American Motorcyclist September 2023

8 PERSPECTIVES

Editorial Director Mitch Boehm on Neil Fergus

10 AMA INSIDER

Women’s Trophy Team ISDE champion Rachel Gutish on a series of unfortunate events

12 BACKFIRES Membership feedback on recent issues

14 BACK IN THE DAY Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!

16 HALL OF FAME DAYS PREVIEW Eveything there is to know about the brand-new September celebration

24 COVER STORY:

DON’T LET THE OLD MAN IN Rick Wheaton’s trip across Australia proves age is nothing but a number

38 NO SMALL BORE

Thousands of mini motorcycles converge on Barber Motorsports Park’s Small Bore event

46 3-WHEEL WONDER

The trailblazing ATC90’s impact on the motorcycle world and its creation of an industry

58 EVENT CALENDAR

AMA-sanctioned rides, races and events

64 AMA GARAGE

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

66 LAST PAGE

Snapshots from the 2023 Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship

ON THE COVER:

Rick Wheaton, 82, waited out a nearly three-year COVID-19 delay for a chance to travel coast-to-coast in Australia. Traversing the Nullarbor Desert, meeting up with friends and family, learning local lingo, and understanding what it’s like to travel in a country full of ’roos, Rick has plenty of tales to tell.

Photos by Rick Wheaton.

EDITORIAL

Mitch Boehm Editorial Director

Todd Westover Chief Creative Consultant

Keaton Maisano Managing Editor

Kerry Hardin Senior Graphic Designer

John Burns Contributing Editor

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

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

Alex Boehm Associate Sales Representative (614) 729-7949, aboehm@ama-cycle.org

All trademarks used herein (unless otherwise noted) are owned by the AMA and may only be used with the express, written permission of the AMA.

American Motorcyclist is the monthly publication of the American Motorcyclist Association, which represents motorcyclists nationwide. For information on AMA membership benefits, call (800) AMA-JOIN or visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Manuscripts, photos, drawings and other editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage. No responsibility is assumed for loss or damage to unsolicited material.

Copyright© American Motorcyclist Association, 2021.

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

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Rob Baughman Support Technician

Back in March I got an email from a guy named Duke Lambert, who said he was a friend and neighbor of Malcolm Smith, and an American ISDT team rider…and that he knew a guy in Northern Cal named Neil Fergus who would be great fodder for a feature story in our pages.

Turns out Lambert wasn’t BSing on any of those claims.

At first, he asked if I wanted to interview Mr. Fergus myself, and being a busy editor who’s always looking for any quality help I can get, I suggested he do it…and sure enough he did, sitting down with Neil a couple times the following week and promptly turning in a quite good 5,000-plus-word story and Q&A on Neil’s life and times. He even got Neil to supply us with plenty of high-rez photos, which is heaven to any editor’s ear.

It took me a couple days to hone it down to 3,500 words and not lose much of what turned out to be some insanely interesting life experiences, but the end result, which most of you probably read in our June issue, was well worth the effort. We’re still getting letters and hearing comments from AMA members and industry folks impressed with ol’ Neil’s doings.

In fact, ol’ Neil’s had a bit of an effect on me over these last couple of months.

For one thing, I just bought a used Suzuki DR650, a 2011 model with about 6K on the clock and in almost totally stock condition. The only mods, really, are firmer, Procycle fork springs and rear shock, changes I’d have made right off the bat anyway.

It’s in the process of being upgraded in other needed areas — new Kenda tires, a Seat Concepts saddle, an IMS fuel tank with a couple extra gallons of capacity, some Nelson-Rigg luggage,

PERSPECTIVES THE FERGUS FACTOR

BY MITCH BOEHM

etc. — and I have a sneaking suspicion I’m gonna love the thing for the singleand two-track Utah mountain exploration I plan to do on it.

It’s also great to have a second bike in the garage when my son Alex — or motorcycling friends — come visiting.

Thanks in part to Fergus, I’ve also been riding more…a lot more. In fact, I’ve blasted into the mountains on two-hour excursions several times during the past few weeks on the Multistrada, and it’s been a ball rediscovering roads I haven’t ridden since college, or discovering some new ones, some of which aren’t asphalt. And since it’s at least 20 degrees cooler up in the mountains than in the valley (typically 90s), it’s pretty refreshing.

While my Multistrada can handle the occasional dirt-road foray, this new-to-me DR650 should expand my dual- and single-track capabilities nicely, especially with the chassis and engine mods I have in mind. It’ll be more dirt-oriented than Mr. Fergus’ DR, but with the Duc in the garage, that works for me.

the three AMA Alps Challenge tours coming up in just a few weeks.

But it’s the mental therapy I’m getting that’s maybe the best part about these daily treks. After working with our awesome staff all day on stories and edits and photos and layouts and the myriad things we do in a day, getting out at dinnertime for a few hours and digging deep into these wonderful mountains is pretty much the best medicine I’ve found.

The trips also have my body, mind and wonky left knee in better shape for

So while I’ve got less space in my garage and fewer dollars in my bank account, I’m quite a bit better off mentally…which everyone in my life appreciates.

So thanks, Neil, for the inspiration. And you, too, Duke, for bringing him to us.

Now, about this Rick Wheaton character…

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

tee

work

ISDE INSIDER

WHEN IT RAINS...…

BY RACHEL GUTISH

At 4 a.m. I woke to the sound of thunder. I smiled and went back to sleep. In a few hours I’d be racing the Hoosier GNCC…my home state race, and from the sound of the rain on the rooftop, a mudder, as well. Two points in my favor.

Still, I reminded myself that anything can happen in a mud race…I just didn’t expect everything to happen.

A mile into the race, I was leading. By the 6-mile-mark I couldn’t hear my competitors anymore. Unfortunately, that was precisely where the promoters made an unannounced course re-route. Did an exceptionally poor job, too, judging by the fact several of us got turned around. Despite losing time and having to pass riders from the row behind us, I caught the leader again a few miles later.

We battled until we hit the lappers… in my case, literally. I crashed and bent my clutch mount upward, which had my right elbow in the proper attack position, and my left impersonating a chicken wing…elbow down, fingers up, so I could still reach the lever.

In a hurry to catch up again I misjudged my line in the creek crossing, with water up past the shroud. Engines don’t like being filled with water, and a few miles later the bike began to sputter. If I got on the gas aggressively, the engine coughed and sometimes died. I dropped back to third, reached a bottleneck, and lost track of everyone and everything in the haze of coolant smog.

I fought my way through and earned a few clear miles. I came to a ravine, with placards indicating we must drop into it and climb back up the other side. I looked down, wincing at the swampy mess, but rules are rules.

I dropped in, pressed into the pegs

and got on the gas hard, which caused my sputtering bike to backfire and die at the worst possible moment. Thank God Brad Meyers and his wife were there. Ten minutes later, and with only the whites of our eyes still showing through the mud, I was clear of the ravine.

Before the end of the lap I caught Kayla O’Neil, a younger pro I’ve taken under my wing who had passed me in the chaos. I passed her back, barely noticing, as I was preoccupied with two thoughts: “Maybe they’ll call the race early and I’ll finish,” and, “I think there’s a rock in my boot.”

I groaned when I saw the white flag, and did it again when I saw how far I was behind second, but at least it wouldn’t matter much if I stopped to dump the rock from my boot. When I pulled it off, what came out was water, mud, sticks and small amphibians (kidding, mostly), but no rock. Weird. Not long after I dabbed my foot in a corner…and suddenly felt like I was bootless.

I looked down in shock. Somehow,

the entire underside had come off, not just the sole. We’re talking sockon-footpeg here! The good news was that the pegs were so packed with mud that, while still uncomfortable, it didn’t feel like I was standing on steak knives. I soldiered on because, at this point, why not?

Kayla passed me again when I stopped to mess with the boot, and when I passed her back, I had an idea. She’d told me earlier that she struggled with line selection, and as we approached an ugly section, I figured I’d help her out, looking back and waving and yelling “Follow me!”

I figured I’d show her some lines, and if my bike didn’t finish I’d just as soon see Kayla get her first podium. If my bike did miraculously finish… well, great, I’d still be in front of her, right?

We made it through the worst spots, her following my lines and me occasionally looking back to make sure she was still there. My miracle didn’t happen, the bike quitting a few miles shy of the finish. I watched Kayla ride away, consoling myself by imagining her excitement when she crossed the line.

She hadn’t realized she was in third, and watching the video of her wideeyed surprise followed by sheer joy made the rest of my day bearable. Another bright spot came a few days later. Turns out my mechanical issue hadn’t been caused by a water-logged engine, but a freak electrical gremlin. Nothing I did wrong, just bad luck.

I guess the old saying is right: When it rains, it pours… but even in the darkest skies you can find a silver lining.

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

...anything can happen in a mud race...I just didn’t expect everything to happen.

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BACKFIRES

ELSINORES GALORE

Just read the Elsinore piece and it took me right back to 1974. I was a senior in high school racing this new thing called motocross on the Suzuki TS250 I’d acquired by delivering newspapers in our Sacramento, Calif., neighborhood. While in high school I found myself in a motorcycle club called McGill’s Racing Team. At that time, McGill’s Cycle Park just East of Sacramento was hosting motocross and hare scrambles races. I didn’t know anything about motorcycle clubs, but was willing to be part of something that would support this sport I loved. The park was hosting a series called the Penton Series that consisted of four motocross races and one hare scramble, with a new Penton motorcycle going to the overall high point winner.

I didn’t have any illusions of winning, but I had to be a part of it. Just prior to the third of the fiverace series, one member of our club purchased a brand-new 250 Elsinore. It was perfect, and for several days I laid awake in bed scheming of a way to scrape up the money to get my own Elsinore.

On the fourth mx race of the series, I found myself in third place in my second moto. But my dismal finish in moto one didn’t get me enough points to podium. I was disappointed. My friend with the Elsinore had lost his ride home and asked my dad if he wouldn’t mind taking his motorcycle to his house. I quickly asked if I could take it for a couple laps, and he agreed.

Without delay I strapped on my helmet and hit the track I’d ridden just two hours prior. The bike was so nimble and powerful and forgiving I ended up doing three of the fastest laps I had ever done there. When I came off the track my dad said, “you would have won today on that bike.”

I believed him because that was the best I’d ever felt on that track. McGill’s Cycle Park is better known today as Prairie City OHV, home of the Hangtown Motocross. And though I’ve ridden that park more times than I have fingers and toes, I don’t think I’ve ever been as fast as I was that day at the age of 17 on that Elsinore. Then again, there’s that old adage,

“the older I get the faster I was.” Side note: 12-year-old Danny “Magoo” Chandler won the 250 Novice class that day. I didn’t have a chance.

Ron Porteous Sacramento, Calif.

The Elsinore piece brought back a bunch of memories. Back in the day I was racing a Kawasaki KD125 in the

LETTER OF THE MONTH

just received the July issue, and seeing the Elsinore on the cover made me do a double take, with fond memories flooding back. I know a lot of AMA members have different interests and tastes, but I have to say you folks are after my own heart here. After the Elsinore came out, I knew my Bultacos would no longer be competitive, so when my friend and neighbor broke his leg, I bought his 1973 Elsinore...and that bike changed everything. Hot damn,

it was fast, but the suspension was a horror! Every time I’d come back to the pits after a moto my hands would be bloody from the beating…but I always ran up near the front of the pack unless I did something stupid. What fun times those were!

Bob Krus, Charter Life Member Evergreen, Colo.

Well, in ’73, there wasn’t a lot of good suspension anywhere, right? Four or five inches can only cushion things so much! – Ed.

125 class, which means I was never making the podium. My buddy had a 1974 125 Elsinore, but he ended up farther back in the races than I did. One day he asked me to race his bike in the second moto instead of mine. I agreed. Wow, what a difference! I now knew why I wasn’t getting to that podium. I won that moto on his bike, and wanted an Elsinore for myself, but where was a 14-year-old kid gonna get a thousand bucks? I begged my parents, worked any odd job I could find, and for Christmas in 1976, with the help of my parents, I got a 1976 CR250 Elsinore. I never owned an original, but I got to ride and race one, and that memory is seared into my memory forever.

John Ramos

HIGH-MILER

After reading in the last few issues about members and their motorcycle-mileage milestones, I had to review my own mileage achievements. I’m 73 and have been riding for over 55 years, and have kept records on the last 10 of my motorcycles.

1970 Honda CL450 (new) 20,021 Miles

1971 Honda CB750 (new) 52,010 Miles

1975 Honda CB750 (new) 61,320 Miles

1980 Honda CB 750 “Custom” (new) 122,100 Miles

1983 Kawasaki 750 “Spectre” (bought new in 1986) 113,470 Miles

1986 Honda GLI200 (used) 303,500 Miles

1996 Honda GL1500 “Interstate” (used) 502,032 Miles

2008 Honda GL1800 (new) 300,465 Miles

2008 Honda GL1800 (used) 125,900 Miles

2020 Honda GL1800 (bought new in 2023) 12,000 Miles (so far) Total 1,612,818 (and counting)

I’ve had a few earlier motorcycles but didn’t keep records on them. I don’t ride as far as I used to, but I still like to ride when I can. It’s not always the destination, but the ride. Enjoy it while you can! I’ve also included a poster I put together when I hit a million miles on three of my Hondas!

Karl Goemans Life Member

RIDE TO WORK DAY

These photos were taken on Mr. Goldfine’s most recent Ride to Work Day, which was yesterday, June 19, and I wanted to share. One is of me on my ’56 Harley-Davidson KHK when I visited the site of my last job with the State of Illinois…Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Ill. I was an aeronautics attorney for the last 12 years of my service. The other is Gary “Goog” Underfanger with his 1975 Honda CB750 at his shop in Springfield, Ill.

George Tinkham Springfield,

Ill.

SCAN ME

BACK IN THE DAY

Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!

Iwas back in Dallas, Ore., for just a few days of leave after graduating Marine Corps boot camp in early 1984, and snapped this photo of my best friend on his Honda — with my little brother on the back — from another friend’s bike. The great times we had riding the backroads and logging trails around that little town lit the fire of a motorcycle lifestyle that’s yet to be extinguished.

John Garzon

We thank you for your service, JG. —Ed.

This photo was taken at Earls Court, London, the original home of the U.K. Motorcycle Show. I think this was taken in 1976 during the heyday years of Sheene vs. Roberts — riding crazy two-stroke Yamahas and Suzukis. I had huge posters of both riders on my bedroom wall. My uncle’s best mate took me down to London from Northeast England (about 365 miles) on the back of his old Mod scooter — an original from the 1960s — but these days he’s piloting a BMW RT. We camped all weekend in the rain, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. As for the Brut-sponsored 750 Suzuki in the photo, Barry Sheene was all over the advertising world in the U.K. at that time (and probably would boast millions of followers by today’s standards). He was always surrounded by pretty women and selling Brut to this unsuspecting 17-year-old sitting on the green bike. RIP Barry, and thanks for the memories.

Eric Bell

The attached photos are of me and my first motorcycle — a Honda 50 I bought in 1964 at the age of 17 while living on Guam — and me with my latest acquisition, a 2020 Yamaha WR250 dual sport I bought used with 70 miles on it in 2022.

My father was a U.S. Marine officer stationed on Guam with the family. It was his second tour there; his first was during WWII. I had declined an offer of financial assistance from my dad to buy a car, and since his offer did not apply to motorcycles, I wound up with the Honda 50. I sometimes wonder if my life would have been much different if I had gotten a car first. My two younger brothers give me the blame for them both becoming motorcyclists, and we still get together for rides in the deserts and mountains of California, Nevada and Utah. I am now 75 years old, and haven’t thrown in the towel yet, but I have been downsizing after owning a handful of KTM dirtbikes and some large-displacement street bikes.

Tom Rooney

The black-and-white photo, taken in 1964, is me at age 14 navigating the overgrown backyard and gardens of my grandfather’s estate in Princeton, Ill. For background, my dad was a former Indian dealer who also bought and resold used motorcycles — primarily Indians — during the 1950s, and this one proved an ideal beginner bike for me. At age 13, I was given some strict instructions and warned not to abuse the well-worn vintage Indian. The bike — a 1949 Arrow — had been used and abused before I got hold of it, but in spite of its well-documented shortcomings, this vertical model survived three years of knocking down the weeds and dodging the cowpies in the adjacent pasture, then after I turned 16 and got licensed, took me back and forth to school for a year. Despite the worn forks and marginal brakes, I rode all the backroads around Bureau County for a season, before graduating to bigger and faster machines.

The color photo was taken a couple of years ago, with me on the left along with lifelong friend Glenn Russell, with the same motorcycle. Glenn also learned to ride the Arrow in our pasture back in the day. The red Arrow is an incredible trip back in time with its noisy timing gears and crisp exhaust note, but it’s still easy to balance and fun to ride!

Dave Booth

The b&w photo is of me astride my first bike, a Honda 50 Sport in 1967. My father overruled my mother and gave me permission to buy it, loaning me part of the $285 list price. I rode it during my senior year in high school and to junior college in Modesto, Calif., for two more years before joining the service. I was sent to South Korea where I purchased a Honda 90 and rode it during the two years I was stationed there.

Two photos here, one of me with my 1971 Yamaha DT1 at an enduro in Southern Ohio (I trophied!), and another of motorcycles I’ve restored. The 1971 Yamaha is painted just like my original one. There is also a 1969 Bultaco Matador, a 1970 BSA Starfire, and a 1984 Fantic. Being 84 years old now, I don’t ride, but I can still rebuild.

Dan Strachan

You go, Dan! – Ed.

The second photo is of me now, wearing the same stocking cap, astride my 2014 Honda Forza scooter, my daily errand bike. For out-of-town rides, I alternate between my 2009 Harley FLTR and 2014 Can Am Spyder RT for rides two-up with my wife. In between these bikes I have owned several other makes and models, and haven’t been without a 2-wheeled ride for over 50 years.

Today, I ride in support of Patriot Guard missions, and am director of my local American Legion Riders chapter, and camp with the International Brotherhood of Motorcycle Campers (IBMC. org).

(Nicholas) Ray Koerzendorfer

Thanks for your service, too, Ray. —Ed.

Preview 2023 AMA

HALL OF FAME DAYS

Multi-day celebration headlined by 2023 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Four jam-packed days of activities. Five Hall of Fame inductees. And tons o’ fun.

That’s what awaits everyday motorcycle enthusiasts looking to celebrate the past and enjoy the present at the inaugural AMA Hall of Fame Days — a mix of AMA Hall of Fame induction celebration and a range of fun activities for the whole family.

AMA Hall of Fame Days runs Sept. 14-17 at the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, with the 2023 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony taking place Friday, Sept. 15. Between getting to know the five members of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2023 and all the

fun festivities the AMA has planned, there’s plenty to know about this fastapproaching event.

DATES & LOCATION

Running Thursday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 17, the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, will serve as the main hub for all the festivities. The 2023 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held Friday, Sept. 15, at the neighboring Violet Township Event Center.

HOF CLASS OF 2023

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is

comprised of Rita Coombs, Ryan Dungey, Barry Hawk, Grant Langston and Travis Pastrana.

Rita Coombs is best known for her involvement in the creation of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s, which has grown into the most prestigious and impactful amateur motocross event in the world over the last four decades. Coombs also helped form the AMA GNCC series and the AMA National Hare Scrambles championship.

Ryan Dungey forged great success in AMA

News, notes, insight and more from the motorcycling universe

Supercross and Pro Motocross from 2007 to 2017, tallying four 450SX and three 450MX titles. He also tallied three Motocross of Nations titles (2009, 2010, 2011) to go along with back-to-back ESPY Awards for Best Athlete in Men’s Action Sports (2015, 2016).

With 98 national championship event wins, Barry Hawk cemented himself as one of the most successful off-road riders ever. Showing his versatility, he stands alone as the only rider to ever win AMA GNCC national titles on both an ATV and a motorcycle. Hawk retired from racing in 2010 with eight

AMA GNCC national championships.

Grant Langston is the only rider to win a World Motocross Championship, an AMA Motocross Championship, and both AMA Supercross Regional Championships — East and West — in the 125/250cc classification. Langston added both an AMA Supermoto title and an AMA 450cc Motocross title to his resume.

A racer turned daredevil, Travis Pastrana used motorcycling to build himself into a mainstream star. At the competition level, Pastrana became the youngest rider (16 years, 10 months, 26 days) to win an AMA Pro Motocross title. Pastrana also won a 125cc East AMA Supercross Championship and 17 total medals at the X Games.

INDUCTION CEREMONY & COCKTAIL RECEPTION

The 2023 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony serves to honor the five inductees and welcome them into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Immediately following the induction ceremony, an evening reception will be held back at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.

into a bike night with a DJ, food trucks, Hall of Famer judged bike show and more.

For those looking to scratch an itch for competitive motorcycling, an AMA SuperPitBikers invitational exhibition race will also be held on the AMA’s newly constructed motocross track on Saturday, Sept. 16.

ADVENTURE RIDE

Kicking off the four days of fun is the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Adventure Ride, which leaves from the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum the morning of Thursday, Sept. 14, and explores Southeast Ohio before returning to the museum by early evening. The AMAsanctioned adventure ride is open to pre-registered AMA members.

MORE HAPPENINGS

The annual AMA member meeting will be held at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Friday, Sept. 15. AMA Congress, which includes AMA Racing and Recreational Riding Commissions, will meet Sept. 15-16 to discuss rules and guidelines for AMA-sanctioned racing and riding activity.

BIKE

NIGHT & MORE SATURDAY FUN

Saturday, Sept. 16, of AMA Hall of Fame Days kicks off with the Hall of Fame Supporter Brunch and public reveal of the Class of 2023 display in the museum, followed by an autograph session. A museum open house will transition the day

On Sunday, Sept. 17, the FIM Mobility Commission — which deals with the safety of riders on the road and the quality and safety of products used in motorcycling — will meet at the AMA headquarters.

For more information on AMA Hall of Fame Days and how to be involved, go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com

—Keaton Maisano

BARRY HAWK

RITA COOMBS GRANT LANGSTON TRAVIS PASTRANA RYAN DUNGEY

TRIUMPH GOES BIG

…

…by going small with its 2024 Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X singles

BY JOHN BURNS PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES

We published a piece in our May 2023 issue titled Triumph: On The Gas, and we meant it. Even though the reborn factory only got rolling again 30-some years ago, the legendary British marque has a motorcycle or two in its line-up for nearly every rider; even the dirt world is currently holding its breath waiting for Triumph’s new 450 and 250 MX machines to drop.

The only thing Triumph didn’t have, really, was an affordable entry-level machine. The Trident 660 triple is close, but it’s still an $8,600, 81-horsepower, 417-pound motorcycle. It could be a fine first bike, but the market lately seems to be leaning toward less being more, less money in particular.

Perfect timing, then, for Triumph to launch a pair of bikes powered by a brand new 398cc single — the Street 400 and Scrambler 400X.

THE INDIAN CONNECTION

Both new bikes are designed in Hinckley, but in collaboration with

leading Indian vehicle manufacturer Bajaj Auto (“We know how to build Triumphs, and they know how to mass-produce things,” said a Triumph insider). They’ll be manufactured in India at first, and for that market.

There, the new Scrambler and Street 400s will be large, prestige motorcycles. When they make it to Western markets next January they’ll be more like entry-level Triumphs for new riders, though plenty of more experienced riders seem to lately be re-appreciating the beauty of smaller, less-powerful motorcycles (and especially ones said to be capable of around 80 mpg).

Not that 40 horsepower is all that less-powerful. That’s Triumph’s claim for the new DOHC 4-valve single, at 8000 rpm, and 28 pound-feet of torque at 6500 rpm. Triumph says that like all its engines, that torque begins early in the rev range for easy rideability, and feeds through a sixspeed gearbox with slipper clutch.

For comparison, HarleyDavidson’s just-announced Indianbuilt X440 claims just 27 horsepower

at 6000 rpm from its air-cooled single. The Triumph thumper gets a 12:1 compression ratio to the H-D’s 9.5:1, and will be propelling a 375-pound (wet) Street 400 —and 395-pound Scrambler 400X — compared to the Hero-built Harley’s claimed weight of 420 lbs.

KTM-ADJACENT

A better engine to compare the Triumph to might be the greatest little hit single of all time — the one that powers KTM’s 390 Duke and 390 Adventure. Both those bikes have

Bajaj Auto “President of Pro-Biking” Sumeet Narang is the main man when it comes to translating Triumph to Indian, and back again. Bajaj does lots of work with KTM, as well. Fuel capacity is 3.4 gallons.

won rave reviews from the critics (including this one) largely on the strength of that dual-counterbalanced engine, which runs so smoothly you wouldn’t even know it’s a single. For it, KTM claims about 43 hp at 9500 rpm, and a bit less torque at higher revs than the new Triumph. The Triumph uses a single counterbalancer, which is said to allow just enough vibration to convey that you’re riding a motorcycle.

Guess who builds KTM’s 390? That’s right, Bajaj. For about a decade now.

THE QUALITY IS THE THING

As a “premium European brand,” Triumph has a certain reputation for quality to live up to, and the new 400s have been five years in the planning with Bajaj. Both parties being cognizant of the strict scrutiny the new Street and Scrambler 400s will be under, they wanted to get these bikes right. From the looks of things, it’s hard to argue they didn’t.

From even a short distance, there’s nothing cut-rate about either bike, and you’re hard pressed to tell the difference between the 400s and their bigger 900 and 1200cc sibs. Gold-anodized inverted fork tubes with 43mm sliders guide both bikes (130mm of travel for the Street and 150mm for the Scrambler), with piggyback reservoir single shocks bringing up the rear (also 130 and 150mm travel).

Triumph always does a nice job on the details, and here that includes custom-looking round bar-end mirrors, discreet liquid-cooling plumbing, and even more discreet wiring. Paint and decals — both bikes are available in three color schemes — is on par with Triumph’s more expensive Roadsters and classic adventure bikes, or damn close to it.

On both sub-400-pound motorcycles, a single disc brake up front should be plenty (300mm for the Street, 320mm for the Scrambler), with another 230mm disc at the rear. ByBre calipers, Brembo’s Indian division, work fine on every other bike we’ve tried them on, and you can switch the ABS off on the Scrambler.

I JUST WANNA RIDE…

For most people, especially young ones just breaking into the game, minor details won’t matter as much as the big picture and the bottom line, and on the latter Triumph is stringing us along until later in the year. My best guess is that these won’t be as inexpensive as the very inexpensive (and also very nice) Royal Enfields, but they’ll have to be priced considerably less than the aforementioned $8,600 Trident 660.

The aforementioned KTM Duke 390 is priced at $5,899, while the 390 Adventure sells for $7,399. If the new Street 400 and Scrambler 400X can slot into that same premiumEuropean range, you have to think they’ll be pretty popular. Triumph is rolling these out in India now, but the rest of the world will have to wait until January.

Scrambler 400 X features a longer wheelbase, longer-travel suspension, a 19-inch front wheel and a wider handlebar. A larger cast steel brake pedal and high-grip footpegs are positioned lower and wider for a more natural standing position when riding off-road.

There are signs of economizing in areas like the non-adjustable brake lever and old-tech master cylinder, but it should all work fine on the road.

RIGHTS Roundup

What’s trending in government relations and legislative affairs

BY KEATON MAISANO

AMA Sound Meter Program Makes an Impact out West

GYPSY TOURS

...got their start more than 100 years ago at places like Weirs Beach near Laconia, N.H., and Harley-Davidson Motor Co. in Milwaukee, Wis.

AMA Gypsy Tours have always been about riding and sharing the camaraderie of two wheels with like-minded enthusiasts at great destinations.

And that continues with the 2023 Gypsy Tour schedule, where riders can meet, share experiences and even grab their collectible AMA National Gypsy Tour pin dated with the year.

REMAINING EVENTS

Four Corners Motorcycle Rally

Aug. 31 - Sept. 4

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.americanmotorcyclist.com/gypsytour

During a race in June the Arizona Trail Riders used a sound test kit provided by the AMA and its annual Sound Meter Program to check sound emissions of competing motorcycles, a move aimed to help riders, crews and fans better understand acceptable sound levels according to AMA guidelines.

Utilizing the kit to test bikes, ATR member David Overfield and his partner tested close to 250 bikes between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

The kit from the grant, administered

through the AMA’s Government Relations Department, includes a Type 2 sound meter, a tachometer, training materials, a spark-arrestor probe, personal protective equipment and a storage case. The kit shows quantitative data to complainants about levels that fall within acceptable legal ranges.

Along with the kit sent to the Arizona Trail Riders, Overfield said the tech inspection station was also supported by FMF, which provided banner stickers and half a dozen muffler packing kits.

“I also displayed a disassembled

Two Motorcyclists Hired IN Government Relations Department

On the heels of the announcement to reimagine the AMA’s Government Relations Department to represent motorcyclists more effectively throughout the country, the AMA hired two individuals in July — Washington Representative Zach Farmer and Central States Representative Nick Sands — to help deliver on the AMA’s mission to protect the future of motorcycling.

A lifelong motorcycle enthusiast and rider since he was 7 years old, Farmer moved to Washington, D.C., to work in the office of a representative from his home state of North Carolina before transitioning to the Ohio delegation.

Farmer was previously the director of congressional affairs for the Council for Opportunity in Education, and with his new position at the AMA will now handle legislative and policy/regulatory issues at the federal level.

“This is an exciting opportunity to

HISTORIC AMA

HISTORIC AMA

ZACH FARMER NICK SANDS

muffler to show how to properly clean the core before repacking it,” Overfield told the AMA.

Striving to keep off- and on-road riding areas open to the public, the AMA Sound Meter Program started in 2005, and since its inception has awarded more than 130 sound meter kits to AMA Districts, club members, race

organizers and others who apply for it.

Acknowledging the damage that excessively loud motorcycles have on the perception of motorcycling, the AMA holds that motorcyclists have a responsibility to be part of the solution by being sensitive to community standards and respectful of their fellow citizens.

In addition, the AMA’s Government Relations Department fights to ensure law enforcement agencies do not single out motorcyclists when addressing the problem of sound pollution. The AMA Sound Meter Program looks to prevent the implementation of laws and regulations that specifically target riders.

advocate for the interests of the AMA in Washington, D.C.,” Farmer said, “and ensure motorcyclists have a prominent presence in policy-making discussions.”

Sands, a resident of Denver, is a motorcyclist with a political science degree from Earlham College, where he was a member of the basketball program for four years. After his graduation in May of 2019, Sands moved from Indiana to Colorado to work at the Colorado General Assembly as a legislative aide. With the Colorado House Minority office since 2021, he took over as chief of staff entering the 2023 legislative session.

As the central states representative, Sands will handle government relations within the Central United States.

—Keaton Maisano

up to speed

Racing Roundup

What’s what in the world of AMA amateur competition

For years, Evan Renshaw was a staple on the podium at the Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship in Du Quoin, Ill.

Renshaw secured several national titles on previous trips to Du Quoin but claimed the ultimate prize on June 19, 2023, after finally taking home the 2023 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award, which 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 professional level.

For Renshaw, it was the culmination of years of hard work.

“I’m shocked, but at the same time, it was kind of what I was here for,” Renshaw said after claiming the award. “I’m definitely stoked; all this work I put in is paying off.”

With the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award in mind, Renshaw ramped up his training regimen over the last year while working closely with his mentor and former American Flat Track pro racer Cory Texter. Renshaw also continued to compete with Dunlop Flat Track Elite, who he’s raced with for the previous four seasons.

“The past year, I put in so much work with Cory Texter,” Renshaw said. “Even in the winter, we all stay in Florida and train hard, so I’m glad

Renshaw Claims 2023

Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award

Evan Renshaw (top) separated himself from the field during the AMA Flat Track Grand Championship, claiming the 2023 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award. Michigan native David Tyo (bottom) held off fierce competition to earn the AMA Vet/Senior Racer of the Year.

it’s all paid off.”

For much of the week, Renshaw — a native of Kinzer, Pa. — jockeyed for the award with fellow Pennsylvanian Bradon Pfanders, with the duo entering the final day of amateur competition on June 19 neck-and-neck for the honor.

But Renshaw left little to chance on the half-mile track in Du Quoin, sweeping all four events on the day — claiming victories in the 250cc Open Singles (12+), 450cc Production, 450cc Modified and Open Heavyweight categories — and separating himself from the rest of the field.

“Today, I just popped in the earbuds and just kind of chilled out,” Renshaw said on June 19. “I knew I had a shot on this half-mile [track]. I’m really fast and I’m definitely a throttle jockey so that helped out.”

“I just tried to stay calm and ride my own way,” he continued.

With Renshaw set to turn 16 in

September, he said he’ll be set to “start fresh as a pro” next season on the AFT circuit.

Elsewhere at the 2023 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship, which ran from June 14-20, Vincent Pearson — a native of Pensacola, Fla. — was presented with the Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award, which is given to the racer that shows ability both on the track and in the classroom.

David Tyo of Prescott, Mich.,

picked up the AMA Vet/Senior Racer of the Year distinction after capturing national championships in the Senior (40+) and Super Senior (50+) categories.

Jack Brucks, who hails from Neenah, Wis., captured AMA Youth Racer of the Year honors behind a trio of national titles in 85cc Production (9-13), 85cc Modified (9-13) and 85cc Modified Supermini (12-15).

—Jack Emerson

Jack Brucks (left) won the AMA Youth Racer of the Year award after capturing three national championships in Du Quoin, Ill. For his ability both on the track and in the classroom, Vincent Pearson (right) took home the Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award.

DON’T LET THE

STORY AND PHOTOS BY RICK WHEATON

At 82, and after a nearly Three-year Covid delay, I finally get my chance to cross Australia coastto-coast via the Nullarbor desert

This year I celebrated my 82nd birthday, got fitted for a hearing aid, bought a walking stick, and rode a BMW R1250GS across Australia coast-to-coast — 3,877 miles, from Perth to Sydney — via the Nullarbor Desert.

A bit bonkers, as we say in Olde English, but it’s a dream I’ve had since I was a kid, more recently inspired by that great quote from Clint Eastwood — still making movies in his 90s — “I wake up every morning, and don’t let the old man in.”

Back when I was 15, like most kids that age, l craved excitement and found it in fiction — first at the movies, and then in the town library. I saw every western and war film that came out of Hollywood, and read every thrill-seeking book l could find. One I read over and over was called something like, World’s Top 10 Most Exciting Adventures, and it featured such trials as: “Sailing SingleHanded Across the Atlantic;” “Climbing Mount Everest;” and ”Motorcycling Across the Nullarbor Desert.”

My BMW R1250GS in a shady turn-out at the end of the Nullarbor. Above, L to R: Loaded up in Perth, and ready to go. Essential stuff…Aerostich gloves, route book and maps. Yours truly on the Great Ocean Road. The best decorated restroom wall in Oz…It’s good to know exactly where you are.

OLD MAN IN

As a gawky teenager without access to a 30-foot sailboat or climbing boots, most of these ordeals were well out of reach, but my dad sometimes let me borrow his 125 Vespa, and occasionally I’d sit on my Uncle Freddy’s 350 AJS — so there was hope. I rushed to the school atlas to look for the Nullarbor.

I found it on the Australia page, several pages, actually, “Oz” being a continent of 3 million square miles (the U.S.’s lower 48 comprise 3.1 million) and the sixth largest country on the planet. There it sat, spanning the bottom of a double spread: the huge Nullarbor Desert, bigger than South Dakota, its 750 miles East to West a dusty track, the world’s largest area of limestone bedrock, a flat plain where temperatures can hit 125 degrees in summer, and fall below freezing in winter. The indigenous people — with admirable economy — simply named it “Oondiri,” meaning “Waterless.”

Obviously, motorcycling across that in 1955 was practically impossible, the crazy temperatures and complete absence of a road put it firmly in the box marked “significantly inconvenient,” but the seed was planted. I read that even the early expeditions were doomed; an 1841 attempt failed when the horses perished for lack of water, and the following year another group set out, but two men died (it’s thought the bodies were never found), and a third attempt barely succeeded.

Eventually a track was established, the paved road was completed in 1976, and over the next 25 years, fuel, water and lodging sprang up in roadhouses along the way. Now it’s the mid-section of the well-travelled Perth to Sydney route, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. It’s almost the same distance as LA to New York, definitely an interesting ride, but probably not in the World’s Top 10 anymore.

Looking back, I think reading that “Top 10” book was one of those pivotal moments everybody has at some point…The missed train or the wonderful first date, after which life would never be the same.

A year later — I was 16 — this budding love affair with motorbikes led to my first proper two-wheeled adventure. My Italian pen pal invited me to stay for the long vacation, and

the school atlas showed me a route through France and Switzerland. Sadly, the resulting conversation with my dad is lost in the mists of time, but it must have gone something like, “Er, Dad…(clears throat nervously) can I borrow the Vespa?”… “Hmmm. Where’re you off to?”… “Well… (voice squeaks up an octave)…Italy?”

Improbable though it seems, he must’ve agreed, because off I went, 2,400 miles there and back, an early example of Being A Bit Bonkers, for a summer filled with excitement and wonder. The seed having taken root, other long rides came along over the decades: Spain and Portugal, Africa and India, Turkey and Greece, and when the bank balance allowed, the U.S. coast-tocoast, South America coastto-coast, and — my favorite — 15,000 miles through 23 European countries from the Arctic to the Sahara.

AUSTRALIA, PLANNED

The fact that Australia is a continent reminded me that riding “all the way across” would be my fourth. Did I have this in the tank? It was originally timed to celebrate my 80th birthday, but there was COVID. Two years on, I could let this be the big excuse, and scrap the whole idea, but I’d been thinking about it all my life, and I guessed Clint would twitch an eyebrow and agree with my Kiwi biker pal: “It’s there, might as well ride the darned thing.”

I’m a Brit — a “Pommie” in Australian slang — so riding the darned thing starts with an 18-hour flight from England to Australia and, right away, the hurdle of jet lag (see “Planning for the Nullarbor,” AM May 2020). There’s a 9-hour time difference between London & Perth, so to get over the jet lag I plan two days in Singapore, and three in Perth. Add these days to my flying time, and I’m well set to being in sync with the locals. l can only skate over the other early stuff…renting the bike, planning the route, organizing stopovers, deciding what gear to take, and the more difficult task of what gear not to take. Also — though it wasn’t difficult — the job of clearing this mad enterprise with my ever-supportive wife. “Sweetie pie” she’d said, “I don’t want to ride all that way sitting on the back, but you go, be safe, and

have fun.” Who could ask for anything more?

A hatful of fun will be meeting friends and relatives scattered about this huge country. Students of history will know that two centuries of exodus from the British Isles led to the old joke “America got our puritans, Australia got our convicts.” It’s a joke with a nugget of truth, and I’m lucky enough to have many contacts in Oz…lucky, too, that some of them have invited me to stay a night or two along the way.

Another slice of luck — one of many — was finding Mark, who runs the superb bike rental company BikeRoundOz near Perth. In 2020, when I’d originally planned this ride, his advice was invaluable, but then COVID closed Australia’s borders, and without his help, plus my wife’s encouragement, and Clint Eastwood’s inspirational words, I probably wouldn’t have hung on to try again two and a bit years later.

Left page: Australia, overlaid on North America. ’Roos…You have been warned! This page, clockwise from upper left: Busselton sunset. Gorgeous beach at Albany. Warning signs were frequent for fatigue, alcohol, speeding. Kept you on your toes. After the Nullarbor, the expanse of the Southern Ocean was hard to take in, especially from the crumbling edge of the Bunda Cliffs.

LET’S GO!

But I did hang on, and I’m finally on the Express bus to London’s Heathrow Airport, nervous and excited in equal measure. After a last-minute snafu involving a needed visa that raised my blood pressure but which was solved by my flight agent Chris (whew!), I made the flight, and all that jet-lag time whizzed by in a blink. I could only think of THE RIDE — fast forward — and here I am, passport properly stamped, hooked up with Mark in Perth, and making friends with a shiny red, white & blue BMW R1250GS, fitted with new tires, GPS, panniers and tank bag. It’s bigger and heavier than my trusty Tiger 800, but it feels comfortable right away, and “Day 1” in my ride notes sees me riding down the coast to the pretty seaside town of Busselton. This is a deliberately short run of 172 miles, but no tryout is needed. The morning traffic is quiet, I’m grinning

I’d been thinking about it all my life, and I guessed Clint would twitch an eyebrow and agree with my Kiwi biker pal: “It’s there, might as well ride the darned thing.”

like a fool, the big GS is burbling along like a…well… like a big GS, and she got me there just in time to see a magnificent sunset.

Next day I’m invited to stay the night with friends Chris and Jane in Albany, further along the coast, a slightly longer run of 200 miles. I arrive in time for a walk to “their” beach, where I soak up the beauty and peace and quiet around their beautiful home. This bit of coast was almost deserted, as is much of Western Australia, a state the size of Texas and Alaska combined, but with about the same population as Chicago.

A FUELISH THING

Sunday morning I set off for what was planned to be a beautiful run through the Great Western Woodlands, an enormous timber reserve, and the largest area of Mediterranean-climate forest on Earth. My reserve fuel light lit up, so I pulled into a gas station, and — my head full of the ride ahead, plus being unfamiliar with Australian fuel-pump codes (an exceptionally pathetic excuse, I realize) — I filled up with diesel. Repeat, diesel. The BMW is a magnificent machine, smooth and powerful, and tolerant of me, but as it coughed to a standstill 200 feet down the road, I knew asking it to run on truck fuel wasn’t going to work.

It was pointless howling to the sky that in a lifetime of motoring I’d never been this stupid, and this self-inflicted

The free-and easy Australian way (top) with language was a constant joy. The sign pretty much tells you what this is. My face tells you it’s 100 degrees in the shade.

wound lost me almost two days. One day while I fumed at everything being closed — it was Sunday — the second a white-knuckle wait most of Monday while the local bike repair shop scrubbed the injectors and cleaned out the entire fuel system.

Thankfully, my Albany friends held my hand through this trauma, and I was soon on my way, lesson learned. Of course, the forest was still there, and even though I’d have wished it otherwise, worth the wait.

Thousands of ancient eucalyptuses, huge and magnificent, dwarfed the bike, and it was somewhere I’d have stayed longer if I hadn’t lost so much time.

KANGAS AND ROOS

Now behind schedule, I wanted to catch up, and instantly ran into the kangaroo problem. There are an estimated 40-60 million “roos” in Australia, and while they might be comical looking, they result in around 10,000 vehicle collisions a year. I’d often seen one hopping across the road, always a long way off, but every day I’d see 10 times that number of dead ones on the gravel. Most collisions, I was told, are at dawn or dusk, roos not being active during the heat of the day. This effectively limits the time available for riding, a new problem, and definitely something for me to think about. Not only me: my two favorite nephews had a £50 bet I’d hit one. (I will find

out, Steve and Mike, whose idea that was!)

So I pushed on to Esperance, another lovely seaside town. The plan was to spend a day here, relaxing with my Aussie pal Ian, who’d ridden from his home on the East Coast to join me across the Nullarbor. I must highlight his extraordinary ride; Ian lives in Brisbane 2,340 miles from Esperance. To put this into an American perspective, this would be like riding from New York to Las Vegas, a distance Ian shrugged off as “nipping across.” He also shrugged off my disaster with diesel. Much better here and now, he said, the Nullarbor is not the place for a stupid fuel problem. He’d be a good man to have along though, perfectly capable of rebuilding an entire

Clockwise from upper left: About to leave the coast at Esperance. My mate Ian… friend, mechanic, Aussie. You hope this ’roo wasn’t hit by a bike. The hydration challenge. Blue skies, empty road, big GS. The perfect Australian combo.

bike, rarely happier than kneeling on the floor surrounded by his tool kit, as here, making a minute adjustment to what was clearly a perfectly functioning rear suspension unit. (I obviously have no idea what I’m talking about.)

TIME FOR NULLARBOR

So after one last run along the coast — we’re inland for the next five days — we reluctantly leave the ocean behind for the run up to Norseman and the start of the Nullarbor.

Crossing the Nullarbor from Norseman to Ceduna is a 750-mile ride, and as the road is generally in good shape, this is usually three legs in fair weather. But it can be very hot and windy, even wet occasionally, and with no way of forecasting the conditions

The BMW is a magnificent machine, smooth and powerful, and tolerant of me, but as it coughed to a standstill 200 feet down the road, I knew asking it to run on truck fuel wasn’t going to work.

at long range, I plan for four stops along the way, with the last run skipping past Ceduna and down to the coast at Streaky Bay.

As well as heading through Streaky Bay, I’m aiming for Lucky Bay and Port Fairy, place names revealing their English-speaking origins. Further on there are the towns of Nowhere Else and Lost Hope, named perhaps with a stab at humor, surely the only explanation for Oona Woop Woop, sadly not on my route.

Now, on the Nullarbor, road signs suggest there’s more to watch out for than the ever-present kangaroo. We’re also warned about emus and — believe it or not — camels. The emu, large, powerful and flightless, is Oz’s answer to the ostrich, and camels — brought here in the 1800s as work animals — now run free in large numbers. All these animals share two things — an almost harmless looking appearance and the ability to bound across an unfenced road and watch you die in a ball of flame.

In all seriousness, such accidents are very rare, but a splendid feature of any visit to Oz is the relish with which Australians describe the many things that can cause the visitor to die horribly. Stories about crocodiles, sharks, snakes, spiders, and the summer heat will pepper many a hilarious conversation between native and tourist. Happily,

OF SLANG AND SKYLAB

Mentioning “Oz” again reminds me I’m enjoying picking up some local slang. I love the way Aussies shorten words... Australia is of course Oz; afternoon is “arvo;” a liquor store a “bottle-o;” and a service station a “servo.” Good morning? Never. It’s always “G’day,” usually “G’day mate,” Australians surely being among the friendliest people on the planet.

If I’m looking a bit hot here, the temperature is showing 38 C on the very comprehensive BMW display, a number that neatly translates into 100 F. Also on display is “Trip 1,” running since pick-up, and now showing a small milestone — exactly 1,000 kms from Perth. Fortunately it starts to cool off, and we have a welcome stop in Balladonia for a walk around the small museum there, largely devoted to the last few hours of SKYLAB, the American space station.

Its 84-day mission was brought to an abrupt end by a deteriorating orbit, and her crew was safely transferred before SKYLAB crashed to earth here in July 1979. Tons of debris flamed through the atmosphere, scattering over many square miles of this sparsely populated area. No one was hurt, but with typical Aussie humor, the Esperance Council issued NASA a $400

keeping your eyes peeled and carrying plenty of water is the answer to nearly all these hazards, with road signs a frequent reminder.

Not to belabor the point, unfenced roads take dawn starts off the table, so waiting for an hour after sunrise means we’re setting out from Norseman due east into the rising sun. This was the uncomfortable start to our 240-mile ride to Caiguna, eased by a gentle side wind, but without a single bend as the road enters the famous “90 Mile Straight,” the longest straight road in Oz and an unmissable photo op.

citation for littering, and with maybe typical astronaut humor, the fine was never paid.

Toward the end of this ride my display flashed a fuel warning. I flagged Ian down, but he barely nodded — he is very Australian — and gave me a “No worries, mate” reply. True, the computer showed 70 kms to go, but when it lit up with 24 kms to go, I flagged Ian down again. I was a bit concerned but he only went to Aussie threat level two: “Aw. She’ll be right.” Sure enough we fueled up at Caiguna with no drama, so apparently there is no Aussie threat level three.

Left page, top to bottom: More Aussie fun with language. Not recommended for key storage, but it worked rather well. The excellent and comprehensive BMW GS display. Some bits of SKYLAB were six feet long! This page: Geologists know these million-year-old rocks as weathered Inselbergs; the locals know them as Murphy’s Haystacks.

All these animals share two things — an almost harmless looking appearance and the ability to bound across an unfenced road and watch you die in a ball of flame.

ROAD TRAINS

Next day we set off after breakfast into a ferocious headwind, and even though the ride to Mundrabilla was a short-ish 170 miles, we were more pleased than usual to reach our accommodation, the roadhouses being just what was needed. All these motel-style rooms are small but impeccably clean, and well equipped with fridge, A/C, TV, shower and toilet. There was usually a decent selection of grub on offer, too, so no problem stocking up on calories for the next day.

Although these stops were distinctly utilitarian, the quiet of the desert, the giant trailer trucks, and the remote locations lent the roadhouses a distinct hint of romance. I think at one point I heard the haunting words of Rickie Lee Jones’ Last Chance Texaco…

These giant truck and trailer combos — road trains — are a common sight on the main roads. Oz has a rail system, of course, but the populations are remote and sparse, so most long-distance goods transport tends to be by road haulage — enter the road train. These are monstrous and powerful tractor cabs pulling two, three or four trailers, anything up to 180 feet long.

Out-of-town speed limit is generally 75 mph, and I’d been told road trains are difficult to deal with because of their “bow wave.” There is one, of course, but in my limited experience this seems no worse than one from any large, fast-moving truck. Side winds add another complication, but in all circumstances the drivers are totally professional — they’ll usually pull over a foot or so when approaching, and will clearly signal when it’s safe to overtake.

STREAKY SCREW-UP

Leaving the Nullarbor Roadhouse, Day 4 was a 250mile run to the coast at Streaky Bay. We are leaving the long straight stretches behind, but we ride over one last Flying Doctor emergency runway. I counted four since Norseman, all part of the Aussie solution to the problem of getting medical help to the far corners of this huge country. The white stripes — pilots call them the piano keys — mark the beginning and end of the “runway.”

The road turns towards the ocean here, and quickly drops — the aboriginal peoples call this a “jump down” — giving us some welcome corners and change of altitude. Nearer the ocean the temperature falls a little, though the sky remains a gorgeous deep blue, reminding us again how astonishingly lucky

we’ve been with the weather.

After the “jump down” we find a rough track to get a proper look at the ocean. We take off jackets and helmets to walk to the edge where the land falls away in an enormous 120-mile-long stretch of almost vertical, multi-colored rock — the 360-foothigh Bunda Cliffs.

Fueling up at Penong, we stop at the slightly surreal Windmill Museum, feeling like extras in a sci-fi movie, and take a small detour to see the granite rock formations known locally as Murphy’s Haystacks, hundreds of millions of years old.

From Streaky Bay we run across the Eyre Peninsula towards Cowell, all going well until I turn into the sun and realize I’ve forgotten my smear of sunblock. No probs, I stop, heel the side-stand, open a pannier, dig out the factor 50, and I’m away in 90 seconds. A perfect example of a fast pit stop, except that

Left page, top to bottom: The “piano keys” marking the start of an emergency airstrip. A typically monstrous Road Train. Spot the bike? The melancholy and romantic Nullarbor roadhouse at Mundrabilla. The food was fantastic, too. l love ferries! This one is across the calm waters of the Spencer Gulf. This page: The slightly eerie wind pump museum at Penong.

the Beemer has keyless ignition (I can’t think of a single good reason for this) and the engine starts quite happily — with the keys dangling in the pannier lock. With enormous good fortune, they stayed there for the 200 mile run to Cowell, but over the next few hours I think how bad that could’ve been. I was properly warned about losing the keys, was not given a spare, and I tell myself over and over, I don’t deserve such luck.

LUCKY ME

From Lucky Bay (aptly named under the circumstances), only a few kms from Cowell, the Spencer Gulf ferry sails daily to Wallaroo, a sea trip of three hours or so. It saves a couple of hundred kms over the road journey up to Port Augusta and down the other side, but I’d have taken the boat anyway, time saving or not. I absolutely love ferries. I think it stems from living in the south of England where

the quiet of the desert, the giant trailer trucks, and the remote locations lent the roadhouses a distinct hint of romance. I think at one point I heard the haunting words of Rickie Lee Jones’ Last Chance Texaco...

Thousands of ancient eucalyptuses, huge and magnificent, dwarfed the bike, and it was somewhere I’d have stayed longer if I hadn’t lost so much time.

ferries across to France, Spain, Belgium and Holland dot the coast, all offering — more romance — the magic of a boat ride to another world.

Well, Wallaroo isn’t another world, but a few miles later, the evening rush-hour traffic of Adelaide definitely is. It’s a small city, population just over a million, but after the peace and quiet of the West, and the near emptiness of the Nullarbor, the push and press of the evening commute quickly had me thinking, “You can keep this.”

Ian and I were due to split the following morning, so we made the most of it, celebrating our ride together with a blow-out steak and a great bottle of Aussie Shiraz. I knew I’d held Ian back over the last week, as he was comfortable riding 500 miles a day, me only half that, but we’re old friends, he’s fantastic company, and we’d had a blast.

Now riding solo, I had an easy 195 miles along the coast to Robe, pausing — it was impossible not to — at a 52-foot, four-ton fiberglass lobster. Robe was delightful, deservedly famous for its seafood (hence, I guess, the lobster), as I discovered with a plate of oysters with chili and lime in the local pub. Outstanding.

Continuing down the coast, I hooked up with nephew Jeremy, and stopped for the night in the delightfully named Port Fairy, a fishing port every bit as pleasant as its name suggests. Seafood was being sold directly off the boats — always a good sign — and the harbor-side was positively awash with nice places to eat and drink.

Now a superb 150-mile run along the spectacular Great Ocean Road, an enormous engineering project started after World War I, partly to honor the fallen, and partly to give employment to thousands of returning servicemen. Australia suffered over 200,000 casualties in the “Great War,” a huge proportion of their small population, and it’s fitting that this magnificent road claims to be the world’s largest official military memorial.

Jeremy knows the Great Ocean Road really well, but instead of just guiding me to the best spots, he also organized a ride with his mates from the Woodend Gentlemen’s Motorcycle Club. We all enjoy an exhilarating few hours letting it rip along the twists and turns of this fabulous road, the 90-mile straight a distant memory, and I’m delighted when these friendly Australians present me with one of their splendid T-shirts.

Top to bottom: Bikers going the other way. The Woodend Gentlemen’s Motorcycle Club. The matching T-shirt. The quaint “prawns on the barbie.” l lost count of the sensational sunsets.

MELBOURNE & MATCHLESS

Here I leave the coast, and with my nephew in the lead, skip through the leafy suburbs of Melbourne (Oz’s second largest city) to spend the night at his place. Next morning is the coolest yet, a chilly 40 F, and for the first time I’m glad of my heated seat and grips, riding through the 3,000-foot-high Macedon Park — Sydney and the end of the ride now only a couple of days away.

Happily, two of those days are spent again with generous friends Pete and Jill in their lovely home at Springhurst. I arrive feeling almost-at-the-end-of-trip tired, ready to enjoy 48 hours of their hospitality and beautiful surroundings.

And I ride away well fed, well rested, and energized for the last 400 miles. This will be a ride of two halves, some heavy rain is forecast, perhaps my luck with the weather has finally run out. Halfway to Sydney — the storm not yet arrived — I reach the little town of Yass, in an altogether softer and gentler part of Australia. I take a photo from the bridge going in and another in an old garage just off

the main street. It’s a 1910 V-twin belt-drive Matchless with a JAP engine of around 700cc, no clutch, no gearbox, no front brake and an appalling apology for a rear brake. It’s being restored by Paul, the workshop owner, who told me how to start it. “Depress the valve lifter (removing the compression), push the bike as fast as you can, leap on, drop the valves, and hope she fires up.” He also wished anyone who manages to start the thing good luck when it came to stopping it. I liked everything about this machine from another age, even the green container to catch the oil. Very British!

By the way, JAP comes from the engine builder, John Alfred Prestwich. His company, founded in 1895, made magnificent engines, way ahead of their time, later used to power the superb Brough Superior SS100 of Lawrence of Arabia fame.

ONTO SYDNEY

Next morning I wake up for my ride into Sydney, with the loud noise of heavy rain hammering on the roof. The

Aussie internet forecast doesn’t mince words — 100 percent rain and strong winds — so it seems my weather luck has finally run out. I grab a coffee, get into my heaviest heavyduty gear (so far unused) and while loading up the bike I hear the whoop of emergency vehicles. My B&B is in the town center, and in the pouring rain I watch a fire truck, an

looking like a 100-year-old drowned rat. I’m pretty sure I blend right in.

I have one huge Sydney bonus to come — my Kiwi biker pal has flown from New Zealand to meet and greet! He knows Sydney well and we swap stories as I pose for the end-of-ride photos. I’m knocked out he makes this effort to hook up. What is it with these Southern Hemisphere friends? Do distances mean nothing?

We enjoy a delicious meal, and man hug. He flies back, and all that’s left for me is to unload the bike, drop her off at the Sydney office, and start trawling though the memories.

ambulance and three patrol cars roar up the main street. The accident isn’t on the freeway, and despite the drenching and frequent coffee stops, I reach Sydney around the end of the day. I’m booked into the Youth Hostel, right by the harbor, filled to the rafters with the young and beautiful — mostly backpackers. I walk in wearing my rain soaked daggy old Kevlar jeans and ancient waterproof over-jacket,

I happily look back on almost 4,000 miles of superb roads and polite road trains, gorgeous weather and magnificent landscapes, riding with old friends and making new ones, handsome nephews and beautiful cities, kangaroos and camels.

Also, dangling keys, missing visas, dangerous ’roos and possibly the worst-timed fuel problem of my entire life. Oh yes, and a 52-foot, four-ton lobster.

Cheerio, Australia. I’ll come back one sunny arvo. Thanks! AMA

Left page, top to bottom: The River Yass. Impossible to ride past this without stopping. Aussie Pub grub. One of the many old Britishbuilt lighthouses at the entrance to Sydney harbor. This page: A fabulous old Matchless. A good sign in so many ways. The end of the road, doffing my helmet to the magnificent Sydney Opera House. Finally, major thanks to BikeRoundOz rentals and tours! Amazingly helpful folks.

BORE NO SMALL

BY JOHN BURNS PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR AND 129PHOTOS.COM

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer George Barber did well. When I met the man himself as he was cruising his grounds behind the wheel of a nondescript minivan, I shared how Barber Dairy had left milk — and sometimes ice cream! — on my doorstep as a child growing up in Birmingham, Ala., in the early ’60s. “It was probably me that delivered it,” he smiled. I hadn’t considered the personal connection, but I guess it’s entirely possible since Mr. B is only about 20 years older than I and started working at 9 years old. I guess it only seems impossible, given my current distance from 1960s Birmingham. It’s good to be back for the weekend.

George’s dad’s dairy cows gave way to commercial real estate along with what appeared to be some very savvy investing; today George Barber owns the biggest, grandest motorcycle museum in the world (230,000 packed square feet) along with the 2.38-mile

2,300 mini motorcycles at Barber Motorsports Park’s Small Bore event add up to big fun for the whole family

“You’ve got to do more than art. We’re always trying to think of new exhibits to draw in new demographics to the museum. Small Bore was a natural fit.”

NICK LACASSE

Alan Wilson-designed road course right beside it, draped upon 880 mostly manicured green acres that surround it. All 880 were crawling with all manner of minibikes and minivehicles as we spoke, ridden by all manner and ages of people — but mostly genteel(ish) Southerners. It was the great Kevin Cameron who once used the term “Brownian motion” to describe some motorcycle rally or other, and the term fits even better at Barber’s Small Bore happening, as the individual elements are that much closer to molecular in size: There goes a 6-year-old girl on a little electric motorcycle; here

comes a bearded old-timer on a CT70 from 1972; and there goes a man on a…say, what is that?

WHERE DID ALL THIS COME FROM?

It all began because Greg Hatcher bought a Honda Ruckus in 2010 to run around on, started making a few parts for it, and gradually became MNNTHBX, which is an Alice in Chains song with the vowels removed. It was only going to be an email address, but things evolve. Soon, MNNTHBX’s minibike parts business was prosperous enough that Hatcher was able to quit his county health inspector job in Tennessee, then partner up with his good friend Kevin Estep (who soon quit his postmaster job). Now, a decade into it, business appears

to be booming and life is good. Little motorcycles are lately a big thing.

MNNTHBX headquarters is in Seymour, Tenn., 277 miles northeast of Birmingham. In 2015, MNNTHBX decided to hold a rally next door in Townsend, Tenn., the first Smoky Mountain Crawl. Why not? The Tail of the Dragon and a bunch of great roads are right there.

“We thought 20 people might show up,” Estep said, “but 150 or so did. And within five years, we were getting 1,500. Townsend’s not a big place, and it bills itself as ‘the Quiet Side of the Smokies,’ so we may have been on a collision course.”

Just in the nick of time, former Barber Museum Director Jeff Ray happened to be in Townsend on vacation and came across the Crawl. “He said [the bikes] were everywhere, like gnats,” current Barber Curator Nick Lacasse said. “We agreed that we should find a way to bring them here, as it would be a safe place for the event. I reached out to Greg and Kevin; they were already very familiar with our facility. They came down, expressed concerns about how the event had grown to a point where it was becoming too dangerous and difficult to manage in Tennessee. We agreed to take it on at the park as long as Greg and Kevin helped manage the move. We shared ideas on how the event could be, settled in on a new format, and the Small Bore has grown and evolved ever since

Kevin Estep (left) and Greg Hatcher, coowners of MNNTHEBX, flank Barber Museum Curator Nick Lacasse. A stock Grom puts out 8 horsepower. The one below, leaned on by MO Power in Colorado Springs, makes 35. Top speed 120 mph.

Everybody’s got something to hide ’cept for me and the Monkey American Honda so graciously loaned me for the weekend.

JODY EDWARDS

our first one here in 2019.”

Now, acres of RVs show up at Barber with their offspring and smallbore vehicles in tow: You can fit a lot of Groms and things on a trailer that’s not too big, and there’s plenty of room for your RV or school bus on George Barber’s plush lawn. Everyone’s here to get along and have fun. There were also tons

of minibikes with Alabama plates carrying people who’d ridden in, and some from farther away.

LET’S GO TO THE PARK, DADDY

The fact that Barber is private and gated means you can feel free to let your youngsters run around like we used to do back in the day. Or

maybe they never stopped doing that in Alabama? “Here comes ol’ Double Ugly again,” I remember my dad saying as that ancient, amiable mongrel ambled down the street again in my Barber milk-drinking days, before helicopter parenting was a thing. Live free or die isn’t Alabama’s motto, but seems to be the philosophy. At least everybody’s

“We thought 20 people might show up, but 150 or so did. And within five years, we were getting 1,500. Townsend’s not a big place, and it bills itself as ‘the Quiet Side of the Smokies,’ so we may have been on a collision course.”

KEVIN ESTEP

wearing a helmet.

This year’s Small Bore drew 2,200 attendees, and Nick said that doesn’t include the at-least 100 kids under 15 who got in free. (No telling how many were smuggled in via the trunk, the way we used to go to the drive-in movie).

Seemed more like 1,000 to me, but by Day Two I was beginning to realize

his Helix-in-progress from Huntsville, Ala., where he’s semi-retired from working on Minuteman missiles for the Air Force. He’s got 11 or 12 other motorcycles he’s also working on. “If you can’t fix a thing,” he says, “it’s easy to find somebody in Huntsville who can.”

Left: Parade laps on the big track, straight rhythm section. Below: Tony Rice rode in on

that our Brownian motion had me and my Monkey bouncing off the beaker walls and crossing paths with the same people repeatedly as we rolled from hospitality center to miniGP track to Creek Bottom Classic trails to stunt lot to dragstrip to museum. Okay, I admit I didn’t recognize the people as much as their bikes.

TYKES ON BIKES

It’s an ongoing lament that there aren’t enough young people on motorcycles anymore. You’d never guess it at the Small Bore, and that’s by design.

“You’ve got to do more than art,” said Nick the Curator. “We’re always trying to think of new exhibits to draw

RACING? BUT OF COURSE…

No. 1, it’s Barber Motorsports Park. No. 2, there’s more than one motorcycle, so there must be competition.

In addition to the dragracing (168foot strip), hillclimb, straight rhythm, and Creek Bottom Classic amateur events — highly casual and hugely popular affairs organized and even flagged off by our very busy museum curator Nick Lacasse — Barber Small Bore also hosted Round 5 of the Southeast Minimoto club’s 10-round series, on what looks like the coolest Mini GP track I’ve ever seen, complete with a slice-of-Daytona banked bowl turn. The fact that there were 1,000 Sacagawea silver dollars for the winning team I think makes it a professional event, and there was way less day-drinking than among the dirt racers.

I’d forgotten how much fun mini roadracing is. Fifteen years or so ago we put 17-inch wheels and slick tires on my kid’s Suzuki RM85 and had a blast, which might have been an even bigger, longer-lasting one if we’d ever got the suspension to work right.

in new demographics to the museum. Small Bore was a natural fit.”

The museum is an eye-opener even for an old motorcycle journalist who’s seen them all (I’ve written reviews of a surprising number of motorcycles in there that are now antiques; Ducati 750 Paso, anyone?) I can’t imagine how all those shiny objects would’ve affected me when I was 10 or 11 years old. All we had in museums when I was a kid were dusty stuffed wooly mammoths and things.

Besides the kids, while I was standing there talking to the Men in the Box under their awning, guys my age were walking up wanting to order Grom parts to go with their new ECU. “Ten percent Small Bore discount if you order by Monday!”

“From 15 to 80,” said Estep, “when it comes to toys, your mind doesn’t change.”

For 40 years, Estep said he didn’t ride, until he got back into it

thanks to his partner Greg. Now he’s taken up mini roadracing. Minis are just way more approachable and affordable, and that’s a theme totally agreed upon by the people under the Yoshimura, Vance & Hines, and Steady Garage adjacent EZUps, who all agree that Groms and Monkeys, etc., have breathed new life into their businesses, if not spawned them. As full-size sportbikes enter the realm of unaffordable and nearly unimprovable, you can still get your kicks hopping up a Grom. Honda’s new Navi is a huge hit too — just $1,800 and no gear-shifting required.

EVERYBODY WANTS A NEW MOTORCYCLE

But something about being in sight of the world’s biggest motorcycle museum, full of golden oldies, makes it easy to love the one that brung you up: Barber is a celebration of the seeming indestructibility, possibly immortality — or maybe just the continuing great parts availability – of the Honda minibike: SL, CL, XR, XL, CR, CT, CR-F… I don’t even know, but there seemed to be three or four of every Honda mini ever made thumping happily around, amid a smattering of other brands. It’s fitting that Honda is a big sponsor and rolls out a transporter of its wares, including the new XR150L, a mere $2,971.

Mark your calendars if you’re into pint-sized fun. George Barber’s Small Bore is back for 2024, May 31 to June 2. AMA

Unusually, Trace Atchison (#1) had a mechanical problem on his Apollo 125 that cost his team some time in the 2-hour SEMM endurance race, but he still battled back to second place, crashing three or four times per lap without ever actually falling off. Motivation took the form of a chestful of 1000 Sacagawea silver dollars. Barber has the coolest mini track I’ve seen, complete with a Daytona-style bowl corner. Drone photo by Greg Hatcher.

BY MITCH BOEHM PHOTOS: WILL POSEY, MIKE PALMGREN

WHEEL 3WONDER

Motorcycle people who’ve been around the block often call certain motorcycles “game changers” due to the significant effect they had on a specific category or the sport of motorcycling itself. Model names like CB750, Elsinore, Z1, R80G/S, GSX-R and others certainly qualify. But some machines in motorcycling’s history have had an even larger effect, and one of those is the 1970 Honda US90, which not long after its introduction became known as the legendaryATC90. Many have called that first balloon- tiredATC a “game changer,” but that’s more misnomer than fact.

Honda’s 1970-spec US90 — known later as the ATC90 — was more than the world’s first “traditional” ATV. It launched a billion- dollar industry, one that altered the motorcycle terra firma forever.

And why? Because the words “game changer” imply there’s a game to be changed, and in that first ATC model’s case, there simply was no game. The All-Terrain Vehicle category didn’t exist at the time, and the few 6-wheel tub/buggy vehicles being built for fisherman were a curiosity, at best.

The ATC90 began life in 1970 as a curiosity, too. But within a few years that smoldering curiosity began to form what would become a multibillion-dollar industry in the coming decades, albeit with a speed bump or two along the way.

You might assume that the machine responsible for what’s become a massive chunk of today’s powersports industry — $20 billion currently in North America, and forecast to be $30 billion by 2030 — would have resulted from loads of market-desirability research by Honda’s R&D folks back in the late 1960s.

But you’d be mistaken, as the idea for the US90 came from an offhand message from an upper-level Honda Japan manager to his R&D folks: Come up with something for our upper-tier North American dealers to sell during the winter, the manager said, motorcycle sales typically slowing to a crawl at that time.

One of those R&D engineers was Osamu Takeuchi, who’d already been developing various alternative vehicles at Honda. Takeuchi got right to work, sketching and drawing, gathering parts (including a couple of already-in-production vehicles), then cutting, molding, welding and assembling a wide range of weird, funky and decidedly non-traditional prototypes with two, three, four and even six wheels.

Some didn’t even have wheels, tracked and ski vehicles reportedly having been designed and tested, as well. Tak and his team built all sorts of stuff for all sorts of terrain, with snow, mud and sand a primary focus.

By early 1968 — about the time semiconductor giant Intel was founded, the future Led Zeppelin

debuted as the New Yardbirds, and Yamaha launched the venerable DT-1 — Takeuchi settled on a prototype he felt held some promise.

It was an unusual-looking thing, a balloon-tired 3-wheeler with some distinct motorcycle characteristics, including a rider-straddled chassis, a traditional fork/steering-stem front end with a handlebar bolted atop it, and the engine positioned below the tank and seat.

Despite its funky looks, Tak’s creation was undeniably cute. It was

Ed Burke, who watched Honda enter — and quickly dominate — the ATV industry during the ’70s and ’80s. “It was hugely significant in many ways.”

THREE-WHEEL ROOTS

During the 1960s and prior to Tak’s foray into what we now call All-Terrain Vehicle territory, the category barely existed, and was represented by a small handful of (mostly) 6-wheel machines with a tub chassis and turning accomplished by “skid steering” — braking one set

also typical Honda — friendly, nicely shaped and plenty inviting in a “you meet the nicest people” sort of way.

Still, Tak’s prototype — and the production model based on it that would debut a year later as the Honda US90 — was nothing more than an experiment, an attempt to buttress the U.S. dealer body during a slow unit-sales period. No one — not Tak, his team, nor the Honda higher-ups — had a clue how it would sell, or if it would even be accepted.

And certainly, no one could have imagined the shocking, worldchanging effects the little 3-wheeler would have on the motorcycle industry and riding public during the following decades.

“The ATC90 is one of the few truly axis-shifting machines in our industry,” said ex-Yamaha product planning guru

of wheels (one side) at a time. The first of these, the 5.5-hp Jiger, came from Canada, and was initially built only to-order. Soon after, companies like Mobility Unlimited and Attex built balloon-tired, tub-chassis models such as the AmphiCat and Superchief 500, which catered primarily to outdoorsman. Some earned true amphibious status due to their ability to float and, with wheels whirring away below decks, make their way — albeit slowly, at about 4 mph —across lakes and ponds. Some owners even fitted small outboard motors to speed overwater progress.

Tak and his team reportedly settled on a 3-wheel concept relatively early in development, the triangular-footprint design offering what they felt would be the best combination of handling, traction and

maneuverability for the soft, slick and otherwise tricky environments in which it would be ridden. (The design was also unique enough to be patented in several ways, which would pay massive market-share and financial dividends later on.)

The team tried a handful of iterations of this triangulated concept: one wheel in front and two in back; two wheels in front and one in back; tandem wheels on dual axles in back; etc. Aggressively treaded and motorcycle-oriented wheel and tire

terrain was minimal…and just what he’d envisioned early on.

MORE MOTOR, ETC.

With chassis performance improving by the day, Tak’s team found the 70cc engine they’d been using to be insufficient powerwise, especially with an adult rider aboard. A switch to the company’s 90cc OHC engine was made, and functionality jumped yet another level, the bike now having the low end and midrange needed to handle

shock to Tak’s design team.

While functionality was a primary reason for the machine’s overall design, production cost figured into the equation, as well. “Cost was a big issue during development,” says a Honda insider involved in the project. “Japan didn’t want to risk too much on such a new concept, and the ATC’s simple design helped. We already had the engine, and the chassis was pretty simple; stamped-steel frame, basic body parts…there wasn’t a lot of R&D to do or tooling to purchase.”

combinations were tried but weren’t optimal, as they chewed up soft terrain and didn’t allow the chassis to maneuver as intended.

The breakthrough came after American Honda associates sent Tak the wheels from an AmphiCat 6-wheeler to study and evaluate, the low-pressure balloon tires immediately turning on a light in the engineer’s head. Soon, Tak had designed and fitted large, 22inch balloon tires to his 3-wheel prototypes, seven versions of which made it to American Honda for study and testing. One in particular worked better than the rest, and with some modifications, things began to quickly gel around this optimal concept — one wheel up front, two in back. Traction and handling were better, and the footprint on soft

the softer, power-robbing surfaces — mud, sand, snow — it would surely encounter.

A range of late-stage testing in the U.S. proved the pre-production design’s overall goodness, and led to some unique technical approaches. One was the thumb-operated throttle, still in use today, which allows riders to maintain precise throttle control even when hanging off one side of the machine to help steer it. Testing also showed the bike’s tire-supplied “suspension” to be adequate, at least for the relatively mellow use engineers and designers envisioned. The specter of powerful 250cc 2-stroke motocross- and Baja-ready 3-wheelers, so fast, capable and prominent in the 1980s and later, would’ve undoubtedly been quite a

DEALER BUY-IN

By mid 1969, the Honda US90 — a name reflecting the new machine’s primary outlet — was finished, and about to enter full-scale production. Honda knew that introducing a totally new vehicle in a totally new category could pose challenges with its dealer body, and it developed a dramatic plan to get dealers on board. So, Honda’s R&D and production folks hand-built 130 pre-production units — machines comprised of production parts but not built on an actual assembly line — and shipped them to Gardena, Calif. — American Honda’s longtime headquarters from the ’60s to 1991 — for a large-scale dealer event at the sand dunes at Pismo Beach, located along California’s central coast. Pismo, with its square miles of oceanside dunes and

“I was in Honda’s auto division when the US90 was introduced. As a motorcycle rider since the early 1950s, and a CL72 owner since 1963, I thought the US90 was a little weird, and wondered if there was a market or buyers for it.”

TOM ELLIOTT

Sean Connery, aka Agent 007, on the ATC in the 1971 movie Diamonds Are Forever.

open riding areas, was perfect… picturesque, and packed with terrain ideal for the US90’s capabilities.

“That Pismo event in late ’69 was crazy,” says longtime and nowretired Honda associate Donovan Fuhrmann, who worked the event and who still has the embroidered yellow coveralls he wore during it, complete with the ATC logo and “All Terrain Vehicle” on the back. “It was a weeklong affair,” Fuhrmann remembered, “with us doing lead-andchase demo treks with dealers over the dunes and trails all day and every day. We had a ton of US90s there. Honda flew dealers in from around the country in groups, and for the most part they seemed to have fun — though a few got hurt. There was some crazy riding going on that week, some of it by our own president!”

The big question, of course, was how

the dealers would respond to the machine, and its potential for sales success. “Most seemed to have a hard time seeing the market,” said Fuhrmann, “unless, of course, they lived near sand dunes or maybe a gravel pit.” Given the unproven

little weird, and wondered if there was a market or buyers for it.”

new category, and the unit’s nontraditional look and makeup, that’s understandable.

Honda insiders weren’t sure the US90 had a future, either. “I was in Honda’s auto division when the US90 was introduced,” said longtime American Honda President Tom Elliott. “As a motorcycle rider since the early 1950s, and a CL72 owner since 1963, I thought the US90 was a

Still, times were good, motorcycle sales having set records for several straight years, and dealers bought plenty of US90s despite not really knowing what they were getting into. “I was working at a dealership when the bike debuted,” said longtime Honda advertising and PR man Jon Row, “and I remember having the feeling that our dealership — and others — didn’t quite ‘get’ the concept. It was just so different. When we uncrated the first one that arrived, we found we couldn’t get it out the door, so we had to remove a wheel and slide it through sideways!”

Many dealers promoted the non-traditional machine and its unique functionality in distinctly nontraditional ways. Mike Palmgren, one the world’s premier US90/ATC restorers and the man who restored the blue unit photographed for this

“The ATC/US90 was a surprise to us. We’d been doing research on alternative products at the time…3-, 4-, 6-wheelers, etc. But we hadn’t moved on any of them.”

ED BURKE

American Honda realized early that a lot of folks would ask the question, and provided answers in sales and marketing materials from the very beginning. Clever engineering was everywhere on the US90.

story (as well as the ATC90 on display in Honda’s Collection Hall museum), remembers hearing some of the stories. “The US90 will float on its tires,” he told me, “so several dealers over the years told me how they floated the machines in kiddie pools at their dealerships and at places like shopping malls to attract attention. They said I wouldn’t have believed all the people coming into the dealership wondering about this new machine.”

chase scene, which featured Sean Connery. A lot of people were exposed to the machine from the movie. Honda was very smart about US90 promotions.”

Not long after its debut, the US90 officially became the ATC90, Honda having successfully trademarked the “All Terrain Cycle” moniker. Its model-ID prefix would come to mean Big Fun for hundreds of thousands of riders over the coming decades.

ATC introduced many people to motorcycling who wouldn’t have been interested otherwise. This machine, and ATVs that came later, definitely helped grow the sport. Soon the things were everywhere, at least at SoCal sand dune spots such as Glamis and Pismo, and of course out in the desert. They were better than most bikes on the sand.

“Instead of a family having one expensive dune buggy or sand rail,” remembered American Honda

“One dealer placed a couple of US90s at a local fairground on weekends,” Palmgren added. “His guys would ride around and convince people to let them run over their feet so they could see the soft footprint the bike had. That was part of the bike’s original concept; having the lightest possible footprint, even lighter than a human’s. And then there was the James Bond 007 movie Diamonds Are Forever. I was recently involved with the restoration of one of the bikes used in the movie’s

THE INDUSTRY’S TAKE

“The ATC/US90 was a surprise to us,” said Yamaha’s Ed Burke. “We’d been doing research on alternative products at the time…3-, 4-, 6-wheelers, etc. But we hadn’t moved on any of them. I remember thinking the bike was pretty neat when I first saw it. The off-road market was really peaking at the time, and the ATC seemed like it could be a good fit. People could start their kids out on these if motorcycles were a bit intimidating. I’m sure the

associate Craig Crippen, who rode, owned and modified ATC90s for years after their introduction, “parents could buy everyone one — and everyone could ride, not just be a passenger. It really expanded the enthusiast base, as you didn’t have to be a motorcyclist per se to get involved.”

But as popular as the $595 ATC90 quickly became in Southern California, sales were spotty elsewhere. “In the rest of the U.S.,” said a Midwest district sales manager

for Honda during the early ’70s, “retail sales were uneven. One dealer with a riding area nearby, maybe a gravel or sand pit, or a good trail system, would sell a ton of the things in a season, while another dealer, maybe 30 miles away, and maybe in a more urban setting, would sell three. And without a Polk-style system in place to count and communicate what was happening where, a lot of dealers remained in the dark.” ATC90 sales during the first few years

“that the ATC is much more at home in loose sand or dirt than it is on the harder packed stuff. Snow would be another surface that would be ideal for this new Honda. Although there is no suspension system, the tires more than make up for it. With only two pounds of air in them, the ride is unbelievably soft…”

Cycle World found the ATC plenty fun. “By dint of heavy muscle on the handlebars, a judiciously applied throttle, and body lean to

you think you’re flying. Because of the short wheelbase and the super-soft tires (suspension?) the rider finds it a handful the minute the going gets a little rough.”

In the end, Cycle World put it right. “But the Honda is fun, despite its histrionic aspect, and does several of its appointed duties rather well. It climbs stairs. It jumps logs. Or butts them out of the way. It has excellent flotation on sand. Finally, it is so well made and tough that it is

averaged approximately 10,000, with 100,000-plus being sold by 1978, the machine’s final year of production. By then, the line had expanded to include the ATC70, with the mostly new ATC110 taking over the 90’s lineup spot that year.

MEDIA MATTERS

The magazines of the day were lukewarm about the ATC90, writing both positively and negatively about the balloon-tired terror. “You’ll find very quickly,” wrote Cycle Guide ,

the outside of the turn (against all logic), it turns. Wheewoo, the inside wheel is in the air! As one of us remarked, ‘It’s the first time I’ve ever been excited at 10 mph!’”

Of course, editors also noted obvious shortcomings. “In anything but soft sand,” wrote Guide, “turning at any speed at all can be a rather dodgy affair. Over 30 mph, turning can be almost frightening. Huge gobs of body English are necessary to accomplish more maneuvers…” Continued World: “At 15 or 20 mph,

nearly indestructible — an important feature considering the numerous roll-overs to which it will succumb.” Unfortunately, those final words would prove haunting years later… But we’ll get to that.

THE UTILITY ANGLE

If buyers were hesitant to fully embrace the 3-wheel concept en masse, farmers, workers and utility types had fewer reservations, especially as the machine became more saturated in the public’s

MIKE’S MASTERPIECE ATC

When the Honda Collection Hall called, ATC90 restoration guru Mike Palmgren answered

When I heard from my buddy Andrew Hyman (above, left) that Honda was looking for a restored and stock ATC90 for its Collection Hall museum in Japan in the early 2000s, I knew I had to throw my hat in the ring. After all, I’d restored 15 of the things by that point (and probably 20 more since then) and didn’t think anyone had the expertise I did with this particular model.

When Honda agreed to my proposal (wow!) I got to work, first finding a lowVIN carcass and then setting aside the very best brand-new NOS parts I had in my collection. Collection Hall manager Yutaka “Tony” Ikeda (above, middle, next to me) even visited me early in the restoration process to be sure we were all on the same page regarding details and quality, and I couldn’t have asked for a nicer guy to deal with.

I have to say, I have never been so nervous about a restoration in my life, as I’ve always loved and respected Honda’s commitment to quality and pushing the design envelope.

The resto took a few months to complete, and when the bike finally arrived in Japan, I was beside myself wondering what they thought of it. Tony called me a day or two later and said they’d not only uncrated and detailed it, but had already placed it on the museum floor!

I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to contribute, and knowing my work will forever be preserved in such a pinnacle museum is priceless. I have done a lot of ATC restorations, but this was the biggie. — Mike Palmgren

psyche. “We started to see them being used in all sorts of utility situations,” said one Honda insider, “and that surprised us a little, as the original concept was primarily recreation. Farmers and ranchers were natural users, as were many other utility types.” A roofing company in LA reportedly used ATCs to transport materials atop flat-roofed industrial buildings; they craned them up into the air, and due to the bike’s soft footprint, workers could ride right over the soft tar and make very little imprint.

Of course, Honda product planners took note of the trend, and over the years accumulated data that would eventually lead to utility-specific models (beginning with the rackequipped ’82 ATC200 Big Red), which eventually helped double the size of the already large ATV market.

But that was the 1980s. During the ’70s, the ATC90 (and the very similar ATC110 that replaced it in ’79) ruled the roost, and basically had the entire category to itself. Honda introduced the tiny, kid-friendly ATC70 alongside the Elsinore 250 in ’73. But when it came to a fullsized, bread-and-butter machine, the ATC90 — which changed very little during its 8-year production run, and stayed exactly the same during its first five years of production, was it, the only game in town.

PATENTLY TRUE

What allowed Honda to basically monopolize the market during the 1970s were Takeuchi’s patents, which kept companies such as Yamaha — who’d very much wanted in on the All-Terrain market — on the sidelines. “The patents certainly held us back for a number of years,” recalled Yamaha’s Burke. “We’d have gotten into it much sooner if [the patents] hadn’t been in place.”

In the end, Yamaha didn’t enter the market with its first Tri-Moto until 1980, and even then it had to be clever to get around some of the patent restrictions. “When we

finally jumped in, in 1980,” Burke said, “we shipped the machine with 2-inch footpegs that didn’t run afoul of one patent; dealers had to install the correct parts before they sold units!” The 2-stroke, 123cc Tri-Moto was indeed a 3-wheeler, but was comprised differently than the ATC, its engine positioned back between the rear wheels instead of in the more normal, below-tank position.

made the ATC90 easy to transport,” Palmgren said. “The axle came apart via a single nut; the handlebar swiveled like a CT90’s; footpegs folded in to take up less room; and the entire rear fender assembly could be removed with the flick of a lever. It wasn’t easy to lever one into the trunk of a car, but it was done. And pickups and El Caminos had no trouble at all.

March of 1988, which continued the stop sale of 3-wheelers and forced freeof-charge training, a public-awareness program, improved labeling, age recommendations and more on the Japanese OEs and Polaris.

Despite that heavy dose of industry angst, it’s impossible to ignore the impact, significance and legacy of the ATC90. There’s the approximately 15

Eventually, Yamaha – and others – bit the bullet and paid Honda royalties until the patents expired.

But paying that price was worth every penny. “Once we got into [3-wheelers],” remembered Burke, “ATV sales became a significant part of our business. And in the early to mid ’80s, [3-wheelers] literally took over a good portion of the off-road market. Bike sales declined, but 3-wheeler sales grew. It was a very interesting time. In many ways, ATVs have helped buttress the industry and keep dealers alive during significant downturns. You saw this in the middle and late ’80s, and you’ve seen it again during the downturn of 2009 onward. That in itself is significant.”

Not only was the ATC90 fun, enthusiasts also discovered how cleverly designed it was. “Honda

Some of these parts failed, but were quickly redesigned.

TROUBLED TIMES

Of course, an entirely different set of problems would eventually derail the ATC and 3-wheeler train in the 1980s — and lead to the rise of the 4-wheel ATV. A 3-wheel design’s inherent instability, coupled with doses of rider irresponsibility and a bit of opportunism on the part of some ATC owners and trial lawyers, helped bring the real and imagined issues of ATV injuries and “corporate malfeasance” to a boil — and to various government agencies, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission. All of this resulted in the famed Consent Decrees for All-Terrain Vehicles in

million units sold since 1970; the insane fun millions of riders and families have had in the last 53 years; the shops and dealerships – and the jobs, service and parts they provide – that exist because of the massive ATV industry that grew up around the ATC and its ilk over the years, especially during motorcycle-sales downturns; the massive aftermarket ATVs spawned; the racing they allowed; the help ATVs have provided to businesses, workers and doit-yourselfers; and today, the burgeoning side-by-side business.

All of this, one way or another, stemmed directly from Osamu Takeuchi’s little 3-wheel prototype.

Come up with something to sell in the winter months, they’d instructed. We’d say Tak and his team did a pretty darn good job. AMA

“By dint of heavy muscle on the handlebars, a judiciously applied throttle, and body lean to the outside of the turn (against all logic), it turns. Wheewoo!”

CYCLE WORLD

Honda changed the ATC90 very little through 1978, with conventional wheels and tires fitted to its ATC110 replacement in 1979.

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.

DEALS AND DISCOUNTS

THE ESSENTIALS

Lodging

Save 15% at participating Choice Hotels Properties.

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#”

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

Motorcycle Shipping Call Federal Companies at (877) 518-7376 for at least $40

Motorcycle Shippers

AMA members receive $50 off each bike one way or $100 off round trip or $50 each, multiple bikes, same addresses. AMA Gear Find patches, pins, T-shirts, hats and more.

PRODUCT DISCOUNTS

EagleRider

For Club EagleRider AMA members receive 2 free rental credits. Use code AMACLUBER 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

Blendzall

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

Gryphon Moto

AMA members receive a 15% discount on Gryphon Moto orders at gryphonmoto.com. Use code AMA at checkout.

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 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 AMASAVE20 at checkout.

Rider Magazine AMA members receive a discount on

Bugslide AMA members enjoy 15% off all BugSlide® cleaning products. Use code AMA2023

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

California Dual Sport Riders

Members save 50%. Use code AMA. Visit cdsr.us to learn more.

Cardo Systems 20% discount online with valid AMA membership card.

Use code AMA20

Helix Racing Products AMA members save 20 on all products at helixracingproducts. com. Use code AMA20 at checkout.

Helite Moto

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

HertzRide

AMA members save 10% on rentals in all locations globally at hertzride.com/us/ promo/American-motorcyclistassociation-1065 or use code AMA10

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.

MX Boot Repair 10% discount. Use code AMADISCOUNT

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

Spot LLC

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

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

10% off crash detection, SOS beacon, Bluetooth communication & more with your new intelligent helmet. Use code AMAQUIN10

Third Eye Design

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

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

Warm & Safe 20% discount. Use code AMA

ARIZONA

COMING EVENTS

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

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 1 - 4. Lukeville. SCMA 46th Annual Three Flags Classic, Southern California Motorcycling Assn, 3flagschair@sc-ma.com, sc-ma.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 3. Clintwells. Jones Crossing, Central Arizona Trials Inc, mike@dirtriderswest.com, centralarizonatrials.org

Road Race: Sept. 16 - 17. Casa Grande. ASMA Championship Series, Arroyo Seco Motorcyclist Association, roger@asmaracing.com, asmaracing.com

Dual Sport: Sept. 23 - 24. Flagstaff. Mountain Madness , Coconino Trail Riders, info@coconinotrailriders.org, coconinotrailriders.org

Observed Trials: Sept. 24. Prescott. Alto Pit, Central Arizona Trials Inc, mike@dirtriderswest.com, centralarizonatrials.org

CALIFORNIA

Adventure Ride: Sept. 1 - 4. Elk Creek. 2023 Range of Light Gypsy Tour, BMW Motorcycle Club of Northern California, delf. hedde@gmail.com, http://bmwnorcal.org

Speedway: Sept. 2. Auburn. AMA Extreme Sidecar National Championship + Youth 250cc & 150cc National, Fast Fridays Speedway, fastfriday@aol.com, fastfridays.com

Adventure Ride: Sept. 9 - 10. Oakhurst. 12th Annual Membership Drive BBQ Adventure Ride, Stewards of the Sierra National Forest, info@sotsnf.org, www.sotsnf.org

Dual Sport: Sept. 9 - 10. Oakhurst. 12th Annual Membership Drive BBQ Dual Sport Ride, Stewards of the Sierra National Forest, info@sotsnf.org, www.sotsnf.org

Grand Prix: Sept. 10. Rancho Cordova. Trailblazer GP, Women’s Dirt Bike Racing Association, ohvinfo@parks.ca.gov

Hillclimb: Sept. 15. Norden. Donner Ski Ranch, Garrahan Off Road Training, brian@garrahanoffroad.com, garrahanoffroadtraining.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 16. San Luis Obispo. Road Ride to R.C Baker Memorial Museum, Coalinga CA, Coast Riders Motorcycle Club Inc., CoastRiders805@gmail.com, https://www. tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32227-d627748-ReviewsR_C_Baker_Memorial_Museum-Coalinga_California.html

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 16. Walker. Sierra Sidewinder, Concours Owners Group, danbreeden@icloud.com, https://concours.org/

Speedway: Sept. 16. Auburn. Speedway National Championship Series, Fast Fridays Speedway, fastfriday@aol.com, fastfridays.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 16 - 17. Norden. Donner Hare Scramble, Garrahan Off Road Training, brian@ garrahanoffroad.com

Extreme Off-Road: Sept. 16 - 17. Norden. Donner Hard Enduro, Garrahan Off Road Training, brian@garrahanoffroad. com, www.garrahanoffroad.com

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 16. Lodi. 2023 AMA/D36 Dirt Track Championship Series, Lodi Motorcycle Club, lodimcemail@gmail.com, lodicyclebowl.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Livermore. Northern California Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@ curethekids.org, rideforkids.org/norcal

Dual Sport: Sept. 23 - 24. Mammoth Lakes. Mammoth 300, Countdown, DualSportWest.com

Speedway: Sept. 23. Auburn. Regular Speedway, Fast Fridays Speedway, fastfriday@aol.com, www.fastfridays.com

Enduro: Sept. 23. Ridgecrest. AMA District 37 Riders Helping Riders Fundraiser, Sports Committee District 37 AMA, Inc., ridershelpingriders@gmail.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 24. Lucerne Valley. Plonker Event, Plonkers Trials Club, marhannon@hotmail.com, socalmc.com

Dual Sport: Sept. 29 - 30. Redding. Shasta ADV Rally, Redding Dirt Riders, info@reddingdirtriders.com, www.reddingdirtriders. com

Adventure Ride: Sept. 29 - 30. Redding. Shasta ADV Rally, Redding Dirt Riders, info@reddingdirtriders.com, www.reddingdirtriders.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 30. Lodi. 2023 AMA/D36 Dirt Track Championship Series, Lodi Motorcycle Club, lodimcemail@gmail.com, lodicyclebowl.com

Desert Scrambles: Sept. 30. El Centro. Rattle Snake Chase, Roadrunner Off-Road Racing Club, fentonrace@aol.com

Grand Prix: Sept. 30 - Oct. 1. Ridgecrest. Viewfinders MC GP, Viewfinders MC Inc., viewfinderspres@gmail.com, district37ama.org

COLORADO

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 9. Dacono. Colorado Speedway and Flat Track, IMI Motorsports Complex, imimotorsports@hotmail.com, imimotorsports.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 10. Sedalia. RRMMC Fall Poker Run, Rampart Range Motorized Management Committee, Inc., coreycorbett@q.com, www.rampartrange.org

Observed Trials: Sept. 10. Lake George. RMTA Series Event #7, Rocky Mountain Trials Association Motocross: Sept. 17. Lakewood. RMRA Race, Colorado Motorsports Promotions LLC, denjump@gmail.com, www. tvmx.net

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 23. Dacono. Colorado Speedway and Flat Track, IMI Motorsports Complex, imimotorsports@hotmail.com, imimotorsports.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 30. Lake George. RMTA Series Event #8, Rocky Mountain Trials Association

FLORIDA

Trail Ride: Sept. 10. Okeechobee. WMR Ride Day, Palm Beach Track & Trail Riders, Inc., jim@agatemortage.com

GEORGIA

Motocross: Sept. 2. Washington. BIG Series, Aonia Pass MX Road Race: Sept. 2 - 3. Braselton. 2023 WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc., wera@wera. com, wera.com

Motocross: Sept. 3. Washington. BIG/SAS/Ultra Series, Aonia Pass MX

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 9. Suches. SE Fall Rally (Run With The Wolf), Concours Owners Group, bugnut@aol.com, https:// concours.org/

Motocross: Sept. 16. Union Point. Durhamtown MX Series, Durhamtown Off Road Park, robin@durhamtown.com, www. durhamtown.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Buford. Atlanta Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, mbattaglia@curethekids. org, rideforkids.org/atlanta

Enduro: Sept. 23. Youngs Harris. FGSE - RD5 Rockcrusher Farm, Dirt Road, LLC, info@fullgasenduro.com, sprintenduro. com

Motocross: Sept. 23. Dalton. BIG/SAS Series, LRMX, Inc., teamsyd@aol.com, www.lazyrivermx.com

Motocross: Sept. 24. Dalton. AMA Georgia State Championship/Mega/BIG/SAS Series, LRMX, Inc., teamsyd@aol.com, www.lazyrivermx.com

Motocross: Sept. 30. Union Point. Durhamtown MX Series, Durhamtown Off Road Park, robin@durhamtown.com, www. durhamtown.com

Adventure Ride: Sept. 30. Suches. Two Wheels of Suches, Blue Ridge 250, Fun and Reliable Tiddlers, ben4072003@ yahoo.com, blueridge250.org

Dual Sport: Sept. 30. Suches. Blue Ridge 250, Fun and Reliable Tiddlers, ben4072003@yahoo.com, blueridge250.org

ILLINOIS

Hillclimb: Sept. 2. Neoga. Hillclimb - Night, Central Illinois M/C Motocross: Sept. 2. Mendota. Megacross Shootout Series, Moto Pro Inc., wardy@mtco.com, megacross.com

Trail Ride: Sept. 2. Marseilles. Off Road Poker Run/ Trail Ride, Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc, varietyriders@yahoo.com, varietyriders.com

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 3. Neoga. TT Race, Central Illinois M/C Hillclimb: Sept. 3. Neoga. Hillclimb - Night - State Championship, Central Illinois M/C Motocross: Sept. 3 - 4. Casey. Thor Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, drew@lincolntrail.com, www. ridelincolntrail.com

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 4. Neoga. TT Race, Central Illinois M/C Hillclimb: Sept. 9. White City. Cahokia Creek Summer Hillclimb, Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders, cahokiacreekdirtriders.com Speedway: Sept. 16 - 17. South Beloit. ASRA Sprint Series Round 6, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, support@asraracing.com, https://blackhawkfarms.com/ Hillclimb: Sept. 16. Mt Vernon. Dist 17 Hillclimb Series, King City Dirt Riders Inc., rhorton8282@gmail.com Road Ride/Run: Sept. 16. Palatine. Chicagoland Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@ curethekids.org, rideforkids.org/chicagoland

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 17. White City. CCDR Hare Scramble, Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders, cahokiacreekdirtriders.com

Trail Ride: Sept. 17. Ottawa. Egg Hunt, Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc, varietyriders@yahoo.com, varietyriders.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 23 - 24. White City. CCDR Hare Scramble, Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders, cahokiacreekdirtriders.com

Motocross: Sept. 30. Mendota. Megacross Shootout Series, Moto Pro Inc., wardy@mtco.com, megacross.com

INDIANA

Motocross: Sept. 1. Akron. Reads Racing Motocross - Night, Reads Racing Unlimited, Inc., reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com

Motocross: Sept. 2. Akron. Reads Racing Motocross - Night, Reads Racing Unlimited, Inc., reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com

Motocross: Sept. 3. Akron. Reads Racing Motocross - Day, Reads Racing Unlimited, Inc., reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com

Motocross: Sept. 3. Akron. Reads Racing Motocross - Day, Reads Racing Unlimited, Inc., reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www.readsracing.com

Motocross: Sept. 4. Akron. Reads Racing Motocross , Reads Racing Unlimited, Inc., reads1@myfrontiermail.com, www. readsracing.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 10. Columbia City. Ham and Bean Run, Old Fort Motorcycle Club, francerichard@netscape.net

Dual Sport: Sept. 16 - 17. Columbus. Buffaloe 500, Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club, buffaloe@stoneylonesomemc.com, stoneylonesomemc.com

Adventure Ride: Sept. 16 - 17. Columbus. Buffaloe 500, Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club, buffaloe@stoneylonesomemc.com, stoneylonesomemc.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 16. Bloomington. Trials Inc., Trials Inc, trav99ss@hotmail.com, trialsinc.org

Observed Trials: Sept. 17. Bloomington. Trials Inc., Trials Inc, trav99ss@hotmail.com, trialsinc.org

IOWA

Motocross: Sept. 10. Fairfield. Round 7 Iowa Moto Series, Cronkytonk MX, bubcronk@yahoo.com

Hillclimb: Sept. 10. Anamosa. Anamosa Hillclimb, Midwest Hillclimbers Association, roadlab@netins.net

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 17. Mt. Pleasant. IERA22, Burlington Valley Dusters, rob.schnathorst@gmail.com

KANSAS

Drag Race - Asphalt: Sept. 3. Ozawkie. Abate of KS 48th Annual National Labor Day Rally, ABATE of Kansas, harleytower@ aol.com, abateks.org

Motocross: Sept. 23 - 24. Maize. Kansas State Championship / Vet MX Championship, Bar 2 Bar MX Park, LLC, Bar2barmx. com

KENTUCKY

Motocross: Sept. 9. Leitchfield. South Fork Motoplex Racing for a Cure St. Jude Benefit Race, NXT LVL Sports LLC South Fork Motoplex, nxtlvlsports@yahoo.com, www.southforkmotoplex. com

Dual Sport: Sept. 9 - 10. Golden Pond. LBL 200, Thomas Brothers Promotions LLC (KT Riders), ktriders@gmail.com, www.lbl200.com

Motocross: Sept. 24. Leitchfield. AMA Kentucky State Championship/Nathan Hall/Nick Howard Memorial Race, NXT LVL Sports LLC South Fork Motoplex, nxtlvlsports@yahoo.com, www.southforkmotoplex.com

MARYLAND

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 10. Thurmont. Nostalgia Run 2023, Western Maryland Motorcycle Association, westernmarylandmotorcycle@gmail.com

MICHIGAN

Motocross: Sept. 1 - 4. Millington. Baja Brawl, Baja Acres, ride@bajamx.com, www.bajaacres.com

Drag Race - Dirt: Sept. 8. Grant. State Championship, Muskegon Motorcycle Club, muskegonmotorcycleclub1920@yahoo. com, muskegonmotorcycleclub.com

Trail Ride: Sept. 9. Marlette. Marlette, Vintage Trials, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, lwm248@gmail.com, motatrials.com

Drag Race - Dirt: Sept. 9. Grant. State Championship, Muskegon Motorcycle Club, muskegonmotorcycleclub1920@yahoo. com, muskegonmotorcycleclub.com

Hillclimb: Sept. 9. Grant. State Championship, Muskegon Motorcycle Club, muskegonmotorcycleclub1920@yahoo.com, muskegonmotorcycleclub.com

Motocross: Sept. 9. Buchanan. RedBud MX, RedBud Recreation, Inc., info@redbudmx.com, www.redbudmx.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 10. Marlette. MOTA Championship, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, lwm248@gmail.com, motatrials.com

Hillclimb: Sept. 10. Grant . State Championship, Muskegon Motorcycle Club, muskegonmotorcycleclub1920@yahoo.com, muskegonmotorcycleclub.com

Motocross: Sept. 10. Buchanan.District 14 Michigan State Championship Series, RedBud Recreation, Inc., info@ redbudmx.com, www.redbudmx.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 16. Midland. D14 Flat Track, Polka Dots M/C, correycolthorp@yahoo.com, polkadotsmc.net

Motocross: Sept. 16. Portland. District 14 Motocross, Portland Trail Riders, portlandtrailriders@gmail.com, portlandtrailriders. com

Motocross: Sept. 17. Portland. District 14 Motocross State Championship, Portland Trail Riders, portlandtrailriders@gmail. com, portlandtrailriders.com

Motocross: Sept. 23. Newaygo. Big Air Motocross, Big Air Motocross, bigairbigfun@gmail.com, www.bigairmotocross.com

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 23. Owosso. Flat Track, Owosso Motorsports Park, owossomotorsportspark@gmail.com, owossomotorsportspark.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 24. Mancelona. 10 Pines Ranch - Hare Scramble, 10 Pines Ranch LLC, 10pinesranch@gmail.com, 10pinesranch.com

Motocross: Sept. 24. Newaygo. Big Air Motocross, Big Air Motocross, bigairbigfun@gmail.com, www.bigairmotocross.com

Motocross: Sept. 24. Millington. District 14 Michigan State Championship Series, Bulldog Riders Motorcycle Club, Inc., cchumbo@aol.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 24. Whitmore Lake. MOTA Championship, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, philbonk16@gmail. com, motatrials.com

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 24. Owosso. Flat Track, Owosso Motorsports Park, owossomotorsportspark@gmail.com, owossomotorsportspark.com

MINNESOTA

Road Race: Sept. 1 - 3. Brainerd. Central Roadracing Association Event, Central Roadracing Association, info@cra-mn.com, www.cra-mn.com

Motocross: Sept. 3. Millville. Super Series Round 9 Viking Clash sponsored by VRM, Hi-Winders, springcreekmxoffice@ gmail.com, www.springcreekmx.com

Motocross: Sept. 3. Browerville. District 23/Northstar MX Series, MotoCity Raceway & Recreation, Inc., motocity-RNR@ hotmail.com, motocityraceway.com

Motocross: Sept. 4. Millville. Super Series Round 10 sponsored by Clark Concrete, Hi-Winders, springcreekmxoffice@gmail. com, www.springcreekmx.com

Motocross: Sept. 4. Browerville. District 23/Northstar MX Series, MotoCity Raceway & Recreation, Inc., motocity-RNR@ hotmail.com, motocityraceway.com

Motocross: Sept. 10. Brook Park. District 23 Motocross Series, Berm Benders Incorporated, bermbendersraceway@outlook. com, www.bermbendersraceway.com

Motocross: Sept. 16. Brookston. MX North Star Series, Echo Valley Motopark, LLC, echovalleymotopark@gmail.com, echovalleymotocross.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 16. New Ulm. Flat Track Races, Flying Dutchmen Cycle Club, dutchman65.as@gmail.com, flyingdutchmenmotorcycleclub.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 16. Lake St Croix Beach. Flood Run, North Star Riders, floodrun@polaris.com, www.flood-run.com

Motocross: Sept. 17. Cambridge. District 23 Motocross Series, BCMX Adventure Park, bcmxllc@hotmail.com, www.bcmxadventurepark.com

Motocross: Sept. 17. Brookston. MX North Star Series, Echo Valley Motopark, LLC, echovalleymotopark@gmail.com, echovalleymotocross.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 17. New Ulm. Flat Track Races, Flying Dutchmen Cycle Club, dutchman65.as@gmail.com, flyingdutchmenmotorcycleclub.com

COMING EVENTS

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

Motocross: Sept. 17. Mankato. District 23 Motocross Series, Kato Cycle Club, katocycleclub@gmail.com, www.katocycleclub.com Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 17. Browerville. District 23, MotoCity Raceway & Recreation, Inc., motocity-RNR@ hotmail.com, motocityraceway.com

Road Race: Sept. 22 - 24. Brainerd. Central Roadracing Association Event, Central Roadracing Association, info@cra-mn. com, www.cra-mn.com

Motocross: Sept. 23. Browerville. District 23 , MotoCity Raceway & Recreation, Inc. , motocity-RNR@hotmail.com, motocityraceway.com

Trail Ride: Sept. 23 - 24. Huntersville Township. 24th Annual Trail Ride, Twin Cities Trail Riders, info@tctrailriders.org, www. tctrailriders.org

Observed Trials: Sept. 23. Lake Crystal. UMTA 2023 Events, Upper Midwest Trials Association, bobbywarner@gmail.com, umta.org

Motocross: Sept. 24. Millville. Super Series Round 11 sponsored by Vaith Cycle, Hi-Winders, springcreekmxoffice@gmail. com, www.springcreekmx.com

Motocross: Sept. 24. Browerville. District 23 , MotoCity Raceway & Recreation, Inc. , motocity-RNR@hotmail.com, motocityraceway.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 24. Lake Crystal. UMTA 2023 Events, Upper Midwest Trials Association, bobbywarner@gmail.com, umta.org

MISSOURI

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 16. Steelville. Spider Ride, Concours Owners Group, gmazzola@sbcglobal.net, https://concours.org/

Enduro: Sept. 24. Park Hills. Leadbelt Sprint Enduro, Missouri Mudders, michael.silger@momudders.com, www.momudders.com

MONTANA

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 17. Billings. GNHC Hooligan Flat

NEW HAPMSHIRE

Road Race: Sept. 4. Loudon. USCRA Granite State Championships, United States Classic Racing Association, raceuscra@yahoo.com, www.race-uscra.com

NEW JERSEY

Speedway: Sept. 2 - 3. Millville. ASRA Team Challenge Round 5, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, support@ asraracing.com, https://njmp.com/ Motocross: Sept. 2. Englishtown. Raceway Park Motocross Saturday Night Lights Series, Raceway Park, racewaypark1965@gmail.com, www.racewaypark.com

Motocross: Sept. 3. Englishtown. Raceway Park Motocross , Raceway Park, racewaypark1965@gmail.com, www. racewaypark.com

Motocross: Sept. 17. Millville. Field of Dreams MX, Field of Dreams MX, LLC, info@njmpfod.com, www.njmpfod.com

Road Race: Sept. 22 - 24. Millville. MotoAmerica Mini-Cup, MotoAmerica, www.motoamerica.com

Motocross: Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. Englishtown. 47th Annual Race of Champions sponsored by Kawasaki, Raceway Park, racewaypark1965@gmail.com, www.racewaypark.com

NEW MEXICO

Observed Trials: Sept. 9 - 10. Glorieta. NMTA #10 & #11, New Mexico Trials Association, newmexicotrials@gmail.com, newmexicotrials.com

Road Race: Sept. 17. Albuquerque. Law Tigers SMRI Roadracing Championship, Sandia Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc., smri@smri-racing.org, www.smri-racing.org

Observed Trials: Sept. 30 - Oct. 1. Roswell. Roswell, NM, Mountain West Vintage Trials Association, info@mtwestvintagetrials.org, www.mwvta.org

NEW YORK

Motocross: Sept. 3. Carlisle. MSC Championship MX Series, Metropolitan Sports Committee, info@diamondback-motocross.com, www.diamondback-motocross.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 3. Moravia. Twisted Fence, Twisted Fence, lindsander14@gmail.com, nyoa.net

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 9. Yaphank. Blue Knights NY 15 Lighthouse Ride, Blue Knights Law Enforcement MC NY 15, cm4235@verizon.net

Motocross: Sept. 10. Coeymans Hollow. MSC AMA D34 - Echo Valley MX, Metropolitan Sports Committee, mscmotocross.com

Trail Ride: Sept. 10. Medina. Fun Trials Ride, Niagara Trials Riders, ntrclub@yahoo.com, ntrmototrials.weekly.com

Motocross: Sept. 10. Vernon. CNY MRA D3 Motocross, URMX LLC

Trail Ride: Sept. 15. Hancock. Fall Family Fun Ride, Bear Creek Sportsmen, bearcreeksportsmen@yahoo.com, bearcreeksportsmen.com

Trail Ride: Sept. 16 - 17. Hancock Fall Family Fun Ride, Bear Creek Sportsmen, bearcreeksportsmen@yahoo.com, bearcreeksportsmen.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 16 - 17. Harpursville. The Punisher XC Race, The Punisher XC Race, punisherxcrace@gmail.com

Dual Sport: Sept. 16 - 17. Newark. Monkey Butt 2 Day, Wayne County Motorcycle Club, waynecountymotorcycleclub@gmail. waynecountymc.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 17. Cuba. D4 Observed Trials, District 4 Trials Committee, ketxw51@yahoo.com, d4mototrials. weebly.com

Motocross: Sept. 17. Middletown. MSC AMA D34 - Orange County Fair MX, Metropolitan Sports Committee, info@ ocfsracing.com, mscmotocross.com

Motocross: Sept. 17. Caroga Lake. Royal Mountain Motocross, Royal Mountain Ski Area, info@royalmountainskiarea. www.royalmountain.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 23. Cuddebackville. National Vintage Flat Track, Tri-State MC LTD, tristatefacts@gmail.com, www.tristateclub.net

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 24. Cuddebackville. National Vintage Flat Track, Tri-State MC LTD, tristatefacts@gmail.com, www.tristateclub.net

NORTH CAROLINA

Adventure Ride: Sept. 9 - 10. Pineola. Blue Ridge Adventure

Ride, Appalachian Trail Riders, rottenronnie690@yahoo.com, https://carolinadualsporters.com/2023-pineola-blue-ridgeadventure-ride/

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Pittsboro. NC Triangle Ride for Kids , Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@curethekids. org, rideforkids.org/nctriangle

Enduro: Sept. 17. N. Wilkesboro. SE & TRA Bootlegger Enduro, Unifour Trail Bike Club, amber199mx1@hotmail.com OHIO

Motocross: Sept. 2 - 3. New Vienna. 2023 Buckeye Series, Race Ohio MX, s.plessinger@yahoo.com, Eastforkmx.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 2. Newark. Trials Inc., Trials Inc, trav99ss@hotmail.com, trialsinc.org

Motocross: Sept. 3. New Vienna. Buckeye Series, Race Ohio MX, s.plessinger@yahoo.com, www.eastforkmx.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 3. Newark. Trials Inc., Trials Inc, trav99ss@hotmail.com, trialsinc.org

Family Enduro: Sept. 9. Swanton. Fallen Timbers Family Enduro, Toledo Trail Riders, Inc., mbucher@toledotrailriders.org, www.toledotrailriders.org

Enduro: Sept. 10. Wellston. Little Raccoon Classic Enduro, Appalachian Dirt Riders, Inc., adrohio74@gmail.com, www. adrohio.org

Trail Ride: Sept. 10. Swanton. Laps for H.O.O.V.E.S., Toledo Trail Riders, Inc., mbucher@toledotrailriders.org, www.toledotrailriders.org

Off-Road/Trail Riding School: Sept. 10. Swanton. Laps for H.O.O.V.E.S., Toledo Trail Riders, Inc.

Motocross: Sept. 12 - 17. Chillicothe. ChilliTown Classic, Race Ohio MX, s.plessinger@yahoo.com, www.chillitownmx.com

Family Enduro: Sept. 16. Chandlersville. Grassy Family Enduro Trail Ride, Ohio Woods Riders, kory@ohiowoodsriders.com, www.ohiowoodsriders.com

Motocross: Sept. 23 - 24. Zanesville. Buckeye Series, Grear’s Motorsports Park

Observed Trials: Sept. 30. Toronto. Trials Inc., Trials Inc, trav99ss@hotmail.com, trialsinc.org

Road Race: Sept. 30 - Oct. 1. Garrettsville. 2023 WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc., wera@ wera.com, wera.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Enduro: Sept. 2 - 4. Dilliner. SEWC, Trail Pros, trailpros.us@ gmail.com, ussprintenduro.com

Motocross: Sept. 9 - 10. Shippensburg. Yamaha All-Star Pro-Am/Cobra Cup/MDRA Series, Doublin Gap Motocross, Inc., doublingap@gmail.com, www.doublingap.com

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 9. Parkesburg. Piston Poppers TT/Over the Homp, E PA Piston Poppers MC Inc, pistonpoppersmc@ hotmail.com, pistonpoppersmc.com

Dual Sport: Sept. 9. Millmont. Seven Mountains Dual Sport, Pennsylvania Trail Riders Association, drovelman@gmail.com, www.patrailriders.org

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 10. Parkesburg. Piston Poppers TT/Over the Homp, E PA Piston Poppers MC Inc, pistonpoppersmc@ hotmail.com, pistonpoppersmc.com

Enduro: Sept. 10. Biglerville. Michaux Enduro, South Penn Enduro Riders, dashughart@aol.com

Motocross: Sept. 16 - 17. Shippensburg. MAMA MX Series, Middle Atlantic Motocross Association, Inc., secretary@ mamamx.com, www.mamamx.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Oakdale. Western PA Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@curethekids. org, rideforkids.org/westpenn

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Philadelphia. Philadelphia Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@curethekids.org, rideforkids.org/philadelphia

Enduro: Sept. 17. Brandonville. Moonshine Enduro, Valley Forge Trail Riders, vftr.org

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 23 - 24. Clifford. ECEA High Steaks Hare Scramble, Delaware Valley Trail Riders, dvtrevents@gmail.com, dvtrailriders.org

Motocross: Sept. 23 - 24. Seward. Travis Pastrana Pro-Am Challenge, Pleasure Valley Raceway, jeffcernic@gmail.com, www.pvrmx.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 23. York. TRLR Ride for HOPE, Twin Rose Lady Riders, gnattrlr@gmail.com, twinroseladyriders.com

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 24. Parkesburg. Piston Poppers TT, E PA Piston Poppers MC Inc, pistonpoppersmc@hotmail.com, pistonpoppersmc.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 24. Kresgeville. Poker Run, Zinc City MC, mschwa8398@hotmail.com

Motocross: Sept. 30 - Oct. 1. Shippensburg. MAMA MX Series, Middle Atlantic Motocross Association, Inc., secretary@ mamamx.com, www.mamamx.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 30. Abbottstown. Short Track, Shippensburg MC, candybaer@comcast.net, baermotorsports. com

RHODE ISLAND

Observed Trials: Sept. 24. Exeter. NETA Observed Trials, Rhode Island Trials Club, trialsriders@hotmail.com, www. ritrialsclub.com

TENNESSEE

Road Rally: Sept. 21 - 23. Tellico Plains. The gathering, Tellico Overlanders Adventure Destination Group, mick.fouts@gmail. com

TEXAS

Road Race: Sept. 8 - 10. Austin. Super Hooligan National Championship, Roland Sands Design, summer@rolandsands. com, www.superhooligan.com

Road Race: Sept. 8 - 10. Austin. Super Hooligan National Championship, Roland Sands Design, summer@rolandsands. com, www.superhooligan.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Fort Worth. Dallas Ft. Worth Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@curethekids.org, rideforkids.org/dfw

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Montgomery. Houston Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@curethekids. org, rideforkids.org/houston

Dual Sport: Sept. 17. Montgomery. Dualsport (Houston), Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@curethekids. org, rideforkids.org/houston

UTAH

Dual Sport: Sept. 4 - 6. Heber. The Bucket List Ride 2023, Speed and Sport Adventures, ken@speedandsportadventures. com, speedandsportadventures.com

Motocross: Sept. 16 - 17. Delta. Utah State Championship, Grassroots MX, LLC, grassrootsmx1@gmail.com, bunkerhillmx. net

VIRGINIA

Motocross: Sept. 9. Sutherlin. District 13 SX Series, Birch Creek Promotions LLC, birchcreekmx@gmail.com, www.birchcreekmotorsportspark.com

Motocross: Sept. 10. Sutherlin. District 13 Motocross/Ultra Series, Birch Creek Promotions LLC, birchcreekmx@gmail.com, www.birchcreekmotorsportspark.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Ashland. Virginia Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, bmcnamara@curethekids. org, rideforkids.org/virginia

Motocross: Sept. 30. Sutherlin. District 13 SX Series, Birch Creek Promotions LLC, birchcreekmx@gmail.com, www. birchcreekmotorsportspark.com

WASHINGTON

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 16. Spokane Valley. POW/MIA Ride, Combat Vet Riders, Inc., neirad25@hotmail.com, combatvetriders.org

WEST VIRGINIA

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 1 - 2. Glen Dale. T-N-T Rally, Hoagy’s Heroes, Inc, hoagy@hoagysheroes.org, hoagysheroes.org

Motocross: Sept. 2 - 3. Hedgesville. MAMA MX Series, Middle Atlantic Motocross Association, Inc., secretary@mamamx.com, www.mamamx.com

Trail Ride: Sept. 9 - 10. Romney. 13th Annual R&T Charity Trail Ride, Road and Trail Motorcycle Club, bholsonbake@gmail.com, http://www.randt-club.com

Adventure Ride: Sept. 9 - 10. Romney. 13th Annual R&T Charity Trail Ride-ADV, Road and Trail Motorcycle Club, bholsonbake@gmail.com, http://randt-club.com

Road Race: Sept. 9 - 10. Summit Point. 2023 WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc., wera@wera. com, wera.com

Road Rally: Sept. 15 - 17. Beverly. Blackwater Adventure Rally 2023, Blackwater Adventures, blackwateradventurewv@gmail. com, eventbrite.com/blackwateradventurerally

Off-Road/Trail Riding School: Sept. 15 - 16. Beverly. Blackwa-

COMING EVENTS

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

ter Adventure Rally, Motos America, blackwateradventurewv@ gmail.com, eventbrite.com/blackwateradventurerally

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 16 - 17. Beckley. Grand National Cross Country Series - Mountaineer, Racer Productions, Inc., info@gnccracing.com, www.gnccracing.com

Road Ride/Run: Sept. 23. Glen Dale. Pop Tab Ride/Shrimp Boil, Hoagy’s Heroes, Inc, hoagy@hoagysheroes.org, https:// hoagysheroes.org/

WISCONSIN

Motocross: Sept. 9. Lake Mills. District 16 Motocross Series, Aztalan Cycle Club, Inc., www.aztalanmx.com

Flat Track - TT: Sept. 9. Barnett. District 16 TT, Beaver Cycle Club, Inc., facebook/beavercycleclub

Motocross: Sept. 10. Lake Mills. District 16 Motocross Series, Aztalan Cycle Club, Inc., www.aztalanmx.com

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 16. Lake Mills. Aztalan Flat Track, Aztalan Cycle Club, Inc., aztalancycle@gmail.com, aztalanmx.com

Motocross: Sept. 16. Tigerton. Throwdown @ Sundown, Fantasy Moto LLC, scottyb@fantasymoto.com, www.tigertonmx.com

Observed Trials: Sept. 16. Mauston. Smagical Rock MotoTrials, Wisconsin Observed Trials Association, nursehuber@aol. com, wisconsintrials.org

Motocross: Sept. 17. Tigerton. Throwdown @ Sundown, Fantasy Moto LLC, scottyb@fantasymoto.com, www.tigertonmx. com

Observed Trials: Sept. 17. Mauston. Smagical Rock MotoTrials, Wisconsin Observed Trials Association, nursehuber@aol. com, wisconsintrials.org

Flat Track - Short Track: Sept. 23. Barnett. District 16 ST, Beaver Cycle Club, Inc., facebook/beavercycleclub

Dual Sport: Sept. 23 - 24. Wabeno. Big Woods 200, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, bigwoods200@hotmail.com, www.widualsportriders.org

Adventure Ride: Sept. 23 - 24. Wabeno. Big Woods 200, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, bigwoods200@hotmail.com, www.widualsportriders.org

Supermoto: Sept. 24. Plymouth. AMA Supermoto National Championship Series, DRT Racing, info@drtracinginc.com, amasupermotonational.com

Motocross: Sept. 30. Hillpoint. District 16 Motocross Series, Sugar Maple MX Park LLC, sugarmaplempark@gmail.com, www.sugarmaplemx.com

MOTOCROSS

SUPERMOTOCROSS

2023 SuperMotocross Championship supermotocross.com

Sept. 9. Charlotte, N.C. zMAX Dragway

Sept. 16. Joliet, Ill. Chicagoland Speedway

Sept. 23. Los Angeles, Calif. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES

Baja Brawl

Sept. 1-4. Millington, Mich. Baja Acres. (989) 871-3356. bajaacres.com

Yamaha All-Star Pro-Am/Cobra Cup/MDRA Series

Sept. 9-10. Shippensburg, Pa. Doublin Gap MX Park. (717) 249-6036. doublingap.com

ChilliTown Classic

Sept. 12-17. Chillicothe, Ohio. ChilliTown MX. (513) 2662866. chillitownmx.com

47th Annual Race of Champions sponsored by Kawasaki

Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Englishtown, N.J. Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. (732) 446-7800. racewaypark.com

The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City

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

Top Gun Showdown/Mega Series

Oct. 15. Blountville, Tenn. Muddy Creek Raceway. (423) 3235497. victory-sports.com

Halloween Bash

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

Cash for Class Scholarship Race

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

PRO-AM EVENTS

Pro-Am Schedule

Yamaha All-Star Pro-Am/Cobra Cup/MDRA Series: Sept. 9-10. Shippensburg, Pa. Doublin Gap MX Park. (717) 2496036. doublingap.com

Field of Dreams Pro-Am: Sept. 17. Millville, N.J. Field of Dreams MX. njmpfod.com

ChilliTown Classic: Sept. 17. Chillicothe, Ohio. ChilliTown MX. (513) 266-2866. chillitownmx.com

Travis Pastrana Pro-Am Challenge: Sept. 23-24. Seward, Pa. Pleasure Valley Raceway. (814) 317-6686. pvrmx.com

AMA Georgia State Championship/Mega/BIG/SAS Series

*DOUBLE POINTS: Sept. 24. Dalton, Ga. Lazy River MX. (706) 278-2868. lazyrivermx.com

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

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

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

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

Tony Miller Memorial Race: Oct. 21-22. Wortham, Texas. Freestone County Raceway LLC. (713) 962-3386. freestonemx.com

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

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

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

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Kentucky State Championship: Sept. 24. Leitchfield, Ky. South Fork Motoplex. (270) 230-2005. southforkmotoplex.com

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

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

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

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

TRACK RACING

2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship motoamerica. com

Round 8: Sept. 8-10. Austin, Texas. Circuit of the Americas

Round 9: Sept. 22-24. Millville, N.J. New Jersey Motorsports Park 2023 Progressive American Flat Track americanflattrack.com

Round 17: Sept. 2. Springfield, Ill. Illinois State Fairgrounds. Mile I

Round 18: Sept. 3. Springfield, Ill. Illinois State Fairgrounds.

Mile II

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Supermoto National Championship Series amasupermotonational.com

Round 5: Sept. 24. Plymouth, Wis. Briggs & Stratton Motorplex at Road America.

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

AMA Super Hooligan National Championship Series superhooligan.com

Rounds 7-8: Sept. 8-10. Austin, Texas. Circuit of the Americas

AMA Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series, americanmotorcyclist.com/flat-track-racing/

Round 14: Sept. 23. Cuddebackville, N.Y. Oakland Valley Race Park (Short Track). (845) 219-1193. tristateclub.net

Round 15: Sept. 24. Cuddebackville, N.Y. Oakland Valley Race Park (Short Track). (845) 219-1193. tristateclub.net

Round 16: Fall ’23 TBD. Greenville, Ohio. Darke County Fairgrounds (Half-Mile). (850) 637-5838. darkecountyfair.com

Round 17: Fall ’23 TBD. Greenville, Ohio. Darke County Fairgrounds (Half-Mile). (850) 637-5838. darkecountyfair.com

AMA Speedway National Championship Series fastfridays.com

Round 3: Sept. 16. Auburn, Ca. Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway

AMA Extreme Sidecar National Championship + Youth 250cc & 150cc National fastfridays.com

Sept. 2. Auburn, Ca. Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway

FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES

AMA AHDRA Featured Series, raceahdra.com

Round 6: Sept. 8-10. Rising Sun, Md. Cecil County Dragway

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

OFF-ROAD

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Grand National Cross Country Championship, gnccracing.com

Round 10: The Mountaineer – Sept. 15-17. Beckley, W. Va. Summit Bechtel Reserve.

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

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

AMA National Grand Prix Championship Series, ngpcseries. com

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

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

AMA National Hare and Hound Championship Series, nationalhareandhound.com

Round 5: Sept. 9. Panaca, Nev.

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

AMA National Enduro Championship Series, nationalenduro.com

Round 7: Little Raccoon National – Sept. 10. Wellston, Ohio. (740) 357-0350. adrohio.org

Round 8: Muddobbers National – Oct. 1. Matthews, Ind. (765) 998-2236. muddobbersmc.org

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

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA West Hare Scrambles Championship, westharescramble.com

Round 6: TBD

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

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

FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES

AMA Mid East Racing Championship Series mideastracing.com

Round 12. Sept. 9-10. Woodruff, S.C. Harris Bridge.

Round 13. Sept. 23-24. Morgantown, N.C. Chapman Farms.

Round 14. Oct. 14-15. Shelby, N.C. Water Wheel Classic.

Round 15. Oct. 28-29. Hickory, N.C. Wilson Memorial Airport

New York Off-Road Championship Series nyoa.net

Round 8. Sept. 3. Moravia, N.Y. Twisted Fence

Round 9. Sept. 17. Harpursville, N.Y. The Punisher

Round 10. Oct. 1. Berkshire, N.Y. Hemlock Hills @ Brink Farms

NATIONAL RECREATIONAL

2023 AMA National Adventure Riding Series americanmotorcyclist.com/ national-adventure-riding

Sept. 9-10. Blue Ridge. Pineola, N.C. Appalachian Trail Riders. (704) 309-3271 carolinadualsporters.com/2023-pineolablue-ridge-adventure-ride

Sept. 16-17. Buffaloe 500. Columbus, Ind. Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club. (812) 342-4411 stoneylonesomemc.com

Sept. 23-24. Big Woods 200. Wabeno, Wis. Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders. (920) 350-2030 widualsportriders.org

Sept. 29-30. Shasta ADV Rally. Redding, Calif. Redding Dirt Riders. (530) 227-1581 reddingdirtriders.com

Oct. 14-15. Fire Works and Fire Hoses. Langsville, Ohio. Enduro Riders of Ohio. (740) 506-1288. enduroriders.com

Oct. 28-29. Cross-Florida Adventure. Daytona Beach, Fla. Dixie Dual Sport. (727) 919-8299 dixiedualsport.com

Nov. 24-25. LA – Barstow to Vegas. Palmdale, Calif. AMA District 37 Dual Sport. (626) 684-2336 labarstowvegas.com

2023 Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series americanmotorcyclist.com/nationaladventure-riding

Sept. 9-10. LBL 200. Golden Pond, Ky. Thomas Brothers Promotions (KT Riders). (270) 350-6324. lbl200.com

Sept. 16-17. Buffaloe 500. Columbus, Ind. Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club. (812) 342-4411 stoneylonesomemc.com

Sept. 23-24. Mountain Madness. Flagstaff, Ariz. Coconino Trail Riders. (928) 225-5365 coconinotrailriders.org

Sept. 23-24. Big Woods 200. Wabeno, Wis. Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders. (920) 350-2030 widualsportriders.org

Sept. 29-30. Shasta ADV Rally. Redding, Calif. Redding Dirt Riders. (530) 227-1581 reddingdirtriders.com

Oct. 7-8. Shenandoah 500. Mount Solon, Va. Washington Area Trail Riders. 619-243-9630 www.watr.us

Nov. 4-5. Howlin’ at the Moon. Prescott Valley, Ariz. Arizona Trail Riders. (602) 692-9382 arizonatrailriders.org

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

Nov. 24-25. LA – Barstow to Vegas. Palmdale, Calif. AMA District 37 Dual Sport. (626) 684-2336 labarstowvegas.com

AMA Trademarks

The following represents active, registered trademarks, trade-marks and service marks of American Motorcyclist Association, Inc. (AMA). Usage of any AMA trademark or registered trade- mark without our permission is prohibited. Please contact jholter@ama-cycle.org for more information or assistance, (800) AMA-JOIN®

• AMA Dragbike® • AMA Endurocross® • AMA

Motorhead® • AMA Pro Grand National Championship®

• AMA Pro Racing® • AMA Race Center™ • AMA

Racer® • AMA Racing® • AMA Racing Land Speed Grand Championships® • AMA Supermoto® • AMA Supercross® AMA SX Lites® • AMA U.S. ISDE Team™

• AMA U.S. Jr. Motocross Team™ • AMA U.S. Motocross Team™ • Amateur National Motocross Championships®

• American Motorcyclist Association® Arenacross® • ATV Hare Scrambles National Championship Series®

• ATV Motocross National Championship Series® • Flat Track Grand Championships™ • Grand National Enduro Championship® • Gypsy Tour® • Hare & Hound National Championship Series® • Hare Scrambles Championship Series® • Hare Scrambles National Championship Series® • Kids Just Want To Ride® • Motorcycle

Hall of Fame® • Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum®

• Motorcyclist of the Year® • Motostars® • National Adventure Riding Series® • National Dual-Sport Series®

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Garage

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

Functional tools and gadgets that stand the test of time

Garage gear THAT WORKS

BY MITCH BOEHM

The other day I had the tires on my Suzuki DR650’s wheels replaced (new Kendas!) at a local shop, but struggled mightily to get the rear back on by my lonesome.

First, I had the bike up on a tall-ish motocross stand so I could remove both wheels in the first place. Of course, when bolting the rear back on (the front took all of 79 seconds), I had to hoist the wheel up 10 or 12 inches with my feet to get the wheel in a position to get the spacers, sprocket and caliper bracket lined up with the swingarm slots for the axle, with

spacers and the cush drive falling out of position every 12 seconds.

TECH MECHANIC

Oh, yes, it was great fun, and as Ralphie says in A Christmas Story, I “wove a tapestry of obscenity that’s still hanging over Lake Michigan...” Only this time it was the Great Salt Lake.

My buddy Alan helped make things right, but the entire ordeal got me thinking about the stuff I’ve used (and not used) over the years that just works. Or doesn’t.

BE A TOOL

A good set of tools, of course, is the anchor to any healthy home-wrenching

environment, and over the years I’ve gathered a decent collection for my cheap Sears Craftsman roller box. I’ve even added a number of standard/Imperial wrenches and sockets, mostly due to the Harley-Davidson XR1200X I owned a few years ago.

Still, it’s about more than just sockets, wrenches screwdrivers, razor knives, hammers, rubber mallets, wire brush, and hex key/ Allen wrenches, though I have to say the set of ratchet wrenches I picked up a while back (in their own cute case) are pretty darn cool.

I’m talking must-have tools such as diagonal pliers (also called dykes, snips, etc., and vital for cutting things), locking pliers (vise grip, etc.), impact driver (for loosening stripped or frozen fasteners), steel prybar, a good air gauge, and chain-breaker tool. These will save you as they’ve saved me over the years, as I’ve always been a Hall of Famer when it comes to stripping bolt heads and cross-threading fasteners. Oh, do I have stories…

ANCILLARY ACCOUTREMENTS

And then there’s the not-exactly-tools list, things like a battery tender and fuel stabilizer for winter (or vacation) battery and fuel-system maintenance. And if you screw up and leave old fuel in a tank long enough to generate what’s known technically as iron oxide (rust), there are products like B’laster’s Metal Rescue to help get rid of it.

When it comes to transporting and storing your scoot, there’s nothing like few quality sets of tie downs, the best being those like the ones Malcom Smith Products sells that have an extra length of nylon strap designed in that allow you to hook softly to your bike’s handlebar or tie

point without the rubber-coated hook scratching things up. Malcolm gave me a few sets a decade ago to haul something or other for him, and I’ve used them constantly ever since.

Another key element of proper transport (and storage) is one of the most useful products I’ve ever used…a Baxley front-wheel stand. These are not only great for garage use (and for displaying rare V45 Interceptors in our HOF tent at VMD this year!), but they’re equally handy when transporting bikes in the back of a truck or in/ on a trailer without wheel chocks. Just push the stand up against the bed wall, roll the bike onto it, and voilà! Instant security. You’ll need tie downs to secure it, but they can be tightened less forcefully than without using the stand, and you could easily drive around the block using just the stand. Not recommended, but you could, and that says a ton about how secure and cool these Baxley stands are.

Did I mention a folding aluminum loading ramp, mini-compressor and roller mechanic’s chair to scoot around your garage without messing with your back or knees? How terrible of me. Oh, and heated grips, too. Them snowmobile folks know a thing or two. And yes, a torque wrench, safety wire pliers (and safety wire), and the ever-important Dremel tool

What have I left out? Let me know at submissions@ama-cycle. org. What do I still need? For sure a hydraulic or mechanical jack stand, so I can raise and lower my streetbikes when I do maintenance or tire changes. And a tire machine, too, because I just spent $120 on install (wheels off the bike), balancing and new tubes, which seems like a lot. I don’t have room in the garage currently, and I have issues with tire irons, but if there’s a will, there’s a way.

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Down ’n’ Dirty in Du Quoin

By the end of the week-long 2023 Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill., there had been more than 800 race entries, and the AMA presented 22 No. 1 plates and four prestigious awards with help from “The Voice of Flat Track” — and Grand Marshal — Scottie Deubler. From kids on 50cc bikes on the Short Track to veterans taking on the Magic Mile, there was plenty of bar-bangin’ action on the dirt at Du Quoin. — Joy Burgess

PHOTOS: SAMANTHA LOUCKS

EASY ON THE EYES AND EASY TO OWN

Never has there been a V-Twin with the looks and sound of the SRV300. With its low seat height of just 27.5” and relaxed riding position, allow for some serious comfort. And when you find out the MSRP, you’ll agree this V-Twin is easy to own.

The SRV300 is distributed exclusively through SSR Motorsports and are sold only at authorized QJMOTOR dealers.

Ride your own way.

There are many things about riding that are dictated by habit. How you twist the throttle, how far you lean and where you go is up to you. The only thing that matters, is that you ride to get there.