best, right? Stewart also has three 250SX wins in his career
Introduced in 1969, Kawasaki’s 500cc two-stroke H1 Mach III spun the big-streetbike world on its axis. It was a straight shot of raw, unadulterated performance — a light, loud, smoky and fast two-wheeled hot rod, ands the undisputed dragstrip and stoplight-to-stoplight king of its day.
The H1 established its legend status almost instantly, and remains one of the most coveted and collectable Japanese motorcycles in history. And you can own it by participating in the AMA’s 100th Anniversary Raffle!
