American Motorcyclist 02 2013

FEBRUARY 2013

Touring America From the Pacific Coast Highway to Northern Maine Fighting For Your Rights

THE JOURNAL OF THE

For more than 25 years, Al Holtsberry has supported the AMA. Now we’re offering something special for him and all other AMA Life Members.

Welcome to Life Member Plus!

We designed the new Life Member Plus program to stay connected with our Life Members and reward them for their years of dedication to the AMA. Offering up a package that includes American Motorcyclist magazine and AMA Roadside Assistance at a special discounted rate, Life Member Plus is a money-saving value.

The new program is 100 percent optional, so if you choose not to enroll, you still receive all the current benefits of life membership—a voice on behalf of motorcycling in the halls of government, the ability to sign up for AMA-sanctioned events, money-saving benefits and more.

With Life Member Plus, you get all that, plus AMA Roadside Assistance and American Motorcyclist magazine. And stay tuned for additional Life Member benefits to come.

AMA Life Member Plus Includes: • FREE AMA Roadside Assistance • 12 issues of American Motorcyclist magazine • AMA Life Member Plus Membership card, pin, and decal every year • A voice protecting motorcyclists’ rights at the federal, state and local levels • Continued access to AMA Rights, Riding, Racing and Rewards—including money-saving discounts

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NAVIGATION

Cover

AMA Member Rick Wheaton flew his Triumph Tiger all the way from the United Kingdom to ride more than 10,000 miles in the United States last summer—bringing grandson Jake along for part of the ride. Read about it starting on page 32.

Photo: Simon Keitch

Navigation Photo

AMA racing never stops. The AMA Hare and Hound National Championship Series, for example, kicks off Jan. 26-27 in Lucerne Valley, Calif. In this photo, Kurt Caselli shows how hare and hound racing is done.

Photo: Courtesy of KTM

American Motorcyclist magazine (ISSN 0277-9358) is published monthly by the American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147.

Copyright by the American Motorcyclist Association/American Motorcyclist 2013.

Printed in USA. Subscription rate: Magazine subscription fee of $10 covered in membership dues; $15 a year for non-members.

Postmaster: Mail form 3579 to 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147.

Periodical postage paid at Pickerington, Ohio, and at additional mailing offices.

February 2013 Volume 67, Number 2 Published by the American Motorcyclist Association 13515 Yarmouth Dr. Pickerington, OH 43147 (800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646) www.americanmotorcyclist.com

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8. LETTERS

You write, we read.

10. WAYNE ALLARD Monument to disaster.

12. RIGHTS

E15 won’t appear in California for years, and Europe mandates anti-lock brakes.

18. RIDING

Ride a dual-sport event, Race Tech member benefit, date for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days announced, AMA Member Tested: HJC RPHA Max Modular.

24. RACING

National advancement system introduced for off-road racers, AMA Pro-Am Motocross schedule announced.

28. HALL OF FAME

1980 Honda CR250R Elsinore, and Hall of Famer Cordy Milne.

32. A BRITISH BIKER’S AMERICA

Sometimes, the wrong side of the road is the right way to go.

38. NINE BATTLES THAT HAVE SHAPED AMERICAN MOTORCYCLING Since its creation in 1924, the AMA has been at the forefront in the fights for motorcyclists’ rights. But despite the victories, fights continue.

42. GO RIDE

What to do, where to go.

50. KIRK LORENCE Father does best.

Watch this space for updates about your valuable benefits as an AMA member.

AMA REWARDS

FEATURED BENEFITS

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AMA Government Relations A full-time staff in Washington D.C., California and Ohio protects your right to ride.

STAYING INFORMED

Lines, at (877) 518-7376 for at least $60 off standard rates. For international shipments, call Motorcycle Express at (800) 245-8726. To get your discount, be sure to have your AMA number handy. Motorcycle Express also offers temporary international insurance.

American Motorcyclist Each month, you receive the best magazine covering the motorcycle lifestyle.

THE ESSENTIALS AMA Roadside Assistance The Best Deal In Towing Get peace of mind with AMA Roadside Assistance, which covers all your vehicles, as well as those of your family members living with you. Best of all, you can get this coverage at no additional charge. For details, call (800) 262-5646.

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EDITORIAL OFFICES

AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

American Motorcyclist 13515 Yarmouth Drive Pickerington, OH 43147 (614) 856-1900 submissions@ama-cycle.org

Husqvarna is proud to sponsor the 2012 AMA National Dual-Sport Series

Contact any member of the AMA Board of Directors at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/ about/board Stan Simpson, Chairman Cibolo, Texas

James Holter, Managing Editor Bill Kresnak, Government Affairs Editor Mark Lapid, Creative Director Jen Muecke, Designer Jeff Guciardo, Production Manager/Designer

Maggie McNally, Vice Chairwoman Albany, N.Y. Ken Ford, Assistant Treasurer Bartow, Fla.

ADVERTISING Steve Gotoski, Advertising Director (Western States) (951) 566-5068, sgotoski@ama-cycle.org

Perry King, Assistant Secretary Northern California

Zach Stevens, National Sales Manager (626) 298-3854, zstevens@ama-cycle.org

John Ulrich, Executive Committee Member Lake Elsinore, Calif.

Russ Brenan, Irvine, Calif.

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.

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No responsibility is assumed for loss or damage to unsolicited material.

Copyright© American Motorcyclist Association, 2012.

Sean Hilbert, Hillsdale, Mich.

Scott Miller, Milwaukee, Wis. Art More, Sun City West, Ariz.

Jim Viverito, Chicago, Ill.

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AMA STAFF EXECUTIVE

AMA RACING/ORGANIZER SERVICES (continued)

Rob Dingman, President/CEO Rhonda Hixon, Administrative Asst./Litigation Manager Bruce Moffat, Chief Financial Officer Sen. Wayne Allard, Vice President, Government Relations Bob Chaddock, Vice President, Administration Jeff Massey, Vice President, Operations Jim Williams, Vice President, Industry Relations & Corporate Member Programs Grant Parsons, Director of Communications & Marketing Rob Rasor, Director of International Affairs

D’Andra Schwabel, Organizer Services Coordinator Serena Van Dyke, Organizer Services Coordinator Chuck Weir, Off Road Racing Manager Conrad Young, Timing & Scoring Manager

ACCOUNTING

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Marie Esselstein, Government Affairs Assistant Danielle Fowles, Grassroots Coordinator Nick Haris, Western States Representative Sharon Long, Legislative Coordinator Rick Podliska, Deputy Director Imre Szauter, Government Affairs Manager - On-Road

Sean Maher, Director

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

AMHF/MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME

Rob Baughman, Network Administrator John Boker, Developer Dave Coleman, Network Architect Amy Hyman, Senior Programmer/Analyst Ed Madden, Managed Services Manager Bill Miller, Web Architect Peg Tuvell, Operations Manager

Dawn Becker, Accounting Manager Melanie Hise, HR Assistant/Payroll Coordinator

Renee Bock, Management Assistant Beth Myers, Donor Relations Specialist Paula Schremser, Program Specialist Katy Wood, Operations Manager AMA RACING/ORGANIZER SERVICES

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Kip Bigelow, Amateur MX Manager Joe Bromley, District Relations Manager Jacki Burris, Organizer Services Coordinator Jane Caston, Racing Coordinator Lana Cox, Administrative Assistant/Switchboard Operator Kevin Crowther, Director SX & Pro Racing Relations Bill Cumbow, Director of Special Projects Sandi Dunphy, Coordinator/Switchboard Operator Dave Hembroff, Road Riding Manager Alex Hunter, MX Operational Coordinator Tamra Jones, Racing Coordinator Ken Saillant, Track Racing Manager Cherie Schlatter, Organizer Services Manager

DISTRIBUTION/FACILITIES SERVICES John Bricker, Mailroom Manager Heida Drake, Copy Center Operator/Switchboard Operator Bill Frasch, Mailroom Clerk GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

MARKETING Connie Fleming, Events Manager Kaitlyn Sesco, Marketing/Communications Specialist MEMBER SERVICES/DATA ENTRY Lori Cavucci, Member Services Representative Deb D’Andrea, Member Services Representative Linda Hembroff, Member Services Representative Darcel Higgins, Member Services Manager Kimberly Jude, Member Services Representative Angie Miller, Member Services Representative Tiffany Pound, Member Services Representative Jessica Robinson, Member Services Representative

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MEMBER LETTERS

Send your letters (and a high-resolution photo) to submissions@ama-cycle.org; or mail to 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147.

LETTER OF THE MONTH SAFETY FIRST! About “Safety Tech” (January issue), the movie “Demolition Man” came quickly Each month, a lucky AMA member wins a Bike to mind. Next we’ll all be using those Bandit gift card worth $100. Didn’t win? No worries. You can still take advantage of your three shells and eating at Taco Bell with 10% AMA member discount at BikeBandit.com.

Lt. Huxley! I don’t want all that information thrown at me while riding. I want to be responsible for my ride. I want to be scanning for dangers ahead of me. And I want to sit in the greasy spoon and think, “Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the big rack of Barbecued spare ribs with my side order of gravy fries and fruit cup?”

Seriously, how is all this safety tech different than cell phones and other driver distractions? You’ll be dead if you are looking at that screen trying to digest all of that information and make a decision. That truth will quickly lead to the argument that the systems should take over your bike and do it for you. ABS is non-intrusive and can be of benefit to those who want it. It doesn’t tell us when to use our brakes, just helps us when we decide to do so.

This latest “safety” stuff steps over that line. Time to wake John Spartan and Simon Phoenix out of their cryogenic sleep!

Rich Kutzner Westminster, Md.

WELL PACKED As a road rider for a considerable number of years, I would like to question the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s list of items in case of a roadside emergency in the January issue.

Here are some things I have needed over the years: a piece of duct tape wrapped around a crash bar or perhaps handlebar, a tire repair kit to at least get you somewhere to get repairs, a spare key hidden somewhere on the bike (maybe under the duct tape somewhere), some lightweight motorcycle jumper cables and, lastly, a spare set of glasses for riding at night or as a temporary backup for your sunglasses if they should get lost or break.

Things I would not take from the provided list of tools are these: a spare spark plug, cable ties, electrical wire.

From the list of medical items I would not take: adhesive tape, gauze pads, tweezers and rubber gloves.

Now I do realize this list is from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and they might take issue with me as far as some of these medical items being left off, but those things are sure too dirty long before there would be any use for them, and space restriction is a consideration, after all.

Bill Arnold Pueblo West, Colo.

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SECOND-CLASS CRIME Every time I see rankings for motorcycle thefts (Rights, January issue), I am reminded of an incident in my hometown 25 or 30 years ago.

I have always worked night shift, and one night on my way home I stopped at a local all-night grocery. There was a young kid (I would guess around 13 or 14 years old) riding a fairly large street bike like a maniac around the parking lot. I found a phone, called the police and hung around to see what would happen. If I had not personally witnessed this, I would never have believed it.

They “ran” the plate on the bike and it was registered to someone in Indiana. The policeman told the young man, “You’d better get that bike off of the street.” The last thing I saw was the kid pushing it down the street.

As near as I could tell no parents were called, nothing.

It sure makes me wonder how many times things like this happen in other states. Oh, and by the way, I had a motorcycle stolen in Dayton, Ohio, back in 1972. My stolen bike got as much attention as a bicycle would have gotten.

Bill Reeves Wilmington, Ohio

WHERE DO WE RIDE? I just finished reading the article “Officials in Cities Plan to Seize Dirtbikes” (January issue), and it got me very angry.

I grew up on dirtbikes and eventually moved to quads and street bikes, and only stopped because of other priorities (new bride, house, two babies).

Now my girls are growing up, and I have been contemplating getting them quads as a way for myself to get back into the sport. However, the biggest problem I faced when I was riding is even bigger today: where to ride.

Politicians such as Blondell Brown of Philadelphia love to claim the trophy for cleaning up the streets, but as usual, they do nothing to help those of us who want a legal riding area. I remember in the 1980s how we used to sneak the bikes through the town, riding the “pipeline” to get out to the New Jersey Meadowlands and riding under the turnpike, only to be chased by state troopers or local police.

And please don’t blame law enforcement. My sister is a lieutenant in south Jersey, and the last thing she and her subordinates want to do is seize dirt bikes.

They are busy enough already with real issues. This problem has been epidemic since I started riding, and yet no one has implemented a true solution.

My only option is a three-hour drive deep into Pennsylvania, New York or the southern tip of New Jersey. The state was allowed to build that ugly, unused Xanadu mall that never opened, but an offhighway vehicle park is allegedly out of the question. While no one expects a track in the middle of an urban area, there is plenty of space that is out of the way where a facility can be built.

Ms. Brown should be looking for a real solution to the problem in Philly, not exacerbating it by fueling more animosity between citizens and the police by implementing laws that earn political stars for herself.

Frank Schiavone Jr. Clifton, N.J. TO EACH HIS OWN In his letter “AMA For All” (January issue), Mr. McMahon states “I work hard to protect my personal liberties...” and then turns right around wanting to impose his attitudes on everyone else with mandatory helmet laws.

Sure, helmets are a good idea and should be encouraged. But preventing someone from enjoying a slow-speed putt through a national park without having to wear a helmet? Not so much.

The “public burden” of healthcare costs

has been way overstated and disproven time and time again.

For those who will respond that accidents can happen at any speed, which we all know, perhaps you should stay in bed.

We are already a very small group of enthusiasts. Please stop trying to encourage further divisions within our group and let us all live with individual choice and personal responsibility.

Barry Brooks Lakewood, Colo.

RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS I didn’t think I’d ever experience an AMA member channeling Dick Floyd (California assemblyman) but Matt McMahon (“AMA for All,” January issue) has managed to show me otherwise. (“It’s that often helmet-less riders don’t die.”)

It appears that he, and others of his ilk, will only be happy when all those killed on motorcycles are wearing helmets. I lament all motorcycle accidents, injuries and fatalities, regardless of helmet use or non-use, and I believe the majority of AMA members feel the same.

Helmets have been mandated by law for the past 47 years (New York 1-11966) with little to show for it. The only issue addressed in these laws is that of arrest, incarceration and/or fine. Period.

Accidents, injuries, fatalities, insurance costs, medical costs, and the so-called public burden are not, and never have been, a part of any helmet law nor will they ever be as these situations and costs occur regardless of helmet use or non-use. The idea that safer crashing is preferable to safer riding is absurd…

There is no “silver bullet” that will make motorcycling completely safe but safety education, of all highway users, comes closer than anything else that’s been tried.

I must also point out that the AMA has done nothing to “repeal universal helmet laws.” A cursory look at state helmet laws will show that almost every state continues to have a mandatory helmet law although most recognize the difference between adults and minors much the same way alcohol consumption laws distinguish between adults and minors. The AMA has simply recognized the difference.

I applaud the AMA for promoting adult responsibility and motorcycle safety education and I’m proud to be an AMA Life Member. Keep up the good work.

Jesse McDugald Woodbine, Ga.

FIT THE CRIME My husband, Tom, is a Charter Life Member of the AMA and after I took (and passed) the motorcycle safety course in our state and became an operator myself, I joined your organization also. We were happy to visit your [AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame] museum and to see all that you display regarding the motorcycle world.

I have a story to tell you. On Oct. 4, 2012 I was on my way home from work riding my 2005 Softail Deluxe. I was on a nice, straight two-lane road a few miles from home. It was close to 6 p.m., still light out. I am heading north and see two vehicles up ahead heading south but with their left turn signals on. As trained, I start to slow down, hand on the brake, thinking ahead just in case. They looked like they were stopped waiting to turn into a side street.

As I get closer to the intersection, the first vehicle turns right in front of me! I hit my brakes but there’s no way to avoid the crash. The driver of the vehicle (a 54-yearold male in a red pick up truck) gets out and says, “I didn’t see you.” (I have very bright lights along with a constant-on spot light.)

His wife was in the vehicle behind him and her first words were, “I saw you. I don’t know why he didn’t.”

I had both bones broken in my lower

The Road

Bonnie Svabik

left leg, all four ligaments torn in my left knee and a dislocated right shoulder with all four ligaments torn in my rotator cuff. I have had surgery on my leg and shoulder but am still waiting to have surgery on my knee.

Even with all the media regarding “watch out for motorcycles,” people are still not paying attention!

The part that fires up my husband the most is the guy who hit me just got cited with “failure to yield.” He called the courthouse and found out that this man who caused me all this grief got a $25 fine with $75 court costs! This is outrageous!

For all reading this, please contact your local government to see if there is a bill to stop this kind of injustice.

Bonnie Svabik Brookfield, Ohio

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VIEWPOINT MONUMENT TO DISASTER New Efforts Could Block Off-Highway Riding The national elections are over and the political landscape in Washington, D.C., remains essentially unchanged.

That means that, in Congress, there may be stalemates over a lot of issues over the next four years, including motorcycling-related concerns. We recognize this, and so do motorcycling’s opponents, who are already hard at work trying to figure out ways to keep motorcyclists and all-terrain vehicle riders off

By Wayne Allard public land.

The elections were barely over when a coalition of 100 outdoor-recreation companies that sell everything from mountain-climbing gear to bicycle products—none of them motorcycling related—petitioned the president to declare 1.4 million acres surrounding the Canyonlands National Park in Utah as a national monument.

So with the stroke of a presidential pen, these companies could potentially shut off 1.4 million acres of public land from riders.

They don’t want the people’s representatives in Congress to decide the appropriate land use. They want the president alone to make it off-limits.

They want the president to designate the 1.4 million acres as a national monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906. That federal law was initially passed to protect native American artifacts such as pottery from being taken from small tracts of federal land in the West. That is, Congress determined that national monument designations are supposed to be confined to very small areas.

A presidential proclamation on the Canyonlands-area proposal would be completely contrary to President Obama’s own articulated intent behind his America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, which is that solutions should arise from the American people and not be policy dictates from Washington.

Presidents haven’t interpreted the Antiquities Act to apply only to small areas, as intended by Congress.

President Bill Clinton created an uproar in 1996 when he designated 1.9 million acres in southern Utah as the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

And though it didn’t affect OHV access, President George Bush used the Antiquities Act to circumvent Congress and set aside the future use of thousands of square miles of the Pacific Ocean without public debate. In 2006, he designated 140,000 square miles of ocean and 10 islands and coral atolls in the northwestern Hawaiian islands as a U.S. national monument, now called the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Utah’s U.S. lawmakers are already taking issue with the proposal for a new national monument. But that isn’t stopping proponents in Utah, and certainly won’t stop proponents in other areas of the country who want the president to declare their pet projects as monuments, which could shut them off to responsible OHV users.

On top of this, we can expect anti-OHV forces to be back on Capitol Hill pushing for federal Wilderness land-use designations on millions of acres of public land.

Wilderness designations impose a variety of restrictions, including banning off-highway motorcycles, ATVs, mountain bikes and even landings by aircraft. These designations, because of their ban on roads, motorized vehicles and such, don’t just impact off-highway riders and mountain bikers. They also create problems

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related to clearing dead wood from forests to prevent fires, protecting towns from wild fires and managing water.

Only Congress can designate land as Wilderness. Legislation calling for land to be designated as Wilderness is possible because of the National Wilderness Act of 1964. That federal law is intended to preserve land that “generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable.” That means no roads, power lines, buildings, bridges or dams.

After that law was passed, there was a nationwide survey of public land to determine what land qualified. The survey led to congressional approval of Wilderness areas around the nation.

Since 1964, Congress has designated more than 100 million acres of public land as Wilderness, barring motorized recreation.

That’s an area bigger than the entire state of California.

Anti-OHV organizations to this day continue to push for more land to be designated as Wilderness even if those areas aren’t the pristine, untouched land envisioned and strictly defined by the 1964 National Wilderness Act. The AMA believes that public land that meets the strict criteria of the Wilderness Act deserves to be protected. And public land that can’t meet the strict requirements of the Wilderness Act should be governed by another, equally forceful, federal law—the Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act of 1960 that serves as a road map for federal public land managers.

That law encourages a wide variety of activities, provided that they take place in harmony with natural resource values.

The AMA believes access should be administered by professional land managers to meet the needs of users, protect the land and promote responsible use.

This year and beyond we will continue to fight for your right to ride and race. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help. By signing up to receive AMA Action Alerts, you will be notified when and how you can make a difference on these critical issues.

Go to www.americanmotorcyclist.com to sign up for AMA Action Alerts and to learn more.

Wayne Allard, a former U.S. senator and U.S. representative from Colorado, is the AMA vice president for government relations.

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RIGHTS

considering the effects on the economy of the state.

The AMA has repeatedly expressed concerns to government officials and federal lawmakers about possible damage to motorcycle and ATV engines caused by the inadvertent use of E15 when the new fuel becomes widely available, and has asked that motorcycles and ATVs be part of any scientific study into the effects of E15 on engines.

Ethanol is essentially grain alcohol that is mixed with gasoline to produce an ethanol-gasoline blend motor fuel. In October 2010, the EPA approved the use of E15 in model year 2007 and newer light-duty vehicles (cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles).

Then, in January 2011, the EPA added model year 2001-06 light-duty vehicles to the approved list.

AAA FEARS VEHICLE DAMAGE FROM E15 ETHANOL-GASOLINE BLEND

Controversial Ethanol-Gas Blend Needs Testing

The California Air Resources Board has told the AMA that even if it approves the sale of the new E15 ethanol-gasoline blend in California, the blend wouldn’t appear in the market for several years.

CARB made the comment in response to a letter from AMA Vice President for Government Relations Wayne Allard, who expressed concern about potential misfueling of E15 into motorcycles and

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all-terrain vehicles. E15 is a gasoline formulation that contains up to 15 percent ethanol, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency hasn’t approved its use in motorcycles or ATVs. To avoid misfueling, the EPA is requiring warning labels on gas pumps and requiring all consumers buy at least four gallons of gas when they buy from blender pumps to ensure dilution. A blender pump dispenses different fuel blends through the same hose.

Michael Waugh, chief of the CARB transportation fuels branch, responded to Allard’s letter on behalf of CARB Chairwoman Mary Nichols. In his Nov. 6 letter, Waugh wrote: “Please be advised that E15 is not approved for sale in California, and if CARB chooses to allow E15 as a transportation fuel, it would take several years to complete the vehicle testing and rule development necessary to introduce a new transportation fuel into California’s market.

“Meanwhile, U.S. EPA has committed to ‘closely follow the results of their E15 Compliance Survey to determine whether additional misfueling mitigation measures are necessary.’ We will follow U.S. EPA’s continued assessment of E15 misfueling and will keep in mind these concerns should we move forward with allowing E15 in California,” Waugh wrote.

The California Air Resources Board is a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Its mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and

The automobile travel organization AAA warned on Nov. 30 that there’s a strong likelihood of consumer confusion— and the potential for voided warranties and vehicle damage—as a result of the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of E15 gasoline.

An overwhelming 95 percent of consumers recently surveyed by AAA haven’t heard of E15, which is a new gasoline blend that contains up to 15 percent ethanol. With little consumer knowledge about E15 and less than 5 percent of cars on the road approved by automakers to use the fuel, AAA is urging regulators and the industry to stop the sale of E15 until motorists are better protected.

“It is clear that millions of Americans are unfamiliar with E15, which means there is a strong possibility that many motorists may improperly fill up using this gasoline and damage their vehicle,” says AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet.

“Bringing E15 to the market without adequate safeguards does not responsibly meet the needs of consumers.”

The AMA notes that E15 is already being sold in the United States.

The AMA wants testing of E15 in motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles engines before the federal government approves its use for those vehicles, since E15 could damage those engines.

The AMA also opposes the federal mandate that consumers buy at least four gallons of gas when getting gas from a “blender pump” that dispenses E15 and other grades.

Photo Pumps: ©iStockphoto.com/Steven Robertson; EU: ©iStockphoto.com/scibak; Scale: ©iStockphoto.com/liangpv

CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD SAYS E15 WON’T APPEAR IN CALIFORNIA FOR YEARS

Consumers Appear Confused About The New Fuel

RIGHTS

DUMP TRUCK DRIVER GETS 26 YEARS FOR MOTORCYCLISTS’ DEATHS Four Killed, Five Injured In Case

EUROPEAN UNION DROPS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY CHECK PROPOSAL

An Arizona dump truck driver who killed four motorcyclists and injured five others has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Michael Jakscht received the sentence on Nov. 16 after being convicted of several counts in a crash at a Phoenix stoplight in 2010.

In a trial, he was found guilty of four counts of manslaughter, five counts of aggravated assault and four counts of endangerment.

Jakscht was tried on charges related to a March 25, 2010 crash in which he allegedly was under the influence of methamphetamine when he plowed into a group of motorcyclists stopped at a traffic signal.

United States Could Have Been Next In a surprise move, the European Union Council representatives meeting in Brussels on Dec. 3 decided to delete motorcycles and mopeds from a proposed new directive on technical inspections.

Written into the draft is a requirement to review the situation regarding mopeds and motorcycles in five years. But the European Union member states have clearly stated that they don’t see the need for safety checks of mopeds and motorcycles with the published draft.

Commenting on the outcome, Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme CEO Stéphane Desprez says: “This has been a controversial issue for many years. Some riders are used to technical inspections being part of the law as this has been done in many countries for a long time. Others have no tradition of this.

“It is further complicated by the fact that many enthusiasts own more than one motorcycle or scooter. If the testing is expensive, this becomes a large bill every year if all the bikes are kept on the road,” he says.

“The research underpinning this proposal was conducted by one of the testing institutes, and is contradicted by other studies on accident figures due to technical failures. This explains why its conclusions were weakened when reviewed by the European member states.

If and when the issue is discussed again in five years it will need more careful scrutiny,” he says.

The future directive will not affect the situation in countries that have this system at the national level, including the United Kingdom and Italy.

“U.S. officials over the years have made moves toward accepting standards set elsewhere,” says Rick Podliska, AMA deputy director of government relations.

“So this latest move by European officials to reject mandatory safety checks for motorcycles is encouraging news for American riders.”

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2011-12 OFF-HIGHWAY SUMMARY The AMA Government Relations Department monitored approximately 1,344 pieces of state legislation related to both on- and off-highway riding in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and

took action when necessary. Those actions included informational mailings to AMA members, news releases, testimony before state and federal lawmakers and providing information

to key legislative committees. Here’s a breakdown of the off-highway legislation followed during the 2011-12 legislative sessions around the country through Nov. 19.

Land Use Regulation of motorized recreation (36)

MisceLLaneOUs Equipment requirements, emissions regulation, sound regulation, and utility vehicles (55) OHV ROad Use The use of vehicles designed for off-road use on public roads (37) snOwMObiLe Trends in snowmobile program funding and regulation often precede similar trends for other OHVs (47)

MOtORized tRaiL PROgRaM Programs that create and maintain motorized trails (15)

RegistRatiOn (16)

OHV Regulation of off-highway vehicles other than dirtbikes and ATVs (19)

LiabiLitY and insURance Includes legislation affecting liability exposure for private and public motorized recreation property owners and operators, racing facility liability, and individual liability insurance requirements (52)

YOUtH Regulations involving the use of dirtbikes and ATVs by youngsters (11)

atV Regulations specific to all-terrain vehicles (24)

aLcOHOL/iMPaiRed OPeRatiOn (7)

tax Taxes levied on dirtbikes that don’t directly benefit a motorized trails program (17)

RideR edUcatiOn (3)

The State-by-State Guide to Motorcycle Laws continues to be a popular publication and print copies are free to AMA members. Guides are also available online at www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Also included on the website is the State-by-State Guide to On-Highway Motorcycle and ATV Laws and Regulations and the AMA’s Position Statements on various issues.

HeLMet Usage (6)

titLing (4)

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

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YAMAHA AWARDS $75,000 FOR MOTORIZED TRAIL PROJECTS More Money For More Trails

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.’s OHV Access Initiative approved $75,000 in funding in October to help seven different organizations in six states.

The groups receiving funding are the Border Riders Sportsman Club in Jackson, Maine; Great Lot Sportsman’s ATV Club in Booneville, N.Y.; MTN Trail Riders in Jonesborough, Tenn.; North Country ATV in North Stratford, N.H.; Northeast ATV Association in Troy, N.Y.; Thunder Mountain Wheelers in Delta, Colo.; and Snow Shoes Rails to Trails in Clarence, Pa. These organizations are helping implement Yamaha’s mission of supporting safe, responsible riding and open, sustainable riding areas through a variety of projects on the ground level. Since its inception in 2008, the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative has funded nearly 200 such projects across the country.

“Yamaha remains focused on supporting quality projects that represent significant opportunities for local OHV communities,” says Steve Nessl, Yamaha ATV and SxS marketing manager. “These projects take many forms, from improving a trail system’s access to local amenities and protecting sensitive environmental zones near and within riding areas to expanding legal riding areas.”

Yamaha is actively seeking qualified projects at local, state and federal levels. The current OHV Access Initiative GRANT application form and guidelines are available at www.yamahaohvaccess.com.

MINNESOTA CONSIDERING ADDING TWO NEW TRAIL SYSTEMS Expanding Opportunities

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is considering providing grants for two new trail systems: one in Beltrami County in northwestern Minnesota and one in Itasca County in the north-central part of the state.

In Beltrami County, the grant would fund the Northwoods-Soo Line ATV Trail.

The county would sponsor the trail and provide trail monitoring, development and maintenance in cooperation with the Northwoods Riders OHV Club. Most of the trail, which is approximately 35 miles, passes through land owned by Beltrami County, where ATV use is permitted.

The proposed funding would support a managed ATV trail system that runs from the city of Bemidji to the Clearwater County line and includes the communities of Pinewood and Wilton, along with nearby amenities and recreation facilities. The trail would be designated for ATV use, although it would remain open for other recreational uses, such as mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and snowmobiling.

In Beltrami County, the grant would fund the Bigfork to Balsam ATV Trail.

The proposed funding would provide a managed ATV trail that connects the city of Bigfork to the Balsam Trail Blazers ATV Club trail in northern Itasca County.

The county would sponsor the trail and provide trail monitoring, development and maintenance in cooperation with the Wilderness Wheelers ATV Club.

Most of the trail, which runs approximately 25 miles, is in the George Washington State Forest in northern Itasca County. Parts of the trail go through the Chippewa National Forest and in the rights-of-way of Itasca County roads.

Approximately one mile of new trail would be developed on state forest land.

The majority of the trail route is already open to all ATV use. Segments of the trail that pass through state or federal lands also would continue to be open to non-motorized uses, such as hiking and horseback riding.

Photos Texting: State Farm; ABS: BMW Motorrad

RIGHTS

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Though texting while driving remains a we must also be concerned about the concern on the nation’s highways, people growing use of multiple mobile web are also surfing the web while driving services while driving.” with increasing frequency, according to a While the distracted driving focus has survey conducted by traditionally been on State Farm Insurance young people, the Company. data indicate that FOR DRIVERS 18-29: That raises even motorists of all ages • Accessing the internet while on a cell phone while driving increased from more concerns in are using the mobile 29 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in efforts to reduce web while driving.

2012. distracted driving.

When asked for • Reading social media networks while The results of their opinion on ways driving increased from 21 percent in State Farm’s July to reduce distracted 2009 to 36 percent in 2012.

2012 survey of nearly driving, 72 percent • Updating social networks while 1,000 motorists were of drivers surveyed driving increased from 20 percent in 2009 to 30 percent in 2011. released in November, strongly agree with • Checking email while driving rose showing that over the laws or regulations from 32 percent in 2009 to 43 past four years there prohibiting texting percent in 2012. has been a significant or emailing behind increase in the use of the wheel. However, FOR ALL DRIVERS, THE DATA mobile web services almost two-thirds SHOWED: while driving. believe that laws • Smart phone ownership is on the rise, and people who report webbing The growing governing cell phone while driving goes down with age. popularity of smart use while driving are • Accessing the internet while on a cell phones is contributing enforced to little or no phone increased from 13 percent in to these escalating extent.

2009 to 21 percent in 2012. numbers. The survey To a lesser degree, • Reading social media networks while revealed an increase 45 percent were driving increased from 9 percent in in the percentage extremely likely to 2009 to 15 percent in 2012.

• Updating social networks while of drivers who own support technology driving increased from 9 percent in mobile web devices, that would prevent 2009 to 13 percent in 2012. as well as an increase texting or talking in the number of on a cell phone people who report while driving. accessing the internet while driving.

“State Farm continues to support “The mobile internet is generating a multi-pronged approach to another set of distractions for drivers encouraging more engaged driving,” to avoid,” says Chris Mullen, director of Mullen says. “Regulation, enforcement, technology research at State Farm. “While education and technology all have a role the safety community is appropriately to play in making our roads safer for all working to reduce texting while driving, who share them.”

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AMA FREEDOM FIGHTER

New Staffer has Legal, Legislative Experience Danielle Fowles is the newest member of the AMA Government Relations Department.

Fowles, most recently from San Diego, Calif., is based in the AMA’s Washington, D.C., office, where she is working on legislative and grassroots initiatives.

A graduate of the University of Utah, Fowles holds a bachelor’s in political science. She has worked as a legal assistant, fundraiser, and has served as an intern on Capitol Hill.

EUROPE MANDATING ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ON MOTORCYCLES Could The United States Be Next?

The European Parliament has approved a proposal to require anti-lock braking systems on all new motorcycles and trikes with engines larger than 125cc in Europe beginning in 2016.

Although the measure—adopted by a 643-to-16 vote, with 18 abstentions, on Nov. 20 in Brussels, Belgium—still needs to be adopted by each member nation of the European Union, approval is expected.

That means that—in the not-too-distant future—ABS could be on virtually all motorcycles models sold in the United States that are also available in Europe.

The AMA doesn’t oppose ABS—the AMA recognizes the safety benefits of the technology in most situations. However, the association has always maintained that ABS should be a rider’s choice, must be affordable, and riders must be able to switch ABS on and off on dual-sport machines that are equipped with the technology.

The European Parliament’s vote is a serious concern because of something called “global harmonization,” which is a term for the process by which vehicles of all types—including motorcycles—are likely to be built to uniform standards worldwide.

Harmonization has advantages for manufacturers, who would be able to make just

one version of a bike and sell it in every market. But it also has the potential to make vehicle standards passed in other parts of the world—like the European Union—the de facto law of the land here in the United States.

In 1998, representatives to the United Nations agreed to standardize vehicle technical regulations worldwide, including those covering motorcycle brakes.

On Aug. 24, 2012, the U.S. Transportation Department issued its final rule on motorcycle brake systems safety standards, in part, “to harmonize with a global technical regulation (GTR) for motorcycle brakes.

“The GTR was developed under the United Nations 1998 Global Agreement with the U.S. as an active participant, and it was derived from various motorcycle braking regulations from around the world, including the U.S. motorcycle brake systems standard,” the final rule said.

While that final rule is very technical and really doesn’t impact motorcyclists, it shows how the global harmonization process works, and it shows how decisions made in Europe could impact riders in the United States.

But U.S. officials don’t need to wait for a global technical standard requiring ABS systems on new bikes to mandate it. They could simply make a rule, and that’s what the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety wants them to do.

The IIHS has said it is “seeking a federal requirement that manufacturers equip all new motorcycles with this technology” and “NHTSA [the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] has what it needs [in terms of research] to move forward with a regulation.”

While NHTSA so far hasn’t indicated it is moving in that direction, the European Parliament vote may cause the U.S. agency to reconsider.

RIDING

National Dual Sport Series, Presented

By FMF, Wraps Up 24th Year It is a great time to be a dual-sport motorcyclist in America.

The AMA Husqvarna National Dual Sport Series, presented by FMF, celebrated its 24th season with 25 events that spanned Virginia to Oregon. Thousands of dual-sport motorcyclists, riding a range of brands, participated in series events.

“Once again, AMA clubs and promoters, our partners, local volunteers and, above all, the riders who support these events with their recreational dollars, did their parts to ensure we had another phenomenal year,” says AMA Vice President of Operations Jeff Massey.

The two-day events typically feature a couple hundred miles of trails and backroads that showcase the best dualsport riding that the country has to offer.

Terrain ranges from New Jersey sand to Ohio clay to Western rocks.

While resting up from the 2012 rides and anticipating the 2013 season, riders are now looking forward to the announcement of who will take home a new 2012

Husqvarna TE dual-sport bike, awarded at random to a lucky rider in the series.

Participants in the 2012 series also have a chance to win one of two FMF slip-on exhausts.

Sanctioned by the AMA and promoted by series sponsor Husqvarna Motorcycles North America, events that are part of the AMA Husqvarna National Dual Sport Series, presented by FMF, feature rides that are organized by local AMA-chartered clubs and promoters.

“The relationships that these groups have with private landowners, federal land managers, their local knowledge and the tireless hard work they invest in these rides are the lifeblood of the AMA Husqvarna National Dual Sport Series, presented by FMF,” Massey says.

Riders can learn more and post photos on the series’ Facebook page at www. facebook.com/AMADualSport. More information about Husqvarna dual-sport bikes can be found at www.husqvarnamotorcyclesna.com. FMF product information is at www.fmfracing.com.

The calendar for the 2013 AMA Husqvarna National Dual Sport Series, presented by FMF, is at www.americanmotorcyclist.com > Riding > Husqvarna Dual Sport.

DATES SET FOR 2013 AMA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS July 19-21 At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course In Lexington, Ohio

Mark your calendar! AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, the country’s premier annual celebration of vintage motorcycling, takes place July 19-21 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

A fundraiser for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days features classic motorcycles of all makes and styles. Activities include vintage roadracing, motocross, hare scrambles, trials and dirt-track; North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet; bike shows; stunt shows; demo rides of current production bikes; and seminars.

“This event has such a rich history, and over the years it has become a fan favorite,” says Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course President Craig Rust. “No other event on our schedule transforms the facility or uses the grounds like AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. It truly is a unique event!”

Photos Dual Sport, Bar, VMD: Jeff Guciardo

FUN ON-ROAD AND OFF AMA Husqvarna

RIDING EXCLUSIVE AMA MEMBER BENEFIT ON RACE TECH SUSPENSION Ride Better On Street Or Dirt

The AMA has a new member discount with partner Race Tech—an exclusive 15 percent discount on Race Tech suspension components, including springs, Gold Valve kits, shocks and more for competition and street motorcycles of all kinds.

“Race Tech has long been known for quality suspension components and knowledgeable support in the racing and high-performance realms, and for many years now they’ve been a major player on the street side as well—particularly with the touring and Harley-Davidson segments,” says Grant Parsons, AMA director of marketing and communications.

Race Tech, an innovative leader in motorcycle suspension since 1984, has an extensive line of springs, Gold Valve fork and shock kits, custom shocks, tools and replacement parts for dirtbikes, streetbikes, Harley-Davidsons, ATVs and UTVs. “Race Tech has a long history in the

motorcycle industry, and we’ve built a business around helping riders enjoy life on two wheels,” says Race Tech’s Director of Marketing Chris Riesenberg. “We strongly support the AMA’s efforts fighting for the rights of motorcycle riders on the road and off. It is our pleasure to extend a discount to the members who support the AMA and the continued healthy growth of the motorcycle industry. While we focus on building products to make each ride smoother, safer and more enjoyable, we are happy to know the AMA is on our side lobbying for our right to ride.”

To take advantage of the discount, go online to www. racetech.com to find the product you want.

Then call Race Tech directly to order at (951) 279-6655 and provide your AMA member number. Race Tech representatives will verify your membership and apply the discount to your order.

FLASH TOUR WINNER FLIES HIGHER Tour In A Flash

AMA Flash Tours have been going strong all winter, and motorcycle riders across the country have been submitting themed pictures on the AMA Facebook page. The best photos have a chance to appear in this magazine and win prizes.

One recent winner is Tony Rudy, who won the Planes, Trains & (Cool) Automobiles Flash Tour in December and collected a $100 gift certificate from 2012 series sponsor Kawasaki. Rudy, from Lansing, N.Y., got this shot of his 1989 Katana 1100 at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif.

There’s another AMA Flash Tour going on right now. Check www.facebook.com/ americanmotorcyclist for the theme and get busy taking those photos, then email your entries to flashtours@ama-cycle. org. Be sure to send us your photos in the highest resolution you can, and you may see your bike on the Facebook page, at www.americanmotorcyclist.com or in this magazine.

Rules and submission information are available at: http://www. americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/Street/ PremierTouringSeries/flashtours.

RIDING

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HJC RPHA Max Modular Helmet Colors: Silver, white, pearl white, matte black, black Sizes: XS-XXL Certification: DOT MSRP: $459.99-$464.99 Info: www.hjchelmets.com I tested the metallic silver HJC RPHA Max modular helmet, which really pops in the sun, and was very pleased.

Operationally, the helmet worked great.

M E M B E R T E S T ED

The internal sun shield opens and closes easily even with thick gloves via a large sliding lever. The shield lifting mechanism opens from the center. The chin bar latch is also in the center, and it’s slick and Niguel Williams easy.

The fit is more for a round head vs. a long oval. In most popular brand helmets, I’m a XXL, but the RPHA XL was just slightly snug when new and broke in comfortably. The removable cheek pads can tailor the fit, and the liner breaks in quickly. The liner and neck roll have a comfortable satin feel.

The liner doesn’t cover the entire EPS. However, this may add to the helmet’s incredible venting quality. There are only two vents: one on the top and one on the chin bar (and two small extractor vents) but they move tons of air; a torrent flows through this helmet.

The faceshield removes easily. The release trigger looks light in construction, but is durable in use. The factory-installed faceshield is not fog-proof but can be “cracked” slightly to aid with that.

The sun shade does not cut into your nose (the bottom can occasionally be in your field of view depending on head angle). The eye port is wide and the screen is clear; head checks are no problem.

The RPHA Max is also lightweight and very quiet. There’s a chin skirt that aids in the quietness and keeps the chill out. It doesn’t buffet at high speeds.

There’s not much to dislike about this helmet. A stock fog-proof visor would be nice. It does come with a pinlock system, but the average rider is not going to use it. A very minor complaint is the top vent switch is small and doesn’t give good feel through thick gloves. The only real defect I experienced, although it didn’t affect performance, was the chin vent internals shifted slightly after a few days of normal usage—something covered by the ample five-year warranty.

The only reason to avoid this helmet is if you want graphics. (Although it’s probably safe to assume that few in the market for a modular are interested in flashy graphics.)

This is a quiet, light modular with good attention to detail, phenomenal venting and comfort equal to more expensive helmets. It’s a great all-around helmet for street riders.—Niguel Williams

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RIDING

CRUISE IN COMFORT The Lindby Custom, Inc. MULTIBAR highway bar is a combined engine guard and highway peg with unique rounded corners.

The rubber footrests provide traction and comfort for even the longest road trip.

The company features fitments for Harley-Davidson, Victory and many metrics.

The MULITBAR is available in chrome or a gloss black powder coat finish for select models.

Info: www.lindbycustom.com or (714) 528-0085 MSRP: $269.95

JR KELLEY, AUB LE BARD PASS AWAY AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame mourns the loss of two Hall of Famers who passed away in December.

1998 inductee Aub LeBard died on Dec. 7. The 91-year-old LeBard was co-owner of the LeBard

Ask the MSF

FOOT POSITION Q: This may seem like a really basic question, and I guess it is, but how should I position my feet on my street bike foot pegs? Should I ride on the balls of my feet or in the middle of my feet?

A: The advice for foot position used to be to simply hook your foot over the foot peg by placing the front edge of your boot’s heel in contact with the back edge of the foot peg. However, some sport bike riders are now using a racetrack technique of resting the balls of their feet on the foot peg. This allows a more aggressive, leaned-forward body position, may enhance body-weight positioning for quick turns, and may increase ground

& Underwood motorcycle shop in Los Angeles, as well as a top off-road racer in the 1940s and 1950s. LeBard won the Big Bear National Enduro three times (1949, 1950, 1951) and was a top desert racer of his era.

JR Kelley, inducted in 1999, was known for founding the successful motorcycle parts and accessories company, KK Motorcycle Supply, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. Kelley, who was 86 at the time of his death, was also a top national racer and a tireless charitible fundraiser for many years. Kelley also was deeply involved in the governance of the AMA. He was elected president of the AMA in 1971.

Read more about both Hall of Famers at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

clearance for deep cornering, if you lean in and your toes are farther from the ground. Some riders feel it keeps them more mentally alert as well. Some dirtbike riders have also embraced this technique, as it helps them quickly adjust their body position to the ever-changing terrain (see our August 2009 column).

If you’re doing some sporty riding in curves where you’re not likely to need any shifting or quick braking, you may find some advantages to having the balls of your feet positioned on the foot pegs, if you’re comfortable with that position.

However, it will take more time to reach and properly use the brake pedal or shift lever if you need to react quickly.

Therefore, it should be considered a rider-specific technique, and certainly not a requirement. Note that for models with floorboards, your options for foot position may be limited.

RIDING

PROTECT YOURSELF FOR LESS ActionStations Offers AMA Member Discount On Body Armor

Protection is always a great idea. It’s an even better one if you can do it for less money. ActionStations Inc., the guys who make a whole line of armored solutions for riders, is doing its part by offering an exclusive AMA member discount: 10 percent off Bohn Body Armor back and chest protectors and other gear, plus seasonal bonuses.

To take advantage of the discount, AMA members just enter a special discount code at checkout at www. actionstation.com. This discount code is available in the Members Only Area of www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

Bohn products from ActionStations Inc. include back and chest protectors featuring cutting-edge materials.

The company’s innovative protective undershirts and pants can be worn under your favorite jeans and jacket for stealth protection that works.

“As a lifelong rider and motorcycle nut myself, I’m especially proud to be partnering with the AMA,” says

ActionStations’ Paul English. “Together, we will work to show that protection can be discreet, practical and a great deal, especially for AMA members!”

AMA members can learn more about Bohn Body Armor from ActionStations Inc. at www.actionstation.com and www.bohn-armor-pants.com. Also see ActionStations’ Facebook pages at www.facebook. com/actionstationsinc and www.facebook.com/ bohnbodyguardsystem.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell and AMA Vice President for Government Relations Wayne Allard in front of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.

DELIVERING HOLIDAY CHEER Motorcyclists greeted former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell at the official lighting of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree on Dec. 4, thanking him for volunteering to transport the tree from Colorado.

Campbell, a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, says he appreciated the support he received from motorcyclists as he drove a Mack truck hauling the tree across the country.

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RIDING

AMA IMPROVES EVENT INSURANCE FOR CLUBS, PROMOTERS

Photo Insurance: @iStockphoto/ Dragonian

Simplified Rate Structure, New Provider

The AMA has a new preferred insurance provider and an improved insurance program for all AMAsanctioned events. The program features industryleading event liability coverage options at great rates for AMA-chartered clubs and promoters.

The program, which took effect Dec. 31 and applies to all 2013 AMA-sanctioned events, results from a new preferred provider partnership with motorsports insurance veteran K&K Insurance.

The high-quality base insurance coverage program meets all AMAsanctioned event requirements. New for 2013, an optional coverage plan has been added for those who may need a higher level of coverage beyond the base level.

In addition, camping, setup and teardown coverage is now included at no additional cost, and the rate for event practice

coverage has been cut in half.

“K&K Insurance is excited about expanding our relationship with the American Motorcyclist Association in 2013 and beyond,” says Paul Underwood, senior vice president of Motorsports at K&K. “Our relationship has been a longstanding one and we are pleased to be the preferred insurance provider for AMA clubs and promoters.

The AMA is the premier motorcycle event sanctioning organization, and K&K is proud to partner with them as we focus our combined energies to serving our clients.”

Sanction and insurance application forms are available now at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/ clubsandpromoters/resources.aspx.

For more information about the updated insurance program, please contact AMA Organizer Services Manager Cherie Schlatter at cschlatter@ama-cycle.org.

AMA’S ROBERT RASOR RE-ELECTED TO FIM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

says AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “It gives Rob the opportunity to advise the FIM on critical issues that can affect motorcycling for years to come. Rob is uniquely capable of serving in this important position.”

Rasor has served as an FIM vice president since October 2005. Rasor also heads the FIM’s Alternative Energy Working Group and has served as president of the FIM’s Commission on Mobility, Transport, Road Safety and Public Policy, increasing the organization’s involvement in motorcyclists’ rights. In addition, Rasor is a past president of the North American Motorcycle Union, one of six regional groups within the FIM that is now known as FIM North America.

Rasor began his career in the AMA Government Relations Department, serving as vice president from the early 1980s until he became AMA president in 2000. Rasor accepted the post of director of international affairs in 2006.

Rasor has been an amateur motocross racer, and has toured extensively in North America and Mexico on street bikes.

AMA Veteran Leads Charge On International Front

AMA Director of International Affairs Robert Rasor has been re-elected as a member of the board of directors for the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the international governing body for motorcycle sport and touring.

Rasor also serves as the appointed vice president of the FIM. “It is gratifying to be recognized for contributions to the motorcycling community by FIM national federations from around the world,” Rasor says. “I am honored to be in a position to continue serving motorcycling as a member of the FIM board of directors and to ensure that the interests of the AMA and riders in North America are represented on the world level.”

Rasor was re-elected to a four-year term at the FIM General Assembly in Monaco on Dec. 1. Rasor joins Spain’s Juan Moreta in being re-elected this year.

Jorgen Bitsch of Denmark was newly elected to the board.

“This post is a prestigious and important seat at the international table,”

RACING

NATIONAL ADVANCEMENT SYSTEM INTRODUCED FOR OFF-ROAD RACERS Class Designations Based On Lifetime Points

Participants in AMA-sanctioned off-road races will soon have greater assurance that their competition is properly classified. For 2013, the AMA is rolling out a nationwide program to advance C- and B-class riders across similar off-road disciplines.

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“The time has come for a standardized, nationwide advancement process for AMA-sanctioned off-road competition,” says AMA Off-road Manager Chuck Weir. “Racers should be provided with an accurate gauge to measure their skills relative to their fellow competitors. They deserve professional and consistent competition, and nationwide off-road advancement is an important part of that experience.”

Modeled after the existing B-to-A class advancement procedure for enduro racing, the new off-road advancement process assigns lifetime advancement points to riders who finish in the top 15 percent in either the overall C or overall B skill designation. Once a rider earns 100 lifetime advancement points during his or her racing career, he or she is advanced to the next-higher level.

“The key to this process working well are the race results themselves,” Weir adds.

“That is why we are asking AMA clubs and promoters running AMA-sanctioned offroad events to provide timely and accurate results. We, in turn, will make those results and earned advancement points for all offroad AMA-sanctioned competition events available as soon as possible at www. americanmotorcyclist.com.”

The lifetime advancement points schedule is on the next page and on page 79 of the 2013 AMA Competition Rulebook.

“It’s important for racers to keep in mind that the points table is based on finishing order in the overall C and B skill designations rather than in specific classes,” Weir explains. “Lifetime

advancement points are determined by where you finish among all C riders or all B riders. Points are not necessarily earned based on where you finish in your individual class, such as Vet C or 250 B, for example.”

The skill designation applies across the following off-road disciplines defined in the AMA Competition Rulebook: hare scrambles, enduro, cross country, hare and hound, grand prix, desert scrambles, mud and snow scrambles and European scrambles.

“One of the responsibilities of a sanctioning body is to establish and enforce fair rules, and legitimate skill designations are a necessary step toward a level playing field,” Weir says. “Racers will find this nationwide consistency only in AMA-sanctioned competition, which is just one more reason why events run by our chartered clubs and promoters are the best in the country.”

FAQ: Off-Road Advancement Q: Why do we need a national offroad advancement system?

A: It keeps competition fair. A national system ensures that wherever you race you will compete against riders in your skill category. It also lays the groundwork for more accurate nationwide rankings and championship competition.

Q: How long do I have to earn advancement points?

A: However long you race.

Advancement points are accumulated

Photo James Holter

MAKING YOUR LIFE EASIER

over your lifetime of competition in AMAsanctioned events.

100—in a particular race, you will still earn lifetime achievement points.

Q: Will I earn advancement points if I am the only rider in my classification?

A: Lifetime advancement points are only earned if more than four riders are in your classification. This means there must be four or more B riders or C riders total, not more than four 200B riders, for example.

Q: When do I earn points?

A: Whenever you finish approximately in the top 15 percent of all riders in your skill classification, you’ll earn points.

When you reach 100 points, you advance to the next classification.

Q: What disciplines fall under national off-road advancement?

A: Cross country, enduro, hare and hound, grand prix and hare scrambles variations—desert scrambles, mud scrambles, etc. So, if you have earned enough lifetime advancement points to be a B rider in hare and hound, then you must race B class in enduro, for example.

Q: Does my individual class finishing order affect my advancement points?

A: Not directly.

Your advancement points are based on where you finish among all C riders or all B riders, not in your individual class.

For example, if you finish next to last in Vet C, but you finish approximately in the top 15 percent of all C riders—say, 14 out of

Q: In what races do I earn advancement points?

A: Any AMA-sanctioned off-road competition will pay advancement points.

Q: Can I advance myself?

A: If you think you are ready, yes.

Q: Can I appeal an advancement?

A: Yes. Appeals are handled at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.

Off-Road Promotion Point Chart (15% of Class) # of Riders

4 TO

9

10 17 24 30 37 44 50 57 64 70 77 84 90 97 104 110 117 124 130 137 144 150 157 164 170 177 184 190 197 TO

TO

TO

TO

TO

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TO

16 23 29 36 43 49 56 63 69 76 83 89 96 103 109 116 123 129 136 143 149 156 163 169 176 183 189 196 203

15% of Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Finish Pos. 1 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 2 22 22 22 22 23 23 24 24 3 19 19 19 20 20 21 21 4 16 16 17 18 18 19 5 13 14 15 16 16 6 9 12 13 14 7 8 10 12 8 7 9 9 6 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

204 +

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RACING

RACING BRIEFS

AMA East Hare Scrambles Championship Series Grows Here’s some good news for woods racers in the eastern United States looking for more options to earn points toward an AMA national No. 1 plate. The AMA has added one round and expanded another to a doubleheader format for youth classes in the 2013 AMA East Hare Scrambles Championship Series.

Round one of the series in Wedgefield, S.C., now features youth competition on both Jan. 26 and Jan. 27. Amateur classes will compete on Jan. 27 only. In addition, round four of the series is now April 14 in Arrington, Va. For the full schedule, see page 45.

Indoor Dirt Track Racing In Du Quoin, Ill.

To The Next Level The AMA Pro-Am Motocross supplies the proving ground for amateur racers to earn the credentials they need to line up at an AMA Pro Racing Motocross event.

“Today’s best amateur motocross racers can be found competing on the AMA Pro-Am Motocross circuit,” says AMA Motocross Manager Kip Bigelow.

“Our calendar features premier tracks and the best promoters around the country, giving these up-and-coming racers an opportunity to race for the points, purse money and contingency that will help them get to the next level—AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross.”

The full 2013 AMA Pro-Am Motocross schedule is always available online at www.americanmotorcyclist.com > Racing > AMA Pro-Am Motocross.

“The 2013 AMA Pro-Am Motocross schedule is one of the best ever, with more than 60 events at some of the country’s most challenging race tracks,” Bigelow adds. “Racers and fans alike can expect to see top competition and national-caliber

tracks as riders prepare for the pro ranks.”

The 2013 AMA Pro-Am Motocross competition kicked off on Dec. 30 with the Texas Winter Series. It will wrap up in Florida at the Mini Olympics, Nov. 25-30.

AMA Pro-Am Motocross events are open to both professionally licensed and A-class amateur motocross racers.

The events allow amateurs to gain experience on America’s top tracks and prepare for the fast pace and long motos featured at the pro level. They also provide great entertainment for spectators.

To be considered for a professional motocross license, competitors must have earned at least 75 advancement points (at the time of application) in AMA Pro-Am Motocross events in a continuous 12-month period. Points are based off overall finishes in either the 250 Pro-Am and Open Pro-Am classes. Points from each class are not combined.

For more information about AMA ProAm Motocross events, contact the AMA at mxracing@ama-cycle.org.

The AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series is running full throttle at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill., with tight racing and an impressive lineup of Pro and Pro-Am riders

AREA QUALIFIERS, REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ANNOUNCED FOR AMATEUR MX NATIONALS Earn Your Spot On The Line

The AMA, in partnership with MX Sports, is pleased to announce the 2013 Area Qualifier and Regional Championship schedule that will be the first steps to the Red Bull AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at the Loretta Lynn Ranch on July 28-Aug. 3 in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

“Whether you are a returning superstar or a first-time racer, the dream is rooted in success in the area qualifier program,” says AMA Motocross Manager Kip Bigelow.

“We’re excited to once again work with MX Sports to present one of 2013’s mostanticipated schedules.”

The Area Qualifiers determine the fields for the seven Regions that, in turn, qualify riders for the National.

“Together with the AMA, MX Sports has selected the nation’s premier motocross facilities and organizers to create the best road to Loretta’s yet,” says MX Sports Event Director Tim Cotter. “With the addition of several new facilities, the 2013 Area Qualifier and Regional Championship schedule will provide great variety and new experiences.”

The Red Bull AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship includes classes for riders from 4 years old to 50-plus on a range of motorcycles, from 50cc minibikes to state-of-the-art highly modified 450cc motocross machines.

For the full schedule, see page 46.

Photo MX: David Smith; Ice Race: ©speedpunksimages.com/Matthew Pranger

AMA PRO-AM MOTOCROSS SHOWCASES FUTURE STARS

RACING highlighting the on-track action in the Steve Nace Racing-promoted series. Remaining rounds are Jan. 12, Feb. 9 and Feb. 23.

All rounds feature both short-track and TT racing.

All races take place at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds’ Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill. Gates open at 2 p.m., with practice beginning at 5 p.m. A pit pass is $15, while children 5 years old and younger get in free. Friday night practice is available from 6-9 p.m. for $25.

For more information, just go online to www.stevenaceracing.com.

Online Entry Schedule For National Enduros AMA National Enduro entries are a hot commodity. For many rounds, you need to sign up online well in advance to guarantee your spot on the line. Below are the dates when online entry opens for remaining rounds. For the national series calendar, see page 45.

National Enduro online entry open dates: Round 4, Forest Hill, La.: Jan. 30; Round 5, West Point, Tenn.: Feb. 13; Round 6,

Marquette, Mich.: March 27; Round 7, Blain, Pa.: April 10; Round 8, Cross Fork, Pa.: May 15; Round 9, Lynnville, Ind.: July 3; Round 10, Oklahoma, Okla.: Aug. 7.

World Trials Returns To United States The amazing spectacle of World Observed Trials returns to the United States with a two-day stop of the FIM World Trials Championship schedule on May 25-26, at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tenn.

This is a rare opportunity for American fans to see some of the world’s most brilliant two-wheeled talent.

Among the athletes expected to be vying for honors at the U.S. round will be sixtime World Champion Toni Bou, along with fellow Spaniard and former world champ Adam Raga, five-time U.S. Champ Patrick Smage, 2010 U.S. Champ Cody Webb, plus a bevy of top riders from all over the world.

For more information on the U.S. round of the FIM World Trials Championship see www.trialstrainingcenter.com.

Miller Motorsports Park Hosting AMA Pro Motocross On Aug. 17, Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, will become the 11th stop on the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Miller Motorsports Park, one of the country’s top roadracing venues, will construct a permanent national-caliber, motocross circuit in the infield of its roadracing course to host the National—the first one in 40 years in the state of Utah.

Tickets for the Utah race are available now by calling Miller Motorsports Park at (435) 277-7223 or by going to the track’s website: www.millermotorsportspark.com.

IT’S NOT

ABOUT POWER

TEAM BABBIT’S/MONSTER ENERGY/AMSOIL/KAWASAKI

TYLER BOWERS

IT’S ABOUT AMA ICE RACE GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS KICK OFF 2013 TITLES Cool Under Pressure The AMA’s first amateur champions of 2013 will claim their trophies at the Feb. 9-10 AMA Ice Race Grand Championships. The event, promoted by North American Action Sports LLC, will take place at the Mitchell State Park in Cadillac, Mich.

“The winter season is no reason for racers to shut down,” says AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. “In fact, this is when some of the most hard-core racers on the planet converge on the AMA Ice Race Grand Championships. Once again, we’re excited to work with NAAS to provide a top-level program for our competitors.”

The AMA Ice Race Grand Championships feature classes for riders

from 4 years old to 50-plus competing on bikes ranging from lightly modified offroad machines to full-on, purpose-built ice racers. Riders will battle for AMA national No. 1 plates in a number of classes. The top riders at the event also will compete for the AMA Ice Racer of the Year award, given to the most impressive rider on the ice, while the youth riders will chase the honor of AMA Youth Rider of the Year.

“We are so excited to be hosting the 2013 AMA Ice Race Grand Championships,” says Rosanna Grzebinski of NAAS, which is known for mixing family fun with the racing atmosphere. “Awarding the first AMA Grand Championships of each season is always such an honor, and this year will be no exception. Come on out! The ice will be perfect!”

To learn more about the event go to www.bajamx.com or call the NAAS office at (989) 871-3356.

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HALL OF FAME

The Honda Elsinore line of production motocrossers had a loyal following in the 1970s and ’80s, but this 1980 Honda CR250R Elsinore is particularly special.

It has an unmatched distinction: When Honda of America Manufacturing President Kazuo Nakagawa rode it off the assembly line, it was the first motorcycle built at Honda’s then-new Marysville, Ohio, motorcycle plant. This CR250R’s stamped serial number ends in 0001.

In fact, the 260,000-square-foot motorcycle plant was Honda’s first U.S. factory of any kind.

Honda’s motorcycle production in America started in 1979 in Marysville with 64 workers building two-stroke motocrossers, the CR250R. Over the next 30 years, the hundreds of Ohio residents who became Honda associates at the motorcycle plant built 2,334,403 products, including Honda’s flagship

touring bike, the Gold Wing.

Compared to the Gold Wings that followed, the relatively small CR250R was a fairly straightforward manufacturing challenge. It was the perfect first step for the brand-new Honda plant and its 64 workers. In some ways, it was a test for the new facility, which started by producing only about 10 machines a day.

It was a test that Ohio’s workers passed with flying colors.

Powered by a 247cc, air-cooled, two-stroke, single-cylinder engine, the CR250R pumps out a claimed 36 horsepower at 7,500 rpm in a package that weighs 224 pounds with a half tank of fuel.

The bike has a 36mm Keihin carb, CDI ignition, 2.2-gallon gas tank, 56.9-inch wheelbase and 37-inch seat height.

Color? Tahitian Red. The Marysville motorcycle factory

produced an impressive 43 different models over 30 years, including some of the most iconic machines on the road in any era. The motorcycle plant produced its final motorcycle on June 23, 2009.

Shortly after motorcycles rolled off the assembly line in 1979, Honda built its Marysville Auto Plant, which today encompasses 3.6 million square feet and has a capacity to produce 440,000 automobiles a year, including the Accord Sedan and Coupe, the Acura TL Sedan and the Acura RDX sport-utility vehicle.

But for riders, Honda of America Mfg. Inc., will always be remembered as the birthplace of Honda’s motorcycle production in the United States.

This 1980 Honda CR250R Elsinore is part of the “30-Year Ride: Honda’s Ohiomade Motorcycles” exhibit at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. For more info, go to www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, features the people and machines that have defined the sport, lifestyle and business of motorcycling in America.

The Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation that receives support from the AMA and from the motorcycling community.

For info and directions, visit www.motorcyclemuseum.org, or call (614) 856-2222.

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Photos T. Paul Miller Photography/www.tpaulmiller.com

1980 HONDA CR250R ELSINORE Made In The U.S.A.

HALL OF FAME

Put yourself in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum

YOUR NAME HERE

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is YOUR hall of fame—we couldn’t exist without the generous support of our donors. Now there’s a new way for you to show that support in a very visible way: My Hall of Fame. The idea is simple: A $20 donation gets you a 3-inch-square space on the wall in the Hall of Fame entrance foyer that hangs during the campaign year. Want a bigger space? A 6-inch square is an $80 donation, and a 9-inch square is a $180 donation. You also get an official certificate noting that your picture is on display in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Hang your picture, your kid’s picture, your company logo, almost anything. It’s up to you! Get in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame today!

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HALL OF FAME Hall of Famer

CORDY MILNE One of Speedway’s Best Cordy Milne was a leading Speedway racer of the 1930s and ’40s. He won the American Speedway Championship four times and was a leading contender in the World Speedway Championships, finishing third in 1937 behind his brother and fellow Hall of Famer, Jack, and fellow American rider Wilbur Lamoreaux.

Milne was born in 1910 in Buffalo, N.Y., and his family moved to Pasadena, Calif., when he was young.

Both Milne brothers went to work for Western Union as messenger delivery boys.

By the early 1930s, Cordy starting earning decent money in racing. Jack saw a financial opportunity. If he and his brother shared expenses, they could earn a living from the sport. Jack sold his service station and bought a pair of Comerford-JAP Speedway racing machines from England.

The decision to become full-time racers proved to be a good one. Cordy won backto-back American Speedway Championships in 1934 and 1935,

and soon the brothers were invited to race in Australia and England. By the late 1930s, both were world-class Speedway racers. In 1937, Jack won the Speedway World Championship, Wilbur Lamoreaux was second and Cordy third, giving a clean sweep for the three Americans—all from Pasadena.

World War II put a temporary end to the brothers’ international racing. After the war, the Milne brothers helped revive Speedway racing in Southern California.

Cordy won the American Speedway Championship two more times, in 1947 and 1948.

Cordy’s four American Speedway titles would stand as a record until Mike Bast won a fifth championship 30 years later.

Cordy Milne was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. He passed away on Oct. 15, 1978.

To read more about Milne, his brother, Jack, and others in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, go to www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

As a card-carrying AMA member you’re elite among motorcyclists.

Now, proclaim your pride even more with a themed AMA card showing that you are a hard-core KTM rider, Kawasaki enthusiast or are among the growing ranks of women riders.

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Member

Expiration

A British Bikerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s America Sometimes, the wrong side of the road is the right way to go. By Rick Wheaton

The Oregon Coast

Rick

Jake

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Photo Simon Keitch

Smug Brit & Bridge

Ride

Dead Horse Point, Utah

I

’m a very lucky biker.

With decades of riding behind me, I may be well into my reserve tank, but I’ve got a supportive family, some spare cash, a 90-day visa for the United States, a cousin in California, really good friends in Canada, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Massachusetts, and, best of all, a lovely Triumph Tiger 800 XC—the most comfortable and nicest handling bike I’ve ever owned.

The icing on the cake would be sharing much of the trip with my grandson, Jake. The opportunity to expose a member of a newer generation to motorcycling is not something you want to pass up.

As every biker knows, all that adds up to one thing: Big Trip. Plus, I was ready for a bit of an adventure. It was time to tick another box on life’s to-do list.

My plan was clear. I would start at my cousin’s place in Los Angeles, nip into Arizona, ride up the coast into Canada, from there back down the Rockies to Denver, take a bit of a side-step into Utah and then embark on a long slog toward the east coast, up into Maine and down to New York. It would be a heavenly 10,000-mile

two-wheeled experience, pretty much taking all my North American addresses and joining the dots.

My first hurdle was that I’m a Brit—yes, one of your international members—so even getting my Tiger and me to L.A. starts with a 5,500-mile flight from London.

To begin with, when I started the serious planning, I was worried about jumping through all the logistical hoops: crating the bike for the flight, getting the OK from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency, not to mention the drama that can be U.S. Customs and Immigration.

James Cargo of Heathrow and Virgin Atlantic were fantastic, and the U.S. agencies were incredibly helpful.

So helpful, in fact, that on June 20 I landed at LAX at 3.15 p.m. and rode my bike away from the airport at just before six o’clock that evening.

After a couple of days getting used to California weather (gorgeous), American traffic (courteous), American hospitality (generous) and riding on the “wrong” side of the road (awkward—sorry, everybody), I rode north out of the city onto the beautiful Angeles Crest Highway. Four hours into the trip, and I was

February 2013

33

Death Valley Dunes

already in biker’s paradise: gorgeous sweeping bends, warm tarmac, zero traffic and great views from the 7,900-foot high Dawson Saddle.

I camped that first night under a starlit sky in the eerie silence of the Mojave Desert—a fantastic introduction to biking in the United States!

Las Vegas, Nev., was so hot that it made L.A. seem positively wintry, and my stay there was almost spoiled dreading how much hotter it would be in Death Valley.

The Valley ride was fine, though, as I set off before dawn. The first few hours were actually quite cold, but it rapidly warmed up to a blistering 118 by the time I got to the aptly named Furnace Creek. Every half hour or so I stopped, drank a pint of water, and wondered how on Earth anything could live out here without modern technology to keep it alive.

The next day I rode out of the Valley and over the Sierra Nevada mountains. I rode from 200 feet below sea level to the 10,000-foot elevation of the Tioga Pass. It was a ride that I thought would produce a huge range of temperatures—I made sure my thick gloves and fleece were handily packed—but the weather stayed perfect. I crossed the Tioga Pass into the fabulous Yosemite National Park wearing only a t-shirt under my riding jacket.

I was very happy to be on two wheels in Yosemite.

The one-way roads were crowded and the bike made it easy to keep moving. Busy or not, Yosemite is a spectacularly beautiful Garden of Eden, and I was almost sorry to head off for San Francisco and the Pacific Coast Highway—at least until I arrived.

Oh boy. The Californian coast. The Oregon coast.

More biker’s heaven and more gorgeous weather. The PCH was a dream come true and I had a wonderful few days run up to Cape Flattery in Washington state, along the western-most roads of the 48 states.

I island-hopped across the Puget Sound, over the Canadian border to Vancouver, and then east for a three-day ride across the Rockies to Calgary. Here I hooked up with Bob, an old biker friend who’d emigrated from England to Canada and was now a citizen of that fine country. He’s also got a Triumph Tiger and the plan was to bike together down the Rockies through the national parks of Waterton, Glacier, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.

Up to that point I’d thought Yosemite and the PCH would be the highlight of this trip but I hadn’t considered the glorious mountain roads of Montana and Wyoming. Here I’m pretty sure any biker would

34

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

run out of superlatives on almost every bend. There’s a special magic about riding a nice bike through mountains, growling up the hills and swooshing down the hairpins. Once more the weather was 100 percent perfect: sunny, warm and dry.

We rode to Cody, Wyo., where Bob had to turn back (gun enthusiasts shouldn’t miss the Firearms Museum there, the largest in the world). After the Beartooth Pass, the run down to Colorado was almost an anticlimax, though I was able to look forward to a few days with friends in Denver. After experiencing more warm American hospitality, I headed west into Utah for a wonderful few days camping in Canyonlands and Arches national parks.

The high deserts of northern Utah almost defy description: It’s an amazing landscape of deep canyons, soaring cliffs and huge pillars of sandstone weathered into fantastic shapes where the combination of altitude and dryness means that a footprint can last for 100 years. Unique. Breathtaking.

What could be more spectacular than this? Answer: the next day’s ride down the Moki Dugway. This is a steep hairpin gravel track that drops 1,100 feet in three miles with no barriers! I rode across the Valley of the Gods and through the little town of Mexican Hat into the dramatic Monument Valley.

When I was a kid growing up in the early 1950s, every Saturday was movie night and I saw dozens of John Wayne westerns, all seemingly set in Monument Valley. Even now, this landscape is absolutely familiar and it’s easy to see why the great director John Ford had part of the Valley named after him. The adjective “cinematic” leaps readily to mind.

Riding away from the Valley, I turned east for what I’d thought would be a long slog across New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, perhaps not the most interesting two thousand miles or so, but I was in for another surprise.

True, once past the pretty town of Santa Fe, N.M., the first 300 miles were flat and hot, but I was fascinated by the Cadillac Ranch at Amarillo—a bunch of brightly painted, tail-finned Cadillacs buried nose first in the desert. Once over the border into Arkansas, I ran into a much gentler sort of country: green fields and rolling hills that soon grew into the lovely Appalachians and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I was joined there by Jake, my 17-year-old grandson. He’d flown into Atlanta to ride pillion on the Tiger up the Blue Ridge Parkway into Washington,

Cadillac Ranch, Texas Two Tigers, One Bob

Moki Dugway

Yosemite

Canyonlands

February 2013

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Quoddy Head, Maine

Photo Simon Keitch

Jake on the Parkway

Tiger at the Empire State

USA to the left, Canada on the right.

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D.C., then make a lovely run through Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia.

We’d kept in touch through the magic of iPad, and he was still at the age where the thought of sitting in a plane for 10 hours was massively exciting. He’d written on his Facebook page “It’s the first day of the summer holidays and I’m bored,” so when I suggested he schmooze his grandma for a ticket to Atlanta, he jumped at the chance.

From Georgia, Jake and I rode north into Tennessee and checked into the Delta Queen, a beautiful old Mississippi paddle steamer, now Chattanooga’s only floating hotel. She’d be a fun place to sleep, but to make Jake’s first full day in America really special I took him to a shooting club and we spent the afternoon blazing away with .357 Magnums and Beretta automatics. Very noisy. Great fun.

Basking in the compliment that Jake thought yesterday was “pretty cool,” we continued north to join the Blue Ridge Parkway at Roanoke, Va. This was the start of four superb days of riding on one of the best motorcycling roads in the United States—a nice bend every 200 feet, perfect tarmac, lovely views and pullouts nearly always occupied by another biker we could hang out with. There’s no commercial traffic on the Parkway, which remained a joy right through northern Virginia where we turned east for Washington, D.C. We loved D.C., even if our GPS didn’t. The city is laid out in four quadrants, so the 11th Street we needed was one of four 11th Streets. Surely this is three too many?

The scorching Labor Day Saturday got us hot and confused but the next day the fantastic Air & Space Museum was absolutely worth all the detours. Jake and I share an interest in architecture too, so there was much to keep us happy in this wonderful city, and that evening our week ended on a high in a wood-paneled American steakhouse.

Perhaps the best bit of our thousand miles together was Jake’s determination to get his bike license and do some more big rides. He had a blast and would love to come back to America, but next time riding his own bike.

After dropping Jake off at Dulles Airport, I hit some dodgy weather (it was about time) and had a stormy ride through Delaware and Pennsylvania. The storm was the tag end of the hurricane that hit New Orleans on the anniversary of Katrina, so it had pretty much blown out by the time it got this far north. Even so, the freeway was flooded within minutes, visibility was down to 100 feet, and the huge trucks sent up bow-waves, all of which left me to ponder what it would have been like to feel the storm’s full force.

We get rain in England. Lots of rain! But it’s nothing like this.

Happily, I had yet more accommodating friends, this time in Massachusetts, and I was able to have a day under cover while the storm fizzled out. From Boston I rode into northern Maine, right out to Quoddy Head (the easternmost tip of the lower 48) and once again into Canada—although I didn’t really mean it.

There’s this little bridge, and I rode over it to take some photos of the nice looking estuary, only to find I was at the Canadian border.

“Er... Can I just ride back?” I asked the border guard.

“OK, sure. Ride across the line, around the end of my hut, and back over the bridge,” came the friendly reply.

Thus, I took my shortest journey ever in and out of an entire country.

The U.S. border at the other end of the bridge, though, was a whole different experience. Here, I duly handed over my passport and my international driving permit, had all my details painstakingly entered into a computer, waited for said computer to decide if my 20 seconds in Canada posed a threat to homeland security, and (the answer presumably coming up as a negative) I was cheerfully waved back into the welcoming arms of Uncle Sam. By this point in the trip, it was feeling like I was on the last lap. My final destination was the shipping agent in Newark, N.J., where my faithful Tiger would be put into a container and shipped back to London. Again, the weather was good, and I had a really beautiful run down the Maine coast, through a tiny bit of New Hampshire, and along the Massachusetts coast to Rhode Island.

Rather than ride the built-up shores of Connecticut, I took the ferry across from New London, and rode through the leafy lanes and past the swanky houses of Long Island as far as Brooklyn. Here, I was doubly lucky. It was a Sunday and the sky was cloudless: perfect for a ride across the Brooklyn Bridge, up Broadway and down Fifth Avenue.

I respectfully posed the Tiger near ground zero, took photos of her up against the Empire State Building, asked a police officer the time, and rode back over the Manhattan Bridge, tired but happy.

The next day was my last in the States. I rode across the beautiful Verazzano Narrows suspension bridge, at one time the world’s longest, and to the shippers at Newark.

“Droppin’ off your bike?” asked the man behind the desk when I walked in carrying my helmet.

I handed over the paperwork and when he said, “Ya need a cab?” that was it.

I stood with my bike for 10 minutes as I waited for the cab. It gave me a chance to thank it for tirelessly carrying me and assorted family members along gravel tracks and freeways, across deserts, over mountains, from 118 degrees to -3, into storms and out of floods, through 29 of the United States, from the extreme west to the extreme east of the lower 48 (and twice into Canada).

My bike is a 2011 Triumph Tiger 800XC. Factoryfitted options are a centerstand, gel seat, short levers, crash bars, sump guard, power socket, riding lights, taller screen and heated grips. It also has a Garmin satnav, Touratech aluminum panniers, and a Bags Connect tank bag. At the halfway point, I needed new tires. The excellent Foothills Triumph dealership in Denver fitted a pair of Metzelers and provided a full service. Other than that, the Tiger needed nothing more than a daily spray of chain lube and a tire pressure check.

All in all, it was 10,305 miles without a hiccup, a misfire or a single moment of concern. Box ticked!

Now home, and looking back, my most abiding recollections are the great people I met on the way around. The memories of the friendships I made and the hospitality I received will stay with me for a very long time.

Rick Wheaton is an AMA member in South Brent, Devon, U.K.

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S

ince its creation in 1924, the AMA has been at the forefront in the fights for motorcyclists’ rights. The AMA has been involved in hundreds of battles over the years, from the mundane to the groundbreaking, but all of them important.

Here’s a look at some of the more impactful motorcycling victories in recent years, in no particular order. But even with these successes, it’s clear that victory can quickly turn to defeat unless motorcyclists everywhere stay on guard.

Lead Law: Preserving Riding For Future Generations The motorcycling community was in shock shortly after the passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, known as the lead law, when it learned the law banned the sale of kids’ dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles.

Many involved in motorcycling worked hard from that point forward to

overturn the ban, and the AMA was a recognized leader.

The CPSIA took effect in February 2009, immediately halting the sale of dirtbikes and ATVs designed for children 12 and under. The law was meant to protect children from dangerous levels of lead in toys, but it was written so broadly that it also affected children’s books, clothes, motorcycles and ATVs. Under the law, all kids’ products containing lead must have less than 600 parts per million by weight. That included various components of kid-sized motorcycles and ATVs, including the engine, brakes, suspension, battery and other mechanical parts. Even though the lead levels in these parts are miniscule, they are still above the minimum threshold.

To ensure continued availability and access to kid-sized motorcycles and

ATVs, the Motorcycle Industry Council, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, the All-Terrain Vehicle Association, AMA and others asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission to consider petitions submitted to exclude kid-sized motorcycles and ATVs from the final rule governing the law. The CPSC said it didn’t have the power to do so, prompting the AMA and others to go to Capitol Hill to change the law.

On Aug. 12, 2011, President Obama signed into law H.R. 2715 to exempt kids’ off-highway vehicles from the CPSIA. The president’s signature ended nearly three years of intensive efforts by the AMA, its members and millions of advocates of responsible OHV recreation to change the law.

“The lead ban not only had a disastrous effect on the industry, already hit hard by the economic downturn, it also put kids at greater risk by forcing them onto adult models—or not riding at all,” said MotorcycleUSA, a leading online motorcycle magazine, in its announcement naming the AMA its “Industry Leader” for 2011 for its efforts to overturn the ban: “It was the big industry issue that could never get resolved, but the American Motorcyclist Association kept the riding public informed and continued to lobby lawmakers for a permanent fix...,” it said.

“The AMA keeps fighting the good fight on a number of fronts,” it said.

“Lobbying a laggardly Capitol Hill into passing a permanent fix on the CPSC Lead Ban was a noteworthy 2011 win, but there’s also OHV land access, motorcycleonly checkpoints, emissions regulations,

Illustrations ©iStockphoto.com/Michael Mathis

Despite Victories, Fights Continue

Crash Causation Study: Making Motorcycling Safer For the first time in more than 30 years, motorcyclists will have answers related to why street riders crash because of a new, comprehensive motorcycle crash causation study funded by the federal government.

That research is now under way at the Oklahoma Transportation Center, which is a respected independent organization that is a multidisciplinary coalition of Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma and Langston University. The center is at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. The results are expected in 2014.

The AMA had been promoting this vital research for years, and finally succeeded with the help of others in 2005 when Congress approved $2.8 million for the motorcycle crash causation research, and asked the motorcycling community to pitch in.

In 2007, the AMA committed $100,000, and AMA members contributed an additional $27,000. Seven states—Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin—have contributed more than $750,000.

The last major motorcycle crash causation study,

even the formulation of gas that goes in our tanks… all are legal issues that have direct consequences for motorcyclists.

The AMA does its best to stand guard, inform the public and mobilize rider action...,” MotorcycleUSA said.

“It’s easy to forget there are active forces lobbying against motorcyclists—so we recognize the AMA as an Industry Leader for the tireless defense of riders’ interests.” MotorcycleUSA concluded.

In addition, AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman earned the Powersports Business Executive of the Year award from PowerSports Business.

PowerSports Business—which publishes news, features and profiles for powersports dealers, manufacturers and suppliers—honored Dingman for the AMA’s intensive efforts fighting the law.

“Dingman’s leadership during the three-year battle was impressive on a variety of fronts, but most importantly to the industry’s future riders,” PowerSports Business said in making the announcement. “The AMA’s grassroots efforts to put a face to those affected by the CPSIA showed legislators the importance of riding age-appropriate vehicles.”

Also, the AMA earned a Grassroots Innovation Award for its lead-law efforts. The Public Affairs Council—a nonpartisan, nonpolitical association for public affairs professionals—presented the award for the AMA Kids Just Want to Ride! grassroots campaign—a national educational and recruitment movement that encouraged people nationwide to get involved in efforts to overturn the ban.

commonly called the “Hurt Report” in reference to its lead researcher, the late professor and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Hugh H. “Harry” Hurt, was completed in 1980. The Hurt Report provided a wealth of data that has been used to develop training and strategies to help keep riders safer.

In the decades since, the traffic environment changed enormously, prompting the AMA to seek a new study.

“This new research will help us understand the true causes of motorcycle crashes and find ways to prevent crashes and save lives,” says Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. “The research will build on the work done by Harry Hurt and his team.”

Hurt’s research report is officially called “Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures.” That study provided valuable insights into motorcycle crash causes and prevention.

The Hurt Report, for example, was the first to demonstrate that the most common type of multi-vehicle motorcycle crash involves a car turning left into the path of the bike, that motorcyclists with fewer than five months experience on the bike they were riding were much more likely to be involved in a crash, and that, in general, motorcyclists did a poor job of taking evasive action to avoid a crash—plus much, much more.

Recreational Trails Program: Your Gas Tax Dollars At Work The National Recreational Trails Fund Act, also known as the Symms Act at the time, became law in 1991. That program is now called the Recreational Trails Program and is considered to be one of the most important and beneficial laws for OHV riders ever passed by Congress.

The Motorcycle Industry Council, along with AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and then-BlueRibbon Coalition leader Clark Collins, was a key player in helping create the Recreational Trails Program decades ago. In 2012, the AMA and its allies successfully fought to save the $85 million-a-year program.

The RTP provides funds to states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP is an assistance program of the U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Highway Administration. The program benefits hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, crosscountry skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, all-terrain vehicle riding and four-wheel driving.

In 2012, the original Senate-backed transportation proposal would have effectively ended the RTP by severing the program from its dedicated funding.

But Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and several bipartisan cosponsors offered an amendment to continue the RTP, which was approved by the full Senate.

The House version of the transportation bill included the $85 million a year in RTP funding, and the House-Senate compromise bill sent to the president on June 29 included that amount.

“Motorcyclists by the thousands stressed to lawmakers that the Recreational Trails Program is funded by off-highway vehicle users,” says Rick Podliska, AMA deputy director of government relations. “I truly believe that’s what swayed the federal lawmakers to save this vital program.”

Even though the AMA helped create and save the RTP, the fight isn’t over.

“Lawmakers may still try to change the program in the future,” Podliska says.

“And governors, even now, are able to opt out of the program. We must remain vigilant to ensure the program continues funding motorized trails.”

Funds for the RTP come from the federal Highway Trust Fund and represent a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax collected from non-highway recreational fuel use. In other words, taxes generated by fuel used for off-highway vehicle recreation—by snowmobiles, allterrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles and off-highway light trucks—fund the RTP. February 2013

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High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes: Overturning The Bike Ban Every time you ride your motorcycle in a high-occupancy vehicle lane, you can thank the AMA and others.

That’s because when the lanes were first created in the early 1980s to help ease traffic congestion by encouraging carpooling, motorcycles weren’t allowed in HOV lanes.

In 1982, the AMA, the National Motorcycle Commuters Association, the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists and others testified before Congress supporting motorcycle use of HOV lanes.

The AMA and its members also stressed to lawmakers that motorcycles represent a space-efficient way to commute.

The next year, the AMA, Motorcycle Industry Council and others got language written into a congressional highway bill that withheld federal highway funds from states that barred motorcycles from HOV lanes on roads built or maintained with federal money.

The law allowed jurisdictions to bar motorcycles from HOV lanes if they posed a safety hazard. But no jurisdiction has been able to prove that yet.

“Despite federal law allowing motorcycles on HOV lanes, motorcyclists in different parts of the country still get tickets for being in the lanes,” says Rick Podliska, AMA deputy director of government relations. “We then help those motorcyclists educate the local jurisdictions.

“What poses a threat to motorcyclists now are High-Occupancy Toll lanes, which appear to be becoming more popular around the nation,” Podliska says. “We need to ensure that motorcycles continue to have access to those as well.”

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The AMA and its members have long fought to ensure that health insurance covers injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash. In fact, the AMA, ABATE of Illinois and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation joined together to push congressional language meant to ensure that motorcyclists weren’t discriminated against.

The AMA first learned of the problem in the early 1990s, when motorcyclists learned the hard way that their health insurance policies didn’t cover motorcycle-related injuries. As an example, one of those cases involved Tom Klimek, an AMA member and Teamster in the Chicago area who suffered multiple injuries in a crash in 1995.

The accident wasn’t Klimek’s fault. A car driver pulled out of a parking lot in front of his motorcycle, causing the crash. But the driver had only the minimum liability insurance required in Illinois at the time, $20,000. And when Klimek’s medical bills quickly exhausted that, he found that his health insurance, provided by his union, wouldn’t pay a dime toward any bills related to a motorcycle crash.

That left Klimek with tens of thousands of dollars to pay out of his own pocket.

The AMA also learned that gunmaker Sturm, Ruger and Co. discriminated against its motorcycling employees by refusing to cover motorcycle-related crash injuries unless the employee was wearing a helmet.

The company had no similar requirement for car drivers and seat belt use.

The AMA attacked the discrimination head-on. In the case of the Teamsters union, publicity about Klimek’s situation helped turn around those policies in Chicago and elsewhere. In the case of Ruger, the AMA organized a campaign in which AMA members bought Ruger stock and raised the issue at the annual shareholders meeting, finally getting the policy reversed.

To end this discrimination nationwide, the AMA worked to promote federal legislation banning health-insurance discrimination. That effort paid off when language was included in committee report clarifying legislative intent to eliminate such discrimination as part of the Health

Motorcycle Safety Ideas: Stifling Bad Proposals Over the years, the AMA has seen proposals from so-called safety experts— from university researchers to federal government officials—for motorcycle designs that they believe would improve motorcycling safety, and should be considered as a requirement for all motorcycles.

The AMA and others have kept a close watch on these proposals and have pointed out flaws, when necessary. Here are some of the proposals over the years: • Leg protectors: These consist of a pair of massive pods on each side of the gas tank to provide a crush zone. A testing lab in England came close to making them required equipment there.

• High-visibility paint: While making yourself conspicuous in traffic is a great idea, imagine if all motorcycles were required to be painted fluorescent orange!

• A roll bar with a high-mounted brake light: You know those extra brake lights mounted in the back windows of cars? Some are suggesting that motorcycles need them too.

The AMA has been able to head off these ill-conceived ideas but is always on the lookout for new ones.

Think questionable government mandates can’t happen?

Well, there’s currently a big push for the federal government to require roll bars for all-terrain vehicles, so stay tuned.

Illustrations ©iStockphoto.com/Michael Mathis, ©iStockphoto.com/appleuzr, ©iStockphoto.com/sukmaraga

Health Insurance: Fighting Discrimination Against Motorcyclists

Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, passed in 1996.

After that bill was passed, however, the federal agencies charged with implementing the law took five years to write rules for its enforcement. When they did, they reversed the intent of the law. They told employers they couldn’t deny a worker a health insurance policy because he or she rode a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, horse, etc. but they could refuse to cover injuries related to those activities.

“Those rules made the entire law meaningless for motorcycle and ATV riders,” says Imre Szauter, AMA government affairs manager. “What good is a health insurance policy that won’t cover any injuries?”

“In 2012 we started hearing from concerned motorcyclists that as of Jan. 1, 2013, their health insurance policies would no longer cover injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash,” Szauter says.

The AMA is now working on Capitol Hill to change the law and is working with AMA members when needed to urge employers who discriminate against them to stop.

Bike Bans And Blacklists: Fighting To Ensure Bikes Can Be Insured Imagine if every sportbike in America were banned, along with every motorcycle that made more than a governmentmandated amount of horsepower.

Or if insurance companies refused to insure your motorcycle.

Impossible? It almost happened.

In 1987 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an industry group funded by large insurance companies, launched a campaign to get sportbikes off the road because they allegedly were more dangerous than other motorcycles. ThenU.S. Sen. John Danforth introduced a bill to ban sportbikes based on information in an IIHS study.

But the study was flawed, and AMA officials and members let Danforth know.

He finally agreed to meet with AMA officials on the issue, and after hearing reasoned arguments said that he would let the bill die.

Concerning insurance, in the 1980s State Farm decided it wouldn’t write policies for 38 sport-style motorcycles with engines larger than 500cc from BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha.

Several other insurance companies also adopted blacklists. AMA officials finally were able to meet with State Farm executives in Illinois and convince them that more than the style of a motorcycle needs to be considered when deciding whether to write policies.

The AMA acknowledged that the company’s loss data might indicate that higher rates were necessary on some bikes or individuals, but the AMA said that refusing to write coverage at any price wasn’t justified.

A short time later, State Farm dropped its blacklist, and so did other insurance companies.

“These were significant victories for motorcyclists and the AMA,” says Imre Szauter, AMA government affairs manager.

“But the IIHS continues to produce studies that target motorcycles and motorcyclists, so the threat hasn’t gone away.”

Bike Bans: Opening Public Roads To Motorcycles “No Motorcycles Allowed” is a sign that started to become quite common in the 1980s. But thanks to the AMA and its members, those signs have come down.

One of the biggest bike bans in the 1980s involved D.W. Field Park, a 700-acre park in Brockton, Mass.

In 1987 the city banned motorcycles from the park, prompting the AMA to file a lawsuit.

It took five years, but the courts finally ruled in favor of motorcyclists, allowing them back in the park.

Building on that momentum, the AMA joined with ABATE of Illinois to promote federal legislation to specifically block cities and states from trying to ban motorcycles. In 1998, wording that prohibits motorcycle bans on any road built or maintained with federal funds was incorporated into a highway funding bill.

A short time later, officials tried to ban motorcycles from Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive but couldn’t because of the new federal law.

Nowadays, when officials anywhere try to ban motorcycles from roads the first question the AMA asks is: “Were federal funds used to build the road, or are they used to maintain it?”

The California Desert: Maintaining Riding In A Hostile Environment Opponents of motorized recreation have been trying to shut down the California desert to riding for decades, either through federal legislation, local legislation or even lawsuits.

At one time, about 25 million acres east of Los Angeles and San Diego were unregulated. But in 1976, the federal government started the California Desert Conservation Area Plan to limit uses.

Some 10.5 million acres is private land or under military control, with no riding allowed. Another 5 million acres were designated under the plan as national park or Wilderness, barring off-highway riding.

Another 6 million acres were set aside for limited use, meaning vehicles could use certain designated routes. And 3.3 million acres were set aside for moderate use, meaning vehicles could use existing routes.

Some 500,000 acres remained open to riding under the plan.

The AMA and local OHV groups continue to promote responsible riding in the desert, year after year, particularly against legislation that would ban motorized recreation on millions of desert acres.

“This is a fight that will never end,” says Nick Haris, AMA Western states representative. “I have to give a lot of credit to AMA members and local groups for continuing these battles year after year so that we don’t lose the entire desert. This is very important for future generations of riders.”

Threats To Motorcycling

Fighting For Your Right to Ride and Race Here are some of the threats we motorcyclists face today and what the AMA is doing about it.

• Motorcycle-only Checkpoints: Motorcycle-only checkpoints have been popping up around the country, and the AMA is fighting back against this discrimination. Besides attacking the problem at the state level, the AMA is working in Washington, D.C., to try to get federal officials to end the grant program to the states that provides funding for motorcycle-only checkpoints.

• Johnson Valley: The Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Riding Area in California, roughly 55 miles southeast of Barstow, is under attack from the military. The Navy Department wants to expand a nearby Marine base, and that would allow public use of only 40,000 acres of the 190,000-acre Johnson Valley. The AMA is on Capitol Hill trying to block this expansion.

• Sound: Across the nation, jurisdictions are cracking down on loud motorcycles. To head off draconian measures, the AMA supports the SAE J2825 procedure for streetbikes, which is a sound test conducted at a 45-degree angle from the exhaust pipe of a running engine. The procedure recommends a 92-decibel limit at idle for all machines, a limit of 100 for threeor four-cylinder machines at 5,000 rpm or 75 percent of maximum engine speed, whichever is less, and a limit of 96 for bikes with fewer than three or more than four cylinders at 2,000 rpm or 75 percent of maximum engine speed, whichever is less.

• E15: The AMA wants to ensure that E15—fuel made up of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline—is safe for motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles before it is approved by the federal government for use in those machines.

• Raids on trail funds: Cashstrapped states often look to state trailfunding programs for extra revenue.

However, the money in those funds, which comes from fees on off-highway riders, almost exclusively is taken with the understanding it will be used for programs that directly benefit the riders. States are constantly finding more creative ways to raid those funds.

For news of one of the latest raids, see page 12.

February 2013

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A few of the hundreds of AMA-sanctioned events this month, detailed on the following pages.

GO RIDE

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1

7

4

6

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1 1 4

13 5

January 19, 2013 Columbus, Ohio

3

The AMA Rekluse National Enduro Championship Series heads to Greensboro, Ga., Feb. 17 in a round hosted by the Cherokee Cycle Club. See the schedule on page 45.

1

The 2013 AMA Supercross Championship charges full speed into February with action in Anaheim, Calif., Feb. 2; San Diego, Calif., Feb. 9; Arlington, Texas, Feb. 16; and Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 23. For the full schedule, see page 44.

2

A must-do AMA National Grand Tour in 2013 is The Big Money Rally, also known as the BMR. It’s a tour-style rally that runs from Jan. 1 through May 25, with bonuses designed for riders to participate throughout the country. Whether you’re a Saturday morning rider or DAKAR veteran, you’ll find this rally is a good time. Info: www. bigmoneyrally.com.

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4

One of the best shows in motorcycling is the AMA Arenacross National Championship Series, which has a full slate of races in February: Feb. 1-3 in Cedar Park, Texas; Feb. 8-10 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Feb. 16-17 in Little Rock, Ark.; and Feb. 23-24 in Wichita, Kan. For the full schedule, see page 44.

5

The AMA East Hare Scrambles National Championship Series heads to Elko, Ga., on Feb. 23 with both youth and amateur competition. For the full schedule, see page 45.

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The battles in the desert heat up in the AMA Hare and Hound National Championship Series Feb. 9-10 in Spangler Hills-Ridgecrest, Calif.

Youth race on Saturday and amateurs on Sunday. For the full schedule, see page 45.

7

Catch the last two races of in the AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series Feb. 9 and Feb. 23, both in Du Quoin, Ill., featuring short track and TT. Info: www.stevenaceracing.com.

COMING UP Mark your calendar now. The 10-round AMA Pro Road Racing Championship Series gets under way March 14-16 at the famed Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. For the full schedule, see page 44.

FEBRUARY EVENTS ARIZONA

GEORGIA

COMPETITION

COMPETITION

HARE SCRAMBLES

ENDURO

FEB 23-24: GLOBE: 2-DAY EVENT, ROCKSTARS MC, (480) 216-2588, AMRARACING.COM

FEB 17: GREENSBORO: CHEROKEE CYCLE CLUB INC., (770) 540-2891, SETRA.ORG

ARKANSAS COMPETITION ARENACROSS FEB 16-17: LITTLE ROCK: 2-DAY EVENT, FELD MOTOR SPORTS, (800) 216-7482, ARENACROSS.COM CALIFORNIA RECREATIONAL

HARE SCRAMBLES FEB 23-24: (Includes ATVs) ELKO: 2-DAY EVENT, BRUCE DOUGLAS - HIGH POINT HS

FEB 24: SAN JACINTO: SOBOBA TRAIL RIDE, (951) 654-9436, SOBOBARIDES.COM

HARE SCRAMBLES FEB 24: (Includes ATVs) KEITHSBURG: BURLINGTON VALLEY DUSTERS, (319) 753-6961 COMPETITION ARENACROSS FEB 23-24: WICHITA: 2-DAY EVENT, FELD MOTOR SPORTS, (800) 216-7482, ARENACROSS.COM MICHIGAN

COMPETITION HARE & HOUND FEB 9-20: RIDGECREST: 2-DAY EVENT, FOUR ACES MC, (805) 795-6708, FOURACESMC.ORG FEB 24: (Includes ATVs) LUCERNE VALLEY: CHECKERS MC, (760) 341-5724, CHECKERSMC.COM

COMPETITION MOTOCROSS FEB 23: ELIZABETH CITY: MOTOPROMO, ECMX.COM FEB 24: ELIZABETH CITY: MOTOPROMO, ECMX.COM OKLAHOMA COMPETITION

KANSAS

DUAL SPORT-OFF ROAD

NORTH CAROLINA

ILLINOIS COMPETITION

FUN RUN FEB 24: SUN VALLEY: ABATE-CA LOCAL 1, (818) 344-4656

FEB 17: (Includes ATVs) LAKE GEORGE: ELECTRIC CITY RIDERS, (518) 542-2144, ELECTRICCITYRIDERS.COM

COMPETITION ICE RACE FEB 9-10: (Includes ATVs) CADILLAC: 2-DAY EVENT, NORTH AMERICAN ACTION SPORTS, LLC., (989) 871-3356, NNACTIONSPORTS.COM MISSOURI

MOTOCROSS FEB 23: WELLSTON: REYNARD RACEWAY, (405) 793-1049, REYNARDRACEWAY.COM FEB 24: WELLSTON: REYNARD RACEWAY, (405) 793-1049, REYNARDRACEWAY.COM PENNSYLVANIA COMPETITION ARENACROSS FEB 8: WILKES BARRE: FELD MOTOR SPORTS, (800) 216-7482, ARENACROSS.COM FEB 9-10: WILKES BARRE: 2-DAY EVENT, FELD MOTOR SPORTS, (800) 216-7482, ARENACROSS.COM MOTOCROSS

HARE SCRAMBLES

MOTOCROSS

FEB 17: (Includes ATVs) HARRISBURG: TRAIL-WAY SPEEDWAY, (717) 359-7056, MOTORAMAEVENTS.COM

FEB 16-17: SALINAS: 2-DAY EVENT, SALINAS RAMBLERS M/C, (831) 4447870, SALINASRAMBLERSMC.ORG

FEB 23: (Includes ATVs) MEXICO: HILLTOP MX PARK, (573) 582-2015, ROBBINSCYCLES.COM

FEB 18: (Includes ATVs) HARRISBURG: TRAIL-WAY SPEEDWAY, (717) 359-7056, MOTORAMAEVENTS.COM

FLORIDA RECREATIONAL POKER RUN FEB 17: FT WALTON BEACH: SAND DOLLAR MC INC, (850) 244-0376, SANDDOLLARMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM COMPETITION MOTOCROSS FEB 15-16: REDDICK: 2-DAY EVENT, MOTOCROSS OF MARION COUNTY, (352) 591-2377, MXMARIONCOUNTY.COM FEB 17: REDDICK: MOTOCROSS OF MARION COUNTY, (352) 591-2377, MXMARIONCOUNTY.COM

COMPETITION

FEB 24: (Includes ATVs) MEXICO: HILLTOP MX PARK, (573) 582-2015, ROBBINSCYCLES.COM NEW YORK COMPETITION MUD & SNOW SCRAMBLES FEB 10: (Includes ATVs) HARPURSVILLE: SQUARE DEAL RIDERS M/C, (607) 6932634, SQUAREDEALRIDERS.COM FEB 24: (Includes ATVs) HARPURSVILLE: SQUARE DEAL RIDERS M/C, (607) 6932634, SQUAREDEALRIDERS.COM

SOUTH CAROLINA COMPETITION ENDURO FEB 3: WEDGEFIELD: SUMTER ENDURO RIDERS MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION, (803) 481-5169, SERMACLUB.COM TEXAS COMPETITION ARENACROSS

SHORT TRACK

FEB 1: CEDAR PARK: FELD MOTOR SPORTS, (800) 216-7482, ARENACROSS.COM

FEB 16: (Includes ATVs) LAKE GEORGE: ELECTRIC CITY RIDERS, (518) 542-2144, ELECTRICCITYRIDERS.COM

FEB 2-3: CEDAR PARK: 2-DAY EVENT, FELD MOTOR SPORTS, (800) 216-7482, ARENACROSS.COM

February 2013

43

2013 EVENTS HALL OF FAME EXHIBITS AND EVENTS

AMA MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP MXSPORTSPRORACING.COM

May 26: Springfield, Ill.: Mile, Illinois State Fairgrounds

AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME MOTORCYCLEMUSEUM.ORG

May 18: Sacramento, Calif.: Hangtown Motocross Classic

June 8: Ohio: TBD

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Closed: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

May 25: Lakewood, Colo.: Thunder Valley

Main Hall: AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Recognizing those who have made significant contributions to all aspects of motorcycling.

June 22: Mechanicsville, Md.: Budds Creek

Dirt-Track! All-American Motorcycle Racing: Celebrating the storied history of the men and machines who battle on the dirt oval.

July 20: Washougal, Wash.: Washougal Aug. 10: New Berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla

Aug. 17: Indianapolis: Mile, Indiana State Fairground

30-Year Ride: Honda’s Ohio-made Motorcycles: Gold Wings aren’t the only bikes that Honda produced at its plant in Marysville, Ohio. This exhibit showcases the 30 years of production, from the CR250 to the Rune.

Aug. 17: Tooele, Utah: Miller Motorsports Park

Sept. 1: Springfield, Ill.: Mile, Illinois State Fairgrounds

Aug. 24: Lake Elsinore, Calif.: Lake Elsinore

Sept. 29: Santa Rosa, Calif.: Mile, Sonoma County Fairgrounds

AMA PRO ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP AMAPRORACING.COM

Oct. 5: Ariz.: TBD

March 14-16: Daytona Beach, Fla.: Daytona International Speedway April/May: TBD

AMA PRO ATV MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP ATVMOTOCROSS.COM

May 31-June 2: Elkhart Lake, Wis.: Road America

March 23-24: Washington, Ga.: Aonia Pass MX

July 12-14: Lexington, Ohio: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

April 13-14: Blountville, Tenn.: Muddy Creek Raceway

July 19-21: Monterey, Calif.: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

April 27-28: Oakland, Ky.: Ballance MX

Founder’s Hall: Honoring the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s generous contributors.

AMA PRO RACING

AMA SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP AMASUPERCROSS.COM Jan. 12: Phoenix, Ariz.: Chase Field Jan. 19: Anaheim, Calif: Angel Stadium Jan. 26: Oakland, Calif.: O.Co Coliseum Feb. 2: Anaheim, Calif.: Angel Stadium Feb. 9: San Diego: Qualcomm Stadium Feb. 16: Arlington, Texas: Cowboys Stadium

June 8: Mount Morris, Pa.: High Point

June 29: Southwick, Mass.: Moto X 338 July 6: Buchanan, Mich.: RedBud July 27: Millville, Minn.: Spring Creek

Aug. 2-4: Tooele, Utah: Miller Motorsports Park

Feb. 23: Atlanta: Georgia Dome

Aug. 16-18: Indianapolis: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Harley-Davidson XR1200)

March 2: St. Louis: Edward Jones Dome

Aug./Sept.: TBD

March 9: Daytona Beach, Fla.: Daytona International Speedway

Sept. 13-15: Millville, N.J.: New Jersey Motorsports Park

March 16: Indianapolis: Lucas Oil Stadium March 23: Toronto, Canada: Rogers Centre April 6: Houston: Reliant Stadium April 13: Minneapolis: Metrodome April 20: Seattle: CenturyLink Field April 27: Salt Lake City: Rice-Eccles Stadium May 4: Las Vegas, Nev.: Sam Boyd Stadium

44

June 1: Blountville, Tenn.: Bristol

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Sept. 26-28: Monterey, Calif.: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

AMA PRO FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP AMAPRORACING.COM March 14: Daytona Beach, Fla.: Shorttrack, Daytona Flat Track

June 29: Lima, Ohio: Half-mile, Lima County Fairgrounds July 6: Hagerstown, Md.: Half-mile, Hagerstown Speedway July 20: Elma, Wash.: Half-mile, Grays Harbor Raceway July 27: Sacramento, Calif.: Mile, Cal Expo Aug. 3: Castle Rock, Wash.: TT, Castle Rock Race Park Aug. 11: Peoria, Ill.: TT, PMC Race Park

Oct. 12: Pomona, Calif. Half-mile, LA County Fairplex ISHIP ONAL CHAM

May 11-12: Rossville, Ind.: Wildcat Creek MX May 25-26: Walnut, Ill.: Sunset Ridge June 8-9: Danville, Va.: Birch Creek Motorsports July 6-7: Delmont, Pa.: Steel City July 13-14: New Berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla July 27-28: Buchanan, Mich.: RedBud Aug. 10-11: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: Loretta Lynn’s Ranch AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AMA ARENACROSS ARENACROSS.COM Jan. 11-13: Baltimore: 1st Mariner Arena

March 15: Daytona Beach, Fla.: Shorttrack, Daytona Flat Track

Jan. 18-20: Grand Rapids, Mich.: Van Andel Arena

May 4: Ariz.: TBD

Jan. 26-27: Tulsa, Okla.: BOK Center

May 11: Stockton, Calif.: Half-mile, San Joaquin County Fairgrounds

Feb. 1-3: Cedar Park, Texas: Cedar Park Center

2013 EVENTS Feb. 8-10: Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Mohegan Sun Arena

AMA INDOOR DIRT TRACK STEVENACERACING.COM

AMA WEST HARE SCRAMBLES AMARACING.COM

Feb. 16-17: Little Rock, Ark.: Verizon Arena

Jan. 12: Du Quion, Ill.: ST and TT, Southern Illinois Center, Steve Nace, Steve Nace Racing; (270) 442-7532

Feb. 16, Youth; Feb. 17, Amateur: Salinas, Calif.: Richie Mendez, Salinas Ramblers; (831) 444-7870; SalinasRamblersMC.org

Feb. 23-24: Wichita, Kan.: INTRUST Bank Arena March 2-3: Kansas City, Kan.: Sprint Center March 15-17: Denver: Denver ColiseumHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AMA ENDUROCROSS ENDUROCROSS.COM May 3: Las Vegas, Nev.: Orleans Arena June 8: Sacramento, Calif.: Sleep Train Arena Sept. 14: Ontario, Calif.: Citizens Business Bank Arena Oct. 12: Denver: National Western Complex Oct. 26: Everett, Wash.: Comcast Arena Nov. 9: Boise, Idaho: Idaho Center Nov. 23: Las Vegas, Nev.: Orleans Arena AMA NATIONAL ENDURO NATIONALENDURO.COM Feb. 17: Greensboro, Ga.: Tom Cufr, Cherokee Cycle Club; (770) 540-2891, SETRA.org March 3: Salley, S.C.: Rhonda Dennis, Columbia Enduro Riders; (803) 788-4220 March 24: Blackwell, Texas: Joseph Roberts, Ross Creek Trail Riders; (325) 669-8866, RossCreekTrailRiders.com April 14: Forest Hill, La.: Tracy Barstow, Acadiana Dirt Riders; (337) 519-2520, AcadianaDirtRiders.com April 28: West Point, Tenn.: Paul Traufler, NATRA; (256) 683-4129, NATRA. DirtRider.net June 9: Marquette, Mich.: Nick Zambon, UP Sandstormers; (906) 2287010, UPSandstormers.com June 23: Blain, Pa.: Jim Landvater, Susquehanna Off Road Riders, (717) 9266035, sorrmc.org July 28: Cross Fork, Pa.: Peter Burnett, Brandywine Enduro Riders; (610) 3687332, ber.us Sept. 15: Lynnville, Ind.: Gil Jochem, IN, IL, KY Enduro Riders; (812) 624-0344, blackcoal.org Oct. 20: Oklahoma City: Chuck Howard, Oklahoma Dirt Riders; (405) 249-6702, okiedirtriders.com

Feb. 9: Du Quion, Ill.: ST and TT, Southern Illinois Center, Steve Nace, Steve Nace Racing; (270) 442-7532 Feb. 23: Du Quion, Ill.: ST and TT, Southern Illinois Center, Steve Nace, Steve Nace Racing; (270) 442-7532 AMA EAST HARE SCRAMBLES AMARACING.COM Jan. 26-27 (Double Youth Round): Wedgefield, S.C.: Jan. 26: Youth only.

Jan. 27: Amateur and Youth, Johnny McCoy, SERMA; (803) 481-5169; SERMAClub.com Feb. 24: Elko, Ga.: Amateur and Youth, Bruce Douglas, High Point Hare Scramble; (478) 808-4131; rbdouglas47@ yahoo.com

Feb. 23, Youth; Feb. 24, Amateur: Globe, Ariz.: Ben Hutchinson, Rock Stars Motorcycle Club; (480) 216-2588; AMRARacing.com April 13, Youth; April 14, Amateur: Shasta Lake, Calif.: Karl Hankins, Redding Dirt Riders; (530) 953-7272; ReddingDirtRiders.com July 6, Youth and C Amateur; July 7, Pro, A and B Amateur: Elkton, Ore.: Toni Bamford, ETRA Inc.; (541) 968-1664; ETRA.net Aug. 24, Youth; Aug. 25, Amateur: Big Sky, Mont.: Jamey Kabisch, Lone Peak Racing; (406) 223-0478; BigSkyXC.com AMA HARE & HOUND AMARACING.COM

March 23: Berwick, Pa.: Amateur and Youth, Duane Fisher, Evansville MX Park; (570) 759-2841; EvansvilleMXPark.com

Jan. 26, Youth; Jan. 27, Amateur: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Rick Nuss, Desert Motorcycle Club, Inc.; (626) 205-0121; DesertMC.com

April 14: Arrington, Va.: Amateur and Youth, Chuck Honeycutt, April Fools Promotions; (757) 375-5665; aprilfools62@verizon.net

Feb. 9, Youth; Feb. 10, Amateur: Spangler Hills-Ridgecrest, Calif.: Richie Wohlers, Four Aces Motorcycle Club; (805) 358-2668; FourAcesMC.org

April 27-28: Plainview, Ill.: Amateur and Youth, Ron Whipple, WFO Promotions; (309) 314-3343; WFOPromotions.com May 18-19: Valley View, Pa.: Amateur and Youth, Tiffany Tobias, Rausch Creek Powersports; (570) 682-4600; RauschCreekRacing.com June 8-9: Virgil, N.Y.: Amateur and Youth, Ken Rose, Greek Peak Trail Riders; (585) 297-2742; GreekPeak.com

March 23, Youth; March 24, Amateur: Murphy, Idaho: No ATVs. Bill Walsh, Dirt Inc.; (208) 459-6871; DirtIncRacing.com April 13, Youth; April 14, Amateur: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Justin Shultz, SoCal Motorcycle Club; (949) 981-6776; SoCalMC.com April 27, Youth; April 28, Amateur: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Steve Williams, Vikings Motorcycle Club; (310) 490-4575; VikingsMC.com

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February 2013

45

2013 EVENTS May 4, Amateur and Youth: Jericho, Utah: Talisa Flitton, Sage Riders; (435) 660-0430; SageRidersMC.com May 18, Amateur and Youth: Jericho, Utah: KC Bogue, Sugarloafers Motorcycle Club; (435) 864-8305; SugarLoafersMC.com

April 28: Bristol, Va.

July 27-28, Rounds 5 and 6: Kingman, Ariz.: Mike Carlton, Central Arizona Trials Inc.; (928) 681-5700; MCParks.com

June 9: Ivor, Va.

May 5: Martinsville, Va. May 26: Surry, Va. June 23: Rural Retreat, Va. July 28: Bristol, Va.

July 13: McCarran, Nev.: No ATVs. Erek Kudla, Get-Xtr-Eme; (805) 236-5866; Get-Xtr-Eme.com

Aug. 3-4, Rounds 7 and 8: Sipapu, N.M.: Lance Butler, New Mexico Trials Association; (505) 332-3172; NMTrials.org

Aug. 24, Amateur and Youth: Panaca, Nev.: No ATVs. Zach Livreri, Silver State Trailriders; (702) 645-2506; desertracer24p@gmail.com

Aug. 24-25, Rounds 9 and 10: Duluth, Minn.: Steve Ahleri, Northland MC Riders Association; (218) 349-9578; dam@ cpinternet.com

Sept. 8: Sutherlin, Va.

Oct. 12, Youth; Oct. 13, Amateur: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Ryan Sanders, 100’s Motorcycle Club; (949) 584-9395; 100sMC.org

AMA NATC EAST YOUTH TRIALS AMARACING.COM

Oct. 13: Rural Retreat, Va.

AMA ATV MOTOCROSS ATVMOTOCROSS.COM March 23-24: Washington, Ga.: Aonia Pass MX April 13-14: Blountville, Tenn.: Muddy Creek Raceway April 27-28: Oakland, Ky.: Ballance MX May 11-12: Rossville, Ind.: Wildcat Creek MX May 25-26: Walnut, Ill.: Sunset Ridge June 8-9: Danville, Va.: Birch Creek Motorsports July 6-7: Delmont, Pa.: Steel City July 13-14: New Berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla July 27-28: Buchanan, Mich.: RedBud

TBA AMA NATC WEST YOUTH TRIALS AMARACING.COM TBA AMA FEATURED SERIES AMA MID-SOUTH CROSS COUNTRY WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES MSXC.COM Jan. 27: Greensburg, Ky.: Russell Creek

Aug. 11: Martinsville, Va. Aug. 25: Penhook, Va. Sept. 22: Spring Grove, Va. Sept. 29: Chatham, Va. Oct. 27: Dillwyn, Va. Nov. 10: Spring Grove, Va. AMA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS AMA AMATEUR NATIONAL MOTOCROSS MXSPORTS.COM NORTHEAST AREA QUALIFIERS Feb. 23-24: Elizabeth City, N.C.: Elizabeth City; (757) 449-3673

Feb. 17: Bucksnort, Tenn.: Foxhollow

March 9-10: Hedgesville, W.Va.: Tomahawk; (304) 229-6682

March 3: Gardendale, Ala.: Cornerstone Ranch

March 23-24: Englishtown, N.J.: Englishtown; (732) 446-7800

March 23-24: McEwen, Tenn.: Tumbling Creek

April 20-21: TBD

AMA WESTERN CHECKPOINT ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP RIDECHEC.COM

April 27-28: Armagh, Pa.: Pleasure Valley Raceway; (814) 695-2453 May 11-12: Mt. Morris, Pa.: High Point; (304) 284-0084

Aug. 10-11: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: Loretta Lynn’s Ranch

Jan. 19-20: Lucerne Valley, Calif.

AMA ATV HARE SCRAMBLES AMARACING.COM

March 16-17: Anza, Calif.

March 24: Berwick, Pa.: Duane Fisher, Evansville MX Park; (570) 759-2841; EvansvilleMXPark.com

April 6-7: Lake Port, Calif.

May 25-26: Danville, Va.: Birch Creek Motorsports; (434) 836-7629

April 13-14: Camp Wood, Ariz.

NORTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

April 20-21: Red Mountain, Calif.

June 1-2: New Berlin, N.Y.: Youth, Unadilla Valley Sports Center; (607) 9658450

April 28: Plainview, Ill.: Ron Whipple, WFO Promotions; (309) 314-3343; WFOPromotions.com May 19: Valley View, Pa.: Amateur and Youth, Tiffany Tobias, Rausch Creek Powersports; (570) 682-4600; RauschCreekRacing.com June 9: Virgil, N.Y.: Amateur and Youth, Ken Rose, Greek Peak Trail Riders; (585) 297-2742; GreekPeak.com AMA SWM NATC MOTOTRIALS AMARACING.COM June 15-16, Rounds 1 and 2: Cayuta, N.Y.: David Reed, District 4 Trials Committee; (607) 796-9558; District4Trials.org

46

June 22-23, Rounds 3 and 4: Swanton, Vt.: Denver Wilson, Green Mountain Plonkers Trials Club; (802) 236-7338; GreenMountainPlonkers.org

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Feb. 2-3: Wickenburg, Ariz.

May 18-19: Gorman, Calif.: Two-day qualifier June 1-2: Boise, Idaho: Two-day qualifier Sept. 13-14: Johnson Valley, Calif.: Two-day qualifier Sept. 28-29: Toulon, Nev. Oct. 26-27: Elkins Flat, Calif.

Nov. 9-10: Stoneyford, Calif.

VIRGINA CHAMPIONSHIP HARE SCRAMBLES SERIES VCHSS.ORG March 24: Dillwyn, Va. April 14: Arrington, Va.: AMA National

May 18-19: Winchester, N.H.: Winchester Speed Park; (603) 239-6406

June 29-30: Danville, Va.: Amateur, Budds Creek; (304) 284-0084 SOUTHEAST AREA QUALIFIERS Feb. 16-17: Reddick, Fla.: MX of Marion County; (352) 591-2377 March 16-17: Hamer, S.C.: South of the Border; (423) 323-5497 April 6-7: Pell City, Ala.: Mill Creek MX; (205) 699-8857 April 20-21: Henderson, N.C.: North Carolina Motorsports Park; (252) 438-8192 May 4-5: Gaston, S.C.: Palometto Motorsports Complex; (423) 323-5497

2013 EVENTS May 11-12: Okeechobee, Fla.: Thundercross MX Park; (321) 689-3461 May 18-19: Chatsworth, Ga.: Lazy River MX; (706) 278-1620 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP June 8-9: Blountville, Tenn.: Amateur, Muddy Creek Raceway; (423) 323-5497 June 22-23: Gainesville, Fla.: Youth, Gatorback; (321) 689-3461 MID-EAST AREA QUALIFIERS March 23-24: Rossville, Ind.: Wild Cat Creek MX; (765) 379-2482

SOUTH CENTRAL AREA QUALIFIERS

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Feb. 23-24: Wellston, Okla.: Reynard Racing MX; (405) 793-1049

July 29-Aug. 3: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: National Championship, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch

March 2-3: Conroe, Texas: Three Palms; (936) 321-8725 March 9-10: Kemp, Texas: UnderGround MX Park; (903) 498-4659 April 20-21: Edgewood, Texas: Buffalo Creek MX; (214) 939-4321 April 27-28: Carencro, La.: Vay Way Moto Playground; (870) 342-5373

April 13-14: Coldwater, Mich.: Log Road MX; (419) 636-5430

May 4-5: Ponca City, Okla.: Ponca City MX; (580) 762-3635

April 20-21: Oakland, Ky.: Ballance MX; (423) 323-5497

May 4-5: Lakewood, Colo.: Thunder Valley; (303) 697-1003

April 27-28: Crothersville, Ind.: Highfly MX; (812) 374-8228

May 18-19: Litle Rock, Ark.: Tony Wynn MX; (870) 342-5373

May 4-5: Buchanan, Mich.: Red Bud MX; (269) 695-6405

SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

May 11-12: Livingston, Tenn.: Thunder Valley MX; (423) 323-5497 May 11-12: Midland, Mich.: Polka Dots Motorcycle Club; (989) 832-8284 May 18-19: Nelsonville, Ohio: Fast Traxx Motoplex; (740) 767-3740 MID-EAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

June 1-2: Wortham, Texas: Amateur, Freestone; (713) 962-3386 June 15-16: Prentiss, Miss.: Youth, Golden Pine; (601) 506-8669 NORTHWEST AREA QUALIFIERS (MORE MAY BE ADDED)

AMA ICE RACE GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS NAACTIONSPORTS.COM Feb. 9-10: Cadillac, Mich.: naactionsports. com AMA EXTREME ENDURO GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS TENNESSEEKNOCKOUTENDURO.COM Aug. 17-18: Sequatchie, Tenn.: KENDA Tennessee Knockout, Trials Training Center INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: U.S. ROUNDS FIM ROAD RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND PRIX FIM-LIVE.COM April 21: Austin, Texas: Circuit of The Americas July 21: Monterey, Calif.: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Aug. 18: Indianapolis, Ind.: Indianapolis Motor Speedway FIM WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP WORLDSBK.COM Sept. 29: Monterey, Calif.: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

May 25-26: Millfield, Ohio: Youth, Sunday Creek MX; (304) 284-0084

March 2-3: Rancho Cordova, Calif.: Prairie City; (916) 209-3855

June 22-23: Millington, Mich.: Amateur, Baja Acres; (289) 871-3356

March 16-17: Richland, Wash.: Horn Rapids MX; (509) 496-2958

May 25-26: Sequatchie, Tenn.: Trials Training Center

NORTH CENTRAL AREA QUALIFIERS

April 13-14: Millford, Calif.: Honey Lake; (530) 827-2639

FIM TRIAL DES NATIONS FIM-LIVE.COM

May 4-5: Turlock, Calif.: Oatfield Raceway; (740) 297-6686

Sept. 8-9: La Chatre, France

March 9-10: Du Quoin, Ill.: Paradise MX; (618) 542-6203 April 6-7: Casey, Ill.: Lincoln Trail Motorsports; (217) 932-2041 April 20-21: Richwood, Mo.: Romp MX; (573) 701-8674 April 27-28: Walnut, Ill.: Sunset Ridge MX; (815) 379-9534 May 4-5: Tigerton, Wis.: Motozone; (920) 419-2863 May 4-5: Montezuma, Iowa: Fun Valley Moto X; (641) 623-3456 May 11-12: Little Falls, Minn.: Little Falls Raceway; (612) 919-3457 May 18-19: Carroll, Ill.: Mcmotopark; (815) 238-1614 NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP June 15-16: Millville, Minn.: Amateur, Spring Creek MX; (507) 753-2779 June 29-30: Byron, Ill.: Youth, Byron Motosports Park; (815) 234-2271

May 11: Washougal, Wash.: One-day event: Washougal; (360) 601-5347 NORTHWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP June 8-9: Washougal, Wash.: Youth and Amateur, Washougal; (360) 601-5347 SOUTHWEST AREA QUALIFIERS (MORE MAY BE ADDED) Feb. 23-24: Litchfield Park, Ariz.: Arizona Cycle Park; (623) 853-0750 March 9-10: Hesperia, Calif.: Competitive Edge; (760) 947-9054 March 16-17: Haleiwa, Hawaii: Kahuku MX; (808) 668-6276 May 4-5: Turlock, Calif.: Oatfield Raceway SOUTHWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP May 25-26: Anza, Calif.: Youth and Amateur, The Ranch; (949) 276-5153

FIM WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALSTRAININGCENTER.COM

FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS FIM-LIVE.COM Sept. 29: Teutschenthal, Germany FIM INTERNATIONAL SIX DAYS OF ENDURO FIM-LIVE.COM May 25-26: Wellston, Ohio, East Qualifier: William Depue Jr.; Appalachian Dirt Riders; (740) 384-6379; ADROhio.org June 1-2: Idaho City, Idaho, West Qualifier: Peter Reynolds; Boise Ridge Riders; (208) 384-5141; ADROhio.org Sept. 30-Oct.5: 2013 ISDE: Sardegna, Italy AMA PREMIER TOURING SERIES AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM AMA NATIONAL GRAND TOURS AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM AMA NATIONAL EXTREME GRAND TOURS AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM

February 2013

47

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February 2013

49

GUEST COLUMN

FATHER DOES BEST As fathers go, my dad was the best. Not just for the sentimental relationship—he was my father, mentor and teacher—but for the very practical reason that he loved motocross as much as I do.

Dad bought my brother and me our first motorcycle in 1974, a Yamaha GT80. The oval path around our yard was well worn, as well as the motorcycle, when we traded for a 1975 Honda XR75.

My older brother got a Honda XL125.

After much begging and pleading with our mother, we competed in our first motocross race in 1976. From that moment, dad and I were hooked. In 1976 we bought a Yamaha YZ80 for me and a YZ100 for my brother, and I have been riding Yamahas ever since. My brother only raced for a few years before he married and eventually got out of the sport. For me, though, from then on everything revolved around racing. Mom and dad sacrificed so much just so I could continue to race. I owe everything to the both of them.

Dad was a mechanic in the Korean War, so he was able to teach me how to work on my bike. But sometimes my main job was to just hold the flashlight. It was kind of dark in the garage. Between the two of us we did just about all the work ourselves. I did secure a sponsorship from the local Yamaha dealer, who provided parts discounts and helped with entry fees.

For the next several years, dad and I spent many weekends together traveling and just being at the races. Mom came quite a bit too. We made so many friends all across the country. Even though we didn’t always see eye to eye on different things, we always shared our love for the sport of motocross. We could always talk racing.

My mother sacrificed the top of our console television set to display our trophies, but after many races she had to give up a whole spare room to hold them all. When friends would come over to our house, the first place dad would take them would be the trophy room. I don’t know if our friends enjoyed the stories as much as dad enjoyed telling them, but what can I say other than he was a proud father.

All of our years of motocross racing never led to a big-time motocross career, but I did compete twice at the big annual Ponca City, Okla., race. Dad was excited for me to be competing against national-caliber competition. It was a major highlight for him. In 1980 I placed third in 100cc stock school boy class, and in 1981 I placed second overall in both the 100cc stock and 100cc modified expert classes.

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

My father never told me how to ride or to go faster. All he would say is be careful. He did ask me a few times to slow down or please don’t try that triple. But as all young boys do, I never listened. I recall at one race there was a huge fly-away jump and dad said not to do that jump at full speed on my YZ80 because I was beginning to get a little too big for my bike. “The frame will not take it,” he said. Nevertheless I did the jump.

When I landed, my bike broke in half and there I sat watching all my competitors go by. (I was in the lead.) I remember watching dad walking over to where I was. I thought I was really in for it, but all he said was “I told you so” before he pushed my bike back to the pits.

My dad took care of everything in the pits and he was always trackside during my race, watching and cheering me on. When he wasn’t prepping my bike, you would always see him visiting with the other fathers or a friend about how things were going at the races.

Fast forward several years and it has been an amazing feeling to be at the races watching my son on the track with my father sitting beside me. Both of us watching my son making a pass and dad saying, “I remember when you put a block pass on a guy one time,” or some other thing that happened 20 years ago that I had long forgotten. He really did love racing.

After 37 years of motocross, my father passed away recently at age 79. One of the ways we honor him is to keep racing. It is a wonderful circle, the father/son motocross experience. It is something that I will never take for granted as I pass on to my son what my father passed on to me.

Kirk Lorence is an AMA member from Green City, Mo.

Photo Josh Hettinger Photography

What Comes Around Goes Around

By Kirk Lorence

AMA

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