Editorial Director Mitch Boehm on a fortunate encounter with the law
10 ISDE INSIDER
ISDE-veteran Rachel Gutish on the EnduroGP
12 BACK IN THE DAY
Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!
16 STARS ‘N’ STRIPES SNAG SILVER
A resilient Team USA rides to a gritty second-place finish at 2024 Motocross of Nations
20
MEES REACHES MOUNTAINTOP
Jared Mees and Kody Kopp make history at AFT finale
22 AMA BOARD ELECTION
Voting for North Central region board position opens Dec. 16
24 COVER STORY: HALL OF FAME 2024
The latest class of legends were welcomed into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
32 THE 2010s AND BEYOND
The developments of the last decade and a half for the AMA and motorcycling
44 ALASKA AND BACK…ALMOST
Traversing the continental U.S. from its southernmost to northernmost point and back
58 EVENT CALENDAR
AMA-sanctioned rides, races and events
62 AMA GARAGE
Tips, tweaks, fixes and facts: The motorcycle ownership experience, explained
ON THE COVER:
In another installment of one of motorcycling’s grandest evenings, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2024 — composed of Mike Lafferty, Debbie Matthews, Mat Mladin, Rob Rasor and Kevin Windham — was celebrated at the annual induction ceremony, which kicked off the AMA Hall of Fame Days celebration. Read all about this year’s class and celebration.
MAXIMUM PROTECTION
EDITORIAL
Mitch Boehm Editorial Director
Todd Westover Chief Creative Consultant
Keaton Maisano Managing Editor
Kerry Hardin Senior Graphic Designer
John Burns Contributing Editor
Aaron Frank Contributing Editor
Contact the Editorial Team at: submissions@ama-cycle.org
Michael Kula Business Development Manager (949) 466-7833, mkula@ama-cycle.org
Alex Boehm Sales and Events Specialist (614) 729-7949, aboehm@ama-cycle.org
All trademarks used herein (unless otherwise noted) are owned by the AMA and may only be used with the express, written permission of the AMA.
American Motorcyclist is the monthly publication of the American Motorcyclist Association, which represents motorcyclists nationwide. For information on AMA membership benefits, call (800) AMA-JOIN or visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Manuscripts, photos, drawings and other editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage. No responsibility is assumed for loss or damage to unsolicited material.
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MEMBER SERVICES
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS
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MONTHLY DRAWINGS
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QUARTERLY DRAWINGS
To start, let’s just say I’ve had a pretty one-sided history when it comes to speeding and the inevitable financial “contributions” and insurance-premium “upgrades” that come with breaking our purposely-low velocity-limit laws — which to me mostly exist to generate revenue and satisfy insurance lobbying groups. But I could be wrong. I hear about folks getting warnings — and being let off scot-free — all the time, but over the years I’ve seemed unable to generate that same sort of luck or sympathy.
And I’ve had some doozies. One juicy example happened back in the ’90s during an open-class GT magazine shootout, where four or five of us, thinking we had a deserted weekday backroad completely to ourselves, blew past a hidden California Highway Patrol officer at about 90 mph. The guy finally caught up to us a mile or two later when we slowed to 35 mph entering a village, but boy was he pissed...and boy was that one expensive.
So when I spied those sickeningly familiar flashing lights in my mirrors a while back during a, shall we say, spirited run down a local ski-canyon road not far from my home, I resigned myself to the fact that things were gonna be ugly. Potentially really ugly, too, because not only was I busted at an easy 80 or 90 mph in a 40-mph zone, I ventured over the double yellow and passed a few slow-movers in the process. Can you say, “reckless driving?” Sure you can. It wasn’t like I’d been riding too fast up to that point in the ride, either. I’d just gotten back from an AMA Alps Challenge tour, had just picked up my streetbike after a full service and some suspension work, had zipped up Little Cottonwood Canyon to see how she worked, and was taking things easy.
PERSPECTIVES
EVENING THE SCORE
BY MITCH BOEHM
But on the way down from Snowbird and Alta ski areas, and just as I’d entered a stretch called the Seven Sisters, which features seven really fast, mild bends and the ability to see if any cars or bikes were coming from the opposite direction (none were), I goosed the 130-horse Ducati hard for the first time that afternoon and blew past a few cars that had bunched up ahead of me.
The bike felt great whipping through those seven corners at serious speed, and as I luxuriated in those satisfying G-forces, I about sh@t myself when
few minutes later, he surprised the hell out of me. “Mr. Boehm,” he said, “you live at the bottom of the canyon, and you have a clean record. Give me a reason or two why I shouldn’t write you for reckless driving and maybe even impound your motorcycle?”
Oh, boy. I was stunned, but I obliged him, telling him of my involvement in the industry over the decades (true), my work at several magazines writing about riding technique and safety strategies (true), the road racing and performance-riding training I’d done (true), the fact that I’d just gotten the bike back from
when I spied those sickeningly familiar flashing lights in my mirrors, I resigned myself to the fact that things were gonna be ugly. Potentially really ugly.
I spied the flashing lights 200 yards behind me. Whaaaaaa? Where the hell did they come from?
I pulled over as soon as it was safe and, once stopped, ratcheted back my modular helmet so the officer would see my grey goatee and understand that I wasn’t some adrenaline-crazed kid…which I still sorta was, but he didn’t need to know that. Still, saltand-pepper hair and my senior-citizen looks notwithstanding, I figured I was toast, and might even get my bike towed…but I had to play every getout-of-jail card I had.
The officer was a plain-clothed Alta town marshal in his late 30s or early 40s, and he was as friendly as could be when asking for my license, registration and insurance info. While he checked me out in his SUV’s computer, a Salt Lake County sheriff pulled up behind him, and I remember thinking, “Great, here’s his back-up for the arrest.”
But when Mr. Marshal returned a
the shop (true), and that I almost never, ever rode this fast on the street, and almost always saved it for the racetrack. OK, so maybe I fudged those last two a little, but hey, I was scrambling for a bit of luck…or sympathy.
In the end, it all worked. Mr. Marshal let me off with a warning, and while he told me that my transgressions were in the computer (and that if I got sideways again up here they’d throw the book at me), I felt pretty lucky.
The great Hunter S. Thompson once said that luck “is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it.” Not sure how well I was balancing, but it’s nice when good and bad luck even out a bit.
Here’s to some good fortune for all of you in the coming riding season.
Mitch Boehm is the Editorial Director of the AMA and a long-time member.
Riding through the mountains of France, one thought kept running though my brain on repeat: This is what I came for.
The final round of EnduroGP in Brioude may have been the best enduro I’ve ever ridden. Hero dirt, difficult transfer, epic tests, crazy fans, beautiful views and close racing. Even if I hadn’t won both days, I still would have left content.
We’ll get this part out of the way first: No, I didn’t win the World Championship. A mechanical issue in Portugal and a self-inflicted DNF in Italy saw to that. We had some success, though, including three wins, more than any other American. Three times the Star Spangled Banner rang out in a place where it’s rarely heard. I ended up second overall in the series.
I’ve raced professionally for 13 years now, and it’s been wonderful. EnduroCross, ISDE, U.S. Sprint Enduro, GNCC, National Enduro, Hard Enduro, X Games, the local Wednesday night motocross, and I love it all. That’s why back home in the United States I typically do 30-plus races a year, because a single discipline has never been enough to satisfy my greedy heart.
If I never again heard the “tennnnnn seconds” call at a GNCC, I’d miss the flash and the show, racing headto-head with some of the best in the world. If I quit EnduroCross, I’d dream of long-lost log matrixes. What is life without occasionally looping your bike out on a Hard Enduro hill that wasn’t made for mere mortals to climb?
NEPG single track is a small slice of heaven; I can’t imagine giving any of it up.
But that’s why EnduroGP has so thoroughly captured my heart — it
ISDE INSIDER
ENDURO GP: EVERYTHING, ALL AT ONCE
BY RACHEL GUTISH
The
is everything, all at once. The Friday-night EnduroCross Supertest. The seven hours of endurance on the bike. Transfers with sections that would make your average B rider cry. Enduro tests that remind me of our NEPGs and GNCCs back home. And the teeth-gritting, white-knuckled thrill of the Cross Test, flying across a grass field and drifting through the corners as fast as you can go.
If I could only ride this series, my heart would be satisfied. This season I was often over 4,000 miles from home, but I discovered where I was meant to be. All my years of experience, everything about my career… now I feel like it was to prepare me for this series. After 13 years, I have come home.
No, I didn’t win the title, and there still hasn’t been an American champion in this format. But no worries, I have a plan to change that. (Wink, wink.) Even if I don’t succeed, though, that’s not the point, or at least not all of it.
I’m an X Games medalist and multi-time national and world champion, with over 150 pro podiums to my
name. Fun to say, sure, but looking back on my life and career, those aren’t the stories I tell.
For EnduroGP 2024, it won’t be those three victories I’ll talk about the most. It was the time my hammock and I fell on my dad in the middle of the night at a rest stop in Switzerland. It was going to the afterparty in Wales and singing along with a crowd of foreigners at the top of my lungs to Mr. Brightside. It was getting lost mid-transfer in the middle of an open-air fruit market and allllmost stopping to buy an incredible-looking plum. It was feeding off the energy of the crowd at the Supertest in Italy, throwing a no-footer off the last log, because I knew I’d won it and hey, you only live once. Walking five miles in a driving rainstorm, laughing with my teammate about my fingers going numb.
Riding along streets that predate my country by 300 years, up Portuguese mountains, Italian hayfields, Welsh hedgerows and French forests. Pulling the podium champagne cork with my teeth. Making jokes with my French rowmate, language barrier be damned. Eating a four-course lunch cooked by a real Italian “nonna” with one of my sponsors and his family. Shaking hands with the other women of EnduroGP after a long seven hours on the bike. The friends, new and old. The places I saw and the experiences I had…
No. I didn’t win the championship. But for me, it’s always been about the ride… So when people ask me, “How was your season of EnduroGP?” I smile, thinking about my adventures, and answer, “I got what I came for.”
Rachel Gutish is an AMA GNCC racer and has represented team USA at the ISDE eight times.
author, celebrating a hard-fought EnduroGP win in France with a highly carbonated bubbly.
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Irwin, Zero t Ambassador, British Superbikes Star and the most
BACK IN THE DAY
Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!
According to family lore, this was about 10 seconds into my very first solo ride, at age 5. My uncle had been sitting on the back and steering, then he told me to take the bars and the throttle. Next thing I knew, he had stood up and slipped off the back of the bike while it was moving, and I came on around the side of the house wide open in second gear. It must have been planned, given that the cameraman was waiting. It took them a solid 20 minutes to get me to stop again. Changed my life forever.
Paul Cooper
We know that feeling, Paul. Gotta love the look on your face, too! Classic! — Ed.
That’s me riding a 200cc Bultaco at a hillclimb event in Damascus, Md. I had the second-fastest time that day in the 200 Expert class.
Tom Cole
5My future bride grabbing some air on a Honda 90...who knew they could fly? Unfortunately, she didn’t stick the landing, which probably explains why she married me. Sorry for the crappy picture quality…it was taken just after they stopped chipping pictures into rock.
Robert Southard
5Here’s a photo of me and my neighbor friend at 10 years old back in 1973. We had identical 1972 Suzuki Trailhopper 50s.
Steve Smith
5I bought my first bike (a 1953 Indian 250) in high school. (That’s me kick starting my new 1966 BSA Lightning shortly after getting married in September 1966.) Mom and Dad said, “No motorcycles,” but me being me, my best friend and I brought the Indian home one Saturday in my dad’s pickup and proudly unloaded it before going into the house to eat lunch while Mom and Dad checked out my new possession. Mom was not happy, and Dad seemed to be backing her up, but five minutes later we hear the old Indian fire up, and when I ran outside, I saw Mom standing in the road and Dad almost out of sight. I had no clue Dad had ridden Indians and Harleys years earlier. When my parents married, my dad agreed motorcycles would not ever be part of his life again. Until my mom passed away at 99 years old, she always asked if I was going to shave and sell my motorcycles. I have had many bikes in my life, and the CVO Trike pictured (that’s me and my wife) is our 16th Harley, and it has allowed her and me to continue riding with our friends in our HOG club. Buell Ruch
4My husband Eddie (at 12 years old) proudly posing before a race on his 1975 Hodaka Dirt Squirt. He was heading to line up for a parade lap at a local hare scramble hosted by the Delaware Enduro Riders. Unfortunately, his brand-new Hodaka didn’t look so good afterward due to the stock 36-inch-wide handlebars not fitting between trees. Multiple aggressive riders proceeded to run over the little thing, leaving it not-so-shiny and new. A lesson was learned: Chop the bars down if you’re going to race. One particularly zealous rider on an Elsinore 125 busted his crankcase as he skipped off the Hodaka’s mighty steel footpeg. My husband tried to alert the rider to
the oil coming out of the bottom of his engine, but the guy charged off, ignorant of impending doom. This was all on the parade lap!
Amy Warrington
Sounds like things could only get better from there, Amy. —Ed.
5Back in the early ’70s my brother Doug and I bought a Hodaka trail bike together, and very soon after we bought a Super Rat, as we needed two bikes so we could ride together. Our mom would fix us lunch and snacks so we could ride all day out at an abandoned coal strip-mine. Of course, trail riding eventually progressed to MX and hare scrambles. This is a picture of us in 1978 at a local racetrack built on that same strip mine land we used to ride on. The love of dirt bikes morphed into a love for street bikes and bike trips. Funny thing is, as we got older things came full circle, leading us back to trail bikes. We had so many great experiences over the years on two wheels. Dave Opie
4This photo from 1974 shows me at 19 years old, fresh from riding the power and gas lines around my grandfather’s farm in Bolton, Conn. This Yamaha DT250 was my first full-sized bike. I rode it on the street to get my motorcycle license and then stripped it down for the trails. I have been a lifelong dirt and street rider, and currently ride mostly street now. I own a 1982 Honda CB900F, a 1982 Honda CB750SC and a 2014 Triumph T100. Sixty-eight years young, still going strong, and still enjoy restoring and riding motorcycles. Russ Barbero
BACK IN THE DAY
5Sometime early in 1967 I went on leave from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., took a bus back to my home in New Jersey, and drove my box stock 1966 Honda CB450 back to Biloxi. This is a photo of me on one of the many Mississippi highways we used to ride. Later, I got a job at Gene Morrison’s Triumph Sales and Service and customized my bike into a Café Racer, which I still have. After Hurricane Camille in 1969, I moved back to New Jersey, and every winter I would take the bike completely apart and put it back together again with custom items like Akront alloy rims, Bates road racing leather seat, Honda CB77 Super Hawk rear-sets, CR72 megaphones, and the new CB450 bottom end with the five-speed transmission and higher output alternator. Later, it got a new cylinder head with the larger valves, hotter cams and higher compression pistons. At that point, the only stock parts were the brake drums and backing plates, spokes and cylinders. Bill Walter
The photo is of my wife and I at a road race in Indianapolis in 1972 with my ’71 Bridgestone 350. I bought it new when I got back from Vietnam in December of 1971. We were married in August of 1972, and we have been married for more than a half-century. She has been riding her own bike since she was 16 years old, and she’s been my riding partner since we got married. Steve Kruger
5This is me on my ’71 Kawasaki 100 Enduro two-stroke. Not long after getting it as a gift from my parents, I stripped the lights, pulled the baffles, added a stinger, polished the ports, modified the rotary valve, and added a bigger carb and 21-inch front wheel. I kept trying to beat my buddy’s Harley-Davidson Baja 100 in a drag race, but never could do it. Boy, how we trespassed in those old strip mine pits to have some fun. (Couldn’t be done today.) My current rides are a 2012 BMW R1200GS and 2013 KTM 300 XCW. My form was much better back in the day. Now, the KTM is often on its side if not on top of me. Ride on! Dave Bambeck
5After retiring from the U.S. Postal Service, I was looking to cross stuff off my bucket list, and my dream was to ride “the Dragon” with my wife and two adult sons. We recently moved from Connecticut to South Carolina, about three hours away from the Dragon. Jane, my wife of over 50 years, and my sons Craig and Bryan decided to tackle the feat with me. Being loyal to Triumph from my early riding days, we chose to give the new Hinckley bikes a shot. Here’s a picture of us prior to departure with a yellow Daytona, pink (Barbie) Speed Triple, Lucifer orange Sprint RS and red Sprint ST. Joe Acampora
Introduced in 1969, Kawasaki’s 500cc two-stroke H1 Mach III spun the big-streetbike world on its axis. It was a straight shot of raw, unadulterated performance — a light, loud, smoky and fast two-wheeled hot rod, and the undisputed dragstrip and stoplight-to-stoplight king of its day.
The H1 established its legend status almost instantly, and remains one of the most coveted and collectable Japanese motorcycles in history.
And you can own it by participating in the AMA’s 100th Anniversary Raffle!
Get your tickets — $10 per, or 5 for $40.
up to speed
News, notes, insight and more from the motorcycling universe
STARS ‘N’ STRIPES SNAG MXoN SILVER
Team USA grabs second at 2024 FIM Motocross of Nations, but not without some pre-event craziness
BY JACK EMERSON PHOTOS BY RAY ARCHER
espite several last-minute lineup changes, Team USA — the winningest nation in FIM Motocross of Nations history — arrived in the United Kingdom with lofty goals following a 2023 showing that netted the nation eighth place in France.
D“Podium is okay, but winning is the only thing that really matters,” Eli Tomac said during the event’s press day. “You don’t go home happy unless you win.”
When the dust settled at Matterley Basin in Winchester, U.K., however, Team USA fell just short of going home happy, as the U.S. took runner-up honors behind first-time
champion Team Australia led by 2024 AMA Supercross 450SX champion Jett Lawrence. The Netherlands rounded out the podium with a thirdplace finish.
Announced in late August, Team USA was originally composed of Chase Sexton, Chance Hymas and Aaron Plessinger. Due to injury and unforeseen circumstances, only Plessinger remained from the original team, with Tomac and Cooper Webb filling out the new-look roster that was able to muster up a silver-worthy performance.
The trio of American riders — led by team manager, five-time world motocross champion and AMA Motorcycle
Hall of Famer Roger DeCoster — came up just three points shy of 2024 FIM Motocross of Nations champion Australia.
“This was a unique year for our Motocross of Nations team, as we battled injury and hardship even before arriving in the United Kingdom,” AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier said. “Although we came up just short, we are grateful to Eli, Aaron and Cooper
“This was a unique year for our Motocross of Nations team, as we battled injury and hardship even before arriving in the United Kingdom”
AMA DIRECTOR OF RACING MIKE PELLETIER
for their efforts. They represented their country to the fullest and rode with great pride. We look forward to building on this result next year.”
In the MXGP Class, Tomac (2-3), who filled in for the Sexton, battled his way to a second-place finish — trailing only Slovenia’s Tim Gajser, who claimed victory in both motos.
Webb — who replaced Hymas — fought his way to a fifth-place finish in the MX2 Class, going 17-9 in motos. Dutch racer Kay De Wolf took the class win while going 6-5 in motos.
After going 7-8 in motos, Plessinger claimed fourth place in the Open Class, while Jett Lawrence raced his way to first place thanks to a 1-2 performance in motos.
Team USA will have a chance at redemption at the 2025 FIM Motocross of Nations, which will be held on home soil for the first time since 2022 when the U.S. last won the event. The event — running Oct. 3–5, 2025 — will be held at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Ind., where Team USA will look to snag its 24th Motocross of Nations win.
Left: Team USA members, left to right: Eli Tomac, Aaron Plessinger, team manager Roger DeCoster, Cooper Webb. Below: Team Australia (center), 2024 MXoN champs, left to right: Jett Lawrence, Kyle Webster, Hunter Lawrence.
Team USA rattled off seven straight MXoN titles from 2005 to 2011 but have only won once since. They will look to turn the tide when the event shifts back to the U.S. in 2025.
Eli “ET22-in-England” Tomac holeshotting one of the 2024 MXoN motos.
BY JACK EMERSON
Fup to speed Racing ROUNDUP
UNITED STATES SUPREMACY
Team USA soars to sixth Quadcross of Nations title in seven competitions
or the sixth time since 2017, the AMA U.S. ATV Motocross Team emerged victorious at the first official World Championship event of FIM Quadcross of Nations, beating out a competitive field in the Czech Republic on Sept. 28-29.
The trio of Bryce Ford, Joel Hetrick and Brandon Hoag each registered podium finishes during the weekend of competition — with Ford claiming a pair of wins, while Hetrick won the Group A + B race. Hoag raced his way to two second-place finishes as well, helping the U.S. go 1-2 on the podium in the first two races of the event.
Sparked by his pair of wins, Ford secured the best individual performance of the event.
“We are very proud of Bryce, Joel and Brandon for their accomplishments [in October] in the Czech
Republic,” AMA Deputy Director of Racing Mike Burkeen said. “They represented the United States with an outstanding demeanor and raced hard for their country. This group maintained the U.S. dominance in the sport, and we cannot be more excited to bring more hardware back to the states.”
Team USA held off efforts from Team Netherlands and Team Italy, who joined the American riders on
the podium, to claim the overall victory.
The United States has claimed six of the last seven FIM Quadcross of Nations titles, with Team Ireland’s 2021 victory being the only blemish on America’s run of dominance over the event in recent years. The United States is the winningest nation in the event’s history with six titles, twice as many as the second winningest nation (France). Well done!
From left to right: Brandon Hoag, Bryce Ford and Joel Hetrick posing with their FIM Quadcross of Nations medals.
PHOTOS: RIP IT UP FILMS
BROC’S BREAKTHROUGH
Broc Nicol earns first career AMA Speedway National title
BY JACK EMERSON
With a victory at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway on Sept. 21, Broc Nicol brought home his first AMA Speedway National Championship, holding off former champions Max Ruml and Billy Janniro.
Entering the final main event of the three-round series, Nicol, Ruml and Janniro were separated by only one point each. Likely needing a first-place finish to claim the AMA National No. 1 Plate, Nicol left little to chance with a clean ride to the top of the podium in Auburn, Calif.
“Throughout his career, Broc Nicol has been in the mix to compete for AMA National championships,” AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant said. “It’s wonderful to see him achieve his dream and earn his first AMA No. 1 Plate.”
In total, Nicol edged out Max Ruml — who was seeking his third title in four years — by just two points in the final standings to claim the title. Janniro finished six points behind Nicol to round out the top three.
Bottom photo left to right: Max Ruml, Broc Nicol and Billy Janniro on the podium.
up
to speed MEES REACHES MOUNTAINTOP
Jared Mees collects unprecedented 10th AFT title; Kody Kopp makes history of his own
BY KEATON MAISANO PHOTOS BY TIM LESTER
eeding only three points to secure the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track Grand National Championship in the Mission AFT SuperTwins class, Jared Mees had his sights set on history.
When the final checkered flag was waved at the AFT finale in Eldon, Mo., on Sept. 14, Jared Mees claimed the event win to put an exclamation point on his record-breaking 10th AFT Grand National Championship, catapulting him past Scottie Parker who previously held the record with nine titles.
“It was a goal,” Mees said on securing a 10th title. “Everybody would say it was a dream, but it was a goal. I made my dream my goal and worked
hard at it. It hasn’t even sunk in yet. I had a big points lead coming in here, but there was only one way to go out the way I want to go out, and that was by winning this damn race.”
Mees joined Indian Motorcycle in the AFT Grand National Championship
series back in 2017, and ever since, Mees has captured six titles in eight years.
“I can’t say enough for my entire team,” Mees said. “Kenny (Tolbert), Bubba (Bently), Jimmy (Wood), you guys have won me a lot of races and a lot of championships. I definitely wouldn’t be as successful without you three and all my sponsors. Indian Motorcycle — I took their very first win in 2017, I opened that book for them, and tonight I got to close it for them. I can’t say enough for that company.”
Prior to 2017, Mees won championships in 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Mees ranks first or second in career wins for Half Mile, Short Track, Mile and total GNC Main Event races.
Elsewhere at the finale, Kody Kopp
Reigning Grand National champ Jared Mees boogeying during the 2024 season, one in which he scored his recordsetting 10th GNC title. That’s Kody Kopp (right) hanging it out at high speeds. Bottom left photo: Mees (left) with Kopp.
KRISTEN LASSEN
polished off his season title in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles class, marking his third straight championship. While the spotlight certainly shined on Mees’ historic accomplishment, Kopp also rewrote the history books and stands alone atop the category’s standings with three titles and 22 race victories.
“I couldn’t be more proud of my Rick Ware Racing team,” Kopp said. “It’s been a dream season. I would have loved to get a win there, but those guys at the front were riding a little over the top, and I wasn’t going to play that game. We had a championship to win, and that was way more important… It’s a dream come true. Who knows what will be after three?”
“Slammin” Sammy Halbert becomes the first American to win an FIM Flat Track World Championship
BY JACK EMERSON
C HALBERT BRINGS IT HOME
apturing podium finishes in each round of the series, American flat track phenom Sammy Halbert captured the 2024 FIM Flat Track World Championship, becoming the first non-European to win the title.
Entering the final round of the season in Debrecen, Hungary, with a seven-point lead, Halbert needed to finish just third or better to capture the elusive international title for the Americans. Halbert landed second on the podium during the round and brought the ultimate crown stateside. Defending champion Ervin Krajčovič claimed victory in Hungary, but finished second in the overall standings.
“We’re incredibly proud of Sammy Halbert, as his competitive drive and racing prowess led him to this outstanding accomplishment,” AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier said. “Sammy represented his country to the fullest and achieved a remarkable feat for American flat track competitors.”
Not only was this the first title for an American rider, 2024 marked the first year a non-European finished in the top three in the final standings.
Mees with daughter Hayden.
up to speed Rights ROUNDUP
AMA BOARD ELECTION…TIME TO VOTE!
North Central Region AMA members to vote for board representation Dec. 16 to Jan. 15
AMA members in the North Central Region of the U.S. are eligible to vote for one of the two candidates seeking a seat on the AMA Board of Directors. The election is open to AMA members living in Indiana, Michigan, all but the southern tip of Illinois, Wiscon-
sin, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Vote online by visiting AmericanMotorcyclist.com. The election begins Dec. 16, 2024, and ends Jan. 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
The Northwest Region seat was retained by AMA Board of Directors
y lifelong passion for motorsports drives my commitment to the AMA and running for the North Central Region board position. I received my first dirt bike, a Honda XR70, for my 7th birthday, and with my dad being a lifelong racer and a dedicated member of an AMA club, I grew up immersed in the motorsports community. As an only child, the racetrack became my second home; I was scoring checks at enduros and helping in the score shack at motocross events from an early age.
In addition to this background I have served as an AMA club president and promoter, bringing 20 years of experience in organizing motocross, hare scrambles, enduro and trail ride events. I currently spend my time as the owner of a construction company, traveling to motocross races with my sons, as well as serving on the board of directors for MN District 23 as vice chairwoman.
With my comprehensive understanding of the industry and business experience, I believe I can provide significant value in strategic planning. I recognize that government regulations pose pressing challenges, and I am committed to protecting and advancing the current and future interests of the AMA, ensuring a vibrant future for motorsports enthusiasts everywhere.
AMA STATE LAWS DATABASE
Chair Russ Ehnes, who was uncontested for the seat.
The AMA Board of Directors includes 12 members — six elected by individual members, four elected by corporate members, and two at-large members appointed and ratified at the annual individual AMA member meeting.
T M Arider and racer for over 50 years, I have worked with the AMA for over 30 years as a promoter, an AMA Congress delegate, and currently as vice chair on the AMA Board of Directors.
Convinced of the importance of what AMA does for all motorcyclists, I have worked for many years to protect the rights of motorcyclists to ride on public or private property when legal, and fought to prevent the widespread loss of riding areas, both public and private.
One of the major issues facing our region is the breakdown of the district organizations. The rise of professional promoters has nearly destroyed smaller clubs.
I have been involved in enhancing recreational riding and racing activities such as improving grassroots competition and bringing new forms of competition into the AMA.
Riding and racing motorcycles has been my life’s passion. I have raced in over 600 events and promoted over 100 races. This experience provides me with a thorough understanding of what the AMA does and what it needs to do. My experience working with several of the leaders of the AMA districts places me in a good position to communicate with them and to represent them and you as a member of the AMA Board of Directors.
Motorcycle-affecting laws, state-by-state, and everything in between…a valuable resource for motorcyclists
he United States is a diverse and large country with laws that differ state to state, and new legislation impacting motorcyclists is constantly popping up. Keeping track of it all can be plenty confusing, but thanks to the AMA’s State Laws Database, the important information is just a few taps away.
The AMA State Laws Database — which can be found on American
Motorcyclist.com by going to the Rights tab and clicking Rights Resources — is a collection of important motorcycling laws and pending legislation across the United States. This information can also be filtered by state, on- and off-road riding, and different issue categories (such as lane filtering). Additionally, the tool has a search bar to find exactly what you need.
“The state laws database is a valuable
resource for riders to understand current laws, and stay in the loop on developing legislation,” AMA Government Relations Director Nick Haris said. “It should be a rider’s first stop when planning a trip or determining the law in a specific state.”
If you have questions or would like us to review updating any of the information, please contact the AMA Government Relations staff by emailing grassroots@ ama-cycle.org.
Jessica Noaeill HAMMOND, WIS.
Gary Pontius WESTFIELD, IND.
CALIFORNIA’S NEW COMPETITION PERMIT PROGRAM
CA SB 708 fills void after dissolution of Red Sticker Program in 2021
BY JACK EMERSON
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Senate Bill 708 into law on Sept. 22, which created a much-needed off-highway competition vehicle-permit program after the California Air Resources Board ended the previous Red Sticker Program in 2021.
Introduced by California Senate
Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego), Senate Bill 708 passed through both houses with bipartisan support.
With the ending of the Red Sticker Program, there was a void regarding the identification process of newer models in off-road competition, leading to widespread confusion among
land-management agencies and sanctioning bodies to correctly identify those vehicles at sanctioned competition events held on public lands in the state.
“The passage of Senate Bill 708 into California law is a major win for off-highway land management agencies, sanctioning bodies and competitors,” AMA Director of Government Relations and Western States Representative Nick Haris said. “This new law will address much of the uncertainty experienced over the past three years and will make the off-highway competition community within the state much stronger as a result.”
California members, especially in District 36, played a key role in the passage of this legislation thanks to their advocacy over the past three years.
In addition to the new permit program, Senate Bill 708 will also restore fees that were lost when the Red Sticker Program was sunset in 2021. Those new funds will go to support event-related costs, including trail maintenance and conservation.
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Senate Bill 708 will replace California’s Red sticker program, with details coming in 2025
For the second year in a row, our annual AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame festivities included more than simply a grand celebration of the induction of the Class of 2024 on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 10.
Following the ceremony and cocktail reception were three days of memorable moto happenings, from a 200-mile AMA Heritage Adventure Ride on Friday, pit bike racing — hare scrambles and motocross — on Saturday, a bike night and bike show Saturday evening, and trials competition on Sunday.
While all that kept everyone plenty busy, the highlight of the weekend had to be the induction of the Class of 2024, which included Mike Lafferty, Debbie
Matthews, Mat Mladin, Rob Rasor and Kevin Windham.
In addition to the new class, a host of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers were in attendance, including legends such as David Bailey, Broc Glover, Mary McGee, Stu Peters, Kevin Schwantz and others.
Hosted once again by motorsports reporter Laurette Nicoll and star of stage and screen (and former AMA and Hall of Fame board member) Perry King, the evening brought a heady mix of reverence, excitement, laughter and tears, not only for the Class of 2024 and other HOFers in attendance, but for the amazing history and achievement surrounding our incredible sport.
Enjoy!
MAT MLADIN KEVIN WINDHAM MIKE LAFFERTY
ROB RASOR DEBBIE MATTHEWS
MIKE LAFFERTY
Mike Lafferty was bitten by the enduro racing bug in 1982 when he was only 7 years old, and he turned this passion into one of the most successful offroad racing careers ever. Racing throughout the 1980s, Lafferty broke through when he won back-to-back East Coast Enduro Association championships as a teenager in 1993 and 1994. With growing success, Lafferty became a full-time member of the Factory KTM Off-Road Team. In his early professional years, Lafferty learned a lot from Alan and Melissa Randt, who Lafferty said, “taught [him] how to be a champion.”
Lafferty hit a launching point in 1997, when he
claimed his first AMA National Enduro Championship. He tallied 71 wins — second all-time — and eight titles, which leaves him tied for the most all-time, while racing national enduros. Lafferty also raced the AMA Grand National Cross Country series, and was a member of four U.S. ISDE teams.
Following two decades as a factory rider for KTM and Husqvarna, Lafferty settled into his current role as the U.S. National KTM Ride Orange manager. In this role, he oversees all U.S. market off-road, street and ADV demos, the annual U.S. KTM Rider Rally, and the KTM Junior Supercross challenge events.
DEBBIE MATTHEWS
Debbie Matthews has spent her life contributing to motorcycling and has done so by serving in — and excelling in — almost every role the sport has to offer to increase opportunities for women riders. Known for her smooth and effortless riding style, Matthews set the record for longest consecutive pro and amateur career in women’s motocross, racing for 27 years.
In 1996, she co-founded the Women’s Motocross League, and Matthews further worked on behalf of women riders when she met with AMA Congress and drove the change to give women “A” Rider classification for the
first time in history. Recognizing Matthews’ work promoting women’s motocross, announcer Erv Braun described her as the “Godmother of Women’s MX.”
In 2012, Matthews was awarded a Lifetime Appreciation Award for her commitment as a women’s advocate, and in 2021 was inducted into the Hot Shoe Hall of Fame. In 2014, Matthews founded the Professional Organization of Women’s Racing (POWR), which generated the largest Women’s Pro Purse & Bonus program in the history of women’s motocross.
MAT MLADIN
In a 10-year span from 1999 to 2009 that continues to defy belief in hindsight, Mat Mladin notched seven AMA Superbike titles and won 82 AMA Superbike nationals in the process — each of those numbers more than anyone in history. Mladin also won the legendary Daytona 200 three times during that period, achievements that have him tied for third all-time behind AMA Hall of Famers and multi-time D200 winners Scott Russell (five) and Miguel Duhamel (four).
Mladin began riding and racing motorcycles at an early age, winning a motocross title in 1981
and going on to win the Australian Superbike Championship in 1992 before moving to the U.S. three years later.
In 1999, he won his first of seven AMA Superbike titles — achievements that would make him, according to MotoAmerica, “the most dominant rider in the history of the AMA Superbike Championship.”
Mladin announced his retirement during his championship-winning 2009 season. “I didn’t retire because I wasn’t quick enough,” he said later in a Cycle News interview. “I retired because I’d had enough. I will miss riding the motorcycle…and the competition.”
ROB RASOR
With decades of experience at the American Motorcyclist Association, Rob Rasor played a key role in shaping the AMA — particularly on the government relations front — into what it is today. During his time with the AMA, Rasor served as a legislative analyst, Vice President of Government Relations, and President, and played an instrumental role in several major legislative wins for motorcyclists.
Hired in 1973 as part of the AMA’s Government Relations Department, Rasor helped ward off a federal sportbike ban, helmet requirements and
bike bans in several states and cities, and aided in the fight to ban healthcare discrimination against motorcyclists. Rasor was also a champion for off-road riding, and assisted in the AMA’s efforts to accommodate off-road riders on public lands. Executive Order 11644 and the passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, each of which aimed to control the use of OHVs on public lands, were among the issues Rasor was tasked with combating in his time at the AMA.
Rasor’s efforts extended beyond the United States, and he was awarded the FIM Nicolas Rodil des Valle Medal in 2019.
KEVIN WINDHAM
Kevin Windham’s 19-year AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross career is one for the history books. After turning professional in 1994, Windham raced to 47 total AMA Pro wins — including 18 Premier class AMA 250/450 Supercross victories.
Combining AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross, Windham has the third-most starts (325), third-most points (9,070) and the seventh-most podiums (130). Windham also captured 14 AMA 125 Supercross wins, including a pair of victories in East/West Shootouts.
While Windham saw success domestically, he
thrived in international competition — winning the 1999 FIM United States Grand Prix and 2005 Motocross of Nations as a member of the American team. The win in ’99 was a defining moment in Windham’s racing career as the victory occurred on American soil and came on the heels of four-time FIM World Champion Stefan Everts labeling American racers as “cowards” and declaring that Europeans were the best motocross riders in the world.
Windham retired from AMA Pro Racing in 2013, marking the end of a successful career in the AMA and international circuits.
HOF DAYS DOINGS
AMA Hall of Fame Days…an induction ceremony and a whole lot more
The main event of this year’s Hall of Fame Days was certainly Thursday night’s induction ceremony, in which Mike Lafferty, Debbie Matthews, Mat Mladin, Rob Rasor and Kevin Windham became AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers.
But the rest of the weekend packed plenty of entertaining moto stuff, including a 200-mile AMA Heritage Adventure Ride on Friday that covered some of central and southeastern Ohio’s most alluring geography, roads and scenery.
While AMA Commission Meetings, both racing and recreational, were happening Friday and Saturday, bringing together commission members from across the country, a wide range of pit bike racing launched early Saturday morning. Up first were pit bike hare scramble races through the woods and trails surrounding AMA headquarters, with pit bike motocross happening later in the day on the motocross track.
Saturday afternoon saw hundreds of motorcyclists arrive for that evening’s Hall of Fame Days Bike Night, complete with a HOF Bike Show judged by Hall of Famers Debbie Matthews, Mary McGee and Stu Peters.
And on Sunday it was all about trials competition, with riders young and old, expert and novice, tackling the logs, streams, creek sides and brambles surrounding AMA HQ.
There really was something for everyone, and we look forward to seeing even more of you during next year’s event.
Special thanks to all our partners for the 2024 Hall of Fame Days, including livestream sponsor Powersports World TV; Cocktail Reception sponsor Suzuki Motor USA; Dinner Party sponsor Yamaha Motor Corp.; Table sponsors MX Sports, Feld Motorsports and KTM North America; Gold Jacket sponsors Unadilla MX, RedBud MX, KTM and the Broc Glover family.
Once again, the AMA’s annual HOF Induction ceremony was hosted by the always classy Perry King and Laurette Nicoll. The event, and the HOF museum reception that followed it, were the perfect introduction to the goings on the following three days, which included an adventure ride, pitbike hare scrambles and motocross, a bike night and bike show, trials competitions and much more. Come see us next year, eh?
100 YEARS OF THE AMA
BY JOHN BURNS, JACK EMERSON AND KEATON MAISANO
PHOTOS: AMA ARCHIVE
till crawling from the wreckage of the 2008 Great Recession, the U.S. along with the rest of the world found itself struggling to make ends meet and sense of it all. Social media attempted to help, as its tentacles spread in lockstep with the reach of the smartphone: In 2011, Pew Research says 35 percent of Americans owned smartphones; by 2020 that figure was 80 percent, and today it’s 97 percent.
Motorcycle sales plummeted during the Recession, and while there was money to be made from high-end models such as H-D’s CVOs, exciting new BMWs, top-line Ducatis and the resurrection of Indian by Polaris, the teens were, for the most part, a time of downsized expectations.
Where the 600 sportbike had once been the entry drug for many, the Great Recession ushered in smaller, more affordable bikes like KTM’s 390 singles, Honda CBR300s, Kawasaki Z400s — and new global players like Royal Enfield.
Along with BMW and Ducati, OEs such as Triumph, KTM and others were churning out great new models. Was Japanese moto-domination coming to an end after decades?
And then came COVID-19, first identified in December of 2019. The pandemic slowed much of the world to a crawl and killed thousands, but ironically, it proved a boon to motorcycling during the early 2020s, providing an exciting and legal outlet for those looking to escape the onerous (and mostly unnecessary) lockdowns and mandates. Bike sales new and used boomed, and our ranks expanded as folks discovered the joys we’re all familiar with.
S 10 s
a boon to motorcycling during the early 2020s, providing
fighting the “Lead Law” successfully a year later, renewing operations, reinvigorating this magazine in 2021,
Motorcycling
The AMA was as busy as ever pre-and post-pandemic, redesigning its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in 2010, fighting the “Lead Law” successfully a year later, renewing its sanctioning collaboration with AMA Supercross and Feld Motorsports in 2019, right-sizing its operations, reinvigorating this magazine in 2021, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024, and much more. Onward and upward!
climbED back from the Great Recession, only to be rocked by a worldwide pandemic 11 years later… which proveD to be BOTH A
DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT)
Honda’s VFR1200F sporttourer was the first motorcycle to use one, and Honda is still the only OEM to offer DCT on a few of its bikes. Nothing new in the high-end automotive world, DCT brought a whole new level of convenience to motorcycling.
2010 BMW S1000RR Bavaria builds a better boxer…actually, a new 175-hp inline four that blew its competitors into the edelweiss, with optional electronics that included traction control, ABS and selectable-on-the-fly engine mapping.
KIDS JUST WANT TO RIDE ACT
After years of battling the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act — also known as the “Lead Law” — the Kids Just Want to Ride Act was passed in 2011 to secure young motorcyclists’ right to ride.
...and beyond 2010
MUSEUM MAKEOVER
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum’s main floor gallery opened in 2010 with eight featured areas — which covered the different induction categories — to celebrate the Hall of Fame inductees: Ambassadors and Industry, Design and Engineering, Dirt-Track, Leadership and Rights, Motocross and Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing, and Specialty Competition. AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said in the September 2010 issue of American Motorcyclist that the change took the Hall of Fame to “a new level,” and that it was done to shine “a spotlight on the incredible men and women who have shaped the history of motorcycling.” Exactly right.
LIFE MEMBER PLUS
THE LAST AMERICAN TO WIN A MOTOGP
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies, in his first and last MotoGP start, won the Assen TT on a Yamaha.
Zero Motorcycles
Zero produced its first production electric motorcycle, the Zero S, in Scotts Valley, Calif., using an AgniLynch motor and a LiFePO4 Molicel
In an attempt to recognize “the organization’s most loyal members with the option to add benefits at significant savings,” the AMA announced a new membership category — AMA Life Member Plus For an additional cost, the new category added the extra benefits to the alreadyestablished AMA Life Member status, including a monthly subscription to American Motorcyclist magazine and an AMA Life Member Plus membership card. “AMA Life Members are the lifeblood of the American Motorcyclist Association,” said AMA Director of Marketing and Communications Joy Burgess recently. “Life Member Plus provides an optional program packed with special benefits to our most valued members as they continue supporting the mission of the organization.” battery.
SPRINGFIELD MILE, SPRINGFIELD, ILL.
VILLOPOTO AND KAWASAKI
Ryan Villopoto won four straight AMA Supercross championships to go with his five Pro MX titles, and was inducted into the AMA HOF in 2021.
2012 MV Agusta 675 F3 Triples!
Harley-Davidson selling MV Agusta back to itself for $1 in 2009, with zero debt for probably the first time ever, allowed it to reenter the market with sexy new 675cc Triples.
THE SPANISH IMPOSITION
Polaris buys Indian
The builders of Victory Motorcycles and all kinds of other motorized toys, acquired the Indian brand in April 2011. Its new Thunder Stroke 111 V-twin was introduced a few years later.
Aside from Casey Stoner’s second MotoGP championship (for Honda) in 2011, the other nine were won by Spaniards Jorge Lorenzo (3) and Marc Marquez (6).
ERIK BUELL…
…climbs back into the ring with the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS, a Rotax-based 1190cc V-Twin claiming 175 hp, 97 ft-lb., and weighing in at 389 pounds. The new Buell was Cycle World magazine’s Best Superbike that year, and had some success in AMA Superbike, the Isle of Man, and won a pair of European Superbike championships. Tragically but predictably, the slats of EB’s financial cradle were again kicked out from under him, this time by Hero of India, and EBR ceased operations in 2015.
DUNGEY AND KTM WIN 450 PRO MX TITLE
Before then KTM had been close, but with help from the great AMA HOFer Roger DeCoster and others, the Austrians were now battling the Japanese toe-to-toe.
LEAN-SENSITIVE ABS
Bosch’s new Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) system appeared on that year’s new KTM 1190 Adventure, and thanks to an aircraft-derived Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) it was able to measure your bike’s lean angle and calibrate ABS to suit. Purists poopoo’d it, but in the ensuing decade, new motorcycles have grown ever more foolproof as electronic safety devices continue to evolve.
2012 BMW K1600GT and K1600GTL
On some sort of very un-Teutonic tear, BMW dropped brand-new sport-touring and touring bikes powered by a new 1,649cc DOHC inline-six that sounded like an F1 car as it ripped up toward its 160-hp, 8,500-rpm redline –packing all the latest hightech accouterments all the
2012 Honda NC700X
It took a while for it to sink in that Honda might be done pushing the performance envelope, but the ‘New Concept’ NC700X almost made up for it. With a locking helmet-sized storage area where the fuel usually goes, an optional DCT transmission, standard ergonomics and 60+ mpg, the nominally adventure-bike NC made the midlife crisis much more bearable. Especially for
TOUCH-SCREEN DISPLAY
Harley-Davidson’s latest tech lets you control your FL’s
when it said earlier it was done building bikes for the pipe-and-slippers crowd.
RYAN DUNGEY…
…bagged three straight AMA Supercross championships on KTM (to go with his 2010 championship on Suzuki) from 2015 to 2017. Dungey (5) was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2023.
or joystick…
THREE NEW INDIAN CHIEFS…
…were introduced at Sturgis in August, and hit dealers a month later: the bare-bones Classic, the chromier Vintage, and the flagship Chieftain — all with a new Thunder Stroke 111 cu. in. V-Twin and all sporting
2015 KAWASAKI H2R/H2
Building a 300-hp track-only supercharged literbike wouldn’t seem to make much sense, except Kawasaki also built a 200-hp one (conservative estimate) that was street legal, followed up later by an SX/SE sport-tourer that really was sublime. When Eaton said an air-cooled supercharger couldn’t be done, Kawi’s aerospace division took the project in-house. Both are now in the ninth year of production…special-order only.
1200S COLOR TFT DISPLAY
DUCATI MULTISTRADA
It’s nice to have your computer along for the ride, and almost mandatory when there’s so much to control, including Touring, Sport, Urban or Enduro modes that also adjust the suspension settings. This Duc would probably defibrillate you if it sensed you needed it.
…the last American in MotoGP. The Texas Tornado retired after finishing 22nd in the 2014 season. an Indian war-bonnet running light on the front fender. HarleyDavidson suddenly had real made-in-USA competition.
MOTO AMERICA!
A new era in American Superbike racing began when new series organizer MotoAmerica was sanctioned by the AMA and FIM North America, with HOFer Wayne Rainey and others running the ship.
2015 Indian Scout
Ninety-five years after the original Scout, Indian’s brand-new competitor for H-D’s Sportster took the modern route. An all-new liquid-cooled, 1,133cc DOHC 60-degree V-twin, completely bereft of cooling fins and pushrod tubes, was said to be good for 100 horses, and an all-new aluminum
2016 AMA VINTAGE HARE SCRAMBLES
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Fredette drove six hours from Illinois to race the vintage hare scrambles
40-plus class on a 1974 Kawasaki
250, and took home an AMA national championship. Not a shock, right?
ROYAL ENFIELD NORTH AMERICA
…
…was established in Milwaukee, laying the groundwork for the return to the U.S. of the rejuvenated Indian-made classic English marque. The simple-yet-rugged Himalayan 400 was launched the next year, followed by a pair of shockingly nice 650 twins in 2017 — Interceptor and Continental GT — followed
2016 Chicago Cubs
In another stunning upset, the Cubs ended the longest losing streak in baseball history – 108 years – by defeating the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) in the 10th inning of Game 7.
2016 Honda
RC213 VS We exaggerated earlier; Honda didn’t give up building exciting street bikes. The 213VS “MotoGP racer for the street” was the first and only street machine it ever (hand-)built straight out of the HRC factory in Kumamoto, Japan. But they only built about 250 of them, and the price was $184,000. The 12,000-Euro race kit, which American Honda did not import, supposedly allowed the uncorkage of all 212 horses the RC was capable of (the U.S. model was rated at 101 hp) if you could find one. Crazy? Not too: RC #96, still in its crate,
CALIFORNIA SPLITTIN’
Although it did not prohibit the practice in prior years, California became the first state to formalize lane splitting when it signed A.B. 51 into law in 2016. While California offers the most freedom to riders of any state, several states have since legalized lane filtering — the practice of riding a motorcycle through stopped traffic to get to the front of the line. As of publication, the six states that have passed legislation in favor of lane filtering are California, Utah, Montana, Arizona, Colorado and Minnesota.
NICKY HAYDEN: Gone but not forgotten
HARLEY-DAVIDSON MILWAUKEE-EIGHT
Eight, as in H-D’s eight-valve boardtrack racers of decades ago. The allnew standard 107 cubic-inch engine with its precision oil-cooled heads went in Street and Road Glides; the Twin-Cooled version, with liquidcooled heads and discrete radiators, went in the FL touring bikes. In 2018, H-D revamped an entire new line of eight Softails, all powered by the M8.
America’s last MotoGP champ (2006) died from injuries sustained in a bicycle-training accident near Rimini, Italy, while riding for Ten Kate World Superbike. Inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2018, N.H. was just 35 years old.
2017
Cycle World magazine
What had long billed itself as the World’s Biggest Motorcycle Magazine went from being a monthly, to a “captivating, quarterly, coffee table-sized journal focusing on the art of the motorcycle.” Two years later, the quarterly also went bellyup, rendering CW online-only, and marking the end of the big-magazine era — American Motorcyclist notwithstanding. Maybe we can get Peter Egan to write his memoirs for AM?
2017 Indian FTR750
What better way to get brand recognition for your American-made motorcycles than to go flat-track racing? Indian offered its new purpose-built flat track motorcycle to the public for $50,000 a pop, and the FTR immediately owned AFT Twins. No other bike had ever won the top three spots in the championship in its debut season, and the domination didn’t stop: Jared Mees won five championships and Briar Bauman won two titles over the next seven years. Nobody without one really stood a chance against the FTR. Too successful for its own good, really, as AFT changed its rules for 2025 to allow productionbased engines only.
VICTORY MOTORCYCLES…
…was shuttered by Polaris after 18 years of production; the Indian brand’s historical resonance seemed bettersuited for the hearts of American motorcyclists
A YAMAHA YZF-R1 DID NOT WIN…
…the AMA Superbike Championship. Josh Hayes won four, Josh Herrin bagged one, and Cameron Beaubier also won four Superbike titles on blue bikes. Toni Elias crashed the party on a Yoshimura Suzuki in 2017.
KTM TRANSFER-PORT INJECTION
VALENTINO ROSSI’S LAST HURRAH
After nine world championships in 125, 250 and 500cc/MotoGP, the almost-GOAT Italian’s last win came at the Dutch GP at TT Circuit Assen in 2017.
2018 2019 2020
Ten years in the making, TPI was the first successful attempt to build a fuel-injected two-stroke that was emissions compliant — in most places, anyway. A new computer with five sensors on the 300 and 250 XC and XC-W managed not just fuel injection but also oil injection, which, as the name implies, was via the transfer ports. Reviews were highly favorable; TPI was a major leap forward for motorcycles that were already fan favorites.
2018 Ducati V4 Panigale
After decades of being known for boomer V-Twins, Ducati built an 1,103cc Stradale V-Four said to be good for 214 hp and 91 lb-ft of torque, and used it as a stressed member in a monocoque frame design instead of the classic steel trellis.
WOMEN ON THE RISE
A Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) study found that women made up 19 percent of motorcycle owners, compared with less than 10 percent a decade earlier: That ratio was even higher among younger generations.
2018 Gold Wing
Actually, this was the coolest sportbike Honda built all decade: The all-new, sixthgeneration Gold Wing was 90 pounds lighter, outfitted with a double-wishbone front suspension, and available with a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. The 1,833cc boxer Six was even more torqueful and smooth, while keeping the weight low and more forward, and the whole package leaned more sport than tour than it had since the OG ’Wing of 1975.
2019 KTM 790 Adventure
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
On March 13, 2020, the AMA sent out a release “strongly encouraging” AMA-chartered clubs to follow government guidelines, and asked AMA members to follow the best practices issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the May 2020 edition of American Motorcyclist, AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman addressed the challenges the AMA was facing with the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges included omission of 501(c)(4) non-profits — such as
bad thing
The best evidence that bigger isn’t alway better (especially in an adventure bike) might be the two new ones KTM introduced in 2019 – Adventure 790 and 790R. Both were powered by the 799cc DOHC 270-crank parallel twin KTM introduced earlier in the 790 Duke streetbike, and both nimble middleweights made us think a downsized ADV future might not be a bad thing at all.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON GOES…
…completely off script, announcing it would build an ADV bike called the Panamerica, an electric bike called LiveWire, and an all-new Streetfighter. They also combined the Softail and Dyna lines into eight new
IMMACULATE IN ITALY
En route to their third International Six Days Enduro title, the U.S. Women’s World Trophy Team had one member perform at a level never before seen in the event’s 111-year history. U.S. rider Brandy Richards completed the 2021 event in Italy with a flawless performance, becoming the first man or woman to win every test in her class across the entirety of the event. Richards — the 2021 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year — won first overall individually, finishing nearly 10 minutes faster than the next competitor.
AMA STAFF RETURNS TO OFFICE
Softails redesigned from the ground up. throughout
After state restrictions and safety measures forced AMA staff out of its Pickerington, Ohio, headquarters, employees returned fully to the office on June 1, 2021. The fully in-person work model came on the heels of a hybrid model that was shaped as state mandates evolved. “The AMA could not have continued to pursue our mission to protect and promote the motorcycle lifestyle throughout the pandemic without the operational support of our staff,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “We’re well positioned to grow in both members and activity, and we would not be where we are without all of our hard-working, dedicated staff. We appreciate our staff’s flexibility and innovation in difficult times, and we’re thrilled to have team members back in the office.” The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum reopened its doors a year prior on July 22, 2020, and at the time of the AMA office full reopening, was nearly back up to its pre-pandemic visitor volume.
the AMA — from payroll relief plans, leading to unavoidable layoffs of staff. A reduced work schedule was implemented for remaining staff. The column ended with a plea to members to support the AMA: “There is no way to know what it will look like on the other side of this crisis, but I can assure you the threats to motorcycling will be greater than ever,” Dingman wrote. “The best way to help is to renew—or extend—your membership today!”
CENTURY STRONG!
The AMA turned 100 years old in 2024, and celebrated with a bigger-and-better Vintage Motorcycle Days, government proclamations, bike nights, HOF Days, and much more.
SUPERCROSS SUPER RENEWAL
The AMA agreed to a new deal with Feld Motorsports Inc. in 2019 to continue sanctioning AMA Supercross through 2034. In 2021, Feld notified the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme that it would not renew its international sanctioning agreement. (The AMA and FIM had worked in a dual-sanctioning capacity since 2003.) “The bottom line is this: The future is bright for AMA Supercross,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said in the September 2021 issue of American Motorcyclist “Feld Motorsports is a terrific promoter, and the relationship between Feld and the AMA is stronger than ever.”
YAMAHA NIKEN GT
CROSSING AMERICA THE HARD WAY – FROM KEY WEST, FLA., TO DEADHORSE, ALASKA – WITH A BIG OL’ MONTANA WRENCH THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE
ALASKA AND BACK
. . .
STORY
AND PHOTOS
Loud thunder, heavy rain
Thin line ‘tween joy and pain
BY WHITNEY MEZA
It’s a long, strange trip, it’s all insane
You ain’t never gonna be the same
hese are the opening lyrics to the song Loud and Heavy by my favorite outlaw country singer, Cody Jinks, and it’s my go-to tune when the going gets tough. And the going was definitely getting tough the day I rolled out of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and started along the “World Famous Alaska Highway.”
TAt that point I had been riding for seven days straight, and I had already covered well over 3,500 miles. I was sore, tired and feeling more than a little miserable. I had my heated liner set to high, but it didn’t help much, as the
temps were in the low 40s and it had been pouring rain for the past 200 miles. I didn’t realize that my jacket wasn’t zipped up all the way, and cold water had seeped through every layer. “Loud thunder, heavy rain…”
In retrospect, I was just discovering the insanity of what the Iron Butt Association calls its “Ultimate Coast to Coast to Coast Insanity” challenge, which is the notat-all-redundant name for its ride from Key West, Fla., to Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay), Alaska — and back. This wasn’t my first ultra-endurance ride. My first was a 1,000mile lap around Lake Michigan on my Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster in 2020; my most recent before this ride was a “48-in-8,” where I rode my H-D Pan America Special to all the lower 48 states in just eight days (see our June 2022 issue for that story). Somewhere along the way I also went to Hawaii and rode on both Oahu and
Maui, which left only one state remaining — Alaska.
Of course, I couldn’t just ride to the southernmost part of that state and call it good; that’s not how my brain works. If I’m going somewhere, I want to do all the things and see all of the places. As a mother of two young children — a 10-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter — as well as a military wife and a fulltime marketing professional with limited PTO available, if I want to do anything, I have to do it fast. Very fast. I guess this is why endurance riding is my jam.
06.11.24 / Mile 606
The biggest challenge today would be good ol’ Atlanta traffic…no good way around it but through it. To celebrate I treated myself to a delicious Five Daughters Bakery donut as soon as I made my way into Tennessee, as one of its store locations wasn’t far off the interstate. I was already a few hours behind schedule; I’m always too ambitious with timing and never allow myself enough. It’s always trial and error, but I always get there eventually.
06.12.24 / Mile 1,481
Today’s route through central Wisconsin went right past my house, so I made a quick detour to drop off some items I wouldn’t
On June 8, 2024, I was singing happy birthday to my daughter as we celebrated her sixth birthday. At 4 a.m. the next morning I rolled out of Clarksville, Tenn., rushing to make it to Key West where my ride would officially begin the next day. It was a haul at 1,153 miles, but relatively easy since the riding was mostly interstate and only took 20.5 hours to complete. It was 2 a.m. when my head finally hit the pillow, just enough time for a four-hour nap before tomorrow’s big day.
06.10.24 / Mile 0
It wasn’t even 8 a.m. when I rolled my Pan America up to the painted buoy that marks the southernmost point of the continental U.S. After a couple quick photos, I stopped at the nearest ATM and got my first timed and dated receipt to officially “clock-in” for my “Ultimate Insanity” ride. I was itching to make some miles, but when I saw a sign for the Everglades National Park, I had to go off route a bit to check out the visitor center.
Typical for Southern Florida, pop-up showers hit every few minutes, but my mesh jacket would dry almost instantly in the summer heat. By early evening I was already feeling the effects of riding so hard and long the day before, and had to take my first of many “Iron Butt Hotel” naps: Find a shady spot, put the bike on the centerstand, remove your helmet and sleep on the tank bag for 10 minutes. That was just enough to get me through to 11 p.m., when I finally reached my hotel.
be needing going forward — like my mesh jacket. I resisted the urge to fall asleep on my couch and managed to make it all the way to the Minnesota-Canada border around 11 p.m. Not sure if the border station would still be open and not wanting to risk a late-night back-track, I checked into the appropriately named Walleye Inn for a few hours of rest, instead.
06.13.24 / Mile 2,315
Before I left the Walleye the next morning I took a minute to adjust my chain, as I had ridden over 3,000 miles since leaving home already. This felt like a fresh start before my first border crossing and my first time riding a motorcycle in a different country. The Canadian crossing went smoothly and, counterintuitively, I soon found myself back in the U.S. again at Angle Inlet, Minn. — this part of Minnesota, the northernmost point of the contiguous U.S., is almost entirely surrounded by Canada. In just
OFF I WENT, SLIGHTLY TERRIFIED, WITH A WORLD OF UNKNOWNS IN FRONT OF ME. I DIDN’T HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE RIDING OFF-ROAD AND SO I WAS TAKING MY SWEET TIME ON THE GRAVEL AND DIRT ROADS, FEELING NOT UNLIKE A SLOW TURTLE.
over three days I had traveled from the southernmost to the northernmost point of the contiguous U.S., and enjoyed a bit of off-road riding to get to the northernmost marker buoy, too.
06.14.24 / Mile 2,915
I woke up in the middle of Saskatchewan and had breakfast at the diner next to the hotel, filling up on eggs, potatoes, toast and ham. Temps were in the low 50s and so I was surprised to see a man on a motorcycle wearing nothing more than a tank top. Canadians are just built differently, I guess…
06.15.24 / Mile 3,688
Heading into British Columbia, I was excited to get my first glimpse of the Rockies today. The scenery did not
disappoint, especially the glimmering turquoise waters of Muncho Lake, and especially in terms of wildlife with herds of bison alongside the highway, plus porcupines, mountain sheep, moose (with a calf!), and black and grizzly bears too. I made my way to the famous Sign Post Forest at Watson Lake by evening, now officially in the Yukon Territory, and it felt like the adventure was really beginning.
06.16.24 / Mile 4,383
My accommodations at Watson Lake were my favorite of the trip. The Air Force Lodge is located in a restored WWII pilot’s barracks and operated by an ex-motorcyclist who made me feel so comfortable I didn’t want to leave. I was glad I carried on because, a few miles later near Whitehorse, I made an unplanned stop to soak at a hot spring facility that was incredibly relaxing — especially after I found the “hibernation room” and took a solid nap in complete silence
It’s such a strange sensation, feeling physically exhausted, but still feeling mentally like you can ride for quite a few more hours because it’s still “daylight” yet.
Left: Northern Minnesota is legendary for mosquitoes. I collected about a million on my approach to the Canadian border. Above: Once you pass Dawson Creek, you never pass a gas pump without stopping to top off.
I made my way to the famous Sign Post Forest at Watson Lake by evening, now officially in the Yukon Territory, and it felt like the adventure was really beginning.
before wrapping up with a quick sauna. After a full week on the bike, a few minutes of “me time” was beyond necessary.
Riding alongside snow-capped peaks a few hours later, with my stilldrying swimsuit strapped to my duffel and flapping in the breeze, I felt an overwhelming feeling wash over me: This was exactly where I was supposed to be, on my motorcycle, with not a single other person in sight. Just a few miles ahead of me was the Alaska border, where I would soon complete my
goal of riding a motorcycle in all 50 states. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.
06.17.24 / Mile 4,958
I crossed into Alaska the next morning and it was official — I had finally ridden a motorcycle in all 50 states! Straddling the bench that sits where the Yukon territory ends and Alaska begins, I had a very A Walk to Remember movie moment with my feet being in two different countries at the same time. It was so great.
Nearing Fairbanks, Alaska, I wanted to check out Denali National Park, but I was worried about my chain, which was acting up again. Because it was Monday and none of the dealerships were open until the next day, I decided to find a hotel and catch up on some rest instead. It took almost two hours to find one that was “reasonably priced.” That’s in quotes because hotels in Alaska during tourist season are ridiculously expensive, and I paid $270 for a closet-sized room with just a full-sized bed.
06.18.24 / Mile 5,288 (repair day)
I arrived at Harley-Davidson Farthest North at 8 a.m.; unfortunately, none of the staff strolled in until 9 a.m. I had
pre-arranged for a set of knobby tires to be shipped to the dealership, but when I arrived at the parts counter, my tires were nowhere to be found. Of course, the only tires they had in stock were street-pattern, not at all ideal for riding the mostly-dirt Dalton Highway. Then, after paying a $150 “diagnostic fee,” I was told that my noisy chain that seemed to need constant attention was “just fine” and that my fuel pump, which I knew was failing, had “no issues,” either. I ordered a new fuel pump just to be safe, planning to have it installed on my way back through a few days later, and bought a spare chain and sprocket too — just in case. Beyond frustrated, I walked myself over to a small car rental company, picked up their cheapest vehicle, hopped in and let out a good, long cry. This was not the way I wanted things to go, especially not in Fairbanks, where everything is much more expensive and much more difficult. I drove to a different dealership (Delta Powersports) that had a proper set of knobby tires to fit my bike. I purchased these and returned to the first dealership where I waited the entire day — in vain! — for those tires not to be installed. Literally the worst customer service I have ever experienced, anywhere. I paid the stupid diagnostic fee and then brought my bike over to Delta. They were able to squeeze me in and get my tires installed, working a bit later in the evening
to get me going, thank goodness. I decided to spend the night in the rental car, because I wasn’t about to pay another $300 for a hotel room after spending so much on maintenance and service that day. I parked the vehicle in the rental spot and cracked the windows. I slept like garbage, but at least I got some rest.
06.19.24 / Mile 5,288
with a world of unknowns in
I left Fairbanks the next day to make my way north, with new tires on the bike and the chain adjusted the best it could be. Off I went, slightly terrified, with a world of unknowns in front of me. I didn’t have much experience riding off-road and so I was taking my sweet time on the gravel and dirt roads, feeling not unlike a slow turtle. I had to go at my own pace. If it took me forever, then so be it.
so I was taking my sweet time
I left bright and early, probably around 5 a.m., but it’s hard to remember because the sun was shining as bright as mid-afternoon in the land of the midnight sun. With almost 24 hours of daylight available, I really wasn’t worried about time at all. My real concern was fatigue. It’s such a strange sensation, feeling physically exhausted, but still feeling mentally like you can ride for quite a few more hours because it’s still “daylight” yet.
At the eight-hour mark I finally saw the famous Arctic Circle sign. The road turned back to pavement just before Coldfoot, and it was glorious! Once there, I checked into my “four-seasons” hotel, and, after showering off the day’s grime and dirt, I put on a pair of jeans for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. I walked back into the
I did it! It took eight days and over 5,000 miles of hard riding, but I made it to Alaska and finally accomplished my long-held goal of riding a motorcycle in all 50 states!
restaurant for a buffet-style dinner and sat down next to another rider who also happened to be from Wisconsin, and who was on his way back south. After wishing him well I returned to my room, closed the black-out curtains and fell asleep hard. My first day of actual ADV riding was officially a success.
06.20.24 / Mile 5,548
I was on the road to Deadhorse, Alaska — the country’s northernmost point — before 4 a.m. the next morning, as I had a deadline I was not going to miss. The first thing I did when I got into town was to top off my gas tank and gather the receipt for my official Iron Butt record keeping. I made it to my first goal after 5,875 miles of near-constant riding and 10 days on the road. I had gone from the southernmost point of the continental U.S. to the northernmost, solo, all on my own. I did it!
I celebrated my accomplishment with a bus tour to see the actual Arctic Ocean. Chunks of white, icy snow floated on the water, and while it definitely wasn’t a
warm, peaceful breeze like the Gulf of Mexico, it was still quite serene. Of course, I took a dip. I stripped down to a tank top and shorts and walked right in. Although it wasn’t that deep, I laid down and let the cold water rush over me, slowing down my breathing and just sitting for a bit. Back at the hotel I took a long hot shower, and I never felt better.
06.21.24 / Mile 5,778
The next day started with a quick mental check-in: Yes, I was proud I made it all the way to Prudhoe Bay, but that was only half the battle. Now I had to go all the way back the same way I came. I had no other choice but to get back on the road, setting a goal that day for the Yukon River Camp.
06.22.24 / Mile 6,173
I wanted to get back to the Fairbanks dealership as soon as possible. The new fuel pump should be there, and after crossing Atigun Pass again, I knew I needed a
replacement. Of course, it took them all day to finish the job. I left in the late afternoon with another group of riders from California who invited me to join them at a group campground spot in Tok, Alaska, and I was excited to finally use my tent that I’ve been carting around since I started this trip. We sat around the campfire and shared road stories until midnight, then I was off to bed.
06.23.24 / Mile 6,533
Just before my alarm sounded I was awakened by a pack of wolves howling in the distance — a new way to start a day, for sure. I broke camp before anyone else was awake and passed through Canadian customs without issue.
The Rockies were absolutely showing off as I continued back along the Alaskan Highway, but then the sky and clouds started to turn dark. Riding through rain isn’t too
bad on pavement, but there were a handful of grated metal bridges that were just terrifying in the wet, especially with knobby tires and a fully loaded bike. I held my breath each time I crossed. Immediately after crossing one, a sign warned of no gas for the next 70 miles. Looking at my gas gauge, I knew I wasn’t going to make it. I pulled over and struggled to make a choice: turn the bike around in a downpour and cross that dreaded metal bridge two more times, or spend extra time to just walk the half-mile back to the last gas station. As I was going back and forth with my decision, a kind woman pulled over and graciously drove me back over the bridge to fill my gas can. I made it back to the Air Force Lodge later that night, and it was a great reunion.
06.24.24 / Mile 7,199
I paid $5 to enter the Liard River Hot Springs Park, and it was hands-down my favorite part of the entire trip — even beating out the Arctic Ocean by a small bit. It was a true hot spring, with hardly any other people, and it’s exactly what I imagined an authentic hot spring to be. It took everything I had to force myself back into my 15-dayripe GoreTex riding gear and jump back on the bike.
I left in the late afternoon with another group of riders from California who invited me to join them at a group campground spot in Tok, Alaska.
06.25.24
/ Mile 7,805
This day started with some much-needed motorcycle maintenance. My chain was acting up again and I knew it couldn’t last, so 30 miles down the road I found a small powersports dealership — where most of the employees were female — and had them install my spare chain and sprockets. I hoped to detour to Banff National Park, but because the repair put me behind schedule, I couldn’t justify it. I visited my first Tim Hortons fast-food joint instead.
06.26.24
/ Mile 8,360
This day was uneventful, lots of highway miles to get closer to the Black Hills, where I had another tire service scheduled. Around 11 p.m. an uneasy feeling settled over me and I didn’t know why. When I switched on my high beams it finally hit me: I hadn’t ridden in the dark in what seemed like forever! Time to get used to riding in the dark again.
06.27.24 / Mile
8,690
This morning was a real struggle. All I wanted to do was be at home on my comfy couch, lying in my husband’s arms, with my kids cuddled next to me. I was just feeling done. Then I flipped my mental script. It was Day 17. I’d seen huge parts of two different countries from the saddle of my motorcycle, and most who knew what I was doing would switch places with me in a heartbeat. No matter how sore or tired I felt, I needed to stop whining and start rolling, putting one wheel in front of the other to finish the ride.
My poor Pan America! Front-end damage from the crash was so significant that the bike was totaled out. Fortunately, my body fared much better, sustaining only a concussion and other comparatively minor injuries. Right: Back in the saddle again! After my accident, I worked with Yellowstone Harley-Davidson to create my dream Pan America complete with custom paint, ergonomic upgrades, and the same saddlebags from my original bike.
I crossed the Canadian border and I was beyond thrilled to get back to Montana’s wide-open highways, where the speed limit morphed from 100 kph (62 mph) to 80 mph. Just past Great Falls, Mont., I pegged the cruise control at 80 mph and got ready to stack up serious miles. That’s when disaster struck.
I still don’t know what really happened — I don’t remember anything about the accident. I’m not sure if it was the knobby tires, or debris in the road, or just inattention, but somehow, I ran wide in a right-hand curve, entered the median, and crashed. The police said I kept it upright in the median for about 150 yards before I went down and started tumbling. I was completely knocked out. The next thing I remember was waking up while being loaded into the ambulance. At some point I texted my husband, Chris, but I don’t remember that, either. Chris is 99-percent supportive of my ultra-distance
riding, but there’s 1 percent he thinks is crazy. This is how we found the crazy part.
Chris drove straight through the night to be with me the next day. I was extremely lucky to walk away from a very major accident with very minor injuries: a small concussion, bruising on my hands and legs, and a cut lip. My precious Pan America, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. The owner of Yellowstone HarleyDavidson himself drove 2.5 hours the next day to pick up my bike and return it to his dealership near Bozeman, Mont., no questions asked — talk about customer
service! He also took care of all the communications with my insurance company, but with the front-end damage it sustained, it was deemed not worth the cost of repairs, and was totaled out.
This story does have a happy ending, though. Even though I couldn’t finish the full “Insanity” challenge, I did complete a certified Ultimate Coast to Coast (one-way) ride. What’s more, a few weeks later, I was able to work with the staff at Yellowstone Harley-Davidson to create my dream Pan America: a 2024 base-model customized exactly to my personal specifications with matte-white paint, taller handlebars, a Klock Werks windscreen, and even the same aluminum panniers recycled from my original bike, for continuity.
Two months after my accident, I flew back out to Montana to ride the new bike home. The first time back on the big ADV was a bit of an out-of-body experience, but it all came back to me quickly enough. I had a really great ride back to Wisconsin, hitting the Beartooth Highway, Spearfish Canyon, Needles Highway and many other great roads, at what was now a much more relaxed and reserved sightseeing pace.
I’m still figuring out where to go next from here, but just know this is not the end of my long-distance endurance rides. In fact, I can hear a certain tune rising in my head right now…
Loud thunder, heavy rain
Thin line ‘tween joy and pain
It’s a long, strange trip, it’s all insane
You ain’t never gonna be the same AMA
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Garage
Tips,Tweaks, Fixes and Facts: The two-wheeled ownership experience, explained
THE WHEEL MASTERS
In the beginning there was the wheel. And it was good. Then came Buchanan’s Wheel and Spoke. And it was better.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY THAD WOLFF
This month, let’s take a close look at what I would argue is the most significant invention mankind has ever dreamed up…the wheel.
The wheel is the only major invention that has not been derived from something observed in nature. History tells us about 5,500 years ago the first wheel was devised to spin clay into pottery. Sometime later, that round hunk of wood with a hole in the middle became a form of transportation and changed the world.
Years later (1958), Buchanan’s Frame Shop was founded in SoCal by motorcycle enthusiast Jim Buchanan, who specialized in frame and fork straightening along with wheel repair. At a time when the cast motorcycle
wheel barely existed and the motorcycle boom was just getting underway, it soon became apparent that the wheel business was going to need way more time and energy than the frame-straightening one.
If you’ve ever tried to lace and true a wheel yourself, you already know it’s truly a fine art. Jim Buchanan passed in 2021, but his two sons, Kennie and Robert, followed right in his wheel tracks, carrying on the family tradition at their impressive warehouse/factory in Azusa, Calif.
I have been friends with Kennie for a long time and have enjoyed the challenge of building my own wheels with his spokes. I’ll bring in my hubs with whatever rim I find right for the bike, and Kennie will help me re-drill
the angles of the nipple holes and set me up with the perfect set of spokes. The older the rim, the greater the challenge. Anyone can walk in and get the same personalized help, or simply hand off (or ship from wherever) your old bent, broken, and/or squared-off wheels for pick-up later — ready to mount your tires, install on the bike, and ride away. Buchanan’s also builds custom spoked wheels for cars, antique planes, and probably whatever else you can think of that rolls on spokes.
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Let’s talk about “made in the USA.” I’ve been out back in the Azusa shop many times, and I’m always amazed at what’s going on back there. The spokes and nipples that come in a plastic bag
Kennie (left) and Robert Buchanan flank yours truly with a set of freshly minted Suzuki DR650 wheels.
as a kit — or as a completed, trued wheel if you want to take the easy way out — are fabricated in-house from huge spools of raw wire.
The process of popping out spokes and nipples is both eye-andear-opening: The coiled-up spools of wire go through a multitude of machines in a process that straightens, cuts, swages, pounds, bends, and threads the mostly stainless-steel wire into shape, ready for lacing and truing. Although they have modern CAD computer-controlled multi-function machines, what’s most intriguing is the good ol’-fashioned machinery that performs most of the work.
As a prime example, the swaging machines were originally built in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1920s and later shipped to England to make spokes for the wire wheels used on Jags, Triumphs, MGs, and the like to keep the U.K. rollin’. Jim went there in the early ’70s when the British car industry was going through (another) downturn, and purchased several
of the refrigerator-sized machines, shipping them back to California and repurposing them for our American two-wheeled pleasure.
As impressive as those hundred-year-old machines are, the machines Buchanan fabricated from scratch are what impress me most,
the main one being the rim-drilling machine. You have to imagine all the different motorcycle hubs that are out there, almost like snowflakes in their distinctive shapes and different spoke patterns; each rim must be drilled at just the right angle to mate hub to rim perfectly.
Buchanan’s nipple-drilling and -threading machine, spinning around and hard at work.
LET’S MAKE A SPOKE
First, the wire is unspooled from the coil, then it gets fed into the straightening machine, and then cut to length. Many times, in order to make a spoke durable enough, swaging allows for a thicker spoke at the bend, which is the weakest point. The ’20s swager machine uses huge amounts of mechanical pressure to form the majority of the spoke down to a smaller diameter.
The next step is a very loud and violent one, as the head of the spoke is virtually smashed to form the mushroom shape, each one proudly identified with a “B” for Buchanan’s on its head. Next, the spoke gets bent to its desired shape. Finally, the threads are rolled — not cut — which is a very precise way to make the spoke and thread. You can imagine how many different spokes need to be fabricated for all the motorcycles in our world. Similar techniques are used to
make spoke nipples, which are also cut to size and pounded into shape, with good ear protection required. After they’re center-drilled and have had their threads tapped, nipples are ready for the lacing and truing man. This is done by hand, is time-consuming and not for the short of patience. These specialists lay out the inner spokes
at the proper angles first, then drop the rim in place, lube the threads with special secret sauce, then install the outer spokes.
For the experienced builder it’s straightforward, as there is only one way it all goes together. It’s the truing process that takes the real skill: The finished wheel must be centered on the bike and must spin true with no side-to-side or up-and-down movement. Starting with a perfectly straight rim is one thing, but with a not-sostraight one off a 50-year old BSA, that’s another story. And don’t forget, all the spokes must end up with the same correct tension. No simple task.
RIM SHOT
Though they deal in all rim brands including Akront, Excel, DID, etc., since 1987, Buchanan’s has been rolling their own Sun rims, which are fabbed up from 20-foot extruded lengths of locally sourced aluminum. Watching those straight lengths of alloy become finished hoops is impressive. Large, custom-made machines roll the cut lengths, then electronically weld the two ends together. Then, really large machines press them into
Right: The lacing and truing process is not as easy as an expert makes it look. Middle: It takes great force to pound the end of a spoke into a mushroom-shaped head. Wear earplugs. Bottom left: These giant machines shape and heat-treat Sun rims. Bottom right: A set of finished wheels you’ll see on our Suzuki DR650 project bike in an upcoming issue.
perfect roundness, heat treating them along the way.
Then, a modern Haas CAD computer lathe finish-machines all surfaces. Time for the custom-made rim driller we mentioned earlier to drill and counterbore the nipple holes for each application. Final polishing and anodizing, in a range of beautiful colors, finishes this amazing process.
The widespread adoption of cast motorcycle wheels that began 50 years ago (was Morris or Marchesini first, or neither?) may have lessened the sheer number of wire-spoke wheels needing service or replacement, but that also makes getting everything right for serious spokespeople more important than ever.
So…To conclude our little history lesson of the wonderful invention called the wheel, I’d like to thank the Buchanan family for trying so very hard to keep us motorcyclists happily rolling down the road, track and trail. For more info about their many services, direct your computer to buchananspokes.com or dial (626) 969-4655.
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.1 Year AMA membership*
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100-YEAR LIFE MEMBER PLUS PACKAGE
.1 Year of Life Member Plus Enrollment*
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.Embroidered anniversary patch
.Discount AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Induction ceremony tickets
Limited edition 100-Year Anniversary pin
Discount AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Induction ceremony tickets
For decades, enthusiasts bemoaned the lack of true 400cc street-supersport offerings Stateside. Europe and Japan got — and enjoyed — them, but we were left out in the cold.
But forget all that, because with the release of Kawasaki’s all-new, limited-edition 16,000-rpm Anniversary Edition ZX-4RR, which celebrates the introduction of the legendary and ground-breaking 900 Ninja of 1984, everything’s changed.
And you can win it via the AMA’s 100th Anniversary Raffle Bike!
