American Mototcyclist 04 2010 by American Motorcyclist Association

APRIL 2010

John Penton. Game-Changer. [[How How He H H IInvented t d Th The Off Off-Road R d World As We Know It ]

THE JOURNAL OF THE

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Navigation

Cover Off-road pioneer John Penton, photographed by Jesse Boone. Navigation Photo Grand Marshal Malcolm Smith, 2010 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, photographed back in 1972 by Action Sports.

VIEWPOINTS

06 10 12 58

Snapshots Your Images, Your World Letters You Write, We Read Joe Bromley A New Season Starts Now Todd Quellhorst Bridging The Generation Gap

THE LIFE

Protecting The Ride Distracted Driving Taking Center Stage

Living It One Man’s Quest To Parachute On A Motorcycle

Connections A Quick Trip To The Badlands

FEATURES

April 2010 Volume 64, Number 4 Published by the American Motorcyclist Association 13515 Yarmouth Dr. Pickerington, OH 43147 (800) AMA-JOIN AmericanMotorcyclist.com

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Changing The Game How John Penton Re-Wrote The Rules Of Off-Road Racing

30 34 50

Adrenaline Speed Thrills Taylor Woods

Ride With The Best Take To The Road With The AMA This Season

Heritage Classic Hondas You Can Win Go Ride What To Do, Where To Go

American Motorcyclist magazine (ISSN 0277-9358) is published monthly by the American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147. Copyright by the American Motorcyclist Association/American Motorcyclist 2010. Printed in USA. Subscription rate: Magazine subscription fee of $10 covered in membership dues; $15 a year for non-members. Postmaster: Mail form 3579 to 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147. Periodical postage paid at Pickerington, Ohio, and at additional mailing ofﬁces.

1) A group of military men in Iraq needed T-shirts and caps to outﬁt their softball team—named “Team Remember”— and the AMA was more than happy to oblige. The team sends its thanks to AMA members for the gift. But we say, “No. Thank YOU.” 2) The Blue Ridge Parkway in the mountains of North Carolina.—Mark and Charla Greene of Chapin, S.C. 3) Dylan Debel shows that Minnesota winters don’t slow him down. Photo by Mike Pohl. 4) Susan Post stopping to smell the bear grass ﬂowers in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Wash.—Russell Burress of Portland, Ore. 5) Brian Dupuy and his father, Jerry, rode from Jellico, Tenn., to Port Orford, Ore., on the Trans-American Trail. It took 26 days and they covered nearly 5,200 miles. 6) Holter Graham and John Sloan spend some time on a California lake bed.—Holter Graham of New York. 7) A sunset captured by Daniel Melguizo Moreno of New York City.

Snapshots

Congratulations, Mark. You’re the winner this month! “Riding my 2005 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic in the Altamont Pass area east of San Francisco. My friend, Matt Beardsley, was the photographer.”—Mark Yolton of Pleasanton, Calif.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Got an image that represents what’s cool about motorcycling? Send your high-resolution photos, name and mailing address to submissions@ama-cycle.org. We’ll pick one standout photo next month and send the photographer a prize pack of AMA gear. Editors decisions are ﬁnal. No purchase necessary.

There’s more where these came from! We get way more cool photos than we can publish here, and now you’ll ﬁnd them all online, searchable and divided by category. Just visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com and click on the “Gallery” link on the left.

4 6

April 2010

Editorial officEs

aMa Board of dirEctors

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

Contact any member of the AMA Board of Directors at www.AmericanMotorcyclist. com/whatis/trustees.asp stan simpson, Chairman Cibolo, Texas

Grant Parsons, Managing Editor James Holter, Associate Editor Bill Kresnak, Government Affairs Editor Mark Lapid, Creative Director Nora McDonald, Production Coordinator Jen Muecke, Designer

Jim Williams, Vice-Chairman Irvine, Calif. Jon-Erik Burleson, Assistant Treasurer Murrietta, Calif. Perry King, Assistant Secretary Northern California

advErtising Bob Buchanan, Advertising Manager (310) 505-3241, bbuchanan@ama-cycle.org

John Ulrich, Executive Committee Member Lake Elsinore, Calif.

Ray Monroe, Advertising Manager (815) 885-4445, rmonroe@ama-cycle.org

andy goldﬁne, Duluth, Minn.

Misty Walker, Advertising Assistant (614) 856-1900, ext. 1267, mwalker@ama-cycle.org

charles goman, Winder, Ga.

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, 2010.

Michael lock, Cupertino, Calif. Maggie Mcnally, Albany, N.Y. scott Miller, Milwaukee, Wis. art More, Surprise, Ariz. Jim viverito, Chicago, Ill.

(800) AMA-JOIN AmericanMotorcyclist.com

contributors and staff

JEssE BoonE, Photographer Jesse met with John Penton to capture the images you’ll see in this month’s feature. Owner of Finest Moments Photography in northeast Ohio, he and his family enjoy traveling the country together taking landscape pictures, shooting weddings and creating artistic images. You can follow their blog at FinestMomentsPhoto.com. Jaclyn sollars, Photographer Living in Lima, Ohio, with her husband, Jaclyn is a self-taught photographer whose business, Avalon Photography, focuses on portraiture and wedding photography. But she takes pictures of pretty much everything, pretty much all the time. AvalonStudio.net. MarK laPid, creative director With snow on the ground as this issue goes to press, Mark is deep into plan-ahead mode to this spring’s Race Orange Track Day Experience at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He’s thinking of test-riding the RC8. Or maybe the 690 Supermoto. Or maybe every bike in the KTM semi... grant Parsons, Managing Editor The lack of a heated garage may have halted the painfully slow upgrade process involving Grant’s ‘73 Honda CL350, but it hasn’t stopped him from buying parts. Swingarm bushings are in the mail.

nora Mcdonald, Production coordinator Always proﬁcient in both multitasking and discerning vintage taste, Nora ﬁnds herself dreaming of an old-school Penton Jack Piner 175. Bill KrEsnaK, government affairs Editor Elaborate fantasies are Krez’s stock-in-trade. These days he’s wishing for a two-stroke streetbike to ride to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days: an RD400, a 500cc H1 or an ‘87 GSX-R. Yeah, one of those things doesn’t belong—but that’s Krez... JEn MUEcKE, designer Spring cleaning being what it is for Jen, she’s taken the utmost care with her house’s interior design. So now there’s a Ducati in the front entry, and a Benelli in the dining room. JaMEs HoltEr, associate Editor James, unfortunately, can only feel jealous over Hollywood Joe’s brand-new KTM 450XC-F, complete with pre-printed number plates, handguards, skid plates and other stuff to make it even more drool-worthy. other contributors include: Kyle Engelhart, Grogan Studios, Jeff Kardas, Jim Kimball, John P. Lauri, Shan Moore, Todd Quellhorst

“ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WHEN I’M ON MY HARLEY-DAVIDSON. I FEEL LIKE I CAN CONQUER THE WORLD.” ®

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD FEEL THIS WAY. MARCH IS WOMEN’S GARAGE PARTY MONTH AT DEALERSHIPS NATIONWIDE. A WOMEN-ONLY EVENT WHERE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT RIDING AND MEET OTHERS WHO WANT TO GRAB LIFE BY THE HANDLEBARS.

Member Letters LEAD LAW IS DEVASTATING A recent report on this “lead law” by John Stossel on Fox Business News made it very clear that this horrible piece of legislation is far more damaging than has come out in your reporting on the subject. You have been absolutely on target with respect to the “unintended” harm this legislation has caused the off-road vehicle industry and the thousands of kids who use their products, ATVs, bikes, etc. (My daughter had a 50cc Honda before she was 10.) But this legislation impacts every item being sold to children. It not only requires onerous and expensive testing that virtually knocks out every toy, clothing, etc., manufacturer that cannot afford the extensive laboratory test procedures and certiﬁcation required of each and every component in every item, it absolutely and unscientiﬁcally precludes any that contain miniscule amounts of lead, even if the child cannot extract and ingest any deemed “harmful” amount of lead by sucking or chewing, etc. This applies to every item being sold for children, not only new, but used! The net result of this absurd, poorly drafted piece of legislation is that organizations such as the Salvation Army had to destroy $100 million worth of donated toys and clothing that were destined for children whose parents cannot afford new products, new items that are now made even more expensive by the extensive testing and the loss of competition that was the result of good-intended meddling by Congress. In fact, the law even applies to products sold in garage sales, but, thankfully, the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have the resources to enforce it—for now. I also keep wondering how in the heck we grew up and turned out OK given our exposure to high levels of lead in gasoline and paint. Mel Morganstein AMA Life Member No. 0281992 Charlotte, N.C. Mel Morganstein

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

UNFAIR FIGHT The following exempliﬁes AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Mona Ehnes’ story: Taking interest and caring for the land without bothering others until an interloper comes along and, for nothing, wants to take what you have used responsibly. This is the critical breaking point that many of us have faced, and it is obvious Mona has not bent the right ear or been associated with the most politically correct state representative to have her rights congenially protected. Thanks for taking a stand, Mona, keeping your eyes open to the movements that pose a negative change for those wanting to participate in OHV activities in your part of the country. It is a matter of trickle down. If they are not stopped there, other areas will soon be the next target. I am sorry to read that access to various backcountry has already been lost to OHV use.

CUT BOTH WAYS Posing Mark Bloschock in a riding outﬁt with a bike in the background did nothing to reduce the odor drifting from his response to Question No. 3 in “Three Questions with Mark Bloschock” (February): Do these barriers pose a danger to motorcyclists? Ride with me along State Route 4 in Calvert County, Md., where cable median barriers have been installed, and draw your own, more intelligent (I hope), conclusions. If you’re forced into the median for any reason and go down, you’ll quickly abandon illusions about the barrier post spacing giving “...the sliding motorcyclist a greatly improved chance to get through the barrier without contacting a vertical post,” to quote Mr. Bloschock. The effects of tangling with the cables supported by the posts, I leave to your imagination. Let’s face the truth: Median barriers are intended to reduce collision injuries to people encased in vehicles, period. It’s probably a very faint hope that they will ever be designed and funded with motorcyclists in mind.

Interesting points, Dick. An important thing to remember, at least according to the experts, is what other barriers were considered and rejected before the cable barriers were chosen. Given that ofﬁcials

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Dick Worth

Jean Seibert AMA Life Member No. 321932 Wabash, Ind.

Dick Worth AMA No. 431715 Churchton, Md.

will put a barrier in that spot, the question then becomes, “Which is the best choice for motorcyclists?” We admit that all the evidence isn’t in yet, but initial reports from rescue personnel working the roads, and experts like Bloshock, are that cable barriers may be preferable to monolithic concrete or corrugated steel barriers. As the country’s premier advocate for motorcyclists, we’re glad to be in a position to foster debate. We will continue to monitor the issue.

ALL HAIL THE KING I just finished the article on Perry King (“King of Cool,” February), and I must congratulate the author on such a wellwritten piece. It really captured Perry’s love of motorcycles. I would also like to congratulate the AMA on bringing Perry onto the Board of Directors. He should be a great spokesperson for our organization. I especially appreciate Perry’s outlook on sound and the perception we convey to the general public. Being a member of a desert-racing club in AMA District 37 (Southern California), we are constantly fighting to keep our race and riding areas open, and the abuse by the few ignorant riders with loud exhausts, as well as the abuse of the land, complicates our efforts tenfold. If only we could get some of our detractors to see the real trails out in the forests and mountains, and the vistas and views we can only experience on a motorcycle, maybe some of them would understand. Donn Nay AMA No. 925212 District 37 Club Representative Viewfinders Motorcycle Club LOCAL IMPACT, LOCAL DECISION As a resident of one of the states that is about to become a “Wilderness area,” I feel better qualified to make a decision on whether an area or trail needs to be closed

LETTER OF THE MONTH FUN AND GAMES I have a gag photo for your magazine. I call it “Look, Ma. No hands!” I took a ride on this rental bike for, oh, about two minutes. Then I had to get off and pay to rent it again. I did ride to the carnival on a 1982 FXS Lowrider. The ride operator never did ask to see if I had a cycle endorsement on my driver’s license.

John Haefemeyer, 1990

John Haefemeyer AMA No. 125389 Waukesha, Wis. Congratulations! You’re our letter of the month, and you win a free AMA T-shirt!

than someone 2,500 miles away. Being a landowner also gives me firsthand knowledge of what effect my actions have. A few years ago during fire season—yes, it is a season—I had hiked up a trail to try to get some pictures of the helicopters and airplanes. During my trip, a few firefighters came along. They asked how I got there, as they drove for over an hour to get there.

I showed them a trail and told them they could walk to my house in 15 minutes. I showed them a few others as well. A few weeks later after the ﬁre had been contained, they stopped by my house to thank me for sharing my knowledge of the area with them. Responsible people keeping trails open is good for the whole of the land. These lands in the West are very diversiﬁed. Someone

living just 200 miles away from me has a completely different ecosystem. I would trust that person to tell me how to manage that piece of land before I’d trust someone whose idea of wilderness is Central Park. Steven Cooper AMA No. 1084715 Evaro, Mont.

On Facebook? Us, too! Become a fan of the American Motorcyclist Association and you could be leaving comments like these: www.facebook.com/AmericanMotorcyclist Vince Duca Neil Peart. I actually got to meet him at the museum and couldn’t believe it. Yeah, I played it cool, went up to him and said, “Hi, I’m Vince. I don’t want to bother you. Have a nice day!” Duh! I then went outside and felt like an idiot. I did get a pic of me standing next to his bike though. — when we asked our Facebook fans for their favorite cover story so far since June 2008. Donald J. Mclaughlin AMA members, you need to stand up and ﬁght! And recruit! Our freedoms are under attack, and not just our motorcycle freedoms! — in response to a press release about cuts in trail funding in the president’s proposed 2011 budget. Jim Mulkern I read Rob Dingman’s interview with RoadracingWorld.com. A good read, and I think Rob did a nice job of answering a lot of questions that many members had. Open communication such as that will go a long way to making our organization stronger. Bob Henig I really like the new AMA magazine format. The old one

bored me to death, but now I want to read every page the day I get it. Great changes! Adam Messer Get a million cars together, and you get the L.A. smog. Get a million bikes together and you get Sturgis. Gary Scott I never ride my motorcycle without my AMA card in my pocket! Keith Lasseigne I used our AMA Roadside Assistance last week, and it worked great! Thanks, AMA. (AMA Hall of Famer) Cris Sommer Simmons Got my 1915 H-D up and running for this fall’s Cannonball cross-country ride. Working on my blog too. I’ve actually been riding it and it’s pretty cool. Get AMA news—and chat with fellow members—on Facebook. You can also get the latest info at AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

April 2010

From the President

Your Vote Counts Elections matter at the AMA, and that’s why your vote is so important as we chart the future of the Association. That fact was never more apparent than at the annual Corporate Members meeting, and the subsequent AMA Board of Directors meeting, on Saturday, Feb. 13, in Indianapolis. That’s when the corporate members approved—and the board members ratified—changes to the Association’s code of regulations that assure that the majority power on the AMA Board of Directors rests with the board members elected from our Regions. The proposal to make the change came from the 12-member board itself. In July of last year, the board unanimously passed a motion to reduce the number of corporate-elected members from six to four, and add two at-large positions. The total number of board members remained at 12, and individual, regionally elected members retained half of those seats with six positions. AMA Board of Directors Vice Chairman Jim Williams, who represents corporate member Kawasaki USA, said it best when presenting the proposal to the corporate members, whose approval was required by our bylaws: “Allowing a relatively small number of corporate members to control 50 percent of the board was simply not in the best interests of the 240,000 individual members of the AMA. The corporate-elected members continue to provide input, guidance and expertise to the oversight of the AMA, but we believe greater representation by the directors selected by the individual members more clearly reflects the AMA membership.” It’s a momentous change, so how did we get here? Considering that the AMA was created in 1924 with substantial support from the motorcycle industry, it’s understandable that we started out with six memberelected and six corporate-elected members. But today, the membership is certainly capable of charting the course of the AMA, and our corporate members agree. With the reduction in the number of corporate members, the Board of Directors also believed it was wise to add two new at-large positions that can be filled by individuals who will bring outside expertise to the board. For example, a good candidate for an at-large board position would be an individual who has experience growing a national advocacy association to several million members. The persons who fill the two at-large positions must be reviewed and recommended by the board’s nominating committee, approved by the Board of Directors, and elected by the membership—demonstrating again that your vote counts. The importance of each AMA member’s vote cannot be overemphasized. With the seating of new AMA board

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Photo Grogan Studios

By Rob Dingman

member Jim Viverito, who won his election in the North Central Region in January, we crossed an important threshold. Viverito is the first board member elected using a secure online voting process. VoteNet.com, a leading online vote tabulating company, verified the election results, and the returns were independently audited and certified by the accounting firm of Plante & Moran PLC. Using the same secure online election technology, AMA-chartered organizers were able to elect the 2009 AMA Congress without having to travel to annual District meetings as they have in the past. In so doing, we allowed a wider group—including more AMA members who host sanctioned events—to help choose those who make competition rules. With greater timeliness and integrity of our elections also comes greater transparency. And so I must report to you that only 0.5 percent of the North Central Region’s eligible AMA members voted in the regional election. This disturbing trend is not unique to this region. Judging from the e-mails and letters I receive, many of you care deeply about the AMA, but do you care enough to vote? Our job is to make sure each of you knows about upcoming elections and candidates, and so I am committing the AMA to doing a better job of publicizing our board elections. In return, I ask each of you to read the statements from your candidates and take the time to vote—a process made far easier because it is online, although we still provide paper ballots to those who request them. The future of the AMA now rests firmly in the hands of the board members elected by the individual members, and we, in turn, must fulfill this responsibility at the AMA ballot box.

covers each trip, there and back. has been riding to rallies since 1972.

TRIP INTERRUPTION COVERAGE. One thing Charlie St. Clair, Executive Director of Laconia Motorcycle Week, knows is the road can be pretty rough if your bike breaks down. That’s why Progressive offers Roadside Assistance for only $10 a year and Trip Interruption Coverage, which helps pay for places to stay and living expenses due to mishaps, for only $5 more.* This way, anywhere you are in the country, you’re covered. Call 1-800-PROGRESSIVE or call an independent agent.

PROGRESSIVE.COM #1 in Motorcycle Insurance Progressive Casualty Ins. Co, and its afﬁliates, Mayﬁeld Village, OH. No. 1 in motorcycle from 2008 Millward Brown & Harris Interactive survey data. All coverages subject to policy terms and conditions. *Trip Interruption Coverage requires the purchase of Roadside Assistance and is not available in all states. 09D00285 (05/09)

The Life

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Protecting the Ride 16 • Living It 20 • Connections 26 • Adrenaline 30 • Heritage 34

Never Say “Die”: Ice racers face off against each other, and the elements, at the 2010 AMA Racing Ice Race Grand Championships. Find out who won the ﬁrst AMA No. 1 plates of 2010 on page 31. Photo by Jim Bowie.

April 2010

Photos Texting: ©iStockphoto.com/monkeypics; Abboud: McCory James Photography

the Life | Protecting the Ride

DistracteD Driving taking center stage U.S. TranSporTaTion

SecreTary ray LaHood, TV HoST opraH Winfrey oUT fronT on THe iSSUe

Efforts to ﬁght distracted driving are gaining momentum with powerful ﬁgures such as U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey launching new initiatives. In late January, LaHood announced a ban on texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses. The prohibition is the latest in a series of actions taken by LaHood to combat distracted and inattentive driving since he convened a national summit on the issue last September. “We want the drivers of big rigs and buses, and those who share the roads with them, to be safe,” LaHood says. “This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving.” The action is the result of the department’s interpretation of standing rules. Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750. During the September Distracted Driving Summit, LaHood announced his department would take steps to reduce the risks posed by distracted driving. President Barack Obama also signed an executive order directing federal employees not to engage in text messaging while driving government-

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

owned vehicles or with governmentowned equipment. Also in January, AMA Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland, in a letter to LaHood, urged caution regarding the development of “infotainment systems” for motor vehicles. These systems include internetconnected computers, some with 10-inch screens, that allow drivers to watch videos and surf the web. Although some of the devices are being engineered so that advanced functions can’t be used while the car is in motion, the AMA is concerned that the potential to distract drivers from the primary task of vehicle operation is substantial. Moreland’s letter commended LaHood for his measured comments in a Jan. 7 New York Times article regarding such systems. In the article, LaHood said high-tech infotainment systems placed in motor vehicles would inevitably increase distracted driving and add to the everincreasing number of accidents and fatalities attributable to distracted driving. “The AMA supports your agency’s efforts to curtail distracted driving, and agrees with you that these new ‘infotainment systems’ are a step in the wrong direction toward achieving safer highways for all users, especially motorcyclists,” Moreland wrote.

Moreland’s letter offered LaHood the AMA’s assistance in the development of strategies to oversee how high-tech electronics in cars and SUVs affect the crucial issue of distracted driving and impact the safety of motorcyclists. “I would like to offer the AMA as a resource to be included whenever emerging technologies are discussed, so that we may better help you take into account the presence of motorcyclists on our nation’s roads and highways,” he wrote. To read the AMA’s position statement on distracted and inattentive vehicle operation, go to AmericanMotorcyclist. com/legisltn/positions/distracted.asp. To further address the issue, LaHood joined with National Safety Council President Janet Froetscher on Jan. 12 to announce the creation of FocusDriven, the first national non-profit organization devoted specifically to raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. FocusDriven (www.FocusDriven.org) is being led by Jennifer Smith, who has been an outspoken advocate against distracted driving since her mother was killed by someone talking on a cellphone while driving in 2008. Meanwhile, nationally recognized TV talk show host Winfrey launched an effort called No Phone Zone (www.Oprah.com/ packages/no-phone-zone.html) to get Americans to sign a pledge that they won’t talk on a cellphone or text while driving. States across the nation are also cracking down on distracted driving. In 2009, the AMA tracked nearly 500 bills in 46 states that sought to address one or more forms of distracted driving.

The Life | Protecting the Ride

President’s Proposed Budget Slashes Trail Funding

Move Comes As Forest Service Looks To Restore Public Land Off-highway trails in our national forests could deteriorate dramatically or even disappear altogether under the new federal budget for 2011 proposed by President Barack Obama to Congress on Feb. 1. Under the proposal, which must be accepted by Congress before it becomes law, funding for the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CIM) program would be slashed by $100 million—from the $538 million appropriated for the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, to $438 million for the next fiscal year. This could be disastrous for off-highway riders because CIM program money is used for the improvement, maintenance and operation of U.S. Forest Service roads, trails and recreational support, says Ed Moreland, the AMA’s vice president for government relations. He notes that in explaining the reduction, President Obama’s administration says that it wants to focus the Forest Service on “road decommissioning, erosion control, watershed health and forest restoration.” “It’s clear that very little of that language refers to trail-building or maintenance,” Moreland says. “In fact, this appears to be another way to see more riding opportunities disappear for families, the disabled and others who prefer to enjoy the beauty of our federal lands from the seat of a motorized vehicle. “The truth is that, under this plan, already-underfunded forest managers will find it more expedient to close trails rather than maintain them,” Moreland notes. “Proper funding of maintenance programs

is, in fact, crucial to the administration’s stated goals of erosion control, watershed health and forest restoration.” The proposed cut is particularly disturbing in light of the Forest Service’s recent work on off-highway vehicle (OHV) travel management. Many national forests have only recently completed their travel management plans and will need funding to implement those plans. As those plans were developed, local Forest Service staff repeatedly told OHV enthusiasts that they don’t have enough money to maintain existing trails, provide trailhead facilities or to even inventory existing trails. Jerry Abboud, a longtime advocate for access to public land and executive director of the Powersports Dealers Association of Colorado, notes “the national Travel Management Rule seriously compromised many longtime, well-laidout trails that did not have any current NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) analysis and, therefore, they were closed with the publication of the motor-vehicle use map. “Because of a lack of funds, a selfimposed deadline and the usual pressure by the antis, no real travel management was done,” Abboud says. “By simply taking whatever was already designated and saying ‘good,’ these other high-quality routes were closed and never considered in most cases.” The president’s budget proposal comes at a time when the Forest Service is creating a new planning rule to manage the 193 million acres it controls nationwide. The Forest Service says it is starting the process guided by the principles of restoration, conservation and Jerry Abboud

the protection of ecosystems. This could shut out off-highway riding. Congress will be considering the president’s budget proposal over the next few months. The AMA urges its members to contact their federal elected officials and ask that they oppose any cut in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Capital Improvement and Maintenance budget. You can easily find up-to-date contact information for your elected officials at AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Click on Rights > Issues & Legislation and then enter your zip code in the “Find your Officials” box. Additionally, a pre-written e-mail is immediately available for you to send to your federal elected officials by following the “Take Action” option and entering your information.

Aftermarket Exhaust Manufacturer Gets California Emissions Approval BUB Enterprises First To Navigate Complex, Expensive Process BUB Enterprises (www.BUB.com) has just received permission from the California Air Resources Board—the agency responsible for improving air quality in the state—to sell catalytic converter-equipped exhaust systems for Harleys. The BUB True Dual or TDX headers that use catalyst-equipped mufflers have been approved. Earlier, BUB earned federal Environmental Protection Agency approval for its non-catalyst BUB 7 Stealth mufflers, meaning they meet federal emissions and sound regulations on non-catalyzed motorcycles so they can legally be used on streetbikes. The BUB systems are believed to be the first non-OEM streetbike systems that meet CARB standards.

April 2010

The Life | Protecting the Ride

Statewatch ARKANSAS U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) and U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to stop the implementation of the Ouachita National Forest travel management plan. The plan was released in January and drastically reduces access to the forest for motorized trail users. In their letter, the legislators expressed, “disappointment, frustration and serious concern” with the plan, its development and its impact on local economies. CALIFORNIA An administrative law judge has rescinded a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decision to open two OHV trails in the Mojave Desert. The decision from the Interior Department’s Interior Board of Land Appeals upholds an appeal brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, which argued the plan to open two routes in the Rand Mountain Management Area of Kerns County was ﬂawed.

ILLINOIS House Bill 5029, introduced by Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago), would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to operate an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or off-highway motorcycle (OHM). The proposed legislation would also make it illegal to transport a passenger on an ATV or OHM regardless of whether the vehicle is conﬁgured for a passenger. This bill is nearly identical to legislation introduced by Flowers last year that ultimately died in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. The text of HB 5029 and a pre-written response are available on the “Rights” page of AmericanMotorcyclist.com. NEW YORK Assembly Bill 9467, sponsored by Asm. Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows), would require all motorcycles to be inspected for exhaust system sound levels using a sound level meter and comply with current law that speciﬁes a maximum of 82 dB(A) at 35 mph or less and 86 dB(A) over 35 mph,

measured at 50 feet. SOUTH CAROLINA On Feb. 3, the state Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the city of Myrtle Beach can legally require adult motorcyclists to wear helmets even though state law lets adult riders make that decision. A ruling isn’t expected until at least late April. The city enacted the law requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets within the city limits in 2008. TEXAS U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) congratulated Texas native Ben Spies on the House ﬂoor for winning the 2009 World Superbike Championship. “He has, no doubt, blazed a trail for future successes with his steady hand, nerves of steel and balance like nowhere found here in the House of Representatives,” Gohmert said. Spies took a season-record 11 pole positions, won 14 of 28 races, and claimed the championship his rookie season.

AMA Life Member Takes Fight For Public Land Access To Congress

Key Lawmaker Trying To End-Run Legislative Wilderness Process AMA Life Member Dennis Larratt appeared before a key U.S. House committee on Jan. 21 to testify against a proposal to inappropriately designate 44,000 acres in Colorado as federally protected Wilderness, which would ban off-highway riding. Larratt appeared before the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands of the Committee on Natural Resources. He offered testimony on behalf of the AMA and the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO) on H.R. 3914—the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act of 2009. That bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo.), would inappropriately designate 44,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service, federal Bureau of Land Management and private land as federally protected Wilderness. Larratt noted that a massive amount of land is being considered for Wilderness designation in Colorado, including another proposal that would designate 400,000 acres of public land as Wilderness. “Colorado already has 3.5 million acres of designated Wilderness, and does not require additions,” Larratt testiﬁed. “H.R.

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3914 is a piece-meal approach, with many small areas proposed for designation.” He said other problems with H.R. 3914 include fairness, since some areas would allow exceptions for the sake of helicopter skiing and mountain-bike racing; limits on fresh-water projects; vague buffer language that may not protect remaining trails on adjacent properties; and no consideration for historical trails. Despite that testimony, less than a week later, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who is the chairman of that committee, began asking fellow lawmakers to support a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell asking Tidwell to manage as Wilderness some 3 million acres nationwide being considered in Congress for Wilderness designation. “This is completely inappropriate,” says Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. “Representative Grijalva is trying to create Wilderness through administrative ﬁat, without going through a process of public debate in Congress.” State Sen. Mark Wyland (R-Orange-San Diego Counties) agrees. “Only Congress can designate

Dennis Larratt

Wilderness,” Wyland says in a letter to lawmakers. “This is logical because Wilderness is the most restrictive land management designation on the planet. It is not wise, nor legal, for any federal land management agency to establish de-facto Wilderness areas.” Moreland notes that inappropriate Wilderness designations “are often simply a land grab by special interests, and the AMA will continue to vigorously oppose such efforts.” To contact your legislators on the issue, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues & Legislation > Find Your Ofﬁcials.

The Life | Protecting the Ride

Massachusetts Motorcyclists Getting Insurance Premium Refunds

Insurance Companies Overcharged Consumers By $11 Million Motorcyclists who obtained insurance through three companies in Massachusetts will get refunds from hundreds to thousands of dollars under a settlement agreement between the state and the insurance companies. State Attorney General Martha Coakley announced that her office has entered into settlement agreements with Safety Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Quincy Mutual Fire Insurance Company to resolve allegations the companies overcharged consumers. The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) is spearheading the effort to ensure that all motorcyclists entitled to refunds get them. “The AGO (Attorney General’s Office) has reached out to the motorcycling community, through the MMA, out of concern that the insurance companies might not be able to identify and locate the riders,” says MMA Chairman Dave Condon. “All riders are encouraged to contact the MMA directly for assistance in expediting your refund,” Condon says. To qualify for a refund, you must answer “yes” to the following questions: 1. Did you buy motorcycle insurance from Safety, Liberty or Quincy insurance company? 2. Did your motorcycle insurance policy contain the collision or comprehensive options? 3. Did you buy this optional motorcycle insurance at any time during the years 2002 to the present? If you answered “yes’ to all three questions, then you may be due a refund, with 6 percent interest, and are urged to send your contact information to the confidential e-mail address: MyRefund@MassMotorcycle.org. Or mail the information to MMA, Attn: MA AGO Insurance Settlement, P.O. Box 378, Brimfield, MA 01010.

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April 2010

The Life | Living It

Bike Impression

A Playbike For Grown-Ups

Photo Kyle Englehart

Kawasaki KLX110L Perfect For Pitbike Races

Sky RIdeR One Man’s Quest tO PaRachute On a MOtORcycLe Yeah, it sounds nuts. But that didn’t stop Bernie Williams from doing it. On a rare sunny day in November, the 65-year-old former expert ﬂat-track racer made a long-time dream happen by strapping himself and a bike to a balloon, rising to about 5,300 feet, releasing, popping a parachute and gliding to Earth on a motorcycle. “When I released it, it was a big-eyed thing!” Williams says. “First, I was waiting for the chute to open, then it was like, ‘Now, I’ve got to land this thing.’” The jump was a long time coming, and it was made possible by a crew of like-minded individuals, including fellow Michigan dirt-tracker and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Scott Parker, with Williams’ friends Todd Aimes handling the rigging and Capt. Eric Fogg piloting the balloon. The ﬁrst attempt nearly ended in disaster. The crew did everything up through the release perfectly, but a tangled parachute line created instant problems. “I was rigged with a quick-release in case something went wrong,” Williams says. “Sure enough, we had a severe line twist. I had no control over the parachute, which meant I could have smashed into a house, or power lines or something else.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

“Around 3,000 feet, I released it, pulled the reserve chute and followed it down. The bike landed perfectly in the ﬁeld and stood up for, like, two seconds, then fell over. The only thing that happened was a scratched handgrip.” The second attempt was golden. “We took it to 6,000 feet, and when we dropped and the chute opened, the fear factor was gone.” To make sure the bike would land under power, the crew had started it on the ground and let it idle the entire time. Williams found himself gliding to Earth on a running motorcycle. “When I was at about 200 feet up, I knew I would make it,” he says. “I was thinking, whatever you do, don’t fall over when you land. Even if you break your arm, don’t fall over. At 50 feet, I noticed the front wheel was pointed too far down, but the harness wouldn’t let me pull it up. So I had to land it front-wheel ﬁrst, which was not ideal. When it hit, I gassed it, and was able to ride a little ways.” You can view video from the stunt at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=dA9VdDHsCis. Filmmaker John P. Lauri is also working on a documentary involving Williams.

Yes, big things do come in little packages, and this time they’re green with 110cc engines. For 2010, Kawasaki stepped up the mighty KLX110 with a host of updates and added the KLX110 “L” model to the lineup. The KLX110 is, and always has been, an awesome, kid-friendly fourstroke that nearly anyone can ride. However, since the KLX110 was first released, there’s been a cult following of oversized adults acting like kids riding these bikes. Kawasaki responded with its new “L” model. It’s 2 inches taller than the standard 110, with more suspension travel, a manual clutch instead of automatic, and now both bikes (standard and L) enjoy a four-speed transmission, improved performance, electric start and new bodywork. Riding the little machine was a blast. Unless you have done it, it’s difficult to imagine how much fun you can have with a group of people all riding KLX110s. And it doesn’t matter where you are—a backyard, small field or out at your favorite

The Life | Living It

Member Review

Ducati Monster

riding area, having a few mini bikes in the herd is almost a requirement these days. I had to keep myself in check to avoid bottoming out the suspension too hard, but these things are fun!—Scott Hoffman

CHANGES FOR 2010

- New valve timing - Freer-ﬂowing exhaust - New ignition - Electric start - Four-speed transmission - New KX-style bodywork - Longer suspension on the L model - Manual clutch on the L model

Member Review

BMW F800GS Robert Starling: I love my F800GS! At 51, it was my first bike: 13,500 miles in the first 11 months including Alaska, Death Valley, Big Sur, Utah and more! Everything I need and nothing I don’t! Karen Shore Chambers: Let me just start by saying—love it!—it has that cool Bill the Cat headlight like its big brother. It eats up the curves and makes you want more. The seating position is upright, and very comfy and the mirrors work really well. The engine is very smooth with no surprises. So many accessories to choose from. It’s perfect. Great job, BMW! Donald McClellan: I have a K1200LT and it is toooo big for me, I need that F800GS for my own riding (not two up). Of course, I need the lower frame. Melody DeKorte: I don’t know what I did before my baby GS came in my life. The plastic expandable luggage was the selling point for me, but once I rode it, it was love at first ride. She was the perfect stablemate to complement my Hayabusa. The only thing I would change would be the seat. After about three hours, my backside starts to get tender. It’s amazing.

Ken VanSkyrock: I have a ’94 M900, albeit heavily modified, and it is a fantastic ride. I have ridden around the Southwest on it—flats, twisties, it’s all good. Great riding position. I prefer the rumble and the low-end torque of the 900 carbie engines. Easy to work on once you learn how it all works. I am planning on running it at the Salt Flats this year for BUB! Wouldn’t trade my Monster for the world. Matt Smith: My wife loves her little M695. We are about to put taller bars on it for her. We also put on an adjustable link in the rear, and Pazzo levers. It’s a fun little bike. Bill Kincaid: Sex on wheels, best description for the Monster. But drop that little beauty on the sidestand and you can break the crankcase lugs off. I fixed mine with $6 worth of steel and some Helicoils, but the Ducati shop told me doing it right would cost more like $4,000. It is easy to total a new Duc with minor cosmetic damage if the sidestand is involved. Lee Wroblewski: Italian craftsmanship and beauty, fantastic sound and motor, easy to ride and the only time I see others on the road is when MotoGP rolls into town! Already made several changes for comfort and performance. Cassia Leet: I have a 1999 naked Ducati Monster. I love my bike! It may be old, but it runs great—and I can still pass most of the boys on it! I just had my shock rebuilt and new tires. Just need to get my bike back together, and it’s good as new.

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The Life | Living It

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AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Four Questions With

Stunt Rider Christian Pfeiffer Making The Impossible Possible

Christian Pfeiffer is among a rare breed: a guy who makes his living as a stunt rider. The German stunt master can be found performing at contests and rallies around the world. American Motorcyclist: How did you become a professional stunt rider? Christain Pfeiffer: Well, my roots are trials riding and dirtbikes. I had no more fun riding observed trials and enduro competitions, so I practiced freestyle tricks. First on the trials bike, later on streetbikes, and I found out that this is my real passion. I was riding more and more shows, and I turned pro rider after graduating at the university.

AM: What advice would you have for someone who’s interested in being a professional stunt rider? CF: Trials is a good place to start. And practice, practice, practice. You need to perform at a top level to be discovered and build up a name. AM: What’s the hardest trick you do? CF: Sit-down, no-hands wheelie circles. It took me years to learn them. Now I’m learning to jump from a 50/50 to a Ralph Louie Blind-Side. So far, I’ve managed to stick this trick only two times! AM: What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done on a motorcycle? CF: Rding on the highway. Soooo boring!

Photo Pfeiffer: BMW AG

What it is: RoadRUNNER is the premier bi-monthly magazine for motorcycle touring and travel. It caters to riders of every style and bike with evocative story lines and first-class photography that capture the passion of motorcycle touring. Each issue includes regional and international tours, motorcycle tests, product reviews and special interest features. In 2010, the team at RoadRUNNER celebrates its 10th year in the motorcycling industry, as well as the release of their first book, Riding America’s Backroads: 20 Top Motorcycle Tours. The book preserves the same quality RoadRUNNER is known for, with updated maps, more travel information and attractions included. Buy the book and get online access to free GPS downloads and printable tankbag maps from Riding America’s Backroads. The RoadRUNNER staff says: According to publisher Christa Neuhauser, “We started the magazine to communicate our personal passion for riding and the allure of roads less traveled. We do the groundwork so our readers can go out and experience their own exciting motorcycle adventures.” Find it: Available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million, Safeway, Kroger, Costco, CVS and other fine retailers, or by subscription. Find more details at RoadRUNNER.travel.

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Go ahead. Get outdoors.

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The Life | Living It

Ask The Motorcycle Safety Foundation Engine Braking And Brake Lights

Cool Stuff

Arai’s Newest Street Lid The RX-Q Aims For The Top

ON THE WEB

What it is: The RX-Q is a new-from-the-ground-up model from Arai, purpose-built with high-mileage street riders in mind. It aims to be “the ultimate street helmet.” What’s new: Starting with a clean sheet of paper, Arai designed a new, sculpted cheekpad made up of 12 separate pieces that cradles the lower jaw for more comfort, and seals out wind and road noise more effectively. A wider eyeport and thoughtful venting designed for street speeds offer real-world convenience. Pro tip: Arai has long built helmets with different head shapes in mind to provide a wide range of options for riders. The new RX-Q uses the “Intermediate Oval” shape, similar to the Vector, not the “Round Oval” of the now-discontinued Quantum-2. If you’ve never experienced Arai’s head-shape designs, and have the head to match it, you don’t know how well a helmet can ﬁt. Impression: As is to be expected, this is one very nice helmet. It’s light, ﬁts great and the new cheekpad design really is all-day comfortable and noticeably quieter. Price: $540 to $680, in XXS to XXL sizes. Info: AraiAmericas.com

You Ask: “When I’m on a twisty road in the country, I often downshift and use engine braking to slow for corners on my Suzuki V-Strom because I like the feel of getting the most out of the machine. I also tend to use the same technique on the freeway and in town, but lately I’ve worried about the fact that the brake light doesn’t come on. What’s the right answer?” The MSF Responds: Engine braking is a great technique to use in addition to, or instead of, brake application, depending on the circumstance. For twisty roads, where you don’t need full-force braking, not only does downshifting—combined with a quick throttle blip to bring the revs up a bit, and smooth release of the clutch lever—slow your bike pre-corner, it prepares you for acceleration as you near the exit of the corner. For normal stopping and slowing, downshifting keeps you in the right gear in case you need to make a quick move (such as a swerve) or in case traffic picks up or the light changes to green before you come to a complete stop. The one disadvantage, as you point out, is the lack of corresponding brake light activation. However, that’s only an issue if there are vehicles behind you whose drivers will benefit from seeing the light. Since you’re an alert rider, you will have been glancing in your rear-view mirrors frequently and will know what, if anything, is behind you. When there’s traffic behind you, even if it’s in adjacent lanes (or even if there’s no traffic, just to help you develop the habit), combine your engine braking with a couple of taps on the brake pedal. Be sure to adjust your rear brake light actuator so the light is triggered during the early part of the pedal application, before the brake is fully applied. Brake lights and turn signals are primary ways riders and drivers can “talk” to each other on the road. Part of the fun of motorcycling is achieving precise coordination of throttle, shifting, clutching and braking in any situation—becoming “one” with your motorcycle. Got a question for the MSF? E-mail submissions@amacycle.org.

Pit Pass Radio: Scott Casber and the crew go live at at 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesdays, and you can download the show as a weekly podcast at PitPassRadio.com. Side Stand Up: Tom Lowdermilk and company are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Eastern, and are available online at all times at SideStandUp.com. Fox Racing Shox has created an entire micro-site dedicated to founding brothers Bob and Geoff Fox, who were inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame last year. The site, available at: http://www.foxracingshox.com/hall-of-fame/, features stories, videos and more chronicling the brothers’ creation of what has come to be one of the most pre-eminent names in all of motocross. Cycle Rider Radio: Based out of the Orlando, Fla., area, the broadcast is available online at TheMotorheadRadioNetwork.com. The Two-Wheel Power Hour: Larry Ward, Roy Dyckman and the crew are based out of Youngstown, Ohio, on WKBN 570 AM, Tuesdays from 5-7 p.m. Eastern, but you can listen online at www.RadioTime.com/program/p_30949/Two-Wheel_Power_Hour.aspx.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

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Dispatch

8 Days, 11 states, 4,000 miles Just a quick trip to the Badlands by shawn Henﬂing Our plan for the trip was perfect: It would be me and my V-Star 1300, my closest friend and his VTX 1300, a week off and 4,300 miles planned across the country and back. On a Saturday in June, we headed out. Of course, when we rolled out from New York through the Poconos, the trip had to start with heavy rain. In fact, rain doesn’t even begin to describe the deluge we managed to navigate through. My friend Chris and I were soaked up until about the time we’d made it halfway through Ohio. We hoped to make Chicago for the night, but wound up short of our destination and

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

stopped in South Bend, Ind. I’d anticipated more out of South Bend, being that I thought it was a big college town. However, we were soon shown just how hard recent economic pressures had hit the Midwest. It seemed that more businesses were shuttered than open. Our second day started out with beautiful weather and great open roads. We hadn’t counted on Chicago trafﬁc, though. I’ve never been so terriﬁed in all my life. Cars were changing lanes almost close enough to bump our fenders, darting into and out of spots that I wouldn’t navigate my bike through at half the speed

we were traveling. Once clear of the big city, though, things began to gel, and it felt that our vacation had truly begun. Through Wisconsin and Minnesota, all of the tension and stress of my life finally loosened its grip on my psyche. We made it to Sioux Falls, Iowa, by 11 p.m. after more than 750 miles. Badlands National Park the next day was amazing. We were awestruck. Chris said it best: “Why would we need to tour the world when there are so many amazing things here at home.” At dinner in Rapid City, S.D., that night, I realized that the perception the general public has about bikers couldn’t be farther off. We found that fellow riders we came across, without exception, were as interested in our trip as we were in theirs. We spent the next day running through the Black Hills, seeing Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. Once again, I was awe-inspired, seeing the contrast between the lush forest and the burned husks of woodlands past, which gave way to the near wastelands outside of the Black Hills and into Wyoming. That night, we made it to Casper, Wyo., in time to watch the sunset. Thinking back, that sunset signaled the end of our vacation, even though we still had almost 2,000 miles and several days yet to go. Once we left the shadows of the mountains, the grueling portion of the trip became reality. With literally nothing but antelope, cows, and grass to look at, there was nothing to distract us from the searing pain beginning to manifest itself in our lower backs and rears. We made Grand Forks, Neb., for the night. The next day was hot and boring. Chris and I stopped, exhausted, at a rest stop on the highway to recharge ourselves in the shade. Even that didn’t help. By the end of the day, we’d reached St. Louis. The final long leg of our journey started out beautifully. Sunset over Casper was fantastic, but sunrise over the river and the Gateway Arch was magnificent. Back on the road, the pain crept back into our rides and every mile seemed an eternity. Our goal for that day was Pittsburgh. Even though we lost an hour to the time change, it was the longest day of my life. Saturday morning, Chris and I said goodbye, each going our separate way home. I spent my time reflecting on where we’d been. The ride was perhaps the single greatest time of my life. Since then, I frequently wonder about picking up stakes and moving west, taking my family and starting over somewhere new. I’ve begun to wonder if, instead of finding myself, I left a portion of myself out there, on the open road.

Photos Henﬂing: Cardens Photography, Restoration: Jim Moore

the life | Connections

The Life | Connections

Calling All Restorations

We’re Looking For A Few Good Bikes—In Progress Maybe you’re building a bike to race at this year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days (VMD)? Maybe you’re putting the ﬁnal touches on something for the VMD bike show? Or maybe you’re just ﬁnishing up your latest project to ride to the event itself. Whatever you’re working on, we want to hear about it. American Motorcyclist is looking for people and bikes to feature in coverage of this year’s Vintage Motorcycle Days, set for July 9-11 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Your bike doesn’t have to be particularly rare, or even perfectly restored. We’re more interested in the passion behind your effort, and we’ll catch up with you at VMD. Interested in being featured? Tell us about your project and send us a few pictures to submissions@ama-cycle.org.

Roger DeCoster

A World Champion MXer Who Makes Americans Great Roger DeCoster’s name is almost synonymous with the sport of motocross. He is generally recognized as the bestknown MXer in the sport’s first 50 years. With numerous National and World MX championships, six Motocross of Nations titles, a gold medal in the International Six Days Enduro and countless victories as a team manager, DeCoster’s stature is such that he is often referred to as “The Man.” DeCoster was born on Aug. 28, 1944, in Uccle, Belgium. His father worked in a steel mill to support the family of seven, so DeCoster had to wait until he was old enough to start working to begin his racing career. He took a job in a motorcycle shop and bought his first racebike at 17—a 50cc Flandria. He went on to win a couple of 50cc Belgium MX titles before jumping to the 500cc class in 1964. In 1964 the 19-year-old won the junior 500cc Belgium Motocross title, the Belgium Trials championship and earned a gold in the ISDT (now ISDE). He then went to work for Czechoslovakian motorcycle maker CZ. He won the Belgium 500cc national title in 1966 and competed in the world championships the next year. In 1969, DeCoster helped give Belgium its first Motocross des Nations victory in 18 years. He would go on to help his country win the prestigious competition five more times. In 1971, DeCoster moved to Suzuki, where he came to international fame. Riding a newly designed bike—the RN370—DeCoster won his first 500cc Motocross World Championship, .It was his first of four he won over five years. By the mid-1970s, DeCoster had established himself as the greatest motocross racer of his time and arguably the best ever. DeCoster continued racing, and winning, through 1980. He left the sport on top, winning his final race—the 500cc

Hall of Famer Motocross Grand Prix of Luxembourg. He then moved to America to work for Team Honda and manage Team USA for the MXoN. Under DeCoster’s guidance, the United States won its ﬁrst victory. And while working with Honda, the teams he assisted amassed numerous AMA National Motocross and Supercross championships.

In 1996, DeCoster returned to Suzuki as MX team manager, and helped Suzuki win its ﬁrst AMA 250cc National title (with Greg Albertyn in 1999) in 18 years. DeCoster also continues to help guide the United States to victories in the Motocross of Nations, as well. DeCoster was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

April 2010

The Life | Connections

It’s Malcolm!

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Grand Marshal Set

One of the most recognizable faces and greatest names in all of motorcycling—Malcolm Smith—will be this year’s grand marshal at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, the country’s premier celebration of vintage motorcycling. As a racer, Smith gained notoriety for his accomplishments in the Baja 1000 and for his gold-medal winning rides in the International Six Day Enduro competitions, but by far his biggest claim to fame was being a star of the inﬂuential 1970s motorcycle movie, “On Any Sunday.” The scenes of Smith play-riding with his buddies, who included actor Steve McQueen, showed people across the country just how fun motorcycling can be. The movie helped launch an explosion in the popularity of off-road motorcycling in America. Smith is closely associated with the 2010 VMD Marque of the Year, Husqvarna, which will be celebrated at the July 9-11 event in Lexington, Ohio. “Even today, decades after Smith’s racing prime, his fan base rivals some of the top names in the sport,” said AMA

President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Malcolm Smith is synonymous with everything positive about motorcycling— fun, sportsmanship, excitement. He will serve as an exceptional grand marshal as we celebrate the brand on which he became famous.” Smith’s connection with the marque began when he met the man who would become the brand’s ﬁrst U.S. importer, Edison Dye, and raced for him. Smith not only helped sell a lot of Husqvarnas, but also helped establish the sport of motocross on American soil. In his role as grand marshal, Smith will participate in numerous fan-friendly activities, from autograph signings to discussions of his history with Husqvarna. AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days features a wide array of vintage competition, along with North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet, educational seminars, bike shows, new-bike demo rides, motorcycling seminars, stunt shows, vendors, and club corrals featuring marque and regional clubs. The event supports the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.

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Photo Viverito: Jim Moore

Meet Your AMA Board Members

Jim Viverito, North Central Region Born: Chicago, Ill., in 1952 First motorcycle ride: I conned a neighborhood guy into letting me take his Honda 305 for a ride around the block. Trouble was I didn’t really know how to ride a motorcycle, and I ended up walking the bike two blocks back to him. He wasn’t very happy with me, but both the bike and I survived. Motorcycling experience: My first bike was a Bridgestone 175 Dual Twin. I did everything with that bike. I eventually started flat-track racing. I’ve tried just about everything else, and I still make a vintage MX or trials or a district enduro or trail ride occasionally. Long-distance touring has also been a focus of my riding, and my wife and I saw a big portion of this country from the seat of a couple of bikes. In the late ’80s I got involved in motorcyclists’ rights. I did a lot with A.B.A.T.E of Illinois and maintained a good relationship with the AMA, and that led to me running for the Board. Life Experience: I worked for the Illinois Toll Highway Authority in the engineering department as a laborer and equipment operator for 25 years. How the infrastructure around us is designed, built and maintained is something most of us take for granted, but it is important and relates to motorcycling more than you would think. Proudest achievement: I’m very proud of the partnership that my wife, Marilyn, and I share. She has shared my enthusiasm for motorcycling. We worked hard, and now enjoy being retired with time to devote to many things, especially motorcycling. Favorite current bike: My ’05 T100 Triumph Bonneville and my ’67 T100R Triumph Tiger 500 are equally fun to ride for very different reasons. AMA member since: 1971 Why I’m an AMA Board member: Mainly to make a contribution to the preservation of motorcycling. There are so many things we can do better to ensure that our lifestyle has a future, and I want to work with not just the AMA but with all who are like-minded to get the job done and find better ways to do it. The biggest challenge facing motorcycling: There are many, but the two I would mention off the top of my head are health insurance discrimination and the sound issue. Both of these issues affect everyone who rides. Closing thought: When I was running for this position, I said that I wanted to hear from the members. That still goes. I

can only do a good job as the members’ representative to the AMA’s board if I have ﬁrst-hand knowledge of what’s important to the members. I not only want to hear concerns, but ideas as well. Feel free to contact me. Contact any member of the AMA Board of Directors at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/ whatis/trustees.asp.

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The life | Adrenaline

SPeed ThrillS Taylor Wood

16-Year-Old Is MakIng a Mark In aMa dragbIke Taylor Wood got used to horsepower at an early age. After a few years riding dirtbikes, his dad, Andy, bought the then13-year-old a Yamaha R1 and started taking young Taylor to the racetrack. Taylor was instantly hooked and never looked back. Drag racing was now Taylor’s thing. A year later, he got a Top Gas bike from Fast by Gast and was laying down 7.60s at 168 mph in the quarter-mile. Not bad for a 14-year-old.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Taylor is now 16 and backed by Velocity Racing Turbo Systems, Barry Henson, Golden Rule Racing & Customs Golf Cart, Fun For All Motor Sports and Fast By Gast. He had an exceptional year in AMA Dragbike in 2009, during which he had several runs over 200 mph. We caught up with Taylor in the off-season to ﬁnd out a bit more about his background as he gets ready for 2010. american Motorcyclist: Taylor, what lights you up about drag racing?

Taylor Wood: After riding for a year, my father asked me if I wanted to go to a real drag-racing event. Of course, I said “heck, yeah,” so we went to Gainesville, Fla., where I saw my first-ever competitive racing in AMA Dragbike. When I saw the AMA Pro Street motorcycles for the first time, the hair on my arms stood straight up. They were at the starting line, wicking the turbos up and dropping the clutch at 7,000 rpm—and like a rocket they were gone in seconds. I looked at my dad and told him I wanted to do that. He looked at me and said I was crazy, but then he went to the Velocity Racing tent and asked Barry Henson some questions, and six months later I had my first Hayabusa turbocharged street bike. Going over 200 mph in just 7 seconds is such an adrenalin rush, there is nothing like it. I can’t imagine something more exciting. The speed is crazy, and the G forces are great. When you’re riding, you almost get used to it, and you don’t understand how fast you’re really going until you watch someone else from the stands. The greatest thing about the turbocharged street bike is every run is different. You never know what can happen next, when your front wheel is coming off the ground at almost 200 mph, it’s hair-raising and it just gets your blood flowing. You just want more and more. aM: Describe a run—what’s it like? What makes a good run for you? TW: I know this sounds crazy, but sometimes the most exciting runs are the ones that go less than perfect, and those things happen in fractions of a second. You really don’t have a lot of time to think about what’s going on during the run. You need to be prepared for anything before the run even starts. You have to be on your best game every time down the track because these motorcycles are very powerful. They have around 600 horsepower and they only weigh about 535 pounds. The rate of acceleration is one of the things that keeps you coming back for more. When the turbo starts building boost and pulls you like nothing you felt before, it’s just awesome.

Photos Wood: McCoy’s Image Studio; Ice Race: James Holter; Mullins: Shan Moore

“You really don’t have a lot of time to think about what’s going on during the run. You need to be prepared for anything before the run even starts.”

Speed Demons Heat Up The Ice Pickett Lands Another Title

Racers find a way. That’s the message delivered at the AMA Racing Ice Race Grand Championships, which took place this year on Jan. 23 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Freezing temperatures, overcast skies and a stiff wind didn’t dampen the spirits of competitors on everything from 50cc minibikes to fire-breathing converted motocrossers to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). From the early morning heat races to the final main event late Saturday afternoon, there were smiles all around. One of the widest was planted on the face of Craig Pickett. The perennial champ, who isn’t really sure how many national titles he has now (he thinks it’s just over 20), added another in this year’s 50-plus Open Studded class. “I don’t miss the Ice Race Grand Championships for anything,” Pickett says. “No matter what, I’ll be here.” Pickett lived up to that promise again by digging his well-worn KX500 two-stroke out of mothballs just in time for the Grand Championships. He blew up the motor on his main 450cc four-stroke racebike just before the event. “One thing I don’t have to worry about is power,” he says. As always, Pickett was able to transfer that power from the motor to the ice, winning his heat race and the main event to add another AMA Racing No. 1 plate to his collection. Other champions from Saturday included: Brett Boulis (401cc-505cc B

Studded), Preston Conquest (50cc 4-8 Shaft Studded), Matthew Gross (65cc 6-11 Studded), Joey Crown (85cc 7-11 Studded), Dustin Hoffman (ATV Open Rubber), Jace Kessler (50cc 4-8 Chain Studded), Billy Travis (201cc-250cc B Studded), Daniel Kujula (ATV Open Studded), Ricky Klomp (Senior 40-plus B Studded), Zachary Balough (85cc 12-15 Studded), Luke Guoan (ATV 0-330cc 2-Stroke/450cc 4-Stroke), Beau Sizemore (ATV 4-Wheel Drive Rubber), Keith O’Boyle (86cc-200cc Studded) and Aaron Clare (Modern Vintage Pre 1982). Unfortunately, there’s one thing Mother Nature dishes out that even ice racers can’t take: a thaw. On Sunday, warmer temperatures and pouring rain made the ice un-raceable, forcing the cancellation of the second day of the two-day event. For video and photos from the 2010 AMA Racing Ice Race Grand Championships, see AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Gallery. For full results, see BajaAcres.com.

Craig Pickett

The Life | Adrenaline

Dispatch from the Track

Dirt, Salt Or Asphalt: ‘The Rocket’ Is Game By James “The Rocket” Rispoli

Since I was 6 years old riding a Suzuki JR50 in local dirt-track events, I’ve loved to race. I took that to a new level a couple years ago with roadracing, and just last fall, a dozen years older, I found myself doing something that I never imagined: racing across the Bonneville Salt Flats. Last year was already a big year for me. Racing the AMA Pro Racing Grand National Championship Pro Singles FlatTrack class, I ﬁnished second overall for the championship. In roadracing, I logged three AMA Pro Racing Supersport races, nailing fourth at Road America against 26 of the fastest 16- to 21-year-old roadracers in the nation. That earned me a ride on the Roadracingworld.com/M4 Suzuki at Laguna Seca when MotoGP was in town. Again, I got fourth, but only after a race-long battle for the last podium spot. Probably the coolest thing last year, though, was getting a call from longtime sponsor Charlie Benton of Cycle Dynamics. Charlie is a master craftsman who builds super-fast and meticulous motors and motorcycles. Charlie wanted to modify a Kawasaki 650 twin and go

after a land-speed record. I was his choice to pilot the bike into the record books. The effort that goes into a full-blown land-speed attempt is incredible. Charlie had to build the chassis from scratch. He modified the swingarm, made carbon fiber for the tank and seat pan, cut and chopped the frame, dropped the bike to within inches of the ground, etc. I would have to lie down on the bike with my feet stretched behind me resting on some cushion pegs. The thing was looking like something from Area 51. It was so sick! I finally got to see the bike up close at the hotel the night before our first run on the salt. I had never even ridden the motorcycle, and the next day I was going to try to break a record on the Salt Flats with it. For some reason, that made me feel like the luckiest kid in the world. At 5 a.m. the next morning, we met in the lobby and headed out to the salt. When we were released onto the flats, the sun was just starting to lighten up the sky. It was a vast emptiness. It felt like we drove for miles to the staging area. Then, what began as specs on the horizon

James Rispoli (right) with sponsor and bike builder Charlie Benton, owner of Cycle Dynamics.

slowly grew into a small city of cars, trailers, motor homes and small aircraft. Invisible from the shore, there were hundreds of people from all over the world gathered to go faster than anyone has ever gone before on motorcycles. My first shakedown ride was about an hour later. As I eased onto the course, slowly gained speed, and shifted into sixth gear, I opened the throttle all the way. I felt like I was going a million miles per hour! I shot through the traps at 141 mph. So, with the record sitting at 147 mph, I was confident. Soon, though, I found out that the last few miles per hour are the hardest to get. We made two more runs the first day, and while we crept up a little more, the record eluded us by more than 1 mph—the hardest 1 mph of my life. Each run, I learned a little more. I learned that any wheel spin meant I wouldn’t make up time in the speed trap. I learned that my run had to be arrow straight. I learned that harder salt meant faster runs. I learned that side winds that pushed me off track made my run longer—and slower. On the last day, we were working hard to pull it all together. My first run was fast. I had gone 149 mph, 2 mph faster than the record. But that was just the half of it. I needed to make a run in the opposite direction within an hour, and there was just an hour left! It was nerve wracking, for sure. We had been on the salt for three days, inching up on a record that had eluded us all week long. Now, I was just seconds away from my last chance to claim glory. The team readied the bike, and I suited up. I immediately noticed the salt was harder and bumpier. The rear slipped a little as I reached the entry point, but I tucked in as tight as I could and opened it up. As I went through the traps, I knew I had it. My run ended up being more than 151 mph. The team and I jumped for joy. With the setup, the modifications, the downtime between attempts, the out-ofthis-world conditions, this was the most challenging of all the racing I’ve done. Variables that are irrelevant when you are dirt-tracking or roadracing become major obstacles in land-speed racing. I learned so much that I can now apply to my other racing efforts. For 2010, I will race 19 of the 21 GNC Pro Singles events, seven East Coast rounds of the AMA Pro Racing Supersport series, as well as Laguna Seca. I also will pilot two new bikes for Charlie to chase more land-speed records. It’s going to be a great season. Want to keep up with James? Your best bet is JamesRispoli.com.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Your Rules Are Ready

Photos Rispoli: Philip Rispoli, Weimer: Jeff Kardas

Looking For The 2010 Rulebooks? Find Them Here. Going to race? Then play by the rules! AMA Racing, the Pro-Am and amateur competition arm of the AMA, has announced that the 2010 rulebooks governing amateur competition in AMAsanctioned events are now available. The rulebooks are broken down by discipline, so you can grab just what you need for whatever you race. Visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/rulebooks to ﬁnd: • 2010 AMA Racing Rulebook • 2010 AMA Racing Motocross-only Rulebook • 2010 AMA Racing Track Racing-only Rulebook • 2010 AMA Racing Off-Road-only Rulebook • 2010 AMA Racing All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)-only Rulebook • 2010 National Enduro Championship Supplemental Regulations • 2010 ATV Hare Scrambles National Championship Supplemental Regulations • 2010 East & West Hare Scrambles Championship Supplemental Regulations • 2010 East & West Youth Hare Scrambles Championship Supplemental Regulations • 2010 National Hare & Hound Supplemental Regulations • 2010 Youth Observed Trials Championship Supplemental Regulations

3 Questions With

Jake Weimer Lites West Rider Off To Blazing Start The past year has been huge for Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer. In 2009, the 22-year-old finished second in AMA Supercross Lites West, fourth in AMA 250 Motocross, and was a member of the winning Motocross of Nations team. This year, with four wins in five rounds, his 2010 AMA Supercross season is starting out even better. American Motorcyclist: What did you learn last year? What did you change up? Jake Weimer: It’s just another year. I’m another year older, and have more experience. That was the first time I’d ever really raced for a championship, and just mentally, I think that’s more taxing than just racing for wins. I think being in a championship hunt is a lot more time consuming, so I think that being another year older, and having the experience from last year, that I’m more relaxed and comfortable. For the most part, I’m still doing the same stuff as I did last year. I worked really hard in the off-season and just stayed focused on looking forward. AM: Your career really has been one of progression.

JW: Yeah, 2006 was the ﬁrst year I raced, and I’ve gotten better and better. It’s been somewhat of a slow process, but I’ve made decent improvements every year. In 2007, it was the ﬁrst year I got on the podium in SX, and then the next year I won a race. Last year, I won three and then also won three outdoors, and then racing the Motocross of Nations, which was a huge honor, for sure. AM: You move up to the 450 class next year, right? Does this make 2010 all that more important? JW: Yeah, this is the last year that I’m eligible for the Lites class. I’ll be looking for a 450 ride. With the way that the economy is right now, there’s a little bit of a lack of money, I guess you could say. The only way to really get what I want is to win, and just do my best to leave no question in everyone’s mind that they want me on their team. There’s more pressure from myself, just because while there may be plenty of rides that become available, I have ideas in my head which rides are better than others.— Jim Kimball

April 2010

Heritage

HONDA’S 1969 CB750K0 & 1965 SUPER CUB Photos Grogan Studios

FIVE BUCKS CAN WIN SOME UNOBTANIUM HONDAS One machine oozes original Superbike power. The other embodies the feelgood vibe of an entire decade. Both could be yours if you win the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum rafﬂe. The 1969 Honda CB750 “sandcast” is a groundbreaking inline four-cylinder motorcycle that many consider the

genesis of the Superbike movement. Renowned restoration expert Vic World of World Motorcycles rebuilt this particular machine to showroom standards. Although MV Agusta offered a transverse, overhead-cam inline four a few years before the CB750, Honda’s

affordable model is considered the machine that popularized the design. The bike was much more than a motor, however. The motorcycle came with a front disc brake, electric starter, modern turn signals and an amazing level of attention to detail. The CB750 helped cement Honda’s reputation for quality

Heritage features the machines and people of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio. The Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 non-proﬁt corporation that receives support from the AMA and from motorcycling enthusiasts. For info and directions, visit MotorcycleMuseum.org, or call (614) 856-2222.

that would permeate through its entire line for decades. The other Honda is an original 1965 C100 Super Cub with only one mile on the odometer. The Super Cub was among the ﬁrst Hondas sold in the United States, beginning in 1959. The other two models were the Dream and the Benly. The 49cc four-stroke Super Cub may sit at the opposite end of the performance spectrum from the CB750, but, nevertheless, it played a signiﬁcant role in Honda’s climb to the top of

the sales charts. The Super Cub was one of the first four-strokes to take on two-strokes on their own turf and be successful. Indeed, in pure sales numbers, the Super Cub is the most successful motorcycle in history. In 2008, Honda said it had sold 60 million models worldwide since the Super Cub’s introduction in 1958. For Honda aficionados, this raffle is particularly exciting. These two models bookend Honda’s rise in the U.S.: the machine that ushered in the Japanese company with “You meet the

nicest people…’’ and the bike that only 10 years later re-wrote the rules for streetbike performance. Rafﬂe tickets are on sale now at MotorcycleMuseum.org. They are $5 each or ﬁve for $20, and all proceeds go to support the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio. The drawing of one ticket to win both bikes will be held during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, July 9-11. The winner need not be present at the drawing to win.

April 2010

CHANGING THE GAME

In 1968, John Penton Re-Wrote The Rules Of Off-Road Racing. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Still Playing By Them Today.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

On Sept. 6, 1948, John Penton was not a happy man. He was hot, hungry and had sand in his boots. He was wrestling a 600-pound cruiser through a foot of Michigan silt, battling an emotion that for him did not go hand-in-hand with motorcycling: frustration. Penton, the 23-year-old son of an Ohio farmer, was riding a 61-cubic-inch Harley-Davidson Knucklehead in one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most grueling races, the Jack Pine Enduro in Lansing, Mich. One of 268 riders in the 22nd running of the Jack Pine, he was struggling with a big machine in rugged terrain. Finally, he was sidelined, stuck in the sand with a mechanical breakdown. Houred out and beaten, he watched in dismay as riders on smaller, lighter British bikes rode by with relative ease. The champion that year was ďŹ rst-time Jack Pine competitor Earl Flanders, who rode an AJS. Words by James Holter | Photographed by Jesse Boone

April 2010

“That was the last year that I rode a Harley,” Penton, now an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, says today. “The next year, I rode a British BSA. A couple fellows from the West Coast came through riding on British bikes that were light and so forth, and it didn’t take me long to wise up to that. That was the start of my life with this off-road motorcycling.” At that moment, Penton’s frustration turned into inspiration. As he stood in the sand, next to his 1,000cc V-twin, he knew there was a better way to build a racing motorcycle. He would ﬁnd it, or he would make it. Either way, he would not blame the motorcycle again. It might break. It might perform less than optimal. But its fundamental design would not hold him back. “I had only gone about 200 miles when we hit heavy sand, and that was my ﬁnish,” Penton says. “I wasn’t discouraged, not after I had seen British bikes go through there. I went home and got on a British bike and came

FOUNDATIONS OF CHANGE The ﬁrst motorcycle that Penton owned was the 1940 Knucklehead that he rode to, and raced in, the ’48 Jack Pine. “We got that motorcycle out of a guy’s basement and rebuilt it,” Penton says. However, his history with motorcycling started much earlier. “When I was in high school, brother Ike had a Harley-Davidson, a 1933, and I used to get on it—steal it, really—without his permission and take it for a spin and ride my friends around,” Penton says. “I never had an accident, so I got away with it pretty good. And that was the beginning of my indoctrination to motorcycling, so when I got out of the service, I was really interested in motorcycles.”

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

back the next year and almost won it. I missed winning by one minute.” Penton’s results—although he did not ﬁnish, his brother, Bill, claimed 14th in Class A Solo—didn’t warrant a note in the October 1948 issue of American Motorcycling that covered the event. Still, a single sentence chronicled his participation: “Brothers who entered included Bill and John Penton and Vernon and Larry Estes.” Little did readers know that 20 years later, the facts reported in that one sentence would alter the off-road landscape forever.

However, Penton, who served in the Merchant Marine and Navy during World War II, found it harder to buy a bike than want one. Despite putting down deposits at four different dealerships, scarcity after the war prevented Penton from buying a new Harley-Davidson. That’s when he settled for the 61-cubic-inch Knucklehead. It wasn’t long before the Penton brothers—John, Bill, Ted and Ike—were dabbling in off-road motorcycling. John says that Ike, who had a membership in a local motorcycle club that ran a small enduro, was especially encouraging them off the beaten path. So, when the 1948 Jack Pine came around, it took little coaxing for John and Bill to point their Harley-Davidsons north toward the sandy trails of Michigan. When they rode those Harleys back to Ohio, however, they knew their own off-road futures would be written from the backs of much smaller motorcycles. For John, that meant a B-33 BSA from a dealer in Sandusky. “But that was 30 miles away,” John says. “So, we got the idea, me and my brothers, that we would write to the BSA importer in Nutley, N.J., and ask for a BSA dealership. He said, ‘Sure, we can set you up. You have to buy two motorcycles.’ So, we got two motorcycles and we were a dealer. We started in a little shop that was originally a chicken coop, but we were BSA dealers.” While his Jack Pine DNF the first year may have been Penton’s inspirational spark, his second-place finish the following year provided the fuel that stoked his competitive fire. Now, good enough would no longer do. Penton was determined to push the performance envelope, even if that meant re-inventing the concept of an off-road racing motorcycle—a machine purpose-built for competition.

“These were street motorcycles converted for off-road,” Penton says. “They were not designed from the beginning to be for the trail, and that’s what I wanted.” Getting that purpose-built bike, however, would not just be a design challenge. It would be an organizational one. First, Penton and his brothers needed to establish their dealership. The German BMW and NSU brands followed the BSAs at Penton’s store. Ultimately, the dealership would handle an array of brands, including the new bikes from Japan in the early 1960s. Penton’s shop also became a local rider hangout, and in 1954 provided the genesis of the Meadowlark Motorcycle Club, which is still active today. Life was good for Penton. The local riding community was strong, and he was, in many ways, at the center of it. He and his brothers ran the local dealership. They were active in the local club. He was one of the top off-road riders of the area. Things would change tragically in 1958 when Penton’s ﬁrst wife, Katherine, and the mother of their three sons died after a prolonged illness. Penton tackled his grief the best way he knew how: he rededicated himself to racing. That dedication led to one of the most successful years any off-road racer has ever had. ONE-TRACK MIND Penton’s race bike of choice in 1958 was a 175cc NSU single. “That was the ﬁrst year I rode the NSU,” Penton says. “That bike, not the frame, but the engine, transmission and all the workings in it, it was ultra-modern. I won six Nationals with that, and never took the engine apart and never touched the transmission. The transmission was built just like a clock.”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was the last year that I rode a Harley.â&#x20AC;?

“John was very determined, and sometimes he rode a little hard. Rather than slow down and make the corner, he wasn’t afraid to crash once in awhile. John’s very tough. Not much slowed him down... John’s motorcycles had a big impact because before then, we’d more or less ride a street/off-road combination bike, not really an off-road bike. (The Penton) was really just a racing bike. That’s what he built.” BILL BAIRD, AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAMER AND SEVEN-TIME AMA GRAND NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPION

Penton’s ﬁrst success that year was on the state level, winning the Ohio State Enduro Championship. Then, riding the NSU, he set out for a motorcycle adventure that remains legendary in the off-road community. Leaving for Daytona Beach, Fla., in what was still a chilly Ohio winter, Penton stopped off in Dalton, Ga., and won the Stone Mountain Enduro. From there, he continued on to Florida and won the Alligator Enduro—still riding the NSU. He rode the NSU to enduros across the Midwest and continued winning, including earning his ﬁrst victory at the Jack Pine, the race where his off-road dream began 10 years earlier. “That year, what I learned most, I learned about the bike,” Penton says. “I learned

that I had a very good motorcycle and a very modern motorcycle, outside of the suspension and the frame. I also learned practical things that, later, I would apply to my Pentons. I learned about air cleaning, I learned how to make a motorcycle good in water. All of that made a big difference to what we did.” Penton closed out 1958 by taking a road trip to Mexico. Once he crossed into California on the way up the Paciﬁc Coast, he decided it was time to return home and he did so non-stop. That trip back gave Penton’s brother, Ted, an idea: challenge John to break the New York to Los Angeles record. On June 8, 1959, Penton recorded his time and location with Western Union in New York

City and set off for California on a BMW R69S outfitted with an oversized gas tank. Fifty-two hours and 11 minutes later, Penton rolled into Los Angeles. “The hardest thing was just staying awake,” Penton says. “I didn’t sleep at all, just 52 hours of riding. I stopped in Flagstaff, Ariz., and by that time my sight was getting a little hokey pokey, so I rested for about a half hour and that was the longest I stopped in 50 hours. The other times were to pull in and fuel up.” Penton’s record was advertised by BMW, and newspapers all over the world covered the record run. If he wasn’t before, Penton was now a motorcycling hero. “I got news for you: When you win events, that’s what makes you more interested in doing more and more, going farther,” Penton says. “It’s our success that made us carry on. I had ridden Nationals. I had won. One year, I finished the Little Burr, and I was the only finisher. Those kinds of things push you harder. One event I finished with a broken collarbone. It was the competition that made you keep going, and going harder.” For Penton, much of that competition came from his own family, and not always on the racetrack. His brothers, especially, drove him to try more things and do better.

John, aboard a BMW, prepares to depart for a 200mile enduro at Southwick, Mass., in 1961.

1961 Alligator Enduro

John checks in at Western Union in Los Angeles on June 10, 1959, having established a transcontinental speed and endurance record aboard his BMW R69S.

winner.

“Sometimes, I felt like I had a whole group that I had to show up and represent,” Penton says. “When I rode across the country, that wasn’t my idea. That was my brother Ted’s. The record was held by (AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer) Earl Robinson from up in Michigan, but then Ted came up with the idea that I could ride across the country, that I could get the record.” The next several years, John continued to compete in earnest, still on the NSU, logging more National victories in 1959, 1960 and 1962. He then switched to a BMW, which would ultimately lead to a sponsored ride in the International Six Day Trials (ISDT). Competing in Europe not only gave Penton a new perspective on motorcycling, but it also opened doors to relationships that he would leverage years later as he grew the Penton brand into an industry icon and developed products that would re-deﬁne off-road racing. By now, Penton’s affection for smaller, lighter motorcycles was well honed. He not only opted for the smaller BMW in competition, but he still fondly remembered his NSU as one of the best motors he ever raced. So, when given the opportunity to compete on a lightweight two-stroke single, he leapt at the opportunity.

WORKING WITH HUSQVARNA In 1967, Edison Dye, the ﬁrst U.S. importer of the Husqvarna brand and now an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, approached Penton to race the bikes following his wins at the Jack Pine. Dye already had a rider out West—the legendary AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Malcolm Smith—and needed a top racer in the East to demonstrate what the Swedish brand could do. “When I took the Husqvarna to the Jack Pine that ﬁrst year, no one knew what it was,” Penton says. “‘What is Penton riding? What is that, a Hooska, a Hooska-what?’ They couldn’t pronounce the name, but after that, Husqvarna won the Jack Pine for almost 10 years straight because when you took that motorcycle and adjusted it for the trail, it was extremely competitive.” Penton won the Jack Pine that year. That success, and Penton’s dealer relationships, made Penton an easy choice when Dye needed someone to handle distributorship in the eastern United States. For Penton, that also meant he would be on a Husqvarna for the ISDT that year, and while overseas, Penton visited the Husqvarna headquarters. That gave him an opportunity to pitch his

John and his 1966 Jack Pine trophy.

Aboard his Husq

varna in 1969.

now fully developed concept of a lightweight off-road race bike for American riders. The Swedes weren’t interested. “The typical European response was, ‘But Americans like big things,’” John says. “Even today, I say that they, Husqvarna, had the bike. Their original motocross bike was designed after the Silver Arrow, a 175cc. They bored it out and used the same transmission and built a chromoly frame and made it real light. If they would have taken that and made it a 125, they would have had a very, very competitive motorcycle, but they weren’t interested in going down. They were interested in going up, which they did. They went from a 250 to a 360 to a 400.” The machines, designed to win World Motocross Championships, were exceptional at that task, but they wouldn’t do for the small-bore off-road racing motorcycles that Penton wanted. So, following the weak reception at Husqvarna, and spurred on by a positive reaction from a KTM engineer he met at the ISDT, Penton arranged a visit to the KTM factory in Austria. KTM was similarly skeptical of Penton’s proposal. It wasn’t until he offered to put up $6,000 of his own money—the equivalent of more than $36,000 today—to fund prototype development that KTM agreed.

“The first one, the Sachs-powered Penton, it was a good little motorcycle. It did things that other motorcycles couldn’t do. It was light, stable, waterproof... John is a tough guy, a tough old bird— typical of an old-school enduro guy. I remember stories about him riding the Alligator Enduro, then riding back to Ohio, 24 hours straight, or whatever it was. That was nothing for John... He also really brought the sport along. It’s pretty easy to have an idea for a product. Making it happen in the marketplace is a whole other story. You just have to keep going and never give up. For John, that same attitude in racing carried over to business for sure... John really had a huge influence on the sport by bringing in the Penton motorcycle. Husky had their motocross bikes, but the Penton clearly was the first real off-road motorcycle made specifically for racing.” DICK BURLESON, AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAMER AND EIGHT-TIME AMA GRAND NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPION

April 2010

John goes ﬂat out during a special test at the 1969 ISDT at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany.

Pentons are readied for the 50th ISDT at the Isle of Mann in 1975.

In March 1968, Penton took delivery of the first 10 Penton 125cc production units. Within a week, they were entered in national-caliber races under some of the top enduro riders in the country. Immediate success created instant demand for the $695 Penton Six Day model. In the first year, hundreds of Penton motorcycles were sold. “They were the bike. They were very successful,” Penton says. STATE OF CHANGE Penton motorcycles were in a constant state of evolution. Manufactured in Austria, they were shipped to Amherst, Ohio, where quite often the Penton clan uncrated them and started swapping out parts. Numerous items—fenders, filters, shifters—were replaced or modified before the machines were delivered to U.S. customers. Also, Penton was always in design mode, sending ideas for improving the motorcycles to KTM in Austria. The engine was an early point of focus. “The Sachs engine we were using was good, but its transmission was designed for the street and demanded very fine adjustment, which made it finicky when the customers beat it around in off-road racing,” Penton says. In a few years, Japanese companies came out with new 125cc motorcycles,

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Behind the desk in 1973. and Penton felt the Sachs had reached its potential. KTM designed its own engine, but it was a 175cc. Penton says he was frustrated about falling behind in the 125cc category and researched other sources. “We built prototype Pentons with both a Puch engine from Austria and a Hiro engine from Italy,” Penton says. “It wasn’t until years later that KTM developed their own 125cc. We stuck with the Sachs engine probably longer than we should have.” Like the ﬁrst 125cc bikes, the success of KTM-powered 175cc, 250cc and 400cc

models was immediate. During the brand’s run, well over 25,000 Penton motorcycles were sold in the United States, and even more KTM-branded race bikes were sold in Europe and around the world. That success on dealer ﬂoors followed success in competitive events, most signiﬁcantly the ISDT. In 1969, the U.S. Vase Team rode Pentons. In 1971, the U.S. Trophy Team—Jack Penton, Tom Penton, Dane Leimbach, Gene Cannady, Lars Larsson and Dick Burleson—was Pentonmounted. It was on Pentons that the U.S.

teams won the respect of their European competitors. Not long before, the European teams did not take American participation in the prestigious international event seriously. While the racetrack was good to Penton the next 10 years, the economy wasn’t. Turmoil in the foreign currency markets wreaked havoc on importers. Profits were lost to the foreign exchange rate between the time goods were produced in Europe and the time they were sold in America. By 1978, the Hi-Point Products side of Penton Imports that sold gear and accessories was supporting the Penton motorcycle division. “I owed, maybe, $750,000 to KTM, and it was a question of liquidating or allowing KTM to take the motorcycle business and keep it alive in America,” Penton says. “So, I let the motorcycle importing business go, and satisfied the debt to KTM.” Thereafter, the line of motorcycles that began in 1968 with the first 10 125cc Pentons became known as KTMs in the United States. AFTER PENTON MOTORCYCLES Penton’s impact went beyond motorcycles. It touched nearly every aspect of the sport of off-road riding, from gear to lubricants to the bolt-on accessory business. Even purpose-built Hi-Point trailers—the must-have transport for racers in the 1980s—were born from Penton’s unrelenting pursuit of improving the off-road motorcycling lifestyle. Brands such as Acerbis, Twin Air and Spectro Oil, although

they weren’t his, also beneﬁted from Penton’s vision and patronage. The creation of Hi-Point boots is a good example of this entrepreneurial spirit. Penton persuaded Italian ski-boot maker Alpinestars to modify its boots for motorcycling. A young motocross rider named Bob Hannah started wearing the boots, and by the late1970s Hi-Points became the biggest-selling boot in the country. Hi-Point expanded to include all forms of off-road riding apparel. While racing was central to Penton’s livelihood—as a competitor, a dealer, a parts supplier or innovator—his motivation was rooted in recreational off-road riding. “Getting out and riding off-road, around the countryside, just being outdoors and with your family, that is my passion,” Penton says. “When I travel today, and when I traveled then, I was thanked so much by parents for giving them the tools they needed to introduce their kids to riding.

That, as much as anything, kept leading this whole thing down the road.” Penton’s lighweight design for his motorcycles made them viable learning bikes for younger riders. “Not only was a smaller bike more competitive, it would be a good introduction model for the youth,” Penton says. “Look at a Harley or a even a Husqvarna. They were big or powerful motorcycles. But here, I had built a bike that could be competitive and be adaptive to youth, as well.” Many people advanced off-road motorcycling in the United States, but few did as much as John Penton. Driven relentlessly by a simple idea to make the best racing motorcycle possible—and to keep making it better—Penton’s agenda ultimately swept across the Atlantic and back again, spreading an uncompromising legacy across two continents. Generations of off-road riders have reaped the rewards.

SMALLER WAS BETTER When Good Wasn’t Good Enough The first Penton motorcycles were in direct contrast to the larger, more powerful machines that were popular with American off-road racers. For John Penton, the heavy four-stroke twins and even the singles were just too much for the woods. He wanted a small-displacement, lightweight two-stroke that everyone could ride off-road. For his first motorcycle, Penton used a 125cc Sachs engine. The first of these machines bearing the Penton name went on sale in 1968.

The bike shown here, which is ﬁtted with a 152cc kit, was restored by Kip Kern of Van Buren, Ind. Kern rode Pentons when he was young and bought this particular motorcycle at the swap meet at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in the late 1980s. For more on Penton motorcycles, see PentonUSA.org.

RideWithTheBest

Take To The Road With The AMA This Season It’s a big country out there, and there’s no better way to see it than from the seat of a motorcycle. For the best rallies, rides and tours to take in this year, look no further than the events in the AMA Premier Touring Series. These are the gatherings that stand out, whether you’re looking to experience the country’s most iconic large rallies or just hang out with local riders in smaller events. Here’s a look at some of the cool events the AMA has to offer. More activities are always being added, and the best place to ﬁnd a complete list of Premier events for the entire year is online at AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Riding. You’ll also ﬁnd great rides in the “Go Ride” section of this magazine, which starts on page 50. See you on the road!

National Conventions are the top tier of rides and rallies sanctioned with the AMA. These are the Mac Daddies, where you’ll ﬁnd thousands of like-minded riders in some of the most beautiful places in the country. Want to go big? Go here.

+ AMeRicADe: June 11-13, lAke geoRge, n.y. WHAT IT IS: Americade, held in Lake George, N.Y., is billed as “the world’s largest touring rally,” with the Adirondack National Park—and the awesome twisty roads within it—as the backdrop. And it lives up to the hype.

“We have a tour of southwest Colorado planned. I’m coming from Texas, and my buds are coming in from Oregon and Washington. No itinerary, other than ‘Have fun every day!’” – Tom Drew, via FaceBook

WHY IT’S COOL: Americade is a laidback, road-riding touring destination, and although plenty of people pose on their bikes downtown, far more are there for the family-friendly atmosphere and friends they see every year. The demo rides and massive vendor midway are great, too. WHAT YOu WOuLDN’T eXPeCT: The sound volume is down at Americade, where loud bikes are discouraged and

AMA VinTAge MoToRcycle DAys Everything Old Is New Again

responsible riding is expected. Don’t be surprised if you ﬁnd people who have been to every Americade since it started in 1987. It’s an easy habit to get into. BONuS: Americade has long had a focus on rider advocacy, activism and education, offering classes and seminars that will help get your head in the game for the year. INFO: Tourexpo.com

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is known for its celebration of classic motorcycles—everything from Scott Flying Squirrels to mid-1980s MX bikes. This three-day event is motorcycling mecca for anyone who loves twowheeled motorized recreation. Old bikes or new, there’s plenty to love at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Lexington, Ohio, this July 9-11. For 2010, the Marque of the Year is Husqvarna. And the grand marshal is one of the greatest stars of off-road racing: Malcolm Smith. The weekend features vintage racing in all the most-popular disciplines, plus bike shows, seminars and North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet. Want more? AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will be followed by the AMA Racing Road Race Grand Championships, with racing by the country’s top amateurs on the latest roadracing machinery July 12-14. Info:AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Photos Vintage Motorcycle Days: Jim Moore; Riding: Tom Bear

National Conventions

“This year’s motorcycle trip will be to New England: two couples on four Harleys. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law have ridden in New England before, but for my husband and myself this will be our ﬁrst trip to the Northeast after having done West and South and the Great Lakes. After this ride, we can say we have ridden our bikes in every state east of the Mississippi River! There is nothing like motorcycle touring to see the United States. No matter where you go, if you are on a motorcycle, people will come up to you and talk to you. They will relate their experiences or ask you, ‘What’s it like to ride?’ The beauty of the United States is only intensiﬁed from the saddle of a motorcycle.” – Patty Nale Davis, via FaceBook

“I am going to try for an Iron Butt this summer. And also this summer, a bunch of local riders have started talks about a planned ride down Highway 1 in California. Should be lots of fun. I hear the road and view are breathtaking.” – Pat Baldassari, via FaceBook

April 2010

+ GoLden aspen RaLLy: sept. 15-19, Ruidoso, n.M. WhAT IT Is: The best way to put a capper on the riding season? head for one of the most picturesque places in the country—southern New Mexico—in the height of fall. Great temps, sunny skies and enough aspens at peak color to make Ansel Adams wish for Kodachrome. Why IT’s cooL: The desert foothills make for an otherworldly ride to the rally site, while the winding mountain roads around Ruidoso make for a completely serene getaway once you’re there. The weather in september is awesome when some other places are cold and icky. UNExpEcTED: A short 70-mile ride from Ruidoso is Roswell, N.M., perhaps the only place with more cool UFo history than Area 51 and Rachel in Nevada. BoNUs: White sands National Monument commemorates the area’s once-secret Manhattan project history, while nearby is a town with a name that would make any 10-year-old laugh: Elephant Butte. INFo: MotorcycleRally.com

“I’m riding from Arkansas to Alaska for the month of June. I’m really overdue for a real road trip. Touring to Alaska by motorcycle is one of those ‘bucket list’ things.” – tom poppelreiter, via Facebook

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

“Going from Sacramento to Knoxville, Tenn., to pick up a new Bushtec trailer for the Wing. Will go through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas Hill Country, Baton Rouge, Natchez Trace, Memphis, Huntsville, Ala., Cherohala Skyway, THE GAP, Nashville, Bowling Green, Ky., to see the Corvettes, Oklahoma, Colorado Springs, Arches, Utah and back to California.” – Jim Guiles, via Facebook

from customs to cruisers to Gold Wings to dual-sports crowd into town, and parking your motorcycle and hanging out on Weirs Beach, on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, is an experience that dates back 87 years.

National Gypsy Tour

One of the oldest touring experiences in all of motorcycling, Gypsy Tours began as one-day events held around the country where riders would travel to a speciﬁc site and enjoy the company of like-minded riders. Field-meet games like Bite the Weenie and Ride the Plank were popularized at Gypsy Tours, and picnics evolved into big gatherings.

+ LaConia MotoRCyCLe Week: June 12-20, LaConia, n.H. WhAT IT Is: The Northeast’s answer to Daytona Bike Week or the sturgis Rally, this mega-gathering is a must-do at least once for any motorcyclist, and a mustdo for many riders every year. Everything

Why IT’s cooL: As the locals say, Laconia is wicked-good. There’s something about the “Live Free or Die” mentality that brings out the most inimitable riders in the entire Northeast. By recent tradition, Laconia Bike Week ends on Father’s Day, which means you can justify going on several levels at once. UNExpEcTED: Few motorcycle gatherings have more history than Laconia, which started as a motorcycle gathering spot when the AMA was only a gleam in the eye of the Federation of American Motorcyclists. BoNUs: stop in at Fun spot on the boardwalk at Weirs Beach—home to more than 200 pinball and video games. There’s no school like the old school! INFo: LaconiaMcWeek.com

Ride into CybeRspaCe You Live It. You Love It. Show It Off. Like the photos you see on these pages? They’re some of the best that AMA members have to offer. And the best place for you to share your pix is online at American Motorcyclist’s new online gallery for member-submitted photos. Located at Gallery.AmericanMotorcyclist.com, the gallery includes more than 1,000 images of member rides and AMA events, with more added daily. What’s missing here? It might be you. If you haven’t yet sent your best photo, or best two or six, to submissions@ama-cycle.org, what are you waiting for?

photos Americade: Jim Bowie; EagleRider: Tom McGhee for EagleRider

Lake George, n.y.

Signature Events

Looking for something a little special? AMA Signature events have you more than covered. At these, you know you’ll have an experience that’s a notch above a typical motorcycle gathering, as well as a solid crowd of fellow riders.

+ RidEs foR Kids: 40 RidEs that MaKE a diffEREncE WhAT ThEy ARE: hosted by the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Ride for Kids events are well known for their great organization, amazing experiences and the thousands of riders who raised $4.4 million last year for a heartfelt cause. Why ThEy’RE COOl: We know motorcyclists are some of the most kind-hearted people you’ll ever meet, and you’ll meet a whole bunch of the best of them at a Ride for Kids event. UNExPECTED: If you’ve ever done a Ride For Kids, rest assured you’ll be signing up for a fun time. But once you arrive, you’ll also quickly realize that you’re making a difference for kids who really need your help and are thrilled that you’re there. BONUS: The feeling you get when you ride away knowing that, all hyperbole aside, on this day, you really did make the world a better place. INFO: Minimum donation $35. Next events are April 18, Jacksonville, Fla. and San Bernardino, Calif; April 25 in houston, Texas. Find one near you at RideForKinds.org.

sportbike northwest

EaglERidER MotoRcyclE REntal The Ofﬁcial Tours Of The AMA It’s fun to put together a great ride, prepare your bike and get on the road. But sometimes, it’s better to leave the hassles—from bike rentals to routes— to the pros at EagleRider rentals, the Ofﬁcial Tours of the AMA. BONUS: AMA members receive a 10 percent discount on rentals and tours. EagleRider offers more than 100 Guided and Self-Drive Tours available all over the world. They’re designed by motorcycle enthusiasts and include EagleRider’s famous “road book” with optional pre-programmed GPS, a perfectly maintained rental motorcycle and motorcycle-friendly hotel accommodations. There’s even a welcome and goodbye reception, a multi-lingual tour guide, and a support van with a spare bike. Check out the entire selection of tours at EagleRider.com. AMA members can sign up for a bike rental or an EagleRider tour at (888) 9724537 or by e-mail: tours@eaglerider.com.

+ aspEncash: May 15-18, Ruidoso, n.M. WhAT IT IS: A four-day rally built around the great roads made famous by the Golden Aspen Rally in southern New Mexico, with a twist. Why IT’S COOl: Aspencash is home to an honest-to-goodness $10,000 poker run, where you ride from beautiful place to beautiful place collecting tickets. The rider with the highest overall score wins. UNExPECTED: Tons of super-fun switchbacks take you to the top of Sierra Blanca peak, at 12,000 feet. BONUS: All 33,000 square feet of the

Ruidoso Convention Center are packed with vendors selling just about everything a motorcyclist needs at a great spring rally. Plus you can ride the same roads that Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett rode back in the day. INFO: MotorcycleRally.com

+ spoRtbiKE noRthwEst WhAT IT IS: A rally for sportbike junkies held in the scenic Paciﬁc Northwest, offering up the kind of camaraderie that is unrivaled for the clip-on set. Why IT’S COOl: The Columbia River Gorge region is one of the country’s most awe-inspiring places to ride a motorcycle, offering wide views that look like living murals, and twisty roads up the gorge’s 4,000-foot walls. UNExPECTED: Come early or stay late and enjoy the gathering of an entirely different tribe, as Sportbike Northwest is part of a larger event involving a dual-sport rally and a scooter rally. The takeaway: Most people who ride two wheels are extremely cool. BONUS: Ride Maryhill loops Road, a sinuous string of curves that climbs the hills and ends…nowhere. The road’s builder, entrepreneur Sam hill, wanted to advance road technology in the early 1900s, and the Maryhill loops Road is one of his experiments. Today, it’s closed to trafﬁc most of the year. Oh, and the 11,240-foot Mt. hood nearby is an actual stratovolcano! INFO: SoundRider.com

April 2010

Photos Omar Fernandez

District Rallies & Tours

Smaller and often more rewarding than some larger gatherings, district rallies and tours are great places to meet other riders from your area.

+ GYRO DAZE RUN: JUNE 19, KINGSTON, IDAHO WHAT IT IS: A laid-back gathering put on by the Hi-Rollers Motorcycle Club in the rugged northern tip of Idaho. WHY IT’S COOL: If you live nearby, chances are good you’ll know at least a few people there. UNEXPECTED: The Hi-Rollers are said to throw a mean game of ladder toss.

Grand Tours

Prefer the open road to a crowded rally? AMA Grand Tours with KOA Along the Way offer up a comfortable alternative where you ride at your own pace and take pictures of yourself at key towns and locations set by organizers. Oh yeah, there are also plenty of prizes.

+ FOUR CORNERS GRAND TOUR WHAT IT IS: Take 21 days or less and bag all four corners of the continental U.S.: Madawaska, Maine; Key West, Fla; San Ysidro, Calif; and Blaine, Wash. WHY IT’S COOL: Few goals sound more epic than a ride around the country— especially when you ride around the country. UNEXPECTED: Though you could do this over three weeks—and many do—diehards can make the trek in a matter of a few days. The average is 16 days. BONUS: Hey, it’s a lap of the country! INFO: USA4Corners.org

+ CALL OF THE WILD GRAND TOUR WITH KOA ALONG THE WAY WHAT IT IS: Between April 1 and Nov. 31, ride to at least 30 KOA campgrounds or places with part of one of the following wild animal names in the moniker: hen, ant, deer, elk, dog, cat, bird, eagle, bear or an insect or animal name not listed. WHY IT’S COOL: You can spend as much time scouring maps and plotting

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

your journey as you can actually riding it. UNEXPECTED: PleasANT Hill and BELKtown would count! BONUS: As the organizers say, “Take your time and enjoy the ride.” INFO: Midnight-Riders-mc.com

+ TITANIC GRAND TOUR WHAT IT IS: Since one iceberg brought down 46,000 tons of Titanic oceanliner, visit at least one town ending in “berg” and as many as you can with “ton” in the name. WHY IT’S COOL: It’s a pretty clever excuse to go for a ride, right? UNEXPECTED: Towns ending in “burg,” “berg” and “burgh” all count.

BONUS: From Kingston, you could do a three-state run before lunch. Heck, you could throw in Canada before dinner. INFO: AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Riding > District Events

+ ENDLESS MOUNTAIN DISTRICT TOUR: AUG. 29, DALLAS, PA. WHAT IT IS: A road ride from a club that puts on some great off-road events—the Black Mountain Enduro Riders—through the hills of northeastern Pennsylvania. WHY IT’S COOL: These folks link together roads like they do trails, so expect an impressive 150-plus-mile route through some of the best that the state has to offer. UNEXPECTED: A mere $10 gets you a route sheet.

BONUS: “I’m the king of the world!”

BONUS: We’re betting these guys don’t take you anywhere near an interstate.

INFO: GLMC.org/grand-tour.html

INFO: BMER.org ADD PEACE OF MIND ON THE ROAD

PLAN AHEAD WITH THE AMA GREAT ROADS DATABASE AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Members Area > Great Roads

No matter where you ride this season, you can carry with you the peace of mind that only comes with free AMA Roadside Assistance. For no additional cost, upgrade your membership to the Champion level with autorenewal, and ride knowing that free, bike-friendly roadside assistance is only a phone call away. Also covered are your cars, your trailers, your RVs and more. To sign up, call (800) AMA-JOIN.

We all need a little help from our friends sometimes, and that’s where the AMA Great Roads database comes in. Available online exclusively to members, it includes routes tested and suggested by AMA members, organized by state. To access the AMA Great Roads database, go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Members Area > Great Roads. You will need to log in to the Members Area. If you don’t have an account, it’s easy to set one up. Best of all—it’s free to members.

Thank you to our sponsors and partners for your continued support of the American Motorcyclist Association.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com/joinama

Member BeneďŹ ts

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April 2010

Go Ride

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

3 4 4

4 6

Good riding, good food and good music are all on tap at Arizona Bike Week Cyclefest April 14-18 in Scottsdale, Ariz. George Thorogood, RATT and Jack Ripper are just some of the rockers at the event. And don’t forget the 7th Annual Fire Fighters Power Run, 2nd Annual Puttin’ for Pooches Run or the Chester’s Harley-Davidson 11th Annual “Torch Ride” to Cyclefest. Also, there’s a lot going on pre-rally: April 9-13. Info: (480) 644-8181, or AZBikeWeek.com.

Go on a great dual-sport ride and help the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation at the same time by taking part in the Southern California Dual-Sport Ride for Kids April 18, starting at Glen Helen Raceway Park in San Bernardino, Calif. Enjoy a free pancake breakfast before the ride’s 7-8:30 a.m. registration. Info: RideForKids.org.

The high-ﬂying action of AMA Supercross is in full swing with the young guns battling for the title in some of

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

America’s premier stadiums. Catch the best Supercross racers on the planet April 10 in Houston, April 17 in St. Louis, April 24 in Seattle, May 1 in Salt Lake City and May 8 in Las Vegas, Nev. Info: See the schedule on page 52 or go to AMASupercross.com.

America’s best roadracers are scraping knee pucks on the asphalt and banging fairings in the AMA Pro Racing Superbike Championship. Upcoming races are set for April 16-18 in Braselton, Ga.; May 14-16 in Sonoma, Calif.; and June 4-6 in Elkhart Lake, Wis. For the full schedule, see page 53 or go to AMAProRacing.com.

Movie superheroes aren’t the only ones who defy gravity. Trials riders are among the best. Check out the Northern Illinois Trials Riders event April 18 in Elmwood, Ill., 20 miles west of Peoria, Ill. Info: Jennifer Maupin at (630) 690-1625, j.maupin@comcast.net or NitroTrials.org.

Join hundreds of other motorcyclists for a scenic ride through the Florida countryside by taking part in the Northeast Florida Ride for Kids this April 18 beginning at Florida State College, 4501 Capper Road in Jacksonville, Fla. Registration is open 8-9:45 a.m. The police-escorted ride starts at 10 a.m. rain or shine. Info: RideForKids. org.

It’s time to get your adventure-tourer back in action, and a great way to do that is to take part in the AMA BMW National Adventure Riding Series event that will be held April 17-18 in Bybee, Tenn. Info: John Strange at jbsaki@gmail.com.

COMING UP It’s not too early to start planning riding routes to attend AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days this July 9-11 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The 2010 Marque of the Year? Husqvarna! Info: AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com.

THE

GuidE TO EvEnTS

The following pages list AMAsanctioned events for this month, up to date at press time. Current listings are in the Riding and Racing sections of www. AmericanMotorcyclist.com. The biggest events—pro races, national-championship amateur competition, and major rides and rallies—are highlighted. For these series, Type of Event

Date MOTOCROSS

we list all of the remaining events for the entire year. Then there are the local events, the backbone of the AMA’s riding and racing calendar. These events are listed by state and are broken down by type, so you can quickly ﬁnd the ones near you. Here’s a guide to what you’ll ﬁnd in these local listings:

Event Class (Competition events only) S - Standard (Amateur classes) Y - Youth Classes T - ATV classes M - Pro-Am classes Location/City

indiAnA Event Promoter

APR 6 (S,Y): BREAUX BRIDGE: QUALIFIER; 2 DAY EVENT: DIRT BIKE MIKE LLC, ; 6 AM; 1640 MILLS HWY; (870) 342-5373; DIRTBIKEMIKE.COM Sign-in Time

Directions

Contact Phone Number

ALABAMA

MOTOCROSS APR 17 (S,Y): PELL CITY: QUALIFIER; RPM SPORTS, JAMIE MCCWILLIAMS; 7 AM; MILLCREEK MX PARK /I-20 EX 156/GO SOUTH; (205) 699-8857; MILLCREEKMOTOCROSS.COM APR 18 (S,Y): PELL CITY: QUALIFIER; RPM SPORTS, JAMIE; 7 AM; MILLCREEK MX PARK /I-20 EX 156/GO SOUTH; (205) 6998857; MILLCREEKMOTOCROSS.COM

APR 25 (S,Y): STERLING: MILE HIGH MX, BRIAN C CHAPPELL 10 MILES W OF STERLING ON HWY 14; (303) 748-9417; PAWNEECYCLECLUB.COM

dELAWARE

ROAd Run APR 16: YUMA: 3 DAY EVENT: NORWALK MOTORCYCLE CLUB, MARK SPECTOR; 12 PM; 2520 E 32ND ST; (818) 597-9492; YUMAPRISONRUN.ORG

MOTOCROSS APR 10 (S,Y): SEAFORD: 2 DAY EVENT: MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS, RUTH ANN BENSON; MIDDLEFORD SPEEDWAY /RT 50E TO 404/R@BLINKING LIGHT; (410) 375-1059; MAMAMX.COM EnduRO APR 25 (S): DELAWARE CITY: DELAWARE ENDURO RIDERS, PETER R PARLETT; 1 PM; GOV BACON HEALTH CTR /FOLLOW ARROWS FROM US1-RT13 & RT72; (302) 834-4411; DELAWAREENDURORIDERS. COM

CALiFORniA

FLORidA

ARiZOnA

duAL SPORT RidE APR 18: SAN BERNARDINO: CHARITY;: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION, KYLE CLACK; 7 AM; GLEN HELEN RACEWAY /18585 VERDEMONT RNCH RD/I-215N TO PALM AVE EX; (800) 2536530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG SHORT TRACK APR 18 (S,T,Y): LODI: VINTAGE; LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, JEFF G TAYLOR; 8 AM; LODI CYCLE BOWL/5801 E MORSE /HWY 99 TO 8 MILE/N ON FRONTAGE/R ON MORSE; (209) 368-7182; LODICYCLEBOWL.COM APR 24 (S,T,Y): LODI: LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, JEFF G TAYLOR; 1 PM; LODI CYCLE BOWL/5801 E MORSE /HWY 99 TO 8 MILE/N ON FRONTAGE/R ON MORSE; (209) 368-7182; LODICYCLEBOWL.COM SCRAMBLES APR 10 (S,T): LUCERNE: ROVERS MC, ROB KYKER; JOHNSON VALLEY OHV /THE ROCK PILE; (559) 804-8366; ROVERSMC.ORG APR 17 (S,T,Y): LODI: VINTAGE; LODI MOTORCYCLE CLUB, JEFF G TAYLOR; 1 PM; LODI CYCLE BOWL/5801 E MORSE /HWY 99 TO 8 MILE/N ON FRONTAGE/R ON MORSE; (209) 368-7182; LODICYCLEBOWL.COM HARE SCRAMBLES APR 17: SHASTA LAKE: NATIONAL; REDDING DIRT RIDERS, KURT SCHNEIDER; 6 AM; SHASTA CHAPPIE OHV AREA /I-5 TO SHASTA DAM EXIT/WEST TO OHV; (530) 245-0342; REDDINGDIRTRIDERS.COM APR 18 (S,Y): SHASTA LAKE: NATIONAL; REDDING DIRT RIDERS, KURT M SCHNEIDER; 6 AM; SHASTA CHAPPIE OHV AREA /I-5 TO SHASTA DAM EXIT/WEST TO OHV; (530) 515-9803; REDDINGDIRTRIDERS.COM HARE & HOund APR 11 (S,T): LUCERNE: ROVERS MC, ROB KYKER; JOHNSON VALLEY OHV /THE ROCK PILE; (559) 804-8366; ROVERSMC.ORG APR 25 (S,T,Y): JOHNSON VALLEY: NATIONAL; VIKINGS MC, ALEX RODRIQUEZ; 6 AM; JOHNSON VALLEY OHV /HWY 247 TO CAMP ROCK ROAD; (760) 834-5006; VIKINGSMC.COM

COLORAdO

MOTOCROSS APR 18 (S,Y): LAKEWOOD: COLORADO MOTORSPORTS PROM, DAVID CLABAUGH; 5:30 AM; THUNDER VALLEY MX /701 S ROONEY RD; (303) 988-3889; MXTHUNDERVALLEY.COM

ROAd Run APR 18 (R): TAMPA: GOLDEN EAGLES MOTORCYCLE, DAN CARBONE; 9 AM; 9901 HENDERSON RD /CORNER LINEBAUGH & HENDERSON; (813) 961-9826; GOLDENEAGLESMOTORCYCLECLUB. COM APR 18 (R): JACKSONVILLE: CHARITY;: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU, KYLE CLACK; 8 AM; FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGE /4501 CAPPER RD, JACKSONVILLE NORTH CAMPUS; (800) 253-6530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG POKER Run APR 11 (R): FORT WALTON: SAND DOLLAR MC INC, SAM ENGLER; 210 RACETRACK RD /RACETRACK POWERSPORTS; (850) 244-0376; SANDOLLARMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM

GEORGiA

ROAd RALLY APR 23 (R): HELEN: 3 DAY EVENT: MOTORCYCLE SPORT TOURING, JANET CAMPBELL; QUALITY INN; (706) 8782268; APR 23 (R): SUCHES: 2 DAY EVENT: CONCOURS OWNERS GROUP INC, GUY B YOUNG II; 7 AM; 3145 HIGH VALLEY RD; (804) 745-1439; COG-ONLINE.ORG MOTOCROSS APR 26 (S,T,Y): CHATSWORTH: LAZY RIVER MX RANCH, VICKIE ROBERTS; 6 AM; 4779 BROWNS BRIDGE RD; (706) 278-1620; LAZYRIVERMOTOCROSS.COM dRAG RACES APR 10 (S): COMMERCE: 2 DAY EVENT: AMA DRAGBIKE, BRANDI NEITHAMER; 9 AM; ATLANTA DRAGWAY /I-85 EXIT 149 500 E RIDGEWAY RD; (513) 943-9700; AMADRAGBIKE.COM

iLLinOiS

APR 3 (S,T): APR 4 (S,T): APR 24 (S,T): APR 25 (S,T): CASEY: LINCOLN TRAIL MOTOSPORTS, TIM JACKSON; 6 AM; 649 CR2150E /5 MI W OF TOWN ON RT 40; (217) 932-2041; LINCOLNTRAILMOTOSPORTS.COM APR 17 (S): APR 18 (S): MT CARROLL: QUALIFIER; MC MOTOPARK, REID LAW 1 MI N OF TOWN ON RT 78; (815) 238-1614; MCMOTOPARK.COM OBSERvEd TRiALS APR 18 (S,Y): ELMWOOD: NORTHERN ILLINOIS TRIALS, JENNIFER MAUPIN; 9 AM; 20 MI WEST OF PEORIA; (630) 6901625; NITROTRIALS.COM

duAL SPORT RidE APR 11 (R): LEAF RIVER: FOREST CITY RIDERS MC, RYAN MOSS; 7:30 AM; LEAF RIVER COMPLEX /7 MI W OF BYRON; (815) 624-6535; FORESTCITYRIDERS. COM SCRAMBLES APR 24 (S,T,Y): BELLEVILLE: BELLEVILLE ENDURO TEAM IN, ED HOEFFKEN; 9 AM; 3000 CENTERVILLE AVE /2 MI S OF TOWN ON RT 158; (618) 277-3478; BETDIRT.COM MOTOCROSS APR 3 (S,T,Y): BELLEVILLE: BELLEVILLE ENDURO TEAM IN, ED HOEFFKEN; 9 AM; 3000 CENTERVILLE AVE /2 MI S OF TOWN ON RT 158; (618) 277-3478; BETDIRT.COM

GRAnd TOuR APR 1 (R): KOKOMO: NATIONAL;: MIDNIGHT RIDERS MC, CHARLES KIRKMAN; USA WORLD; (765) 566-3807; MIDNIGHT-RIDERS-MC.COM MOTOCROSS APR 18 (S,Y): PARIS CROSSING: HOOSIER HILLTOPPERS, BOB LEWIS; 6:30 AM; 10665 S CO RD 410 W /I-65 S. OF SEYMOUR, EX 41 EAST ON ST RD 250; (502) 713-3495 HARE SCRAMBLES APR 18 (S,Y): COLUMBUS: STONEY LONESOME M/C, BEN B BREEDLOVE; 7 AM; 14001 W HWY 46 /8 MI W OF COLUMBUS ON HWY 46; (812) 350-5732; STONEYLONESOMEMC.COM APR 25 (S,T,Y): CULVER: PLYMOUTH BLACKHAWKS MC IN, CLIFFORD R BEAN; 8 AM; BURROUGHS FARM / CORNER OF ST RD 8 & 17 @ FLASHING LIGHT; (574) 259-0103 OBSERvEd TRiALS APR 24 (S,Y): APR 25 (S,Y): NEW PARIS: MICHIGAN ONTARIO TRIALS A, SAM MARKLEY; 9 AM; 72838 CR 123; (574) 536-0176; MOTATRIALS.ORG

iOWA

MOTOCROSS APR 11 (S,T,Y): MONTEZUMA: FV MOTO X, CHIP BRYAN; 7 AM; FUN VALLEY SKI AREA /1066 500TH AVE/ 2.5 MI SW OF TOWN; (641) 623-3456; FVMOTOX.COM APR 17 (S,Y): SHELL ROCK: 2 DAY EVENT: NEW HARTFORD RACING INC, JILL NICHOLSON; 28028 TEMPLE AVE /5 MI. N. OF NEW HARTFORD ON BLACK TOP T-55; (319) 885-6469; NEWHARTFORDRACING.COM

KEnTuCKY

MOTOCROSS APR 10 (S,T,Y): OAKLAND: QUALIFIER; VICTORY SPORTS INC, SAM GAMMON; BALLANCE MOTOX INC /I-65 EXIT 38 FOLLOW SIGNS; (423) 323-5497; VICTORYSPORTSRACING.COM APR 11 (S,T,Y): OAKLAND: QUALIFIER; VICTORY SPORTS INC, SAM R GAMMON; BALLANCE MOTOX INC /I-65 EXIT 38 FOLLOW SIGNS; (423) 323-5497; VICTORYSPORTSRACING.COM APR 17 (V,Y): OAKLAND: NATIONAL; 2 DAY EVENT: VICTORY SPORTS INC, SAM R GAMMON; 4 PM; BALLANCE MOTOX INC /I-65 EXIT 38 FOLLOW SIGNS; (423) 323-5497; VICTORYSPORTSRACING. COM

MARYLAnd

MOTOCROSS APR 3 (S,Y): BUDDS CREEK: 2 DAY EVENT: MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS, RUTH ANN BENSON; BUDDS CREEK MX PARK /27963 BUDDS CREEK RD; (410) 375-1059; MAMAMX.COM APR 25 (S,T,Y): BUDDS CREEK: BUDDS CREEK MOTOCROSS PAR, JONATHAN BEASLEY; 4 PM; BUDDS CREEK MX PARK /27963 BUDDS CREEK RD; (301) 475-2000; BUDDSCREEK.COM OBSERvEd TRiALS APR 18 (S): IJAMSVILLE: R & T MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, CHRIS BORGER; 8 AM; 4432 PRICE DISTILERY RD; (030) 186-5079; RANDTCLUB.COM

MASSACHuSETTS

OBSERvEd TRiALS APR 25 (S,Y): WRENTHAM: KING PHILIP TRAIL RIDERS, JIM COPELAND; 7 AM; 192 NORTH ST /RT 495 TO EX 15, RT 1A N 2.5 MI. TO NORTH ST; (401) 934-2633; KINGPHILIPTRAILRIDERS.COM

MiCHiGAn

MOTOCROSS APR 4 (S,Y): MILLINGTON: BULLDOG RIDERS M/C, DOUG EVANS; 7 AM; 9113 BELSAY RD /I-75 BIRCH RUN RD/E TO BELSEY RD; (248) 284-5570; BULLDOGMX.COM APR 17 (S,T,Y): APR 18 (S,T,Y): BRONSON:

JB MX MOTORSPORTS, JEFF BEERBOWER; 7 AM; LOG ROAD MX PARK /I-69 EX 13/W 10 MI TO LOG RD/S 1.5 MI; (419) 636-5430; LOGROADMX.COM APR 24 (S,T,Y): BATTLE CREEK: BATTLE CREEK MOTORCYCLE C, BYRON KIBBY; 6 AM; CLBGRNDS/21758 WAUBASCON RD /HELMER N TO MORGAN/E TO WAUBESCON/N 3 MI; (269) 660-1613; BATTLECREEKMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM APR 25 (S,T,Y): BATTLE CREEK: BATTLE CREEK MOTORCYCLE C, BYRON KIBBY; 6 AM; CLBGRNDS/21758 WAUBASCON RD /HELMER N TO MORGAN/E TO WAUBESCON/N 3 MI; (269) 729-9691; BATTLECREEKMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM

MinnESOTA

MOTOCROSS APR 11 (S,Y): KELLOGG: MOTOKAZIE INC, LEE THEIS; 6:30 AM; 58374 HWY 42 /ON HWY 42 BETWEEN PLAINVIEW & KELLOGG MN; (952) 244-9996; MOTOKAZIE.COM APR 18 (S,Y): BROOK PARK: BERM BENDERS RACEWAY, KURT CASWELL; 6:30 AM; HWY 23E 8 MI TO SHERWOOD ST CR 68N; (320) 679-2582; BERMBENDERS.COM APR 18 (S): APR 25 (V): MAZEPPA: HURRICANE HILLS MX PARK I, JEFFERY GRAY; 6:30 AM; 43560 232ND AVE /6 MI E OF ZUMBROTA ON CR10 TO 232ND AVE; (507) 843-5154; HURRICANEHILLS.COM APR 25 (S,Y): KELLOGG: MOTOKAZIE INC, LEE M THEIS; 6:30 AM; 58374 HWY 42 /ON HWY 42 BETWEEN PLAINVIEW & KELLOGG MN; (952) 244-9996; MOTOKAZIE.COM OBSERvEd TRiALS APR 24 (S,Y): APR 25 (S,Y): THEILMAN: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSO, GORDON BOGGIE; 9 AM; COUNTY RD 4 SOUTH TO WHIPPOORWILL CAMPGROUND; (952) 881-9427; UMTA. ORG

MiSSOuRi

MOTOCROSS APR 11 (V): MEXICO: HILLTOP MX PARK, JEFFREY E ROBBINS; 8 AM; AUDRAIN RD 376 /HWY J FROM MEXICO TO MM; (573) 581-2015; ROBBINSCYCLES.COM/ HILLTOP

nEW JERSEY

ROAd Run APR 11 (R): FAIRLAWN: CHAI RIDERS MC, LAUREN M SECULAR; 8:30 AM; 40-25 FAIRLAWN AVE /9W-RT4-208-FAIRLAWN AVE; (201) 791-4161; CHAIRIDERS.ORG EnduRO APR 11 (S): PORT ELIZABETH: TRICOUNTY SPORTSMEN MC I, ELDIN P POLHAMUS; 34 FRANCKLES LANE /RT 55 SOUTH/RT 47S TO CR548 E; (856) 7852754; TEAMHAMMER.ORG

nEW YORK

POKER Run APR 25: BRONX: CELTIC MOTORCYCLE CLUB, GERRY CROWLEY; 9 AM; 4360 BULLARD AVE /SEE WEBSITE; (914) 9242170; CELTICM.C.COM Fun Run APR 25: ALBANY: ROAMERS, SUSAN CARBONELLI MOOR; 10 AM; SPITZIES H-D /1970 CENTRAL AVE; (518) 843-0312; AMADIST3.COM/RMC BiKE BLESSinG APR 18: FARMINGVILLE: RIDERS OF FIRE MOTORCYCLE, JOHN FARRELL; 10 AM; BALD HILL CULTURAL CENTER /LIE (495) EX 63N/1.5 MI FOLLOW SIGNS; (631) 2357196; ROFMC.COM MOTOCROSS APR 3 (S,T,Y): AUBURN: FROZEN OCEAN MOTOCROSS IN, WM N DENMAN; 7 AM; 4415 VANDERSTOUW RD /NYS THRUWAY EX 40 TO 34S; (315) 784-5466; FROZENOCEAN.COM APR 10 (S,T,Y): RICHFORD: QUALIFIER; BROOME TIOGA SPORTS CENTE, TOM HURD; 7 AM; 50 SHAFFER RD /I-81 EX 8/ RT 79W 8 MI; (607) 849-4438; BROOMETIOGA.COM APR 11 (S,T,Y): RICHFORD: QUALIFIER; BROOME TIOGA SPORTS CENTE, THOMAS HURD; 7 AM; 50 SHAFFER RD /I-81 EX 8/RT 79W 8 MI; (607) 849-4438; BROOME-TIOGA.COM APR 18 (S,T,Y): AUBURN: FROZEN OCEAN MOTOCROSS IN, BILL M DENMAN; 7 AM; 4415 VANDERSTOUW RD /NYS THRUWAY EX 40 TO 34S; (315) 784-5466; FROZENOCEAN.COM APR 24 (S,T,Y): MAPLE VIEW: 2 DAY EVENT: SMX ASSOCIATES LLC, ALBERT MORGAN; 7 AM; 3098 ST RT 11 /SEE WEBSITE; (315) 374-1524; MOTOMASTERS.COM OBSERvEd TRiALS April 2010

APR 18 (S,Y): AUBURN: AMA-DIST 4 TRIALS COMMITT, MIKE KOMER; 10 AM; 4415 VANDERSTOW RD; (315) 497-3268

nORTH CaROLIna

MOTOCROSS APR 11 (M,T,Y): SANFORD: DEVILS RIDGE MX, KEN CAMERON; 6 AM; DEVILS RIDGE MX /983 KING FARM RD; (919) 7761767; DEVILSRIDGEMOTOX.COM

OHIO

ROad RUn APR 25 (R): ORIENT: CAPITAL CITY MOTORCYCLE C, MARY HAMILTON; 11:30 AM; 9700 BORROR /3 MI S OF SR665/1 MI W OF SR104; (614) 877-1777 MOTOCROSS APR 11 (S,Y): BLANCHESTER: DIRT COUNTRY, CINDY KING; 6901 RT 133 /3.5 MI S OF TOWN ON RT 133; (513) 6257350; DIRTCOUNTRYMX.COM APR 17 (S,Y): APR 18 (S,Y): NELSONVILLE: QUALIFIER; FAST TRAXX PROMOTIONS LLC, SHAWNA BICKLEY; 8 AM; 5999 WARREN DR /BTWN ATHENS & TOWN ON RT 33; (740) 767-3740; FASTTRAXXRACING.COM APR 18 (S,Y): GREENVILLE: TREATY CITY MOTORCYCLE CL, DAN R KNECHT; 7 AM; CLBGRNDS/7270 MOTORCYCLE DR /3.5 MI NW OF TOWN OFF SR 571; (937) 5487197; TREATYCITYMC.COM APR 25 (S,T,Y): MARYSVILLE: AMERICAN MOTOSPORTS LLC, MATTHEW D EASTMAN; 7 AM; 24400 YEARSLEY RD / FROM MARYSVILLE TO SR 31N TO SR 347 W; (937) 358-2427; AMERICANMX. COM HaRE SCRaMBLES APR 3 (S,T,Y): LITTLE HOCKING: WILDWOOD LAKE RACEWAY, BRENT WINDLAND; 7 AM; 2392 WILDWOOD LAKE RD /SR50/7 TO SR555 TO WELCH RD TO WILDWOOD LAKE; (740) 989-2866; WILDWOODLAKERACEWAY.COM APR 17 (S,T,Y): NEW LEXINGTON: KRASH RACING DIRT PARK, JAYME KONKLER; 8 AM; 7250 TWP RD 219; (740) 605-2711; KRASHRACINGDIRTPARK.COM EndURO APR 11 (S): ATHENS: ATHENS MOTORCYCLE CLUB, KEVIN BROWN; 13426 DUTCH CREEK RD /RT 550 TURN RIGHT ON DUTCHCREEK 1.6 MILES; (740) 593-7459; ACES-RACES.COM GRand PRIX APR 18 (S): SUGAR GROVE: CENTRAL OHIO COMPETITION, JANET FOUT; 6 AM; 9171 BUCKEYE RD /6 MI E OF LANCASTER/LEFT AT LIGHT; (740) 9833937; COCRMX.COM APR 24 (S,T,Y): LITTLE HOCKING: WILDWOOD LAKE RACEWAY, BRENT WINDLAND; 7 AM; 2392 WILDWOOD LAKE RD /SR50/7 TO SR555 TO WELCH RD TO WILDWOOD LAKE; (740) 989-2866; WILDWOODLAKERACEWAY.COM APR 25 (S,T,Y): ATHENS: ACTION SPORTS PROMOTIONS, DREW WOLFE; 8 AM; SALEM RD /SEE WEBSITE; (740) 5946686; ACTIONSPORTSRACING.COM

OREGOn

POKER RUn APR 11: TIGARD: ROSE CITY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, CHAR L MESSINGER; 5:30 AM; BEAVERTON HONDA/YAMAHA/SUZUKI /10380 SW CASCADE BLVD; (503) 706-3969; ROSECITY-MC.ORG REL-EndURO - ISdE APR 25 (S,Y): BEND: LOBOS MC INC, BILLY C TOMAN; 6 AM; CHINA HAT DESEHUTES NF/HWY 20/MP 22 TO CAMP 2510; (503) 656-5801; LOBOSMC.COM

PEnnSYLVanIa

ROad RUn APR 25: KRESGEVILLE: ZINC CITY MC, PHYLLIS KRESGE; 10 AM;

ZC CLUBGROUNDS /1 MI SO. OF KRESGEVILLE ON ROUTE 209; (610) 6819903; ZINCCITYMC.ORG APR 25: LEBANON: LEBANON VALLEY MOTORCYCLE, HENRIETTA STEINER; 9 AM; LEBANON VALLEY MC /11 S 22 ST; (717) 270-9797; LEBANONVALLEYMC. COM POKER RUn APR 18: SCHUYLKILL HAVE: SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MOTORCY, BEV MILLER; 9 AM; 958 SCHUYLKILL MTN RD /E OFF 183; (570) 385-1460; HUYLKILLCOUNTYMOTORCYCLECLUB. COM APR 25: SPRING CITY: FREEDOM RIDERS MOTORCYCLE, WAYNE STUMP; 10 AM; SOUTHEASTERN VETERANS CENTER / ONE VETERANS DR; (215) 679-4766; FREEDOMRIDERS.COM SHORT TRaCK APR 11 (S,T,Y): MECHANICSBURG: SHIPPENSBURG MC, DARRYL BAER; 9 AM; 600 COLONIAL VIEW RD / SHIOPPENSBURG SPEEDWAY; (717) 796-0294 APR 24 (S,T): SPRING RUN: TWO WHEEL PROMOTIONS, VICKI FLOWERS; 3 PM; 17911 DRY RUN RD W /PA TURNPIKE EX 189 RT 75 N, 641 W TO DRY REIN; (717) 368-5902; PATHVALLEY.COM MOTOCROSS APR 3 (S,T,Y): APR 17 (S,T,Y): APR 18 (S,T,Y): CLIFFORD: HURRICANE HILLS MOTORSPOR, JOE FRITZ; 4 PM; 200 RTE 106 /RT81 EX206,374E TO 106E TRACK 3 MI ON R; (570) 222-9290; HHMOTOCROSS.COM APR 3 (S,T,Y): MT MORRIS: RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, RITA COOMBS; HIGH POINT RACEWAY; (304) 284-0084; RACERPRODUCTIONS.COM APR 4 (S,T,Y): OSCEOLA MILLS: WILD RIDE MOTOCROSS, DAVID FERGUSON; 7 AM; 211 BAUGHMAN CEMETERY RD /CHECK WEBSITE; (814) 762-9005; WILDRIDETRACK.COM APR 11 (S,Y): BIRDSBORO: PAGODA MOTORCYCLE CLUB, RANDY KASTLE; 7 AM; 441 RED LANE /422 TO 82 TO LINCOLN RD TO RED LANE; (610) 5823717; PAGODAMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM APR 11 (S,T,Y): APR 25 (S,T,Y): JOHNSTOWN: PLEASURE VALLEY RACEWAY, JEFF CERNIC; 6 AM; 500 COOPER AVE; (814) 695-2453; PVRMX. COM APR 17 (S,Y): APR 18 (S,Y): MT MORRIS: QUALIFIER; RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, RITA COOMBS; HIGH POINT RACEWAY; (304) 284-0084; RACERPRODUCTIONS. COM APR 18 (S,Y): HANOVER: HAPPY RAMBLERS, SHARON L FISHER; 7 AM; 4340 HANOVER RD /RT 116/5 MI W OF TOWN/SEE WEBSITE; (717) 633-7708; HAPPYRAMBLERS.COM APR 23 (S,T,Y): LATROBE: MX PRODUCTIONS, GEORGE TESLOVICH; 5 PM; 5114 PLEASANT UNITY RD /RT 981 S. PAST AIR PORT 2 MILES; (724) 322-0415; LATROBEMOTORSPORTS.COM APR 25 (S,T,Y): CLEARVILLE: AMADIST 05 MC ASSN, DENNIS BATES; 6 AM; 4626 ROBINSONVILLE RD / SEE WEBSITE; (814) 734-3605; BREEZEWOODPROVINGGROUNDS.COM HaRE SCRaMBLES APR 4 (S,T,Y): THREE SPRINGS: AMADIST 05 MC ASSN, DENNIS BATES; 6 AM; 22404 STARR ROAD; (814) 448-2701; DISTRICT5AMA.ORG APR 11 (S,Y): PINE GROVE: DUTCHMEN MX PARK, LLC., ROB PAPP; 7 AM; DMX/670 ROCK RD /3 MI E OF TOWN ON RT 895; (570) 573-9800; DUTCHMENMXPARK.COM APR 17 (V): APR 18 (U): BERWICK: NATIONAL; EVANSVILLE MOTOCROSS PARK, DUANE FISHER; 468 EVANSVILLE RD /I-81 EX 145/W HAZELTON TO RT 93; (570) 759-2841; EVANSVILLEMXPARK. COM

MOTORCYCLE SHOWS CYCLE WORLd InTERnaTIOnaL MOTORCYCLE SHOWS MotorcycleShowS.coM Mar. 3-10: daytona Beach, Fla.: Ocean Center; OceanCenter.com MUSEUM EXHIBITS aMa MOTORCYCLE HaLL OF FaME MUSEUM MotorcycleMuSeuM.org

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

APR 25 (S,T,Y): CLIFFORD: BP PROMOTIONS, BERNADETTE BROMLEY; 7 AM; HURRICANE HILLS MX /RT 81 N EX 206 RH 374 TO RT 106 RH 4 MILES; (215) 357-2192; BPPOINTS.COM OBSERVEd TRIaLS APR 11 (S): ELIZABETHTOWN: VINTAGE; CANDYTOWN MOTORCYCLE CLUB, KEVIN HIGGINS; 9 AM; 2650 STEINROCK RD /283 E TOLL/EX 341 E; (717) 246-2116; CANDYTOWNMC.ORG APR 25 (S): TROUT RUN: PENNSYLVANIA TRIALS RIDER, MAX STROUSE; 9 AM; RT 15N TO RT 14N/FOLLOW ARROWS; (570) 494-0564 HaRE SCRaMBLES APR 10 (V,Y): UNION: RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, RITA COOMBS; BIG BUCK FARM; (304) 284-0084; RACERPRODUCTIONS.COM APR 11 (S,Y): UNION: NATIONAL; RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, RITA COOMBS; BIG BUCK FARM; (304) 284-0084; RACERPRODUCTIONS.COM

APR 24 (S): APR 25 (S): AXTON: QUALIFIER; LAKE SUGAR TREE, APRIL COLLIER; 400 MOVIE MOVERS EAST / US 58 15MI. W OF DANVILLE N ON MOVINE MOVERS; (276) 650-1158; LAKESUGARTREE.COM APR 24 (S,Y): APR 25 (S,Y): AXTON: QUALIFIER; BIRCHCREEK PROMOTIONS, LL, KEN FERRELL; 400 MOVIE MOVERS EAST /US 58 15MI. W OF DANVILLE N ON MOVINE MOVERS; (276) 650-1158; LAKESUGARTREE.COM GRand PRIX APR 11 (S,Y): ARRINGTON: VIRGINIA CHAMPIONSHIP HAR, DARRYL DALTON; OAKRIDGE ESTATES; (757) 242-9591; VCHSS.NET APR 25 (S,Y): DILLWYN: VIRGINIA CHAMPIONSHIP HAR, DARRYL DALTON; (804) 467-3088; VCHSS.NET CROSS COUnTRY APR 18 (S,T,Y): CHATHAM: LONE RIDER PRODUCTIONS, TIM NORRIS; 12 PM; 1170 OLIVER RD; (866) 967-8927; VXCS. ORG

TEnnESSEE

WaSHInGTOn

SOUTH CaROLIna

ADVENTURE RIDE APR 17 (R): BYBEE: NATIONAL;: 2 DAY EVENT: JB SAKI PROMOTIONS, JOHN STRANGE; 9 AM; 261 E TALLEY HOLLOW RD /EX 12 ON I81/S HWY 160 5 MI; (865) 322-0193; HaRE SCRaMBLES APR 24 (V,Y): APR 25 (S,Y): HURRICANE MILLS: RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, RITA COOMBS; LORETTA LYNNS RANCH; (304) 284-0084; RACERPRODUCTIONS. COM EndURO APR 18 (S,Y): WESTPOINT: NATIONAL; NORTH ALABAMA TRAIL RIDER, PAUL TRAUFLER; 12 PM; HWY 64, N ON GEORGIA, 1.5 MI TO CAMP; (256) 8370084; NATRA.DIRTRIDER.NET

ROad RUn APR 25 (R): TACOMA: AMA-DIST 27 WASHINGTON, LAURIE BUSHNELL; 8 AM; 4701 CENTER ST /I-5 HWY 16 CTR ST EX. GO LEFT SHOP ON LEFT; (425) 7454010; AMADIST27.ORG GRand TOUR APR 1 (R):: REGIONAL;: SOUND RIDER!, TOM MEHREN; PACIFIC NORTHWEST; (206) 329-7808; SOUNDRIDER.COM MOTOCROSS APR 18 (S,T,Y): PORT ANGELES: OLYMPIC PENINSULA MOTORCY, MELISSA BAAR; 7 AM; 1306 DEER PARK RD /HWY 101W/S ON DEER PK RD; (360) 417-7509; OPMC. ORG

TEXaS

MOTOCROSS APR 25 (S,T,Y): HEDGESVILLE: TOMAHAWK MX LLC, CHAD GOCHENOUR; 7 AM; TOMAHAWK MX/863 TOMAHAWK RN RD /I-81 EX 16W/6 MI TO RT 7/L; (304) 229-6682; TOMAHAWKMX.COM HaRE SCRaMBLES APR 17 (S,T): ROMNEY: 2 DAY EVENT: MARYLAND COMPETITION RIDE, KENNETH L SCHAEFER; 7 AM; BOYER FARM /GPS/N39 24,639 W078 37,508; (410) 916-1061; MDCOMPRIDERS.ORG

ROad RUn APR 25 (R): HUMBLE: CHARITY;: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOU, KYLE CLACK; HUMBLE CIVIC CENTER /8233 WILL CLAYTON PKWY; (800) 253-6530; RIDEFORKIDS.ORG 1/2 MILE dIRT TRaCK APR 10 (S,T,Y): WACO: 2 DAY EVENT: WACO EAGLES MOTORCYCLE CL, GLENN D MCNAMARA; 8 AM; 8 MI S OF TOWN ON HWY 6 SOUTH; (254) 875-9555; WACOEAGLESMC.COM MOTOCROSS APR 24 (S,Y): WHITNEY: QUALIFIER; RPM SPORTS, JAMIE MCWILLIAMS; LAKE WHITNEY MX PARK /I-35 TO HILLSBORO/ EXIT HWY 22/DETAILS ON WEB; (205) 699-8857; LAKEWHITNEYMX.COM APR 25 (S,Y): WHITNEY: QUALIFIER; RPM SPORTS, JAMIE; LAKE WHITNEY MX PARK /I-35 TO HILLSBORO/EXIT HWY 22/DETAILS ON WEB; (205) 699-8857; MILLCREEKMOTOCROSS.COM

UTaH

HaRE & HOUnd APR 10 (S,Y): JERICO: NATIONAL; SAGE RIDERS, TRAVIS GOOD 30 MI N OF DELTA ON HWY 6; (435) 851-1138; SAGERIDERS.COM

VIRGInIa

MOTOCROSS APR 10 (S,T,Y): DISPUTANTA: 2 DAY EVENT: SOUTH FORK MX CLUB, TONY FOWLER; 6148 BAXTER RD /20 MIN FROM PETERSBURG OFF I-95; (804) 7755230; SOUTHFORKMX.COM APR 17 (S,T,Y): SUTHERLIN: 2 DAY EVENT: BIRCHCREEK PROMOTIONS, LL, KEN FERRELL; 12725 KENTUCK RD; (434) 8367629; BIRCHCREEKMOTORSPORTS.COM

The Hall of Fame is located on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Closed: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles: Priceless machines, memorabilia and tales from celebrities’ favorite adventures. On display through April 2010. awesome-ness: The life and art of Arlen Ness: King of Choppers. aMa Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Recognizing

WEST VIRGInIa

WISCOnSIn MOTOCROSS APR 11 (S,T,Y): LAKE MILLS: AZTALAN CYCLE CLUB INC, JUDY E SUMNER; 6 AM; N 6643 GOMOL RD /I94N TO 26 S TO B-W. TO GOMOL-RIGHT; (414) 297-9367; AZTALANCYCLE.COM APR 18 (S,T): MARIBEL: SPORTS & COMPETITION, JEREMY TABALSKE; 2 PM; ZANDAR RD /CHECK WEBSITE FOR DIRECTIONS; (920) 351-4115; DENMARKMX.COM APR 24 (S,T,Y): CHILTON: GRAVITY PARK USA, ROBERT SCHNEIDER; 7 AM; W2571 HICKORY HILLS RD /1 MI N OF TOWN ON HWY 57; (920) 849-7223; GRAVITYPARKUSA.COM APR 25 (S,T,Y): NEKOOSA: RAPID ANGELS MOTORCYCLE C, TODD ELLINGSON; 6 AM; DYRACUSE MOTORCYCLE PARK /15 MI S OF WISCONSIN RAPIDS OFF STATE RD 13; (715) 712-0068; RAPIDANGELS.COM HaRE SCRaMBLES APR 24 (S): LAKE MILLS: AZTALAN CYCLE CLUB INC, JUDY E SUMNER; 6 AM; N 6643 GOMOL RD /I94N TO 26 S TO B-W. TO GOMOL-RIGHT; (414) 297-9367; AZTALANCYCLE.COM

those who have made signiﬁcant contributions to all aspects of motorcycling. Founder’s Hall: Honoring the Hall of Fame’s generous contributors. aMa PRO RaCInG aMa SUPERCROSS CHaMPIOnSHIP SERIES SupercroSSonline.coM March 13: Toronto, Ontario: Rogers Centre, TicketMaster.com, (416) 341-3000

March 20: Dallas: Cowboys Stadium, TicketMaster.com, (817) 892-4161

Aug. 28: indianapolis, ind.: Indiana Mile, Indiana State Fairgrounds

March 27: Jacksonville, Fla.: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, TicketMaster.com, (904) 633-6100

Sept. 4: Springﬁeld, ill.: Springﬁeld Short Track, Illinois State Fairgrounds

April 10: Houston: Reliant Stadium, TicketMaster.com, (832) 667-1400 April 17: St. Louis, Mo.: Edward Jones Dome, TicketMaster.com, (314) 342-5036 April 24: Seattle: Quest Field, TicketMaster. com, (206) 381-7500 May 1: Salt Lake City: Rice-Eccles Stadium, TicketMaster.com, (801) 581-UTIX May 8: Las Vegas, Nev.: Sam Boyd Stadium, TicketMaster.com, (702) 895-3761 AMA Pro SuPerbike CHAMPioNSHiP AMAPRORACING.COM March 26-28: Fontana, Calif.: Auto Club Speedway April 16-18: braselton, Ga.: Road Atlanta May 14-16: Sonoma, Calif.: Inﬁneon Raceway June 4-6: elkhart Lake, Wis.: Road America July 16-18: Lexington, ohio: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course July 23-25: Monterey, Calif.: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Aug. 13-15: Alton, Va.: Virginia International Raceway Sept. 3-5: Millville, N.J.: New Jersey Motorsports Park Sept. 24-26: birmingham, Ala.: Barber Motorsports Park

Sept. 5: Springﬁeld, ill.: Springﬁeld Mile II, Illinois State Fairgrounds Sept. 11: Minneapolis, Minn.: Canterbury Park Mile Sept. 18: knoxville, iowa: Knoxville Half-mile, Knoxville Raceway

AMA NAtioNAL CHAMPioNSHiP SerieS AMA AreNACroSS CHAMPioNSHiP SerieS AReNACROSS.COM March 12-14: Council bluffs, iowa: Mid America Center, TicketMaster.com, (712) 3230536 March 20-21: Dayton, ohio: Ervin J. Nutter Center, TicketMaster.com, (937) 775-2060

July 3: buchanan, Mich.: RedBud

March 21: Murphy, idaho: Dirt Inc., Bill Walsh; (208) 459-6871; braaap@cableone.net; DirtIncRacing.com

May 30: Springﬁeld, ill.: Springﬁeld Mile, Illinois State Fairgrounds June 5: Gas City, ind.: Gas City Short Track, Gas City I-69 Speedway June 19: Lexington, ky.: The Red Mile June 26: Lima, ohio: Lime Half-mile, Allen County Fairgrounds July 10: Lake odessa, Mich.: I-96 Half-mile, I-96 Speedway July 25: Castle rock, Wash.: Castle Rock TT, Castle Rock Fairgrounds July 31: Calistoga, Calif.: Calistoga Half-mile, Calistoga Fairgrounds Aug. 7: Hagerstown, Md.: Hagerstown Halfmile, Hagerstown Speedway Aug. 14: Grove City, ohio: Beulah Park Halfmile Aug. 22: Peoria, ill.: Peoria TT

March 20-21: Morganton, N.C. April 10-11: Union, S.C. April 24-25: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

Sept. 11-12: New Berlin, N.Y.

AMA rACiNG NAtioNAL HAre & HouND NAtIONAlHAReANdHOuNd.COM

May 29: Springﬁeld, ill.: Springﬁeld TT, Illinois State Fairgrounds

CAN-AM GNCC SCHeDuLe GNCCRACING.COM

May 1-2: tishomingo, okla.: Robert Shaw, Texhoma Trials Club; (580) 504-6750; roshaw@ cableone.net; TexhomaTrialsClub.com

June 26: Lakewood, Colo.: Thunder Valley Motocross

May 1: Prescott, Ariz.: Yavapai Downs Mile

Nov. 20: Las Vegas, Nev.: The Orleans Arena

June 5-6: Millﬁeld, Ohio

June 19: Mechanicsville, Md.: Budds Creek Motocross

AMA Pro FLAt trACk CHAMPioNSHiP AMAPRORACING.COM

oct. 30: Denver: Nat’l Western Complex

AMA rACiNG/NAtC obSerVeD triALS NAtioNAL CHAMPioNSHiP SerieS

July 31-Aug. 1: Norden, Calif.: Mike Codde, (530) 426-3635; Sacramento P.I.T.S., Inc.; dsrinfo@donnerskiranch.com; DonnerSkiRanch. com

Sept. 4: Delmont, Pa.: Steel City Raceway

Sept. 11: everett, Wash.: Comcast Arena

May 8-9: Yadkinville, N.C.

July 24-25: Howard, Colo.: Stan Hensley, (719) 564-6476; Rocky Mountain Trials Assoc (RMTA), webmaster@rockymountaintrials.org; RMTA.org

Aug. 28: Southwick, Mass.: Moto-X 338

Aug. 27: indianapolis: Pepsi Coliseum

March 26-28: Denver, Colo.: Denver Coliseum, TicketMaster.com, (720) 865-4220

May 29: San bernardino, Cailf.: Glen Helen Raceway

Aug. 14: New berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla

GeiCo eNDuroCroSS eNduROCROSS.COM Aug. 14: Guthrie, okla.: Lazy E Arena

June 26-27: Cayuta, N.Y.: David Reed, (607) 796-9558; District 4 Trials, District4Trials.org

July 24: Washougal, Wash.: Washougal Motocross

oct. 2: Matthews, ind.: Doug Spence, Muddobbers MC; jspence@me.com; Muddobbers.org

July 17: Las Vegas, Nev.: The Orleans Arena

May 22: rancho Cordova, Calif.: Hangtown Motocross Classic

July 17: Milleville, Minn.: Spring Creek Motocross

Aug. 22: North berwick, Maine: Peter Anania, Seacoast Trail Riders; (603) 436-4331; SeacoastTrailRiders.org

oct. 10: Prescott, Ariz.: Yavapai Downs Mile

LuCAS oiL AMA Pro MotoCroSS CHAMPioNSHiP MXSPORtSPRORACING.COM

June 12: Mt. Morris, Pa.: High Point Raceway

July 25: Moorestown, Mich.: Jeff Hunt, Lansing Motorcycle Club; (231) 267-9534

oct. 9: Prescott, Ariz.: Yavapai Downs Short Track

June 19-20: exeter, r.i.: Bob ONeil, Stepping Stone Ranch; Rhode Island Trials Club; (508) 285-6074; trialsriders@hotmail.com; RITrialsClub.com

June 5: Wortham, texas: Freestone Raceway

com

April 10: Jericho, utah (no AtVs)*: Sageriders MC, Kari Christman; (435) 851-1138; dezchik111@yahoo.com; Sageriders.com April 25: Johnson Valley oHVA, Lucerne, Calif.: Vikings MC, Alex Rodriguez; (760) 8345006; alex@arrowdevelopment.net; VikingsMC. com May 15: Jericho, utah: Sugarloafers, Rob Davies; (435) 743-4180; offrdsp@hotmail.com; SugarloafersMC.com oct. 10: tbA: SoCal MC, Justin Shultz; (949) 981-6776; justins@bgainsurance.com; SoCalMC.com oct. 24: Lucerne, Calif.: 100s MC, Ryan Sanders; (949) 584-9395; ryansanders24@ hotmail.com; 100sMC.org *The U.S. Bureau of Land Management does not allow ATV competition at these locations. AMA rekLuSe NAtioNAL eNDuro CHAMPioNSHiP SerieS PreSeNteD bY MooSe rACiNG NAtIONAleNduRO.COM March 28: kalgary, texas: Kelly Simmons, Lubbock Trail Riders; (806) 548-1260; LubbockTrailRiders.org April 18: West Point, tenn.: Paul Trauﬂer, NATRA; (256) 837-0084; NATRA.DirtRider.net May 16: Park Hills, Mo.: Michael Silger, Missouri Mudders; (636) 639-6373; MOMudders.com June 20: upton, Wyo.: Paul Douglas, Inyan Kara Riders; (307) 468-2840; NationalEnduro.

May 22-23: Somerset, Pa. June 26-27: Snowshoe Resort, W.Va. Sept. 25-26: Lafayette, Tenn. oct. 9-10: St. Clairsville, Ohio oct. 23-24: Crawfordsville, Ind. AMA DrAGbike CHAMPioNSHiP SerieS AMAdRAGBIKe.COM April 10-11: Commerce, Ga.: Atlanta Dragway May 15-16: Martin, Mich.: US 131 Motorsports Park June 12-13: Montgomery, Ala.: Montgomery Motorsports Park July 31 - Aug. 1: indianapolis: O’Reilly Raceway Park Sept. 10-12: Atco, N.J.: Atco Raceway oct. 9-10: Norwalk, ohio: Summit Motorsports Park Nov. 12-14: Valdosta, Ga.: South Georgia Motorsports Park AMA rACiNG eASt HAre SCrAMbLeS AMARACING.COM April 11: No Youth: union, S.C.: Rita Coombs, Racer Productions; (304) 284-0084; GNCCRacing.com April 18: Youth only: berwick, Pa.: Duane Fisher, Evansville MX Park; (570) 759-2841; EvansvilleMXPark.com May 1-2: Dorchester, N.J.: Dennis McKelvey, Tri-County Sportsmen; (609) 390-3772; TeamHammer.org July 17-18: Valley View, Pa.; Tiffany Tobias, Rausch Creek Powersports; (570) 682-4600; RauschCreekRacing.com July 31-Aug. 1: Catawissa, Pa.: Mike Soudas, High Mountain Dirt Riders; (570) 954-7799; HMDR.org Aug. 7-8: Hill City, Minn.: Paul Otto, Range Riders MC; (763) 229-1177; RangeRidersMC.org Aug. 28-29: Cortland, N.Y.: Cindy Davis, Knobby Acres; (607) 756-5277; WYNOA.org Sept. 18-19: Lynnville, ind.: Kenny Moore, IN, IL, KY Enduro Riders; (812) 549-8385; Blackcoal.org AMA rACiNG WeSt HAre SCrAMbLeS AMARACING.COM March 13-14: Cow Mountain, Lake Port, Calif.: Jeff Bauer, SCSCA; (707) 480-0792; AMA-D36. org/events March 27-28 - Nixon, Nev.: Jeff Henning, WSRA; (775) 851-1527; WesternStatesRacing.com April 17-18: Chappie-Shasta oHV Area, Calif.: April 2010

Kurt Schneider, Redding Dirt Riders; (530) 2450342; ReddingDirtRiders.com June 19-20: Elkton, Ore.: Toni Bamford, ETRA; (541) 688-5428; ETRA.net Aug. 21-22 - Big Sky, Mont.: Jamey Kabisch, Lone Peak Racing Big Sky XC; (406) 223-0478; BigSkyXC.com Nov. 6-7: Rancho Cordova, Calif.: Ed Santin, Dirt Diggers North MC; (800) HANGTOWN; HangtownMX.com AMA ViNtAgE NAtiONAl DiRt tRACk ChAMpiONShip SERiES AMARACING.COM April 17: Short track, Orangeburg, S.C.: Orangeburg Motoplex; Ed Salley, (803) 664-2942, Orangeburgmotoplex.com April 18: tt, Orangeburg, S.C.: Orangeburg Motoplex; Ed Salley, (803) 664-2942, Orangeburgmotoplex.com June 26: Short track, harpursville, N.Y.: Square Deal Motorcycle Club; Don Miller, (607) 725-3069, Squaredealriders.com July 9: half-Mile, Ashland, Ohio: AMA Racing; Ken Saillant, (614) 856-1900, AMARacing.Com July 24: Mile, Du Quoin, ill.: AMA Racing ; Ken Saillant, (614) 856-1900, AMARacing.com July 25: half-Mile, Du Quoin, ill.: AMA Racing ; Ken Saillant, (614) 856-1900, AMARacing.com Sept. 11: half-Mile, Waco, texas: Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club; (254) 875-9955 Sept. 12: half-Mile, Waco, texas: Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club; (254) 875-9955 AMA pRO-AM MOtOCROSS SChEDulE AMARACING.COM March 8-13: Whitney, texas: Bama Cycle Park; (817) 270-1814, LakeWhitneyMX.com March 21: Blacksburg, S.C.: Victory Sports; (423) 323-5497, VictorySportsRacing.com March 28: Shippensburg, pa.: Doublin Gap MX; (717) 249-6036, DoublinGap.com April 11: Sanford, N.C.: Devils Ridge Motocross; (919) 776-1767, DevilsRidgeMotoX.com April 18: pell City, Ala: RPM Sports; (205) 6998857, MillCreekMotocross.com April 25: Whitney, texas: RPM Sports; (817) 2701814, MillCreekMotocross.com April 25: Shippensburg, pa.: Doublin Gap; (717) 249-6036, DoublinGapMX.com May 2: Blountville, tenn.: Victory Sports; (423) 323-5497, VictorySportsRacing.com May 9: Walnut, ill.: 4P Promotions Inc.; (815) 379-9534, SunsetRidgeMX.com May 9: Richford, N.Y.: Broome-Tioga Sports Center; (607) 849-4438, Broome-Tioga.com May 16: london, ky.: Victory Sports; (423) 3235486, DanielBooneMX.net May 16: Delmont, pa.: Bellco; (304) 284-0080, RacerProductions.com May 21: Sacramento, Calif.: Dirt Diggers North MC; (800) 426-4869, info@hangtown.com, HangtownMX.com May 23: Bloomingdale, Mich.: Dutch Sport Park; (269) 521-7800, dspmx@msn.com, DutchSportParkMX.com May 30: Athelstane, Wis.: Pine Ridge Raceway; (715) 856-6612, PineRidgeRaceway.com May 31: Brush. Colo.: Sweney Cycle Park; (970) 768-0518, SweneyCyclePark.com June 5-6: hesperia, Calif.: Competitive Edge; (909) 456-1070, RideCEMX.com June 6: Wortham, texas: Freestone County Raceway; (713) 880-5533, FreestoneMX.com June 6: Richford, N.Y.: Broome-Tioga Sports Center; (607) 849-4438, Broome-Tioga.com June 13: Mt. Morris, pa.: Racer Productions; (304) 284-0800, RacerProductions.com June 20: Mt. Carroll, ill.: MC Motopark; (815) 238-1614, reidabook@centurytel.net, MCMotoPark.com July 4: Buchanan, Mich.: Red Bud Recreation;

(269) 695-6405, RedBudMX.com July 11: kingsbury, ind.: Motoland, (219) 9886686, Motoland.com July 11: Blountville, tenn.: Victory Sports; (423) 323-5497, VictorySportsRacing.com July 25: Washougal, Wash.: Washougal MX Park; (360) 837-3975, WashougalMXpk.com Aug. 2-7: hurricane Mills, tenn.: MX Sports; (304) 284-0084, MXSports.com Aug. 13-16, New Berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla Valley Sports Center; (607) 965-8784, UnadillaMX.com Aug. 22: Armaugh, pa.: Pleasure Valley Raceway; (814) 695-2453 Aug. 29: Millville, Minn.: Spring Creek MX Park; (507) 753-2779, SpringCreekMX.com Sept. 4-6: Millington, Mich.: Baja MX; (989) 8713356, BajaMX.com Sept. 5: Delmont, pa.: Bellco; (304) 284-0080 Sept. 5: Athelstane, Wis. Pine Ridge Raceway; (715) 856-6612, PineRidgeRaceway.com Sept. 19: prentiss, Miss.: Golden Pine Raceway; (601) 506-8669, GoldenPineRaceway.com Sept. 19: Richford, N.Y.: Broome-Tioga Sports Center; (607) 849-4438, Broome-Tioga.com Sept. 26: Canton, texas: Kingdom Motorsports; (214) 939-4321, BuffaloCreekMX.com Oct. 2-3: Englishtown, N.J.: Raceway Park; (732) 446-7800, RacewayPark.com Oct. 3: gaylord, Mich: Baja MX; (989) 871-3356, BajaMX.com Oct. 10: Mason, ill.: Crossroads MX; (618) 6862769, CrossroadsMX.com Oct. 16-17: Blountville, tenn.: Victory Sports; (423) 323-5497, VictorySportsRacing.com Nov. 6-7: pell City, Ala.: RPM Sports; (205) 6998857, MillCreekMotocross.com Nov. 22-24: gainesville, Fla.: Unlimited Sports MX; (813) 470-7498, UnlimitedSportsMX.com AMA BMW NAtiONAl ADVENtuRE RiDiNg SERiES AMADIReCtLINk.COM/ROADRIDe/ADV/ Apr 17-18: Bybee, tenn.: JB SAKI Promotions, John Strange; jbsaki@gmail.com May 1-2: Buck Meadows, Calif.: Family Off Road Adventures, Lawrence Borgens; FamilyOffroadAdventures.com May 22-23: Zaleski, Ohio: Buckeye Dualsporters, BillKaeppner; Kaeppnerswoods. com June 5-6: Bixby, Mo.: Midwest Trail Riders Assn., Robert Kaufman; RideMTRA.org June 5-6: Custer, Mich.: Great Lakes Dual Sporters, Jeramey Valley; www.goldsmc.com June 5-6: lock haven, pa.: Durty Dabbers, Nils Mantzoros; Durtydabbers.com June 12-13: Wabeno, Wis.: Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, Duane Baer; WIDualsportRiders. org June 12-13: McCloud, Calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adventures, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com June 19-22: Fairbanks, Alaska: Aerostich Tours, Roger Pattison; AerostichTours.com July 10-11: McCloud, Calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adventures, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com Aug. 7-8: hancock, N.Y.: Bear Creek Sportsmen, Linda Rizzon; (973) 953-6308, BearCreekSportsmen.com Aug. 21-22: McCloud, Calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adventures, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com Aug. 21-22: Columbus, ind.: Stoney Lonesome MC, Nathan Gaskill; Stoneylonesomemc.com Aug. 23-27: North Cascades, Wash.: Sound Rider!, Tom Mehren; Soundrider.com/dsport Sept. 11-12: Cadiz, ky.: KT Riders, Jesse Thomas; ginny42211@yahoo.com Sept. 11-12: logan, Ohio: Nutcracker 200,

2010 RAFFLE BIKES

Buckeye Dual Sporters, Bill Kaeppner; kaeppners@verizon.net, Kaeppnerswoods.com Sept. 18-19: McCloud, Calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adventures, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com Sept. 18-19: Diamond Lake, Ore.: Motorcycle Riders Association, Jeff Moffett; (541) 773-7433, MotorcycleRidersAssociation.org Sept. 18-19: Morgantown, N.C.: JB Saki Promotions; (704) 483-6833, millerron@ bellsouth.net Sept. 25-26: Wolverine, Mich.: Great Lakes Dual Sporters, Jeramey Valley; GLDSmc.org Sept. 25-26: Wabeno, Wis.: Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, Duane Baer; WIDualsportriders. org Oct. 2-3: Refro Valley, Ky.: 4-Fun Trail Riders, Vicky Stephenson; 4FunTrailRiders.com Oct. 9-10: McCloud, Calif.: McCloud Dual Sport Adventures, Mike Lingsch; McCloudDualsportAdventures.com Oct. 23-24: Chatsworth, N.J.: Meteor MC, Mike Reign; MeteorMC.com Oct. 23-24: Prescott, Ariz.: Arizona Trail Riders, Frank Staley; ArizonaTrailRiders.org

Sept. 25-26: Wolverine, Mich.: Ted’s Chandler Hill Challenge, Great Lakes Dual Sporters, Jeramey Valley, (989) 751-6863; info@gldsmc. org; GLDSmc.org Sept. 25-26: Wabeno, Wis.: Big Woods 200, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, Duane Baer, (920) 350-2030; bigwoods200@hotmail.com; WIDualsportriders.org Oct. 2-3: Mt. Solon, Va.: Shenandoah 500 Dual Sport, Northern VA Trail Riders, Detter Merz; (703) 505-9123, NVTR.org Oct. 9-10: McArthur, Ohio: Baby Burr Nat’l Dual Sport, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, Enduro Riders Assoc., Steve Barber, (614) 5827821; sbarber@att.net; EnduroRiders.com

Nov. 26-27: Palmdale, Calif.: L.A.-Barstow to Vegas: AMA D-37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 792-7384, District37AMA.org

AMA KTM NATiONAL DuAL-SPORT TRAiL RiDiNg SERiES AMADirectLink.coM/roADriDe/DS/

AMA PREMiER TOuRiNg SERiES AMADIRECTLINK.COM/ROADRIDE/TOURING

May 1-2: Renfro Valley, Ky.: Renfro Valley Dual Sport Ride, 4Fun Trail Riders, Vicky Stephenson, (859) 363-8332; rvstephenson53@fuse.net, 4FunTrailRiders.com

June 11-13: Lake george, N.Y.: Americade & TourExpo – AMA 2010 Grand National Rally: Bill Dutcher, (518) 798-7888, TourExpo.com

June 5-6: Lock Haven, Penn.: Durty Dabbers Nat’l Dual Sport, Durty Dabbers, Nils Mantzoros, (570) 748-9456; DurtyDabbers.com June 12-13: Wabeno, Wis.: Ride for Research, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, Duane Baer, (920) 350-2030; bigwoods200@hotmail.com; WIDualsportRiders.org June 19-20: Bend, Ore.: China Hat Dual Sport National, Lobos MC, Billy Toman, (503) 6565801; n7wxd@aol.com; Lobosmc.com July 24-31: Newberry, Mich.: 26th Annual Six Days of Michigan, Cycle Conservation Club of Mich., Lewis Schuler, (517) 781-4805; ccckids@ verizon.net, CycleConservationClub.org Aug. 7-8: Hancock, N.Y.: Bear Creek Sportsmen, Linda Rizzon; (973) 953-6308, BearCreekSportsmen.com Aug. 21-22: Columbus, ind.: Buffaloe 500 D/S Adventure Ride, Stoney Lonesome MC, Nathan Gaskill, (812) 343-9772; ngaskill3@yahoo.com; StoneyLonesomemc.com/DualSport/index.html. Sept. 11-12: Cadiz, Ky.: LBL 200, KT Riders, Jesse Thomas, (270) 522-3703; ginny42211@ yahoo.com Sept. 11-12: Logan, Ohio: Nutcracker 200, Buckeye Dual Sporters, Bill Kaeppner; (740) 380-3050, KaeppnersWoods.com Sept. 18-19: Sterling, ill.: Cow Patty Cruise, Brushpoppers MC, Jack Sumption, (815) 622-4099; tgerken@wireless.essex1.com, BrushPoppersmc.com Sept. 25-26: Buck Meadows, Calif.: Yosemite Dual Sport Adventure, Family Off Road Adventures, Lawrence Borgens, (209) 6493633; lawrence@familyoffroadadventures.com, FamilyOffroadAdventures.com

HONDA CUB C100

Oct. 23-24: Prescott, Ariz.: Arizona Trail Riders, Frank Staley, (623) 826-1092; ArizonaTrailriders.org

Nov. 26-27: Palmdale, Calif.: L.A.-Barstow to Vegas: AMA D-37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 792-7384, District37AMA.org

June 5-6: Custer, Mich.: Whiskey Creek Classic, Great Lakes Dual Sporters, Jeramey Valley, (989) 751-6863; ridemtra@hotmail.com; GLDSmc.org, RideMTRA.com

a 1965

Oct. 23-24: Study Butte, Texas: 13th Annual Terlingua Nat’l Dual Sport Ride, Trail Riders of Houston, Jack Jennings, (713) 248-7222; captjack530@aol.com; TRH-cycle.org

Nov. 6-7: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Hammer Run, Tri-County Sportsmen, E. Polhaumus, (856) 7852754; mdreighn@msn.com; TeamHammer.org

June 5-6: Bixby, Mo.: Show Me 200, Midwest Trail Riders Assoc., Robert Kaufman, (314) 4345095; ridemtra@hotmail.com; RideMTRA.com

WIN:

Oct. 23-24: Chatsworth, N.J.: Meteor Ride in the Pines, Meteor MC, Mike Reign, (856) 2878170; sbarber@att.net; Meteormc.com

Nov. 6-7: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Tri-County Sportsmen, E. Polhaumus; TeamHammer.org

May 22-23: Zaleski, Ohio: Hanging Rock 200, Buckeye Dualsporters, Bill Kaeppner, (740) 380-3050; kaeppners@verizon.net; Kaeppnerswoods.com

ENTER TO

NATiONAL CONVENTiONS

HONDA & CB750 FOUR a 1969

Sept. 15-19: Ruidoso, N.M.: Golden Aspen Rally: Golden Aspen Motorcycle Assn; Patric Pearson, (800) 452-8045, Motorcyclerally.com NATiONAL gYPSY TOuR Jun 12-20: Laconia, NH: Laconia Motorcycle Week: Laconia Motorcycle Week Assn; Charlie St. Clair, (603) 366-2000, LaconiaMCWeek.com SigNATuRE EVENTS April 18: Jacksonville, Fla.: Northeast Florida Ride For Kids: Registration 8-9:45 a.m., Florida State College; PBTUS.org/rideforkids April 18: San Bernardino, Calif: Southern CA Ride For Kids – Dual Sport Ride: Registration 8-9:45 a.m., Glen Helen Raceway Park; PBTUS. org/rideforkids April 25: Humble, Texas: Ride For Kids: Registration 8-9:45 a.m., Humble Civic Center; PBTUS.org/rideforkids

1965 HONDA CUB C100

May 20-23: Ruidoso, N.M.: Aspencash: Patric Pearson, (800)452-8045, Motorcyclerally.com

1969 HONDA CB750 FOUR

All original, never sold or titled, with 1 mile on the odometer. Restored by Vic World of World Motorcycles.

July 28-31: Stevenson, Wash.: Sportbike Northwest: Sound Rider!; Tom Mehren, (206) 3297808, SoundRider.com/rally/ AMA gRAND TOuRS WiTH KOA ALONg THE WAY April 1- Nov. 30: USA 4 Corners Tour: So. CA Motorcycling Assoc; David L. Johnson, (909) 2710137, USA4Corners.org April 1- Nov. 30: Call of the Wild Grand Tour: Midnight Riders; Charles Kirkman, (765) 5663807, Midnight-Riders-MC.com April 14- Sept. 15: Titanic Grand Tour: Great Lakes Motorcycle Club; Lee Bruns, motopsycho@ wat.midco.net; GLMC.org/grand-tour.html DiSTRiCT RALLiES AND TOuRS June 19: Kingston, idaho: D-24 Tour – Gyro Daze Run: Hi-Rollers MC; Ed Harris, (509) 3267154, Community.Spokane.net Aug. 29: Dallas, Pa.: D-6 Tour – Endless Mountain District Tour: Back Mountain Enduro Riders; Marty Moon, (570) 675-1814, BMER.org Sept. 4-6: groveland, Calif.: D-36 Rally – Hey Day Rally: Dist 36 Road Div.; Kay Neelyl, (209) 983-9106, AMA-D-36.com

$5 donation per entry, ﬁve entries for $20. More information: (614) 856-2222 WWW.MOTORCYCLEMUSEUM.ORG ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME MUSEUM a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to preserving the history of motorcycling. AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA, MASTERCARD or DISCOVER accepted or call and reserve your ticket and pay by check or money order. The drawing will be held during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days 2010. The winner need not be present at the time of the drawing. Rules for this rafﬂe are available wherever tickets are available or by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

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ADVERTISER INDEX Adaptiv............................................................................56 Adventure.New.Zealand..................................................57 Aero.Design.....................................................................56 Allstate...............................................................................5 AMA.BMW.Adventure.Series..........................................54 AMA.KTM.DS.Series.........................................................8 AMA.Member..................................................................25 AMA.Vintage.Motorcycle.Days..........................................2 Americade.......................................................................29 AMSOIL...........................................................................28 Best.Rest.Products.........................................................57 Bike.Bandit......................................................................59

Black.&.Gray....................................................................56. Black.Book......................................................................56 BMW..................................................................................3 Bohn.Body.Armor............................................................56 F2P.Technologies............................................................19 Fed.Co.............................................................................31 Foremost.Insurance.........................................................23 Geico...............................................................................60 GripSwell.Gloves.............................................................57 AMA.Hall.of.Fame. Rafﬂe.Bikes.....................................................................55 Harley-Davidson................................................................9

JC.Motors........................................................................33 Kriega..............................................................................33 Motorcycle.Park.. Reverse.Wheels...............................................................57 Motorcycle.Tour.Conversions..........................................56 Port.O’Chopper...............................................................56 Powerlet..........................................................................57 Progressive.Insurance.....................................................13 Rally.In.The.Gorge...........................................................57 Ronnie’s.Mail.Order.........................................................19 Soundrider.......................................................................56 Super-Visor......................................................................57

April.2010...

Bridging The Generation Gap

All It Takes Is The Right Triumph By Todd Quellhorst Some say that riding is all about the open air and freedom. Others swear it is about never having to look back on your regrets. Well, I thought the same way when I was young and foolish. Now, as a father, my values have changed. My love for riding, however, is as strong as ever. I began riding my first motorcycle in 1972 at the age of 13. For me, riding was a way to leave all the stress of life behind and discover something new. When I had saved up enough money, I bought my first motorcycle, a 1973 750 Triumph Tiger. With its electric blue paint, chrome exhaust pipes and a sound all its own, I was proud to ride! And did I ride. Within the first year, I had put more than 3,800 miles on it and had seen much of America. Love is unpredictable, and soon enough I married a woman who became my wonderful wife of 22 years. We have experienced so many great memories traveling the road together. Life seemed perfect on that bike of mine, but times change and I wanted something with a little more power. So in 1988, I bought a Harley-Davidson Tour Glide. I was enjoying my married life and just living every day to the fullest. Soon, however, I wanted more. I wanted a family. In 1990, my first daughter, Brea, was born. I had so many plans for both of us: hunting, fishing and riding together. However, her mother had dancing and tea parties envisioned for her future. With this being our first child, we really didn’t know how to allow Brea to grow up without feeling pressured into doing anything she didn’t want to do. As it turns out, she has grown up to take after both of us. Brea did choir and dance during her high school years, but always found time during the weekends to go hunting with me. Riding the motorcycle has always been a part of her life, as well. There are pictures of me holding her on my Harley when she was just 3 months old. Brea has always shared the love of riding with me and begged me to let her have the Triumph, which I still had in perfect condition. So, when she got her learner’s permit at 15, she started out riding it. I began on this Triumph, and now she can, too. Practicing on it around the yard, I would hear the shifter grind and the brakes lock, but I never said too much. She needed to learn somehow. Brea finally turned 16, and took her motorcycle test on my 1973 Triumph! She passed with flying colors, even with the shifter being on the right side. Now, I get to ride with my daughter at my side and couldn’t be happier.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com

Teaching her the mechanics and rules of the road has brought us closer over the years. Being able to pass down this motorcycle to my daughter has been one of the most rewarding moments of my life. I know that we will always be able to share this one thing, even as she continues to grow up and live her own life. Riding will always be something we can share. Todd Quellhorst is an AMA Life Member in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Photo Avalon Photography

Guest Column

We love to ride as much as you do. At BikeBandit.com, we think our staff should know what they’re talking about. So we don’t just hire order takers, we hire riders. Riders like Brandon, who’s earned multiple certiﬁcations from the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute. It’s one more way we make sure you get the right part on time ... every time. 70,000 customers a day choose BikeBandit.com for parts and accessories. Log on or call us today to ﬁnd out why.

Brandon is a Senior Sales Rep at BikeBandit.com. He rides a 2004 Yamaha FZ1.

Get it Fast. Get it Right. Get Riding. “Whether you’re looking for an OEM par t or an after-market solution, we can get it to you faster than anyone.” – Bandit, Director of Rapid Retrieval

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