SoCal AMCA Newsletter_spring26

SPRING 2026 NEWSLETTER

SoCal Chapter ANTIQUE MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF AMERICA

OVERLOOK: ANZA BORREGO DESERT

President’s Message

IN THIS EDITION...

BY STEVE SORENSEN What is our club motto — "Ride 'em, don't hide 'em"? Participation is the key to the success of any organization. As we head toward summer, we don't have any rides on the calendar, so we are looking for people to see and places to go. Please submit your ideas at breakfast or email us at socalamca@yahoo.com.

Since Borrego, I haven't had much time away from my family. I really appreciate Craig Dillmann organizing Joshua Tree, and I was so happy to see him and the Valley crew at Borrego.

That's why we put in the work — to have fun and make memories with like-minded people.

My upcoming projects are filing the paperwork to become a non-profit

President’s Message

VP’s Road Run & Chapter Update

club and exploring the possibility of a Central Coast ride. Let's make sure to support the vintage bike community by participating in OC Vintage, the Long Beach swap, the El Camino swap, and the Dixon National meet.

We make a difference when we attend. Any ideas and help on getting new members is needed for this club to continue into the future. We always value your input. It's your club — what would you like to do? Let us know.

orensen Steve S

Secretary Introduction

Treasurer’s Report

Feature: Fritz Harmon's SoCal Story Report: Borrego Springs Winter Road Run Report: Johnny Eagles Memorial Ride Report: Agua Dulce Run

VP's Road Run & Chapter Update

BY MARC GALLIN, VICE PRESIDENT

Greetings, everyone! Our SoCal Chapter has already had a busy few months — and there's more to come.

We had great turnouts for our Agua Dulce Run last November, our Borrego Springs Winter Road Run in February, and our Annual Joshua Tree Road Run in April. If you made it to any of them, you know what I mean: everyone had a great time. Special thanks to our road captains and trouble truck drivers who keep us safe on the road.

If you missed out this time around, plan on joining us in 2027 for a repeat of the fun!

In other news, we have a couple of local road runs in the planning stages for 2026.

We're looking into a run departing from Kiwi Indian in Riverside and riding through the hills of Riverside County, as well as a run departing from Rainbow Oaks Restaurant and riding through the mountains of San Diego County. Our Annual Death Valley Road Run is also in the planning stages for later this year — keep your eyes open for more details in upcoming emails. We hope you'll join us!

MONTHLY BIKES & BREAKFAST MEET-UP

California Rides This Year: Cal-Sierra TT — Sonora, CA | June 6–8 AMCA Fort Sutter Chapter Annual Meet — Dixon, CA | June 19–20 Cal-Sierra TT — Auburn, CA | September 12–13 AMCA Fort Sutter Chapter National Road Run — Jackson, CA | Sept. 21–23 (SOLD OUT) All Indian Run — Poway, CA | September 25–26 AMCA Comstock Chapter "Comstock Classic" — June Lake or Mammoth Lakes | October 1–3 I hope everyone continues to participate in our monthly breakfasts and road runs.

Until next time — keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up!

There are other opportunities to ride with your peers in California this year, and here are just a few upcoming events. If you need more information about any of them, please don't hesitate to reach out.

CONGRATS TO MARC FOR SCORING VINTAGE BIKE OC’S BIKE OF THE MONTH IN FEBRUARY FOR HIS 1948 INDIAN CHIEF

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FELIKS’ DAD WITH HIS 1942 HARLEY-DAVIDSON WLA

1970 JAWA

From Odessa USSR to the Open California Roads

BY FELIKS DERBARMDIKER, SECRETARY My name is Feliks, and I'm happy to be part of this great organization: the Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA). For as long as I can remember, vintage and antique motorcycles have been part of my life, and that goes back to my father. My father owned a 1937 NSU and two 1942 Harley-Davidson WLAs, and was a member of the Odessa Auto Retro Club while we lived in Odessa, USSR. Our family emigrated to the US in 1989.

My father was drawn to mechanical things from his teenage years. Born in 1954, he was already riding by the late 1960s. As he grew older, the bikes got more complicated. One of his Harley-Davidson WLAs had a sidecar that he would take to the motocross track and do jumps on. One time he and his friend snuck up behind a slow-moving tractor pulling a trailer full of grapes…and got some.

In the early 1980s he heard about the Odessa Auto Retro Club and joined. After selling his Harley, he picked up a 1938 Ford V8, made in Germany, not the US.

FAMILY IN 1984 IN LENINGRAD (NOW ST. PETERSBURG)

In the USSR, the general rule was: if you had a German vehicle, it was a trophy brought back after World War II; if you had an American one, it was left over from Lend-Lease. That's why Studebakers were still used on farms for years after the war.

I joined the AMCA in 2021 after acquiring a 1970 Jawa with a Velorex sidecar, made in Czechoslovakia, with my father joining shortly after in 2023. The bike came fully restored, and the only work my father and I did was convert the electrical system from 6 volts to 12 volts.

During the SoCal AMCA general election in September 2025, I volunteered to serve as Secretary, a position I currently hold. I am very happy to serve my fellow members and look forward to taking on more responsibility!

DAD IN HELMET STARTING A 1967 K-175 (USSR))

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Chapter Finances

BY TIM GRABER, TREASURER I offered to help the new board because I am familiar with the accounts and felt the board could use some support. The chapter ended the year on a positive note: all bills from the Borrego Springs Road Run and the full year have been paid.

Our goal is to maintain enough funds in the account to pre-pay expenses needed to run our events. President Steve Sorensen has been doing a great job establishing the club's correct charitable status, which will help us avoid unnecessary government fees and positions us for long-term stability.

We will also be setting up a new bank account to accommodate modern digital payment options for future events and member dues.

Respectfully submitted, Tim Graber

A M CA 2026 N a ti o n a l M e e t an d R oa d R u n Sch e du le

2026 A M CA N a ti o n a l M e e ts J u n e 1 2 – 1 3 | S t . Pa u l , M N | Vikin g C h a pte r J u n e 1 9 – 20 | D i xo n , CA | Fo r t S u tter C h ap ter J u l y 1 6 – 1 8 | Wa u s e o n , O H | Wa us e on N a t io n al M ee t J u l y 24 – 2 5 | G re e n f i e l d , M A | Ya n ke e C h a p te r Au g u s t 2 1 – 2 2 | U p p e rco, M D | C h e s ap eake C h a p te r Au g u s t 2 8 – 2 9 | B u l l i , Au s t ra lia | Au s t ral i a C h a pte r O c to b e r 9 – 1 0 | D e n to n , N C | S ou t h e rn N a t io n al M ee t 2026 A M CA N a ti o n a l R oa d R un s M a rch 3 1 – A p ri l 2 | Ke rr v i l l e , TX | C h e ro kee C h a p te r S e p te m b e r 8 – 1 0 | H i l l C i ty, S D | B la ck H il l s C h a p te r S e p te m b e r 1 5 – 1 7 | D i cks o n , TN | M u s ic C ity C h a pte r S e p te m b e r 2 1 – 2 3 | J a cks o n , CA | For t S u tte r C h a p te r

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FRITZ AND RUSSELL HARMON GETTING THE OLD HARLEY DAVIDSON FIRED UP — EARLY SOCAL AMCA DAYS.

FRITZ WITH THE FAMILY'S 1913 INDIAN MOTOCYCLE AND TROPHIES. LA MIRADA MALL SHOW & SWAP, EARLY 1970S.

Growing Up with the Southern California Chapter of the Antique Motocycle Club of America

BY FRITZ HARMON For me it all started with my grandfather's 1913 Indian Motocycle that he rode from 1913 to 1922, when a part in the clutch broke in Washington Camp, Arizona. My Dad, Russell Harmon, started working on it in 1962 at our home in Fullerton, California. First, he reverseengineered and machined the clutch part.

Then he had to hacksaw the old Goodyear Brownie tires that had petrified, and his friend Bud Ekins found rickshaw tires that had to be stretched to fit the old clincher rims. In the 1960s, my Dad's Indian Motocycle collection started to grow. In the late 1960s, he found the Classic and Antique Motorcycle Club (CAMA) in Northern California and started a SoCal CAMA chapter with some of the SoCal AMCA founding fathers — Harry Sucher, Chuck Vernon, Bob Stark, and Bob Ross, that I remember. In 1972, the SoCal AMCA was started by our founding fathers, and the road runs and the motorcycle show & swap at La Mirada Mall were GREAT! My Dad would let me tag along to his friends' shops and homes to see their motorcycles —

like Bud Ekins’ motorcycle dealership, where I looked over a guy's shoulder as he painted script on an antique H/D gas tank.

Bud walked by and said, "Von Dutch, say hello to Fritz!" Or the summer of 1975, when Bud brought his friend over to see my Dad's racing Indians. At first I didn't recognize him because he had long hair and a beard.

My Dad walked in and Bud said, "Russ, I want you to meet my friend Steve!" WOW — Steve McQueen in my living room! I remember going to Bob Ross's motorcycleonly shop in Signal Hill, in a very old building with rows of old Harley Davidson parts that looked like they were about to fall over. Dr. Harry Sucher was even our veterinarian.

Fifty-three years of the SoCal AMCA so far — let's keep it going strong! Come to our road runs and monthly meetings, and try to bring new and younger antique motorcycle collectors into our club so we can share our knowledge about antique motorcycles.

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2026 Borrego Springs Winter Road Run — February 26 to 28, 2026

BY TIM GRABER

This SoCal AMCA club ride has been going on since about 1995. It was originally conceived by the club's directors as a way to enjoy some time in the desert after years of putting on the SoCal AMCA swap meet — which eventually wound down due to a lack of volunteers. Club President Chuck Vernon had a manufactured home at Roadrunner Park with a community room available, which became the natural gathering spot. The Saturday night banquet was a low-key, relaxed dinner enjoyed by all. In more recent years, the ride has been headquartered at the beautiful Borrego Springs Resort, a tradition that continued in 2026.

Now in its 31st year, the 2026 event was managed by the SoCal AMCA board and ran flawlessly. President Steve Sorensen kept everything together and did a great job as Ride Captain. Pre-registration

reached 72 riders, which allowed for accurate T-shirt counts and hospitality items to be ordered and delivered in advance. This was the original three-day format: the first day is traditionally an unorganized arrival day, with riders coming into town, getting settled, checking out the Galleta Meadows sculptures, and stopping for food and fuel.

Friday's ride was a 110-mile loop with a scheduled lunch at Lake Cuyamaca included in the registration fee — a wonderful meal enjoyed by all. Sitting at 4,600 feet in the Cuyamaca Mountains, surrounded by pine and oak forests just nine miles from the historic town of Julian, it's a beautiful spot for a lunch stop. Temperatures during the day ranged from 70 to 99 degrees.

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Borrego Springs Run Continued...

In anticipation of Saturday's heat, the course was adjusted for those wanting to avoid a projected high of 110 degrees in Ocotillo, the small desert town near the Mexican border that is our usual Saturday destination. Seven riders took on the hotter route, heading to the Lazy Lizard Saloon in Ocotillo for lunch and refreshments, supported by a dedicated trouble truck.

The Saturday banquet was held at the resort and featured the traditional spread: prime rib with potatoes, vegetables, and salad — excellent and abundant as always. Steve Sorensen did a great job emceeing the dinner and presenting prizes.

Dinner was served to 75 people. All in all, another great regional club ride for the SoCal Chapter of the AMCA.

The rest of the group headed up into the mountains for cooler roads and a visit to the Palomar Observatory.

Total mileage ranged from 110 to 150 miles depending on the chosen route. The roads were excellent and the weather very accommodating.

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2026 Johnny Eagles Memorial Ride in Joshua Tree — April 2 to 4, 2026

BY TIM GRABER The 2026 Johnny Eagles Memorial Ride was a genuine success. For those who don't know the history, this ride was born more than 20 years ago when Harry Sucher and his son Vic decided to take Johnny out for a quick overnighter in the desert.

Johnny loved the desert, and it was as simple as that.

What started as a one-night run has grown into a 2.5day tradition, and since Johnny's passing in April 2022, it has become a true memorial ride. This year we had eight riders, nine bikes, and one support truck rolling every day, just the way it should be.

We stayed, as we have for all 20 years of the run, at the El Rancho Dolores Motel in Twentynine Palms.

Kenn, the owner, welcomed us back warmly. We caught up on his kids, now 20, 22, and 23, doing well as students up at UC Berkeley, and it's that kind of continuity that makes this ride feel like coming home.

Thursday: Riders began arriving in the afternoon and we set out for the Palms Bar in Wonder Valley, only to find it closed on a Thursday. No problem. We pointed the bikes west and made a run all the way out to Roy's Motel & Café on Route 66 in Amboy, a 100-mile round trip. Winds were cooperative, running around 15 mph. We rolled out from the hotel around 3:00 PM, got back by 6:00, cleaned up, and headed to dinner at The Rib Co., the local rib joint. I'll say this plainly: those ribs are exceptional, and I will never make this trip without ordering them.

Friday: Friday morning broke clean and clear. We rode through Joshua Tree National Park, all the way through to the south entrance, crossed the freeway, and headed down to Mecca for fuel. From there we made our way back north and stopped for lunch at the Chiriaco Summit Café. If you haven't eaten there, put it on your list, it's near the Patton Museum, the facility is clean and welcoming, the staff is friendly, and the food is genuinely good. We were back at the hotel by around 4:00 PM, rested up, and had a fine dinner at the 29 Palms Inn that evening.

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Johnny Eagles Run Continued...

Saturday: We were up and out by 9:00 AM for the ride up to Keyes View, one of the crown jewels of Joshua Tree, with sweeping views of the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault, and on a clear day, all the way to Mexico. It was cold and breezy at the top, winds around 10–15 mph, but worth every bit of it.

I gave him quite a hard time about it, as is right and proper. It's moments like those that make a group ride memorable.

Coming back down, one of our riders — Scott Spencer, from Ventura, had a bike that wouldn't start. Scott headed back to the hotel to fetch his truck and trailer, and I followed along to see if he needed a hand. Here's where the adventure took a turn: the sign for the Keyes View turnoff had gone missing. Scott left the hotel 15 minutes before I did and somehow arrived at the bike a full hour after me.

That's the Twentynine Palms / Joshua Tree ride in a nutshell: easy miles, good company, great food, and the occasional mechanical comedy. If you missed it this year, mark your calendar for 2027. You'll regret sitting it out again.

I was home by 4:30 or 5:00 to a wonderful dinner that Janis had waiting, a perfect ending to a perfect run.

See you on the next ride.

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Agua Dulce Run to The Rock Inn — November 22, 2025

BY MARC GALLIN Larry and Peggy Doane hosted a great SoCal Chapter run out of Agua Dulce on November 22nd, with 13 motorcycles in attendance, including a 1935 Harley VL, a 1962 Duo Glide, and Mike and Carolyn Tomas on a 1940s Indian Chief. Riders gathered at Larry's garage for coffee and muffins before heading out to lunch at The Rock Inn, a historic roadhouse built in 1929 and approaching its 100th anniversary.

The food and service were excellent.

The ride back wound through Spunky Canyon, Bouquet Canyon, and Vasquez Canyon — beautiful roads to cap off a great day. Thanks to Larry and Peggy for hosting.

For the full story and photos, visit the SoCal AMCA Riders' Blog at socalamca.org.

Southern California Chapter of the AMCA Welcome to the resurrected SoCal Chapter newsletter. Traditionally published quarterly, it is distributed to Chapter members, editors of other chapter newsletters and the directors and officers of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. Membership in the SoCal Chapter is open to all members in good standing with the National AMCA. Local chapter dues are $20 per year for a full membership.

SoCal AMCA Executive Board President: Steve Sorensen Vice President/Historian: Marc Gallin Secretary: Feliks Derbarmdiker Treasurer: Tim Graber Ride Captains: Craig Dillmann, Marc Gallin and Steve Taenzer Newsletter Editors: Fritz Harmon and Adriana Leiss Website/Social Media: A. Leiss

For more info, visit www.SoCalAMCA.org * Email us at socalamca@yahoo.com.

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