American Motorcyclist June 2024

42 THE 60s

Editorial Director Mitch Boehm on the Daytona 200

ISDE-veteran Rachel Gutish on her first EnduroGP experiences

Membership feedback on recent issues

BACK IN THE DAY

Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!

20 THE DANFORTH BILL

A look back at the bill that almost doomed superbikes

26 2024 AMA FTGC PREVIEW

All there is to know about this year’s AMA Flat Track Grand Championship 28 COVER STORY: SPEED DEMONESS

Kayla Yaakov, 16, proves speed transcends age and gender

Baby Boomers get their licenses during a decade of cultural and political upheaval

52 HIGH ALTITUDE ADVENTURE

A gem of a dual-sport ride resides near Park City, Utah

72 AMA GARAGE

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

74 AMA BEHIND THE SCENES

George Chrismas spent the twilight years of his 101year life giving back

ON THE COVER:

Professional road racing phenom Kayla Yaakov is one of the brightest stars in the sport, but blink and you just might miss her. At just 16 years old, Kayla’s speed on two wheels has taken her all over the world — including to the 2024 Daytona 200. Read all about Kayla’s meteoric rise to stardom in this edition. Cover photo by Mariah Lacy.

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.

Copyright© American Motorcyclist Association, 2021.

AMA STAFF

EXECUTIVE

Rob Dingman President/Chief Executive Officer

James Holter Chief Operating Officer

Jeff Wolens Chief Financial Officer

Donna Perry Executive Assistant to President/CEO

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RACING AND ORGANIZER SERVICES

Mike Pelletier Director of Racing

Bill Cumbow Director of International Competition

Michael Burkeen Deputy Director of Racing

Ken Saillant Track Racing Manager

Michael Jolly Racing Manager

Jeff Canfield Racing Manager

Connie Fleming Supercross/FIM Coordinator

Olivia Schlabach Racing Program Manager

Jensen Burkeen Sanctioned Activity Specialist

Michael Galiher Sanctioned Activity Coordinator

MUSEUM

Paula Schremser Program Manager

Ricky Shultz Museum Clerk

Kobe Stone Museum Clerk

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Nick Haris Government Relations Director/ Western States Rep.

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Nick Sands Government Relations, Central States Rep.

Bob Davis Grassroots Manager

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AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

Russ Ehnes Chair

Great Falls, Mont.

Gary Pontius Vice Chair

Westfield, Ind.

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Louisville, Ky.

Mark Hosbach Executive Committee Member

Franklin, Tenn.

Hub Brennan E. Greenwich, R.I.

Christopher Cox Greenville, Ohio

Steve Drewlo Bismarck, N.D.

Clif Koontz Moab, Utah

Maggie McNally Albany, N.Y.

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Joy Burgess Marketing & Communications Director

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MEMBER SERVICES

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Shaun Holloway Director of Information Technology

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American Motorcyclist magazine (ISSN 0277-9358) is published monthly (12 issues) by the American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Copyright by the American Motorcyclist Association/American Motorcyclist 2021. Printed in USA. Subscription rate: Magazine subscription fee of $39.95 covered in membership dues.

Postmaster: Mail form 3579 to 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Periodical postage paid at Pickerington, Ohio, and at additional mailing offices.

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MONTHLY DRAWINGS

• MOTION PRO:PRO FILL AIRCHUCK

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• Bohn Armor Skull Cap

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QUARTERLY DRAWINGS

• Bohn Armor Pant & Shirt Set

• Strider Bikes strider sport • ASV set of f4 Dirt or f3 Street Levers • chatter box Bit 2 hands-free Bluetooth • Mimi & Moto Children’s Books

THE GSX-8R HAS ARRIVED

Track or street, the new GSX-8R smashes the standard for middleweight sportbikes. 776cc of broad, linear power in a balanced chassis. Clutchless shifting with bi-directional quick shift, traction control, and the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.) so you can set your own riding experience. Oh, and did we mention it’s gorgeous?

Professional rider on closed course. Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki Trademarks or ®. © 2024 Suzuki Motor USA, LLC

did something a few weeks ago I hadn’t done in years. I watched the Daytona 200 live, beginning to end. And enjoyed every minute.

IA fair-weather fan? Maybe. But this year’s race seemed to involve some of the drama and prestige of the 200s I’d read about and attended…the 1993 barn burner between AMA Hall of Famers Eddie Lawson and Scott Russell — which Lawson won by .051 seconds — the best example of the latter.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that 16-yearold phenom Kayla Yaakov was in the mix this year. I’d followed her as she’d won races and championships and beat a lot of men in the process, and was curious how she’d do in what was basically a 200-mile Superbike race against the best in the country. (Pretty well, as it turned out; see page 28 for the scoop.)

Aside from the on-track action (the race was won by now-three-time-winner Josh Herrin), watching the 200 turned out to be a serious way-back experience for me, as I’d not only covered Bike Week during the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s, I’d also raced there in each of those decades. Talk about making one feel old…

If you’ve been there you know, but Daytona International Speedway is bigger-than-life, and you can’t help but marvel open-mouthed at the place. The banking. The chicane. The speeds. And the history: HOFers Dick Mann in ’70 and ’71; Giacomo Agostini in ’74. Kenny Roberts in ’78, ’83 and ’84. And the rest.

Covering Bike Week in the mid ’80s had me chomping at the bit to actually race there, and I finally got the chance in ’89, riding a painfully stock Suzuki GSX-R750 to 13th in the 750 Supersport division. Jamie James won, with the late David Sadowski second.

I’ll never forget my first practice session, and being awed by how flat and

PERSPECTIVES THREE DECADES AT DAYTONA

BY MITCH BOEHM

Trying in vain to negotiate crowned, slick and decreasing-radius turn one (after braking from 160 mph) with some semblance of speed. I never did get it right, but racing at Daytona was always a thrill.

slick the infield (especially after the rain had dried), how steep the banking, how hard-to-figure-out turn one was, and how much the draft affected things. I remember getting into a huge slide exiting the chicane, and HOFer Doug Chandler wagging his finger at me humorously as he went by.

In 1990 while working for Honda I rode a 600 Hurricane to another 13th in 600 Supersport, and had a little better grasp of things. Or so I thought, as the following year, aboard a then-new CBR600F2, I lost the front in turn one and crashed spectacularly (though unhurt), the image making the front page of the local paper.

In ’95 I rode a beautiful Drixton-framed, Patrick Bodden-built Honda 500 to third in AHRMA’s Premier 500 division behind Todd Henning (who supplied the frame and engine) and Chuck Hunnicutt on a Matchless G50. It came down to the final lap, and while bummed I didn’t get second or win after starting at the back of the grid, I rode as hard as I ever had, and was happy with my first vintage-race experience.

A year later I was less happy, high-siding in the International Horseshoe in a Triumph Speed Triple spec race and earning a trip to Halifax Medical Center across the street. The result? A broken right radius and collarbone, and a separated shoulder. My wife, then pregnant with our son Alex, was not pleased.

Bodden and I finally got a win at Daytona in 1999 in AHRMA’s Formula 750 event on Big Benly, our 90-horse, single-cam CB750 racer. With Henning, HOFer Gary Nixon and a host of other fast guys in the race, it was plenty satisfying.

Speaking of satisfying, I got a chance to race a legend of a motorcycle there in 2005 — a real-deal Yamaha TZ750. Ripping around the high banks at nearly 170 mph — and feeling the way Roberts and Agostini must have felt — was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Which is probably how Kayla Yaakov felt. Good on you, girl…

Mitch Boehm is the Editorial Director of the AMA and a long-time member.

Acold ocean wind whips across my face. The sun is setting, the sea and sky fading to nearly identical shades of blackness. I’m on a ferry, crossing the Bay of Biscay. One leg of many on my long journey from the U.S. to Portugal for the first two FIM EnduroGP World Championship races.

EnduroGP racing is a lot like ISDE, but different enough that it reminded me of the rolling and pitching ferry; the ground always felt a bit unsteady beneath my metaphorical feet. But despite the waves both big and small, at Round One I still landed on top of the box!

The similarities: Many of my foreign counterparts at ISDE race EnduroGP, so there were familiar faces and friendly greetings. There are transfer trails, Enduro Tests, and Cross Tests. You race against the clock, and the fastest combined time wins. I had to change my own tires, though, the special enduro-spec tires with short knobbies offering all the gripping power of a nonstick skillet.

Motorcycle people are also very similar, no matter where you find them. My Portuguese chase rider Louis Vasconcelos and I couldn’t say much more than hello and thank you, but he always had what I needed when I needed it. Despite language barriers, my competitors and I would often bench race after tests, using motorcycle noises and hand gestures to communicate what our words couldn’t.

The differences: Each day counts as a separate round, and each round has its own podium and pays its own points. EnduroGP features an Extreme test in addition to the Enduro and Cross tests, as well as a Friday night EnduroCross-style prologue called the Supertest (which counts toward

ISDE INSIDER

CHASING A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

BY RACHEL GUTISH

Saturday’s score). Mechanics can do anything to the bike except change tires. Transfers are much gnarlier than at ISDE, and the tests are tighter and more technical.

In an especially funny moment, after the Supertest at Round One, I had my gear half-off when my friend and teammate Nieve Holmes (who provided considerable logistical and emotional support) yelled, “Rachel, WHAT are you DOING?? You still have to impound the bike!”

Oh right. This isn’t a Friday night EnduroCross, where I finish, load up and go to the hotel! If not for Nieve I would have houred out on my first day!

The throttle still turns the same way, though, no matter where you are or what you’re racing. The first two rounds in Fafe went exceptionally well. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Portugal is sometimes muddy. I won the Supertest and made a statement by winning the first round of EnduroGP I ever raced.

Day Two went about the same, there were a few small waves, but I rode them out for a second-place and left with the points lead.

Rounds Three and Four in Valpaços, Portugal knocked me off

It’s only two events (and four points-paying races) in, but heading into rounds 5 and 6 in Italy in June, it feels good to be tied for second in EnduroGP championship points. Here I am congratulating points leader Mireia Badia of Spain.

my feet. I crashed in a turn on the Supertest and hit the deck hard. I struggled in the heat and with finding a good pace on the dusty hardpack. I managed a third on Day Two — which I was happy about — but lost the podium on Day One after 10 panicky minutes in a special test (and on the clock) trying to fix an uncooperative electric-start button.

Still, I’ve learned so much in just four rounds, and had a blast doing it. I have two months before my next EnduroGP, and want to make the most of them. I’m tied for second in series points, twelve down from the leader thanks to Round Three, but hey, “it’s not over till it’s over,” right?

So I shall continue to plow through any waves that come my way and do it with a smile, enjoying the adventure and doing my best to represent my country well! I’d like also to give a shout out to some of my wonderful sponsors…Sherco, KBS Racing, Over and Out, Trail Jesters, Moose Racing and Running Lights. Thanks!

racer and has represented team USA at the ISDE seven times.

Rachel Gutish is an AMA GNCC

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BACKFIRES

LETTER OF THE MONTH

’ll be disappointed if Aaron Stevenson isn’t a Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee someday. I’ve known him for about 20 years, and am proud to call him coach, mentor, motivator and friend. Every time I attend one of his riding schools I learn something new about myself, my riding abilities or motorcycling’s “physics of feel.” Under his tutelage I have watched kids become competent racers, and due to his vast curriculum and training methods, I’ve had some measure of success in club roadracing, too!

IFurther, I have been envious of his approach and vigor for fatherhood, as I’ve watched his son, Micah, grow into a respectful, in-

MORE MICAH AND ME

Re: the April edition’s cover story Micah and Me by Aaron Stevenson. Wow. Just wow. Probably the coolest article you’ve ever published. Brought tears to my eyes and memories of taking my own son (who is now 47 years old with kids of his own) on motorcycle camping trips and to motorcycle races on the back of my motorcycle. Aaron did better than I did, documenting his trip with copious journaling and many pictures. He will never be sorry. Thank you for publishing this. And thank you to both Aaron and Micah for writing it.

Steve Gray

Aaron and Micah’s journey was so touching and well-written. I enjoyed it immensely, especially from my view, becoming a father to my son, Cole,

telligent, and, possibly most important, a very worldly young man. I have incorporated aspects of Aaron’s parenting ethic into the raising of my own son. With his Micah and Me article in the April issue, the man has given Micah a memory that will no doubt be imprinted in his mind for a lifetime.

Above all else, I am extremely grateful for Aaron’s compassion, generosity, and vision toward the healing and betterment of the American Veteran. Through his charity initiative, the Countersteer Veterans Motorcycle Experience (www. countersteerlife.org), we are able to use two-wheels as an outlet for

residual combat stress and a medium for service member self-therapy. Aaron provides the venue and equipment that allow us to safely decompress from the traumatic memories of war and associated stressors of a military lifestyle. He is a true champion in every sense of the word. Keep up the good work, Aaron!

Justin Pennella LTC, US Army (Retired)

at age 52, getting him his first bike, a Honda 50 at age 4, being his motocross support crew, and giving him a Super Duke R for his college graduation. The motorcycle journey can be a wonderful bonding trip for a father and son! (I’m still riding at age 79...)

Dave Winston

Loved that story! Every 11-year-old should be so lucky! Travel is good, whether it is around the U.S. or the world. You meet new people, see new places, and that makes you more accepting of all the differences there are on this planet.

Clement Salvadori Atascadero, Calif.

Congratulations to Aaron and Micah Stevenson on their epic family journey of discovery — and to American Mo-

torcyclist for bringing it to the members of the AMA. It is a wonderful story worthy of expansion into a book. I believe Robert Pirsig would be proud to have been part of the inspiration for this moving story. It is one of the best I’ve ever read in this magazine, or any other.

Gary Ilminen Lone Rock, Wis.

I have never written to a publication before, but felt compelled to after reading April’s cover piece. What a great experience for father and son! Seems like Senior Stevenson is instilling some fine manners and experiences in young Micah. Somewhere around 1995 my son Bradley and I rode my Harley-Davidson Springer Softail from Orlando, Fla., to Key West. We each were issued a saddlebag for clothing. Brad was 12. It was a wonderful trip, and I fondly recall it.

Letters to the editor are the opinions of the AMA members who write them. Inclusion here does not imply they reflect the positions of the AMA, its staff or board. Agree? Disagree? Let us know. Send letters to submissions@ama-cycle.org or mail to American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity.

Brad was a fine young man who became a fine adult and soldier. College, then an officer, highly decorated in Iraq. He now is a Major and resides in the D.C. area, and now has his own Harley! I am very proud of him, and his accomplishments. He now has his own son. I hope one day to go on another trip, me on my Harley-Davidson Ultra, and he on his. I am enjoying everything about the magazine. Must also mention the A Gunner’s Tale article by Aaron Frank. Good work.

Jerry Smith

I’m enjoying just about everything you folks are doing with American Motorcyclist, but there are good articles, and there are great articles, and then there are articles that just hit me down deep. Such was the case with Micah and Me. Perfectly written and perfectly photographed, it made me regret not being able to take my own trip with my boys when they were Micah’s age, as I did not get back into motorcycling until they were out of college. They both ride now but are several states away. I hope Micah never loses track of the diary he kept along the way. Who knows, that might actually be the seed of a very good book. Thank you, Aaron and Micah, for sharing your touching story with us!

Toby Moore Ashland, Mo.

The Micah and Me piece was excellent and brought back memories of me and my dad and the motorcycle trips we took together in my younger days, each on our own machines. Over the course of 12 years, we managed to take in 48 states, and a bit of Mexico and Canada. Micah will remember and cherish the memories from this trip for the rest of his life, just as I do mine. My dad passed back in 2017, and the memories of our cross-country rides are some of the most precious that I have. Kudos to Aaron for the article and, more importantly, for taking the time to take the road trip. Thank you from a freshly-minted Charter Life Member.

Jeff Geske Battle Creek, Mich.

THE NEXT 36, PART I

Thanks for asking readers for content suggestions. I am a late-in-life Harley rider, so my interests obviously center on Harley-based articles and, in general, articles about interesting road

trips people have made. I usually only scan the off-road and racing stories, but I know they have to (and should) be a part of your content. I’m sure you work very hard to strike the right content balance for your readers. I will always support the AMA as an important motorcycling advocate entity, so no matter the content of your publication, I will always be there as a member. In your current edition I enjoyed both the Micah and Me and

A Gunner’s Tale pieces. In Micah, that kind of daily mileage on mostly unpaved roads and trails is amazing, especially two-up. A Gunner’s Tale was both inspirational and sad. After reading the article I’d love to see his display at the H-D museum. I think I’ll call the museum to see if there is a schedule for it to be displayed. The Mind Over Matter column was powerful, too.

Thanks also for all you do as a motorcycling advocacy organization. Lord knows there are plenty of efforts out there by politicians and others to limit our riding options and our freedoms as bikers. Keep up the good work!

Lynn Wagner Onalaska,

Wis.

Thanks, Lynn, and yes, trying to balance the editorial and coverage wants of such a wide-ranging member base — from youth dirt riders to street-going seniors with decades of experience, and everyone in between — is a challenge, for sure. But the letters we’ve gotten are helpful, and we’ll keep printing them here over the next several months. – Ed.

BACK IN THE DAY

In 1971, after my San Antonio college buddies and I saw Bruce Brown’s classic On Any Sunday documentary, we all went out and bought enduro motorcycles. I purchased a 1971 Suzuki TS250 that became my after-school thrill machine. We would go to Olmos Basin Park just below the dam and ride the trails. Other days we would sneak onto Fort Sam Houston’s equestrian trails to ride amongst the live oak trees and streams. Occasionally, my college professor would join us for these weekly exploration rides. I stopped riding after college and after a 30-year hiatus resumed my motorcycle riding passion in 2001. So nostalgic was I for that TS250 that in 2008 I acquired a surviving example, which brought back lots of fond memories. Now, 17 years later, I continue to ride with my wife who is also an avid motorcyclist. The attached photo was taken in 1971 in the Olmos Basin just below the dam. Obviously, I was having a good time!

Ned Thanhouser

5This picture was taken in 1973 of my then-girlfriend in the mountains near Punta Banda, Baja Mexico. The trusty ’71 Yamaha RT1 360 got us up there and back many times. Her footpegs were attached to the rear axle nut, making the ride pretty challenging for the pillion rider.

We’ve been married 49 years now and have ridden more than 60,000 miles (not all on the Yamaha) through 29 European countries, and more than that in the U.S. and Baja.

Ken Fritz

Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear! Submit your Back in the Day photos and stories to submissions@ama-cycle.org. Feel free to expound! Hi-rez images are preferred!

6I have been an AMA life member for over 30 years, and I have been riding (and racing) motorcycles for over 50 years. I started out on the best bike in the world for beginners — the Honda Mini Trail 50. The picture of my Mini Trail is from 1973. I gravitated to many bikes, including Hodaka, Suzuki and a Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke that I raced. After a few Suzuki streetbikes I ended up with a Ducati 900 that I restored after a crash at 198 miles. I have an XR1200 for back-up riding.

Nathan Pierce

5This photo was taken near the Cave Buttes dam in Phoenix in either late 1989 or early 1990 after I purchased my 1989 Honda CR250R. The rider on the CR500 suggested we both hit the approach of a natural earthen bowl, where other riders had been jumping and landing in the middle of the bowl. I ended up hitting the approach further to the left and at a higher speed than I planned, but I was able to get the front end down, land on the rear wheel, and ride it out! Since it was 35mm film, I didn’t know the picture had been taken until I picked up the prints from my local Safeway a couple weeks later. Talk about a surprise!

Franklin Marino

5In 1975 I was racing Bultacos in Albuquerque and working part time at a shop while going to college. Next door was Bill Canfield of Fasttrack frames. He built custom short trackers, but decided to build himself an XL250 frame for the desert. I borrowed it to race in a local MX and totally loved it. We eventually built an XL350 engine for it, fitted Maico forks, an Elsinore front wheel, tank and seat, with a flat track rear disk. It worked great, and was competitive at the expert level locally. The motor was a bit fragile, and it turned out the frame was, too, with the wall thickness of the chromoly needing to be bumped up a bit. That’s James Fastle holding what was left.

Doug Knowlton

6The thrill of motorcycling first hit me at 8 years old when riding on the back of my brother John’s New Orleans-built Simplex. Thrill-seeking amped up at 13 when my brother Joseph taught me to ride his Honda 90 Scrambler. My friend Billy (in the white helmet; I’m in the orange one with white stripes) got a Honda 90 Scrambler that Christmas, and we rode wherever the bikes would take us. Trail riding seemed fun, so I turned the ’67 Aermacchi/H-D M65 Sport I’d bought into a dirt bike by raising the front fender and fitting wider universal tread tires. The pictures are from 1975 in the Bonnet Carré Spillway when we did our last trail ride together. Billy’s Honda was long gone so I loaned him the Harley and I rode my ’72 Suzuki TS125. Obstacles like that narrow plank across the ditch had always started a “You go first!” challenge. I was usually the guinea pig, but this time I insisted he go first. Trusting that board (or successfully balancing on it) wasn’t the smartest thing we ever did, but it made for a good memory!

Ron O’Connor

3When I was 16 I so wanted a motorcycle (a Honda S90, to be specific). But my parents pulled the “As long as you’re living under this roof…” thing, so no motorcycle. At 21, as a college kid, I got a summer job as a construction worker. I needed wheels to get to and from work, and since parking one’s personal car was prohibited on my campus, a motorcycle made sense, and Mom and Dad allowed me to buy a Honda CB450. One summer my employer had me operating an old street sweeper, which didn’t have any sort of sprinkler system to keep the dust down, and with no air conditioning, the dust stuck to my sweaty body. In this picture, taken after I had ridden home at the end of my workday, you can see the result, and this is after the ride home had blown half the dust off me (and the vibrating helmet had cleaned off my forehead). I’m just hoping I don’t die early of black lung disease.

Richard Roos

BACK IN THE DAY

5These two photos, the first of which is me and my 1975 Harley-Davidson Sportster somewhere in Washington state, and the second with my 2017 Road Glide in North Carolina doing The Dragon in 2018, were taken nearly 50 years apart. Kinda wish I still owned that Sportster, but not for a daily rider! Bones are too old for that.

6I don’t have a photo of my first motorcycle – a 1962 Honda 50 Supersport I bought brand-new in May 1962 as a senior in high school – but I do have one of my second...a 1963 Honda Super Hawk 305 (CB77), pictured here with my then-girlfriend Elaine. My next motorcycle was a new 1964 Honda Super Hawk, but Uncle Sam interrupted my riding for a few years. I am an AMA Life Member Plus and just recently sold my last motor bike, a 2022 Suzuki Burgman 200 after deciding to stop riding due to safety and health reasons. I will miss it, but I plan to remain in motorcycling via my AMA membership and American Motorcyclist (and other) magazines. It’s been a great ride!

Antonio Montemayor

Thanks for your service, Antonio! – Ed.

Steve Hodsdon

5In 1981, while we were stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, my Hodaka 250 Thunder Dog-mounted buddy captured me cresting a hill on my Suzuki TS400. We’d found great riding in a remote corner of the base, but only ventured out there on Sundays as it was a training area with tracks from M-60 tanks that we didn’t want to meet up with. Great times.

John Weicht

6I started out on a Suzuki 120cc single in ’68, then decided to join the Navy to avoid the draft. That would lead to a couple of pivotal events in my motorcycle life. The first happened after the Navy sent me to Great Lakes, Illinois, for school. I met an icon of the Midwest motorcycle world, Buzz Walneck. I traded him my brand-new Suzuki X-6 Hustler for a 1940 BSA M20, the WWII military bike. That got me hooked on vintage motorcycles. Then the Navy sent me to SoCal to a ship, and I bought a Honda 450 from a shipmate. I rode all over SoCal and often up to San Jose, Calif., to visit Dad. I rode it weekly to speedway races in Costa Mesa, Calif., and flat track at Ascot Park in LA, usually by way of the Lookout. The next event occurred when I stopped in a motorcycle shop and found a Moto Guzzi Ambassador 750. With help from Dad I bought it. I will always remember the first time I rode the Guzzi to Ascot, because several guys were looking it over and they started asking me where I had traveled with it. I have been riding Moto Guzzis (my favorite brand, can you tell?) since then. Now I have a 1969 Guzzi Ambassador, exactly like that first one.

Timothy

Crump

You, three, Tim! – Ed.

You, too, John! – Ed

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up to speed

News, notes, insight and more from the motorcycling universe

100 Years Historic Rights Wins

THE DANFORTH BILL

1987…The year superbikes nearly died

BY JOY BURGESS

ears from now, I expect we’ll look back and call it ‘the Danforth Days.’ It was the period from July 20 through Oct. 14, 1987, and it was one of the most exciting and frightening periods that our Association has seen...

“It began when U.S. Sen. John Danforth (R-Missouri) introduced legislation that would have empowered the federal government to ban or radically alter the design characteristics of motorcycles. It ended when the senator sat down with us to explain that he would abandon his bill if the AMA and its members would work with him to see positive motorcycle safety

programs that we all can support.”

— Former President Ed Youngblood in the February 1988 edition of American Motorcyclist.

Sadly, we’ve become used to government intruding on our lives and telling us what we can and cannot do — even regarding the most insignificant things, as if politicians and bureaucrats have no larger issues to deal with. But back in the ’80s it wasn’t the common occurrence it seems to be today, and especially not in motorcycling.

Still, in July of 1987, motorcycling got a big-time wakeup call in the form of Missouri Senator John Danforth’s so-called “Motorcycle Safety

Act of 1987,” also known informally as the “Danforth Bill,” or the “Superbike Ban Bill.”

Looking back with nearly 40 years of hindsight on Danforth’s effort to radically change motorcycling in the name of “safety,” the level of bias, ignorance and just plain chutzpah involved is almost shocking.

In it you had a truly caustic mix of anti-Japanese trade policy, loads of purposely slanted “data” (much of it provided by the insurance industrybiased IIHS — the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), sensationalized media coverage, and a protectionist-oriented politician looking for votes. In other words, a witch’s brew.

THE BILL

At the time, Danforth had a history of concern and activity in transportation safety matters and was known — along with his staff — as a bit of a trade protectionist…all of which made him appear vulnerable to lobbyists with an axe to grind. And grind they did.

Enter, then, the IIHS, who fed Danforth “data,” media reports, talking points and sensationalized video (some culled from footage from SoCal’s infamous Mulholland Drive) that showed what looked on the surface like a serious level of two-wheeled craziness and mayhem.

Armed thusly, and thinking he could make motorcycling safer by half in one fell swoop, Danforth knee-jerked a piece of legislation that would ban or severely limit the design of the then-new crop of high-performance street superbikes, including Honda’s CBR1000F Hurricane, Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-10, Suzuki’s GSX-R1100 and Yamaha’s FZR1000, and a host of 750-class sportbikes, as well.

He then introduced the bill on the Senate floor, using the words “killer motorcycles” multiple times, and citing all sorts of wonky dates and facts:

“Mr. President,” Danforth said, “in 1984, the Japanese began selling what can only be described as ‘killer motorcycles’ in this country. These are racing bikes that were developed for use on a track, but they are being driven on our streets. From a dead stop, one of these ‘super bikes’ can accelerate to 60 mph by the time it reaches the other side of a city intersection. It takes one of those killer cycles 2.7 seconds to reach this speed. Top speeds for these bikes range up to 162 mph. Some of these 400-to600-pound motorcycles have well over 100 horsepower. For comparison, a four-cylinder Chevrolet Celebrity weighs 2,705 pounds and has 98 horsepower. A four-cylinder Ford Taurus weighing 2,886 pounds has only 98 horsepower.

“I am introducing today the ‘Motorcycle Safety Act of 1987’ to end this danger. It would require the Secretary of Transportation to develop safety standards that will eliminate the hazards of these killer cycles. My bill would require

the Secretary to examine a series of limitations on this new breed of racing-type motorcycles. The bill would also require consideration of limits on the weight to horsepower ratios of super bikes...”

Danforth’s bill, while insanely vague, would require the DOT to establish federal standards limiting the performance capabilities of motorcycles. The bill proposed a limit on the rate at which motorcycles could accelerate, and established a maximum horsepower-to-weight ratio on “any motorcycle with a high-powered engine…capable of rapid acceleration and of achieving maximum speeds of up to 162 mph...”

It’s interesting to note that Danforth’s staff never consulted with anyone in the motorcycle industry while preparing the bill. Not the AMA, not the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), not the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), and not any of the Japanese manufacturers the legislation would affect. Their research came from anecdotal news reports, sensationalized footage carefully curated by the IIHS, and questionable statistics.

sharing their report with Danforth and staff, and nudging them toward some sort of legislation that would limit the design and sale of said “killer superbikes,” which would of course help the insurance industry save tons of money on claims. Indeed, according to Danforth’s own aides, the IIHS “approached them about the issue.”

A major problem with that IIHS study was that it was kept secret from other motorcycle safety researchers and the industry as a whole. “Universities aren’t supposed to do secret research,” said AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Harry Hurt, who co-authored the legendary Hurt Report, the most exhaustive study ever done on motorcycle crashes. “When research is out in the open,” Hurt added, “it’s exposed to the scrutiny of your peers so that you get steered along on the right course, and the results are authoritative. If you don’t, you’re going to get in trouble.”

Which is exactly what happened. The flawed research released by the IIHS claimed that “Deaths and severe injuries occur almost twice as often per registered vehicle on racing design motorcycles as on other kinds of cycles.”

Worse, Danforth’s staff tried keeping the proposed bill under wraps from the motorcycle community until it was introduced, the AMA only learning about it hours before the bill was read into the Congressional Record on July 23, 1987. Of course, the AMA sounded the alarm immediately to the industry and to AMA members in the pages of American Motorcyclist

THE IIHS CONNECTION

Much of this reaction and effort can, of course, be traced back to the IIHS, as long before the organization released its superbikes-are-killers “study” — we use that term loosely here — to the public, they’d been

The study’s fatal flaw, according to Hurt, was that the IIHS failed to take into account exposure data, meaning it didn’t dig more deeply into how many miles motorcycles were ridden, the experience and age of the rider, types of roads the bikes were ridden on, or who was at fault in motorcycle accidents.

In the end, the data showed that smaller-displacement machines — 600s, primarily — were more likely to be involved in crashes and injuries than the larger 750s and open-class sportbikes Danforth and the IIHS targeted. Why? Because the riders of larger-displacement sportbikes were typically older and more mature, riders who had generally more experience and smarts than the sometimes wild-eyed youth that typically bought 600s.

up to speed

THE AMA VISITS DANFORTH IN D.C.

After a deluge of mail, phone calls and telegrams flooded Danforth’s office from motorcyclists across the country, the Senator’s chief council, Walter McCormick, reached out to the AMA in October of 1987 and asked for a fact-finding meeting.

Vice President for Government Affairs Rob Rasor, along with thenAMA President Ed Youngblood, then flew to Washington D.C. to meet with Danforth and his staff.

According to the December 1987 issue of American Motorcyclist, “Rasor and Youngblood discussed a wide range of options regarding motorcycle safety and informed the senator about the drastic reduction in federal 402 funds to motorcycle safety programs. In recent years, more than 90 percent of motorcycle safety program monies

Here’s what we wrote in 1987 regarding the IIHS’s slant on statistics: “According to the IIHS, the Kawasaki GPz550 (left) is a street bike, while the Honda Nighthawk S (right) is a ‘race-designed’ superbike. Why? Because the crash rate is higher for the Honda, thus ‘validating’ their statistics!”

[had] been diverted to other areas of transportation safety.”

After the meeting, both Rasor and Youngblood felt optimistic, and American Motorcyclist staff returned to Danforth’s office a bit later to interview him for the magazine. When asked about why he didn’t solicit input from anyone in the motorcycle industry, Danforth replied, “I should’ve. I should’ve.”

“Frankly,” he continued, “what happened is that I looked at the film, and the suggestion was: Look, here is a product that is specifically targeted for kids, it goes from 0 to 60 mph in

two-point-something seconds, and it is inherently dangerous. Let’s introduce a bill that instructs the Department of Transportation to conduct a rule-making on the product itself…Honestly, I’m sure this betrays my ignorance, but I didn’t know there was such a thing as the American Motorcyclist Association…”

Danforth added that he was completely overwhelmed with the response from motorcyclists, and that he was sure the bill he’d introduced wasn’t going anywhere.

“I think the bill I introduced is a deadend street,” he told American Motorcy-

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clist. “It’s got about as much life to it as last year’s snow.”

DANFORTH WORKS WITH THE AMA

By the end of those discussions, Danforth admitted that those talks had opened new avenues in motorcycle safety to pursue, and that he would be open to suggestions from the AMA.

“If you can come up with something that makes sense on motorcycle safety, that your organization could really get behind, then I will be very happy to work with you on it. I think maybe we can save some lives together.”

That wasn’t just talk. The AMA’s efforts to get motorcycle safety back on the list of priority programs receiving federal funding got a boost from Sen. Danforth later that year. After Danforth announced he wouldn’t be pursuing the superbike legislation, he followed up his meeting with the AMA by writing to Transportation Secretary Designate Jim Burney and urged him to “restore motorcycle safety as one of the National

Priority

Program Areas.”

Later, in 1988, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reinstated motorcycle safety programs to its list of national priority areas for federal funding. That ruling made it significantly easier for local and state officials to receive funding for motorcycle safety programs.

“I’m very pleased that the Secretary of Transportation has decided to make local motorcycle safety programs a priority for federal funding,” Danforth told American Motorcyclist. “Federal grants could be used to promote driver awareness of motorcyclists and to post signs on streets and highways to warn of hidden hazards to motorcyclists. Efforts such as these can help reduce motorcycle accidents, injuries and deaths.”

THE TAKEAWAY

In a matter of about 90 days, one of the most threatening pieces of legislation the motorcycle community has ever seen was defeated. The

well-meaning but misguided Danforth not only chose not to pursue the legislation, but also worked with the AMA to make motorcycle safety programs a priority for federal funding again.

Defeating the “Superbike Ban” took a concerted effort by the AMA’s government relations staff and the outcry of many thousands of AMA members. It’s a reminder that motorcyclists, when they stand together, wield significant political power.

But it’s also a sobering reminder of what could happen if we don’t have a strong voice in politics at a local, state and federal level.

Remember, you are an important part of the AMA’s fight for motorcyclists’ rights. Sign up for AMA action alerts at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/ action-center/

Donate to the AMA’s Government Relations efforts!

Colorado becomes the fifth state to legalize lane filtering

BY JACK EMERSON

In a monumental win for Colorado riders, Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed SB24-079 on April 4, which legalized lane-filtering in the state. The law, which goes into effect on Aug. 7, passed through both the Colorado House and Senate behind strong bipartisan support. Colorado now joins California, Utah, Montana and Arizona as states with lane-filtering legislation signed into law.

“The signing of SB24-079 is a significant win for motorcyclists in the state of Colorado,” AMA Central States Representative Nick Sands said. With this new legislation, motorcyclists will now be allowed to filter through stopped traffic, giving riders the ability to legally remove themselves from vulnerable traffic situations before ever coming into contact with a distracted or inattentive driver.”

FREE TO FILTER STRENGTHENING OUR EFFORTS up to speed Rights ROUNDUP

Motorcyclists in Colorado will now be allowed to pass stopped motor vehicles in the same lane while traveling 15 miles per hour or less, and will only be allowed to do so if the road has lanes wide enough to pass safely. Conditions must also allow for “prudent operation of the motorcycle while overtaking or passing.”

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will collect safety data regarding lane filtering and issue a report to the state’s general assembly after a threeyear period.

The AMA supports efforts regarding lane-filtering legislation, as its success in several other states indicates its long-term viability in protecting motorcyclists. To stay up to date on the latest issues impacting motorcyclists, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/action-center/.

Bob Davis and Jeremy Robinson join AMA’s legislative team

BY JACK EMERSON

As the American Motorcyclist Association continues to fight for the rights of all riders, the organization’s Government Relations Department is bolstering its efforts with the additions of Grassroots Manager Bob Davis and Legislative Affairs Coordinator Jeremy Robinson.

Davis brings several years of AMA experience to his new role, having previously served as the Sanction

Activity Coordinator and Program & Volunteer Specialist within the AMA’s Racing and Marketing & Communications Departments. As he shifts over to the Government Relations Department, Davis looks forward to aiding the AMA’s legislative mission.

“My initial approach to this new role is to learn as much as I can,” Davis said. “There is a wealth of experience

and knowledge on this team. My goal is to become a valuable resource for the AMA and each and every one of our members.”

Combining a lifelong love for motorcycles and an extensive legislative background, Robinson has worked in a variety of roles in Washington, D.C., and has cultivated connections and relationships with policymakers on Capitol Hill. Now with the AMA, Robinson is excited to work closely with AMA members and preserve their rights as motorcyclists.

“As a kid, I always wanted to be around motorcycles, and now I get the opportunity to represent a community that welcomed me and provided me with so many great memories,” Robinson said. “I look forward to meeting the AMA members and getting to learn more about everyone’s different passions within the motorcycle community and how I can help support them.”

Welcome, gentlemen!

JEREMY ROBINSON

BOB DAVIS

BY JACK EMERSON

When the dust settled on the 2024 AMA Arenacross season, a familiar figure stood above the rest.

Despite battling plenty of adversity, including several crashes throughout the season, Kyle Peters held off Ryan Breece for his fifth-consecutive AMA Arenacross crown — tying the overall record held by Dennis Hawthorne and Buddy Antunez.

Although Peters has reigned over the series for the last five years, he recognized the value of each of his championships while reflecting on the difficulties of his record-tying campaign.

“They’re all special and have their special meaning in their own way, but this one was definitely the toughest on me, mentally, just from all the adversity I faced,” Peters said. “Things didn’t really seem to be going my way, and I always kind of felt like I was on my back foot. It was really tough, and a few rounds from the end I was thinking, ‘It’s not looking good.’ Thankfully, Lord willing, I was able to get it done, and to pull through was amazing.”

At season’s end, Peters held the top spot in the overall standings with 405 total points, while Breece trailed close behind with 400. Izaih Clark rounded out the top three, with 308 points on the season.

Not only did Peters extend his personal stretch of championship-winning success, but he also led Phoenix Racing Honda to its sixth-straight crown — which began with Jace Owens’ 2019 title.

up to speed

2024 AMA FLAT TRACK GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW!

Grab your steel shoes and leathers because the 2024 Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship is slidin’ sideways toward you at big speed!

BY JACK EMERSON

This year’s event will take place from June 30–July 6 at the iconic Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill. As the country’s premier amateur flat track racing event, the Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship features loads of racing opportunities in a quartet of disciplines — Short Track, TT, Half-Mile and Mile.

Since its creation in the mid 1970s, the AMA Flat Track Grand Championship has become a signature event on the racing schedule, and remains the only competition in which one can earn an AMA National No. 1 plate in amateur flat track racing.

There’s no better place to take in flat track racing than the scenic Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, home to the legendary “Magic Mile.” The grounds also boast a smooth Half-Mile track, indoor short-track and a unique TT course, providing riders with a wide variety of racing surfaces and layouts.

PRE-REGISTER TO SAVE!

Pre-registration for the 2024 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship is open, and it’s a great opportunity to save money.

In addition to decreased check-in times, pre-registered riders pay a discounted entry fee of $80 per class — $20 less than the price of regular entry. Racers that pre-register before June 7 will also have their names printed on a special edition 2024 Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship T-shirt.

With plenty of space for camping and outdoor activities, as well as the annual riders’ dinner, it’ll be non-stop entertainment for those in attendance, including a round of the American Flat Track series run on the venue’s famous “Magic Mile” on Saturday, July 6.

If you love flat track racing as a competitor or spectator, there’s nothing quite like the Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship. We hope to see you there!

Competitors may also purchase wristbands for gate entry on-site or online for $25 per day, or $75 for the week, while pit bike passes are $20. Both can be purchased online in advance of the event.

AMA FTGC SPECIAL AWARDS

In addition to the many championships that will be awarded in a variety of disciplines and classes, the most outstanding individuals will be recognized for their racing prowess and determination both on and off the track.

Chief among the special awards is the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award. This honor stands above the rest, as it’s presented to the rider that shows the necessary potential — both on and off the track — to compete at a high level in the professional ranks. Previous winners include AFT stars Jared Mees, Briar Bauman, Dallas Dan-

Don’t miss out on all the bar-bangin’, dirtkickin’ fun at the 2024 Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship, which runs June 30–July 6!

iels and Kody Kopp.

Do you have the skills necessary to win the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award? Apply now at https://form.jotform.com/221018728565155!

The Bill Werner AMA Flat Track Fast Brain Award acknowledges the racer that displays quickness both in the classroom and on the racetrack. The award is decided by the rider’s performance at the event, as well as official school transcripts provided to award decision makers.

EVENT CLASSES

GROUP 1 CLASSES: YOUTH/VET

• 50cc Production Chain (4-8)

• 50cc Production PW Shaft Drive (4-8)

• 50cc Production Chain Drive Shifter (4-8)

• 65cc Production (7-11)

• 65cc Modified (7-11)

• 85cc Modified (9-11)

• 85cc Production (9-13)

• 85cc Modified Supermini (12-15)

• Veteran (25+)

• Senior (40+)

• Super Senior (50+)

• Masters (60+)

To apply for the award, head over to https://form.jotform. com/221017634407145.

In addition to the Horizon and Fast Brain Awards, the AMA Vet/Senior Racer of the Year and AMA Youth Racer of the Year are presented to the most superb riders in their respective categories.

There’s still time to submit applications for special awards! Direct any questions to AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant at ksaillant@ama-cycle.org!

EVENT SCHEDULE

GROUP 2 CLASSES: AMATEUR

• Women 122cc and Up (12+)

• 250cc Production

• 250cc Modified

• 250cc — Open Singles (12+)

• 450cc Production

• 450cc Modified

• Open Heavyweight

• Saturday, June 29 — Rider Registration

• Sunday, June 30 — Amateur Half-Mile

• Monday, July 1 — Youth/Vet Half-Mile

• Tuesday, July 2 — Amateur TT

• Wednesday, July 3 — Youth/Vet TT, Amateur Short Track

• Thursday, July 4 — Youth/Vet Short Track, Youth Short Track

• Friday, July 5 — Amateur Mile

• Saturday, July 6 — AFT

A speed DEMONESS

16-YEAR-OLD HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR KAYLA YAAKOV IS SHAPING UP TO BE ONE OF AMERICA’S FASTEST – REGARDLESS OF AGE OR GENDER

BY AARON FRANK

PHOTOS: MARIAH LACY & YAAKOV ARCHIVE

DEMON

n. One who is extremely zealous, skillful, or diligent DEMONESS

n. A female demon

MA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies isn’t known for bluster or BS when he speaks, especially when it comes to road racing and what makes a top-level road racer.

All of which means his take on 16-year-old professional road racing phenom Kayla Yaakov carries substantially more weight than normal.

“Four or five years ago Kayla’s name started popping up,” the three-time AMA Superbike and 2009 World Superbike champ told us recently, “so I started watching her race…and immediately noticed how fast she was. And not just ‘fast for a girl.’ If you tucked the ponytail inside her leathers, you wouldn’t know any different. How aggressive she is, her speed…I was totally impressed.”

High praise, for sure.

From a driveway in Pennsylvania to the high banks of Daytona, Kayla Yaakov has come a long way in just 13 short years. Soon after she swapped training wheels for a 50cc Suzuki, her racing career was off and running.

Funny thing is, Kayla herself doesn’t see the gender thing, either. In fact, she barely seems conscious of the fact she’s not only one of the few women to ever race motorcycles professionally, but the only female to win a MotoAmerica national. (Note: Elena Myers previously won two AMA Pro Supersport races before MotoAmerica took over the series. - Ed.).

And why should she? Racing against the boys is all she has ever known, and she’s been competing with — and beating — fully grown, very fast adult men since she was in elementary school, notching well over 400 individual race wins and a remarkable 47 amateur and expert national championships in her career so far.

But on March 9, 2024, Kayla flew into rarified air, lining up for the 82nd running of the legendary Daytona 200, her very first race on Daytona’s historysoaked tri-oval circuit. How’d she do?

Pretty darn well. In 200 miles of intense back and forth against 66 of the fastest road racers from around the world at speeds of 180 mph, the high school junior finished 11th…a result that surely points to even bigger and better things for the 5-foot-3-inch teen from Gettysburg, Pa.

This year’s Daytona 200 shaped up to be the most competitive in years, with the deepest field of talent since the 1990s when guys like Hall of Famers Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel — both five-time winners of the legendary event — ruled the famous high banks. In addition to MotoAmerica regulars like Josh Herrin and Brandon Paasch — both two-time D200 winners — this year’s grid also featured four-time winner Danny Eslick and a host of international talent that included the defending FIM Endurance World Champion teammates Karel Hanika (Czech Republic), Niccolo Canepa (Italy)

“I really don’t have a lot of pictures of her outside of being at racetracks or traveling to racetracks, because we literally live on the road!”

DAVID YAAKOV

and Martin Fritz (Germany), three-time Canadian Superbike Champion Ben Young, 13-time Isle of Man TT winner Peter Hickman, and many more of the fastest road racers in the world.

It was against this backdrop that Kayla made her Daytona debut aboard a bright-yellow Ducati Panigale V2 sponsored by Rahal Ducati Moto. Although she had only been competing in MotoAmerica’s Supersport category for less than a year, by many measures, Kayla Yaakov was the most decorated and accomplished racer on the grid that day — and certainly one of the fastest.

Kayla first got the racing bug from her father David, himself a successful former amateur road racer who competed in WERA, Formula USA and AMA events, and who has earned two national championships. David eventually transitioned to auto racing and actually started Kayla in go karts at age 3 — but that hook didn’t set. Inspired by her father’s road racing videos, what she really wanted to do was ride motorcycles. Her father put her on a 50cc Suzuki at age 4 and she never looked back. Her father never pushed her to compete on motorcycles, she said — it was something she always wanted for herself. During her early years she couldn’t get enough time racing motorcycles, competing equally in motocross, flat track and road racing, but trying to excel in all three distinct disciplines proved overwhelming. She’s been focused primarily on road racing since age 7.

“After seeing her race a few times I reached out to her father David and told him: ‘Hey, I’m a big fan of Kayla. If you’re ever at a crossroads and you want advice, I’d love to give you input.’”

BEN SPIES

Kayla had plenty of reasons to feel nervous at Daytona — and not just about the unusually long, 200-mile race distance, or the unique challenges posed by Daytona’s fearsomely fast layout. This was also her first race on an all-new race bike, and her first race weekend working with an all-new team. And not just any team: Kayla was making her debut with the newly formed Rahal Ducati Moto, a high-profile effort led by former AMA and World Superbike Champion Ben Spies under the ownership of IndyCar Series legends Graham Rahal and his father Bobby. This was real racing royalty, and expectations across the paddock were high.

Kayla, however, wasn’t intimidated. Quite the opposite, actually; she was inspired. “I was really excited to be on the grid at Daytona,” she said. “To be a part of that field, and to qualify so well, with so many great riders all around me, was so encouraging.” (Kayla qualified 18th, directly behind FIM World Endurance co-Champions Canepa and

Hanika on their factory-supported Yamahas.)

Spies said it was his priority to sign Kayla to the new team. Spies has been following the young racer’s career closely for the past few years, and occasionally providing advice. “[After seeing her race a few times] I reached out to her father David and told him: ‘Hey, I’m a big fan of Kayla. If you’re ever at a crossroads and you want advice, I’d love to give you input.’ We’ve been communicating regularly since then.”

Kayla noted having Spies in her corner has been the biggest factor helping smooth her transition to the super-competitive Supersport category. “I’ve been talking with Ben for a few years now,” she said. “He reached out to us right after I started riding big bikes, and he helped quite a bit with good advice when I first went to Europe. When he proposed the idea of joining the Rahal Ducati Moto team, it was a no-brainer for me. He has experience winning championships on both the national and international levels, and he knows what it takes to get there. That’s exactly the help I need.”

Spies wasn’t the only one paying attention. Ducati’s long-time Global Sporting Director, Paolo Ciabatti, was also watching her career closely, as were the Rahals, and all three were equally impressed by her speed, maturity and potential for future growth.

The Rahals, it’s worth noting, know more than a little bit about developing female racing talent. Rahal Racing was the team that gave Danica Patrick her first IndyCar opportunity in 2005, when she was named the IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year, and Patrick raced with the Rahal team for her first two seasons. Kayla has all the right people around her, Spies said, and they all believe that she can be even more successful on two wheels than Patrick was on four.

By now, Kayla is accustomed to great expectations. She won her first MiniGP roadracing championship at age 7 and then proceeded to win essentially every award available to a young racer,

Kayla’s little sister Lucy is probably her best friend, and definitely her biggest fan. You can often see Lucy holding the pit board in the practice videos Kayla regularly posts to her Instagram feed. Above: Kayla on our February, 2018 cover. A taste of things to come.

“She’s really young, but in many ways, she’s really mature because she’s been racing forever. Her biggest strength is that she’s very smart when it comes to racing. She thinks a lot, and she’s very analytical.”

BEN SPIES

including both the AMA Novice Racer of the Year and AMA Racer of the Year awards as well as multiple AMA Grand National Championships.

Kayla turned pro in 2021 (at age 14) and celebrated by immediately traveling to Europe, where she was one of just 16 riders — and the only American — invited to compete in Yamaha’s prestigious R3 Cup, a support series for World Superbike. She was invited back the next year for the R3 Cup Super Finale at Poritmao, Portugal, where she finished second.

Kayla returned to Europe yet again in the fall of 2023, this time to participate in four rounds of the Yamaha R7 Cup. She consistently ran at the front of the pack, and dominated the R7 Cup event at Spain’s Circuito de Cartagena, where she set the pole in Friday qualifying (setting a new lap record in the process) and then doubled to win both the Saturday and Sunday races. Kayla performs well under pressure.

all the quick-change stuff, everything was different.” There was a lot of pressure, she added, not necessarily within the team, but from outside. “Working with the Rahals, and with Ben, it felt like there were really a lot of eyes on us.”

For her part, Kayla adapted to her new Ducati quite quickly. Like so many nextgen racers who have come up through MotoAmerica’s fast-and-furious Junior Cup, where it’s not uncommon to see packs of racers barreling three- or even fourwide into corners, Kayla is exceptionally aggressive, and quick to attack and capitalize on the slightest opportunities. She told us the Ducati chassis suits her aggressive riding style especially well.

Back in Daytona, the Rahal Ducati Moto team struggled at first. “We knew going in that it was going to be a test for our team,” Kayla said. “We were trying new electronics,

“I like to carry a lot of momentum — and a lot of roll speed — into the corner, and the Ducati is really good at that,” she said. “I’m really hard on the front of the bike, and from a geometry standpoint, the forward-biased Ducati is exactly what I need. And of course, I love the V-twin torque off the corners. The Ducati definitely suits me and amplifies my strengths.”

Kayla put that torque to good use at Daytona. After

a slow start chasing gearing and other minor setup issues — which kept her out of the special “Time Attack” qualifying round, a 15-minute Superpole session for the 12 fastest riders — the Daytona rookie qualified ahead of Rahal Ducati Moto teammates Corey Alexander and P.J. Jacobson, both veteran MotoAmerica Superbike riders.

This is the first time in Kayla’s career that she has teammates riding on the same bikes, and she’s taking full advantage. “It’s a group effort, especially as a brand-new team, on new bikes, with everything we have to dial in together,” she mentioned. “Having three bikes to test and learn from really helps. Everything is an open book right now. P.J. and Corey both have so much experience, and it’s really cool for me to learn from them

and grow together.”

Despite her age, Spies added, Kayla is a genuine asset to the team because she knows so much about racecraft. “She’s really young,” Spies said, “but in many ways, she’s really mature because she’s been racing forever. Her biggest strength is that she’s very smart when it comes to racing. She thinks a lot, and she’s very analytical. And she watches a lot of tape [race recordings]. Watching tape will make you better — the greats in any sport will tell you that. It teaches you to anticipate opportunities and outcomes, so you can deal with situations on-track even better. A lot of people don’t do that; she does it a lot, and I’ve been telling her to do it even more.”

Somewhat unbelievably, Kayla had never actually raced at Daytona before. (The extent of her previous Daytona

A little giant: In the early days, it wasn’t unusual to see teeny-tiny Kayla on the top step of the podium, flanked by two full-grown men. It’s no different today, only now she’s leading them in MotoAmerica Supersport races.

Kayla Yaakov grew up in the paddock. Lately, she’s started a new part-time job (right), working those same paddocks as a commentator during live television broadcasts of MotoAmerica racing events.

long race, and she did a really good job of that. I was very pleased with her result.”

Kayla — who has little endurance racing experience — credits her training program, developed together with Spies, for giving her the fitness to survive 200 miles at race pace. “My hands were a little sore after sitting in the same position for 57 laps, but physically and mentally, I felt good after the race,” Kayla told us. “This past year I’ve been training really hard and riding a bicycle a lot — that’s one of Ben’s big things — and that’s been really good for me, especially for my knees.”

experience was a single Team Hammer track day that was cut short when her bike blew up.) She admits she didn’t really know what to expect from the race, having to learn a new track and a new bike at the same time.

Kayla got a solid start and was running with the lead pack on the second lap when bad luck struck and Max Angles’ engine blew up directly in front of her, coating her windscreen and faceshield with oil.

Kayla was the first racer to pit on lap 14 — very early — partially to clean her shield so she could see, and partially because the team was being conservative to avoid running out of fuel on the new and mostly unknown bike. Things went better for the remaining 43 laps, as Kayla was able to use her Junior Cup drafting experience to pick off riders one by one, eventually finishing 11th overall — the top finisher from the Rahal Ducati Moto team.

“I was happy with our Daytona result,” Kayla said. “My goal was to finish in the top 15, so finishing 11th was great.” Spies was pleased, too. “We weren’t necessarily looking for a result at Daytona,” he added. “Her job was to lock in some learning, to understand when to push and when to hold back to survive such a

“I really love racing in Europe. I like the excitement of going to new tracks and experiencing new cultures, and the level of competition over there is so good.”

KAYLA YAAKOV

Kayla’s knees are both damaged from separate racing incidents. In 2022, she suffered a crash at Virginia International Raceway that tore both the ACL and MCL in her left knee. The next year, in 2023, a crash during testing at Georgia’s Roebling Road Raceway damaged the ACL and MCL in her right knee and broke her fibula too, preventing her from participating in the first two rounds of that year’s MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship. She hasn’t had surgeries to repair either yet, choosing instead to manage the damage as best as she can until she’s done growing and can properly heal. For the time being, she’s concentrating on cycling and other activities that strengthen and support the joints and muscles surrounding both knees to allow her to race at 100 percent and protect her from further injury. So far, this strategy seems to be working.

“She’s probably training harder than anyone else

“We knew going in that it was going to be a test for our team. We were trying new electronics, all the quick-change stuff, everything was different. There was a lot of pressure.”

KAYLA YAAKOV

in MotoAmerica right now,” Spies said. “She’s been pedaling, but also doing a lot of core and shoulder work to build strength to handle the bigger bike and longer race distances. Being able to keep it together physically when you’re going 170 mph, and your heart rate is at 185 beatsper-minute, is how you win races. If you can find that extra gear at the end of the race, when everyone else is worn out, that’s what makes the difference.”

Life doesn’t revolve entirely around racing for Kayla

that trips to the skatepark have lately been replaced by practice sessions on her brand-new Husqvarna FS450 Supermoto. If you follow Kayla on social media you’ve no doubt seen her popping wheelies around the asphalt Supermoto race course that literally surrounds her rural Pennsylvania home, usually with her beloved little sister Lucy holding her pit board.

And like many high-school-aged kids, Kayla also makes room for a few part-time jobs, though hers

Yaakov — but it almost does. When we asked David for some candid photos of Kayla, he said this: “I really don’t have a lot of pictures of her outside of being at racetracks or traveling to racetracks, because we literally live on the road!” Still, Kayla finds time for some non-riding pursuits. She joined her school band in fifth grade and is proficient on both the saxophone and guitar, and is now learning to play the bass. “If I wasn’t racing motorcycles professionally, I would definitely be playing music,” she said.

Kayla also loves freestyle BMX — though she admits

are somewhat more glamorous than those of most teenagers, including commentating on MotoAmerica live television broadcasts and providing group and one-onone coaching services at track days and other private events around the country.

Kayla wants to return to Europe eventually, hopefully to the World Superbike Championship and then maybe even to MotoGP. “I really love racing in Europe,” she said. “I like the excitement of going to new tracks and experiencing new cultures, and the level of competition

For the 2023 racing season,

Kayla Yaakov will ride the bright-yellow XPEL/Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2, as she attempts to win her first MotoAmerica championship in the Supersport category. #19 is Ben Spies’ former World Superbike racing number.

over there is so good. My end goal is to continue to race, and win, and work my way up to the world stage.”

Spies, for his part, plans to do everything he can to make this happen for her. He told us there is a multi-year strategy to keep growing Rahal Ducati Moto, with plans to move into the Superbike class in the next year or two — perhaps, if everything goes well and she continues to progress, with Kayla in the saddle. There are also plans in the works to get her back to Europe at least once this season, with some assistance from Ducati. “Paolo went out of his way to pull some strings — he’s really focused on making things happen for her.”

Kayla is currently a junior in high school, and she studies remotely through her local school district’s onlinelearning program. She’s on-track to graduate a year early, and would like to take college courses, too, likely studying business “to help my dad with the business of running our racing program.”

We asked a few different ways what it’s like to be one of the only women in American professional roadracing, but Kayla barely entertains the question. Male, female,

young, old — Yaakov isn’t slowing down or stepping aside for anyone.

In the meantime, when she’s not concentrating on her schoolwork, she is fully focused on winning this year’s MotoAmerica Supersport championship — no matter how many boys she has to beat to do that. We asked a few different ways what it’s like to be one of the only women in American professional roadracing, but Kayla barely entertains the question. Male, female, young, old — Yaakov isn’t slowing down or stepping aside for anyone.

“I just want to keep winning, and to keep having fun,” she said. “This is already a dream come true for me.”

All she has to do now, according to Spies, is to keep progressing. He is quick to remind us — at just 16 years old — that she has plenty of time to get there. “As good as she is right now, and as fast as she is, at the end of the season she’ll be even faster,” Spies said.

“And at the middle of the next season,” he added, “she’ll be faster still. I tell her all the time — she doesn’t need to rush things, and she doesn’t need to overreach. She’s still so young; she’s just going to keep getting better and better, and faster and faster.”

Better and better. And faster and faster.

Demoness. One who is extremely zealous, skillful, or diligent.

It fits. AMA

Yaakov receives a push-off after a pit stop at this year’s Daytona 200. Riding for the Rahal Ducati Moto racing team, led by former World Superbike Champion Ben Spies, Yaakov has the best talent in the racing world supporting her this season.

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

he biggest problem of the 1950s may have been simple boredom following all the trauma and craziness of WWII: Do I have to wear this gray suit to my office job again, followed by another Swanson’s frozen dinner and a Doris Day movie?

TIn the ’60s, sadly, boredom would cease to be a thing: JFK’s big plans were tragically canceled in Dallas in ’63, followed by controversial wars on poverty and in Vietnam, the civil rights movement, and more, and all at once.

Gunsmoke was the most popular TV show in 1960, and by 1970, the No. 1 show was Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In — a boundary-pushing mash-up of pop comedy, free love, and light counterculture. Boiling beneath all of it was Vietnam; by 1969 there were 543,482 pairs of American boots on the ground.

In that same year, Martin Luther King was assassinated, followed a few months later by JFK’s brother Bobby.

In short, the ’60s offered an opportunity to tune out and tune in to motorcycles if one had that option; the first baby boomers turned 16 years old in 1962. At least one guy was in the right place: The rise of Japan Inc. is foretold by pretty much one man, Soichiro Honda, who bookends the decade with Super Cub, Super Hawk and CB750. Harleys, Nortons and Triumphs will still need to be pried from our cold, dead hands, but notice has been served that as performance leaders, European and American days were numbered.

Inexpensive two-strokes from Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha assisted Honda in erasing the Japan stigma, but it would take many years and more than a few brawls. In the meantime, Easy Rider (1969) and its pair of Harley

choppers defined cool for a whole other motorcycle culture to this day. We didn’t start the fire in the ’60s, but we did toss on quite a bit of accelerant. And the AMA? It moved, twice, to bigger digs; moved to manage racing — then burgeoning in a big way — better with a Competition Committee, complete with rider reps; and formed the Government Relations Committee, designed to fight anti-motorcycle legislation more effectively.

THE BABY BOOMER TURNS 16, LICENSED TO THRILL; CULTURAL AND POLITICAL UPHEAVAL; THE RISE OF JAPAN, INC.; AND MEETING THE NICEST

Triumph Bonneville

Named for the Utah salt flat where Johnny Allen went 214 mph on (in) the Texas Cee-Gar in 1956, the 1959 T120 Bonneville became an iconic motorcycle of the ’60s. Now with two Amal carbs instead of one and a one-piece crank, the Bonnie was good for 46 bhp at 6500 rpm. In 1963, unit construction combined engine and gearbox in one

DUES DOUBLE FROM $1 TO $2

For the first time in its history the AMA increased its dues in an effort to help fund the AMA’s new public relations program aimed to “greatly increase the percentage of people in favor of the sport of motorcycling, and persuade many others to take a more tolerant and understanding attitude toward it.” With membership sitting north of 70,000, dues increased from $1 to $2 on Jan. 1, 1960.

greeves

THE U.S. MOTORCYCLE MARKET

Number of motorcycles registered in the U.S.: 575,000.

Bert Greeves’ first motorized vehicle was a lawnmower-powered wheelchair for his handicapped cousin, but in 1951 the Brit began producing motorcycles. By 1962, Greeves offered 11 models for all kinds of two-wheeled sport, but was known mostly for its offroad prowess. Villiers-powered Greeves won more than their share of Six-Days Trials and prestige MX events. In the early ’60s, the leading-link fork was king. By 1968 and the beginning of the Japanese invasion, things were changing.

SCRAMBLES

DAYTONA DREAMIN’

The prestigious Daytona 200 moves to the iconic Daytona International Speedway, adding to the overall allure of the event. In addition to the change in venue, the AMA also offered its first full $10,000 expert purse in AMA history at the event. Hall of Famer Roger Reiman wins the first Daytona 200 not on the beach, averaging 69.25 mph for the 200 miles on his Harley KR run on Daytona’s infield course without the banking. Fairings are for the future. As a TT specialist, unlike most of his flat-tracker competitors, Reiman was accomplished at turning right as well as left.

1961

HONDA MAKES A MOVE

Just two years after his first forays into international racing at the Isle of Man, Soichiro Honda and his wife Sachi flew to Sweden in September, where they witnessed Mike Hailwood take Honda’s first World Championship, in the 250 class. Four weeks later, Australian Tom Phillis took the 125cc title in Argentina. That year, Honda also won its first constructors’ championships, in both categories. Hailwood’s RC161 was a DOHC four-cylinder producing 38 bhp at 14,000 rpm, capable of around 136 mph, and

SOUTHEST ASIA HEATS UP

In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy sent 400 Special Forces soldiers to Vietnam to train South Vietnamese soldiers.

DEGNER DEFECTS TO SUZUKI

Engineer and racer Ernst Degner defected to the west — specifically to Suzuki — with MZ’s secret two-stroke tech. A month after construction of the Berlin Wall began, Degner accepted a large bribe and failed to return to East Germany after the Swedish GP. Meanwhile, his wife and two kids escaped in a secret compartment between the back seat and trunk of a large Lincoln Mercury.

1962

MOTOCROSSING THE POND

With rules largely borrowed from post-war Europe, the AMA approved the creation of a new form of racing called motocross. The Americanized version of the sport primarily resembled scrambles, with differing scoring methods being the only true difference between the two racing disciplines. The development of lightweight two-stroke off-road motorcycles and a growing enthusiasm for scrambles, enduros and desert racing within the United States helped the sport boom with its new American audience.

HONDA GETS NICER

American Honda, by then ensconced in its own modest building on Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles, introduced its “You Meet The Nicest People” campaign with ad agency partner Grey Advertising. The reputational results were immediate.

AN AMA HQ OR TWO

TRICKLE-DOWN TECH

Honda wasted zero time trickling its racing tech down in the form of the CB77 Super Hawk, a 305cc twin with 27 horsepower at an unheard-of 9000 rpm. The Beach Boys sang its praises in Little Honda, Elvis rode one in Roustabout to flaunt his squeaky cleanness, and Robert Pirsig extolled its virtues in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Honda’s first sportbike was a sign of things to come, even if no one at the time knew just how big that thing would be — least of all Kihachiro Kawashima, who’d established Honda’s American beachhead in Los Angeles two years earlier.

THE TORCH IS PASSED

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22. There were over 16,000 U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, with many more to come.

DEGNER TAKES A TITLE

The AMA started the decade with a transition to a new, more spacious home. After 15 years in the previous Columbus office, the new headquarters were located nearby at 5030 North High St. Spanning 3,000 square feet, the offices allowed for addressograph equipment to help with the mailing load. Seventeen AMA employees made the move to the space that housed both AMA and American Motorcycling staffers. At the time, Lin Kuchler served as the AMA’s executive secretary and membership stood at 72,000. Just seven years later, the AMA would move once again, this time less than a mile up the road to a Worthington office.

As a factory Suzuki rider, Ernst Degner won four 50cc GPs in a row, giving Suzuki its first victories on the world stage and its first championship. Also, critically, the first one for a two-stroke in the World Championships. In 1963, Degner got Suzuki its first 125cc win. Later, four 125 singlecylinders lashed together would have an

outsized impact in racing in the form of the RG500. Meanwhile, MZ’s Nazi-derived rocket tech combined three key technologies for the first time — the expansion chamber, the disc valve and the boost port — to make a lightweight engine capable of 200 horsepower per liter. The writing was on the wall. None of this did anything to ease Cold War tension.

BEFORE ON ANY SUNDAY

The Great Escape made AMA Hall of Famer Steve McQueen a superstar as he leapt to freedom from a German POW camp on a Triumph TR6 disguised with olive drab paint, panniers and a big front fender to look like a German military motorcycle. Friend, stuntman, and fellow HOFer Bud Ekins performed the actual jump, and later returned to jump the green Mustang through the streets of San Francisco, repeatedly, in 1968’s Bullitt

ELECTRA GLIDE DEBUTS

Harley-Davidson introduced the Electra Glide, its first motorcycle with electric start (the threewheeled Servi-Car had electric start a year earlier). You were stoked not to have to kick anymore, but bummed when the ’66 model appeared with the all-new and more powerful Shovelhead motor. Soon enough, you were smug, as the Shovel also came with some serious teething/ oil-burning problems that did

ROCK ’N’ ROLL REBELS

The Beatles performed The Ed Sullivan Show, where they wanted to hold your hand, sending many Americans into shock. Luckily, most of those people had not yet heard of the Rolling Stones, who were angry they couldn’t get no satisfaction. Teen angst was born.

HONDA RC166

How can we make our four-stroke GP bike as fast as the rising tide of two strokes? Easy, we’ll spin it twice as fast! Honda’s inline-six 250 GP racer used 24 valves and six 22mm carburetors to produce 60 hp at 18,000 rpm, but was no wider than the Yamaha twins it raced against. After a bit of refinement by Mike Hailwood, including some chassis lengthening and strengthening, and throwing its rear shocks into a lake, “Mike the Bike” bagged 10 victories in 10 starts to win the ’66 250 world championship. His domination was

RIDER REPRESENTATION

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Dick Mann and Gary Nixon requested in 1964 that professional riders have representation on the AMA Competition Committee. The request was accepted, and in 1965, Mann and fellow Hall of Famer Roger Reiman became the first rider representatives on the AMA Competition Committee.

AMA GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

William Kennedy, president of the AMA, was elected president of the newly-formed Government Relations Committee to kick off 1966. With a focus on motorcyclerelated legislation, Kennedy worked closely with the AMA Public Relations Committee. The mission of the AMA’s legislative effort was to “coordinate national legal activity against unconstitutional and discriminatory laws against motorcyclists, to serve as a sentinel on federal and state legislation affecting motorcyclists, and to be instrumental as a lobbying force for motorcyclists and motorcycling interests.”

TRIUMPH ‘GYRONAUT X-1’

Automotive designer Alex Tremulis and Detroit Triumph dealer Bob Leppan plug a pair of highly modified 641cc Triumph TR6 engines into a chrome-moly frame wearing special Goodyear tires at Bonneville and set a new record that stands until 1970: 245.7 mph. Impressive.

MOTOCROSS TAKES OFF

Big-time Eurostyle motocross met California when Swedish champ Torsten Hallman rode an exhibition event against top American TT riders at the Corriganville Movie Ranch, aka Hopetown, in Simi Valley, Calif. In ’67, Hallman was joined by Hall of Famers Roger DeCoster, Joël Robert (shown here) and Dave Bickers, who crushed the American competition on their lightweight two-strokes.

A TIME OF TRANSITION

Serving as executive secretary since 1958, Lin Kuchler stepped away from the AMA to become the director of competition for NASCAR in 1966. For Kuchler, this transition allowed him to better fulfill his love for racing. In the wake of Kuchler’s departure, the AMA filled the void with William T. Berry Jr., who was a part of the American Motor Scooter Association at the time of its merger with the M&ATA in 1965 to become the Motorcycle, Scooter and Allied Trade Association (MS&ATA). Berry served as executive director of the AMA and MS&ATA.

WILLIAM BERRY JR.

HONDA GOES OSCAR

After experiencing positive results advertising about the nicest people in mainstream magazines like Life, American Honda became the first foreign corporation to sponsor the Academy Awards, spending $300,000 for two 90-second commercials. The response was overwhelming, according to Honda, with people everywhere clamoring to start their own Honda dealerships and many requests for Honda motorcycle tie-ins and promotions from all sorts of industries.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON AND ITALY

H-D purchased 50 percent of Aermacchi’s motorcycle division. The Italian branch was named “Aermacchi-Harley-Davidson,” and the first bike was a variation of the ‘Ala Verde,’ suitably modified for the American market (with Harley-Davidson decals on the gas tank). The Sprint sold just okay, but was really popular with racers, who used them to win scrambles, flat track and road races — and even a land speed record at Bonneville when AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer George Roeder went 177 mph in 1965 in a 250cc streamliner.

AGO GETS BACK

Honda pulls out of Grand Prix racing, but pays Mike Hailwood £50,000 not to ride for another team. MV Agusta’s opposition comes from small teams that made their own motorcycles, such as Paton and Linto, or improved British single-cylinders, such as Seeley and Rickman. Giacomo Agostini has no problems with the opposition and wins all the 500cc Grand Prix…and becomes world champion again.

AMA COMPETITION CONGRESS

In 1967 the AMA announced the creation of the AMA Competition Congress, which would consist of the following members: two representatives from each manufacturer or distributor of two-wheeled vehicles, one AMA member from each of the 36 districts, six licensed professional riders, two AMA staff members, the executive director — who would serve as the chairman — and the director of competition. The first AMA Competition Congress met in October 1968 to settle on rules for the 1969 season.

Elsinore Grand prix

In 1968, Harvey Mushman (aka Steve McQueen) and a couple thousand other maniacs descended upon a dusty little town in So Cal, just east of the coastal range from Orange County but a world away. The first Lake Elsinore GP started on Main Street and lapped the lake, mountains, and town for 100 miles. Wherever McQueen went, cameras followed, and when On Any Sunday brought McQ, ahhh, Mushman’s exploits to theaters, it was game on for the ’60s motorcycle boom. Malcolm Smith won on a new Husqvarna; Mushman finished a very respectable tenth.

jawa/ cz

Behind the iron curtain, Jawa and CZ were doing their best. After WWII, Czechoslovakia’s two biggest builders became one, with both factories using the other’s best design features, including the first twostroke exhaust expansion chamber. By the ’60s, guys like Joël Robert and Roger DeCoster were on

FULL FACE FOR ALL?

The Bell Star, the first full-face helmet, was introduced, with a fixed visor that’s totally

1968 NORTON COMMANDO

We’re not taking sides, but according to the old bas, er, riders who were there, the Commando was the high-water mark of the British twin. During its 10-year production run, the Commando was popular all over the world, and won Motor Cycle News’ prestigious “Machine of the Year” award five years running, from 1968 to 1972, until finally being displaced by the Kawasaki Z1.

MOONSHOT

Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong took “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” It was almost enough to blot out all the less savory current events for a bit.

’Natch, many who opposed the “moondoggle” weren’t all that impressed, which was okay since the main idea was to impress the Russians.

TOKYO SHOW SHOCKER

Honda’s soon-to-belegendary CB750 appeared at the 1968 Tokyo Motor Show, where it knocked both socks off all in attendance, and promptly went on to be the first successful mass-produced four-cylinder, thus setting the architecture in place for the Japanese big-bike invasion and coming Superbike wars. Yours with front disc brake, $1,495.

THE HELLACIOUS H1

The Guggenheim Art of the Motorcycle book called the Kawasaki H1 “one of the least useful motorcycles available,” which was not inaccurate but of course entirely dependent on what you were planning to use it for. If it’s drag racing, which was the use Kawasaki had in mind for the 499cc two-stroke Triple when they designed it to sell to crazy muscle-car addled Americans, the H1 was highly useful. Less so for slowing down or going around corners thanks to drum brakes and flaccid frame and suspension, but those things were back of mind on the shiny showroom floor when the $995 price tag had your attention.

BIKER MOVIES

Let’s face it, nothing goes together like motorcycles and on-screen anarchy, but not everybody was on board. “We have to stop making movies about motorcycles, sex and drugs and make more movies like Dr. Dolittle,” said the president of the Motion Picture Association of America in 1969. Peter Fonda — who may have felt personal affront as the star of 1966’s The Wild Angels (motorcycles) and 1967’s The Trip (sex and drugs) — disagreed. He wasted no time in putting Easy Rider down on paper and hiring his friend Dennis Hopper to direct. The low-budget film became the third-highest-grossing flick of the year; its success meant Mary Poppins’ days were numbered, and opened the studios to talented young artists including Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.

AMF BUYS HARLEY-DAVIDSON

American Machine and Foundry (AMF) bought Harley-Davidson. Adding its AMF logo to Harley gas tanks didn’t get the company off on the right foot with the Harley traditionalists, which all H-D fans were, and things went downhill from there. AMF ramped up production but didn’t upgrade its plants, creating quality-control and labor problems; the new-in-’66 Shovelhead, not the Motor Company’s best effort, needed constant Band-Aiding all the way until 1984. Meanwhile, the Japanese invasion was approaching breakthrough. For a while there, the future of H-D looked worse than grim.

WOODSTOCK

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was Three Days of Peace & Music with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Santana, The Who, and like 20 other acts in a giant field 113 miles north of New York City. Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang’s BSA Victor is now on display at the Woodstock Museum. AMA

Off-road pro Destry Abbott negotiating the trickiest and most challenging trail of the week…with a little help from friends.

SPEED & SPORT ADVENTURES’ UTAH “BUCKET LIST & LEGENDS” DUAL-SPORT RIDE IS JUST THAT… AND A REAL MEMORY-MAKER

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY MARK KARIYA

ie-hard off-road riders often dismiss dualsport rides as low-challenge treks, and there’s a bit of truth to that, as the two disciplines are substantially different by their very nature. Asphalt and two-track jeep trails, after all, do tend to be less challenging than gnarly single track or raw backcountry riding.

DBut on this day, as a mix of pro- and amateur-level off-road riders and racers — gathered at the bottom of and alongside a very narrow, very steep, and very wet and slippery rocky uphill trail — wondered who, if anyone, was gonna make it to the top (and let’s not mention the 200-foot drop just a few feet to the fallline side), no one was thinking foo-foo…not even the experts.

In the end, no one got up cleanly, including the pros. But with plenty of help standing by trailside, no one took the ugly elevator drop, either.

Which, given that Speed & Sport Adventures’ Park City, Utah, “Bucket List & Legends” dual-sport ride is promoted as a high-end motorcycle vacation, the lack of cliffside-induced broken bones and busted motorcycles is very surely a good thing.

Park City is known primarily as a toptier ski town and the home of the Sundance Film Festival, but the general area just 20-30 miles east of Salt Lake City is

also gaining a reputation as one of the premier dual-sport spots thanks to its superb trails and dirt roads, all accessible by paved public routes.

And then there’s the Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges’ geography and scenery, which is world-class any way you slice it.

Some three dozen riders took part in the latest Bucket List ride, including a host of famous racers and industry types, and even some well-known/celebrity types from nonmotorcycling genres.

On the industry side you had motocross legend Guy Cooper and five-time AMA Hare & Hound National Champion Destry Abbott. Other moto notables included fivetime GNCC champ and AMA Hall of Famer Rodney Smith of Beta Motorcycles fame, and rising young rally star Mason Klein. And from the UFC world came professional fighter Dominick Reyes.

Base camp for the four-night,

Here, our group gathered after dropping out of the mountains. Despite the number of riders, everyone was more than competent, and the bigger group made post-ride bench racing more fun. After a quick break we grabbed another dirt road that led to more prime single track.

five-day luxury dual-sport outing was the spectacular Timber Moose Lodge in nearby Heber, Utah. Called “America’s Biggest Log Cabin,” the Timber Moose offers 26,000 square feet of living space, fireplaces, decks, balconies, bedrooms (13), bathrooms (17), a swimming pool and sauna, kitchens, rec rooms, and more. It can sleep up to 50 and is perfect for this sort of group outing.

Day One of the ride was delayed a bit due to a storm, which included rain and some nasty lightning, and ended up being shorter than normal, at about 75 miles. But once underway, participants learned firsthand how challenging the day would be, especially with all the puddles and mud along the route. Had the boulder fields and climbs been part of a racecourse, they would’ve quickly become steamy bottlenecks.

While I enjoy a good mud ride despite being a lifelong Southern Californian, I ended up underwater

in one creek crossing, drowning my borrowed and uber-cool Husky FC450, which the folks in Husqvarna’s race shop had made dual-sport-legal. Let’s just say my skills don’t match those of factory team rider Malcolm Stewart. Fortunately, Abbott and several others had the tools and compassion to get me going again.

In the end, the day provided plenty of fodder for that evening’s benchracing session, which is part of the

“even though it’s not a road book [we’re following], being able to come in after a long day of riding, talk to all your new friends, and then go do it the next day… it feels like never-ending fun!”

MASON KLEIN

fun of group rides anyway, especially when interspersed between a generous buffet meal, enjoying the indoor pool and spa, playing cornhole or simply taking in the view from the lodge’s “crow’s nest.”

As usual, half the fun was getting to know fellow riders, some of whom drove to Utah from as far as Alabama, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania. Most were from

western states, though, with ages ranging from a teen girl to guys in their 50s and 60s, and all brought their own bikes, though rentals are available.

For Klein, who attracted worldwide attention with his Dakar Rally debut in 2022 where he won the Rally2 class and finished an impressive top rookie at ninth overall, attending was a chance to get some rally training in, but it became more than that, too.

“For me,” Klein told me, “one of the biggest factors was the multi-day aspect — it definitely relates to the rally-style of riding, because even though it’s not a road book [we’re following], being able to come in after a long day of riding, talk to all your new friends, and then go do it the next day…it feels like never-ending fun!”

After a successful pro racing career, Cooper is at the age where he no longer feels the need to prove himself all the time; nowadays, his goal is to enjoy riding, though he doesn’t mind challenging himself once in a while.

“Before,” Cooper said, “I always thought I had to have that race mentality. [Knowing I could get hurt] kind of slowed me down a little bit, but at the same time, I was comfortable with it. I can still go pretty fast, but the desire to be the fastest in the group is no longer that important. I can slow down without it bugging me.”

“I’ve ridden a lot of places,” he

added. “Australia, and some great places in Florida and Georgia. I won’t say Utah is the absolute best, but if you get a chance to come here, you should! It’s really good!”

Sunny skies dominated the next couple of days, with choice conditions for the 100 or so scenic miles tackled

each day. While there were the requisite miles on pavement as well as dirt roads to connect the trails, most of the actual riding time felt like it was on the abundant and prime single track, with different trails each day. Some went through meadows of bright flowers, others wound through aspen

most of the actual riding time felt like it was on the abundant and prime single track, with different trails each day. Some went through meadows of bright flowers, others wound through aspen groves, and some hugged the steep sides of mountains, which definitely kept riders on their toes.

groves, and some hugged the steep sides of mountains, which definitely kept riders on their toes.

There weren’t many whoops or washboards, which meant these trails don’t get a bunch of use, and I think everyone appreciated that. For someone like me who’s used to

miles of desert whoops, rocks and dust, but who has always enjoyed riding in the woods (a rare thing in SoCal), it was a treat. Mindful of the backpack full of camera gear and the fact that I don’t ride all that much

The Speed & Sport tours utilize both paved public roads and two track to get to the choice single track, but the scenery everywhere is spectacular. Below: From left, Dominick Reyes, Lexi Baker and Mason Klein approve.

nowadays, I gladly accepted a sweep rider position, and treated this as a riding refresher course in what was a stunning visual environment. Utah really is a special place.

In a lot of ways, the week felt like a big team-building exercise, and Reyes — who grew up in the high desert of SoCal — remembered it like this: “Everything I learned in Utah from Destry and Mason, and the little tips everybody gave me, I’ve been applying them since the ride…and riding is so much more fun now for me! I’m so much more relaxed; I’m standing up more in a comfortable position, and not feeling strained. I take a lot of pride in being able to ride well; I like to challenge myself and ride with better riders, go different places, and so far, it’s been great!”

“Riding has led to me to meet so many awesome people, genuine people,” Reyes added. “The off-road

community is one of the best in terms of camaraderie and being willing to help each other out. Riding also keeps me sharp when I’m not training [for fights].”

The ride was certainly an unforgettable experience for Eddy Alkhalil, who owns a liquor store in the small mountain community of Big Bear, Calif. He’s not a racer or a celebrity, and he might not have the newest bike or gear, but his enthusiasm for riding is unmatched, and he thoroughly immersed himself in all aspects of the week…so much so that he found himself the recipient of the Donna Munoz Spirit Award for his zeal (above right), which SSA awards on each trek.

“Everyone was phenomenal!” he said at trip’s end. “It’s crazy to try to express my feelings towards the SSA staff — they became like family. So was everyone I was riding with. I feel like I have family all over the States now!”

“The views [on the tour] were just so incredible,” he added. “I just can’t get over this trip! It’s been one hell of a week…so much fun. I thought it was just going to be about riding dirt bikes. Come to find out…that whole combination of everyone from all over the place, we all clicked — maybe because we all ride dirt bikes, simple as that.”

While everyone had their own personal takeaways from this SSA Bucket List & Legends Ride, no one could deny it was memorable. “To me,” said SSA Founder Ken Faught, “the goal was to be able to make something that was more than a ride…an experience. And I think we’ve done that.”

For 2024, Park City will again be on the calendar as SSA’s high-end dualsport ride. It all happens Aug. 25-29 and is priced from $3,295-$3,995, depending on accommodations. There’s also a Moab, Utah, dualsport ride scheduled for September 2024; check out the website at speedandsportadventures.com for details. AMA

A little post-ride maintenance before a shower and dinner is always a good idea, and yes, the Timber Moose log mansion impresses in every way. There aren’t many places that can accommodate 40 people yet be riding-close to trails.

“To me, the goal was to be able to make something that was more than a ride… an experience. And I think we’ve done that.”

SSA FOUNDER KEN FAUGHT

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AMA ALABAMA

SANCTIONED COMING EVENTS

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

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 1 - 2. Plantersville. Perry Mountain 24Hr. Race, Perry Mountain M/C Club, 334-267-2463, perrymountainmotorcycleclub@gmail.com, perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com

AMA ARIZONA

Enduro June 1 - 2. Flagstaff. Fay Canyon - AMRA, Coconino Trail Riders, 928-607-4663, bentrapp47@ gmail.com, https://amraracing.com/schedule

AMA ARKANSAS

Dual Sport June 22 - 23. New Blaine. Ozark 200, Arkansas Dirt Riders, Inc., lburton4202@sbcglobal. net, arkanssdirtriders.net

AMA CALIFORNIA

Motocross June 1 - 2. Pala. Southwest Youth/Amateur/Vet Regional, 2X Promotions LLC, 559-5005360, www.2xpromotions.com

Road Ride/Run June 1. Carmel Valley. Gypsy Tour, District 36, Road Riding Division, 415-828-8466, catoaz55@msn.com, www.ama-d36-road-rider.org

Desert Scrambles June 1 - 2. Johnson Valley. Ruts Meltdown 33, Racers Under the Son, Inc., 949-6895078, Ruts@Ruts.org, Ruts.org

Motocross June 8 - 9. Rancho Cordova. Midwest Youth/Amateur/Vet Regional, 2X Promotions LLC, 559-500-5360, www.2xpromotions.com

Flat Track - TT June 8. Lodi. 2024 D36 Dirttrack Championship, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-3687182, lodimcemail@gmail.com, www.lodicyclebowl. com

Trail Ride June 8 - 9. Hollister. RUTS Hollister Hills Fun Run, Racers Under the Son- Central Coast, 541-968-9340, alexis.bylund24@gmail.com, rutscentralcoast.org

Flat Track - TT June 9. Lodi. 2024 D36 Dirttrack Championship, Lodi Motorcycle Club, 209-368-7182, lodimcemail@gmail.com, www.lodicyclebowl.com

Adventure (600cc and above) School June 15. Wilseyville. Adventure Bike Training - Level 1, Kantu Outdoor Adventures, 209-256-5556, denise@ kantuoutdooradventures.com, kantuoutdooradventures.com

Road Ride/Run June 15. Campbell. Fun Ride & Show, P & D Promotions Inc., 408-417-0583, heartoncl@aol.com

Adventure Ride June 16. Adventure Bike Tour #2, Kantu Outdoor Adventures, 209-256-5556, denise@kantuoutdooradventures.com, kantuoutdooradventures.com

Motocross June 21 - 30. Mammoth Lake. Mammoth Motocross, 2X Promotions LLC, 559-5005360, www.2xpromotions.com

Dual Sport June 22 - 23. Big Bear Lake. Big Bear Run 2024, Big Bear Trail Riders, Inc., 818-3913031, miguel.burgi@gmail.com, www.bigbeartrailriders.com

Adventure Ride June 22 - 23. Big Bear Lake. Big Bear Run 2024, Big Bear Trail Riders, Inc., 818-391-3031, miguel.burgi@gmail.com, www. bigbeartrailriders.com

Road Ride/Run June 23. Stockton. Port Stockton MC Gold Rush Poker Run, Port Stockton Motorcycle Club

Dual Sport June 29 - 30. Back Roads Tour, Kantu Outdoor Adventures, 209-256-5556, denise@ kantuoutdooradventures.com, kantuoutdooradventures.com

AMA COLORADO

Road Ride/Run June 2. Sedalia. RRMMC Spring Poker Run, Rampart Range Motorized Management Committee, Inc., coreycorbett@q.com, www. rampartrange.org

Road Race June 3 - 4. Fountain. Motorcycle RoadRacing Association (MRA), Motorcycle Roadracing Association, nick@ppir.com, ppir.com

Observed Trials June 16. Florrisant. RMTA Series Event #5, Rocky Mountain Trials Association, rockymountaintrials.org

Motocross June 21 - 23. Lakewood. South Central Amateur Regional, Colorado Motorsports Promotions LLC, 303-909-7003, denjump@gmail.com, www.tvmx.net

Road Race June 24 - 25. Deer Trail. Motorcycle RoadRacing Association (MRA), Motorcycle Roadracing Association, 970-215-6040, trackmanager@highplainsraceway.com, www.highplainsraceway.com

AMA DELAWARE

Flat Track - Short Track June 22. Seaford. Heart and Soul Racing Short Track, Heart and Soul Racing

AMA FLORIDA

Off-Road/Trail Riding School June 3 - 6. Ormund Beach. Fuel FL Camp, Fuel Ministry

AMA GEORGIA

Road Rally June 7 - 8. Hiawassee. British in the Blue Ridge Rally, Greater Atlanta British Motorcycle Association, 404-394-7708, gabmanewsletter@ gmail.com

Motocross June 7 - 9. Lizella. Southeast Amateur Regional, Matt Walker Enterprises, 678-860-3038

Dual Sport June 8 - 9. Suches. The ‘Hooch’ Dual Sport Ride, Georgia Recreational Trail Riders Association, 770-517-8358, straitarrow_john@yahoo. com, www.gartra.org

Enduro June 6. Greensboro. Cherokee National Enduro, Cherokee Cycle Club Inc., https://www. cherokeeenduroriders.com/

Road Rally June 17 - 20. Blairsville. 34th Annual AVA International Rally, American Voyager Association, 954-774-0364, ava.chmn@gmail.com, www. amervoyassoc.org

Road Race June 22 - 23. Bloomingdale. ASRA Rnd. 8, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, 725-755-7550, support@asraracing.com, roeblingroad.com

AMA IDAHO

Enduro June 2. Idaho City. Idaho City 100 Enduro, Boise Ridge Riders, 208-994-5785, info@boiseridgeriders.org, www.boiseridgeriders.org

Extreme Off-Road June 27 - 29. Kellogg. Silver Kings Hard Enduro, Inside Enduro, 406-219-1788, admin@insideenduro.com, www.silverkingshardenduro.com

AMA ILLINOIS

Flat Track - TT June 1. Belleville. BET TT Series, Belleville Enduro Team Inc, 618-277-3475,

bellevilleenduroteam@gmail.com, bellevilleenduroteam.com

Motocross June 2. Washington Park. MoState MX, Archview MX Park, LLC, 618-719-3438, info@ archviewmxpark.com, archviewmxpark.com

Enduro June 2. White City. CCDR Sprint Enduro, Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders, 217-710-5343, https:// cahokiacreekdirtriders.com/

Trail Ride June 2. Ottawa. Egg Hunt, Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc, 815-434-3669, varietyriders@ yahoo.com, varietyriders.com

Road Race June 8 - 9. South Beloit. ASRA Rnd. 6, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, 725755-7550, support@asraracing.com, blackhawkfamrs.com

Hillclimb June 8. Mt Vernon. Dist 17 Hillclimb Series, King City Dirt Riders Inc., 618-246-0199, rhorton8282@gmail.com

Motocross June 8. Mendota. Megacross Shootout Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815-539-9021, wardy@mtco. com, megacross.com

Motocross June 15 - 16. Walnut. North Central Amateur Regional, 4P Promotions, Inc., 815-379-9534, jan@sunsetridgemx.com, www.sunsetridgemx.com

Grand Prix June 15. Wedron. Fox Valley Off Road Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815-884-9361, megatraxs.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 16. Wedron. Fox Valley Off Road Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815-8849361, megatraxs.com

Motocross June 22 - 23. Walnut. ATV National, 4P Promotions, Inc., 815-379-9534, jan@sunsetridgemx.com, www.sunsetridgemx.com

Motocross June 22 - 23. Casey. Thor Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, info@ridelincolntrail.com, ridelincolntrail.com

Motocross June 22. Mendota. Megacross Shootout Series, Moto Pro Inc., 815-539-9021, wardy@mtco. com, megacross.com

Trail Ride June 23. Ottawa. Off Road Poker Run/ Trail Ride, Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc, 815434-3669, varietyriders@yahoo.com, varietyriders. com

Flat Track - Short Track June 29. Macomb. Lamoine Ramblers MC TT, Lamoine Ramblers, 309-837-9436, lamoineramblers@gmail.com, lamoineramblers.net

Motocross June 30. Byron. Nuclear Sunset Power Series Round 3, Motosports Enterprises LTD, 815234-2271, motobyron@mac.com, motobyron.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 30. Atkinson. D-17 Hare scramble Series, WFO Promotions, 309-314-3343, ronandluann@aol.com, wfopromotions.com

AMA INDIANA

Family Enduro June 8. Upland. Matthews Family Enduro, Muddobbers MC Inc, 765-998-2236, dougspence43@yahoo.com, muddobbersmc.org

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 16. Columbus. Stoney Series Race #2, Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club, 812-350-5732, bensperf@yahoo. com, StoneyLonesomeMC.com

AMA IOWA

Motocross June 2. Garwin. Oak Ridge MX ProAM, Oak Ridge MX, 641-844-4849, oakridgemx@gmail.

com, www.oakridgemx.com

Road Ride/Run June 18 - 28. Coralville. LDX Rally, Lone Star Long Riders, 214-250-1340, paultong971@gmail.com, www.ldxrally.com

AMA KANSAS

Motocross June 7 - 9. Maize. North Central Youth Regional, Bar 2 Bar MX Park, LLC, 316-744-5283, bruce@bar2barmx.com, www.bar2barmx.com

AMA KENTUCKY

Observed Trials June 15. Petersburg. Trials Inc, Trials Inc, trav99ss@gmail.com, www.trialsinc.org

Observed Trials June 16. Petersburg. Trials Inc, Trials Inc, trav99ss@gmail.com, www.trialsinc.org

AMA MARYLAND

Motocross June 8 - 9. Mechanicsville. ATV Pro National Championship Series, Pro Ready Racing LLC, 443-223-9171, ezra@buddscreek.com, buddscreek.com

Motocross June 23. Mechanicsville. Capitol Motocross Cup, Pro Ready Racing LLC, ezra@ buddscreek.com, buddscreek.com

AMA MASSACHUSETTS

Observed Trials June 9. Brimfield. SMC NETA Championship Series Observed Trials, Springfield Motorcycle Club, Inc., 978-771-8672, hdscarbro@ gmail.com, newenglandtrials.com

AMA MICHIGAN

Flat Track - Short Track June 1. Deford. Short Track, Lucky Thumb Motorcycle Club, Inc., 810710-7778, luckythumbsignup@gmail.com, www. luckythumbmotorcycleclub.com

Grand Prix June 1. Crystal Falls. District 16, Valley Raceway, 906-281-5476, ericuren711@gmail.com, valleyracewaymx.com

Observed Trials June 2. Metamora. MOTA Championship Rnd. 3, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, 248-495-5862, bjaherne2@gmail.com, motatrials.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 2. Crystal Falls. District 16, Valley Raceway, 906-281-5476, ericuren711@gmail.com, valleyracewaymx.com

Observed Trials June 9. Whitmore Lake. MOTA Championship Rnd. 4, Michigan Ontario Trials Association, 734-649-2058, philbonk16@gmail.com, motatrials.com

Flat Track - Short Track June 15. Midland. D14 Flat Track, Polka Dots M/C, 989-832-8284, correycolthorp@yahoo.com, polkadotsmc.net

Motocross June 15. Portland. Portland Trail Riders MX Race, Portland Trail Riders, 989-745-1064, portlandtrailriders@gmail.com, portlandtrailriders. com

Motocross June 16. Portland. Portland Trail Riders MX Race, Portland Trail Riders, 989-745-1064, portlandtrailriders@gmail.com, portlandtrailriders. com

Road Race June 22 - 23. South Haven. ASRA Rnd. 9, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, 725-755-7550, support@asraracing.com, gingermanraceway.com

Motocross June 29. Crystal Falls. District 16/ Superior MX Series, Valley Raceway, 906-281-5476, ericuren711@gmail.com, valleyracewaymx.com

Observed Trials June 30. Flushing. MOTA Championship Rnd. 5, Michigan Ontario Trials Associa-

tion, 248-797-3568, orcasa.canellas@gmail.com, motatrials.com

Motocross June 30. Crystal Falls. District 16/ Superior MX Series, Valley Raceway, 906-281-5476, ericuren711@gmail.com, valleyracewaymx.com

AMA MINNESOTA

Enduro June 1 - 2. Menahga. Huntersville Enduro, River Valley Enduro Riders, 612-247-2039, hinky308@yahoo.com

Motocross June 2. Brook Park. Berm Benders Raceway Gold Cup Series, Berm Benders Incorporated, 320-279-2238, bermbendersraceway@ outlook.com, www.bermbendersraceway.com

Motocross June 2. Browerville. District 23 MX, MotoCity Raceway & Recreation, Inc., 218-894-2826, motocity-RNR@hotmail.com, motocityraceway.com

Motocross June 9. Cambridge. Mid Minnesota Challenge / MX Race / ProAm/ Round 3 70’s Series, BCMX Adventure Park, 612-280-8939, bcmxllc@hotmail.com, www.bcmxadventurepark.com

Motocross June 9. Millville. FXR Super Series Rd 5 sponsored by Feine Tune & Althoff Hardware, Hi-Winders, 507-753-2779, springcreekmxoffice@ gmail.com, www.springcreekmotocross.com

Observed Trials June 9. Theilman. UMTA 2024 Events, Upper Midwest Trials Association, 651-2615977, bobbywarner@gmail.com, umta.org

Hillclimb June 15. Mankato. KCC Hill Climb, Kato Cycle Club, 507-381-1951, katocycleclub@gmail. com, katocycleclub.com

Motocross June 16. Brook Park. Berm Benders Raceway Gold Cup Series, Berm Benders Incorporated, 320-279-2238 bermbendersraceway@ outlook.com, www.bermbendersraceway.com

Hillclimb June 16. Mankato. KCC Hill Climb, Kato Cycle Club, 507-381-1951, katocycleclub@gmail. com, katocycleclub.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 22 - 23. Cambridge. BCMX Two Day Harescramble, BCMX

SANCTIONED COMING EVENTS

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

Adventure Park, 612-280-8939, bcmxllc@hotmail. com, www.bcmxadventurepark.com

Motocross June 23. Millville. FXR Super Series Rd 6 & Old Man Madness sponsored by Frescados, Hi-Winders, 507-753-2779, springcreekmxoffice@ gmail.com, www.springcreekmotocross.com

Motocross June 23. Browerville. District 23 MX, MotoCity Raceway & Recreation, Inc., 218-8942826, motocity-RNR@hotmail.com, motocityraceway.com

Observed Trials June 29 - 30. Mankato. KCC Trail Ride, Kato Cycle Club, katocycleclub@gmail.com, katocycleclub.com

Motocross June 30. Cambridge. MX Race / Round 4 70’s Series, BCMX Adventure Park, 612-2808939, bcmxllc@hotmail.com, www.bcmxadventurepark.com

Road Ride/Run June 30. Mankato. KCC Road Run, Kato Cycle Club, katocycleclub.com

AMA NEW HAMPSHIRE

Road Rally June 8 - 16. Weirs Beach. Laconia Motorcycle Week, Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, 603-366-2000, info@laconiamcweek.com, www.laconiamcweek.com

Adventure Ride June 8 - 9. Belmont. MVTR Adventure Bike Ride for Cystic Fibrosis, Merrimack Valley Trail Riders, 603-235-1087, boxstock60@ gmail.com

Road Race June 9. Canaan. United States Classic Racing Association Roadrace, United States Classic Racing Association, 603-321-7271, raceuscra@ yahoo.com

Hillclimb June 11. Wiers Beach. Tower Hill Vintage Invitational Hillclimb, United States Classic Racing Association, 603-321-7271, raceuscra@yahoo.com

Observed Trials June 30. Tamworth. AMA/NETA Observed Trials, ROCK AND ROLL TRIALS CLUB, 207-604-2323, rockandrolltrials@gmail.com

AMA NEW JERSEY

Motocross June 8. Englishtown. Raceway Park Saturday Night Lites, Raceway Park, 732-446-7800, racewaypark1965@gmail.com, www.Etownracewaypark.com

Motocross June 9. Englishtown. Raceway Park / D2 MX Points Series, Raceway Park, 732446-7800, racewaypark1965@gmail.com, www. Etownracewaypark.com

Trail Ride June 22 - 23. Millville. Ormond Farm Fun Day, Competition Dirt Riders, 609-319-7496, davebostrom@comcast.net, http://eceacompetitiondirtriders.com

Motocross June 23. Millville. Summer Slam / NJ Championship Series, Field of Dreams MX, LLC, 856-765-3799, info@njmpfod.com, NJMPFOD.com

Road Race June 28 - 29. Millville. ASRA Rnd. 10, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, 725755-7550, support@asraracing.com, njmp.com

AMA NEW MEXICO

Road Race June 1 - 2. Deming. ASMA Roadracing, Arroyo Seco Motorcyclist Association, 575-4944794, roger@asmaracing.com, asmaracing.com

Observed Trials June 1. Jemez Springs. NMTA #6, New Mexico Trials Association, newmexicotrials@ gmail.com, https://nmta.weebly.com/ Observed Trials June 2. Jemez Springs. NMTA #7,

New Mexico Trials Association, newmexicotrials@ gmail.com, https://nmta.weebly.com/

AMA NEW YORK

Observed Trials June 2. Dalton. D4 Observed Trials, District 4 Trials Committee, 585-749-4632, pm_murphy27@hotmail.com, d4mototrials.weebly. com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 16. Odessa. Seneca Highlands, Tompkins Trail Riders, 607-5925138, chuck979@hotmail.com, nyoa.net

Road Ride/Run June 30. Hicksville. Christmas in June, Fighters Of Fire MC New York, 516-315-3592, ralphmc611@gmail.com

Motocross June 30. Greig. High Voltage Hills MX, High Voltage Hills MX, 315-725-0368, nzielinski74@gmail.com, highvoltagehillsmx.com

AMA OHIO

Motocross June 2. Blanchester. DC MX, Dirt Country, 513-625-7350, cking288@fioptics.com, www.dirtcountrymx.com

Adventure Ride June 2. Logan. 2024 Adventure Ride, Hocking Valley Motorcycle Club, 614-2160908, jskeeny@att.net, hockingvalleymc.com

Dual Sport June 8. Toronto. Ohio Valley BSA Owners Club SPRING RALLY, Ohio Valley BSA Owners Club, 724-945-6018, kubenab@atlanticbb.net, www.ohiovalleybsaownersclub.com

Motocross June 14 - 16. Chillicothe. Mid-East Youth Regional, Race Ohio MX, 513-266-2866, s.plessinger@yahoo.com, www.chillitownmx.com

Family Enduro June 15. Cutler. Athens Motorcycle Club Family Enduro, Athens Motorcycle Club, 740-629-1155, jarvisxcracing@gmail.com, www. jxcracing.com

Enduro June 16. Cutler. Athens Motorcycle Club, Milk Run Enduro, Athens Motorcycle Club, 740-6291155, jarvisxcracing@gmail.com, www.jxcracing. com

Dual Sport June 22 - 23. New Plymouth. Baby Burr Dual Sport, Enduro Riders of Ohio, 740-508-2547, enduroriders1@gmail.com, www.enduroriders.com

Enduro June 30. Wellston. NEPG, Appalachian Dirt Riders, Inc., 740-357-0350, adrohio74@gmail.com, www.adrohio.org

AMA OKLAHOMA

Off-Road/Trail Riding School June 10 - 13. Guthrie. Fuel OK Camp, Fuel Ministry, 405-282-2811, campinfo@centralokcamp.org, www.centralokcamp. org

AMA OREGON

Grand Prix June 8. Myrtle Creek. Clarks Branch OMRA GP, Umpqua Lands Trail Riders Association (ULTRA), 541-530-2474, info@ultraohv.com, www. ultraohv.com

Trail Ride June 9. Myrtle Creek. Clarks Branch Family Day, Umpqua Lands Trail Riders Association (ULTRA), 541-530-2474, info@ultraohv.com, www. ultraohv.com

Road Rally June 27 - 29. Athena. Hodaka Days, Hodaka Club, 971-246-0687, gfloren@easystreet. net, hodakadays.org

Observed Trials June 29. Athena. Hodaka Days, Hodaka Club, 971-246-0687, gfloren@easystreet. net, hodakadays.org

Motocross June 30. Athena. Hodaka Days,

Hodaka Club, 971-246-0687, info@hodakadays.org, hodakadays.org

AMA PENNSYLVANIA

Dual Sport June 1 - 2. Lock Haven. Durty Dabbers Great Adventure Dual Sport Ride, Durty Dabbers Motorcycle Club, 570-748-9456, durtydabberrs@ yahoo.com, durtydabbers.com

Adventure Ride June 1 - 2. Lock Haven. Durty Dabbers Great Adventure Ride, Durty Dabbers Motorcycle Club, 570-748-9456, durtydabberrs@yahoo. com, durtydabbers.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 1 - 2. Three Springs. Broken Anvil Hare Scramble, Green Marble Enduro Riders, 717-554-4480, gmerenduro@gmail. com, GMER.US

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 1 - 2. Mt Morris. Mason-Dixon - GNCC Series Rnd 8, Racer Productions, Inc., 304-284-0084, info@gnccracing. com, www.gnccracing.com

Flat Track - Half-Mile June 8. Gratz. District 6 Half Mile, Shippensburg MC, 717-503-8030, Candybaer@ comcast.net, Baermotorsports.com

Motocross June 9. Fredericksburg. MDRA Series, Sleepy Hollow Motocross Park, Inc., 717-278-8998, swarr4@aol.com, www.sleepyhollowmx.com

Off-Road/Trail Riding School June 10 - 13. Coalport. Fuel PA Camp, Fuel Ministry, 814-577-4573, www.theoakmxpark.com

Dual Sport June 15. Shippensburg. DVTR Michaux Dual Sport, Delaware Valley Trail Riders, 732-8019248, dvtrvicepres@gmail.com, dvtrailriders.org

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 15 - 16. Tamaqua. RORR Hare Scrambles/ECEA Hare Scrambles Series, Reading Off Road Riders, 844-440-RORR, jim.graffius@gmail.com, www.rorr.com

Flat Track - TT June 16. Parkesburg. Fathers Day Race, E PA Piston Poppers MC Inc, 610-656-0315, pistonpoppers@hotmail.com, www.pistonpoppersmc. com

Motocross June 16. Mt Morris. PAMX Fasthouse Spring Series, Racer Productions, Inc., 304-2840084, info@racerproductions.com, www.highpointmx. com

Adventure Ride June 19 - 23. Portersville. Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop Guided Tour, Appalachian ADV-Adventure & Dual Sport Motorbiking LLC, 330-272-4186, kane@appalachianADV.com, https:// www.appalachianadv.com/events.html#/

Road Rally June 20 - 22. Gettysburg. Mid Atlantic Womens Motorcycle Rally, Mid-Atlantic Women’s Motorcycle Rally, Inc., info@mawmr.org, mawmr.org

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 22 - 23. Plymouth. Back Mountain Enduro Riders, Back Mountain Enduro Riders, 570-675-2623, mikeboos456@gmail. com, https://www.facebook.com/p/Back-MountainEnduro-Riders-BMER-100072415082186/ Motocross June 23. Shippensburg. Doublin Gap - District 6 Series, Doublin Gap Motocross, Inc., 717571-5824, doublingap@gmail.com, doublingap.com

Road Ride/Run June 24 - 27. Shawnee on Delaware. 2024 Northeast Pennsylvania Motomarathon, Motomarathon LLC, 973-951-7606, john@motomarathon.com, motomarathon.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 29 - 30. Frackville. OxBo “Skip Stoner Memorial” H/S, South Penn Enduro Riders, 717-385-6014, dashughart@aol.com

Motocross June 30. Fredericksburg. D6 Ultimate Quad Series, Sleepy Hollow Motocross Park, Inc., 717-278-8998, swarr4@aol.com, www.sleepyhollowmx.com

AMA SOUTH DAKOTA

Road Ride/Run June 25 - 27. Rapid City. Women on Wheels Ride In, Women On Wheels, Inc., 402-326-9736, treasurer@womenonwheels.org, womenonwheels.org

AMA TENNESSEE

Observed Trials June 22. Sequatchie. NATC/AMA Moto Trials Series Round #3, Southeastern Trials Riders Association, 423-942-8688, ttcstaff@trialstrainingcenter.com, https://trialstrainingcenter.com

Observed Trials June 23. Sequatchie. NATC/AMA Moto Trials Series Round #4, Southeastern Trials Riders Association, 423-942-8688, ttcstaff@trialstrainingcenter.com, https://trialstrainingcenter.com

AMA VIRGINIA

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 2. Windsor. Peninsula Classic, Virginia Competition Hare Scramble Services, 757-663-8869, greeroffroad@ gmail.com, vchss.org

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 29 - 30. Glen Lyn. Kairos, Virginia Competition Hare Scramble Services, 304-646-0667, mjaredspencer@gmail.com, vchss.org

AMA WASHINGTON

Dual Sport June 15. Leavenworth. LWRC Dirty Face Dual Sport Ride, Lake Wenatchee Recreation Club, 206-930-4757, lakewenatcheerecclub@gmail. com, lakewenatcheereclub.org

Road Race June 20 - 23. Sheton. Super Hooligans National Championship, Roland Sands Design, 562-493-5297, summer@rolandsands.com, www. superhooligan.com

Road Rally June 27 - 30. Plain. Touratech Rally West, Touratech-USA, 206-390-2752, matt.l@ touratech-usa.com, www.touratechrally.com

AMA WEST VIRGINIA

Motocross June 8. Hedgesville. Masters, Tomahawk MX, LLC, info@tomahawkmx.com, www. tomahawkmx.com

Road Race June 15 - 16. Summit Point. ASRA Rnd. 7, American Superbike Racing Association LLC, 725-755-7550, support@asraracing.com, summitpointmp.com

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 15 - 16. Burlington. Hillbilly, Virginia Competition Hare Scramble Services, 304-788-0598, wythetech@gmail.com, vchss.org

Hare Scrambles/Cross Country June 22 - 23. Snowshoe. Snowshoe - GNCC Series Rnd 9, Racer Productions, Inc., 304-284-0084, info@gnccracing. com, www.gnccracing.com

AMA WISCONSIN

Flat Track - TT June 1. Burnett. District 16 TT, Beaver Cycle Club, Inc., 920-319-6889, Facebook/ Beaver Cycle Club

Observed Trials June 1. Sturgeon Bay. Door County Moto Trials, Wisconsin Observed Trials Association, 608-379-3045, trialswisconsin@gmail. com, wisconsintrials.org

Motocross June 2. Hillpoint. Sugar Maple MX, Sugar Maple MX Park LLC, 608-425-8643, sugar-

maplemxpark@gmail.com, www.sugarmaplemx.com

Observed Trials June 2. Sturgeon Bay. Door County Moto Trials, Wisconsin Observed Trials Association, 608-379-3045, trialswisconsin@gmail. com, wisconsintrials.org

Road Rally June 7 - 9. Pewaukee. Wisconsin Motorcycle Training Summit 2024, Wisconsin M/C Safety Advisory Council (MoSAC), 920-390-2625, greg. patzer@sbcglobal.net, https://mosac.conerider.net

Dual Sport June 8 - 9. Wabeno. Ride For Research, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, 920-350-2030, bigwoods200@hotmail.com, www.widualsportriders.org

Adventure Ride June 8 - 9. Wabeno. Ride For Research, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, 920-3502030, bigwoods200@hotmail.com, www.widualsportriders.org

Motocross June 9. Lake Mills. Aztalan MX Race, Aztalan Cycle Club, Inc., 608-728-4305, aztalancycle@gmail.com, www.aztalanmx.com

Flat Track - Short Track June 15. Lake Mills. Aztalan Short Track, Aztalan Cycle Club, Inc., 608-728-4305, aztalancycle@gmail.com, www. aztalanmx.com

Hillclimb June 16. Kewaskum. KMSR Fathers Day Motorcycle Hillclimb, Kettle Moraine Sport Riders Inc, 262-224-8001, blackbearded@hotmail.com, www.kettlemorainesportriders.com

MOTOCROSS

Pro Motocross Championship Series promotocross.com

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

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

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

Round 5: Jun 29. Southwick, Mass. The Wick 338 Round 6: Jul 6. Buchanan, Mich. RedBud MX

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

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

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

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

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

SUPERMOTOCROSS

2024 SuperMotocross Championship supermotocross.com

Sept. 7. Concord, N.C. zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Sept. 14. Fort Worth, Texas. Texas Motor Speedway

Sept. 21. Las Vegas, N.V. The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series atvmotocross.com

Round 6: June 8-9. Mechanicsville, Md. Budds Creek Raceway.

Round 7: June 22-23. Walnut, Ill. Sunset Ridge MX.

Round 8: July 6-7. Seward, Pa. Pleasure Valley Raceway.

Round 9: July 27-28. Nashport, Ohio. Briarcliff MX.

Round 10: Aug. 10-11. Hurricane Mills, Tenn. Loretta

Lynn Ranch

Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship

July 29-Aug 3. Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

South-East Regionals

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

Mid-East Regionals

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

North-Central Regionals

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

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

South-Central Regionals

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

Mid-West Regional

June 7-9. Prairie City OHV – Ywouth/Amateur Regional. Rancho Cordova, Calif.

MAJOR EVENTS

Mammoth Motocross

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

PRO-AM EVENTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

X-Mas ProAm: July 20-21. X-Mas Motorsports Park. Christmas, Mich.

Megacross Shootout Series: Sept. 28. Megacross. Mendota, Ill.

AMA Georgia State Championship **Double Points**: Sept. 29. Lazy River MX. Dalton, Ga. District 17 Motocross Series: Sept. 29. Sunset Ridge MX. Walnut, Ill. (815) 379-9534. sunsetridgemx.com

48th Annual GNC International Finals: Oct. 11-13. Oak Hill Raceway. Alvord, Texas. (940) 577-2225. oakhillmx.com

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

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

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

Tony Miller Memorial Race: Oct. 26-27. Freestone County Raceway LLC. Wortham, Texas. (713) 962-

COMING EVENTS

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

3386. freestonemx.com

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

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

Annual USA MX Championship: Nov 22- Dec 1. Cycle Ranch Events. Floresville, Texas. (323) 4846686. www.cycleranchmx.com

Underground Fall Classic: Dec. 6-8. Kemp, Texas. Underground MX Park. (903) 498-4659. www. ugmxpark.com

FEATURED EVENTS

Maine Event

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

Baja Brawl

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

Yamaha All Star ProAm/Cobra Cup/MDRA Series

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

Travis Pastrana Pro-Am Challenge

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

The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City

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

Raceway Park 48th Annual Race of Champions

Presented by Kawasaki

Oct. 4-6. Raceway Park. Englishtown, N.J. www. etownracewaypark.com

Top Gun Showdown/Mega Series

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

Halloween Bash

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

Cash for Class Scholarship Race

Nov. 16-17. GPF. Cairo, Ga. Scholarshiprace.com

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Tennessee State Championship: July 13-14. Muddy Creek Raceway. Blountville, Tenn..

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

High Voltage Hills NY State Championship: Aug. 17-18. High Voltage Hills MX. Greig, N.Y.

Highvoltagehillsmx.com

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

AMA Pennsylvania State Championship: Aug. 25.

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

Virginia State Championship D13 SX: Aug. 31. Birch Creek. Lynchburg, Va.

Virginia State Championship MX: Sep. 1. Birch Creek. Lynchburg, Va.

AMA Kentucky State Championship: Sept. 8. Nxt Lvl Sports LLC South Fork Motoplex. Leitchfield, Ky. southforkmotoplex.com

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

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

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

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

High Voltage Hills NY State Championship: Sep. 21-22. High Voltage Hills MX. Greig, N.Y. Highvoltagehillsmx.com

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

Illinois State Championship: Sep. 21-22. Lincoln Trail Motorsports. Casey, Il.

PA State MX Championship PAMX / MDRA Summer Clash: Sep. 22. Pleasure Valley Raceway. Seward, Pa. pvrmx.com

D14 Motocross: Sep. 29. Bulldog Riders MC. Millington, Mich. bulldogsmx.com

Georgia State Championship: Sep. 29. LRMX. Dalton, Ga.

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

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

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

MS State MX Championship: Nov. 9-11. Miller Motorsports. Booneville, Miss. Miller.motorsports. mims@gmail.com

TRACK RACING

2024 MotoAmerica AMA Road Racing Series FIM North America Championship Motoamerica. com

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

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

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

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

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

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

2024 Progressive American Flat Track americanflattrack.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Round 16: Sep. 6. Half-mile

2024 American Hillclimb West Schedule www.americanhillclimb.com

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

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

Round 3: June 29. Soda Springs, Idaho. Lloyd’s Performance Nitro National I

Round 4: June 30. Soda Springs, Idaho. Lloyd’s Performance Nitro National II

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

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

2024 American Hillclimb East Schedule www.americanhillclimb.com

Round 2: June 2. Jefferson, Pa. White Rose I. White Rose Motorcycle Club

Round 3: June 9. Freemansburg, Pa. Freemansburg I. Bushkill Valley Motorcycle Club

Round 4: July 28. Muskegon, Mich. Mount Garfield National. Muskegon Motorcycle Club

Round 5: August 17. Red Wing, Minn. Indianhead National

Round 6: September 21. Jefferson, Pa. White Rose II. White Rose Motorcycle Club

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

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

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

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

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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

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

AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship imc.clubexpress.com

Aug. 2-4. Red Wing, Minn.

RSD Super Hooligan AMA National Championship superhooligan.com

Rounds 3-4: June 28-30. Shelton, Wa.

Rounds 5-6: July 12-14. Monterey, Calif.

Rounds 7-8: Aug. 16-18. Lexington, Ohio.

Rounds 9-10: Sept. 13-15. Austin, Texas.

AMA Speedway National Championship Series

Round 1: June 22. Bakersfield, Calif. Kern County Raceway Park.

Round 2: Aug. 3. City of Industry, Calif. Industry Racing.

Round 3: Sept. 21. Auburn, Calif. Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway.

AMA Land Speed Grand Championship bonnevillemst.com

Aug. 24-29. Tooele, Utah.

AMA Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series

Round 8: June 14. Harpursville, N.Y. Square

Deal Riders Track (Short Track). (607) 725-3069. squaredealriders.com.

Round 9: June 15. Harpursville, N.Y. Square

Deal Riders Track (Short Track). (607) 725-3069. squaredealriders.com.

Round 10: July 14. Gettysburg, Pa. Hunterstown Speedway (Short Track). (717) 503-8030. baermotorsports.com.

Round 11: July 27. Ashland, Ohio. Ashland County Fairgrounds (Half Mile). (614) 856-1900. americanmotorcyclist.com/flat-track-racing.

Round 12: Aug. 10. Salem, Ohio. Western Reserve

Motorcycle Club Grounds (Short Track). (330) 3320818. westernreservemc.com.

Round 13: Sept. 21. Accord, N.Y. Accord Speedway (Short Track). (518) 727-0311. accordspeedway.com.

AMA Motoclimb Super Series motoclimbsuperseries.com

Round 2: June 1-2. Billings, Mont..

Round 3: June 14-15. Columbus, Mont..

Round 4: July 5. Walhalla, N.D.

Round 5: Sept. 1. Durango, Co.

AMA Road Race Grand Championship asraracing.com

Oct. 17-20. Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona International Speedway.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

AMA California State Championship industryhillsspeedway.com.

Aug. 24. City of Industry, Calif. Industry Racing. (949) 274-0836.

AMA Michigan State Championship luckythumbmotorcycleclub.com

Sept. 13-14. Deford, Mich. Lucky Thumb Motorcycle Club Inc. (810) 710-7778.

OFF-ROAD

FEATURED EVENTS

AMA Florida Enduro Championship Series floridatrailriders.org

June 9. Greensboro, Ga.

New York Off-Road Racing Association Championship Series nyoa.net

Round 4: June 16. Odessa, N.Y. Seneca Highlands.

Round 5: July 14. Homer, N.Y. Knobby Acres.

Round 6: July 28. Cortland, N.Y. Ditch Banger.

Round 7: Aug. 4. Harpursville, N.Y. The Punisher.

Round 8: Aug. 18. Lowman, N.Y. Baldwin Trail Riders.

Round 9: Sept. 1. Moravia, N.Y. Twisted Fence.

Round 10: Sept. 15. Berkshire, N.Y. Hemlock Hills at Brinks Farm.

Round 11: Sept. 29. Newark Valley, N.Y. Rolling Oaks at Spook Hill Farms.

AMA Mid East Racing Championship Series mideastracing.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA East Extreme Off-Road Championship Series ushardenduro.com

Round 5: Aug. 23-25. Sequatchie, Tenn.

Round 6: TBA

Round 7: TBA. Marquette, Mich.

AMA Trademarks

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

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

• AMA Pro Racing® • AMA Race Center™ • AMA Racer® • AMA Racing® • AMA Racing Land Speed Grand Championships® • AMA Supermoto® • AMA Supercross®

ATV Motocross National Championship Series®

Flat Track Grand Championships™

Grand National Enduro Championship® • Gypsy Tour® • Hare & Hound National Championship Series®

Hare Scrambles Championship Series®

Hare Scrambles National Championship Series® • Kids Just Want To Ride® • Motorcycle Hall of Fame® • Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum® • Motorcyclist of the Year® • Motostars® • National Adventure Riding Series® • National Dual-Sport Series®

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

COMING EVENTS

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

Round 8: Nov. 3. Little Hocking, Ohio.

AMA West Extreme Off-Road Championship Series ushardenduro.com

Round 6: June 15-16. Norden, Calif.

AMA US Sprint Enduro Championship ussprintenduro.com

Round 6: June15-16. Newburg, W.V.

Round 7: Aug. 24-25. Masontown, W.V.

Round 8: Nov. 9-10. Ninety Six. S.C.

AMA East Hare Scramble Championship Series

Round 4: June 16. Seneca Highlands. Odessa, N.Y. (607) 592-5138.

Round 5: July 28. Ditch Banger. Cortland, N.Y. (607) 280-8765.

Round 6: Aug. 24-25. Locust Gap. Locust Gap, Pa. (570) 759-2841.

Round 7: Sept. 7-8. Broome Tioga. Lisle, N.Y. (607) 206-2795.

AMA West Hare Scramble Championship Series westharescrambles.com

Round 4: June TBA. Shasta Ski Park, Calif.

Round 5: Sept. 7-8. Glen Helen, Calif.

Round 6: Sept. 28-29. Washougal, Wa.

Round 7: Nov. 23-24. Wilseyville, Calif. STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA Arizona Off-Road State Championship Series amraracing.com

Round 7: June 1-2. Flagstaff. Ariz.

Round 8: TBD.

Round 9: Oct. 6. Flagstaff, Ariz.

Round 10: Oct. 26. TBD.

Round 11: Nov. 9-10. Laughlin, Nev. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMA National Grand Prix Championship Series ngpcseries.com

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

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

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

AMA National Enduro Championship Series nationalenduro.com

Round 4: June 9. Greensboro, Ga. (770) 5402891. cherokeeenduroriders.com

Round 5: June 30. Wellston, Ohio. (740) 3570350. adrohio.org

Round 6: July 28. Cross Fork, Pa. (610) 8837607. ber.us

Round 7: Aug. 11. Chandlersville, Ohio. (614) 204-1438. ohiowoodsriders.com

Round 8: Sep. 8. Cherryville, Mo. (636) 6340188. flyingranchmo.com

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

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

AMA/NATC National MotoTrials Championship mototrials.com

Rounds 3-4: June 22-23. Sequatchie, Tenn.

Rounds 5-6: July 27-28. Truckee, Calif.

Rounds 7-8: Oct. 26-27. Center Hill, Fla.

AMA Hare and Hound National Championship Series nationalhareandhound.com

Round 5: Sept. 14. Caliente, Nev.

Round 6: Oct. 19-20. Lucerne Valley, Calif.

AMA Grand National Cross Country Series gnccracing.com

Round 8: June 1- 2. Mount Morris, Pa. Mathews Farm.

Round 9: June 22-23. Snowshoe, W.V. Snowshoe Mountain Resort.

Round 10: Aug. 31- Sept. 1. Newburg, W.V. CJ Raceway.

Round 11: Sept. 14-15. Beckley, W.V. Summit Bechtel Reserve.

Round 12: Sept. 28-29. Millfield, Ohio. Sunday Creek Raceway.

Round 13: Oct. 26-27. Crawfordsville, In. Ironman Raceway.

AMA Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro tennesseeknockoutenduro.com

Aug. 23-25. Sequatchie, Tenn. Trials Training Center. AMA EnduroCross National Championship Series endurocross.com

Round 1: Oct. 12. Colorado Springs, Co. Broadmoor World Arena.

Round 2: Oct. 19. Prescott Valley, Ariz. Findlay Toyota Center.

Round 3: Oct. 25. Idaho Falls, Idaho. Mountain America Center.

Round 4: Oct. 26. Idaho Falls, Idaho. Mountain America Center.

Round 5: Nov. 9. Redmond, Oreg. First Interstate Bank Center.

Round 6: Nov. 16. Everett, Wa. Angel of the Winds Arena.

bigbeartrailriders.com

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

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

Oct. 19-20. Green Ridge Moto Adventure. Little Orleans, Md. Maryland Competition Riders. (443) 2445077. marylandcompriders.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 7-8. Mountain Madness. Flagstaff, Ariz. Coconino Trail Riders. (928) 310-6466. coconinotrailriders.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nov. 2-3. Hammer Run. Port Elizabeth, N.J. Tri-County Sportsmen MC Inc. 856-785-2754. hammerhead@teamhammer.org. www.teamhammer. org

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

AMA NATIONAL RECREATIONAL

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

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

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

Don’t miss this!

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

GREAT RETRO READS

Fond looks back at the early days of AMA Superbike and the golden era of AMA Pro Motocross

BY MITCH BOEHM

SUPERBIKE: AN ILLUSTRATED EARLY HISTORY

By Kevin Cameron and John Owens

f anyone in American motorcycling fills the seat of America’s “Tech Editor,” it’s Kevin Cameron, whose knowledge and ability to make involved technical concepts understandable to the Average Joe is renowned.

Cameron has been on the scene in a substantial way since the early 1970s, first as a race tuner and, in ’73, as Cycle magazine’s technical editor. That time frame put him in a perfect position to observe and chronicle the estab-

MOTOCROSS: THE GOLDEN ERA

By David Dewhurst

If anyone in motorcycling fits the definition of “photojournalist,” it’s British expatriate David Dewhurst, whose stellar photos and words have graced the world’s motorcycle and car magazines and websites for decades.

Dewhurst’s latest effort is a motocross history book on the so-called “golden era” of the sport, from the late 1960s and early 1970s to the middle 1980s, and what an effort it is. Combining riveting images from those years and races with words and

lishment and rise of what in 1976 became the AMA Superbike series, which featured the big-bore street-going superbikes then capturing the attention of enthusiasts worldwide: open-class Ducatis, BMWs and Moto Guzzis from the Euros, and Kawasaki Z1s, Suzuki GSs, Honda CB-Fs from Japan Inc.

These were exciting times, for the riders and teams, of

analysis culled from longstanding relationships with the riders, engineers and industry movers-and-shakers of that era, Dewhurst weaves a compelling, 480-page photo-essay narrative encompassing 28 chapters that’s guaranteed to thrill anyone with an ounce of off-road DNA in their bones.

The chapter list is a who’s-who and what’s-what of motocross royalty, from the Foreward by 1982 500cc World Champion and Hall of Famer Brad Lackey and a How It All Began chapter on motocross’s roots, to individual chapters on the likes of Hall of Famers Roger DeCoster, Marty Smith, Jeff Ward, Broc Glover, David Bailey, Rick Johnson and others.

Dewhurst covers the factory bikes and motocross tech of the times, as well, and some of the behind-thescenes folks responsible for the explosive growth in the sport, including Lucien Tilkens (who developed the monoshock idea), HOFer Stu Peters (an mx race-promotion pioneer), Mike Goodwin (the original Supercross

promoter) and others.

As you’d expect, the photography within this quite-heavy coffee-table tome is absolutely stunning, and it will transport you back to that special time in motocross the moment you crack the cover. At $149, it ain’t exactly cheap, but AMA members can score a $25 discount by using the promo code AMA MEMBER at checkout at motocrossthegoldenera.com.

If you’re a fan of motocross and the sport’s history, you can’t do much better.

BROC GLOVER

course, but even more so for road racing fans who, instead of only watching purpose-built and mostly unobtainable 2-stroke roadrace machines do battle, now had the opportunity to watch the street bikes they lusted after go bar-to-bar on the legendary racetracks of America.

Very quickly, AMA Superbike would become the most popular element of professional road racing, and much of that golden era is captured in a fantastic new book by Cameron and photographer John Owens called Superbike: An Illustrated Early History

Containing an expansive array of Owens’ stunning blackand-white photography — action, people, and bits and pieces — along with fascinating companion text for each by Cameron, Superbike is a gritty look at the first decade of professional Superbike racing, and a must-have for anyone who considers themselves a fan.

Two versions of this very special book are available at superbikebook.com, one unsigned by the authors ($75), and another signed ($90). Worth every penny.

FREDDIE SPENCER

Clockwise: Freddie Spencer at Loudon. AMA referee Charlie Watson, also at Loudon. Unidentified Yoshimura mechanic at Pocono. Phil Schilling (left) and Cook Neilson, also at Pocono.

behind the scenes

A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISMAS

Motorcycle enthusiast George Chrismas spent his final years giving to the sport and museum he loved

BY KEATON MAISANO

What is the perfect way to celebrate a 100th birthday?

That is the very question George Chrismas was asking ahead of his centennial birthday in 2023. Faced with a conundrum most will never experience, George decided to think of others and the sport that had impacted his life for more than eight decades.

“He immediately said, ‘Why don’t we just have people give money to the AMA Hall of Fame Museum,” George’s son, Robert Chrismas, recalled. “I was like, ‘That’s a great idea.’ So that’s what we did.”

Born Jan. 17, 1923 — a year before

the AMA officially formed — George was a motorcycle enthusiast born to first-generation immigrants.

He was involved with motorcycles from the age of 15 when he and a friend fixed up a broken Harley-Davidson. This experience inspired George to purchase a 1936 Indian — which he would ride to the first Indy 500 since the end of World War II — after high school graduation, and outside of a decade hiatus when his son was growing up, George owned at least one motorcycle until he gave up riding in 2015.

A machinist during WWII and an auto mechanic throughout his life,

George enjoyed working on his bikes and often rode them to work when the weather permitted. Outside the garage, George loved riding his motorcycles, and in his later years, he would take an annual trip to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.

“He thought it was great there was an actual Hall of Fame,” Robert said. “He really thought that if you don’t have a physical place, trying to maintain that history is kind of difficult. I think what attracted him was that there was an actual place that has displays and kept track of stuff.”

With decades of built-up love for motorcycling and an admiration for the Hall of Fame, encouraging contributions to the museum made all the sense in the world for George, who made annual donations to the Hall of Fame.

George’s selfless nature did not go unnoticed or unappreciated, with the AMA sending him a care package that included Hall of Fame gear. Robert said a hat he received became synonymous with George at lunches in his assisted-living situation.

In February 2024, George passed away at 101 years old, completing a full and generous life that contributed greatly to the world of motorcycling. Robert said his father was buried along with the Hall of Fame hat he adored, and to honor his father and the sport he loved for so many years, George’s obituary called loved ones to send donations to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Robert matched the total donation amount to ensure the total money donated exceeded $1,000.

“When he passed away in February,” Robert said, “I just followed up that theme [from his 100th birthday] instead of flowers… I kicked in an extra $500 of his money to make sure it was a decent donation.”

Rest in peace, George, and thank you for reminding us how selfless the motorcycling community can be.

George Chrismas on his 1971 Honda CL100 and his second wife, Geraldine, in their 2008 Mazda MX5. The pair made annual trips to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum together.

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

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

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

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

Helmets, made by the dedicated hands of those who work at Arai, have shown examples of supreme protection for decades.

The numerous improvements by their experienced hands, and personal desire to further the protection of riders’ heads, are among the many unique reasons Arai helmets perform the way they do.

From our very first helmet to those we make today, rider protection remains our first priority, and we at Arai shall never forget the value of what we have been seeking to protect is priceless.