American Motorcyclist October 2022

2022 MEMBER

MONTHLY DRAWINGS

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• Mimi & Moto Children’s Books

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• Bohn Armor Skull Cap

• AMA T-Shirt

QUARTERLY DRAWINGS

• Bohn Armor Pant & Shirt Set

• Motool Slacker & Street Kit

Members who join or renew their AMA membership from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022 are automatically entered to win one of these awesome motorcycling prizes!

SWEEPSTAKES

The most recent quarterly meeting of the AMA Board of Directors was held at a ranch in Montana managed by Board Chairman Russ Ehnes. Home to a world-class off-highway vehicle recreational trail system, the cattle ranch offered a perfect venue for the Board to conduct important business as well as bond while enjoying trail riding together.

It is always amazing to me when people are surprised to hear that members of our Board of Directors are enthusiasts who ride — and ride well! Board members don’t get to ride together all that often, but when they do it’s usually something special. In this case, some came a day or more early, while others stayed on after the meeting concluded.

AMA Chief Operating Officer James Holter and I arrived at the ranch on the Tuesday afternoon before the Thursday meeting. Russ treated us and other early arrivers to Wagyu steaks from cattle raised at the ranch (working there, he knows a thing or two about grilling steak), and then took us on a tour of the ranch in side-by-sides in the early evening.

The next day our riding group included Russ, AMA Board Member from the Northeast Region Hub Brennan, James and me. I was aboard a borrowed Husky TE300 two-stroke, which had quite a bit less engine braking than my fourstroke Husaberg FE450, so I really appreciated the compression release Russ had added.

Although I’d ridden with Russ and James (both accomplished riders) before, I’d never ridden with Hub, who is a physician in real life. Hub is an avid trials enthusiast and that

From the President and CEO BIKES, BOARDS AND BIG SKY

BY ROB DINGMAN

was apparent in his trail riding. Trials guys always make riding trails look easy, and Hub is no exception.

I have known Hub for a number of years but my interactions with him have been mostly in business settings. In addition to serving on the AMA Board, he also represents the AMA on the medical commission of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). It was great to ride with and see a different side of him, the side that has motivated him to be involved with the AMA and FIM.

More board members arrived on Wednesday and the evening’s activities consisted of dinner and another side-by-side tour of the ranch. Relaxing together in this way rather than in a board room helped board members see the commonalities they share, particularly those associated with a love of motorcycling.

Thursday’s meeting was extremely productive, the camaraderie developed outside the meeting clearly strengthening the bond among members. And this, I believe, has made for a much stronger board of directors. We finished early enough that we were able to get in a short, late-afternoon ride, the group this time including Holter, AMA Board Member from the North Central Region Gary Pontius, and AMA Board Member from the Southwest Region Byron Snider. A great meeting followed by another great ride and another great dinner. Hard to beat a day like that!

Traveling to this meeting I flashed back to the first time I visited Montana to ride over 30 years ago. At the time I had recently joined the government relations staff of the Motorcycle Industry Council as a land-use issues

specialist. The MIC was putting on one of a series of OHV workshops for public land managers, and Russ and his mom — AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Mona Ehnes — hosted a trail ride for us outof-towners.

Riding Russ’ wife’s Yamaha RT180 (which I broke the kick-start lever on, embarrassingly), I had one of my first-ever — and best-ever — trailriding experiences, riding some of the best trails, rocky terrain and creek crossings I’ve ever been on, then or since. As someone whose new job it was to work to keep public riding areas open, I recall sarcastically thinking, “it’s a pity they don’t have anywhere to ride out here.”

From then on I was hooked on trail riding, and have been since. And that experience, at least indirectly, resulted in me becoming involved in legislation that created what is now the federal Recreational Trails Program, which provides funding for state trails programs. That involvement eventually contributed to me being hired by the AMA to run its Washington, D.C., office for a period in the 1990s, and after a few years in a public-sector job I returned as AMA president at the end of 2006.

In many ways, my interest in motorcycling and involvement in the AMA can be traced to that early trailriding experience in Montana all those years ago. And that’s why this most recent trip to Big Sky country was so nostalgic for me.

Russ and Mona… let’s do it again soon!

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

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“The AMA Business Member program helps everything related to motorcycling — from defending our rights, to fighting for land use and legislative efforts. The AMA’s mission has kept our sport healthy for all riders. [AMA President and CEO] Rob [Dingman] and his team have so much credibility and loyalty to us, and we all need to be involved in the AMA to help carry on the mission.”

Squish, squish, splash, splash. My wet shoes pounded out a rhythm as I jogged though the woods in the pouring rain. I was running along a U.S. Sprint Enduro course under a severe time constraint, trying to memorize (or at least get a look at) the 3-mile enduro course before the racing started at our Trophy Team ISDE Training Camp held in conjunction with this year’s Sprint Enduro World Championship in Virginia.

Due to a prior obligation I’d missed the first two days of camp — not ideal. At camp we come together to practice Special Tests and bike service, make sure everyone understands protocol for the event, and to bond as a team. The latter may sound trivial, but for athletes in an individual sport getting ready for what is very much a team event, it helps.

When you’re competing as Team USA in the ISDE, sharing lines while walking tests, encouraging each other on Day 4 when everyone is exhausted, looking out for each other on the trail — these can be the difference between success and failure.

The U.S. Sprint Enduro series is the closest replication of ISDE Special Tests we have Stateside. Barring injury, mechanical failure or weather that causes a war of attrition, the Special Tests (short, timed sprints) are where the event is won or lost. So, we were fortunate that promoter Billy Schlag hosted our team camp in conjunction with the Virginia event.

Camp began Friday. Riders walked or pedaled the course and were welcomed by a speech from ISDE Team Manager Antti Kallonen. Saturday and Sunday our riders took part in the Sprint Enduro World Championship,

ISDE INSIDER

FINAL PREPARATION

RACHEL GUTISH

with Trophy riders taking the top spots as expected. In a U.S. Sprint Enduro, you ride six Special Tests, with a 20- to 30-minute break between each. For the sake of efficiency, we practiced our bike work instead of taking the break.

In addition to the everyday maintenance riders do at the ISDE (air filters, tire changes), we also practiced various parts swaps. For example, if your shock blows up on Day 4, can you change it fast enough to avoid being penalized for being late to a checkpoint? Bent bars, a shearedoff footpeg or, God forbid, a hot and smoking clutch…we practiced all of those and more. Ever try swapping smoking clutch plates, even with heat-resistant gloves? It feels like performing dentistry on a dragon!

A very slick Cross test on Sunday led to a whole lot of ribbon down on Monday, so our first task that day was walking the test while re-hanging ribbon. Monday and Tuesday we only rode the Cross test, as the course map for France shows a high proportion of them. Extra big thank you to the U.S. Sprint timing crew for staying late so we could use the transponder system!

After the Special Tests it was more bike work and a short break, followed by several hours of training from Steve Hatch, one of the best coaches in the business. Lunch was eaten while reviewing film. Then, four more tests, another round of

bike work, and everyone was ready for a meal and a good night’s sleep. Tuesday was more of the same, just without the walking or course repairs. Tuesday afternoon after the final test and bike service was finished, Antti gathered us for a few parting words before we went our separate ways: “I’m going to end with the same thing I said when we began camp. If you arrived and thought ‘I am good enough to win,’ you are wrong; we will lose. During this camp we made improvements and found areas we still need to improve. Everyone worked very hard. To win, we must work just as hard for the next few weeks… Thank you all for being here and see you in France.”

By the time you read this, the ISDE will already be over, and hopefully we will all be coming home as World Champions. But as Antti said, it all really depends on our preparation — the work we have already done and the work still left to do.

Rachel Gutish is an AMA GNCC racer and has represented team USA at the ISDE seven times.

Left: Brandy Richards and other members of the three U.S. Trophy Teams prepare to ride Cross Tests at Training Camp. Right: U.S. World Trophy Team rider Kailub Russell practicing his bike work.

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BACKFIRES

MORE SHOP TALKIN’

I always enjoy the arrival of American Motorcyclist in its new “Boehm-ified” format, but the Talkin’ Shop article in the August issue was extra inspiring thanks to the efforts of Brian Schaffran and Molly Vaughan. As a Ph.D., professor, researcher and nerd type, I am perhaps overly sensitive to the difference between theory and practice. And while long overdue, it is refreshing to see the academic pendulum swinging back toward the practical side of things, with increased emphasis on hands-on experience in labs or makerspaces. If you liked the Talkin’ Shop piece you will probably enjoy Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford. It is thought-provoking and the whole journey ends in a motorcycle shop.

Al Davis

YAMAHA’S DT-1

Great article on the iconic Yamaha DT-1 in the August issue. And yes, it was the first true dual-purpose bike if the adjectives “lightweight, 2-stroke, reliable, and Japanese” are applied. However, 19 years before the DT-1 arrived, Triumph’s 500cc Trophy twin set the dual-purpose standard. Thousands discovered trail riding and off-road competition — and winning — on their Trophy 500s. Wide-ratio gearboxes, quickdetachable lighting and rear hubs, a choice of street or Trials Universal tires, and other standard and factoryoptional equipment made the TR5 (and later T100C) the industry’s do-it-all favorite. AMA Hall of Famer Don Brown rode a new TR5 to the 1955 Greenhorn Enduro and with a simple sprocket change, finished the grueling two-day event. Hall of Famer Bill Baird rode mildly modified

LETTER OF THE MONTH

TALKIN’ SHOP

Read Keaton Maisano’s Talkin’ Shop piece in the August issue with great satisfaction and a touch of nostalgia. I, too, developed and ran a motorcycle-based shop program back in the late 1990s, first at a regional tech school and later at a traditional high school. We concentrated on motorcycles for the wrenching, restoration and troubleshooting experience, and also jumped into five of Ron Champion’s brilliant Lotus 7 DIY book builds which Champion set forth as an industrial arts teacher himself in the UK — for fabricating, welding and machining learning. It was a fantastic experience for me, the students loved it, and the community was strongly supportive, though the administrative leadership seemed somewhat put off by the potential liability hangout and much preferred the safety of computer keyboards (which is where they really wanted to take their Tech Ed program, frankly) to welders, plasma cutters, lathes, jacks, you get the picture. Perhaps this puzzlement is owed to a lack of early exposure to the joys and satisfactions of the mechanical and fabrication arts for many, if not most, degree-carrying education professionals. Negativity bias against force, noise, heat, grease, dirt and danger is a real thing, what a surprise!

The interest is there, as we see in the renaissance of artisanal practices and craft skill acquisition, from brewing and distilling libations to high-end food, small scale farming, and much, much more. If I could buy a dozen or so reprints of the article, I could use them as seed stock, and I’ll take another swing at reviving this great and worthwhile program!

Dave Katz

Moriah Corners, N.Y. AMA member #570693

Letters to the editor are the opinions of the AMA members who write them. Inclusion here does not imply they reflect the positions of the AMA, its staff or board. Agree? Disagree? Let us know. Send letters to submissions@ama-cycle.org or mail to American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity.

Brian Schaffran and Molly Vaughan’s Skidmark Garage Motogo program is bringing back shop class — with a twowheeled twist — to benefit Cleveland’s youth

GARY YASAKI

Trophy 500s his entire career that included seven straight AMA National Enduro championships. The Trophy 500 passed the dual-purpose torch to the DT-1.

Lindsay

Brooke Plymouth, Mich.

Thanks, Lindsay, and for the record, the story’s subhead read this way: “Is Yamaha’s legendary and industrychanging DT-1 Japan Inc.’s most influential motorcycle? Could be.”

Thanks for the ride in the time machine (Game Changer!), and a chance to review those wonderful days at 18 years of age and riding my first new bike, a 1971 Yamaha 250 DT-1. Ah, what fun…commuting to work, riding to the off-road areas and enjoying that amazing high pipe and fabulous fork and shocks. And Autolube! Great memories.

Kevin B Parsons Meridian, Idaho

FEAR OF FLYING

I enjoyed Mitch’s August issue column and had to write because I had a similar experience in regard to motorcycles and flying. I have been riding since I was little, but in 2017 one of my buddies from college took me for a ride in his Diamond DA42 and infected me with the aviation bug. Three days later I found a local flight school, signed up for lessons, and 50 logged hours later passed my checkride in one of the school’s Piper Tomahawks (or more accurately, Traumahawk). Getting my Private Pilot license was a great feeling, mostly because of how much work it took to get there. I had these grand plans about flying places and getting $100 hamburgers every weekend. Well, as you probably can guess, one thing led to another and I started flying less and less often, which turned me into that most dangerous of pilots. I think you have to be all-in on flying, or not at all. Aviation taught me a lot about risks, decision-making,

focus and competency that I feel I have been able to apply to my riding and performance driving. Anyway, your editorial resonated with me, as does the entire new format of the magazine. I also first learned on dirt (and still ride 95 percent dirt) and can attest to how much better a street rider it makes you.

Stephen Abraham

I’m a 25-plus-year member of the AMA and wanted to let you know that I loved your Perspectives article in the August issue. It’s kinda the reverse of something I wrote as a guest columnist for the June 2019 issue. I had been on two wheels for nearly 30 years when I decided to take up glider flying, and I found that all my years of riding actually made me a much better pilot than I ever dreamed possible. The similarities within each skill set matched perfectly, including watching for “traffic” while at 7,000 feet. Thanks for a great article and publication.

Marc Teatum

THE RIGHT TOOLS

BACK IN THE DAY

Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!

m enjoying your Back in the Day section and wanted to share photos of me riding in the sand pit right next to Spyglass Hill golf course, circa 1972. Few recall that Pebble Beach was still private back then, and the DMV code did not apply in the “Forest.” I would ride my Bultaco 250 in the sand pit (getting

there on public roads), and on the far side we had a small flat track around a tree where several of us raced. Most times we could outrun security! Now, as a serious golfer 50 years later, I cringe a bit when I tee it up on the first tee of Spyglass Hill, and can almost hear the wail of a two stroke in the distance… great memories! Yes, those are leather work gloves. A year later the helmet had a football face guard screwed onto it, popularized by desert racers back then.

A co-conspirator, Larry Dick, whose family lived in PB, eventually sponsored me on the Colorado 500, which I’ve ridden 14 times…so from Pebble Beach to Imogene Pass, and ironically, California Pass. California had early days too, before we went crazy…

—Douglas Keyston

I (and many others, I’m sure) have always dreamed of ripping around a pristine golf course on a motocross bike, and while your story isn’t that, it certainly brought it to mind…so thanks, Doug! —Ed.

Here I am on my Kawasaki Vulcan 500. It was my first bike and proved the old saying, “it’s not if you go down, it’s when you go down.” After totaling it I bought a Harley-Davidson Softail, which I ended up trading for a Street Glide Special.

—Rob M.

Here I am on my 11th birthday, sitting on the 1978 Yamaha GT80 my dad got me for my birthday the year before. I rode that bike everywhere, and I find myself unable to part with it. My brother got it running again for my 50th birthday, and the sound of that little two-stroke takes me back in time.

—Rich Rossmark

Gotta love that sound and smell, Rich!

—Ed.

Me at 15 years old on my first bike, a 1970 Harley-Davidson 125 Rapido. I bought it new because of the 1969 TV show Then Came Bronson. Mom centered me in the photo instead of the bike! The second photo is me in 2019 at age 64 with the Harley Sportster I bought new in 1975. I rebuilt it into a “Bronson” replica for the 40th anniversary of that show and rode it from Illinois to Reno for the 50th anniversary to meet with other collectors and their “Bronson Bikes.” I’m still riding it because of that TV show.

—Bill Weder

Getting what I thought was massive air on my 1971 Honda SL70, and then posing with my 1973 SL100.

—Robert Griffin

Dude, you are Evel-worthy! —Ed.

My 1971 Kawasaki F6 125cc rotary valve trail bike, complete with Preston Petty replacement front fender. In 1974 this was my everyday source of recreation and exploration. A huge improvement in the woods over the modified Honda Cub 50 I had previously.

—Charlie Hamberg Shocker, that! —Ed.

Thought I’d send along a picture of yours truly at the infamous Rifle River Crossing at the 1966 Jack Pine 500-mile enduro. The bike is a 1965 250 Maico Enduro, which I still have. I first entered the Jack Pine in 1961 and each year thereafter, but always managed to run out of time due to a variety of reasons: a bad mud hole, broken battery, jammed fork leg, smashed brake pedal, and other things I can’t remember right now. I feel very fortunate to have ridden and finished that year, as that turned out to be the last of the 500-mile, two-day Jack Pine enduros. There was no Jack Pine in 1967, and when it was run again in 1968 it was a one-day affair, nothing like what it used to be. It was wrenching on my bikes that started me on a career first as a machinist and then as a service technician and service manager for a major pump manufacturer. If it hadn’t been for motorcycling, I don’t know where I’d be today.

—Dennis Pataki

up to speed

News, notes, insight and more from the motorcycling universe

Your Right to Repair: Safe,

or in Jeopardy?

Motorcyclists should be able to repair their own motorcycles, but that right is at risk

BY MICHAEL SAYRE

ou may recall the recent news that the Federal Trade Commission took action against HarleyDavidson for illegally restricting customers’ right to repair their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the case, the FTC charged that Harley’s warranties included terms that would void the warranty if a customer used

Ya non-Harley repair shop or parts on their motorcycle. The FTC ordered Harley to remove those terms from their warranties and inform customers that they have the right to use nonHarley parts and mechanics to repair their own motorcycles without the threat of a voided warranty.

This follows an active couple of years on the part of the FTC after

it issued a report titled “Nixing the Fix,” which detailed the many ways consumers have had their ability to repair products they own restricted by the manufacturers of those products. Everything from your phone, your tractor, and even your motorcycle was impacted by this issue, which is often referred to as “Right to Repair.”

Put in the simplest terms, Right to

Repair is the concept that when you buy something you have the right to repair it or seek an independent repair shop to do the work. And as part of that, the manufacturers must make the parts and information needed for these repairs available to the public for a fair and reasonable price.

Since the AMA represents motorcyclists, the consumers of the motorcycle industry, the position we must take is clear: motorcyclists have the right to repair their own motorcycles as well as the right to seek out an independent shop to make those repairs and have access to the parts and information needed to make those repairs.

If, like me, you recently purchased a new motorcycle, you may have noticed your owner’s manual includes some version of the phrase, “always have this maintenance work completed by an authorized dealer” more often than it did in the past. It’s a good bet that manual doesn’t include as much detailed information needed for basic jobs, either. For that you’d need a model-specific service manual, which isn’t included with the bike and costs extra. My manual, for instance, gives me the spec for chain slack and the procedure to adjust it, but follows that information with the “authorized dealer” phrase.

If you have a more modern bike with what is basically a small tablet for a dash, you may have learned that the service reminder light telling you to change your oil, something you can absolutely do yourself, cannot be turned off unless you visit an authorized dealer. Maybe you’re lucky and your dealer will just turn off the light for you, but just as likely you’re not so lucky…and you’ll have to pay for the privilege. Choices like this are irritating to most riders, and if you don’t have an authorized dealer nearby, even more so.

What about a more serious issue, like what happened to a colleague of mine on their way back from an event. Their bike stalled, displayed

some traction control and other electronics errors, only to stall a few more times before they found a family with a truck to get them home. Once home the errors had disappeared, and a thorough physical examination of the bike gave no further clues. When they decided to try to access the bike’s computer to pull whatever error codes might remain, they discovered the computer was locked to anyone but an authorized dealer. Maybe they wouldn’t have been able to fix or fully diagnose the problem even if they had access to the error codes, but they would have been better prepared when they took it to a mechanic and wouldn’t be limited to only authorized dealers.

between auto-industry and repairindustry groups that would apply that state law throughout the country, which now covers almost every car and truck from 2002 on. The agreement has largely worked, and while some automakers are more open than others, by and large your local shop can get what they need to fix your car without much issue.

Still, there is a solid reason we’re discussing this here, as that law and subsequent agreement does not include motorcycles, or any other consumer product you may own. The good news, though, is that this might be changing, and you can help make that change happen. Dozens of states have introduced their own Right to Repair legislation

Being able to use a local independent repair shop when an authorized dealer might be a few hours ride away is an asset to the rider, and it’s a benefit to the manufacturer, as well.

Being able to use a local independent repair shop when an authorized dealer might be a few hours ride away is an asset to the rider, and it’s a benefit to the manufacturer, as well. How much more likely are you to buy a bike that you know can be serviced at your favorite shop over one that requires you to visit an authorized dealer that’s much further away?

You might be wondering about how Right to Repair applies to your car or truck, and on that front you’re covered. Legislation from Massachusetts in 2012 required automakers to make the diagnostic and repair tools, including the computerized tools needed for modern cars, available to independent mechanics just as they do to their own dealers, and ensured that those tools and information were sold for “fair and reasonable” prices. That law spurred the creation of a memorandum of understanding

that would apply the same rules that currently apply to cars to all consumer products, including on- and off-road motorcycles. There is even federal legislation, H.R. 6570, the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act, or just the REPAIR Act, that would take similar rules from the Massachusetts Right to Repair law and subsequent industry agreement and make them federal law, as well as apply them to all motor vehicles, including motorcycles.

The AMA supports the REPAIR Act and similar state legislation and encourages all motorcyclists to tell their elected officials to support this legislation. You can use the AMA’s Action Center at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/actioncenter/ to send a message to your Representative in support of the REPAIR Act and sign up for alerts to act on legislation in your own state.

Michael Sayre is the AMA’s Director of Government Relations

up to speed

Tesla Autopilot Kills Motorcyclist, Sparks Investigation

BY KALI KOTOSKI

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on July 26 opened a special investigation into a crash in which a Tesla with its Autopilot system engaged hit and killed a motorcyclist in Utah.

The crash happened when the Tesla collided with the back of the motorcycle as it traveled in a high occupancy lane on I-15 near Draper, Utah, at 1:09 a.m. The 34-year-old motorcyclist was thrown from his Harley-Davidson, suffered fatal injuries, and was pronounced dead on the scene.

The driver of the Tesla, who remained on the scene, told police the vehicle’s Autopilot system — the company’s driver assistance system that has come under increased scrutiny amidst safety concerns — was engaged at the time of the collision.

Since 2016, NHTSA has opened 38 special investigations of crashes involving Tesla vehicles using Autopilot. Including the fatal Utah crash, 19

crash deaths have been reported in those Tesla-related investigations.

“The driver advised he had the Autopilot setting on, and [he] did not see the motorcyclist,” the Utah Department of Public Safety said.

The latest crash follows a fatal Tesla incident on July 7, when a 2021 Tesla Model Y killed a 48-year-old motorcyclist on the Riverside Freeway in California. A special investigation by NHSTA has been opened in that crash, as well.

In June, NHTSA upgraded its defect investigation into 830,000 Tesla vehicles with Autopilot, a required step if the agency is going to seek a recall.

More recently, the California Department of Motor Vehicles on July 28, accused Tesla of deceptive marketing practices concerning the company’s driver assistance systems, a move that in a worst-case scenario could temporarily suspend Tesla’s ability to sell or market vehicles in California.

The accusation, filed with California’s Office of Administrative Hearings, claims that Tesla’s marketing language around Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems grossly overestimates the capabilities of the technology to the public’s detriment.

The DMV is requesting that Tesla would be required to better educate consumers and include cautionary warnings regarding the limitations to a vehicle’s features.

For $15,000 up-front, or on a subscription basis for $199 per month, a program called FSD Beta (or Full Self Driving Beta) allows drivers to test unfinished driver-assistance features on public roads in the U.S.

The company said it has more than 100,000 drivers participating with the FDS Beta program.

Tesla has fifteen days to respond to the DMV’s accusations before the administrative court. Otherwise, the DMV will take a default decision that could revoke the company’s ability to operate in California.

To Protect Against Rising Theft, Check Your Insurance

The AMA’s Government Relations Department has been receiving reports from members that insurance companies are not paying out motorcycle theft claims due to a lack of paperwork and unannounced policy changes.

In 2021, motorcycle thefts were up 26 percent compared to 2020, and in 2020 they were up 30 percent compared to the previous year, according to National Insurance Crime Bureau data.

The AMA reminds members to double-check their coverage to ensure they have the paperwork needed to file a claim in the event of a theft.

By ensuring you have all the required documents, you could spare yourself from falling victim to some of the recent reports, including a theft claim being denied when the owner of a dirt bike failed to produce a title. Unfortunately, that same policy, in 2021, did not legally stipulate in writing that a title was needed to file a claim. Other potential problems can arise from certain states not requiring registration when insurance companies do.

Call your agent today, ask what documents are needed to file a theft claim, and get it in writing. If the agent won’t tell you or you find out they will require some documentation you cannot provide, find a different insurance company.

The AMA’s Government Relations Department is in contact with the Attorney General’s office in every state. We are urging them to ensure insurance companies are not selling coverage that cannot be honored, that coverage requirements are transparent, and that any changes are made clear.

Riding ROUNDUP

The Last Hurrah

Owyhee Motorcycle Club strives to protect its longstanding history

The Owyhee Motorcycle Club (OMC) has quite a storied history — one that has impacted legendary riders and the Northwest region as whole — and yet its future is not certain.

OMC, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, is located on 80 acres near Boise, Idaho, and its over-80-year history makes it the longest-running motorcycle club in Idaho and the first to char ter with the AMA. Throughout its history of helping off-road racing develop and grow in the area, OMC has hosted several significant events including Idaho State Championships, Northwest Tourist Trophy races and a 1972 Inter-Am motocross event where AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gary Jones became the first American to claim an overall win in an international motocross held Stateside.

many legendary riders roll through and compete on its grounds, including AMA Hall of Famers Bob Hannah, Roger DeCoster, Joel Robert, Mert Lawwill and Ryan Villopoto. Michelle Webb, Public Relations and Advertising Coordinator, said it is the very history of OMC that continues to draw so many people back to Boise.

“I literally have seen this place bring grown men to tears when they think about the history they have, their families, and the events that have taken place there,” Webb said. “OMC is hugely significant to the Northwest region of the country. It was instrumental in bringing different types of riding and racing to this region.”

erosion-prevention work on the land the club calls home, OMC is trying fund the treatment and move on to a brighter future.

“It’s going to ultimately be positive for the club and benefit the grounds, but the second phase is extraordinarily expensive for the club, particularly a nonprofit club,” Webb said. “We did launch a sweepstakes to start gathering the funds for that, because if we don’t get this work done, then the club will go bankrupt, more than likely, and be gone. It’s kind of a last hurrah to save this historic club.”

Hoping to prevent a scenario where it would have to give up the land, OMC has launched a bike giveaway fundraiser for a 2022 Husqvarna FE501 customized as an OMC Edition.

Hosting motocross events, hare scrambles and trials, OMC has had

Despite OMC’s deep roots in the area and popularity throughout the motorcycling community, its future is not guaranteed. Required to complete some extensive and costly

Those interested in participating in the giveaway can visit omcracing.com and check out the announcements area on the home page. The fundraiser ends Nov. 12.

—Keaton Maisano

Racing ROUNDUP

WHAT’S WHAT IN THE WORLD OF AMA RACING COMPETITION

Braswell Wins Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award

Other riders awarded at AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship

The 2022 season had been anything but easy for Caden Braswell heading into August.

The Shalimar, Fla., native dealt with plenty of adversity and small injuries prior to arriving at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., for the 2022 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, but the struggles did not discourage Braswell who accomplished a dream of his by taking home the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award.

“I was speechless. It was a very big honor, and I’ve dreamed about it ever since the first time I went to Loretta’s,” Braswell said. “I can’t tell whether I’ve made it to where I’m hopefully inspiring all the little guys, or I’m just getting started and can’t wait for what’s next.”

The GASGAS Amateur Team rider had 3-2-1 moto finishes in the 250 Pro Sport class to claim the top spot, while his 7-1-2 resume in the Open Pro Sport was good for second overall.

“I was speechless. It was a very big honor, and I’ve dreamed about it ever since the first time I went to Loretta’s.”

“A lot of downhill this year,” Braswell said, “so to have that kind of mountain peak, find that end of the rainbow, it was beautiful.”

Elsewhere at the event, which ran Aug. 1-6, Yamaha rider Avery Long of New London, Minn., was named AMA Amateur Motocross Racer of the Year after earning AMA No. 1 plates in the 450 B and 450 B Limited classes.

Husqvarna rider Casey Cochran earned the title of AMA Youth

CADEN BRASWELL

Motocross Racer of the Year. The Clermont, Fla., native took first in four of six motos enroute to AMA No. 1 plates in the 125 Jr. (12-17) B/C and Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C classes.

The AMA Senior Motocross Rider of the Year went to KTM rider Mike Brown, who claimed AMA No. 1 plates in the Senior (40+) class and the Masters (50+) class without losing a single moto.

—Keaton Maisano

PHOTOS: MICHAEL VIZER

VIVA! V intage M otorcycle D ays

BIGGER AND BADDER THAN EVER, VMD 2022 WAS AN UNPARALLELED MOTORCYCLE CELEBRATION. WE THINK EVEN ELVIS WOULD AGREE.

The dictionary defines Grand Marshal as “A person honored as the ceremonial marshal of a parade,” and standing on the hot pit lane of Mid-Ohio Sports Car

Course this past July during the 30-year celebration of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days watching this year’s Grand Marshal — and 1993 500cc World Champion — Kevin Schwantz lead hundreds of fellow enthusiasts

around the circuit parade-style during each day’s Lap For History, that definition rang true.

Of course, AMA Hall of Famer Schwantz is nothing if not a bit mischievous, and as he led the

VIVA! V intage M otorcycle D

ays

SCHWANTZ WAS UTTERLY FANTASTIC WITH FANS, TAKING TIME WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF TO SAY HELLO, SIGN AUTOGRAPHS, POSE FOR PHOTOS AND JUST TALK MOTORCYCLES. AND BOY CAN THE GUY TALK MOTORCYCLES.

Below: Grand Marshal Schwantz talking, high-fiving, addressing.

Right: Riding the GSX-R raffle bike during a Lap for History, and his 1994 #1-plated RGV500 on display.

mostly slow-speed procession aboard the AMA’s 2022/2023 Hall of Fame Raffle Bike for this year — a beautifully custom-painted Suzuki GSX-R1000 done up in the Texan’s 1989 Grand Prix Pepsi Racing livery — he’d occasionally pull a graceful power wheelie up the front and back straights, much to the delight of the thousands of fans watching and shooting photos trackside.

Vintage Motorcycle Days is many things: A massive swap meet, road- and off-road racing galore, camping, cookouts, Hall of Fame exhibits, demo rides, bike shows, attractions for young and old, Lap For History, and some crazy shenanigans at night. But the Laps For History at lunchtime each day are perhaps most representative of what VMD stands for, as they celebrate vintage (and modern) motorcycles, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers, big-time fun and, most importantly, massive enthusiast involvement.

Ask anyone who has ever been there. It just doesn’t get much better.

And if that wasn’t enough, he ran a highly successful racetrack school for a decade, and has been one of the world’s most visible and respected motorcycle ambassadors since retiring in 1995. No wonder the guy is busy.

This year’s event, which marked 30 years since VMD was launched on the AMA’s old Westerville, Ohio, campus in 1992, was mammoth in both size and scope, with perhaps the biggest turnout ever. The swap meet acreage, parking zones, camping spots, and off-road pits and camping

It took some doing to get Schwantz to attend this year, mostly because he’s a busy guy and wasn’t all that aware of what VMD really is. But once the scene had been described and the anecdotal evidence had been presented, he jumped right on the VMD bus and, by all accounts, had a blast during the weekend.

Besides being a little rascally, Schwantz was utterly fantastic with fans, taking time whenever the opportunity presented itself to say hello, sign autographs, pose for photos and just talk motorcycles. And boy can the guy talk motorcycles. He grew up in his parents’ bike shop, started riding and racing at a young age, exploded onto the AMA Superbike scene in 1985 with Yoshimura Suzuki, and leveraged that experience into a GP career that was capped by a 500cc World Championship in 1993.

areas were absolutely bursting at the seams this year, all of which meant there were more bodies and bikes — old and new — than most had ever seen, even VMD veterans.

Aside from the road racing, off-road racing and swap meet areas, the infield was once again a hotbed of activity, with a mix of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame exhibits, a Hall of Fame/ Old Bike Barn Bike Show, food and vendors, the Wall of Death stunt show, a large VJMC contingent with example after example of retro-classic Japanese bikes, and a massive Suzuki rig featuring its current streetbike lineup along with some ex-Ben Spies and ex-Mat Mladin Yoshimura AMA Superbikes on display.

The coolest stuff, though, was inside the AMA Hall of Fame tent… two very special motorcycles that bookended Schwantz’s decade-long professional racing career. One was

the #289 Yoshimura Suzuki GS750 on which he launched his AMA Superbike career back in 1985, and the other his number-one-plated Suzuki RGV500 Grand Prix bike, the machine he rode in 1994 after winning the World Championship the previous season. Kevin was gracious enough to loan them to us for the weekend, and they were a big hit with fans.

The special moments that weekend were epic, and there were many. One was the unveiling of this year’s raffle bike, the custom-painted GSX-R

in Team Pepsi livery, and watching Schwantz sign the tank after riding it during the Lap of History that day. Another was golf-karting over to the motocross area with Schwantz and listening to him rattle off memories of old dirt bikes he rode, raced and lusted after in his youth. He went especially bubbly when he saw a guy getting ready to launch off the starting gate on a pristine Can Am 250. “Looks just like Jimmy Ellis!” he said. Another was Schwantz huddling with a dozen or so fans on our infield stage, telling stories and answering questions in a small circle — and giving those folks an experience with a true motorcycling legend they will absolutely never forget. Can you say up-close-andpersonal? I think you can.

And that’s really what VMD is all about. Up close. Personal. Memorable. And really, really special. Hope to see you next year!

PASSING IT ON

he middle paddock’s shaded garages are dens of activity, with race bikes being prepped and ad hoc modifications sending sparks flying.

This is where Brain Conrad of Columbus, Ohio, is most comfortable. Wearing leathers and a Gulf War veteran hat, he is preparing to compete on the legendary Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“I know this track,” Conrad says with a grin. “Been racing here for 10 years, and have all the turns pretty much dialed in. But that doesn’t mean [racing here] isn’t a serious challenge.”

While Conrad loves racing at VMD, he also loves teaching younger riders through the Ohio Mini Road Racing League.

“It’s been great teaching young riders,” he said. “It helps keep the sport alive and ensures Ohio has plenty of talent.”

Many of Conrad’s students go on to compete in MotoAmerica, which makes sense as Conrad left VMD with a first-place finish in Twins Superbike and second in the Superstock division. So look for him next year, because he won’t miss VMD. —Kali Kotoski

HEART OVER BODY

O

f the more than 40,000 attendees at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, it would have been tough to find someone with a greater zest for life and a deeper love for riding than Adam Gray.

Despite losing his arm in a freak motorcycle accident in 2016, Gray’s unscathed enthusiasm and eagerness to find a motorcycle-friendly prosthetic allowed him to compete again less than a year later.

“If you love riding,” Gray said, “don’t let anything stop you [whether it be] time, weight, energy level, conditioning, arm, or the bike you’re on.”

Participating in his fifth AMA VMD, the 42-year-old from Northern Kentucky grabbed second place in the Vintage Hardtail Intermediate class in the vintage trials competition. And while the podium finish was more-or-less guaranteed due to the class only having two participants, there was nothing undeserving about Gray’s performance on his 1950 BSA Rigid Trials bike.

“I’ll probably put a picture of the bike next to the plaque; that’ll be the bike’s trophy,” Gray joked. “The bike’s 72 years old. I’ll give the bike my trophy. It earned it.”

—Keaton Maisano

THE GRAND MARSHAL YAMMIE

After a spell of rain that cooled down the infield, and bike show participants had a chance to pat dry their vintage machines, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and VMD Grand Marshal Kevin Schwantz marched the lines with his dog Tank, looking for the Grand Marshal award winner.

Unlike previous Schwantz appearances at the Crossroads when fans flocked for autographs, the unspoken rules of bike judging were apparent, with the 1993 500cc World Champ given the time and space to admire the vintage machines and pick what is the pinnacle award at the Hall of Fame/Old Bike Barn Bike Show.

Ultimately, the Grand Marshal award went to Raymond Bennett from Cooperstown, N.Y., and his perfectly restored 1968 Yamaha YR-2.

“This is the first time I have shown the bike in public,” Bennett said, “and Kevin loved it! I was always a Honda guy, but there is just something special about this Yamaha.”

Bennett personally restored every piece on the bike besides the chrome. And a fine job he did to take top honors. —Kali Kotoski

THE FLYING FLEA

ruce Heckert traveled solo from Michigan to VMD, thinking it was a longshot that his decadeslong search with his father to physically see a 1946 Royal Enfield 125cc would be fulfilled.

When I found him the rain and wind were turning swap meet EZ-ups into kites, though he’d taken shelter behind a storage shed and was quite dry.

“They call it the ‘Flying Flea’ because it was used by British troops in World War II,” he said, showing me a post-war photo of his father on the bike. “He rode it from

Michigan to South Dakota, a big moment for him.”

But no matter how many bike shows he and his father attended over the years, they never stumbled across another. His father had recently passed, but since VMD was sponsored by Royal Enfield, Heckert thought there was a chance he’d see one.

“And at the Royal Enfield tent,” he said, “there it was! Oh, my dad would have been so excited. I wish I could have seen the look on his face.”

—Kali Kotoski

WORTHY CHAMPIONS

Spoonogle, Weppler crowned as AMA Vintage Grand Champions at 2022 AMA VMD

here was plenty of dust — and some mud — kicked up at 2022 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, and when it all settled, two men claimed the event’s top honors.

Following three days of hard-nosed off-road racing, 27-year-old Chris Spoonogle from Ballston Spa, N.Y., was named the AMA Vintage Grand Champion, while 62-year-old Lightning Weppler of Tippecanoe, Ohio, earned the title of AMA Senior Vintage Grand Champion — special awards determined by cumulative points earned across three vintage off-road events: hare scrambles, trials and motocross.

Spoonogle entered the final day of racing deadlocked with multiple-time winner Quinn Wentzel for the right to be named AMA Vintage Grand Champion. Spoonogle edged out Wentzel by 6 points in the vintage trials competition and became an AMA Vintage Grand Champion for a second time, his first coming in 2019.

“Coming in, we definitely put in the time, and this is our goal, to come in and do this,” Spoonogle said. “My dad won it last year for the senior class, and I wanted to follow it up to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.”

In the competition to be the AMA Senior Vintage Grand Champion, Weppler entered the vintage trials portion with a healthy lead over the field. After mustering his way through 24 tests on Sunday, Weppler became AMA Senior Vintage Grand Champion for the first time in his racing career.

“It was survival mode,” Weppler said on the final day of racing. “I went out there and rode to the best of my ability, but I did not expect this. I was just out there having fun.”

—Keaton Maisano

Chris Spoonogle (left) and Lightning Weppler (right) shaking hands after being crowned AMA Vintage Grand Champions at VMD.

W FIVE BUCKS RICHER

anting to do something a little funky at VMD, and having never owned or ridden a bike older than ones with fuel injectors, I enlisted the help of some swap-meet experts — and ended up locating, haggling for, and buying a 1973 Suzuki TC100 for $650. My first-ever kickstart was successful, though I immediately stalled out in front of everyone. Of course!

Once I got the bike running I joined thousands of riders zipping around VMD, all with huge smiles. Working VMD is fun, but riding the Mid-Ohio grounds is a whole other experience. I ended the day with significantly less gas and a newfound love for two strokes.

Eventually came part two of the challenge — selling the bike. Via social media I found a buyer looking for his first vintage purchase, and after some spirited negotiating, sold the bike for $655…and netted a whopping profit of $5.

Huge shout out to Rob Dingman, Joe Bromley, Mike Sayre and Rob Baughman for helping me make this dream come true! —Erin Reda

METRIC RETRO NIRVANA, TICE-STYLE

ennis Tice pulled out a green minibike with a lawnmower engine, and after one solid pull it roared to life. His wife Susie hopped on and sped down the lane of the swap meet, other vendors cheering her on. “We’ve been coming to VMD for 10 years

and in this same spot,” Dennis said. “The more you come, the more it feels like a family gathering. Plus, you can make a killing.”

The Tices traveled from Michigan to attend, bringing a trailer full of vintage bikes. By Saturday, they’d already sold a Honda CT70, a Suzuki TS185, a Honda MT125, Yamaha RD350 and a pristine 1967 Maico 360 Scrambler.

Schwantz signing the GSX-R’s tank just after pulling the winning ticket for the 2002 BMW raffle bike. The winner? Christine Dillon. Superb GSX-R paintwork by KC Elkins of Krossover Customs.

“It’s been a great year so far,” Susie said when she returned.

“I have 50 years of experience with Japanese bikes, and back home I got another 150 vintage bikes just waiting to make it down here,” Dennis said.

“Problem is,” Susie added, “Dennis will use the money to buy more. But that’s okay. I knew what I was getting into when I married him.” —Kali Kotoski

W A VISION AND A PRINTER

hile advanced technology can be seen as an enemy to the way things were, Hunter Leonard uses it to revive an old-school style.

A recent graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, Leonard used his knowledge of 3-D printing and his love for building bikes to design, print and assemble his Starrettania — a one-of-a-kind motorcycle paying homage to a 1928 Windhoff he saw in a museum in Germany.

“To me, [the late-1920s, early 1930s] is such a gorgeous period in motorcycling, where the bikes got longer and lower, and tires got fatter,” Leonard said. “I’m a little bummed today’s bikes don’t look like that.”

Starting as an idea before becoming a digital design to be 3-D printed later, Leonard’s fully operational slice of the late ’20s zipped its way around AMA VMD and was displayed at the bike show for two consecutive years.

“This is a one-off prototype build right now,” Leonard said, “but I’d like to start a business building these bikes full time.” —Keaton Maisano

The Grand Marshal gets to start a race if he or she chooses, and Schwantz took full advantage. “Never done that before,” he said afterward.

PHOTOS BY: GARY YASAKI, STEPHANIE VETTERLY, OWEN ANDERSON, KALI KOTOSKI, KEATON MAISANO, JOY BURGESS

RETURN TO THE MILE

BY MITCH BOEHM

PHOTOS: TIM LESTER

AMA HALL OF FAMER DAVID ALDANA HADN’T RIDDEN A MILE RACE IN ALMOST 50 YEARS — UNTIL THIS PAST JULY AT THE AMA FLAT TRACK GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP AT DU QUOIN STATE FAIRGROUNDS.

Considering it was AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer David Aldana’s first Mile race since his On Any Sunday days nearly five decades ago, there wasn’t a lot of apprehension as he idled his racebike toward the Start/Finish line of the Mile track during the 2022 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship in

July at the legendary Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill.

“I wasn’t all that nervous,” the racing legend and still-competitive dirt track racer told me after the fact, “but I did have some questions.”

“The big ones” he added with a trademark Aldana grin, “were a bit more…well, pragmatic: How different would the track be from practice? How well would I ride? And, more

importantly, would the start crew let me back up a bit from the line and roll a little, cuz I’m a terrible starter when it’s a green-light start, and I’m better when I can be creeping a tiny bit when the light goes green.”

Racers…always looking for an advantage. Even ones in their 70s.

AMA officials didn’t let Aldana have his little behind-the-line roll, but it was a special moment nonetheless.

Here you had a 73-year-old AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and On Any Sunday alumnus lining up for a Mile race — arguably one of the hairiest two-wheeled competitions known to man — for the first time since the mid-1970s.

Close your eyes for a moment and most of you can probably recall the footage of Aldana and fellow AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers

Clockwise from upper left: Grand Marshal David Aldana addressing the riders on proper Mile-track technique and telling some great old stories while he was at it. (They were not bored.) Heading out to do battle on Don Galloway’s Panther-framed Rotax (after his own Rotax tossed a valve), and then catching up with Galloway in the Canadian’s pit after the two went at it on track. Aldana with his beautiful C&J-framed Rotax before it broke. The early century art deco architecture of the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds is simply stunning and matches the design of the Coca-Cola bottling plant next door.

Mert Lawwill, Dick Mann and Gene Romero (and others) racing bar-tobar at 100-plus mph in 1970 in Bruce Brown’s epic moto documentary. And as Brown said, “They don’t all make it through the season.”

The roots and reasons for Aldana’s seventh-decade shenanigans are not so hard to fathom, really, as he is, first and foremost, a racer. He grew up in the So Cal scrambles and

dirt track crucible, got a factory ride early in his career, exploded onto the Grand National scene with three wins as a rookie in 1970 — some of which were chronicled in On Any Sunday — and leveraged his slide-’emsideways skills into an AMA Formula One and Superbike roadracing career that lasted until the mid 1980s, and included impressive performances in AMA Nationals, the Suzuka 8-Hour

“It really is fun for me. It’s not all that different from the old days, really, when we had all those different disciplines — all the racetrack types, and roadracing, too, for the Grand National Championship.”

DAVID ALDANA

and the Transatlantic Match Races.

And all along, of course, he wore the “bones” leathers, his trademark look, and one that fit Aldana’s win-orcrash/all-or-nothing mentality — which fans loved — perfectly.

More recently, Aldana’s competitive jones has been satisfied through a range of vintage dirt-track racing with the AMA, AHRMA (the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association) and a handful of independent promoters on short track, TT and half-mile venues.

But Mile racing? Miles are a different animal

altogether, with hairball drafting and big speeds and even bigger consequences if you crash, especially if you’re a decade into Social Security and Medicare. And so, for a whole lot of financial, insurance, track-access and injury-potential issues, Mile races rarely happen on the amateur or vintage side of the ledger.

But rarely doesn’t mean never, and that’s where the AMA’s Mission Foods Flat Track Grand Championship — which included a couple rounds of the AMA Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series — comes in. Held since 1975, the “Flat Track

The “crazy kid from Santa Ana” is now 73 years old, but you’d never know it by his fitness or the way he rides a motorcycle.

The guys had plenty to do on Aldana’s Honda-engined TT and Short Track bike, but it was Don Galloway’s graciousness and generosity that saved the week for Team Aldana.

Right: Aldana with his crew, Mack McElyea, left (an old pro racer himself), and Jimmy Walker.

“Du Quoin’s a special place, and racing there had been on my bucket list for a long time, and when I heard David was to be Grand Marshal, I made plans to go.”

DON GALLOWAY

Grands,” which includes a Mile race in addition to TT, Short Track and Half-Mile competition, have pitted the country’s top amateur flat track racers against one another in a once-a-year meet, which has often been held over the years at the iconic and art decoflavored Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Southern Illinois.

A range of AMA National Championships are earned at the Grands, and while the Nicky

memorable Grand National dirt track races here, on this very dirt. But I’m actually thinking more about what the track conditions on race day might be, and also about the bike I’ll be riding…tire pressures and gearing, and how I’ll ride it, all that.”

Again, always the racer.

Months earlier, Aldana had begun a search for a bike that would be better and faster than his highly-modded (480cc) XL350 Honda racebike,

Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award (given to the most promising rider on the verge of a professional racing career) and AMA Flat Track Fast Brain Award (given to the best student-racer athlete) garner a lot of coverage and attention (see page 58 for the scoop there), it’s the Mile race that generates the most awe among competitors. And that includes Aldana, as well.

“Yes, it’s been a long time,” Aldana told me as we stood on the front straightaway and marveled at the view while shooting some static photos a few days before the actual Mile race. “It’s a little eye-opening standing here, for sure. The sheer size of the track and the massive grandstand will do that to you, and there have been a lot of really

racing,” Aldana said afterward with a scowl. “It happens, and you just move ahead and do your best.”

Enter Don Galloway, a powersports dealer (Cycle Works Motorsports), longtime racer, engine and chassis builder, bike restorer and all-around motorcycle and snowmobile nut from Alberta, Canada. Galloway is not only a friend of Aldana’s and someone D.A. has raced with and against for more than a decade, he and Cycle Works

which is competitive on Short Tracks and TTs but less so on Half-Miles — and certainly Miles. “For months,” he told me early on in the weeklong event, “I researched engine sizes, carbs and pipes, twin vs. single-shock frames, which frames worked well where, etc. Most I found were either overpriced or had the wrong frame. Jon Lutzen had the total package, and for a good price. It had the Terry Poovey big-bore Rotax engine and the single-shock C&J frame. It’s seriously fast, probably every bit as fast as a twin with me on it, so I’m really excited to race it.”

Unfortunately, he’d only get a few laps on his trick new Rotax, because in just its first practice session on Day 2 of the event, it dropped a valve and had to be retired for the week. “That’s

crew chief Eric Chappman happened to be pitted directly next to our Hall of Famer, as Galloway was delivering an engine to longtime Aldana sponsor and crew chief Mack McElyea. Luckily for Aldana, Galloway not only brought six racebikes with him from Canada, he happens to be a seriously generous guy.

“Du Quoin’s a special place, and racing there had been on my bucket list for a long time,” Galloway told me, “and when I heard David was to be Grand Marshal, I made plans to go. He and I would talk on the phone every few months anyway, but I had no idea what he had planned for Du Quoin, or which races he was going to enter, or how many. [Laughs] It was a lot!” [Grand Marshal Aldana’s entries were covered by the AMA this

“Racing hard for a 4th or 6th place can be pretty satisfying if you’ve given your best, And the bench racing afterwards? The camaraderie? The friends you meet and continue to see at the races? That is a lot of why I do this.”

DAVID ALDANA

year, so he really had no reason to be shy! —Ed.]

“Anyway,” Galloway continued, “David and I get along well, and I have a lot of respect for him, not only as a racer who continues to compete at his age, but because he’s not consumed with winning or trying to prove to everyone he’s still superfast. I mean, he still rides very well, though he’s obviously not the same

a Yamaha XT bottom end with a GM speedway cylinder grafted on top. He netted a 9th, a 7th, a 6th, a 5th and two 4ths during that stretch, and seemed to have fun in the process.

“It really is fun for me,” Aldana told me after one of those mid-pack finishes from the comfort of his camp chair, bones leathers pulled down off his upper body and sweat still beading on his forehead. “It’s not

guy he was in the ’70s and ’80s. But he’s comfortable with that, and a lot of ex-racers aren’t, and that’s something I very much admire about David. So when his Rotax broke I was happy to offer him my racebikes so he could compete, even if it was gonna be against me! We enjoy racing each other, and we’re usually pretty close in speed.”

Aldana would run a host of nonMile vintage and amateur events on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday on his XL-engined tracker and a couple of Galloway’s bikes, one a custom-framed ’tracker powered by

all that different from the old days, really, when we had all those different disciplines — all the racetrack types, and roadracing, too, for the Grand National Championship. When you ran a discipline you weren’t so good at, or at a track you didn’t like all that much, and you got 5th or 8th or 10th, you settled for it. It’s the same for me now. When I finish mid-pack, I’m happy as long as I rode hard and didn’t give up. It’s not easy, though. I mean, I go to the gym three times a week so I can keep doing this, and after all, one race doesn’t define me. Some folks think I should quit. But

hey, I love this. And when I do win? Well, it’s pretty great.”

His Half-Mile wins later in the week on Galloway’s Rotax backed that feeling up nicely, with Aldana digging deep (literally) and almost willing himself to do something his mind and body were telling him to avoid.

“The track was rougher than it’d been earlier in the week,” he said afterward, “and I had some

confidence issues in practice and in the heats. I just couldn’t commit to riding the bike to the point where I just knew I had to get it turned and get on the throttle. In the Mains I was feeling more positive and told myself I was going to just do it. And I did, though good starts certainly helped. I just thought of what had to be done and did it. I committed to a spot in the turn and pulled myself up on the tank and pinned it and just hung on, like I remember doing in the old days. Mind over body, really. It took a lot of muscle, but it made the turns way easier. I looked behind me and I was

Aldana is clearly more at home on the faster Mile and Half-Mile tracks (that’s his years of roadracing talking), but he fared reasonably well on the FTGC’s indoor and very grippy short track. Far left: Here he is dicing with Galloway.

“At this stage in my life, I want to have fun and enjoy things. I insist on it. I’m not worried about finishing positions.”

DAVID ALDANA

Right page: Yukking it up with American Flat Track and Estenson Racing star Dallas Daniels on the podium. Chatting with Jeffrey Carver before Aldana’s Half-Mile race. Hoisting the spoils with Galloway (right) and Cycle Works crew chief Eric Chappman.

gone…won both Mains!”

His performances had an effect on fellow racers and those in the stands, too. “Watching Aldana win on the half-mile was awesome,” AMA COO James Holter said afterward. “The announcer played the On Any Sunday theme song at the end over the loudspeakers…just chilling!”

Aldana’s Mile experience was a mixed bag finish-wise, with a 6th in the 60-plus Masters class and a couple of wins in the lightly contested 50- and 60-plus Vintage Open classes. But the visceral and mental experiences of being there, of gridding in front of that massive grandstand, of launching when the light went green, and of running the bike into turns one and

three at full honk, stirred memories from those days in the early and mid 1970s at places like Sacramento, Indy or San Jose.

“I thought I’d be good on the Mile,’ Aldana told me after it was all over, “even on Don’s Panther-framed Rotax, which I didn’t know much about at all when I took it out in practice. We swapped the shocks for some softer ones and made some gearing and tire-pressure changes, and it ended up being pretty good, though not quite as fast as my larger-displacement Rotax would have been.

“I really enjoyed the higher speeds

on the Mile. It’s something I always liked about road racing. Bending it into a corner at well over 100 mph — and sometimes much faster than that — was always something I was decent at. Doing it again here reminded me of my earlier years at places like Sacramento or Indy, and though I was getting caught and passed mid-corner and at the exits, my corner entry speeds were really pretty good, and I felt confident and strong there. I loved tucking in down the straights, and the grip that day was pretty good. Riding in a group at those speeds…man, it was thrilling, just like the old days. During the race I was thinking, ‘Here I am, dicing with this guy at 100-plus mph and pitching

and continue to see at the races? That is a lot of why I do this. Even if they beat me, I’m still a good loser, but you know that deep down I’m thinking, ‘I’m gonna beat your ass next time, mister!’”

“You know that saying ‘you can’t go back in time?’ Well, you can’t. But when I do those things an old racer has done for so many years — like attaching tear-offs to my faceshield, strapping on that steel shoe, pulling my helmet down on my head, all that stuff — a feeling comes over me. Don’t know exactly what it is… freedom from daily life and all its BS, maybe.”

“At this stage in my life, I want to have fun and enjoy things. I insist

it into the corners…’ It was so great to get that feeling again!”

Feelings. Emotions. That endorphin and adrenaline rush that happens during a race, and right afterward, when you unzip your leathers and fall into your pit chair, exhausted, and open a beer and bench race with the guys you just banged bars with. There’s not much like it in life, and it’s something that keeps Aldana coming to the races.

“Racing hard for a 4th or 6th place can be pretty satisfying if you’ve given your best,” Aldana says. “And the bench racing afterwards? The camaraderie? The friends you meet

on it. I’m not worried about finishing positions. Back in the day I’d be counting the helmets in front of me, thinking I needed to beat them to make my house payment! But no more. Now it’s about the enjoyment of doing something I love, and something I’m still sorta good at.”

“And if folks see me as someone who’s never grown up? Well, that’s fine with me, cuz hey, it’s true!”

And returning to the Mile?

“I had some questions coming in,” he says with that trademark Aldana grin, “but I think I answered most of them this week. Now I just need to get my Rotax sorted!” AMA

FLAT TRACK GRA ND

CLARKE MORIAN V

2022 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award

t’s that adrenaline rush and living on the edge out there on the track,” 2022 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award winner Clarke Morian V said when asked what’s kept him coming back to flat track since he was just 5 years old.

And he’s been coming back to the AMA Flat Track Grand Championship off and on since 2013, when he was first inspired watching another racer win the Horizon Award.

“I’ve respected the Horizon Award ever since the first time I went to Nationals in 2013 and Jeffery Lowery — a fellow Ohioan — won it. This year I thought I’d go for it. It’s such a big legacy, with all the past winners and what the award means, so winning it means a lot to me.”

“I look up to many past winners — Lowery, Jared Mees, Brad Baker, Jeffrey Carver, Trevor Brunner, Dallas Daniels and Chase Saathof,” Morian continued, “and I’ve raced alongside the more recent winners.

It’s so cool to be a part of that now.”

The Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award honors the legacy and success of Nicky Hayden while recognizing the amateur racer who’s demonstrated the skill, character and aptitude to make a significant impact at the pro level. And Morian plans to begin making his mark on the Pro circuit in 2023 with American Flat Track.

Off the track, Morian competes in cross-country, basketball and track, while also staying involved in clubs like the Community Action Team, which helps raise money for — and involves volunteering at — homeless shelters and soup kitchens.

“I also like to go to races and help out local Ohio kids,” Morian said, “giving them pointers and talking them through strategy. I love helping younger kids and watching them grow and succeed in the sport I love and grew up in.” —Joy Burgess

CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS

DECLAN BENDER

2022 Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award

Declan Bender, who won the 2022 Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award, began riding at age 3 and soon started racing on PW50s. Since then he’s won 12 National Championships and previously won the Fast Brain Award back in 2015.

The Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award includes a $1,500 educational scholarship and is presented to a racer who understands and demonstrates that academic excellence is just as important as performance on the racetrack.

“It was unexpected to win the Fast Brain Award this year,” Bender said. “I was excited to win it.”

“I’d like to thank my mom and dad,” Bender continued. “They’re always behind me and in my corner. I have so many people who help me out, and I’m so thankful.” —Joy Burgess

SAM DRANE

DALLAS MAYER

AMA Senior Flat Track Racer of the Year

AMA Youth Flat Track Racer of the Year

THANKS!

The AMA thanks Mission Foods, Dunlop, Motul and Roof Systems of Dallas for their support of this event. The AMA also appreciates the generous contributions from Estenson Racing and Zanotti Racing to help sponsor the Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award.

SPECIAL THANKS TO DAVID ALDANA’S SPONSORS:

• Arai Helmet

• Alpinestars

• West Coast Hotshoe

• Motul

• Dunlop Tires

• Saddlemen Seats

• Barnett Clutch

• Ascot Park

• SBS Brakes

• Fast Plates

• Wossner Pistons

• K&N Filters

• Freewheeling M/C

• Mack McElyea

• Jon Lutzen

• Mission Foods

MAKE IT YOURS

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

Call (800) AMA-JOIN (2625646) to request an affinity card at any time, at no additional cost.

DEALS AND DISCOUNTS

Lodging

Save 15% at participating Choice Hotels Properties.

THE ESSENTIALS PRODUCT DISCOUNTS

Up to 10% off at Motel 6. Use code: M64AMA

20% discount off available rates, call (800) REDROOF and use the code VP+ 503343. To make reservations online use code: VP+ 503343 in the field labeled “VP+/ID#”

ADVMoto 20% discount. Use code AMADV20

AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame

Free admission to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio.

AMA Supercross Tickets

10% discount on tickets at supercrosslive.com Use code 5AMASX

Anthony’s Leatherworks

10% discount. Use code AMADISCOUNT

Blendzall

AMA members can save 20% at blendzall.com. Use code AMA20 at checkout.

Bohn Body Armor

10% AMA Member Exclusive Discount. Visit bohnarmor. com and use code AMA18 at checkout.

Butler Maps

AMA members receive a 20% discount at butlermaps.com. Use code AMAMEMBER

Cardo Systems

20% discount online with valid AMA membership card.

Colorado Motorcycle Adventures

10% discount with valid AMA membership card.

The Dirt Bike Academy 10% exclusive discount on instruction. Learn more at thedirtbikeacademy.com

Dowco Powersports

20% discount. Use code AMA20

EagleRider For Club EagleRider AMA members receive 2 free rental credits

AMA Roadside Assistance Roadside assistance coverage for eligible members.

Car Rentals Up to 25% off at any Avis or Budget. Avis Code: D388100 Budget Code: Z942000

AMA Gear Find patches, pins, T-shirts, hats and more.

Edelweiss

AMA members save on standard bike tour. Use code 21AMA-EBT03 at checkout.

Evans Cooling System

25% discount on Evans Coolants and Prep Fluid. Use code AMAFUN at evanscoolant.com.

EVS Sports

10% discount and free shipping on all orders. Use code AMAEVS20

Haynes

Heli Bars

Use code AMAM2020 for a 10% AMA Member Exclusive Discount at helibars.com.

® Medjet

Air medical transport and travel security protection – visit Medjet.com/AMACycle or call 1.800.527.7478, referring to American Motorcyclist Association.Annual rates are reduced by 20% and start at $235.

MotoAmerica 20% off 2-day and 3-day passes at select MotoAmerica events. Use discount code AMA20

Motool AMA members can save 10% at motool.co. Use code AMAVIP at checkout.

Save an additional 15% on all Haynes & Clymer print and online repair manuals. Use code AMA15 MX Mounts 10% off on our mounts Use AMADiscount at checkout

Helite Moto AMA members get 15% off every order at helitemoto.com. Use code HELITEAMA

International Motorcycle Shows

Save on advanced adult oneday general admission. Use code AMA20

Legacy Track Dayz 15% discount on Legacy Track Dayz events. Use code AMARideLTD

Liberty Sport Eyewear 30% discount on all “motorcycle collection” frames. Discount code AMA30.

MAD Maps Save 15%. Use code AMA15

MX Boot Repair 10% discount. Use code AMADISCOUNT

Risk Racing 15% off products at riskracing.com. Use code AMA15

Rlink Rlink offers AMA Members 25% off industry leading GPS Security Systems. Use code ama2020rl

MYLAPS 20% discount off MSRP or current sales price on weborders or orders coordinated by the AMA. Use code AMA-789HJK

Nelson Rigg 20% AMA Member Exclusive Discount on all products! Use promo code AMA-NR20

Quin Design Helmets

Matrix Concepts

AMA members receive a 25% discount on most products for shop, garage & track necessities at matrixracingproducts.com Use code AMA25

Rider Magazine

member exclusive discount: $19.99 for 2 years (24 issues) + 2 extra free issues.

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

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

Street Skills 10% discount on online courses at StreetSkills.net. Use code AMACCOC.

and

light. Use code AMA at thirdeyedesigninc.com

ALABAMA

COMING EVENTS

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

Dual Sport: Oct. 1- 2. Stanton. Tower Run National Dual Sport, Perry Mountain M/C Club, 334-327-5086, perrymountainmotorcycleclub@gmail.com, www.perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com.

Adventure Ride: Oct. 1- 2. Stanton. Tower Run National Dual Sport, Perry Mountain M/C Club, 334-327-5086, perrymountainmotorcycleclub@gmail.com, www.perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com.

ARIZONA

Observed Trials: Oct. 30. Oak Flats. Central Arizona Trials Inc., 602-370-7546. mike@dirtriderswest.com, centralarizonatrials.org.

ARKANSAS

Road Ride/Run: Oct 8. Clinton. Final Fall Fling Rally, Concours Owners Group, diamondj304@msn.com, https://concours.org.

CALIFORNIA

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 1. Sacramento. 26th Annual Black Widows Poker Run, Black Widows Inc., 916-649-2240, blackwidowsinc@aol.com, www.blackwidowspokerrun.org.

Dual Sport: Oct. 1- 2. Chaparrals. Alpine Trails Dual Sport Ride, 562-667-6039, mikexr400@hotmail.com.

Grand Prix: Oct. 1- 2. Ridgecrest. Viewfinders MC GP, Viewfinders MC Inc., 661-433-6643, viewfinderspres@ gmail.com, district37ama.org.

Dual Sport: Oct. 7- 9. Lone Pine. Eastern Sierra National Dual Sport, Family Off-Road Adventures, 209-993-7306, benjamin@familyoffroadadventures.com, familyoffroadadventures.com.

Dual Sport: Oct. 7-9. Bishop. Eastern Sierra Tri County Fair, Ventura County Motorcycle Club, 805-766-8600, ktmkckr@twc.com, vcmc.clubexpress.com.

Road Rally: Oct. 8- 9. Redding. Big Bike Weekend, 530276-5802, info@bigbikeweekend.com, www.bigbikeweekend.com.

Speedway: Oct. 8. Auburn. USA Vs World, Fast Fridays Speedway, 530-878-7223, fastfriday@aol.com, fastfridays.com.

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 8. Lodi. 2022 D36 Dirt Track Championship, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-368-7182, lodimcemail@gmail.com, www.lodicyclebowl.com.

Trail Ride: Oct. 15. Pozo. CCMA Nathan Woods Memorial Off-Road Poker Run, Central Coast Trail Riders Association, 805-801-8829, dennisdlaw1@gmail.com, www.pozoriders.com.

Hare and Hound: Oct 22- 23. Lucerne Valley. 100s MC National Hare and Hound, 100’S MC, desertracer411@ gmail.com, www.100smc.org.

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 22. San Jose. Gypsy Tour, District 36, Road Riding Division, wattsleoni@yahoo.com, ama-d36-road-rider.org.

Flat Track – TT: Oct. 22. Lodi. 2022 D36 Dirt Track Championship, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-368-7182, lodimcemail@gmail.com, www.lodicyclebowl.com.

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 23. Lodi. 2022 D36 Dirt Track Championship, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-368-7182, lodimcemail@gmail.com, www.lodicyclebowl.com.

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 29. Lodi. 2022 D36 Dirt Track Championship, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-368-7182, lodimcemail@gmail.com, www.lodicyclebowl.com.

COLORADO

Motocross: Oct. 2. Pueblo. RMRA State Championship Motocross & AMA District 25 Plate Series Final, Southern Colorado Motocross Promotions LLC., 719-581-9323, southerncoloradomx@gmail.com, honorfarmmx.com.

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 8. Dacono. Colorado Speedway & Flat Track, IMI Motorsports Complex, 303-8334949, imimotorsports@hotmail.com, imimotorsports.com.

Observed Trials: Oct. 16. Canon City. RMTA Series #3, Rocky Mountain Trials Association, 719-239-1234, rockymountaintrials.org.

DELAWARE

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 22. New Castle. Mason Farro Memorial, Mason Dixon Fair M/C, 443-553-0897, masondixonfairmc@gmail.com.

FLORIDA

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 1- 2. Bartow. Florida Trail Riders Inc., 407-929-2114, president@ centralfloridatrailriders.org, www.floridatrailriders.org.

Motocross: Oct. 2. Alachua. Florida Gold Cup Series, Unlimited Sports MX, Inc., info@unlimitedsportsmx.com, unlimitedsportsmx.com.

Motocross: Oct. 9. Okeechobee. Florida Gold Cup Series, Unlimited Sports MX, Inc., info@unlimitedsportsmx.com, unlimitedsportsmx.com.

Road Race: Oct. 14- 16. Daytona Beach. ASRA Sprint Races/ASRA Team Challenge/CCS, American Sportbike Racing Association, 817-246-1127, info@asraracing.com, www.asraracing.com.

Motocross: Oct. 16. Orlando. Florida Gold Cup Series, Unlimited Sports MX, Inc., info@unlimitedsportsmx.com, unlimitedsportsmx.com.

Adventure Ride: Oct. 29- 30. St Augustine. Cross Florida National Adventure Ride, Dixie Dual Sport, Inc., 727-9198299, president@dixiedualsport.com, http://dixiedualsport. com.

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 30. Fort Walton Beach. 42nd Annual Pumpkin Run, Sand Dollar MC, Inc., 850-259-0057, d127sandies@embarqmail.com, sandollarmotorcycleclub. com

GEORGIA

Dual Sport: Oct. 1. Suches. Blue Ridge 250, Fun and Reliable Tiddlers, 770-329-3259, ben4072003@yahoo.com, blueridge250.org.

Motocross: Oct. 22. Washington. BIG/SAS Series, Aonia Pass MX, 762-994-6721, aoniapassmx@yahoo.com.

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 22. Suches. True Grits 50cc Fun Ride, Fun and Reliable Tiddlers, 770-329-3259, ben4072003@yahoo.com, www.champsclock.com.

Motocross: Oct. 23. Washington. BIG/SAS Series, Aonia Pass MX, 762-994-6721, aoniapassmx@yahoo.com.

IDAHO

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 1- 2. Emmett. Bar Fight hosted by B2B, Southwestern Idaho Desert Racing Association, 208-365-4611.

ILLINOIS

Grand Prix: Oct. 1. Wedron. Ultimate Racer Challenge Series & Fox Valley Off Road Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815431-9913, wardy@mtco.com, foxvalleyoffroad.com. Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 2. Wedron. Ultimate Racer Challenge Series & Fox Valley Off Road Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815-431-9913, wardy@mtco.com, foxvalleyoffroad.com.

Motocross: Oct. 2. Casey. Fly Racing Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, lincolntrailmotosports@gmail.com, www.lincolntrailmotosports.com.

Motocross: Oct. 9. Walnut. District 17 Motocross Series, 4P Promotions, Inc., 815-379-9534, jan@sunsetridgemx. com, www.sunsetridgemx.com.

Trail Ride: Oct. 9. Marseilles. Off Road Poker Run, Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc., 815-434-3669, vareityriders@yahoo.com, varietyriders.com.

Flat Track – TT: Oct. 15. Belleville. BET Knobby TT, Belleville Enduro Team Inc., 618-277-3478, bellevilleenduroteam@gmail.com, bellevilleenduroteam.com.

Grand Prix: Oct. 15. Wedron. Ultimate Racer Challenge Series & Fox Valley Off Road Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815-431-9913, wardy@mtco.com, foxvalleyoffroad.com.

Enduro: Oct. 16. White City. Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders Big Red Enduro, Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders, 217-725-5048, igtse@yahoo.com, cahokiacreekdirtriders.com.

Motocross: Oct. 16. Casey. Fly Racing Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, lincolntrailmotosports@gmail.com, www.lincolntrailmotosports.com.

Observed Trials: Oct. 22- 23. Lena. Lena Trials Event , NITRO-Northern Illinois Trials Riders Organization, 815-703-6555, warrenlange@yahoo.com, www.nitrotrials. com.

Motocross: Oct. 23. Byron. Halloween- 0- Cross, Motosports Enterprises LTD., 815-299-6116, motobyron@mac.com, www.motobyron.com.

Trail Ride: Oct. 23. Ottawa. Egg Hunt, Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc., 815-434-3669, varietyriders@yahoo. com, www.varietyriders.com.

Grand Prix: Oct. 30. Canton. Canton Motorcycle Club Grand Prix, Canton Motorcycle Club, https://www.facebook. com/cantonmc.racing.

Motocross: Oct. 30. Casey. Fly Racing Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, lincolntrailmotosports@gmail.com, www.lincolntrailmotosports.com.

INDIANA

Motocross: Oct. 1. Akron. Reads Racing Unlimited Inc., 574-893-1649, reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com.

Motocross: Oct. 2. Akron. Reads Racing Unlimited Inc., 574-893-1649, reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com

Motocross: Oct. 15. Pierceton, Reads Racing Unlimited Inc. Day Race, Reads Racing Unlimited, Inc., 574-8931649, reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com

Motocross: Oct. 15. Pierceton, Reads Racing Unlimited Inc. Night Race, Reads Racing Unlimited, Inc., 574-8931649, reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com.

Motocross: Oct. 16. Pierceton, Reads Racing Unlimited Inc., 574-893-1649, reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 21- 22. Lawrenceburg. Escape The ‘Burg, Cory Texter Racing, LLC., www.facebook.com/CoryTexter.

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 22- 23. Crawfordsville. GNCC Ironman, Racer Productions, Inc., 304-284-0084, info@gnccracing.com, gnccracing.com. Observed Trials: Oct. 22. Bloomington. Trials Inc., 812-821-1991, www.trialsinc.org.

Observed Trials: Oct. 23. Bloomington. Trials Inc., 812-821-1991, www.trialsinc.org.

IOWA

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 9. Atalissa. IERA/ District 22, Iowa City Competition Riders, 319-530-1554.

KENTUCKY

Motocross: Oct. 16. Sebree. AMA Kentucky State Championship, Echo Valley MX, LLC., 270-339-6704, evmxllc964@gmail.com, www.evmxllc.com.

MARYLAND

Adventure Ride: Oct. 16. Little Orleans. Green Ridge Moto Adventure, Maryland Competition Riders, 443-324-9898, cavedog45@hotmail.com.

MICHIGAN

Family Enduro: Oct. 8. Fife Lake. Fife Lake Family Enduro, Michigan Off Road Events, 517-763-9406], mikemaurer250@gmail.com.

COMING EVENTS

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

Motocross: Oct. 29. Englishtown. Raceway Park Motocross Saturday Night Light Series, Raceway Park, 732-446-7800, Rtrevelise@racewaypark.com, www.etownraceway.com.

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

Motocross: Oct. 30. Englishtown. Raceway Park Motocross, Raceway Park, 732-446-7800, Rtrevelise@ racewaypark.com, www.etownraceway.com.

NEW MEXICO

Road Race: Oct. 2. Albuquerque. Law Tigers SMRI Roadracing Championship, Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc., 505-917-1514, smri@smri-racing.org, www.smri-racing.org. Road Race: Oct. 8- 9. Deming. ASMA Championship Series, Arroyo Seco Motorcyclist Association, roger@ asmaracing.com, asmaracing.com.

NEW YORK

Trail Ride: Oct. 2. Pavilion. Fun Trials Ride, Niagara Trials Riders, 719-930-0766, rscorpa@aol.com, ntrmototrials. weebly.com

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 2. Massapequa. Rocking the Road for a Cure’s 13th Annual MC Run for Breast Cancer, Wildflower Productions and Rocking the Road for a Cure, 646-244-3034, rockingtheroadforacure@gmail.com, rockingtheroadforacure.org

Observed Trials: Oct. 9. Cuba. D4 Observed Trials, District 4 Trials Committee, 607-776-6787, ketxw51@yahoo.com, d4mototrials.weebly.com.

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 9. Berkshire. Hemlock Hills at Brink’s Farm – NYOA, 607-743-5104, hemlockhillsracing@gmail.com.

Motocross: Oct. 9. Carlisle. MSC Championship MX Series, Metropolitan Sports Committee, 845-554-8717, info@diamondback-motocross.com, www.diamondback-motocross.com.

Motocross: Oct. 16. Middletown. MSC Championship MX Series, Metropolitan Sports Committee, 845-342-2573, info@ocfsracing.com, www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net.

Motocross: Oct. 22- 23. Wallkill. MSC Championship MX Series, Walden MX, admin@waldenmx.com, www.waldenmx.com.

OHIO

Observed Trials: Oct. 1. Toronto. Trials Inc., was04181980@gmail.com, www.trialsinc.org.

Observed Trials: Oct. 2. Toronto. Trials Inc., was04181980@gmail.com, www.trialsinc.org.

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 9. Portsmouth. Fall Leaf Run, Portsmouth Motorcycle Club, 740-259-0295.

OKLAHOMA

Motocross: Oct. 6- 9. Ponca City. The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City, MPG Creative Group LLC., 815-5824113, layne@mpgcreativegroup.com, www.poncamx.com.

PENNSYLVANIA

Trail Ride: Oct. 1. Skippack. Fall Trail Ride, Blue Comet Motorcycle Club, 610-489-1240, bcmcnomad@verizon.net, www.bluecometmc.com.

Adventure Ride: Oct. 1- 2. Canton. Fall Tour of Mountains Adventure Bike Ride, Pennsylvania Trials Riders, 570-2500174, watsond01@yahoo.com, tourarmeniapa.org.

Flat Track - Half-Mile: Oct. 1. Abbottstown. Shippensburg MC, 717-796-0294, candybaer@comcast.net, baermotorsports.com.

Motocross: Oct. 2. Mount Morris. PAMX Pennsylvania State Championship Series, Racer Productions, Inc., 304-284-0084, info@racerproductions.com, www.highpointmx.com.

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 8. Shoemakerville. Shippensburg MC, 717-796-0294, candybaer@comcast.net, baermotorsports.com.

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 9. Shoemakerville. Shippensburg MC, 717-796-0294, candybaer@comcast.net, baermotorsports.com.

Motocross: Oct. 9. Birdsboro. Big Bucks Pro-Am, Pagoda Motorcycle Club, 610-582-3717, pagodamc@gmail.com, www.pagodamc.org.

Dual Sport: Oct. 9. Pine Grove. Reading Off Road Riders, 844-440-7677, jim.graffius@gmail.com, www.rorr.org. Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 15. Skippack. Fall Cross Country Sprint, Blue Comet Motorcycle Club, 610489-1240, bcmcnomad@verizon.net, bluecometmc.com. Motocross: Oct. 16. Pine Grove. District 6 Henrietta Classic Series, Dutchmen MX, 717-286-5416, amartin715@comcast.net, www.dutchmenmxpark.com. Motocross: Oct. 22- 23. Seward. Travis Pastrana Pro-Am Challenge, Pleasure Valley Raceway, 814-317-6686, jeffcernic@gmail.com, www.pvrmx.com.

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 29. Birdsboro. Pagoda MC Flat Track, Pagoda Motorcycle Club, 610-582-3717, pagodamc@gmail.com, www.pagodamc.org.

Motocross: Oct. 30. Shippensburg. PAMX Pennsylvania State Championship Series, Doublin Gap Motocross, Inc., 717-571-5824, doublingap@gmail.com, www.doublingap.com.

Flat Track – TT: Oct. 30. Hanover. HRMC TT Race, Happy Ramblers MC, 717-969-8089, happyramblersmx@gmail. com, happyramblersmx.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Motocross: Oct. 23. Gray Court. Carolina Elite Series, Travelers Rest Motorsports Park, 850-251-9698, www.sc-moto.com.

TENNESSEE

Motocross: Oct. 7- 9. Blountville. Top Gun Showdown, Victory Sports Inc., 423-323-5497, jane@victory-sports.com, www.victory-sports.com.

Road Rally: Oct. 13- 15. Tellico Plains. Lets Take a Ride Eastern Rendezvous, Let’s Take a Ride, 615-335-7644, davidbairdltar@gmail.com, letstakearide.com.

Dual Sport: Oct. 22- 23. Crawford. Upper Cumberland Fall Classic. Upper Cumberland Trail Riders, 513-479-6627, uppercumberlandtrialriders@gmail.com, www.facebook. com/people/Upper-Cumberland-Trail-Riders.

TEXAS

Motocross: Oct. 2. Amarillo. District 42 Bowers MX, 806-671-7010, info@bowersmx.com.

Motocross: Oct. 9. Clyde. District 42 Bowers MX, 806-671-7010, info@bowersmx.com.

Road Rally: Oct. 21- 22. Luckenbach. Harvest Classic, Central Texas Motorcycle Charities, 512-922-5494, russduke@gmail.com, www.harvestclassic.org.

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 22. Alpine. Big Bend. Owners Group, stauros@tx.rr.com, https://concours.org

UTAH

Adventure School: Oct. 1- 2. Richfield. Say No to Slow Utah (600cc and above), Moto Adventure Tours, 941-4449704, info@motoadvtour.com, www.motoadvtour.com.

VIRGINIA

Motocross: Oct. 1- 2. Sutherlin. Ultra & D13 Usems, Birch Creek Promotions LLC., 276-650-1158, birchcreekmx@ gmail.com, www.birchcreekmxpark.com.

Dual Sport: Oct. 1- 2. Mount Solon. Shenandoah 500, Washington Area Trail Riders, Inc., 540-621-5402, troy. watr@gmail.com, http://watr.us.

Motocross: Oct. 22- 23. Axton. VCHSS, Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park, 276-650-1158, lakesugartree@gmail. com, www.lakesugartree.com.

Motocross: Oct. 29- 30. Axton. 20th Annual D13 Halloween Bash, Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park, 276-650-1158, lakesugartree@gmail.com, www.lakesugartree.com.

WASHINGTON

Motocross: Oct. 8- 9. Richland. Mini/Youth Warrior Challenge, HRMC, Inc., 509-496-2958, info@hornrapidsmx.com, www.hornrapidsmx.com.

WEST VIRGINIA

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 8- 9. Newburg. GNCC Buckwheat 100, Racer Productions, Inc., 304-284-0084, info@gnccracing.com, gnccracing.com.

Motocross: Oct. 9. Hedgesville. AMA West Virginia State Championship/PAMX/Capital Cup, Tomahawk MX, LLC., 304-582-8185, tomahawkmotocross@gmail.com, www.tomahawkmx.com.

Motocross: Oct. 15- 16. Hedgesville. MAMA MX Series, Middle Atlantic Motocross Association, Inc., membership@mamamx.com, www.mamamx.com.

WISCONSIN

Adventure Ride: Oct. 1- 2. Danbury. Danbury Adventure Ride, Norsemen Motorcycle Club, 612-720-5432, rex.greenwald@gmail.com, www.norsemenmc.org.

Motocross: Oct. 1- 2. Hillpoint. Sugar Maple MX Park LLC., 608-425-8643, sugarmaplemxpark@gmail.com, www.sugarmaplemx.com.

Dual Sport: Oct. 2. Baraboo. The Badger, Driftless Dual Sport Riders, 608-509-5618, driftlessdsr.info@gmail.com, driftlessdsr.org.

Flat Track - Short Track: Oct. 8- 9. New Richmond. Cedar Lake Arena Flat Track, info@cedarlakespeedway.com, cedarlakespeedway.com.

Motocross: Oct. 9. Lake Mills. Aztalan Cycle Club Motocross, Aztalan Cycle Club Inc., 414-265-1582, aztalancycle@gmail.com, www.aztalanmx.com.

Road Ride/Run: Oct. 15. Dodgeville. Hunt for Red October, Concours Owners Group, dmcclurg@wi.rr.com, https://concours.org.

Dual Sport: Oct. 15. St. Lawrence. Kettle Moraine Field & Forest Dual Sport Ride, Kettle Moraine Sport Riders, 920-912-6125, michael-wolf@live.com, www. kettlemorainesportriders.com.

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Oct. 30. Kewaunee. Four Wheeler Dirtbike Cross Country (FDXC), 920-360-4405, fdxcr.com.

WYOMING

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 2- 5. Devil’s Tower. Devilstone Run, 307-763-1515, director@devilstonerun.com, http://www.devilstonerun.com.

MOTOCROSS

MAJOR EVENTS

Thor Mini O’s, presented by Pro Circuit unlimitedsportsmx.com

SX: Nov. 19-22. Alachua, Fla. Gatorback Cycle Park. (321) 689-3461.

MX: Nov. 23-26. Alachua, Fla. Gatorback Cycle Park. (321) 689-3461.

FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES

46th Annual Kawasaki Race of Champions etownraceway.com

Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Englishtown, N.J. Raceway Park. (732) 446-7800. etownraceway.com

The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City poncamx.com

Oct. 6-9. Ponca City, Okla. Ponca City MX. (815) 582-4113. www.poncamx.com

PRO-AM EVENTS

2022 AMA Pro-Am Schedule

46th Annual Kawasaki Race of Champions: Sept. 30Oct. 2. Englishtown, N.J. Raceway Park. (732) 446-7800. etownraceway.com.

The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City: Oct. 6-9. Ponca City, Okla. Ponca City MX. (815) 582-4113. poncamx.com.

Top Gun Showdown *DOUBLE POINTS: Oct. 9. Blountville, Tenn. Muddy Creek Raceway. (423) 323-5497. www.victory-sports.com.

Big Bucks Pro-Am: Oct. 9. Birdsboro. Pagoda MC. 610- 582-3717, pagodamc.org.

MSC Championship MX Series: Oct. 16. Middletown, N.Y. Orange County Fair Motocross. (845) 342-2573, orangecountyfairspeedway.net.

Travis Pastrana Pro-Am Challenge: Oct. 22-23. Seward, Pa. Pleasure Valley Raceway. (814) 317-6686. pvrmx.com.

AMA South Carolina State Championship: Nov. 13. Hamer. S.C. South of the Border MX, (423) 323-5497. www.victory-sports.com.

Thor Mini O’s, presented by Pro Circuit – SX: Nov. 1922. Alachua, Fla. Gatorback Cycle Park, (321) 689-3461, unlimitedsportsmx.com.

Thor Mini O’s, presented by Pro Circuit – MX: Nov. 2326. Alachua, Fla. Gatorback Cycle Park. (321) 689-3461, unlimitedsportsmx.com.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA West Virginia State Championship: Oct. 9. Hedgesville, W. Va. Tomahawk MX. (304) 582-8185. tomahawkmx.com

AMA Kentucky State Championship: Oct. 16. Sebree. Echo Valley MX LLC. (270) 339-6704, evmxllc.com

AMA South Carolina State Championship: Nov. 13. Hamer, S.C. South of the Border MX, (423) 323-5497, www.victory-sports.com

TRACK RACING

American Hillclimb americanhillclimb.com

Round 6: Oct. 9. Oregonia, Ohio. Dayton Motorcycle Club.

Progressive American Flat Track americanflattrack.com

Round 18: Oct. 15. Barberville, Fla. Volusia Speedway Park. Half-mile.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Road Race Grand Championship wera.com

Oct. 20-23. Birmingham, Ala. Barber Motorsports Park.

AMA Supermoto National Championship Series www.drtracinginc.com

Nov. 11-13: Musselman Honda Circuit. Tucson, Ariz.

OFF-ROAD

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Grand National Cross Country gnccracing.com

Round 12: Buckwheat 100 – Oct. 8-9. Newburg, W. Va. CJ Raceway.

Round 13: Ironman – Oct. 22-23. Crawfordsville, Ind. Ironman Raceway.

Garage

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

Bike Washing Basics

From good ol’ suds to do-it-all cleaners, the craft of making your bike shine

BY KALI KOTOSKI

Some treat their motorcycle like a piece of art, making sure it’s always pristine and squeaky clean. Others (this author included…shhh) treat their bikes more like workhorses and commuter vehicles that, after a day of riding, get rolled into the garage with nothing more than a “That’ll Do Pig, That’ll Do.”

Turns out this latter type of neglect can be a premature death sentence. Proper bike cleaning, much like brushing your teeth or taking mostly regular showers, is an exercise of etiquette that ensures longevity.

Why bother washing your bike?

Regularly washing your bike offers many benefits, preserving the machine’s integrity and your pride. Simply put, a dirty bike can wear out more quickly because dirt and grime trap moisture, and that trapped moisture leads to corrosion, potentially damaging the paint, chromework and anodized surfaces, and then attacking the material underneath. A clean bike also helps an owner spot oil, fluid and coolant leaks faster, and generally preserves a motorcycle’s value when trading or selling.

Will all cleaning product work on my motorcycle?

No. Aggressive cleaners that are either petroleum-, acid- or lye-based aren’t good cleaning candidates, explained President of S100 Steve Gay, a leading company in the bike detailing market whose products are authorized by Harley-Davidson, Honda and BMW.

“It’s not advised to use household cleaners simply because they haven’t been tested on a bike’s various components,” Gay told us. “Likewise, you wouldn’t expect Mr. Clean to be tested on motorcycles, or any other multi-purpose cleaner. That’s one of the benefits of using a dedicated motorcycle product because it’s only designed to be used on motorcycles.”

General automotive cleaning products, likewise, may fall into that multi-purpose cleaner category of being too harsh for sensitive components. “Automotive surfaces are completely different than motorcycle surfaces and not as complex,” Gay said. “There are just too many unique parts on a motorcycle to make the mental leap that any old automotive cleaner will do.”

The master of suds

For traditionalists who like to spend time bonding with their bike, good ol’ soap and water can be a fine course of action, though try to use a sudsy mixture that’s designed for vehicles, as it won’t strip wax like dish soap can.

First, gather the tools of the trade. A good detailing sponge, either brand new or one that’s been cleaned properly, two buckets, a soapy product of your desire, cheap foam brushes or a soft toothbrush, and clean drying clothes.

Next, place the bike in the shade to prevent premature drying, and rinse thoroughly to get things wet and begin loosening the grime. Never try cleaning a hot motorcycle, of course. This initial rinse is essential because you want to hit every area that could

hold grime, especially those that are hard to to reach. Naked bikes are straightforward; fully-faired or bagged ones, much harder, so remove as much bodywork (such as saddlebags) as you can manage.

One bucket is for soap and water, the other for cleaning the sponge. Always leave the sponge or brushes in the clean water bucket when not in use. Not on the ground, not on the saddle, but in the bucket.

After letting the bike soak a few minutes, start scrubbing with the

sponge and wash the bike in sections from the top down. Remember, liberally rinse that sponge to make sure no dirt is traveling with it that could cause scratches or hazing.

You also should rinse in sections. For problematic or extra gunky areas, use the foam brush or soft toothbrush on the wheels, engine fins, etc. For really greasy areas such as wheels or the swingarm, use a degreaser.

After scrubbing, rinse, rinse, and rinse some more. And then dry the bike with a soft towel (microfiber towels are best) to prevent any water stains. Using forced air from a compressor (or even a leaf blower) is a good way to rid nooks and crannies of hard-to-reach moisture, and a short warm-up or ride once things are wiped and blown dry will dry any leftover water from the engine, exhaust and crannies.

Once it is totally dry it’s always a good idea to protect the painted, chrome and/or finished surfaces with a wax product to keep things looking snazzy and keep dirt and grime from sticking.

A Different Way to Douse

All that can be a lot of work, so for a different angle we asked S100’s Steve Gay about the so-called “sprayon, spray-off” method his and other companies promote.

S100 recommends spraying its Total Cycle Cleaner in a fine mist over the entire bike, but to avoid electronic equipment, wiring connections or anything else your owner’s manual flags. Gay explained that getting cleaner on all areas is crucial, but there’s no need to douse. Treat hardto-clean areas, such as wheels, first so that when you clean the rest of the bike you don’t have to worry about spatter.

Next, grab the hose and spray nozzle. What you want here is the sharpest stream setting available, and generally the most pressure that can be achieved. The more pressure, the better, though we’re not talking power washer-type pressure here, which can force water into sensitive areas such as electronics and sealed systems. The pressure allows the cleaning agent to creep into the impossible-to-reach areas that serve as grime depots, especially if you’ve neglected washing.

“The cleaner’s job is to loosen the soil,” Gay told us. “The water’s job is to move it off the surface. A weak spray like watering the roses will not move the soil off the surface properly.”

The bike then needs to be rinsed thoroughly because S100 is concentrated. How do you know when the rinse is complete? When the areas feel squeaky to the touch. Dry the bike just like with the soap and water method, and wax as you see fit.

Whatever method you choose, take pride in a clean bike, and go ride or sit back and admire a job well done.

A truly epic opportunity to win a bike ridden and signed by AMA Hall of Famer and 1993 World Champion Kevin Schwantz? You bet! Raffle tickets give you chances to win a new Suzuki GSX-R1000 painted in Schwantz’s late ’80s Pepsi Racing livery, and also benefit the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum — where legends live! A winner will be drawn next July at 2023 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

the AMA’s Hall of Fame

FOR FIVE

LAST PAGE

Mickey’s Magic Carpet Minis

63 years ago, Mansfield, Ohio’s Mickey Rupp launched Rupp Industries — and baby-boomer kid-dom would never be the same

Being at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days this past July meant being very near good ol’ Mansfield, Ohio, and if you were an adolescent breathing motorcycle-tinged air molecules during the 1960s and early 1970s, you might remember that Mansfield, Ohio, was home to a company called Rupp Industries — which had a significant effect on motorcycling in America.

Launched in 1959 by Mansfield’s own Herbert E. “Mick” Rupp, Rupp Industries quickly became the maker of what were then and now known as minibikes — tube-framed, solid-wheeled, single-speed, friction-braked and Tecumsehor Briggs and Stratton-powered torque converter minibikes, the ones you saw advertised in the back of Boys Life magazine, built yourself using an old lawnmower engine, or bought at a local hardware store to terrorize the neighborhood on.

Rupp Industries grew into a recreational-vehicle dynamo during the 1960s, building karts, minibikes, snowmobiles and all manner of three- and four-wheel conveyances. By 1970, Rupp employed over 400 people and recorded sales of nearly $30 million — quite an accomplishment for a 34-year-old entrepreneur who, a decade earlier, was a oneman show building go-karts for friends out of his basement.

But it was those minis that resonated most strongly, and the names remain legend even today: Roadster and

Roadster/2. Sprint. Enduro. Hustler. Scrambler. Bandit. And Black Widow.

Rupp’s early efforts were basic: steel-tube hardtail frames, four-stroke pull-start engines and tiny wheels — the standard formula for numerous minibike outfits during the 1960s. But over the years Rupp innovated, adding front and rear suspension to some models and, later, going to larger wheels and more powerful Tecumseh engines, which vaulted bikes like the Roadster/2 and famed Black Widow into real minibike territory, where they competed reasonably well versus more advanced Japanese minis like Honda’s SL70 and Yamaha’s Mini Enduro. It wouldn’t last, of course. The Japanese invasion was simply too strong, and by the mid 1970s, Rupp sold the company and then went on to build a very successful fishing-gear business, which his son now owns and runs.

But for a decade and a half, Rupps were the Cadillacs of the minibike world. Stay tuned for a full feature on the Rupp Revolution in the coming months. —Mitch Boehm