1 tired motorcycle, 1 crazy rider, and 6 different racing disciplines
things "Three ays lw have a d my de n comma ion: n atte t n, ome food, w ycle torc and mo g." racin
By: Kyle Smith Courtesy of Hagerty
zy a cra "It's ne that o plan, equire a g r will wrenchin f o f lot lot o and a ng." i learn
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Three things have always commanded my attention: food, women, and motorcycle racing. As I watch my bathroom scale register higher numbers each month and celebrate my engagement to a wonderful woman, that leaves motorcycle racing an unfulfilled dream. So I did what any aspiring dream-fulfiller should do-I started reading. I needed to pick an organizing body, decide on a racing discipline, and choose a bike. I began with a cursory search of the internet and arrived at the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association. I've already traveled to a number of "AHRMA s e AHRMA events, and casually fielded significan emed tly more a bike in its Barber Vintage Festival approach ab a year ago, so the AHRMA seemed than any le other significantly more approachable than organizin g body" any other organizing body. I paid my dues online and, when the rule book arrived in the mail, sat down with a cup of coffee and got down to the Runnining ’79 YZ 125 at Barber 20 business of deciding whether I could 19 really do this. Let me be clear-no rule book is a page turner. The dry, procedural, and information-heavy text is hardly a pleasurable Sunday read. Still, I kept flipping pages. As I absorbed data on the AHRMA's multitude of disciplines and classes-vintage motocross, cross country, road racing, flat track, and trials-a single thought crept into my mind.
What if I did them all? Nah, that would be insane. I'd need to figure out one bike to fit different racing disciplines. As my own mechanic, I'd shoulder the burden of prepping the bike for each class, and I'd have only myself to blame if, in attempting this eclectic lineup, I completely embarrassed myself. Tackling all the AHRMA classes is a huge challenge, but, thanks to the encouragement of my coworkers and friends, it's a challenge I've decided to accept.
WWW.AHRMA.ORG
AMERICAN HISTORIC RACING MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION
APRIL 2021
