American Motorcyclist March 2024

8 PERSPECTIVES

MARCH 2024 VOLUME 78, NUMBER 3

Editorial Director Mitch Boehm on what’s in store for 2024

10 FROM THE PRESIDENT

AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman details his motorcycling origin story

12 MEGAPHONE

Contributing Editor Aaron Frank provides a window into the world of baggers

14 BACKFIRES

Membership feedback on recent issues

16 BACK IN THE DAY

Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!

18 100 YEARS OF HISTORIC AMA RIGHTS WINS

The AMA’s battle with the EPA on noise levels in the late 1970s

40 THE 30s

How the AMA and motorcycling navigated the Great Depression

50 THE PILGRIMAGE

Part I of a tumultuous solo trek to Harley-Davidson’s 120th Homecoming

72 AMA GARAGE

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

74 AMA BEHIND THE SCENES

Meet Harold Davis, a longtime AMA volunteer

ON THE COVER:

The Honda Z50 Mini Trail, which across the late 1960s and ’70s introduced hundreds of thousands of newcomers to the world of motorcycling, staked its claim as the most significant and popular minibike in history during the highpoint in motorcycle sales. Read all about this bike’s axis-spinning impact.

Cover photo by Brian Nitto.

26 COVER STORY: THE MIGHTIEST MINI

The tale of Honda’s legendary Z50 Mini Trail

EDITORIAL

Mitch Boehm Editorial Director

Todd Westover Chief Creative Consultant

Keaton Maisano Managing Editor

Kerry Hardin Senior Graphic Designer

John Burns Contributing Editor

Aaron Frank Contributing Editor

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

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

Alex Boehm Sales and Events Specialist (614) 729-7949, aboehm@ama-cycle.org

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

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

Copyright© American Motorcyclist Association, 2021.

AMA STAFF

EXECUTIVE

Rob Dingman President/Chief Executive Officer

James Holter Chief Operating Officer

Jeff Wolens Chief Financial Officer

Donna Perry Executive Assistant to President/CEO

Danielle Smith Human Resources Manager/Assistant to COO

RACING AND ORGANIZER SERVICES

Mike Pelletier Director of Racing

Bill Cumbow Director of International Competition

Michael Burkeen Deputy Director of Racing

Ken Saillant Track Racing Manager

Michael Jolly Racing Manager

Jeff Canfield Racing Manager

Connie Fleming Supercross/FIM Coordinator

Olivia Schlabach Racing Program Manager

Jensen Burkeen Sanctioned Activity Coordinator

Damian George Sanctioned Activity Coordinator

Michael Gailher Sanctioned Activity Coordinator

MUSEUM

Paula Schremser Program Manager

Ricky Shultz Museum Clerk

Kobe Stone Museum Clerk

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Nick Haris Government Relations Director/ Western States Rep.

Zach Farmer Government Relations, Washington Rep.

Nick Sands Government Relations, Central States Rep.

American

Postmaster:

AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

Russ Ehnes Chair

Great Falls, Mont.

Gary Pontius Vice Chair

Westfield, Ind.

Brad Baumert Assistant Treasurer

Louisville, Ky.

Mark Hosbach Executive Committee Member Franklin, Tenn.

Hub Brennan

E. Greenwich, R.I.

Christopher Cox Greenville, Ohio

Steve Drewlo

Bismarck, N.D.

Clif Koontz Moab, Utah

Maggie McNally Albany, N.Y.

Shae Petersen

Greenville, S.C.

Tom Umphress

Jordan, Minn.

Faisel Zaman Dallas, Texas

(800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646) (614) 856-1900

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

@AmericanMotorcyclist @ama_riding

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Joy Burgess Marketing & Communications Director

Joe Bromley Program Development Manager

Makenzi Martin Membership Event and Program Manager

Lauren Kropf Marketing and Communications Specialist

Bob Davis Program and Volunteer Specialist

Jack Emerson Corporate Communications Specialist

MEMBER SERVICES

Amanda Donchess Director of Membership

Lynette Cox Membership Manager

Tiffany Pound Member Services Manager

Pam Albright Member Fulfillment Coordinator

Carolyn Vaughan Member Fulfillment Representative

Zoe Anders Member Services Representative

Vickie Park Member Services Representative

Charles Moore Member Services Representative

Kelly Anders Member Services Representative

Sarah Lockhart Member Services Representative

John Bricker Mailroom Manager

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Shaun Holloway Director of Information Technology

Jarrod Gilliland Application Developer

Ed Madden Systems and Database Analyst

Leah Mattas Web Manager

Rob Baughman Support Technician

For decades, enthusiasts bemoaned the lack of true 400cc street-supersport offerings Stateside. Europe and Japan got — and enjoyed — them, but we were left out in the cold.

But forget all that, because with the release of Kawasaki’s all-new, limited-edition 16,000-rpm Anniversary Edition ZX-4RR, which celebrates the introduction of the legendary and ground-breaking 900 Ninja of 1984, everything’s changed.

And you can win it via the AMA’s 100th Anniversary Raffle Bike!

Get your tickets — $5 per, or 5 for $20.

OK, Buzz, settle down. I know that spring doesn’t officially start until March 19, but hey, this is the March edition and, as Editor, I figure I’m allowed a little bit of a head start.

And besides, I got a teaser photo the other day from American Motorcyclist contributor Thad Wolff that got me all juiced up for the upcoming season. It wasn’t much; just a single shot of the front end of a motorcycle, but what a motorcycle it is…my long-in-process Suzuki GS1000S project bike, which I’ve been scheming and dreaming of for years, literally, and which is finally coming together in Thad’s capable hands.

It's not just a GS1000S, either. It’s a literal AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Wes Cooley replica…a replica of the AMA Superbike he raced during 1981, a year after the original, production-spec S-models (’79 and ’80) were for sale in the States (which means those two production bikes weren’t replicas of anything except Suzuki’s GP colors).

It’ll feature that lovely blue-andwhite paint scheme draped over a freshened-up and black-painted rolling chassis (black engine, wheels and fork legs) and should be ready in a couple of months. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve been this excited about a new (to me) motorcycle since I bought my first GS1000S from my buddy Nick Ienatsch back in 1982 while in college…which I totaled a year or so later. Sniff…

According to my calendar there’s a lot more fun stuff on the horizon, the first of which is the upcoming AIMExpo convention in Las Vegas (which will be in the books by the time you read this). I’ve probably attended 25 or more of these aftermarket/OE shows over the years (including my first in 1976), and because they offer you a chance to reconnect with all the industry folks you deal with during

PERSPECTIVES TO INFINITY...AND BEYOND!

BY MITCH BOEHM

the year, and see all the new stuff on display, they never fail to jumpstart the excitement generator in me.

Daytona Bike Week, which is happening right about the time you’re reading this, is similar in that way. For years I spent my time racing there, doing AMA Supersport and, later, in the AHRMA vintage ranks, and missing out on some of the event-/social- and industry-oriented stuff. But as many of you know, there’s a lot of fun to be had on the Florida coast during early March.

In May we’ll be at the intimate Quail Motorcycle Gathering (May 4), which Quail architect Gordon McCall tells me will be another blockbuster in terms of machinery, presentation and Grand Marshal — and I have no reason to doubt him. We’ll be there, so if you attend come say hello at our AMA tent.

June features our annual Flat Track Grand Championship (June 30 – July 6) at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois, where the nation’s best amateur flat trackers will vie for AMA No. 1 plates — and the Nicky Hayden Horizon Award — in a handful of classes on TT, Short

Track, Half-Mile and Mile venues. If you love dirt track racing, this is ground zero during June.

July, of course, is all about AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days (July 26-28) at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which is my favorite event of the year by far Combining road and off-road vintage racing, the best swap meet in the country, camping galore, bike shows, autograph sessions each day by the Grand Marshal, tons of vendors and attractions, and an AMA HOF Infield Extravaganza featuring a very special motorcycle anniversary (Yamaha’s YZ250, perhaps?) as well as our own 100th Anniversary Hall of Fame displays, VMD will once again be the baddest motorcycle weekend of the year. Just ask the 40,000-plus that fill the place each year.

In August we’re off to Europe and our annual Alps Challenge Tours — three of them! — with Edelweiss Bike Travel. Tour 1 (Aug. 8–16) begins in Munich and routes south through Austria and the Italian Dolomites; Tour 2 (Aug. 17–25) commences from Milan, Italy, and heads north through Italy and Switzerland; and Tour 3 (Aug. 26 – Sept. 3) launches from Nice, France on the Mediterranean and winds its way through the French Alps. Check ’em out at edelweissbike.com

October means our annual AMA Hall of Fame Days (Oct. 10–13) celebration at AMA HQ in Pickerington, Ohio, which will feature our star-studded HOF Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2024 and a wide range of riding and elbow-rubbing events. It’ll be the perfect cap to a busy but enjoyable season.

OK, time for launch, Buzz. Just get clearance from Star Command first, eh?

It’s amazing what a single sneak-peek photo can do to a man, but this one, the first shot I’d seen of a completed portion of my GS1000S project bike, has me in a tizzy. It’s the simple things in life…

u

u Discounted ad rates

u Board position availability

u Consumer data from AMA member surveys

u Updates on Government Relations activities

u AMA reports from events and consumer activities

u AMA newsletters

u Magazine copies for company, dealership, etc.

u And more!

“For over half a century, Kawasaki has supported the AMA’s mission to promote, preserve and grow the motorcycle industry. As a supporting Business Member, Kawasaki works together with the AMA to help build a bright future for motorcyclists, including safety, legislation for rider rights and land use, promoting riding and racing, and supporting the heritage of the AMA Hall of Fame. Supporting the AMA is essential to preserving the positive growth of motorcycling and the powersports industry.”

—Eigo Konya, President & CEO Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

Reading about Honda’s Z50 and its significance to motorcycling in this issue got me thinking about my own early experiences with motorcycles. Although the memories are clouded by 50 years, I believe I was about 7 when I was first exposed to motorcycles.

Three families on our street had minibikes. One older kid had what I think was a Honda CT70, though model specifics were pretty much lost on me at the time; another kid closer to my age had what I think was a Sears tube-framer with a 4- or 5-horse Briggs & Stratton engine; and then there was the family that had what I believe to be a Harley-Davidson Z90. There were five kids in that family, and they all shared the one bike.

It was on that Harley that I got my first ride as a passenger. I remember learning how to fasten the helmet’s D-ring strap and my head swimming in a helmet obviously sized for adults. That first ride was just one lap around the yard, but from then on, every time I saw that bike come out of the garage, I was across the street hoping to get another ride.

Riding as a passenger was fun, but what I really wanted was to ride by myself. That wasn’t going to happen on that Harley, but I was able to talk the kid with the Sears minibike into letting me do some laps around his yard.

And oh, boy, was that exhilarating! Way more fun than I’d ever imagined, and of course I was instantly hooked despite the fact that that ride ended when the oil cap fell off and sprayed oil all over my shirt…which taught me to be prepared for anything when you ride motorcycles.

I was first exposed to street motorcycles in that neighborhood when my

From the President and CEO

MINIS...WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

BY ROB DINGMAN

family had a fireplace and chimney built…and a few of the construction guys owned real-deal, raked-out 1970s choppers. I’d never seen anything like them and was fascinated.

I also developed a fascination with Evel Knievel at the time, and not only had the action figure and stunt cycle, but built a ramp to jump aboard my Rollfast bicycle. I learned the hard way that chip seal is not a very forgiving surface on which to crash.

We moved from that neighborhood, and it wasn’t until I was 14 or 15 that I had another opportunity to experience motorcycles firsthand. I convinced my father’s colleague to give me a ride on his Suzuki GS750 (or was it a 1000?), which was the first experience I had being on the road on a motorcycle. Riding minibikes was pure joy, but riding at highway speeds, even as a passenger, was a whole other level.

It wasn’t until I got out of college that I had the opportunity to ride on the street by myself. My friend John, who I grew up with (and who is also an AMA member), had ridden his Honda CM400 Custom from Buffalo, N.Y., to where I lived at the time in downtown Albany, N.Y., and let me take his bike out for a ride despite the fact that I had

One of my very first two-wheeled experiences was a very short ride on the back of a Harley-Davidson Z90 two-stroke like this one back in the 1970s.

Fifty years later, that Aermacchidesigned mini still looks pretty good, don’t ya think?

zero experience riding on the street. A bit sketchy, I know, but at least the bike was smooth and pretty easy to ride, and I had no problem navigating Albany’s city streets. It was maybe the perfect first experience riding on the street, and I returned safely with a renewed desire to get a bike of my own.

That happened about a year later after I relocated to the Washington, D.C., area and began working for the Motorcycle Industry Council. I acquired a 1989 Yamaha XT350, which was a great first bike. I could commute on it, ride it to the beach, and even ride the trails in the George Washington National Forest in northern Virginia.

A few years later I added a 1984 Honda Nighthawk S to my stable, and from there grew the obsession that continues to this day. Since then I’ve had more than a dozen motorcycles, and currently have five in my garage today.

And like many of you, all of this can be traced back to those neighborhood minibikes. Who knew?

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

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Induction ceremony tickets

Ispotted something unusual while scanning the specs of the new 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST, a bike The Motor Company calls a “Pinnacle Performance Bagger.” There it was, right next to the premium audio and navigation mentions: Track and Track Plus ride modes that allow you to customize power delivery, engine braking, cornering antilock and traction control to optimize racetrack performance.

Wait…Racetrack performance? On a bagger? In case you missed it, “performance baggers” are currently the biggest thing — no pun intended — in our world, driven partially by MotoAmerica’s wildly successful Mission King of the Baggers (KotB) road-racing series.

Sure, racing touring motorcycles with mandatory luggage is ridiculous. It’s also ridiculously popular. It’s no stretch to suggest that more American motorcycle fans could name the 2023 KotB champ (former Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award winner Hayden Gillim) than the 2023 Superbike champ (Jake Gagne), thanks mostly to Harley-Davidson and Indian’s massive promotion of this new series.

This makes sense. Performance always sells, even in unlikely packages. You’d never dream of gridding up at LeMans in a BMW X5 M Competition SUV, but dealers can’t keep ’em in stock. Harley-Davidson — and MotoAmerica — deserve huge credit for finally cracking this code. After decades of trying and failing to lure even a small portion of the massive American V-twin fan base through the racetrack gates with everything from cobby Sportster 883 road racers to spec-class XR1200s, KotB has finally done what long seemed impossible.

MEGAPHONE BAGs FLY FREE

BY AARON FRANK

The takeaway? Fans just like to watch racers on bikes that look like the bikes they ride, and a huge number of American riders ride (or want to ride) baggers. Reviving the H-D/Indian rivalry helped, too.

All that means the CVO Road Glide ST is not your granddad’s old touring cruiser. A special “High Output” 121 cubic-inch version of the Milwaukee-Eight engine makes big power, while cool bits like fully-adjustable Showa suspension make this thing appear more like an R-model Ducati than any CVO we’ve seen before.

I shouldn’t have been surprised, then, to learn that the CVO Road Glide ST press launch would be held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Touring bikes are typically launched in Miami or Monument Valley, somewhere you can revel in luxury without the risk of revealing the limits of a 64inch wheelbase, 5.1 inches of ground clearance, or an 838-pound claimed running weight.

Harley-Davidson and Indian (with its performance-first Challenger Elite bagger) are responding to a style that’s already ruling the streets. I was filling

up at a gas station in very rural Wyoming this past August, just a few days after the annual Sturgis Rally wrapped up, when I spied a quartet of Harley baggers all decked out with remote-reservoir shocks, carbon-fiber wheels, and more titanium than a NASA recycling bin — with Florida plates!

It’s easy to make fun of these overweight, oversized and overpriced (CVO ST pricing starts at $42,999) performance baggers. Resist that urge. What else recently has revitalized American road racing, brought scores of new (and younger) shoppers into American V-Twin dealerships, and created more aftermarket opportunity? Nothing.

So I say, long live the King of the Baggers! And if you haven’t already, get to the racetrack this season and watch a round or two. I promise you won’t be disappointed by the racing action. And who knows…you might even be inspired to stick around and watch granddad’s old superbikes complete a few laps…

Wisconsin-based Aaron Frank is a longtime motojournalist, author, racer and AMA member.

The “performance bagger” street bike thing has been around a while, and it’s insanely popular, but it’s what the King of the Baggers-series competitors do on the racetrack that’s truly eye-popping. Factory Harley-Davidson KotB pilot James “Hogspoli” Rispoli demonstrates.

MORE JANUARY

BACKFIRES

Just finished reading the 100 Years of the AMA/Setting the Stage piece in the January issue of American Motorcyclist, and just wanted to say nice job. It’s obvious you folks did your homework on this one. So much interesting information — and history — of our organization; I enjoyed it all and look forward to Part II next month. I’ll also throw it out there that us older riders really enjoy your stories and articles covering the history of our sport. Whether it’s an event (like the 1975 Indy Mile), a particular motorcycle (like the Kawasaki Z1), a movie, (obviously, On Any Sunday), or a rider (Malcolm at 80!), we love to read of the history and backstories. Keep it coming! Us older riders appreciate the “printed word.”

Dave Knoetgen, Charter Life Member Spanaway, Wash

I enjoyed the January issue of American Motorcyclist, especially the centerfold of the 1914 Harley-Davidson single. Could it be the same model in this picture of my maternal grandfather? I never got to meet him, but I feel like I know how he felt. Another shout-out for adding John Burns and Aaron Frank to your staff. I have

enjoyed them in other magazines over many years.

Steve Mosure

MORE ARGENTINA

Enjoyed Aaron Frank’s travel articles and photos in the November 2023 and January 2024 issues immensely. I could personally relate. I rode my trusty 1993 BMW “bumblebee” GS from San Francisco through Mexico to Guatemala years ago, and do agree with him about the utter charm of the Mexican people and their love of laughter and willingness to help. When I was first traveling alone, and once across the border, I remember them smiling at me and my machine, and then remarking,

T“

Mas vale estar solo, que mal acompanada.” Curious, I took out my pocket translator and discovered the meaning of the phrase: “Better to go alone, than in bad company.” It provoked so many smiles as I rode further south that I wrote it on paper and taped it to the front of the GS’s Parabellum screen. Even the Federales would wave me past once they saw it!

Brian Halton San Francisco, Calif.

The references in both parts of Aaron Frank’s journey to the impenetrability of the Darien Gap have stirred my sieve-like memory, and I’m fairly sure that I read an article

LETTER OF THE MONTH

his is only the third time I’ve ever written to any of the many magazines I’ve received in my nearly 45 years of riding, but the benefits of being an AMA member listed in the Editor’s January-issue column hit me hard. Yes, the magazine alone is worth the cost of admission to the AMA (I cancelled all my motorcycle mags that went digital-only), and the benefits and discounts are great. But take them all away if you must…save for your Government Relations work. There are many out there

who would see our lifestyle end tomorrow if they could, and the way I see it, only the AMA has the coordinated skills to help keep our rights intact and alive. I’ll pay for this work you do even if you take the rest of your great offerings away. Keep up the amazing work, and we’ll keep riding and supporting the AMA.

Allan Weber Tampa, Fla.

Thanks to you, Allan, from all of us here at the AMA. We truly appreciate the support, and we’ll keep fighting the good fight. – Ed.

in a motorcycle magazine, probably 40 years ago, entitled “Shooting the Gap,” in which the author did ride/ ferry through there. I have sold/ donated/given away a few hundred magazines during the last decade, so I may no longer have that article, but I’d bet that I’m not the only reader who remembers that story. Anyone?

Peter Swanson, Life Member

Cambria, Calif.

DR650 DOOFUSES. DOOFI?

In regard to your piece on your two DR650s in the January issue, you’re not alone. I recently went looking for, and found nearby, a nice Suzuki DR-Z400S. I’d wanted one for years, and this one was solid and priced right. So I bought it. A month later the current owner of my Moto Guzzi Breva called me from his home in East Texas and asked if I wanted to buy it back after nine years. I sure did, as I have always regretted selling it. Had to squeeze hard to come up with the cash plus a 1,700-mile trip to get it right after the DR-Z purchase. Now I have them both and, like you, there’s little chance of selling the DR-Z for a good price before spring…and explaining to my spouse that this all makes sense. Either we’re both doofuses (doofi?), or neither of us are. And I’m voting for neither...

Wilma

Dyer, Life Member Canon City, Colo.

I don’t think we’re alone, Wilma! And I have to say, the “explaining to my spouse” thing is much more difficult and riskier than it seems — as many of us know! – Ed.

Loved the update on the Editor’s DR650 dilemma, although with a DR it is never a dilemma unless you’re deciding what to upgrade next! With the good fortune of having three stallions in the barn myself, the only rock-solid pick of the litter is my ’06 DR650. My best riding buddy bought it new and I got it

from him, and it’s been in the family ever since. With the numerous mods I have made over the years, I can honestly say that the ergos of this bike are the best I’ve experienced. I have carefully looked at both the KLR650 (a little too road-orientated) and XR650L (a tad too off-road-oriented), but for the best dual-purpose machine it is almost impossible to beat the DR. Of course, like many — if not most — DR owners, I would love to see Suzuki upgrade the thing with FI, a six-speed, better suspension, etc. I have looked at some of the new bikes out there, but every time I swing a leg over the DR and go for a ride it’s dang near impossible to wipe the grin from my face. Ditto as I turn off the barn light when I get home.

Norm Spafard

MORE INTERCEPTOR

Loved the story. I bought a Yamaha RZ350 new in ’85 and was neck deep into bikes during that era. I remember racing, beating and getting flipped off by a VF500F rider. (My RZ was not stock.) I appreciated the history lesson of the industry in general at that time, as well. I recently owned/sold two 700cc tariff-era sportbikes. I remember all the surplus/non-current ads of the day, but wrote it off to Japan’s misread of Harley’s allure to their owners. Also did not remember Harley’s 883 being introduced at the same time. It is sad to me that the print bike (and car and boat) mags have pretty much fallen by the wayside, as they have always been one of my simple pleasures! The good news is, American Motorcyclist has now become a world-class bike mag! Well done.

Gary Williams

Well, thanks for noticing, Gary. We are having an absolute ball with the magazine these days, and we keep trying to generate each month that perfect mix of feature stories, current stuff and AMA-centric content for our members to enjoy. – Ed.

BACK IN THE DAY

Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!

his was a small sample of my adoptive motocross family from “Back in the Day” 1977. My parents allowed me to race but I had to buy my own stuff and find my way to the races. I started racing at 15 years old, and with no driver’s license I had to bum rides, whether it meant riding in the back of an open bed pickup or inside a customized van, as pictured here. That is Denny Wilbert — my adoptive brother (standing, leaning on the bike) — and my father figure and mentor Lamon Blake (kneeling), who made sure I always had a ride and support at the races. That’s me, kneeling next to him. Racing was my passion, but without the support

Tof my adoptive moto family none of my lifelong obsession with motorcycling would have happened. My life as an AMA member began with these racing activities and has been part of my life ever since. It was the fellowship and family atmosphere that created the obsession that is still with me to this day. RIP, Lamon, 1930-2006.

Brad Baumert

4Here I am in August 1975 in Wilmington, Del., ready to head back to the University of Missouri in Columbia for my sophomore year. That’s my first “big” bike — a 1971 Honda CB450. My exotic collection of luggage included everything I’d need for living in the dorm. (I did wear the helmet while riding.) I took the Southern route: down to Virginia to the Blue Ridge Parkway, then through Tennessee over to Memphis, up to St. Louis and over to Columbia. I majored in forestry, but I got a minor in motorcycle and automotive mechanics from some of my dormmates that I still enjoy as friends almost 50 years later. My first bike was a new 1973 Honda CL175. Today I have a 2005 Yamaha FZ6 and a 1984 BMW R100CS. Brett Ross

We’re thinking those poor, overworked CB450 shocks are still howling, Brett! – Ed.

3My father introduced my younger brother Brian and me to motorcycling at a very early age. That’s me at the controls of Dad’s Kawasaki 65, which sparked my lifelong two-wheeled addiction. Brian’s passion was mostly off-road, with three-wheeled ATCs providing many years of entertainment before he lost his battle with brain cancer in 2008. The other photo is nearly 50 years later when Dad swung a leg over my Yamaha XT and rekindled that fire we all share.

Tom Lee

5My first motorcycle was a Taco 100 bought with paper route money (and perhaps a little help from my parents). My first street-legal bike was a 1972 Honda XL250. And then there was the time I rode my daughter Amanda to her wedding aisle 46 years later on a 1957 Panhead.

Maury Austin

5When I got out of the service in 1969 my good friend Gary Greeson had a first-year 1969 Yamaha CT1 175 Enduro. I liked it, so I bought one, too. We didn’t know that these weren’t touring bikes, so we built boxes for the rear rack of each bike. In each box we put extra gas, water, sleeping bags, fishing poles, and headed to Baja, Mexico along the Pacific side.

Just like riding a pair of Venture Royales, we’d gather? – Ed.

4This is my wife Christy on her new Suzuki TS125 in the summer of 1972. I returned from Vietnam in December of 1971, and we were married the following August. We have been riding together for more than 51 years, and have gone through many bikes of all sizes and shapes. We don’t ride as far or as fast as we used to, but still enjoy riding together on these Hoosier backroads.

Steve Kruger

Chuck Lee

3Here I am at 14 years old in 1964. I was a 6-foot-1, 235-pound kid on a Honda 65cc motorcycle my brother told me to take care of as he went into the Marine Corps. I rode that little bike everywhere unbeknownst to Mom and Dad (or at least I think so), and I told him the bike would be in better shape when he got back than before he left. After a few months of teaching myself how to ride in all kinds of weather and conditions on the street and in the dirt, my brother got his assignment papers to Vietnam. He wrote me a letter telling me the bike was mine. Not knowing what Vietnam was all about at that time, I couldn’t believe this gift. My brother did make it home and did let me keep the bike, so it was my brother who started me on this great journey of 60 years and over 50 different types of motorcycles. I’m down to just one now, a 1998 Honda Valkyrie, that I’m having major problems getting on now, but it is still in the garage and I often sit and stare at it thinking of all good times I’ve had on all my bikes.

Mike “Big Muddy” Bamonte

100 Years OF Historic AMA Rights Wins PART TWO

BY JOY BURGESS

Last month we looked back at some of the AMA’s historic legislative wins over the past century, including the creation of the AMA Legislative Department, and one of the most intense political-action campaigns in motorcycling’s history — fighting attempts to eliminate ORV use on public lands in 1977.

It’s important to note that in 1978, the Legisla tive Department name was officially changed by the AMA to the Government Relations Department (GRD) — the name it still has today — to better reflect the broad scope of activities and regulatory issues taken on by the team.

EPA APOLOGIZES TO MOTORCYCLISTS

In 1977, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put out a publication called Noise on Wheels with the intent to raise awareness of noise issues that could potentially lead to hearing damage. The pamphlet included a section on motorcycles, along with a chart based on competition noise level testing it had done six years previously, and implied that the figures represented noise levels

emitted by modern street motorcycles.

The AMA has maintained a position against excessive sound from its inception, saying in its Excessive Motorcycle Sound Board Position Statement that “few other factors contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against the motorcycling community than excessively loud motorcycles. Attempts to regulate sound often miss the mark by singling out motorcycles with ordinances and laws that are unfair, impractical and unenforceable. Motorcyclists have a responsibility to be part of the solution by being sensitive to community standards and respectful of their fellow citizens.”

This obvious misuse of scientific data in the publication resulted in protests in late 1977 and ’78 from the AMA and additional organizations in the motorcycling community, primarily because it did indeed contribute to “misunderstanding and prejudice.” The AMA called out the EPA, calling Noise on Wheels “vague, misleading and overzealous,” as well as inflammatory and unqualified.

“We have been aware that there were problems with some of the material in the pamphlet... We sincerely regret any problems or inconvenience the pamphlet has caused you or your membership.”

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Both the AMA and the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) requested that the EPA cease circulation of the document, and the AMA took its protests even further, asking that steps be taken to correct the false impressions against motorcyclists generated by the publication.

The EPA quickly responded, saying in a letter to the AMA, “We have been aware that there were problems with some of the material in the pamphlet. Consequently, the Agency has discontinued distribution of the pamphlet and has destroyed all remaining copies. We sincerely regret any problems or inconvenience the pamphlet has caused you or your membership. Let [us] extend an official apology on behalf of the Agency for allowing a publication to be distributed that did not portray motorcycles and their riders in the proper perspective…”

AMA “STORMS” WASHINGTON TO PROTEST EPA

Obviously not learning from its previous errors, the EPA in 1978 considered the adoption of stricter noise standards for motorcycles to be implemented in 1980…and once again the AMA’s GRD team led the fight to make sure new standards wouldn’t adversely impact the cost of new bikes.

The EPA’s proposed regulations called for a five-year reduction in new motorcycle noise levels. To make that happen, the EPA planned to “certify” each new bike’s noise level at a cost passed along to buyers, which would be $200-400 per motorcycle

In a public hearing on the issue, EPA spokesperson Jill Lucas cited “EPA studies” that supposedly showed motorcycle noise to be among potential causes of ruined hearing, high blood pressure, birth defects and viral infection.

“the largest outpouring of citizen response in the entire history of the [EPA].”

With nearly 60 percent general opposition and nearly 90 percent opposition from motorcyclists, the EPA buried the proposed regulations; no one at the EPA wanted to talk about motorcycles.

Not surprisingly, in 1979 the EPA released a report on how its regulatory activity was going to affect then-President Jimmy Carter’s anti-inflation program. Buried in that report, the AMA found the agency’s plan to continue with its motorcycle noise regulations… except now they were going to cost a whopping $224 million , a significant 12 percent increase over the estimates released in 1978.

Despite the public outcry, the EPA planned to charge ahead with its costly regulations, so the AMA felt it was time to go over the head of the non-elective bureaucracy, announcing in American Motorcyclist that it “stormed” Washington D.C. to protest the EPA and its overreach.

AMA members and staff put the heat on, resulting in Lucas being fired a week later, and shortly after the AMA testified to the EPA in opposition to the regulations, reminding them of the AMA’s 30-plus-year history encouraging quiet motorcycling.

The AMA exposed the EPA’s plan to its members, and AMA members flooded the EPA with mail in what the August 1979 edition of American Motorcyclist called

GRD staff presented a cost-benefit analysis in testimony to Congress, saying, “We have been trying to deal with the EPA on this issue since March 15, 1978. We now feel it is time to bring these facts to members of the United States Congress…Throughout public comment on these proposed regulations, one commentor said, ‘These regulations are the classic example of swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.’ I would add that it may well be a gold-plated sledgehammer, originally estimated by the EPA at $200 million per year, recently revised by the EPA upwards to $224 million per year. This money will come right out of the pocket of the American motorcycle owner…For these reasons we appeal to you today to help us convince EPA of its disastrous course. We feel the agency has not listened to us. Surely it will listen to you.”

Unsurprisingly, the battle between the AMA and the EPA surrounding sound and additional issues like, later, E15 sales — was far from over. But more on that coming soon!

While the AMA fights tirelessly for your rights, don’t forget that we need your help, too! Sign up for action alerts from the AMA at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com/ action-center

The above story ran in the August 1979 issue of American Motorcyclist, highlighting the EPA’s proposals to regulate noise while passing on the cost to the buyer. The piece called those regulations “the classic example of swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.”

up to speed

AMA HOF MUSEUM REFRESH UNDERWAY

As part of the AMA’s 100th Anniversary celebration during 2024, we’re giving the AMA Hall of Fame Museum a bit of a refresh, with a host of compelling new exhibits on the lower level as well as some graphic and presentation tweaks on the Hall of Fame-flavored upper floor.

Work on the refresh has already begun, with the recent removal of the flying unicycle that’s hung from the entryway rafters for the last several years (shown above).

Some of the new exhibits planned for the lower level include a re-thought On Any Sunday zone that includes some of the bikes that appeared in the movie, a celebration of the first street-going superbikes, special exhibits on

touring machines, minibikes, the birth of the ATV industry, and of course the new ISDT History exhibit that’s been in place for several months now.

And all of this on top of what’s already a who’s who and what’s what of the American motorcycle experience.

The changes will be ongoing during the next few months, so make plans to visit the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum when you can during 2024, and help us celebrate motorcycling and the 100th Anniversary of the AMA.

Plan your visit by going to AmericanMotorcyclist.com/ visit and learn more about the AMA’s 100th Anniversary by going to AmericanMotorcyclist.com/100th-anniversary

SUZUKI GSX-R1000 RAFFLE BIKE WINNER

Thousands entered, but only one claimed the ultimate prize…a custom-painted 2018 Suzuki GSX-R1000 in Pepsi Racing Grand Prix livery and signed — and ridden — by 1993 World Champion and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Kevin Schwantz himself.

And that one was Norman Darby, an AMA member for more than 50 years and a frequent AMA raffle-ticket buyer over the years. “I’ve been [buying tickets] for years,” he said, “and I thought, ‘Well the

money is going to a good place.’”

When Darby was first contacted about winning the bike, he couldn’t believe it. “I thought someone was pulling my leg!” Darby said.

The AMA is raffling a trio of bikes during 2024, including a 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX4RR 40th Anniversary Edition, 1975 BMW R90S and 1997 KTM 200 EXC Jackpiner. Go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com/raffle-bike for more information.

– Jack Emerson

Rip roarin’ raffle bike

AMA to raffle 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR 40th Anniversary motorcycle

in 2024

BY JACK EMERSON

Athe AMA commemorates its 100th anniversary in 2024, the folks at Kawasaki are also looking back on a significant milestone of their own.

The famed Kawaski Ninja turns 40 in 2024, and the AMA and Kawasaki are collaborating to make it a memorable anniversary for the legendary sportbike. As a result of the dual anniversaries, the AMA will raffle a 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR 40th Anniversary Edition bike to one lucky AMA member.

“Kawasaki has supported the AMA’s mission for over 50 years as a Business Member, helping to promote and preserve the motorcycling lifestyle,” said Kawasaki Regional Sales Director and AMA Board of Directors Member Mark Hosbach. “This year marks the 100th anniversary of the AMA as well as the 40th anniversary of the legendary Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. We are proud to partner with the AMA to offer a limited 40th-anniversary model of our new Ninja ZX-4RR motorcycle to be raffled off in 2024 to help further support the AMA’s cause.”

The ZX-4RR Anniversary Edition Kawasaki blends the history of its namesake with the sublime handling and shrieking, 16,000-rpm engine performance of a modern 400-class sportbike.

Further information on the bike and how to enter can be found on the AMA website by clicking “Featured Raffle Bike” under the Hall of Fame tab.

up to speed riding ROUNDUP

ANYTHING BUT DIRTY WORK

Durty Dabbers has provided three decades of fun with its annual dual-sport event

BY KEATON MAISANO

Plenty of hard work has gone into putting on the Durty Dabbers Great Adventure Dual-Sport event, and it has resulted in years of clean fun and great riding.

The annual event hosted by the Durty Dabbers — a trials and dual-sport motorcycle club in Central Pennsylvania with more than 100 active members — is the longest-running event in the Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series. Running the first weekend of June, the two-day event maintained its popularity for more than three decades, selling out its 2023 event within an hour.

“The series started out relatively small, numbers-wise,” Durty Dabbers President Nils Mantzoros said. “It grew with time.”

Today, the event hosts 550 riders — the maximum allowed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources — for two days of riding that covers about 100 miles each day. In 2023, riders ranged

from 16–87 years old.

Running simultaneously to the dual-sport ride — which has two course options of varying difficulties navigated by roll chart — is an adventure ride. Despite differences in skill and style, Mantzoros sets up the courses to promote togetherness.

“Every 10 or 12 miles I’ll have a reset,” Mantzoros said. “All three courses meet at each reset. So you can ride with a group of friends on bikes that aren’t necessarily compatible, but still hang out and be with your buddies during the day. I think that’s made our event quite popular.”

Using several forestry areas for its event, participants are offered free camping. Colleen Wise, who helps with the registration, said the camping is one of the many bright spots of the event.

“One of the best things that happens here is the camping because of the comradery,” Wise said. “Some people

will come to see the same people they saw before.”

In addition to riding and camping, the event offers snacks and meals to its registered riders. Riders also receive a T-shirt and prizes at the event banquet.

Most of the proceeds made from the event go toward the Durty Dabbers’ riding area, a 100-acre area purchased by the club to serve as a free riding park. The club uses this space to teach the next generation how to safely ride dirt bikes.

“We maintain [the park],” Mantzoros said. “We built a quite exotic pavilion, and our goal this year is to put in bathrooms.”

While the club’s success could be measured in land it’s purchased or in the structures its built, Mantzoros finds the number of returning riders for its annual event as a great barometer that the club is doing good work.

“We have folks who come every year, because it shows we’re doing a good job that they want to come back,” Mantzoros said. “When they come here, it’s almost like a reunion.”

The next reunion is set for June 1–2, and registration for the event is set to open the first week of April. Those looking to participate can stay in the loop by going to durtydabbers.com and clicking the link in the top right of the landing page to sign up for the email list.

BAR BANGIN’, HEAD BANGIN’ FUN

Buckeye Motorcycle and Music Rally combines the best of motorcycling and music in a three-day event

BY JACK EMERSON

Is there anything in the world better than motorcy cles and live music? It’s a dang-good mix!

The Buckeye Motorcycle and Music Rally will provide the best of both worlds, with three days filled with motorcycling fun, music acts, vendor exhibits, bike shows and much more. The three-day rally will take place right in the AMA’s backyard, running June 27–29, 2024, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

“It’s great to see this jam-packed rally come to the AMA’s own backyard, promoting the motorcycle lifestyle in a very big way with multiple days of motorcycling fun and music,” said AMA Chief Operating Officer James Holter. “We appreciate the support and hospitality the event organizers, 614 Events and Haslam Sports Group, are providing to the AMA and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. We expect the Buckeye Motorcycle and Music

Rally to thrive and enrich the region’s motorcycling community not only this summer, but many more.”

Headlining the event is country legend Hank Williams Jr. and rock icons Lynyrd Skynyrd, who will perform inside Historic Crew Stadium on June 28 and 29, respectively. Also performing at the event are Brantley Gilbert, Colt Ford, Cory Farley, Oliver Anthony, Fuel, Taylor Austin Dye and The Rob Matterhorn Band.

But the fun isn’t confined to the stage inside Historic Crew Stadium,

as the event will contain a Biker Mall — which will include stunt shows, motorcycle dealers and vendors, food trucks, and live music, all of which will be free for the public.

“This event has been a multi-year process to bring to the city of Columbus,” Tim Niese, Buckeye Motorcycle and Music Rally owner and organizer, said. “We are excited to be working with Haslam Sports Group and the AMA to grow this into an annual event.”

The AMA is joining in on the fun, as well, by working with AMA-chartered clubs to plan rides to the event and bringing its 100-year AMA anniversary display to the event. The AMA will also bring along a collection of historic motorcycles to showcase the history and heritage of motorcycling in the United States.

More information regarding the event can be found at buckeyemotorcycleandmusicrally.com

BY JACK EMERSON

Tup to speed Rights ROUNDUP

CONSUMER CHOICE CONUNDRUM

AMA Government Relations Department combats potential gas-powered vehicle restrictions at state and federal levels

he rising tide of electric, hybrid and alternative fuel automotive options has created increased concern among Congress, several state legislatures, and the American Motorcyclist Association’s Government Relations Department regarding potential gas-powered vehicle restrictions.

“As exciting as new technology may seem, riders and racers know an all-electric future is still far away,” AMA Washington Representative Zach Farmer said. “Motorcyclists deserve the right to choose, and ability to purchase, the vehicle that best fits their needs.”

As alternative transportation options have increased, so have efforts to limit the sale of gas-powered vehicles. In 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted a measure to require zero tailpipe emissions on new cars by 2035, and several states — including Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington — aim to follow California’s model and prohibit the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the not-too-distant future.

In addition to action at the state level, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later

Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles” rule — which aimed to set strict emissions standards, with the objective to have two-thirds of all new vehicles be electric by 2032.

In an effort to mitigate this prohibition on gas-powered vehicles, Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI-05) and Andrew Cline (R-GA-09) led the House to pass the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023, which would prohibit the EPA’s April 2023 proposal and the use of authority under the Clean Air Act.

At the state level, Ohio signed House Bill 201 into law in December 2023, which allowed residents to choose the automobile that best suits their needs and protected consumer vehicle choice across the state.

As the AMA believes that riders should have the freedom to choose which machine best fits their needs, we support the efforts in Washington D.C., and at the state level, to protect consumer vehicle choice.

To support the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023 as it progresses through the United States Senate, send a message to your senators by going to AmericanMotorcyclist.com/action-center and filling out the form in the “Choice in Vehicle Legislation & Gas-Powered Vehicle Bans” page.

FOUR DECADES IN THE MAKING

AMA’s Connie Fleming awarded prestigious Mickey Thompson Award of Excellence

BY KEATON MAISANO

When Connie Fleming arrived at Angel Stadium for Round 1 of AMA Supercross on Jan. 5, she knew hardware would be handed out…she just didn’t know she would be on the receiving end!

Unbeknownst to Fleming — an AMA employee for more than 40 years and current AMA Supercross/FIM Coordinator — she was the 2024 recipient of the Mickey Thompson Award of Excellence, an annual award given to an individual who has contributed one’s career to developing and improving the motorcycle industry.

“I was in shock,” Fleming said when she was brought on stage to accept the award. “I don’t know what I said except ‘I’m speechless.’ And then I paused, and I said something. I don’t know what I said.”

Fleming becomes the first woman to earn the honor, which

has been handed out each year since 2001. Prior recipients include AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Bruce Brown (2002), Jeremy McGrath (2003), Ricky Carmichael (2007), Roger DeCoster (2020) and Ryan Dungey (2023).

For Fleming, the true magnitude of the moment did not hit her when she held the plaque for the first time or when she received many congratulatory messages from colleagues and legends around the sport. But rather, the rush of emotion came in a conversation with her son, Nick, who assured her that she belonged on the list of recipients.

“As a parent, you look at your kids and tell them how proud you are of them,” Fleming said. “But to have your son turn around and say that to you, that’s what did it. When my son said he’s proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

MIGHTIEST MINI THE

The backstory of Honda’s legendary Z50 Mini Trail, the most significant and popular minibike in history

BY MITCH BOEHM PHOTOS: BRIAN NITTO, MIKE MACIEJKO, JAN HARDE

“From Mighty to Mini, Honda Has it All . ”

Back in about 1973, those eight words formed one of American Honda’s key advertising slogans, and I remember it quite clearly because the statement was a big part of a quad-fold sales brochure that was bound into the magazines of the day — and which unfolded into a 2-by3-foot poster I had on my bedroom wall until halfway through high school.

The image, if I remember correctly, showed Honda’s entire lineup sitting in a row and arranged biggest to smallest, with that “From Mighty to Mini” promo statement big and bold across the poster’s face.

On one end was the mighty CB750, the kinghell motorcycle of the day (though the world-beating Kawasaki’s Z1 had just been launched), and on the other, bracketing bikes like the CB/ CL450/350/175/100, plus the so-cool SL Motosport models, were the miniest of Honda’s minis: the little — but forgettable — QA50 and, just next to it, the Z50 Mini Trail.

By 1973, which ended up being the all-time high point for motorcycle sales in this country, the Z50 had morphed into a smootherriding (dual shocks!) and more refined machine than the hard-tail version that debuted five years earlier in 1968.

brother CT70H last month in my column, but it was a couple of Z50s that came first for me; first on my Uncle Carl’s yellow 1968 K-zero in his front yard (where I whiskey-throttled into a hedge) and at the local schoolyard, and later on a neighbor friend’s blue ’70 model…but only for about two minutes. Such a tease.

Those rides absolutely did it for me, turned me into a lifelong motorcyclist right then and there even though I didn’t know it, because afterward all I thought about besides little league baseball and my Schwinn Sting Ray was a minibike of my own.

But by that point the die was cast, irrespective of the big-bike features Honda had added: Hundreds of thousands of the things had been sold in those five years, and besides initiating hundreds of thousands of kids and adults into the motorcycling fraternity (which it would continue to do for decades), it quickly established itself as the most revered, memorable and significant minibike in motorcycle history.

Many a seasoned motorcyclist, it seems (and even some newcomers), has a Mini Trail story, this author included. I wrote about my first ride on the Z50’s bigger

Honda Z50 collector and restorer and AMA member Mike Maciejko’s (pronounced ma-jayko) had a few Z50 recollections, too. “We were at our local dirtbike/ minibike playground in Maple Shade, NJ, one Sunday morning,” he told me some years ago, “when life as we knew it changed forever. Our buddy Joe Vinelli rolled up on a yellow-and-white 1968 Honda Z50, and we all knew at that very instant that our minibike riding would never be the same.”

“The thing was a motorcycle,” he added, “with a real fuel tank and a transmission. My Cat minibike, with its 3-horse Briggs & Stratton engine, wasn’t going to cut it anymore, and it went up for sale the next day. A few months later, armed with the cash from the sale and my paper route, my dad and I headed to the local Honda shop. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

Honda’s Mini Trail is history for a lot of riders, and a motorcycle probably responsible for more two-wheeled addictions than any other. That’s a bold claim, but with well over a million of the things sold over the years (first as the Z50, then the XR50, and lately the CRF50), it’s a believable one.

There are only a handful of what are commonly

Not the full-range Honda poster mentioned here, but you get the idea.

called “foundational” motorcycles in our two-wheeled world, and Honda’s Z50 definitely qualifies.

The Z50 generated a lot of that wild-eyed, youthful freedom we all craved back in the day…the ability to explore as much of the woods and trails behind your house (if you were lucky to have some of that nearby) as you wanted. But as Maciejko said, it

Z50 HISTORY:

The Z100 and CZ100

The roots of Honda’s Mini Trail first germinated in Japan, of course, but maybe not in a way you’d assume. Back in the very early 1960s, Honda was working to make motorcycles more of a focal point among Japan’s general public, first by opening the motorcycle-tinged Motopia

was also the physical machine itself.

Unlike the crude lawnmowerpowered minis I’d seen and heard running along the acres of farmland behind our home, the Mini Trail was a real motorcycle, with a proper engine and 3-speed transmission, a well-engineered design and all the features a kid could ever want — including the ability to run seemingly forever, unlike those steel-tube lawnmower bikes.

For many months after those impromptu rides, I was Ralphie in A Christmas Story, lusting after that Red Ryder BB Gun — right up until that red Honda SL70 appeared in our garage one early Christmas morning in late ’71.

amusement park and, a year later, the legendary Suzuka Circuit, which featured a second park adjacent to the racetrack.

“During the [parks’] establishment,” wrote Honda50.com, “a side project was being cooked up by Honda engineers. Not much bigger than a tricycle [and] equipped with a 50cc pushrod engine from the Honda Cub, the prototype Z100 minibike of 1961 soon became the parks’ most popular ride.”

The Z100 had a red hardtail frame, tiny 5-inch wheels, a triangular white cover shielding its fuel tank, and full lighting. There is debate about how many Z100s were built, with some folks in the know saying as few as

10 or 12. According to Z50 expert Jeff Tuttobene: “Z100 information is sparse, as weak records were kept back then.”

But one thing is certain: Most people who saw the Z being ridden commented on how simian-like their riders looked, and soon the bikes began to be known as “monkey bikes.”

“Looking more like a toy than a motorcycle,” added Honda50. com, “the compactness and fresh appearance of the Monkey scored with people of all ages. The Z100 was never available for public sale, but a few have survived and are now in the hands of collectors.”

Honda, often adept at recognizing a promising product niche, revamped the concept in 1963 with the CZ100, a similar machine using the pushrod Cub engine and Z100-esque front end melded to a slightly different frame. The big change was the larger (and more bulbous) tank from the CA110 Sport, which looked more than a little out of place.

Still, the bike was street legal and

sold to the public in several European and Asian countries (though not in the U.S.), doing reasonably well through the middle 1960s with few changes. Like the Z100, it remains extremely collectible.

If the minibike thing was percolating nicely in Japan and other countries the CZ was sold in during the mid-1960s, the movement

eyed kids, they represented nothing less than two-wheeled nirvana. Honda, gathering massive sales and reputational momentum in the U.S. by the mid-1960s with clean-cut marketing and inexpensive, reliable motorcycles that nearly everyone seemed to like, took note of the minibike craze and began piecing together a plan.

whom were selling these simple minis alongside their Benlys and Dreams, Soichiro Honda and the American Honda sales staff began to hear more and more requests for a Honda minibike. At the time, Honda was about to release a newgeneration minibike for Europe and Asia, a street-legal Monkey bike called the Z50M — the first use of

Honda, often adept at recognizing a promising product niche, revamped the Z concept in 1963 with the CZ100, a similar machine using the pushrod Cub engine and Z100-esque front end.

was about to burst here in the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of tube-framed, lawnmower-engined hardtail minibikes were being sold by companies such as Lil Indian, Fox, Cat, Rupp, Bonanza, Burro, Taco, Bronco, Keystone, Scat Cat, Toyoco, Flexo, Manco, Power-Dyne and others.

Most were loud, shaky, ill-handling and physically jarring to ride. But for thousands upon thousands of wide-

“Minibikes were all the rage in ’65 and ’66,” said Tuttobene. “Mr. Honda was reportedly here a lot during that time, working with his American Honda colleagues to expand Honda’s presence and success. He saw all this minibike activity and marketing, but couldn’t help but notice the crude engineering that went with it all, and he knew [Honda] could do much better.”

While visiting dealers, some of

the Z50 designation. The M was significantly different than the Z and CZ machines, using the new OHC Cub engine, a retractable seat and folding handlebars that rotated on the upper triple clamp, all of which allowed the bike to be easily stowed in a car or truck.

“The M was produced in three different versions,” said Tuttobene. “All had the folding — and distinctive — tartan/plaid seat. Japan, England and France each got their own version, each one with different touches such as muffler and headlight design.”

One wonders why the M wasn’t exported to the U.S. given the dealers’ — and the market’s —

Evolution of the Mini Trail species, from the early- and mid-’60s, Z and CZ models (left and middle) available only in Japan, to the plaidseat M version (lower right), which captured the essence of the Mini Trail we all know, and led directly to its development specifically for the U.S. market.

hunger for a more modern mini. “The Z50M,” added Tuttobene, “was a streetbike for Asia and Europe. America was the land of hot rods and muscle cars, not street-legal minibikes, so it wasn’t a good fit.”

According to Honda lore, here’s roughly what happened next: Soichiro Honda and his top R&D folks, having seen the light on the U.S. minibike front, returned to Japan and got to work on an American-flavored minibike based on the new Z50M, one with features U.S. riders would appreciate.

“American Honda didn’t have its own R&D arm at that point,” the late (and longtime American Honda

Soichiro Honda and his top R&D folks returned to Japan and got to work on an American-flavored mini based on the Z50M, one with features U.S. riders would appreciate.

product research/testing veteran) Bob Doornbos told me some years ago. “We’d get word that the R&D teams from Japan were coming over for this or that project, and we’d set up meetings or tests for whatever was necessary. I was a field rep in 1967 and wasn’t in the Mini-Trail loop. But I’m sure they did some serious scouting beforehand.”

The minibike the R&D team came up with months later was indeed American-flavored, with larger wheels and knobby tires (for better off-road ability and stability), front and rear brakes, front suspension, high-mount fenders and an adjustable seat added to the M-model then in production. The result was an off-road-only minibike called the Z50A, or Mini Trail. Honda didn’t know it at the time, but the minibike terra firma in the U.S. was about to be shaken to its very core.

With its adjustable seat, fold-down bars, front suspension, OHC engine, friendly looks, bulletproof durability and the ability to accommodate kids as well as adults, the original, ’68-spec K-zero Mini Trail — and the millions of Z50s that came later — was the perfect motorcycle for the times. For those of a certain age (you know who you are), you either had a Z50 or lusted after one. Not a lot of middle ground here.

“I first saw the bike at a dealer meeting,” remembered Doornbos. “Where new bikes were concerned, the Japan side pretty much said ‘here it is,’ and counted on our sales team and dealers to sell it. There weren’t big expectations for the Mini Trail at first, and no one took it all that seriously. We had two types of dealers at the time, so-called ‘5090cc’ dealers and full-line dealers. The 50-90 stores carried only little bikes, and were typically sporting good stores, bicycle shops, that sorta thing.”

Honda management surely looked to these smaller, mini-focused shops to help sell the newfangled mini, but what happened as soon as the bikes began to arrive two-to-a-crate at

dealerships shocked everyone from the highest VPs to the typical shop salesperson.

“There was huge demand,” said Doornbos, “and we were backordered almost immediately. I actually tried to buy one for my nephew as a birthday present and was hitting up all my dealers for a spare unit. I couldn’t find one, and when I finally did, the dealer didn’t want to sell it to me because he knew he’d get full retail (or more) from an off-the-street customer! It was crazy. People — kids, adults — were riding them everywhere, on the street, in the dirt. It was so versatile, and inexpensive, too. Just toss it into the trunk and haul it anywhere.”

“The Mini Trail astounded the minibike world,” said Tuttobene. “A

3-speed tranny with automatic clutch, real drum brakes, larger wheels, knobbies, a spark arrestor and folding bars so Mom or Dad could stow the thing in the trunk and drop their kid off at the local riding spot and pick them up later with no transportation issues. My mom loved it!”

But kids loved it more, for the Mini Trail, as Maciejko and thousands of other kids would soon attest, was perfect — the ideal blend of size, looks, features, reliability and functionality.

Amazingly, Honda sold an astounding 50,000 Mini Trails in the first year despite the early back-order situation. Suggested retail? $239. In typical Honda fashion, the first batch of bikes — 1,000 to 1,500 according

to most reports — were slightly different than later first-generation models, Honda making changes to parts and processes even while bikes were moving along the assembly line.

Honda did these running changes often (most notoriously with the CB750’s sand-cast crankcases, cylinder and head, which were replaced with die cast items after 7,400 units were built) as they updated and improved designs on an ongoing basis during a production run, and not always waiting till the following year to do so.

The first thousand or so Z50As are known today as “slant guard” bikes by virtue of the angled exhaust guard bridging the rear frame tubes. In later units, the guard’s front attachment point was moved higher on the frame rail, slightly above the engine-mount tab welded to the inside of the tube.

“People — kids, adults — were riding them everywhere, on the street, in the dirt. It was so versatile, and inexpensive, too. Just toss it into the trunk and haul it anywhere.”

HONDA’S BOB DOORNBOS

Other details of first-year Z50s include a slightly taller handlebar than 1969-and-beyond versions, white plastic grips and levers, red/white and yellow/white paint options (although Honda’s Motorcycle Identification Guide lists available colors as Candy Red/silver and Bright Yellow/silver), no muffler stinger, #415 chain and

sprockets (later updated to 420), painted silver fenders (the Guide lists them incorrectly as “chrome”) and an under-tank on/off toggle switch on a tab welded to the bottom of the steering head assembly.

Start-ups were easy enough that dads and some moms, probably, were able to fire their Mini Trails up by hand. Where the Z50M shifted one-up and two-down (confusing to beginners), the 110-pound MiniTrail shifted 3-down. The automatic clutch (just let off the throttle and bang the lever) simplified shifting, a new concept to rookies and kids who’d only previously ridden shiftless, torque-converter minibikes.

Handling was no-nonsense, too, as the bike’s light weight (108 pounds dry, claimed), high handlebar and surprisingly roomy ergonomics made it easy for kids and adults alike to feel

immediately comfortable. This level of easy operation, reliability and family fun meshed perfectly with Honda’s marketing efforts, all of which would ensure many thousands of new customers going forward.

For 1969, the year the mighty CB750 debuted to such boisterous excitement, Honda reworked the Z50A slightly, adding a head and tail light (with a high/low switch on the bar), a battery, lower bars with black grips and levers, a reshaped (yet still adjustable) seat, chrome fenders and chain guard, a proper key switch assembly, and the addition of Candy Blue to the previous Candy Red and Yellow paint options.

come in for 10 minutes and then head home to play video games.”

“At Christmas in 1969,” said noted Z50 collector and restorer Jan Harde, “Honda had a stocking made of paper that was sized to fit around the MiniTrail. You could put the whole bike into it! My parents couldn’t afford to buy me one, but I swore that one day I’d have one.” Over the last 33 years, Harde has restored some 300 MiniTrails, and at one time had 55, many of them in his home. “It helps to have a forgiving wife,” he said with a grin.

More changes came in 1970, with Honda adding a long stinger to the muffler and a longer rear fender to

Instead of a white contrast panel on the tank for each color, silver was substituted on all K1 models. Demand continued to grow, Honda retailing well over 100,000 of the things during 1969, the legend of the Mini Trail spreading like a California wildfire across the country.

“It was definitely a crazy time,” said Robert Williams, whose family opened Fairway Honda in Somers Point, N.J., in the late 1960s. “My parents got the franchise in 1969, and we sold the heck out of the Z50s in those early years. My brothers and I grew up on the things; they were everywhere, part of life as we knew it. Kids would be in our shop all day looking at the bikes. Nowadays, they

keep mud from slinging up on the rider’s back. A new tank graphic made an appearance, as did a pebble grain seat cover, aluminum levers and a rear brake pedal. Honda also nixed the K2-model’s battery and box, going with magneto system that only allowed the lights to work while the bike was running — and then not very well.

“It was like riding at night with a birthday candle!” Maciejko said with a laugh. “We always thought of the K2 Mini Trail as the ugly brother,” Maciejko added. “The dorky rear fender, ugly tank badge and yellow custard color didn’t help.”

The add-ons and graphic changes — pooh-poohed by many

“It was definitely a crazy time. We sold the heck out of the Z50s in those early years. My brothers and I grew up on the things; they were everywhere.”

ROBERT WILLIAMS

Mini Trail aficionados today — mattered not at all to buyers, with Honda reportedly selling 170,000 units during 1970. Although the U.S. motorcycle market was nearly boiling at this time (new-bike sales would peak three years later), Z50 sales numbers from 1970 remain a shocking testament to its popularity and the industry’s momentum.

Some of motorcycling’s biggest legends logged time aboard the Mini Trail, including seven-time AMA national motocross champion, Indy Car/Supermoto phenom and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Ward. The “flying freckle” not only rode Z50s early on, but raced them as well as a 7-year-old for Herb Friedlander’s Honda shop in scrambles and TT events around Southern California.

Wardy’s most famous Mini-Trail

Some of motorcycling’s biggest legends logged time aboard the Mini Trail, including seven-time AMA national motocross champion and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Ward.

moment came in AMA HOFer Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday documentary. “I was riding my Mini-Trail at Saddleback Park,” Wardy told me, “and I saw this guy with a big camera shooting a guy doing wheelies on a trials bike. I did a couple wheelies and the guy pointed the camera in my direction as I rode by standing on the pegs. I had no idea who he was or what he was doing until I saw the movie in the theater with my dad months later!”

The big change for the Mini Trail came with 1972’s K3 model, released in January of that year. It was a thorough revamp, a completely new frame — with a twin-shock/swingarm rear suspension system — joining a

The Z50 was never meant to be a racebike, but no one told that to AMA Hall of Famer Jeff Ward, his dad Jack and the folks from Herb Friedlander Honda, who sponsored Wardy during his early minibike-racing days. You can’t really see it, but the look on that tube-frame racer’s face had to be epic as he looked to his right and spied Ward’s nitrofueled Mini Trail getting ready to launch.

“The Z50 pretty much dominated our lives back in the day, and still does!”

MIKE MACIEJKO

new fuel tank and seat along with a host of smaller detail changes. Sales continued to be strong, the bike slowly but surely becoming the minibike standard of the world, its personality, functionality and durability ensuring its place in history — and in kids’ minds — for decades to come.

“From ’73 to ’75,” said the late motojournalist Charles Everitt, “I worked at Southwest Honda in Houston, Texas. At Christmas time

the store would sell a shed-load of QA50s and Z50s, so even the line mechanics were dragooned into uncrating and setting up the bikes. We’d have two dozen or more ready to go as the holiday approached.”

“The layout of the shop and the adjoining warehouse was a big U,” added Everitt, “and the floor was polished concrete. After the store closed and the mechanics began drinking beer and smoking, they’d start flat-tracking the little bikes on the

makeshift track. The things were flogged, and the polished concrete kept things interesting.”

The Mini Trail restoration and collection community continues to percolate nicely, though the alsolegendary CT70 has taken over the top spot in the area of old school minibike activity.

“[The Z50 and CT70] have always been the anchors of what we do,” said Jeff Tuttobene, “at least on the old-school side of

things. When COVID hit, it all got pretty crazy. I had a dozen Mini Trail or Trail 70 motors on my bench at one point! Everyone decided to finally restore that old mini they had in the garage, and things got really busy on the resto side.”

All that action has kept prices high. “Restored Z50s and CT70s,” Tuttobene said, “especially the 4-speed/clutch H-model Trail 70s, still command big bucks. Heck, even worn-out used bikes are still pricey, if

you can find one.”

All that resto action, plus the pure, visceral impact the Mini Trail had on folks during the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and beyond, has kept the Z50 legacy alive and well.

“The Z50 pretty much dominated our lives back in the day,” said Maciejko, who still runs Team Razzo Moto — a Honda-focused minibike group and website — with a handful of friends, “and still does!”

Dominated our lives . I really can’t

“After years of collecting and restoring stockers,” he told us, “I needed something different, and these custom Zs were it. We have a ball with these things at home and at events.”

think of a better way than that to explain what was going on in my head back in my pre-SL70 days, when a few short, painfully teasing rides on Z50s and my neighbor’s CT70H were making me have, as A Christmas Story’s Ralphie understood, serious mania for motorcycles. If you’re 45 or above, it’s a good bet you felt that mania, too.

The mightiest mini, indeed. Pretty hard to argue the point. AMA

Over the years, Mike Maciejko (top left) – and the Razzomoto crew — built loads of custom Mini Trails, and he – and they — are still at it.

BY JOHN BURNS, JACK EMERSON AND KEATON MAISANO PHOTOS: AMA ARCHIVE

Fear itself is a hard thing not to fear when you lose your livelihood after a cushy decade or three of 20th-century prosperity, especially when all about you are losing their heads at the same time. If you’re going to panic, best to do it before everybody else…but few saw the Great Depression of the 1930s — the longest and deepest economic downturn in the history of the U.S. and the world-wide economy — coming.

In an era when the societal safety net consisted of soup kitchens and daytime baseball — before federal bank deposit or unemployment insurance — it was quick and easy to be wiped out.

America’s motorcycle companies weren’t immune by any stretch. By 1936, 98 percent of the hundreds of manufacturers of the day were gone. Only HarleyDavidson and Indian survived.

Still, the sport of motorcycling survived, and in many ways thrived. There was the inherent thrill of it all, of course. But there was more. There were things to do on one’s motorcycle…places to ride to; friends to ride with; hillclimbs, races and rallies to attend; and most importantly, adventures to have.

The AMA had a lot to do with that, organizing races, rallies and Gypsy Tours, encouraging clubs to form and hold their own events, and promoting the sport to the masses.

And E.C. Smith, who became the full-time secretary of the AMA in October 1928 (a year before the stock market crash of ’29), was a prime instigator of it all. Armed with a projector and promotional films from Firestone and Goodyear, Smith roamed the country during the ’30s to organize clubs and club activity.

It worked. In a 10-year flurry that saw him cropping up with industry leaders, civic officials, legislators, club members and plain-Jane “Joe motorcyclists”

from coast-to-coast, Smith built a national organization with a membership of 17,390 (from 4,500) and 1,000 (from just 65) chartered clubs.

Adolf Hitler’s tanks would invade Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, an act that kickstarted WWII but also launched the beginning of the end of the Great Depression…which in turn would help motorcycling grow quickly and substantially in the post-war period. We’ll cover that next month.

The Great Depression killed off most motorcycle makers, but the sport and its adherents survived, and in many ways thrived

AMA OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

In 1932, the AMA designated The Motorcyclist magazine as its official publication, providing its blossoming member base with — as AMA President Jim Wright described — a “real riders’ paper, full of news, kinks, ideas, personalities and suggestions.” Wright continued by saying The Motorcyclist “will tie together the sport and the industry.”

MAJESTIC 350 — FRANCE

By 1930, hub steering was no longer a novelty, but stamping out and enclosing a motorcycle in steel panels, as in automotive practice, was a novel concept compared to the typical bicycle tube frame.

The original Majestic used an American four-cylinder Cleveland engine mounted between the hidden frame rails and cooled by air passing through the lovely louvered bodywork. Bolstered by the thin, compound-curved sheet metal, the Majestic was stiff and light — less than 350 pounds — and presaged both stamped-steel motorcycles like the Honda Super Cub as well as later fully-faired ones.

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING...

…opens in May, in New York City – the world’s tallest building, at 1,454 feet. In spite of the fame generated by a giant ape climbing it in King Kong (1933), the 102-story building didn’t turn a profit for its owners until 20 years later. After 9/11, the Empire State was New York’s tallest building again for a while.

TT RACING, SAN PEDRO, CA

helmets

Floyd Clymer (Pico Street, Los Angeles) would mail-order you a nice competition lid like this one, which the AMA now mandated for competition, for around $10. An English-made helmet offered by Pink-Voichik (New York) was “made of highly compressed wood pulp and linen laminations, completely suspended from the head by linen webbing and Sorbo rubber pads,” and cost $9.50.

1932 INDIAN CHIEF

This historic Indian addressed the tremendous success and popularity of its smaller brother, the Scout, by adopting the same sort of graceful, streamlined look Indian would become known for. Meanwhile, E. Paul DuPont had bought a controlling interest in Indian, bringing with him a thorough operational revamp with the option of painting your Indian in an array of colors produced by his DuPont Paint company. Two thousand Chiefs were sold in 1932, a number that seems low — but Harley-Davidson only sold 3,700 motorcycles total in 1933, the low point of the Depression.

PIN ME

During the AMA’s growth to 17,390 members and 1,000 chartered clubs in E.C. Smith’s first decade as secretary, the AMA in 1934 began the practice of giving service pins to its members. For each year that a member renewed his or her membership, one would receive a membership card and a pin that displayed the total number of years the individual belonged to the AMA.

1932 1933

1931 ARIEL SQUARE FOUR — ENGLAND

Before he became synonymous with Triumph, Edward Turner was shopping his Square Four design around, looking for work. BSA rejected it, but Ariel bit — and so the Ariel Square Four was born. Most of the first 4F models displaced 601cc and were produced until 1936, when the completely redesigned 995cc 4G took over. Not many were ever produced, since English manufacturing continued to be craftbased (read, expensive). Still, these were very nice motorcycles, which continued being built until 1959. Ten years after the last AS4 was produced, the 1969 Honda CB750 became the first successful mass-produced four-cylinder.

THE BIRTH OF CLASS C RACING

As the Great Depression created economic difficulties for many throughout the United States, the AMA in 1933/’34 sought new avenues for more affordable racing, and worked with Harley-Davidson and Indian to develop 750cc side-valve and 500cc OHV machines for competition. AMA Secretary E.C. Smith said the move would “revolutionize motorcycle activities” by allowing “more good riders to develop this year then for many a year, and with competition much hotter than ever before.”

COLOR ME

In the early 1930s there weren’t any exciting new H-D models, and since every H-D had been painted in the same olive drab green since 1917, no pressing need for anyone to buy a new one. But in 1933, and probably taking a cue from its rival Indian the year before, the Motor Co. began offering bikes in a variety of two-tone colors. Those colors, “combined with hand-painted pinstriping and art deco-inspired tank logos, created some striking new looks,” wrote Aaron Frank in his book Tales from the Archives. Apparently, it worked; H-D sold 11,000 bikes in Depressionsoaked 1934, a 300-percent increase from the previous year. Premium paint is a lesson the Motor Company never forgot.

GYPSY TOURS

Following the AMA taking over the increasingly popular Gypsy Tours in 1924 — a time in which the events saw a participation of over 75,000 riders per year — Gypsy Tours evolved from nationwide locations on one coordinated weekend to more independent events that allowed Gypsy Tours to run in conjunction with different races. Despite the Great Depression and a drop in participation, the rallies continued throughout the ’30s.

STREET TIRES

Relax, your Goodyear dealer will help you get what you need:

The POLICE SPECIAL (top) “is a favorite of state and municipal departments.” The CENTER TRACTION (middle) is “popular for all-around service.” The new ALL WEATHER, “with its high-flanged, self-cleaning tread, grips at all angles on all roads.” According to this 1934 ad, more riders were on Goodyear than all others combined.

DRY SUMP tech

“Regardless of speed or weather,” read The Motorcyclist in 1935, “Indian dry sump is fully automatic. Exactly the proper amount of lubricating oil is delivered in a constant stream and under positive pressure through the crankshaft to the motor bearings. Then the sump pump withdraws the hot oil from the crankcase, filters it, cools it, and returns it to the tank where it is again ready for another fast trip through the motor.” It really did beat the old hand pump, and oil all over your jodhpurs.

THE AMA SAYS, “SAFETY FIRST”

With a focus on safety, E.C. Smith and the AMA initiated a nationwide safety program in 1936. Run in cooperation with the National Safety Council, prestigious AMA awards were presented to individuals and clubs who rode the most accident-free miles on a motorcycle.

OFF ROAD TIRES

Mostly all tires were of the “off-road” variety in the 1930s, since most roads were still unpaved, and traction was fungible. The most you could hope for was that your tires held most of their air without flying apart, so advertising was particularly important. Firestone touted its TRIPLE-SAFE TIRE, with a “scientifically designed tread of especially tough rubber to protect you

FRITZIE’S ROAMERS

The Fritzie’s Roamers of Springfield, Mass., led by AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Fritzie Baer, became the first club to receive a national championship for club activities by the AMA. That year, the 78-member Roamers generated 2,100 column inches of favorable publicity and staged two charity races in 1935, instantly becoming a favorite of E.C. Smith.

1936 Harley-davidson MODEL E AND EL

The first production H-D with overhead valves and recirculating oil, the all-new 61-cubic-inch V-twin was twice as cool and provided almost twice the power of the Flathead it replaced — 37 hp for the E and a claim of 40 for the EL. It was originally called “the OHV engine,” or “the 61”, but would eventually be known as the Knucklehead thanks to the shape of its rocker covers (and the popularity of The Three Stooges.) The “Knuck” ran until 1948, when it was replaced by the Panhead. Recognize any current design themes here? The Fatbob tank with instruments on top; the chrome pushrod tubes; the hardtail line from steering head to rear axle.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Arthur

Davidson, Walter

Davidson, William A. Davidson and William S. Harley — all nattily attired — try to act nonchalant as they inspect the motorcycle that the future of their business probably depended on — a 1936 61-inch E model.

AMA CLUB GROWTH

In 1936, E.C. Smith established activity contests for AMA clubs, in which points were awarded for various activities that benefitted the perception of motorcyclists nationwide. At year’s end the AMA recognized the most deserving club members by awarding trophies to various club officials, in turn creating an incentive for riders to be active members in clubs.

JACK PINE ENDURO

The Lansing Motorcycle Club in Michigan began staging the Jack Pine Enduro in 1922; the 1934 event sounded particularly fun, as described by Oscar C. Lenz: “We have had rain on the Jack Pine before, and usually it was welcome as it made the sand rideable. This year, every rider was about as wet as he could get by the second check…you can only get so wet, then it just rolls off. We soon found ourselves in real trouble — mud. It was exactly one mile long and not deep. It might as well have been as deep as it was long.” Where do we sign up?

Mark your calendar for the 2024 JPE: Aug. 18.

THE DAYTONA 200

At the turn of the 20th century, Daytona and Ormond Beaches were little more than that… beaches, long, flat ones with one or two hotels, where car and motorcycle people gathered to see how fast they could go. In 1937, when flat-out speed runs were becoming a bit too brisk for safety, Daytona Beach persuaded the Savannah 200 race to relocate, and the Daytona 200 was born. AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ed “Iron Man” Kretz won the first one on the 3.2-mile beach course (which narrowed during the race thanks to an incoming tide!) on an Indian Scout sponsored by Floyd Clymer.

1938 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN

If not for Edward Turner being hired by Triumph (who’d been building singles since 1903), Triumph would’ve been another name added to the scrap heap in the ’30s. It needed more power to compete, but bigger singles vibrated and burned lots of fuel. Legend has it that Val Page saw an Ariel Square Four (Turner’s earlier genius design) running on a test stand without its front crankshaft, and noted it didn’t vibrate much at all. Turner and Triumph took the idea and ran with it: Two smaller side-by-side pistons rising and falling together through shorter strokes ran smoother than one big piston. The light and powerful Speed Twin was a huge success, and set the pattern for decades of British parallel twins to come.

LACONIA

The legend of Laconia reaches back to 1916 and a several-day Gypsy Tour event at Weirs Beach on the southern shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. The event grew over the years, with the first Laconia national race event happening in 1938 thanks to the vision of Fritzie Baer, who used his promotional skills to get racers such as Ed Kretz and fans to show up for the inaugural event in the mountain region near Loudon, N.H.

BONNEVILLE

Top-speed people found a forever home on a flat stretch of dried-up salt lake outside of Wendover, Utah. In September of 1938, AMA HOFer Freddie Ludlow showed up to ride a pair of Indians to new Class C records through a one-mile time trap: 120.747 mph on a 74-ci Chief, and 115.125 mph on a 45-ci Scout. The streamlined 61-ci Arrow had less success, at first filling with dust, later encountering endeavor-ending speed wobbles. The Motorcyclist put it all into perspective: “Meanwhile it proves that speed is not child’s play. It must be scientifically handled, it is very expensive, and is a pastime for the experienced.”

THE STURGIS RALLY IS LAUNCHED

Founded in 1936 and chartered in 1937, the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, S.D., is one of the AMA’s oldest chartered off-road clubs. Led by local Indian dealer Pappy Hoel, the club teamed up with the city of Sturgis to hold the Black Hills Motor Classic in August 1938, centered around a Gypsy Tour of the surrounding area, a half-mile dirt-track race, and a large party. Eightysix years later, the Sturgis rally shares the distinction with Daytona Bike Week as the biggest motorcycle gathering in the world, drawing in around a half-million rugged individualists over 10 days every August. The attraction today is the same as it was then: riding, racing and one large party spread all over the Black Hills. The Jackpine Gypsies were inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1997.

DEALERS JOIN TOGETHER

E.C. Smith’s skillful promotion of the American Motorcyclist Association paid off within the country’s dealer network when 1936 and later model-year dealer meetings were sanctioned by the AMA. Harley-Davidson and Indian were the prominent forces in American motorcycling at the time, and admission to their annual dealer meetings required an AMA membership.

SPEEDWAY BOOMS

Speedway racing boomed in popularity when it made its way to America through the stories of Ray Tauser, Cordy Milne and Jack Milne, who spent time in Europe and Australia. “In 1932, [Night Speedway] was a real small child,” E.C. Smith penned. “But in 1933 it grew and grew plenty. The future possibilities are so great.” In 1938, Smith reported the previous year of racing saw the AMA sanction 370 night speedway races — the most of any discipline by more than 200 events. In 1937, the aforementioned Milne, hailing from Pasadena, Calif., won the World Speedway Championship in front of 50,000 fans in Wembley Stadium in England.

BSA GOLD STAR

The Blue Star of 1932 began the Birmingham Small Arms factory’s reputation for reliability. The Blue Star begat the 1936 Empire Star, which did a 107-mph lap of Brooklands to win Wal Handley a Gold Star badge. The next model, circa 1939, was naturally named after that badge. Sporting an OHV alloy single of either 348 or 499cc, the Gold Stars became known for performance as well as reliability, sold in huge numbers, and continued in production until 1963.

24-HOUR DISTANCE RECORD

At the western end of the country, AMA HOFer Fred Ham, assisted by a team of West-Coast friends, rode the new OHV Model EL Harley-Davidson 1,825 miles around a 5-mile oval on Muroc Dry Lake (next door to Edwards AFB) in 24 hours, setting a slew of new distance records. The first 50 miles were covered at an average speed of 91.4 mph; average speed over the whole 1,825 miles was 76.6 mph.

1939 DKW RT125

No doubt the most imitated motorcycle in the world, this little German two-stroke was simple, sturdy and affordable. DKW pioneered Schnürle two-stroke loop scavenging along with a highly efficient arrangement of transfer ports, which raised the RT125’s performance head and shoulders above its competition. After WWII, the Soviet Union took plans, tooling and even several dozen personnel as war reparations to MMZ in Moscow and to a factory in Kovrov, where it produced copies of the RT. WFM of Poland made a modified version of the RT125 (under SHL 125 and Sokół 125 brands), which later became 175cc bikes produced until 1985. RT125 plans were also taken to the U.K., where they became the BSA Bantam, and to the U.S. where they took the form of the Harley-Davidson Hummer. In Japan, Yamaha took a breather from musical instruments to reverse engineer the RT as its first motorcycle, the YA-1, produced from 1955 to 1958. RT125 copies were built by at least eight different entities in at least six countries. War, what is it good for?

BMW WORLD SPEED RECORD STREAMLINER

BMW first jumped into the top-speed contest in 1929 with its star rider Ernst Henne coaxing a 736cc Boxer up to 137.58 mph on Germany’s first autobahn. By 1936, flush with cash from a Nazi government eager to show German superiority in all things, BMW showed up with this wind-tunnel sculpted racer; underneath was a downsized, 493cc DOHC Boxer with a Zoller supercharger claimed to boost power to around 105 hp at 8000 rpm. Henne went 169 mph on it. Shortly afterward, a Brough-Superior went 1 mph faster, and a Gilera Rondine went 170.4. Having none of that, Henne returned in ’37, went 173 mph, and retired. The record stood until 1951. AMA

FRED HAM

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY RICK KAMRATH

eople can’t believe people like us do this…us being folks like you and I, and this being long-distance tours from one end of the country to the other — or at least to the middle of the U.S. and back.

PI’ve been doing these sorts of treks for a long time. I bungee my camping stuff onto my HarleyDavidson — the latest an ’09 Street Glide — and get myself far from my home in Los Angeles.

“Far” can mean just up the coast for a camping trip in Big Sur. But it usually means going across states, hitting national parks, and maybe even

going coast-to-coast and back.

It might be with a riding buddy, or with one of my daughters on the back…or maybe by myself. I like all three options, with the edge maybe going to “solo.”

Last summer my solo destination was to Milwaukee for Harley-Davidson’s 120th Anniversary Homecoming bash. Since Harley’s 100th in 2003, the motor company has hosted anniversary homecomings every five years. My daughter rode on the back with me to the 115th. She’d been learning to ride her Sportster at the time, but opted for the pillion for that one. It wouldn’t work for her five years

THE PILGRIMAGE

One AMA MEMBER’S solo struggle to overcome mechanicals and messy weather on a trek from LA to Milwaukee and HarleyDavidson’s 120th

Homecoming

PART one

later, as she had a husband and two toddlers. My friend and I rode our Heritage Softails to the 100th, but he has long-since moved to Montana. So as of 5 a.m. one morning a handful of days before the 120th homecoming, I got out of LA early, beat all the traffic…but still got roasted by a lot of summer heat before reaching Las Vegas by 11 a.m. While northbound on Interstate 15, I thought again about that question people ask: Why do you do what you do?

I think back to when I was a kid, when I was learning to ride on two wheels. I wasn’t much

PILGRIMAGE

JULY 7

LOS ANGELES

JULY 8

JULY 9

GORE CREEK CAMPING

JULY 10

DEADWOOD MOTEL

JULY 19

WILLIAMS

JULY 18

SANTA ROSA LAKE

JULY 17

DALLAS

JULY 11

MYRE-BIG Island CAMPING

different than most of my friends who rode Sting Rays and Huffys, except I took my first little bike and customized it with aftermarket “ape hanger” bars and a banana seat so it looked like a Schwinn.

Something else was a little different, too, as I’d ride that little bike into the local hills by myself for a two-wheeled adventure. I never thought to go with anyone else…just 20 miles or so, winding along our local coastline.

Normally I just ride the last 90 minutes to Mesquite, where a man can still get a Vegas deal on a room. This year I stretched it a bit, diving right into camping...at a place called Quail CREEK.

I graduated to a 3-speed Sears bike, which opened up longer possibilities. I’d throw an old Army sleeping bag from the local surplus store on the back rack and set off for a camping spot on a beach 50 miles away.

I thought about how, in junior high, I’d draw pictures

of motorcycles gathered around a campfire while in class, years before I’d be inspired by the same scene in Easy Rider. I never planned to be that guy. I just was.

DAY ONE: TRADITIONS

I love my riding traditions. Every other year a friend, or friends, would make the trip with me to Sturgis. We typically opted for a four-day route, which took us first through Vegas and then cheap accommodations — $29! — in Mesquite, Nev. From there we’d camp in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, then through Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons, and then camp at Yellowstone.

QUAIL CREEK RESERVOIR CAMPING

JULY 12

MILWAUKEE HOTEL

Island

After a straight shot to Denver through the center of Utah, my route to Milwaukee then angled north and then east again in South Dakota, setting things up for an epic day of steady rain through lower Minnesota. Red line is my return trip route, which we’ll cover in Part II.

JULY 15

ST. FRANCOIS

JULY 16

DEGRAY LAKE

We’d then ride east across the Bighorn Mountains and into South Dakota…some of the most spectacular riding anywhere.

But for the 120th, I had to budget my days so I could spend as much time in Milwaukee as possible. So instead, I planned to turn east on I-70 in the middle of Utah, ride through the heart of the Rockies but still visit Sturgis, even if it was a full month before the rally.

That means I still got to fulfill my tradition of going to Casa de Fuente at the Caesar’s Palace Forum shops. It’s a cigar shop/bar established before smoking laws came down hard and heavy in the last few years. You can sit on their patio in an enclosed mall and just people watch while you cool down with one of their Fuente-made cigars, a glass of ice water and a Mojito, which they brag is the best in town. I can’t argue.

After three hours I was done with the selfie-taking crowd, and got back on the road.

Normally I just ride the last 90 minutes to Mesquite, where a man can still get a Vegas deal on a room. This year I stretched it a bit, diving right into camping in the St. George, Utah, area at a place called Quail Creek. But not before I had a solid dinner at the Pizza Factory in town, which offers great pasta and salads, and breadsticks that come in a pewter cup and are wound around a stick. Good stuff.

Quail Creek recreation area is just minutes outside of St. George, in Hurricane (pronounced “HER-ruhken”), Utah. People pulling into the campground midday may feel the heat and bemoan the lack of shade, but I got there at 6 p.m. and found a shady location with kids swimming and kayaking in the lake. The typical camper there has an RV, a portable shower and a grill to cook something on. Me, I’d just pulled in for a glorified rest stop, and will be gone before the first camper’s cough and grumble about how hot it’s going to be.

DAY TWO: INTO THE ROCKIES

I actually heard a cough or two before pulling out, but it was plenty early and I made good time up I-15 before turning onto I-70. The 70 leads immediately to the area of Fishlake National Park, where the road climbs to milder temperatures. For the next hour or two you are surrounded by some of the most beautiful views Utah has to offer.

Then you descend to hell…for a while, at least. Vegas to Mesquite can be really hard work when it’s hot, but so can the run from Fremont Junction, Utah, to Grand Junction, Colo. Eastern Utah is dry, hot and barren in the summer, and that stretch, which runs north of Moab across lands dinosaurs used to call home, is all of those things. Add in rest stop water fountains that don’t work and the flies that cannot wait to pester weary travelers, and you have angst. Lots of it.

Eventually, though, you hit Grand Junction and start climbing. The Colorado River winds back and forth around the interstate until the

Jason the owner was just leaving, but promised he’d get me back on the road first thing in the morning... there were a lot worse places to get stuck than Deadwood.

area of Glenwood Canyon, which is considered one of the most beautiful stretches of interstate in the country. This seems to be a pattern on trips like this; for a time the road can be harsh. But once the terrain (or weather) changes, it’s heaven, and you don’t much mind what’s in the rearview mirror.

Whatever, Day Two was much easier than Day One, even though it’s a hundred miles longer.

Riders often say they get into a rhythm while riding.

Maybe a body acclimates, but having just finished my second day, and sitting at Gore Creek Campground in the Rockies, I felt like I’d definitely settled into the ride, and was more focused on the adventure.

DAY THREE: VAIL TO THE BLACK HILLS

I always enjoy telling people that I’ll be “staying in Vail.” Vail, Colo., features one of the most exclusive ski areas in the country, but it is so close to the White River National Forest that the Gore Creek Campground is listed as being in Vail.

imagine Cheyenne has ever seen.

“Need help?” He couldn’t have missed my California plate, but more likely knew every biker in town.

I replied that I needed the best way to get to the 85. He obliged, and normally I’d have just followed his directions so I’d soon be on my way again. But I couldn’t help but talk motorcycles with this old guy for a while. I found out how long the local winters keep the bikes in the garage. Where friends ride for a day trip. All that sorta stuff. It was a nice pause, and he was a nice guy.

The temperature was comfortable, even at 8,700 feet, but I was concerned about the highest part of the road ahead of me. I’d be riding at an elevation of 11,000 feet at 7 a.m. But I layered up and made it over the hump without a shiver.

The plan was to either ride a state highway directly to camp in Badlands National Park in South Dakota, or take the extra hour or two to first go through the Black Hills to visit a toned-down, pre-rally Sturgis. I decided to be greedy and push for Sturgis.

After navigating a Denver-area rush hour I made my way north into Cheyenne, Wyo. Before finding the 85 from there, though, I needed gas and maybe a cup of decent coffee before getting on a blue highway. Somehow, I ended up in neighborhoods, and when I reached an airport I opted for pulling over and checking a map app.

Harley riders are known for pulling off to help other Harley guys, especially in the country, away from huge metro areas, and sure enough, within a minute or so, I heard the trademark H-D potato-potato sound pull in behind me. This guy had a vest full of patches affiliating with every known club or event I

Sure enough, within five minutes I was cruising nicely alongside the green plains of highway 85. Cars were few and far between, and the sky was blue and cloudless. But it was starting to look like another 100-plus-degree day.

There are no big towns on that stretch of the Wyoming 85. And the heat caused me to really look forward to the elevation of the Black Hills ahead, which I eventually got to after the town of Newcastle.

The gentle curves that cut through the amazing green color of both the trees and grasses and rock outcroppings reminded me of why riders flock to the rally year after year. It’s not just the partying; there is a lot of beautiful space to carve into. After all the 100-degree-plus weather I left behind me, this was the “heaven” part of the ride.

I mean, it was heaven…right until my shift lever decided it wasn’t. It stripped out, and was refusing to talk with the transmission.

I brought an extra new one, knowing the dicey reputation for the longevity of this part. But after spending a couple of hours in a parking lot in Lead, S.D., trying to undo parts stuck with a death grip to each other, I jerry-rigged my shifting mechanism with cardboard and duct tape so at least I could get out of Lead.

That’s all I needed. The next little town on the highway was Deadwood, and I happened to pass a motorcycle shop that happened to have its shop door open at 7:30 p.m.

Jason the owner was just leaving, but promised he’d get me back on the road first thing in the morning. I rode four blocks to my first motel stay of the whole adventure, and remember thinking there were a lot worse places to get stuck than Deadwood.

Clockwise from far left: Wyoming’s “Blue Highway.” Deadwood Custom Cycles is swamped with visitors during August, but was dead enough to fix my shifter problem in a jiffy on Day Four. Camping and note-taking by the fire…ahhhh.

DAY FOUR: CLOSING IN

As promised, Jason showed up the following morning and had my bike fixed in a jiffy. I was grateful beyond words for Deadwood Custom Cycles, as you never know whether a less-personal dealership is going to fit you in.

I was behind, but now back on, schedule. Still, I couldn’t resist riding down Main Street before getting on I-90 East. And there was Sturgis as the locals usually see it; a handful of motorcycles but mostly cars ruling the main drag.

I didn’t stop in Rapid City, nor did I get sucked into Wall Drug. I rode past my camp spot at the Badlands, and I’d seen the Corn Palace plenty for one lifetime, and traversed the rest of South Dakota pretty quickly.

The more eastward I got, the more bikes I saw headed towards Milwaukee. As I stopped in South Dakota’s last rest stop, I rolled up to a handful of Harley

Owners Group riders who’d also come from Southern California. We chatted for a bit, and we walked back toward our bikes, one turned and said, “Keep the shiny side up!”

I planned to.

It was dark when I finally reached Myre-Big Island State Park outside of Albert Lea, Minn., with much of the camping on a little wooded island in Albert Lea Lake. Between my bike’s headlight and my headlamp, I erected my tent quickly. It rained a bit that night, but no big deal.

DAY FIVE: ALL HELL, NO HEAVEN

Looking forward to a shorter day, I planned to take care of the rest of Minnesota and cruise across Wisconsin, a quick 330 miles. The only stop I would anticipate would be to make sure I visited the Ehlenbach Cheese Chalet in DeForest, Wis. An

As I relaxed by a small fire in the fire pit that morning, I felt a drop. I didn’t move. Then another. “Just leftover from last night,” I told myself.

hour later I’d be checking into the motel and, later, maybe taking in one of the scheduled H-D openhouses or tours.

As I relaxed by a small fire in the fire pit that morning, I felt a drop. I didn’t move. Then another. “Just leftover from last night,” I told myself.

But soon the drops were falling steadily through the trees, so I relocated to the tent to wait it out. After another 15 minutes I checked the weather app, which told me this was the edge of a long storm going my direction, and so I’d better start packing up, rain or not.

So I pulled out the rain overalls, a trusty

surplus garment bought at the Army-Navy Surplus store, pulled my rain jacket over my leather jacket, and slipped rainproof covers over my boots. All of this had served me well in the past, but as I was about to find out, past storms weren’t like this one.

For a few hours I thought I could outrun it. What I didn’t know was that it was coming west to east but on an angle from the southwest…with tons of moisture. Most storms I’ve encountered over the years seem to come and go quickly, some as quickly as 10 minutes. You can usually tell by the cloud patterns whether you can ride through or have to wait it out.

Left: Relaxing at the Quail Creek campground on Day One. Being chased by the storm didn’t rule out a quick stop at Ehlenbach Cheese Outlet. This page: Main Street in Deadwood. Garlic parmesean breadsticks in St. George. My basic tools saved me, as my half-fix in Lead, S.D., got me to a proper shop in Deadwood.

But this one was different. On the satellite view, the darkest shade of green was close behind the lighter shade. I wasn’t so much trying to outrun the cloud as I was trying to outrun the heavy downpour, probably hours long.

All along I’d see bikes — mostly Harleys — forging on through the wet, determined to get to the homecoming. I avoided doing a lot of lane changing. It was too unsafe to travel even the speed limit, so I had to accept the fact that when each semi passed me I was gonna get doused.

Fortunately, the rain was never super heavy, just

constant. All along, I looked for canopies or overhangs to get a break from the downpour, but as the hours went on, water began seeping into my clothes and boots. I discovered that my boot covers had torn, which explained why they felt more like baggies filled with water and goldfish than rain boots.

When I got a hundred miles from Milwaukee, the only places that offered shelter were gas stations, where the pumps were sheltered. I’d discuss weather strategy with riders that pulled up. One guy was bragging about his

expensive helmet protection.

“That’s the difference between a $100 and a $600 helmet. The rain just flies right off the surface of my face shield.” At that point, his rain-soaked wife pulled up behind him, and from under a $100 half-shell helmet, shot him a nasty sneer.

Some bikers would ride up and park their bikes in front of a pump, then just trot into the convenience store for coffee or food. But I had to keep moving. And as I rode, I kept thinking about the irony of this unrelenting storm happening in July. I have never taken a multi-day trip that didn’t have some weather, but I never battled it this long.

As I got within 50 miles of Milwaukee, I spied another rest stop. This time I rode my bike over to one of the sheltered picnic tables. Carefully considering the angle of the rain, I positioned the bike so it was

safe and shielded.

My body had been shaking from being wet for hours, so I sloshed my soaked shoe covers into the warm lobby of the rest area building, a trail of water behind me. I sat down on a bench and checked the Weather Channel app again. “Rain should stop around 6 p.m.” That was an update from when the storm was supposed to clear at 5 p.m. Grrr…

I went outside and dumped a pint of water out of each of my shoe covers. My body temperature had warmed slightly, but better than that, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. I walked over to the bike, swung a leg over the seat and thought, “I think I might be able to do this… and maybe with no more stops!”

But it never cleared up. From those first few drops back in Minnesota, it never stopped.

The motel I’d booked was off an expressway under

I went outside and dumped a pint of water out of each of my shoe covers. My body temperature had

warmed slightly, but better than that, the rain had slowed to a drizzle.

Left: The turn-off into the Rabbit Valley OHV Recreation area just over the Utah-Colorado state line; a good emergency camp spot if one needs it. Blue Earth, Minn., used to be home to the Green Giant canning factory; the 55-foot-high statue of the Jolly Green Giant remains. This page: Creative drying methods after the soaking.

construction, with half the exits closed. But with some trial and error I pulled up to the front office. Of course, the motel clerk greeted me with this: “We cancelled your room an hour ago...”

Maybe he read my demeanor, and he continued, “…but it’s okay.”

With shaking hands I produced my credit card from a soaked wallet. I pushed a cart of my stuff into an elevator and then down the hall. Once in my room I began hanging tent stuff, jackets, shirts and gloves from anyplace I thought I could get air airflow to them so they’d dry. Then I took a shower.

And of course, while I was in the shower, the rain stopped. Of course

It’d been a day of hell. Without much of a heaven. Still, I’d made it to Milwaukee in one piece, the shiny side still up, and was betting the next few days at HarleyDavidson’s Homecoming — and the trip home along a more southern route – would make up for this not-so-fine day.

Yep, people can’t believe people like us do this. But we’ve got our reasons… AMA

Southern California native and AMA member Rick Kamrath is a retired toy designer and accomplished musician who’s been riding for decades. This is his first contribution to American Motorcyclist, but not the last. Stay tuned for Part II of this adventure in an upcoming edition.

Left: Camping equipment, clothes, duffle bags… everything had to dry out after the deluge. Arriving at H-D HQ, the crowd was already big. Check out the surrounded-yetundaunted Victory rider (burgundy bike, middle).

I’d made it to Milwaukee in one piece, the shiny side still up, and was betting the next few days at Harley-Davidson’s Homecoming would make up for this not-so-fine day.

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SANCTIONED COMING EVENTS

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

Motocross March 30 - 31. Tallassee. SE Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, Monster Mountain, 334-4150415, ride@monstermx.com, monstermx.com

AMA ARIZONA

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country March 9. San Manuel. San Manuel Copper Classic, AMRA Series, Trail Riders of Southern Arizona, trailridersofsoaz@ gmail.com, TRSAZ.org

Dual Sport March 14 - 20. Tucson. Arizona Tour Guide Ride, MotoVermont, 802-860-6686, info@ motovermont.com, motovermont.com/arizona

Observed Trials March 17. Valentine. Kingman Desert Site, Central Arizona Trials Inc, www.centralarizonatrials.org

Dual Sport March 22 - 28. Tucson. Arizona Tour Guide Ride, MotoVermont, 802-860-6686, info@ motovermont.com, motovermont.com/arizona

AMA CALIFORNIA

Trail Ride March 1. Trona Joint Unified School District. MeghanRide, Gas It Up, 310-901-3992, j.carton@hotmail.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country March 2 - 3. Marchysville. Yuba River Run, Garrahan Off Road Training, 408-857-5884, brian@garrahanoffroad. com, www.garranhanoffroadtraining.com

Desert Scrambles March 9. Barstow. District 37-Dual European Scrambles, Huntington Beach Motorcycle Club, janine.grabow@icloud.com, huntingtonbeachmc.com

Motocross March 10. Bakersfield. Road to Mammoth Round 2, 2X Promotions LLC, 559-500-5360, www.2xpromotions.com

Desert Scrambles March 10. Barstow. District 37- Dual European Scrambles, Huntington Beach Motorcycle Club, janine.grabow@icloud.com, huntingtonbeachmc.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country March 16 - 17. Hollister. Phantom Scrambles, Ghostriders MC, 408-265-2122, rickwheeler@earthlink.net, ghostridersmc.net

Motocross March 23. Snelling. SW Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, 2X Promotions LLC, 559-500-5360, www.2xpromotions.com

Desert Scrambles March 23 - 24. Red Mountain. Dirt Diggers MC Dual European Scrambles, Southern California Dirt Diggers, 661-378-0222, ondarildo@sbcglobal.net, www.dirtdiggersmc.com

Motocross March 24. Snelling. Road to Mammoth Round 3, 2X Promotions LLC, 559-500-5360, www.2xpromotions.com

Desert Scrambles March 24. Red Mountain. Dirt Diggers MC Dual European Scrambles, Southern California Dirt Diggers, 661-378-0222, ondarildo@ sbcglobal.net, www.dirtdiggersmc.com

Motocross March 30. Bakersfield. MW Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, 2X Promotions LLC, 559-500-5360, www.2xpromotions.com

Motocross March 31. Bakersfield. SW Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, 2X Promotions LLC, 559-500-5360, www.2xpromotions.com

Road Ride/Run March 31. San Francisco. Easter Breakfast, San Francisco Motorcycle Club, 415863-1930, regonzalesjr@gmail.com, www.sf.mc. org

AMA COLORADO

Motocross March 22 - 23. Denver. AMA Arenacross Championship Series, AX Promotions, 720-865-2475, arenacrossusa.com

Observed Trials March 24. Howard. RMTA Series Event #1, Rocky Mountain Trials Association, rockymountaintrials.org

AMA FLORIDA

Motocross March 2. Daytona Beach. Supercross Futures Premier Qualifier, Daytona International Speedway, 309-314-4879, sxfinfo@feldinc.com, www.supercrossfutures.com

Dual Sport March 2 - 3. Brooksville. Devils Creek, Dixie Dual Sport, Inc., 727-919-8299, president@ dixiedualsport.com, dixiedualsport.com

Observed Trials March 2. Center Hill. Fun in the Sun Trials, Don Buckner Promise Ranch Trials, 717-398-4314, 7mdw27@gmail.com, www. floridatrialsassociation.com

Observed Trials March 3. Center Hill. Fun in the Sun Trials, Don Buckner Promise Ranch Trials, 717-398-4314, 7mdw27@gmail.com, www. floridatrialsassociation.com

Motocross March 8. Daytona Beach. AMA Arenacross Championship Series, AX Promotions, 386-254-4500, arenacrossusa.com

GA Motocross March 30. Union Point. Durhamtown MX Series, Durhamtown Off Road Park, 706-486-0091, robin@durhamtown.com, www. durhamtown.com

AMA IDAHO

Hare and Hound March 23 - 24. Murphy. Dirt Inc Hare & Hound, Dirt Inc., 208-614-7346

AMA ILLINOIS

Motocross March 9. Mendota. Traxs Winter Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815-884-9361, wardy@mtco. com, megatraxs.com

Motocross March 23 - 24. Casey. NC Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-9322041, lincolnmotosports@gmail.com

AMA LOUISIANA

Motocross March 30 - 31. Grand Cane. SC Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, Desoto Motorsport Park, 318-461-9226, desotomotorsportspark@gmail.com

AMA MARYLAND

Motocross March 10. Mechanicsville. MDRA, Pro Ready Racing LLC, 443-223-9171, ezra@ buddscreek.com, buddscreek.com

Motocross March 16 - 17. Mechanicsville. NE Loretta Lynn’s Area Qualifier, Pro Ready Racing LLC, 443-223-9171, ezra@buddscreek.com, www. buddscreek.com

AMA MICHIGAN

Motocross March 30 - 31. Bronson. ME Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, Log Road MX/JBMX Motorsports, 419-212-0838, logroad@roadrunner.com

AMA MINNESOTA

Motocross March 24. Brook Park. Berm Benders Raceway Gold Cup Series, Berm Benders Incorporated, 320-279-2238, bermbendersraceway@ outlook.com, www.bermbendersraceway.com

AMA MISSOURI

Motocross March 30. Saint Louis. Supercross Futures Premier Qualifier, Feld Motorsports, 309-3144879, sxfinfo@feldinc.com, www.supercrossfutures. com

AMA NEVADA

Motocross March 29. Las Vegas. AMA Arenacross Pro Championship Series, AX Promotions 702-3657469, arenacrossusa.com

AMA NEW JERSEY

Motocross March 10. Millville. D2 Season Opener / NJ Championship Series, Field of Dreams MX, LLC, 856-765-3799, info@njmpfod.com, NJMPFOD.com

Enduro March 10. Port Elizabeth. Greenbriar Enduro, Tri-County Sportsmen MC Inc., www.teamhammer.org

Family Enduro March 16. Shamong. Squirrelly Fern Jr. Funduro, South Jersey Enduro Riders, Inc., 609560-1713, whoops101@verizon.net, www.sjer.org

Motocross March 17. Englishtown. Raceway Park / D2 MX Points Series, Raceway Park, 732-446-7800, whoops101@verizon.net, www.Etownracewaypark. com

Enduro March 17. Shamong. Curly Fern Enduro, South Jersey Enduro Riders, Inc., 609-268-9272, whoops101@verizon.net, www.sjer.org

Enduro March 24. Green Bank. Meteor Motorcycle Sandy Lane Enduro, Meteor MC, meteormc.com

Motocross March 30 - 31. Englishtown. NE Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, Raceway Park, 732-446-7800, racewaypark1965@gmail.com

AMA PENNSYLVANIA

Motocross March 17. Shippensburg. Doublin Gap - Season Opener, Doublin Gap Motocross, Inc., 717571-5824, doublingap@gmail.com, doublingap.com

Motocross March 17. Birdsboro. D6 Ultimate Quad Series, Pagoda Motorcycle Club, 610-582-3717, pagodamc@gmail.com, pagodamc.org

Motocross March 23. Fredericksburg. D6 Henrietta Classic Series, Sleepy Hollow Motocross Park, Inc., 717-278-8998, swarr4@aol.com, www.sleepyhollowmx.com

Motocross March 24. Shippensburg. Doublin GapPAMX Spring, Doublin Gap Motocross, Inc., 717-5715824, doublingap@gmail.com, doublingap.com

AMA SOUTH CAROLINA

Motocross March 16 - 17. Gray Court. SE Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, Travelers Rest Motorsports Park, 850-251-9698, JESSICATRMP250@YAHOO.COM, SC-Moto.com

AMA TENNESSEE

Motocross March 9 - 10. Blountville. SE Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier / Mega Series, Victory Sports Inc., 423323-5497, jane@victory-sports.com, victory-sports.com

AMA TEXAS

Motocross March 2 - 3. AMarchillo. SC Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, Bowers MX, 806-671-7010, info@bowersmx.com

Motocross March 7 - 10. Wortham. James Stewart Freestone Spring Classic, Freestone County Raceway LLC, 713-962-3386, freestonemx@ gmail.com, www.freestonemx.com

Motocross March 12 - 16. Alvord. Spring A Ding Ding 2024, MPG Creative Group LLC, 816-5824113, layne@mpgcreativegroup.com, www. springadingding.com

Motocross March 23 - 24. Conroe. American Motocross Team Race, E.S.E. We Make Tracks Inc., 936-321-8725, info@3palmsasp.com, threepalmsesp.com

AMA VIRGINIA

Motocross March 23 - 24. Sutherlin. NE Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier, Birch Creek Motorsports Promotions LLC, birchcreekmx@gmail.com, birchcreekmotorsportspark.com

AMA WEST VIRGINIA

Motocross March 31. Hedgesville. MAMA, Tomahawk MX, LLC, 304-582-8185, info@tomahawkmx. com, www.tomahawkmx.com

SUPERCROSS

2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship supercrosslive.com

Round 8: March 2. Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona Int’l Speedway

Round 9: March 9. Birmingham, Ala. Protective Stadium

Round 10: March 16. Indianapolis, Ind. Lucas Oil Stadium

Round 11: March 23. Seattle, Wash. Lumen Field

Round 12: March 30. St. Louis, Mo. The Dome at America’s Center

Round 13: April 13. Foxborough, Mass. Gillette Stadium

Round 14: April 20. Nashville, Tenn. Nissan Stadium

Round 15: April 27. Philadelphia, Pa. Lincoln Financial Field

Round 16: May 4. Denver, Colo. Empower Field at Mile High

Round 17: May 11. Salt Lake City, Utah. RiceEccles Stadium

2024 Supercross Futures AMA Championship supercrossfutures.com

Supercross Futures Premier Qualifying Events:

Round 2: March 1-2. Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona Int’l Speedway

Round 3: March 29-30. St. Louis, Mo. The Dome at America’s Center

Round 4: April 12-13. Foxborough, Mass. Gillette Stadium

Supercross Futures AMA National Championship

May 11. Salt Lake City, Utah. Rice-Eccles Stadium

MOTOCROSS

Pro Motocross Championship Series promotocross.com

Round 1: May 25. Pala, Calif. Fox Raceway

Round 2: Jun 1. Sacramento, Calif. Prairie City

OHV Park

Round 3: Jun 8. Lakewood, Colo. Thunder Valley Motocross Park

Round 4: Jun 15. Mount Morris, Pa. High Point Raceway

Round 5: Jun 29. Southwick, Mass. The Wick 338

Round 6: Jul 6. Buchanan, Mich. RedBud MX

Round 7: Jul 13. Millville, Minn. Spring Creek MX Park

Round 8: Jul 20. Washougal, Wash. Washougal MX Park

Round 9: Aug 10. New Berlin, N.Y. Unadilla MX

Round 10: Aug 17. Mechanicsville, Md. Budds Creek Raceway

Round 11: Aug 24. Crawfordsville, Ind. Ironman Raceway

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Arenacross National Championship Series arenacrossusa.com

Round 12: March 8. Daytona Beach, Fla. Ocean Center.

Round 13: March 22-23. Denver, Co. Denver Coliseum.

Round 14: March 29. Las Vegas, Nevada. Orleans Arena.

North-East Area Qualifiers

March 16-17. Budds Creek. Mechanicsville, MD

March 23-24. Birch Creek Motorsports Park. Sutherlin, VA

March 30-31. Raceway Park. Englishtown, NJ

COMING EVENTS

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

April 6-7. Doublin Gap MX. Shippensburg, PA

April 20-21. The Wick 338. Southwick, MA

May 4-5. Pleasure Valley Raceway. Seward, PA

May 11-12. Diamond Back MX. Carlisle, NY

May 18-19. Walden Motocross. Wallkill, NY

North-East Regionals

May 24-26. High Point Raceway – Amateur Regional. Mount Morris, PA

May 31-June 2. Tomahawk MX – Youth Regional. Hedgesville, WV

South-East Area Qualifiers

March 9-10. Muddy Creek. Blountville, TN

March 16-17. Next Level 101. Gray Court, SC

March 30-31. Monster Mountain MX Park. Tallassee, AL

April 6-7. WW Ranch Motocross Park

April 27-28. Lake Sugar Tree Motosports Park. Axton, VA

May 4-5. Lazy River MX. Dalton, GA

South-East Regionals

May 24-26. North Carolina Motorsports Park – Youth Regional. Henderson, NC

June 7-9. Echeconnee MX – Amateur Regional. Lizella, GA

Mid-East Area Qualifier

April 6-7. Wildcat Creek MX. Rossville, IN

April 13-14. Baja Acres. Millington, MI

April 20-21. East Fork MX. New Vienna, OH

April 27-28. Dutch Sport Park. Bloomingdale, MI

May 4-5. Valley MX. Stanton, MI

May 11-12. Briarcliff MX. Nashport, OH

May 18-19. South Fork. Leitchfield, KY

Mid-East Regionals

May 31-June 2. RedBud MX – Amateur Regional. Buchanan, MI

June 14-16. ChilliTown MX – Youth Regional. Chillicothe, OH

North-Central Area Qualifiers

March 23-24. Lincoln Trail Motosports. Casey, IL

April 6-7. Archview MX Park. Washington Park, IL

April 13-14. Four States MX. Neosho, MO

April 20-21. Oak Ridge MX. Garwin, IA

April 27-28. Byron Motorsports Park. Bryon, IL

May 4-5. Tigerton MX. Tigerton, WI

May 11-12. Little Falls Raceway. Little Falls, MN

May 18-19. Indian Hills MX Park. DuQuoin, IL

North-Central Regionals

June 7-9. Bar 2 Bar MX – Youth Regional. Maize, KS

June 14-16. Sunset Ridge MX – Amateur Regional. Walnut, IL

South-Central Area Qualifiers

March 2-3. Bowers MX. Amarillo, TX

March 30-31. Desoto Motorsports Park. Grand Cane, LA

April 6-7. 3 Palms Action Sports Park. Conroe, TX

April 6-7. Sweney Cycle Ranch. Brush, CO

April 13-14. Freestone Raceway. Wortham, TX

May 4-5. Reynard Raceway. Wellston, OK

South-Central Regionals

May 31- June 2. Oak Hill Raceway – Youth Regional. Alvord, TX

June 21-23. Thunder Valley Motocross Park – Amateur Regional. Lakewood, CO

North-West Area Qualifiers

April 13-14. Horn Rapids Motorsports Complex. West Richland, WA

April 20. DT-1 MX Park. Tulare, CA

April 21. Bunker Hill. Delta, UT

May 4-5. Skyline MX Park. Kuna, ID

May 11-12. Dream Chasers. Shepherd, MT

North-West Regional

May 23-26. Washougal MX Park – Youth/Amateur Regional. Washougal, WA

Mid-West Area Qualifiers

Feb 25. Prairie City OHV. Rancho Cordova, CA

March 30. Kern County Raceway Park, Bakersfield, CA

April 20. Bunker Hill. Delta, UT

Mid-West Regional

June 7-9. Prairie City OHV – Ywouth/Amateur Regional. Rancho Cordova, CA South-West Area Qualifiers

March 2-3. Arizona Cycle Park. Buckeye, AZ

March 23. Oatfield Raceway. Turlock, CA

March 31. Kern County Raceway Park. Bakersfield, CA

May 18-19. Moriarty MX. Moriarty, NM South-West Regional

May 31- June 2. Fox Raceway – Youth/Amateur Regional. Pala, CA

National Championship

July 29-Aug 3. Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. Hurricane Mills, TN

MAJOR EVENTS

Ricky Carmichael Daytona Supercross

March 3-5. Daytona, Fla. Daytona International Speedway. https://racedaytona.com/

James Stewart Freestone Spring Championship

March 6-10. Wortham, TX. Freestone County Raceway. freestonemx.com

Mammoth Motocross

June 14-23. Mammoth Mountain. Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (559) 500-5360. 2xpromotions.com

PRO-AM EVENTS

Mega Series / Loretta Lynn’s Area Qualifier:

March 9-10. Muddy Creek Raceway. Blountville, Tenn. (423) 323-5497. victory-sports.com

American Motocross Team Race: March 23-24.

3 Palms Action Sports Park. Conroe, Texas. (936) 321-8725. threepalmsesp.com

Doublin Gap – PAMX Spring: March 24. Doublin Gap Motocross. Shippensburg, Pa.

Walden MX Spring Fling: April 13-14. Walden MX. Wallkill, N.Y.

SE Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier: May 4-5. LRMX. Dalton, Ga.

Orange County Fair Motocross Pro-Am

Showdown: May 5. Orange County Fair MX. Middleton, N.Y.

Raceway Park / D2 MX Points Series & ProAm: May 12. Raceway Park. Englishtown, N.J.

Dylan Slusser Memorial Pro Am: May 18-19. Pleasure Valley Raceway. Seward, Penn. (814) 3176686. pvrmx.com

Oak Ridge MX ProAm: June 2. Oak Ridge MX. Garwin, Iowa.

Mid Minnesota Challenge: June 9. BCMX. Cambridge, Minn.

MAMA MX Series: June 29-30. Promised Land. Oldtown, Md. (443) 669-3007. mamamx.com

RedBud Amateur Day: July 7. RedBud MX. Buchanan, Mich. (269) 695-6405. redbudmx.com

Aztalan Cycle Club Pro-Am: July 14. Aztalan Cycle Club. Lake Mills, Wis. aztalanmx.com

AMA Tennessee State Championship/Mega Series: July 13-14. Muddy Creek Raceway. Blountville, Tenn. (423) 323-5497. victory-sports.com

Photo of Dave Roper by Bill Burke ©2022

COMING EVENTS

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

X-Mas @ Pine Ridge: July 20-21. X-Mas Motorsports Park. Athelstane, Wis. (847) 702-1400. xmasmotorsportspark.com

AMA Georgia State Championship **Double

Points**: Sept. 29. Lazy River MX. Dalton, Ga.

District 17 Motocross Series: Sept. 29.

Sunset Ridge MX. Walnut, Ill. (815) 379-9534. sunsetridgemx.com

48th Annual GNC International Finals: Oct. 11-13.

Oak Hill Raceway. Alvord, Texas. (940) 577-2225. oakhillmx.com

Pagoda MC Big Bucks ProAm: Oct. 13. Pagoda MC. Birdsboro, Pa.

D6 Henrietta Series: Oct. 20. Dutchmen MX. Pine Grove, Pa.

Walden MX Annual Halloween Bash: Oct 26-27. Walden MX. Wallkill, N.Y.

Tony Miller Memorial Race: Oct. 26-27. Freestone County Raceway LLC. Wortham, Texas. (713) 9623386. freestonemx.com

AMA South Carolina State Championship/Mega Series: Nov. 9-10. South of the Border MX. Hamer, S.C. (423) 323-5497. victory-sports.com

Come and Take It – 4th Annual: Nov. 10. Irondog MX. New Ulm, Texas. (979) 992-3161. irondogmx. com

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Raceway Park / D2 MX Points Series & AMA

ProAm: May 12. Raceway Park. Englishtown, N.J.

AMA Tennessee State Championship: July 13-14.

Muddy Creek Raceway. Blountville, Tenn.

D14 Motocross: July 13-14. Polka Dots MC. Midland, Mich.

AMA New Jersey State Championship: Aug 18. Raceway Park. Englishtown, N.J.

AMA Pennsylvania State Championship: Aug. 25.

Doublin Gap Motocross. Shippensburg, Penn. (717) 249-6036. doublingap.com

AMA Kentucky State Championship: Sept. 8. Nxt

Lvl Sports LLC South Fork Motoplex. Leitchfield, Ky. southforkmotoplex.com

Redbud MX: Sep 8. Redbud MX. Buchanan, Mich.

AMA Maryland State Championship: Sep 15. Budds Creek MX. Mechanicsville, Md.

AMA Nebraska State Championship Race: Sept. 15. Lincoln Sports Foundation MX Track. Lincoln, Ne. lsfmxtrack.com

AMA Michigan State Championship Series: Sept. 15. Portland Trail Riders. Portland, Mich. portlandtrailriders.com

AMA Kansas State Championship: Sept. 21-22. Bar 2 Bar MX Park. Maize, Kansas. bar2barmx.com

Civil War “WV State Championship”: Oct 19-20. Tomahawk MX. Hedgesville, W.V.

AMA Pennsylvania State Championship: Oct. 27. Shippensburg, Penn. (717) 249-6036. doublingap. com

AMA South Carolina State Championship: Nov 9-10. SOBMX. Hamer, S.C.

AMA California State Championship Series, 2xpromotions.com

Road to Mammoth Round 2: March 11. Kern Country Raceway Park. Bakersfield, Calif.

Road to Mammoth Round 3: March 24. Oatfield Raceway. Snelling, Calif.

Road to Mammoth Round 4: April 21. DT-1 MX Park. Tulare, Calif.

Road to Mammoth Round 5: May 5. Prairie City OHV. Rancho Cordova, Calif.

Road to Mammoth Round 6 LCQ: May 12. Fox Raceway. Pala, Calif.

FEATURED EVENTS

Spring A Ding Ding

March 12-16. Oak Hill Raceway. Alvord, Texas. (816) 582-4113. springadingding.com

California Classic

APRIL 12-14. Fox Raceway. Pala, Calif. (559) 5005360. 2xpromotions.com

The Abe with Motoplayground

May 26-27. Lincoln Trail Motosports. Casey, Ill. (217) 932-2041. ridelincolntrail.com

MAINE EVENT

AUG. 24-25. MX 207. Lyman, Maine. (781) 8312207. mx207.com

Baja Brawl

Aug. 31-Sept 2. Baja Acres. Millington, Mich. (989) 871-3356. bajaacres.com

Yamaha All Star ProAm/Cobra Cup/MDRA Series

Sept. 7-8. Doublin Gap MX Park. Shippensburg, Penn. (717) 249-6036. doublingap.com

Travis Pastrana Pro-Am Challenge

Sept. 28-29. Pleasure Valley Raceway. Seward, Penn. (814) 317-6686. pvrmx.com

The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City

Oct. 3-6. Ponca City MX. Ponca City, Okla. (816) 582-4113. poncamx.com

Top Gun Showdown/Mega Series

Oct. 12-13. Muddy Creek Raceway. Blountville, Tenn. (423) 323-5497. victory-sports.com

Halloween Bash

Oct. 24-27. Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park. Axton, Va. (276) 650-1158. lakesugartree.com

TRACK RACING

2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship Motoamerica.com

March 7-9: Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona 200, Daytona International Speedway

Round 1: April 19-21. Braselton, Ga. Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

Round 2: May 17-19. Birmingham, Ala. Barber Motorsports Park

Round 3: May 31-June 2. Elkhart Lake, Wisc. Road America

Round 4: June 14-16. Brainerd, Minn. Brainerd International Raceway

Round 5: June 28-30. Shelton, Wash. The Ridge Motorsports Park

Round 6: July 12-14. Monterey, Calif. Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca

Round 7: August 16-18. Lexington, Ohio. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Round 8: Sept. 13-15. Austin, Texas. Circuit of the Americas

Round 9: Sep. 27-29. Millville, N.J. New Jersey Motorsports Park

2024 Progressive American Flat Track americanflattrack.com

Round 1: March 7. Daytona Beach, Fla. DAYTONA Short Track I. Short Track

Round 2: March 8. Daytona Beach, Fla. DAYTONA Flat Track II. Short Track

Round 3: March 23. Senoia, Ga. Senoia Raceway. Short Track

Round 4: April 27. Fort Worth, Texas. Texas Motor Speedway. Half-mile

Round 5: May 4. Chico, Calif. Silver Dollar Speedway, Short Track

Round 6: May 11. Ventura, Calif. Ventura Raceway. Short Track

Round 7: June 15. Middletown, N.Y. Orange County Fairgrounds. Half-mile

Round 8: June 22. Swedesboro, N.J. Bridgeport Speedway. Half-mile

Round 9: June 29. Lima, Ohio. Allen County Fairgrounds. Half-mile

Round 10: July 6. Qu Quoin, Ill. Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. Mile

Round 11: July 28. Peoria, Ill. Peoria Motorcycle Club. TT

Round 12: Aug. 6. Rapid City, S.D. Black Hills Speedway. Half-mile

Round 13: Aug. 11. Sturgis, S.D. Streets of Downtown Sturgis. TT

Round 14: Aug. 31. Springfield, Ill. Illinois State Fairgrounds. Mile I

Round 15: Sep. 1. Springfield, Ill. Illinois State Fairgrounds. Mile II

Round 16: Sep. 6. Half-mile

2024 American Hillclimb West Schedule www.americanhillclimb.com

Round 1: May 18. Sunnyside, Wa. Washington Nitro National I

Round 2: May 19. Sunnyside, Wa. Washington Nitro National II

Round 3: June 29. Preston, Idaho. Lloyd’s

Performance Nitro National I

Round 4: June 30. Preston, Idaho. Lloyd’s

Performance Nitro National II

Round 5: Sept. 14. New Plymouth, Idaho. Nitro National I

Round 6: Sept. 15. New Plymouth, Idaho. Nitro National II

2024 American Hillclimb East Schedule www.americanhillclimb.com

Round 1: May 18. Sunnyside, Wa. Washington

Nitro National I

Round 2: May 19. Sunnyside, Wa. Washington Nitro National II

Round 3: June 29. Preston, Idaho. Lloyd’s

Performance Nitro National I

Round 4: June 30. Preston, Idaho. Lloyd’s

Performance Nitro National II

Round 5: Sept. 14. New Plymouth, Idaho. Nitro National I

Round 6: Sept. 15. New Plymouth, Idaho. Nitro

National II

Round 7: Sept. 22. Freemansburg, Pa. Freemansburg II, Bushkill Valley Motorcycle Club

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

2024 AMA Pro Racing American Hillclimb National Championship (East/West) www.americanhillclimb.com

Round 1: Oct. 12. Oregonia, Ohio. Devil’s Staircase, Dayton Motorcycle Club

Round 2: Oct. 13. Oregonia, Ohio. Devil’s Staircase, Dayton Motorcycle Club

2024 Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship americanmotorcyclist.com/flat-track-racing

June 30-July 6. Du Quoin, Ill. Du Quoin State Fairground

AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship imc.clubexpress.com

Aug. 2-4. Red Wing, Minn.

OFF-ROAD FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES

AMA Florida Enduro Championship Series floridatrailriders.org

March 7. Favoretta, Fla.

June 9. Greensboro, Ga.

AMA Mid East Racing Championship Series mideastracing.com

Round 3: March 16-17. Morganton, N.C. Hillbilly Smash.

Round 4: April 6-7. Ferguson, N.C. The Stampede.

Round 5: April 20-21. Union, S.C. Pea Ridge.

Round 6: May 4-5. Laurens, S.C. Chestnut Corner.

Round 7: May 18-19. Laurens, S.C. Stranges Ranch.

Round 8: May 25-26. Laurens, S.C. The Coyote.

Round 9: June 8-9. Union, S.C. Charer’s Run.

Round 10: June 15-16. Union, S.C. The Gobbler.

Round 11: June 29-30. Woodruff, S.C. Harris Bridge.

Round 12: Sept. 7-8. Boonville, N.C. Wellborn Farms.

Round 13: Sept. 21-22. Morganton, N.C. Hillbilly Smash 2.

Round 14: Oct. 5-6. Woodruff, S.C. Harris Bridge 2.

Round 15: Oct. 19-20. Shelby, N.C. Water Wheel.

Round 16: Nov. 2-3. Hickory, N.C. Wilson Memorial Airport.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Florida State Hare Scrambles Championship Series floridatrailriders.org

March 16-17. Dade City, Fla.

Apr. 13-14. Punta Gorda, Fla.

May 11-12. Lake Butler, Fla.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

National Grand Prix Championship Series ngpcseries.com

Round 3: March 1-3. Glen Helen Calif.

Round 4: April 5-7. 29 Palms, Calif.

Round 5: April 26-28. Primm, Nev.

Round 6: May 24-26. TBD.

THE AMA NATIONAL ADVENTURE-RIDING SERIES

GREAT ROUTES, MAPPED OUT BY LOCAL EXPERTS A GREAT CHALLENGE WITH LIKE-MINDED RIDERS A WEEKEND OF ACTIVITIVES, WITH CAMPING, FOOD AND PRIZES

Round 7: Oct. 4-6. Ridgecrest, Calif.

Round 8: Oct. 25-27. Blythe, Calif.

Round 9: Nov. 8-10. Lake Havasu, Ariz.

Round 10: TBA National Enduro Championship Series nationalenduro.com

Round 2: April 7. Forest Hill, La. (337)658-1922. acadianadirtriders.com

Round 3: May 5. Kingston, Ariz. (479)841-9174. wildernessrider.com

Round 4: June 9. Greensboro, Ga. (770)540-2891. cherokeeenduroriders.com

Round 5: June 30. Wellston, Ohio. (740)357-0350. adrohio.org

Round 6: July 28. Cross Fork, Pa. (610) 883-7607. ber.us

Round 7: Aug. 11. Chandlersville, Ohio. (614) 2041438. ohiowoodsriders.com

Round 8: Sep. 8. Cherryville, Mo. (636)634-0188. flyingranchmo.com

Round 9: Sep. 22. Sand Springs, Okla. tulsatrailriders.com

Round 10: Nov. 3. Stanton, Ala. (334)267-2463. perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com

AMA NATIONAL RECREATIONAL

THE

2024 AMA National Adventure Riding Series americanmotorcyclist.com/ national-adventure-riding

April 12-14. Perry Mountain Tower Run Adventure Ride. Plantersville, Ala. Perry Mtn MC. (334) 3275086. perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com

May 18-19. Show Me 500. Bixby, Mo. Midwest Trail Riders Assn. (314) 409-6936. ridemtra.com

June 1-2. Durty Dabbers Great Adventure Ride. Lock Haven, Pa. Durty Dabbers. (570) 748-9456. durtydabbers.com

June 8-9. Ride For Research. Wabeno, Wis. Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders. (920) 350-2030. widualsportriders.org

June 8-9. MVTR Adventure Bike Ride for Cystic Fibrosis. Belmont, N.H. Merrimack Valley Trail Riders. (603) 235-1087.

June 22-23. Big Bear Run 2024. Big Bear Lake, Ca. Big Bear Trail Riders. (818) 391-3031. www. bigbeartrailriders.com

Sept. 14-15. Buffaloe 500. Columbus, Ind. Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club. (812) 342-4411. stoneylonesomemc.com

Sep. 28-29. Big Woods 200. Wabeno, Wis. Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders. (920) 350-2030. widualsportriders.org

Oct. 19-20. Green Ridge Moto Adventure. Little

Orleans, Md. Maryland Competition Riders. (443) 244-5077. marylandcompriders.org

Oct. 26-27. Cross-Florida Adventure Ride. Daytona, Fla. Dixie Dual Sport. (727) 919-8299. dixiedualsport.com

Oct. 26-27. Scenic Adventure Ride. Morgan Hill, Calif. P&D Promotions. (408)249-4336.

Nov. 29-30. LA-Barstow to Vegas. Palmdale, Calif. AMA District 37 Dual Sport. (626) 684-2336. labarstowvegas.com

March 2-3. Devil’s Creek Dual Sport. Brooksville, Fla. Dixie Dual Sport. (727) 919-8299. dixiedualsport.com

April 12-14. Perry Mountain Tower Run Dual Sport. Plantersville, Ala. Perry Mtn MC. (334) 327-5086. perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com

May 18-19. Show Me 200. Bixby, Mo. Midwest Trail Assn. (314) 409-6936. ridemtra.com

June 1-2. Durty Dabbers Great Adventure Dual Sport. Lock Haven, Pa. Durty Dabbers. (570) 7489456. durtydabbers.com

June 8-9. Ride For Research. Wabeno, Wis. Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders. (920) 350-2030. widualsportriders.org

June 22-23. Baby Burr. New Plymouth, Ohio. Enduro Riders of Ohio. (740) 508-2547. enduroriders.com

June 22-23. Big Bear Run 2023. Big Bear Lake, Ca. Big Bear Trail Riders. (818) 391-3031 www. bigbeartrailriders.com.

June 22-23. Ozark 200. New Blaine, Ark. Arkansas Dirt Riders, Inc. arkansasdirtriders.net

Aug. 3-4. Copperhead Dual Sport. Logan, Ohio. Hocking Valley Motorcycle Club. (614) 679-5743. hockingvalleymc.com

Sep. 7-8. LBL 200. Golden Pond, Ky. KT Riders. (270) 350-6324. lbl200.com

Sept. 14-15. Buffaloe 500. Columbus, Ind. Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club. (812) 342-4411 ext. 1. stoneylonesomemc.com

Sep. 28-29. Big Woods 200. Wabeno, Wis. Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders. (920) 350-2030. widualsportriders.org

Oct. 5-6. Shenandoah 500. Mount Solon, Va. Washington Area Trail Riders. (619) 244-9630. watr.us

Oct. 26-27. Scenic Dual Sport Ride. Morgan Hill, Calif. P&D Promotions. (408)249-4336.

Nov. 2-3. Howlin at the Moon. Payson, Ariz. Arizona Trail Riders. (602) 692-9382. arizonatrailriders.com

Nov. 29-30. LA- Barstow to Vegas. Palmdale, Calif. AMA District 37 Dual Sport. (626) 684-2336. paulflanders37@gmail.com. labarstowvegas.com

AMA Trademarks

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

• AMA Dragbike® • AMA Endurocross® • AMA Motorhead® • AMA Pro Grand National Championship®

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

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

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

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

• Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum®

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

• National Enduro Championship Series® • Protect Your Right to Ride® • Protecting Your Right to Ride® • Ride Straight® • Rights. Riding. Racing.® • Road Race Grand Championships® • Vintage Grand Championships® • Vintage Motorcycle Days® • Vote Like A Motorcyclist®

2024 Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series americanmotorcyclist.com/ national-adventure-riding

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

CHEMICALS 101

From cleaners and brake fluid to fuel additives and everything in between, the lubrication journey continues with more modern magical elixirs

BY JOHN BURNS

Last month we were off to a shockingly good shelf-stocking start with an overview of a wide range of engine and chassis lubricants for your dry, parched, and maybe just-out-of-hibernation machine or machines.

This time around we offer an overview of the rest of the motorcycling potion puzzle, focusing on the more non-lube-based chemicals that’ll keep your bike looking good — and humming smoothly and reliably — into the riding season.

SHINY SIDE UP

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” they say, and while it can be tough to gauge how well your bike’s internal juices are performing, there’s quite a bit more subjectivity when it comes to cleaning the outsides. Here are a few favorite products of ours.

Honda Spray Polish is a perennial favorite, or it was until Honda changed its rich, coconut-scent formula some years ago. Not to worry, though… that fragrant goodness lives on in Original Bike Spirits, owned by ZEP. Maxima’s SC1 High Gloss Coating and MOTUL’s E10 Shine and Go are also great. Just spray these on, wipe

off carefully with a soft or microfiber towel, and your bike looks like it just got professionally detailed.

TECH PART TWO LUBE

S100 Total Cycle Cleaner first crept into American garages from Germany circa 1985, and still works as great as it ever did. The secret, says S100, is its whole-bike spray-on formulation that’s designed to penetrate the munge in the nooks and crannies you can’t see, loosening it enough for a nice hose blast to dislodge, and keeping your whole machine corrosion-free. Meanwhile, it leaves a nice protective, mostly spotfree coating on all the areas you can and can’t see.

Newer, just-as-effective, cleaners include Maxima’s Bio Wash Cleaner, a specially engineered surfactant that lowers surface tension to allow better penetration and wetting of the dirt, which makes it easier to hose off. But it’s also gentle enough to use on paint, plastic, chrome, anodizing, rubber, carbon fiber, and brewed with advanced micro chemistry said to protect aluminum, magnesium and other alloys. No harmful acids, CFCs or solvents, and Maxima Bio Wash is 50-state VOC compliant. Good stuff.

Dawn Professional Multi-Surface Heavy Duty Degreaser Spray

More than a couple mechanic friends tell us they’ve mostly thrown their harsh brake cleaner aerosols over for this stuff. It’s not only good for degreasing parts, it’s also good for cleaning your whole bike, as a tire-install lube, and even for getting oil stains off concrete floors, depending on concentration (smart guys keep a few spray bottles of various strengths around). Since Dawn is safe enough to clean ducks, it’s probably not going to hurt you or your motorcycle, and you can pick it up nearly anywhere.

We’re well beyond the spit stage of spit and polish. In addition to the Honda stuff, some of our favorite polishes include Yamaha Silicone Protectant and Lubricant and/or Liquid Wrench Silicone Spray Lubricant, which you can use on chains, in cables, as a plastic polish and more.

Mothers Back-to-Black Trim & Plastic Restorer

Nothing’s as depressing as a big swath of

black plastic trim gone all old and gray on an otherwise perfectly serviceable old steed. A quick spritz of this stuff is often all it takes to bring your baby right back to its former glory.

Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating

Too late for those of us who developed strong musculature from wiping on and waxing off old-timey paste wax, products like this hybrid ceramic coating from Mothers require about 10 percent of the effort for 100 percent of the shine. Maybe more. The space-age SiO2 (Silicon Dioxide), TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide) blend means it’s basically a spray-on wipe-off proposition, that leaves your paint with an excellent, water-beading protective coating you can build up as much as you want.

OK, back to work…

COOL IT

Liquid cooling, of course, has allowed a big bump in performance, but at the price of one more system to maintain. Everybody knows about anti-freeze, and your manual knows how often you need to change it. Maybe everybody doesn’t know about products like Engine Ice and Maxima’s Cool-Aide, which don’t protect from freezing but do increase engine cooling in hot climates and harsh conditions such as racing. Another nice bit of engine insurance.

FUEL STABILIZER

Everybody’s well aware of the perils of ethanol in motorcycles, particularly carburetor-equipped ones or those in storage for a month or longer. If you can’t find ethanol-free gasoline to put

in your tank during hibernation, there are more than a few fuel stabilizers available formulated to combat the carburetor gumming and corrosion ethanol can cause. Maxima Fuel Stabilizer, among many other brands, absorbs moisture and prevents gum and varnish.

OCTANE BOOSTER

If you’re going to be riding your high-compression motorcycle someplace where the gas is less than great (hola, Mexico!), it’s not a bad idea to add a couple ounces of something like Maxima Hi-Test octane booster to each tank to boost the octane a point or two to combat the dread detonation.

PARTS CLEANER

You really can never have too many cans of Brakleen, or whichever parts cleaner/brake cleaner/degreaser you choose. But please use it sparingly, and when you’re shopping, don’t forget to support the people who support us: PJ1, Maxima, Motul, Motorex, et al, all make great cleaner/ degreasers that add moto-chic to your shelves. Contact cleaner is almost the same thing, meant specifically for cleaning electrical components. Keep a can handy.

PARTS WASHER

For bigger cleaning projects, there’s nothing like having a cheap five-gallon parts washer on top of the college dorm fridge in the garage, or better yet a 20-gallon freestanding one. Zep, Simple Green, Harbor Freight and oth-

ers sell various cleaning fluids to fill them with, over a wide span of prices and effectiveness. (Even the cheap, water-based solvents are way better than nothing.) If it’s carburetors you’re dealing with, an ultrasonic parts washer is the way to go, full of, you guessed it, ultrasonic cleaning solution.

THREADLOCKER

You’ll be needing the MAP gas if you used Loctite Red 271 to secure your fastener, which needs to be heated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit to release its grip. For normal parts you occasionally need to take apart, Loctite Blue 242 is the ticket to fastener security.

SEAL ME

Speaking of Loctite, its 515 and 518 are great gasket sealers, able to fill in and seal metal-to-metal gaps up to 0.25mm. Anytime you’ve got a gasket with bad sealing surfaces, say the experts, these won’t dry hard or plug your oil pickup if a little comes loose.

BRAKE FLUID

No fluid is probably more neglected, but if you check your manual, you’ll see this needs to be replaced regularly if you enjoy being able to stop. Be sure not to mix glycol-based fluid — DOT 3, DOT 4 and DOT 5.1 — with the DOT 5 silicone-based stuff. They are incompatible. High-end synthetic racing DOT 4 fluids won’t boil until upwards of 600 degrees Fahrenheit, which is nice when you get to the end of the Mulsanne Straight, probably.

We know you know we could go on, but we’re out of room. Happy cleaning and lubricating!

behind the scenes

HERALDED HAROLD

Harold Davis, 80, has made his mark volunteering for the AMA over the past two decades

BY KEATON MAISANO

Throughout the association’s 100-year journey, the AMA has hosted a plethora of events to engage and bring together its members. Putting on these events — which now include annual hits like AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days and AMA Hall of Fame Days — would be otherwise impossible at their current scale without the help of many great volunteers.

And there are few that embody the selfless, helpful nature of a volunteer better than Harold Davis.

The 80-year-old Ohioan has volunteered his time to the AMA for more than two decades, going the extra mile as a volunteer at events and as an ambassador in the community.

“Harold has always gone above and beyond volunteering for the AMA,” AMA Program and Volunteer Specialist Bob Davis said. “If we’re hosting an event, it’s nearly guaranteed that he’ll be there helping out. If you are out and see flyers for an AMA event, it’s likely

that Harold was the one who spread those around. I really appreciate all of Harold’s hard work.”

Harold began his motorcycling journey in the mid 1960s when he got a Honda 90 to ride around Virginia Beach, Va., during his service in the Navy. From that moment and up through publication of this edition of the magazine, Harold has continued to ride.

“I don’t ride as much as I used to, because I don’t have to go anywhere,” Harold said. “I just go to local things. In 2023, there were two bike nights at the museum, and Vintage Motorcycle Days.”

Following his retirement in 1996 from a life of working a factory job and owning his own advertising specialties business, Harold began his service to the AMA — which he belonged to since the mid-’70s — by becoming a field rep in 2000. Serving as a field rep until the program went away, Harold traveled around to different events and

meetings to sell memberships for the AMA.

For Harold, volunteering his time in retirement largely stems from the desire to entrench himself in the motorcycling community.

“Motorcyclists are my people,” Harold said. “If I go some place, I like to see a bunch of motorcycles.”

There are few places one can go throughout the year and see more motorcycles and motorcyclists than AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, an event Harold has seen since its inception three decades ago. For Harold, the growth of the event into the jaw-dropping spectacle it is now comes as no surprise: “I knew that’d be a good event.”

Today, Harold is a regular volunteer at VMD as well as other events that benefit the AMA Hall of Fame. AMA Program Manager Paula Schremser said Harold’s selfless work has not gone unnoticed.

“Harold has been a devoted volunteer for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and AMA for over 20 years,” Schremser said. “He is willing to serve and support in any capacity. His belief in the purpose of the Hall of Fame, his love of the sport of motorcycling, and the valuable friendships he has made make him a hard-working and loved volunteer.”

If you want to help continue the great tradition of volunteering established by individuals like Harold, you can get involved by visiting AmericanMotorcyclist. com/serve-as-a-volunteer

Harold Davis (left) and Daniel Cotter (right) volunteering at the 2023 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Looking for a real chunk of motorcycle history, and one that benefits the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame? Well, this is it, and here’s your chance!

Back in 1972, BMW’s motorcycle division was at a critical crossroads, with some higher-ups advising to close things down. Luckily, Bob Lutz and Hans Muth joined forces to create the now-legendary BMW R90S, a premium, top-shelf motorcycle that could battle the likes of Honda’s CB750 and Kawasaki’s Z1, not in pure performance but in craftsmanship, comfort, and cachet.

Get your tickets — $5 per, or 5 for $20.

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Setting the standard of hypersport performance. Again.

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