american motorcyclist 05 2014 dirt version
DESCRIPTION
The Journal of the AMA.TRANSCRIPT
MAY 2014Ph
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Families That Ride Trials Together, Have Fun TogetherInsurance Discrimination: Know Your Risks, Know Your Rights
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www.victorymotorcycles.comRIDE ONE OWN ONE. AND
YOU’ LL
*
Victory and Victory Motorcycles® are registered trademarks of Polaris Industries Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never ride under the infl uence of drugs or alcohol.©2014 Polaris Industries Inc. *MSRP is the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price.
$12,999 MSRP
SLIM CHANCE YOU’LL FIND ANOTHER
BOBBER LIKE IT, ANYWHERE.There’s nothing subtle about the Victory Gunner.™ A classic bobber look, modernized with a big boy 106CI Freedom® V-twin, a full size chassis, and coated in suede titanium. Engineered from the road up to blow away the competition.
DIRTSTREETMAIN 32AM_05_2014_sec02m_Contents_Letters.indd 2 3/18/14 4:09 PM
www.victorymotorcycles.comRIDE ONE OWN ONE. AND
YOU’ LL
*
Victory and Victory Motorcycles® are registered trademarks of Polaris Industries Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never ride under the infl uence of drugs or alcohol.©2014 Polaris Industries Inc. *MSRP is the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price.
$12,999 MSRP
SLIM CHANCE YOU’LL FIND ANOTHER
BOBBER LIKE IT, ANYWHERE.There’s nothing subtle about the Victory Gunner.™ A classic bobber look, modernized with a big boy 106CI Freedom® V-twin, a full size chassis, and coated in suede titanium. Engineered from the road up to blow away the competition.
DIRTSTREETMAIN 32AM_05_2014_sec02m_Contents_Letters.indd 3 3/18/14 4:10 PM
ActionStation/Bohn Body ArmorSave 10 percent on complete product line—plus bonus. Go to www.actionstation.com/ama/ and use coupon code AMAB4U at checkout. AMA Members also receive exclusive discounted pricing on the Bohn Bodyguard System at www.bohn-armor-pants.com/ama/.
AIMExpoGo to www.AIMExpoUSA.com and enter code AMA2013 to save on tickets.
AMA Motorcycle Hall Of FameSave $5 on admission to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.
powered by
AMA/Sprocketlist Online Classifi edsAMA members can place free ads in the AMA member classifi eds at AMA.Sprocketlist.com or AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Shop > Classifi eds.
AMA Supercross And AMA Arenacross TicketsSave on advanced tickets; AMA members can get $5 off when they buy tickets online at Supercrossonline.com and use password AMA14. AMA members can get $5 off when they buy tickets online at Arenacross.com and use password AMA5OFF. Certain restrictions apply, call (800) 262-5646 for details.
BikeBandit.comGet 10 percent off your order at BikeBandit.com by entering your AMA number at checkout. Exclusions apply. See www.BikeBandit.com for details.
Biker Rain ChapsSave 25 percent. Visit www.bikerrainchaps.com/ama/ and use the code AMA-0414-EASTER at checkout to receive your discount.
ColorRite25 years of quality OEM matched paint. Enter code AMA2014 at www.ColorRite.com to save 15%.
GiFOR USA/GOLDfrenSave 15 percent on brake pads and 10 percent on brake discs at giforusa.com.
Heat DemonAMA members receive 10% off all products. Visit www.heatdemon.com/AMA and use the code AMAheat14 at checkout to receive your discount.
International Motorcycle ShowsAMA members save on advanced adult one-day general admission. The promo code is “NAAMA1410” when you buy your tickets online from www.motorcycleshows.com.
LifeLock Identity Theft ProtectionGet 30 free days and 10 percent off . Use promo code AMACYCLE at www.LifeLock.com or by calling (800) 543-3562.
MAD MapsThe best routes made easy. Save 20 percent. Use
promo code AMATHXU at www.MADmaps.com.
Powertye Tie-DownsSave 10 percent. Enter
code TYES4AMA at checkout from www.powertye.com/ama.
Rider MagazineMembers pay only $19.99 for 2 years (24 issues) + 2 extra FREE issues. Visit the Members Only section on www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com for the discount link.
RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel magazineRoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel magazine off ers a 20 percent subscription discount to AMA members. RoadRUNNER is the touring expert of North America, providing info on the best places to ride. AMA discount code is CRIAMA at www.roadrunner.travel/promo/ama.
Sam’s ClubAMA members save $10 or $25 on Sam’s Club membership with a special members-only coupon. Visit the Members Only section on www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com to download the coupon.
Schampa Cold-Weather GearSave 15 percent. Enter SCHAMA during checkout at www.Schampa.com.
STAYING INFORMEDAmerican MotorcyclistEach month, you receive the best magazine covering the motorcycle lifestyle with two versions to choose from: street or dirt.
AMA Roadside AssistanceThe Best Deal In TowingGet peace of mind with AMA
Roadside Assistance, which covers all your vehicles, as well as those of your family members living with you. Best of all, you can get this coverage at no additional charge. For details, call (800) 262-5646.
LodgingSave At Choice Hotels, Motel 6, Red Roof InnAt Choice hotels, save15 percent off the best available rates at participating Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay, Rodeway Inn and Econo Lodge hotels. Use the Member Discount code #00947556.Special discounts at Motel 6 are also available up to 10 percent off . Use the Member Discount code CP540176.Plus, get a 20 percent discount off available rates at Red Roof Inn. For discounts, call (800) RED-ROOF and use the code VP+ 503343. You can also make reservations online at www.redroof.com. Just enter the code VP+ 503343 in the fi eld labeled “VP+/ID#” when making reservations. The discount will be automatically applied.
EagleRider Motorcycle RentalsArrive And RideEagleRider off ers a 15 percent discount on Harley-Davidson, Honda, BMW
and Polaris rentals and tours. Call (888) 900-9901 or book at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com/Membership/EagleRider.aspx, using discount code AMA014.
Motorcycle ShippingRide Where You WantIn the United States, call Federal Companies, an agent for Specialized Transportation, Inc., at (877) 518-7376
for at least $60 off standard rates. For international shipments, call Motorcycle Express at (800) 245-8726. To get your discount, be sure to have your AMA number handy. Motorcycle Express also off ers temporary international insurance.
Car RentalsSave Money When You DriveGet up to 25 percent off prevailing rates at any Avis or Budget car rental
agency. For Avis, enter discount code: D388100. For Budget, enter code: Z942000.
AMA Gear Buy AMA Stuff OnlineFind unique patches, pins, posters,
T-shirts and books at AmericanMotorcyclist.com and at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio. Details at www.MotorcycleMuseum.org.
Rider Accident Medical PlanAll members of the AMA are eligible to purchase coverage. Benefi ts
are paid when a covered member is injured. See http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Membership/Members_Only/DiscountCodes for details.
PRODUCT DISCOUNTSTHE ESSENTIALSMEMBERS
ONLY DISCOUNT
CODES
Watch this space for updates about your valuable benefi ts as an AMA member.AMA REWARDS
220514_AMA_Member_Benefits.indd 2 3/17/14 11:36 AM
ORLANDO/FLNATIONAL
CONVENTION
Seminars & Members-Only Benefits at the Show!
in conjunction with
2014®
OCTOBER 16-192014
ORANGE COUNTYCONVENTION CENTER
Featuring the AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame
Induction Ceremony
Visit us online atwww.AmericanMotorcyclist.com
for more details.
AM_2014ConventionAd.indd 1 3/18/14 8:35 AM
DIRTSTREETMAIN 54AM_05_2014_sec02m_Contents_Letters.indd 4 3/18/14 4:10 PM
ActionStation/Bohn Body ArmorSave 10 percent on complete product line—plus bonus. Go to www.actionstation.com/ama/ and use coupon code AMAB4U at checkout. AMA Members also receive exclusive discounted pricing on the Bohn Bodyguard System at www.bohn-armor-pants.com/ama/.
AIMExpoGo to www.AIMExpoUSA.com and enter code AMA2013 to save on tickets.
AMA Motorcycle Hall Of FameSave $5 on admission to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.
powered by
AMA/Sprocketlist Online Classifi edsAMA members can place free ads in the AMA member classifi eds at AMA.Sprocketlist.com or AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Shop > Classifi eds.
AMA Supercross And AMA Arenacross TicketsSave on advanced tickets; AMA members can get $5 off when they buy tickets online at Supercrossonline.com and use password AMA14. AMA members can get $5 off when they buy tickets online at Arenacross.com and use password AMA5OFF. Certain restrictions apply, call (800) 262-5646 for details.
BikeBandit.comGet 10 percent off your order at BikeBandit.com by entering your AMA number at checkout. Exclusions apply. See www.BikeBandit.com for details.
Biker Rain ChapsSave 25 percent. Visit www.bikerrainchaps.com/ama/ and use the code AMA-0414-EASTER at checkout to receive your discount.
ColorRite25 years of quality OEM matched paint. Enter code AMA2014 at www.ColorRite.com to save 15%.
GiFOR USA/GOLDfrenSave 15 percent on brake pads and 10 percent on brake discs at giforusa.com.
Heat DemonAMA members receive 10% off all products. Visit www.heatdemon.com/AMA and use the code AMAheat14 at checkout to receive your discount.
International Motorcycle ShowsAMA members save on advanced adult one-day general admission. The promo code is “NAAMA1410” when you buy your tickets online from www.motorcycleshows.com.
LifeLock Identity Theft ProtectionGet 30 free days and 10 percent off . Use promo code AMACYCLE at www.LifeLock.com or by calling (800) 543-3562.
MAD MapsThe best routes made easy. Save 20 percent. Use
promo code AMATHXU at www.MADmaps.com.
Powertye Tie-DownsSave 10 percent. Enter
code TYES4AMA at checkout from www.powertye.com/ama.
Rider MagazineMembers pay only $19.99 for 2 years (24 issues) + 2 extra FREE issues. Visit the Members Only section on www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com for the discount link.
RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel magazineRoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel magazine off ers a 20 percent subscription discount to AMA members. RoadRUNNER is the touring expert of North America, providing info on the best places to ride. AMA discount code is CRIAMA at www.roadrunner.travel/promo/ama.
Sam’s ClubAMA members save $10 or $25 on Sam’s Club membership with a special members-only coupon. Visit the Members Only section on www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com to download the coupon.
Schampa Cold-Weather GearSave 15 percent. Enter SCHAMA during checkout at www.Schampa.com.
STAYING INFORMEDAmerican MotorcyclistEach month, you receive the best magazine covering the motorcycle lifestyle with two versions to choose from: street or dirt.
AMA Roadside AssistanceThe Best Deal In TowingGet peace of mind with AMA
Roadside Assistance, which covers all your vehicles, as well as those of your family members living with you. Best of all, you can get this coverage at no additional charge. For details, call (800) 262-5646.
LodgingSave At Choice Hotels, Motel 6, Red Roof InnAt Choice hotels, save15 percent off the best available rates at participating Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay, Rodeway Inn and Econo Lodge hotels. Use the Member Discount code #00947556.Special discounts at Motel 6 are also available up to 10 percent off . Use the Member Discount code CP540176.Plus, get a 20 percent discount off available rates at Red Roof Inn. For discounts, call (800) RED-ROOF and use the code VP+ 503343. You can also make reservations online at www.redroof.com. Just enter the code VP+ 503343 in the fi eld labeled “VP+/ID#” when making reservations. The discount will be automatically applied.
EagleRider Motorcycle RentalsArrive And RideEagleRider off ers a 15 percent discount on Harley-Davidson, Honda, BMW
and Polaris rentals and tours. Call (888) 900-9901 or book at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com/Membership/EagleRider.aspx, using discount code AMA014.
Motorcycle ShippingRide Where You WantIn the United States, call Federal Companies, an agent for Specialized Transportation, Inc., at (877) 518-7376
for at least $60 off standard rates. For international shipments, call Motorcycle Express at (800) 245-8726. To get your discount, be sure to have your AMA number handy. Motorcycle Express also off ers temporary international insurance.
Car RentalsSave Money When You DriveGet up to 25 percent off prevailing rates at any Avis or Budget car rental
agency. For Avis, enter discount code: D388100. For Budget, enter code: Z942000.
AMA Gear Buy AMA Stuff OnlineFind unique patches, pins, posters,
T-shirts and books at AmericanMotorcyclist.com and at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio. Details at www.MotorcycleMuseum.org.
Rider Accident Medical PlanAll members of the AMA are eligible to purchase coverage. Benefi ts
are paid when a covered member is injured. See http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Membership/Members_Only/DiscountCodes for details.
PRODUCT DISCOUNTSTHE ESSENTIALSMEMBERS
ONLY DISCOUNT
CODES
Watch this space for updates about your valuable benefi ts as an AMA member.AMA REWARDS
220514_AMA_Member_Benefits.indd 2 3/17/14 11:36 AM
ORLANDO/FLNATIONAL
CONVENTION
Seminars & Members-Only Benefits at the Show!
in conjunction with
2014®
OCTOBER 16-192014
ORANGE COUNTYCONVENTION CENTER
Featuring the AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame
Induction Ceremony
Visit us online atwww.AmericanMotorcyclist.com
for more details.
AM_2014ConventionAd.indd 1 3/18/14 8:35 AM
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May 2014Volume 68, Number 5Published by theAmerican Motorcyclist Association13515 Yarmouth Dr.Pickerington, OH 43147(800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646)www.americanmotorcyclist.com
American Motorcyclist magazine (ISSN 0277-9358) is published monthly
by the American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147.
Copyright by the American Motorcyclist Association/American Motorcyclist 2014.
Printed in USA.Subscription rate: Magazine subscription fee of
$19.95 covered in membership dues.
Postmaster: Mail form 3579 to 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147. Periodical postage paid at Pickerington, Ohio,
and at additional mailing offi ces.
Navigation PhotoThe Indian marque is one of motorcycling’s most
historic, and it has the enthusiastic fan base to match. That’s why you can bet the Indian “Motocycle” love will be rampant this July 11-13 at AMA Vintage Motorcycle
Days featuring Indian Motorcycles as Marque of the Year. Join us as we celebrate the brand’s past and present at
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. More info: www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com.
Photo by Yve Assad
8. LETTERSYou write, we read.
12. WAYNE ALLARDBattling discrimination.
16. RIGHTSFighting motorcycle-only checkpoints, reining in the IRS, reopening Rattlesnake Bay’s off-highway vehicle trails, talking with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Clear Creek update, and testing E15 in Illinois.
24. RIDINGThe latest news, rides, interviews and more from the world of motorcycling.
34. HALL OF FAMEA post-war hot rod, Hall of Famer Max Bubeck, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days update and “67” by Dale Bert.
42. COVERAGE DENIEDAs medical insurance companies look for ways to save money, they are denying coverage to those injured during perfectly legal activities. One of those activities is motorcycling. Here are some tips on making sure you are covered, as well as an update on what the AMA is doing to fi ght this unfair discrimination.
48. EVENTS CALENDARWhat to do, where to go.
58. FRANK L. PALMERISunday bikes and Monday bikes.
NAVIGATION
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AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST TRIM:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8” X 10-1/2˝
BLEED : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-1/4˝ X 10-7/8˝
SAFETY:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-7/8˝ X 10-1/2˝
Client: Progressive
Job No: 13D00063 05/13
Created by: Dalon Wolford
Applications: InDesign CS5.5, Adobe Photoshop CS5, Adobe Illustrator CS5
Fonts(s): Humanist 777 BT Family
Job Description: Full Page, 4 Color Ad
Document Name: I Think ad / American Motorcyclist
Final Trim Size: 7-1/2˝ x 10-1/8˝
Final Bleed: 8-1/8˝ x 10-3/4˝
Safety: 7-7/8˝ x 10-1/2˝
Date Created: 08/09/13
Ease the pain. With Progressive Total Loss Coverage we’ll replace your totaled bike with a brand new one.
Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & affi liates. Total Loss Replacement coverage available in most states at additional charge on eligible late model motorcycles with comprehensive and collision coverage. MSRP paid for new bike & accessories. All coverage is subject to policy terms and conditions. 13D00063 (05/13)
1-800-PROGRESSIVE / PROGRESSIVE.COM/MOTORCYCLE
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AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST TRIM:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8” X 10-1/2˝
BLEED : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-1/4˝ X 10-7/8˝
SAFETY:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-7/8˝ X 10-1/2˝
Client: Progressive
Job No: 13D00063 05/13
Created by: Dalon Wolford
Applications: InDesign CS5.5, Adobe Photoshop CS5, Adobe Illustrator CS5
Fonts(s): Humanist 777 BT Family
Job Description: Full Page, 4 Color Ad
Document Name: I Think ad / American Motorcyclist
Final Trim Size: 7-1/2˝ x 10-1/8˝
Final Bleed: 8-1/8˝ x 10-3/4˝
Safety: 7-7/8˝ x 10-1/2˝
Date Created: 08/09/13
Ease the pain. With Progressive Total Loss Coverage we’ll replace your totaled bike with a brand new one.
Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & affi liates. Total Loss Replacement coverage available in most states at additional charge on eligible late model motorcycles with comprehensive and collision coverage. MSRP paid for new bike & accessories. All coverage is subject to policy terms and conditions. 13D00063 (05/13)
1-800-PROGRESSIVE / PROGRESSIVE.COM/MOTORCYCLE
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DOWNSIZINGThanks for the Motorcycle
Safety Foundation column “Movin’ On Up” (April 2014).
I’ve been riding for about 50 years, the fi rst 30 on dirt and sport bikes and the last 20 on heavyweight cruisers and touring rigs. I never met a bike I couldn’t ride, but last summer when I turned 68, I decided I didn’t want to have to shove 700 pounds around my garage every time I wanted to take a spin.
So I sold my last behemoth and bought a new Honda CB500x. With about 50 horsepower pushing 400 pounds, it’s plenty fast for my needs, handles like a dream, and I can actually push it into the garage. Big bikes have their place, but for my needs, mostly day trips in the beautiful Texas hill country where I live, the Honda is perfect. And it gets about 65 mpg, no matter how I ride it.
Downsizing may not be for everyone, but it rekindled my
love of riding in a big way.
Bill Schiff mann Charter Life MemberLago Vista, Texas
RIDING HATFIELD-MCCOYIt was a pleasure reading your write-up
on the Hatfi eld-McCoy trail system in the April issue. My son and I visited there last summer and had a blast. The staging areas were spacious and easy to fi nd. The trails, which took us through some absolutely gorgeous country, were well marked and surprisingly uncrowded.
We rode Little Coal River, Ivy Branch and Bearwallow trail systems, and the staff and rangers at the visitors center were helpful and friendly. It was fantastic to be able to come down out of the mountains and ride into town (Logan, W.Va., in our case) for gas and provisions before heading back up the trail.
It was a great experience and off -
highway enthusiasts of all kinds should consider visiting to support this great concept, if nothing else. The United States could use more systems like Hatfi eld-McCoy, and to get them we must support the existing systems by giving them our business.
Ben CainNaperville, Ill.
WORKING TOGETHERI want to extend my thanks for all of the
help that AMA provided helping get the Rattlesnake Bay ATV trails reopened (see page 18). Had it not been for all of you, I don’t know if we would’ve been able to get this done. Everyone that I have had contact with at AMA, from membership staff to government relations, has been great! It makes me proud to be a part of such a top-notch organization.
Following nearly two years of letter-writing and phone calls, I thought that maybe this was a lost cause, but I kept at it. During a follow-up telephone call with U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker’s offi ce, it was determined that we had come around full circle once again.
At the end of my conversation with Sen. Wicker’s offi ce, I mentioned reaching out to the AMA for help. They agreed that it couldn’t hurt. So, what I felt was a Hail Mary play actually turned out to be exactly what was needed. In fact, in hindsight, I should have consulted the AMA considerably sooner.
I can’t remember how many people I sent my fi rst message to at AMA but I know that it only took one round. I started to receive feedback almost immediately. Before I knew it, Off -Highway Government Aff airs Manager Steve Salisbury and I had been connected and the momentum had begun. Steve took everything I gave him (useful and maybe not so useful) and built from there. My singular voice became a diverse, unifi ed voice rather quickly and we accomplished our goal thanks to everyone and their eff orts.
It’s scary to think of where we may be without all of you, and I can’t say “Thank You” enough.
I share in the hope that other AMA members will be inspired by this and be more proactive in their areas. This has been a wonderful teaching opportunity for me. My son, along with the other kids that ride in our club, have learned a very valuable lesson through this. This experience will hopefully serve as a reminder for them as they carry the torch later in the pursuit to protect all of our rights to ride. Just knowing
Send your letters (and a high-resolution photo) to [email protected]; or mail to 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. MEMBER LETTERS
Letter of the Month
ENJOYING TRAIL FREEDOMSOver the last few years,
I have gained a greater appreciation of the eff orts that the AMA and individuals like Roy Garrett (recipient of the 2014 Friend of the AMA Award) have made to support off -road riding and keeping riding areas open for all of us to enjoy.
Your April 2014 article, “Following the Money Trail,” emphasized the positive impact these riding areas have on the local economies. I have personally been riding the Michigan ORV trails for 25 years, and twice a year a group of us Indiana riders make the journey to enjoy these trails. We spend our money at local hotels, restaurants, gas stations and motorcycle dealerships (and the local hospital on rare occasions).
During the last two years, I have started taking my two young sons to enjoy the riding in Michigan. This past October, we enjoyed four perfect days of riding aboard a KTM 450 XC-F, Honda CRF100 and a Honda XR80. After a long, cold winter, we are looking forward to our next trip.
The annual license fee is a good value and investment for the future of the sport. I only hope these riding areas remain open for my sons to enjoy for many years.
Thanks again for all the hard work! Steve ReedyColumbus, Ind.
Each month, a lucky AMA member wins a Bike Bandit gift card worth $100. Didn’t win? No worries. You can still take advantage of your 10% AMA member discount at BikeBandit.com.
Steve Reedy
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On legislation that would end federal funding of motorcycle-only checkpoints:
Don Jacobs: Good. I’m tired of being singled out because I prefer two wheels over four wheels.
On reports that “black boxes” might be coming to modern cars and motorcycles:
Charles Hood: Why I ride vintage bikes with nothing more sophisticated than a CDI ignition.
On news that E15 is coming to fi lling stations in Missouri:
Dan Bogardo: This is ridiculous. It doesn’t save the consumer any money at the pump. In fact, the price of gas is more and
mpg is worse. I hate ethanol-blended fuel for any engine.
Sound Off !A roundup of recent comments on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/americanmotorcyclist
Helping to identify this photo , submitted by a member who found it in his collection but couldn’t identify the riders:Jeff Henderson: 16 Jimmy Chann, 71 Bobby Hill, 7 Billy Huber, 1 Chet Dykgraff @ Milwaukee Mile
that we/they have the AMA on our side is comforting to say the least.
Dale TallmanBlazing Saddles Trail Riders
DON’T GET FLIPPEDI really enjoy reading Rick Wheaton’s
articles. I just wanted to comment on “In Praise of the Flip Up,” March 2014. I love my fl ip-up helmet, as does he. I use mine on my motorcycle in the spring and fall.
However, many helmets are not designed for riding with the helmet unlocked (mine included). I was not aware that any were safe in the unlocked position, but Rick said his was. So I would like to warn everyone that you better check with the helmet manufacturer before you ride with it up.
Bob WashburnNorridgewock, Maine
Ben Cain
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EXECUTIVE
Rob Dingman, President/CEORhonda Hixon, Administrative Asst./Litigation ManagerBruce Moffat, Chief Financial OfficerSen. Wayne Allard, Vice President, Government RelationsBob Chaddock, Vice President, AdministrationJeff Massey, Vice President, OperationsJim Williams, Vice President, Industry Relations & Business Member Programs Rob Rasor, Director of International Affairs
ACCOUNTING
Dawn Becker, Accounting ManagerMelanie Hise, HR Assistant/Payroll CoordinatorEd Madden, System Support SpecialistPeg Tuvell, Member Fulfillment Specialist
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Sean Maher, Director
AMHF/MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME
Jordan Brannan, Museum Admissions and Collections AssistantConnie Fleming, Manager of Events and AMHF OperationsBeth Owen, Receptionist/Donor Relations SpecialistPaula Schremser, Program SpecialistKaty Wood, Collections Manager
AMA RACING/ORGANIZER SERVICES
Kip Bigelow, Amateur MX ManagerJoe Bromley, District Relations ManagerJacki Burris, Organizer Services CoordinatorJane Caston, Racing CoordinatorLana Cox, Administrative AssistantKevin Crowther, Director SX & Pro Racing RelationsBill Cumbow, Director of RacingAlex Hunter, MX Operational Coordinator
COMMUNICATIONS
American Motorcyclist 13515 Yarmouth Drive Pickerington, OH 43147 (614) 856-1900 [email protected]
Grant Parsons, Director of CommunicationsJames Holter, Managing EditorJim Witters, Government Affairs EditorMark Lapid, Creative Director Jeff Guciardo, Production Manager/DesignerHalley Miller, Graphic DesignerKaitlyn Sesco, Marketing/Communications Specialist
Steve Gotoski, Advertising Director (Western States) (951) 566-5068, [email protected] Stevens, National Sales Manager (626) 298-3854, [email protected]
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, 2014.
AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Contact any member of the AMA Board of Directors at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com/about/board
Maggie McNally-Bradshaw, Chair Albany, N.Y.
Russ Brenan, Vice Chair Irvine, Calif.
Ken Ford, Assistant Treasurer Bartow, Fla.
Perry King, Executive Committee Member Northern California
John Ulrich, Executive Committee Member Lake Elsinore, Calif.
Sean Hilbert, Hillsdale, Mich.
Scott Miller, Milwaukee, Wis.
Art More, Sun City West, Ariz.
Stan Simpson, Cibolo, Texas
Jim Viverito, Chicago, Ill.
(800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646)AmericanMotorcyclist.com
AMA StAffAMA RACING/ORGANIZER SERVICES (continued)
Tamra Jones, Racing CoordinatorD’Andra Myers, Organizer Services CoordinatorKen Saillant, Track Racing ManagerCherie Schlatter, Organizer Services ManagerSerena Van Dyke, Organizer Services CoordinatorChuck Weir, Off Road Racing ManagerConrad Young, Timing & Scoring Manager
DISTRIBUTION/FACILITIES SERVICES
John Bricker, Mailroom ManagerHeida Drake, Copy Center OperatorBill Frasch, Mailroom Clerk GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Marie Esselstein, Government Affairs AssistantDanielle Fowles, Grassroots CoordinatorNick Haris, Western States RepresentativeSean Hutson, Legislative AssistantSharon Long, Legislative CoordinatorRick Podliska, Deputy DirectorSteve Salisbury, Government Affairs Manager - Off-HighwayImre Szauter, Government Affairs Manager - On-Highway
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Rob Baughman, Network AdministratorJohn Boker, DeveloperDave Coleman, Network ArchitectAmy Hyman, Senior Programmer/Analyst
MEMBER SERVICES/DATA ENTRY
Lori Cavucci, Member Services RepresentativeDeb D’Andrea, Member Services RepresentativeLinda Hembroff, Member Services RepresentativeDarcel Higgins, Member Services ManagerKimberly Jude, Member Services RepresentativeTiffany Pound, Member Services RepresentativeJessica Robinson, Member Services Representative
Wed Feb 5 21:35:19 PST 2014 - TEMPT Master-13739 YMUS-14544
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DIRTSTREETMAIN 1110 AmericanMotorcyclist.com
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There is an old Latin term that you have probably heard before. It’s “caveat emptor,” which means “buyer beware.” This caution is truer today than it ever has been for the motorcycle rider buying health insurance.
You may have the opportunity to get health insurance through a third party such as your employer or you may be making the purchase as an individual.
In either case, be sure to read the exclusionary fi ne print closely where it
talks about risky or hazardous activities. You would expect such exemptions if you are a bull fi ghter, mountain climber, parachutist, explosives expert or test pilot. The provision may just mention “risky” or “hazardous” activities without being specifi c.
Beware!The coverage may be referring to you as a motorcyclist or all-
terrain vehicle rider.Motorcyclists face discrimination. It’s a fact of life, but
something we are fi ghting every day.To be eff ective in fi ghting for motorcyclists’ rights, we need to
know when motorcyclists are discriminated against, and we need help from motorcyclists at the local level or nationwide, depending on the issue.
Right now, the AMA is focusing on health-insurance discrimination against motorcyclists, and we want specifi c examples of motorcyclists suff ering as a result. We need to show lawmakers that the discrimination is very real, and that it aff ects real people.
Health-insurance discrimination—excluding coverage for motorcycle- or ATV-related injuries in health insurance plans—is discrimination that has been going on for decades. You can read more about this situation in “Coverage Denied,” page 42.
The AMA and others fought for language to be included in the Congressional Record years ago that indicated the clear intent of Congress was to eliminate such discrimination when it passed the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996.
But the federal agencies charged with implementing the law told employers they could refuse to cover injuries related to riding a motorcycle, ATV, horse, etc. The Patient Protection and Aff ordable Care Act—known by many as Obamacare—did nothing to remedy the loophole or prevent future discrimination.
Therefore, the AMA plans to continue this important battle.You may want to compare U.S. practices with situations in other
countries. Rider groups in Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia say that the healthcare systems in their countries do not permit discrimination based on the source of injury.
While the AMA is hard at work on Capitol Hill, it’s important that you look at your health insurance policy to be sure that you are covered if you are involved in a motorcycle crash. Check your policy under “Exclusions” to see if it excludes coverage for motorcycle-related injuries.
The wording can be ambiguous, with language that denies coverage for injuries suff ered while participating in “extreme” activities, without defi ning what those activities are. If so, contact your insurance company and get a written response.
If you learn that motorcycle-related injuries aren’t covered in your company’s or organization’s health-insurance policy, we want to know. Contact us at [email protected]. Your confi dentiality will be protected.
The AMA wants your assistance to help us fi ght insurance discrimination and other threats to motorcycling. You can also act individually to protect riding freedoms. The AMA provides many valuable tools to help you fi ght for your right to ride.
Sign up to receive AMA News & Notes at http://capwiz.com/amacycle/mlm/signup/ to keep informed on hot topics, news aff ecting the motorcycling community and opportunities to communicate with your elected offi cials.
You can also opt in to receive AMA Action Alert emails by signing up at the same link. When you receive AMA Action Alerts, you will be notifi ed how and when you can make a diff erence on important issues.
Each of us can do our part to protect our riding freedoms by being AMA members and inviting our family and friends to join. More members mean more political clout, and with more clout we will have a better chance of ending health-insurance discrimination against motorcyclists and other threats to our riding freedoms.
Wayne Allard is AMA vice president for government relations.
ON HEALTH INSURANCE, MOTORCYCLIST BEWARE
VIEWPOINT
By Wayne Allard
Yuasa batteries The industry standard for powersports vehicles.
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12 DIRTSTREETMAIN 131312 AmericanMotorcyclist.com
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Yuasa batteries The industry standard for powersports vehicles.
BATTERIES FOR MOTORCYCLES · ATVs · UTVs · SNOWMOBILES · PERSONAL WATERCRAFT
Yuasa supplies batteries to more OEMs than all our
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The reason is simple: advanced engineering,
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Yuasa — manufacturing in the U.S.A. since 1979.
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DIRTSTREETMAIN12 1313AM_05_2014_sec03m_Column.indd 13 3/18/14 4:12 PM
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BIPARTISAN SENATE BILL TARGETS MOTORCYCLE-ONLY CHECKPOINTSLegislation Would Cut Federal Funding
A bipartisan bill introduced in early March by U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) would prohibit the use of federal funds for establishing motorcycle-only checkpoints.
The Senate bill is similar to H.R. 1861, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013 by U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.).
The “Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act” would prohibit the U.S. Secretary of Transportation from granting funds to any government entity for a program to create checkpoints for the operator of a motorcycle or a passenger.
The AMA fully supports these bills and urges its members to tell their elected offi cials in the House and Senate to vote for these measures.
“During the past two years, federal, state and local governments spent more than a half million dollars on motorcycle-only checkpoints,” says Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. “The AMA believes that money could be better spent supporting programs that conduct rider education, reduce distracted driving and encourage motorist awareness of motorcycles.”
The AMA has tracked motorcycle-only
5 QUESTIONS WITH...SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBER JEANNE SHAHEEN
As a member of the powerful Senate appropriations committee, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) has a seat at the table during debates about how the federal government spends its money.
Recently, Sen. Shaheen stepped up on the issue of motorcycle-only checkpoints by introducing the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act. This bill will prohibit federal funding of all motorcycle-only checkpoints.
We asked Shaheen about that issue, and here are her responses.
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST: How did the issue of motorcycle-only checkpoints come to your attention? SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN: As any Granite Stater will tell you, motorcycles are an important part of our state’s identity and economy. The New Hampshire State Legislature passed a law prohibiting the use of federal funds for motorcycle-only checkpoints, which is how I became aware of the issue.
AM: Why do you oppose federal funding for these traffi c stops? JS: Motorcyclists must have their vehicles inspected just like those driving cars. We don’t have checkpoints stopping passenger vehicles to check their tire pressure, and we shouldn’t for motorcycles. It’s a matter of simple fairness.
AM: What do you believe would be a better use of these federal funds?
JS: As motorists in New Hampshire know, maybe motorcyclists more than any, there are many bridges and roads throughout the state in dire need of repair. I think rehabilitating damaged bridges, roads and other infrastructure would be a better use of federal dollars. AM: What can members of the AMA and others interested in this issue do to help get the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act passed and signed into law? JS: Contact your members of Congress and let them know that you oppose motorcycle-only checkpoints. AM: Anything else to add? JS: In June every year, motorcycles blanket New Hampshire on their way to Laconia for the annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, which is celebrating its 91st year in 2014. Come on up and tour beautiful New Hampshire!
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
checkpoints since they were fi rst enacted in New York.
The state of Georgia used funds from the National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration in March 2011 to establish motorcycle-only checkpoints as thousands of motorcyclists rode through the state on their way to Daytona Beach, Fla., for Bike Week.
Another motorcycle-only checkpoint was established in northern Virginia during one of the nation’s most visible motorcycle rallies—Rolling Thunder—over the 2011 Memorial Day weekend.
Motorcycle-only checkpoints were also
set up in Utah at a time when thousands of riders were attending a world-class road-racing event.
California, Missouri, North Carolina, Illinois, New Hampshire and Virginia have passed legislation curbing these checkpoints.
If passed, this federal bill will ensure that riders across the country are safeguarded from this ineff ective and prejudicial practice.
For more information go to: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/rights/motorcycleonlycheckpoints.aspx.
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©2014 SHOEI Safety Helmet Corp. All helmets are covered under a limited warranty for five years from purchase date, or seven years from the date of manufacture (whichever comes first). SHOEI helmets are distributed exclusively in the U.S. by Helmet House. For more information go to shoei-helmets.com or see your local dealer.
Designed in SHOEI’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel, the all-new RF-1200 boasts our most compact and aerodynamic shell ever. Less surface material means a lighter overall construction, making the RF-1200 the most featherweight SNELL-Certified helmet in our 50-year history, and that’s just the beginning…
See all of the RF-1200’s high-tech features at SHOEI-HELMETS.COM/RF-1200 #RF1200
LET THERE BE LIGHT
SHOEI_14_RF1200_02_AMA.indd 1 3/11/14 2:34 PM
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New
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©2014 SHOEI Safety Helmet Corp. All helmets are covered under a limited warranty for five years from purchase date, or seven years from the date of manufacture (whichever comes first). SHOEI helmets are distributed exclusively in the U.S. by Helmet House. For more information go to shoei-helmets.com or see your local dealer.
Designed in SHOEI’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel, the all-new RF-1200 boasts our most compact and aerodynamic shell ever. Less surface material means a lighter overall construction, making the RF-1200 the most featherweight SNELL-Certified helmet in our 50-year history, and that’s just the beginning…
See all of the RF-1200’s high-tech features at SHOEI-HELMETS.COM/RF-1200 #RF1200
LET THERE BE LIGHT
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B_I_V = Live Area: 7 x 10, 7x10 Magazine Master, 1 Page, Installment, Vertical updated 11/2013
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Requires 3 “AAA” batteries
and 1 “AA” battery,
not included.
Shown smaller than
actual size of 17¾" H
x 8" W x 7" D,
including hanging
pendulum and weights
©2014 BGE 01-17513-001-BIR
It’s time to kick start every day with the exclusive “Freedom Choppers Motorcycle Garage” Cuckoo Clock only from The Bradford Exchange! Just like the sweetest rides on the road, this limited edition cuckoo is customized from top to bottom with details that will get your heart racing. Strong demand is expected, so act now to acquire yours in fi ve monthly installments of only $35.99, for a total issue price of just $179.95*, backed by our 365-day money-back guarantee. Reply today, but send no money now. Simply complete and return the Reservation Application.
Not Sold In Stores!
YES. Please reserve the “Freedom Choppers Motorcycle Garage” Cuckoo Clock for me as described in this announcement.
Limit: one per order. Please Respond Promptly
*Plus $21.99 shipping and service. Limited-edition presentation restricted to 295 casting days. Please allow 4-8 weeks after initial payment for shipment. Sales subject to product availability and order acceptance.
Signature
Mrs. Mr. Ms. Name (Please Print Clearly)
Address
City
State Zip
01-17513-001-E40921
9345 Milwaukee Avenue · Niles, IL 60714-1393
RESERVATION APPLICATION SEND NO MONEY NOW
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01_17513_001_BIR.indd 1 1/29/14 10:52 AM
The Illinois General Assembly is urging Congress to require more scientifi c testing of E15 vehicle fuels in light of studies that show the fuels can harm small engines and void many car manufacturers’ warranties.
HR 254, requested by ABATE of Illinois, calls for testing the eff ects of E15 on all types of internal combustion engines.
The fuels contain 15 percent ethanol, by
volume, compared to the widely available E10 fuels. E15 has not been approved for use in motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles.
HR 254, adopted in support of federal HB 875, cites studies by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute that conclude use of E15 can be detrimental to small engines.
The resolution was forwarded to members of the Illinois congressional delegation and majority and minority leaders.
AMA TELLS CONGRESS TO REIN IN IRSNonprofi ts Could Be Impacted By Regulations
Wayne Allard, AMA’s vice president of government relations, told a congressional subcommittee in February that a proposed Internal Revenue Service rule would stifl e nonpartisan speech and create a de facto communications blackout period around elections.
The IRS proposal would, among other things, classify any communication to the public that even mentions a political candidate within 60 days of an election as political activity.
Nonprofi ts organized as 501(c)(4) corporations, such as the AMA, could lose their tax-exempt status for violating the rules.
“The proposed rule the IRS seeks to implement will stifl e nonpartisan speech in a manner that leads to a less informed electorate,” Allard told the subcommittee.
Since the late 1950s, the IRS has allowed 501(c)(4) nonprofi ts to participate in issue-based advocacy, as long as their primary focus remained social welfare.
Communications about legislation or public policy have never been restricted for this IRS class of non-profi t organization.
The IRS proposal would outlaw material “without regard to whether the public communication is intended to infl uence the election or some other, non-electoral actions.”
Allard off ered his comments to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation & Regulatory Aff airs.
MISSISSIPPI TRAIL AREA TO REOPENClubs, AMA Rally to Save Rattlesnake Bay
The AMA joined off -road-vehicle enthusiasts in Mississippi and the state’s tourism offi cials to win preliminary approval for the reopening of the Rattlesnake Bay ATV Trail System and for a fee structure to support trail maintenance in the DeSoto National Forest.
In late February, the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee unanimously approved the proposal, and offi cials say they hoped to open the trails to the public this summer.
The vote means Rattlesnake Bay could be open to the general public for OHV use for the fi rst time since 2003.
Alison Koopman, regional landscape architect for the Forest Service, says the regional forester will render a fi nal decision.
The AMA’s involvement began when member Dale Tallman Jr. expressed the local riders’ frustrations in a letter to the organization.
Steve Salisbury, AMA’s government aff airs manager for off -highway issues, helped unite several Mississippi rider groups into the Friends of Rattlesnake Bay and joined them in lobbying the Forest Service, the RRAC and local and state offi cials.
“Local riders worked for years to try to get the trails reopened, but met with frustration,” says Salisbury. “When an AMA member in Mississippi contacted us, we were happy to get involved, and we are elated with the results.”
The Rattlesnake Bay trail system is in the special use permit area for the Camp Shelby Military Training Site near
Dale
Tal
lman
Jr.
Hattiesburg, Miss.Riders can expect a curving trail
that follows the contours of the region, avoiding steep slopes, wet drainages and other sensitive areas.
“The committee appreciates what the AMA did to get support from users because we need to consider those aff ected,” says Jack Terrell, an AMA life member, chairman of the Recreation Resource Advisory Committee and senior project manager for the National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council.
The Forest Service committee approved a $10 daily fee for trail use and a $60 annual operator fee.
Trails covered by the fees include Rattlesnake Bay, the Little Tiger ATV Trail System, the Chickasaw ATV Trail System and the Bethel Motorized Trail System (which includes a motorcycle loop and ATV trail).
ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS DEMAND MORE E15 TESTINGSmall Engine Damage Feared
DIRTSTREETMAIN 1918 AmericanMotorcyclist.com
1918AM_05_2014_sec04m_Rights.indd 18 3/18/14 4:14 PM
1013⁄16
101⁄2
103⁄4107⁄8
1013⁄16
101⁄2
103⁄4107⁄8
81⁄4
881⁄8
77⁄8
73⁄475⁄8
83⁄8
81⁄4
881⁄8
77⁄8
73⁄475⁄8
83⁄8
81⁄4 8
81⁄8
77⁄8
73⁄4
75⁄8
83⁄8
81⁄48
81⁄8
77⁄873⁄4
75⁄8
83⁄8
107⁄8
101⁄2
1013⁄16103⁄4
107⁄8
101⁄2
1013⁄16103⁄4
B_I_V = Live Area: 7 x 10, 7x10 Magazine Master, 1 Page, Installment, Vertical updated 11/2013
Price
❏
Logo &
Address
❏
JobCode
❏
TrackingCode
❏
YellowSnipe
❏
ShippingService
❏
FREEDOM CHOPPERS CUCKOO CLOCK
An original design
inspired by the
hottest choppers
and chopper
shops around
���
At the top of each hour
3 bikers pull out of the
garage with
motors revving
���
Lights accompany the
hourly action! Windows
and billboard illuminate
as the bikers roll out
���
Metal pendulum
and chains with
hanging “pistons”
www.bradfordexchange.com/freedom
Requires 3 “AAA” batteries
and 1 “AA” battery,
not included.
Shown smaller than
actual size of 17¾" H
x 8" W x 7" D,
including hanging
pendulum and weights
©2014 BGE 01-17513-001-BIR
It’s time to kick start every day with the exclusive “Freedom Choppers Motorcycle Garage” Cuckoo Clock only from The Bradford Exchange! Just like the sweetest rides on the road, this limited edition cuckoo is customized from top to bottom with details that will get your heart racing. Strong demand is expected, so act now to acquire yours in fi ve monthly installments of only $35.99, for a total issue price of just $179.95*, backed by our 365-day money-back guarantee. Reply today, but send no money now. Simply complete and return the Reservation Application.
Not Sold In Stores!
YES. Please reserve the “Freedom Choppers Motorcycle Garage” Cuckoo Clock for me as described in this announcement.
Limit: one per order. Please Respond Promptly
*Plus $21.99 shipping and service. Limited-edition presentation restricted to 295 casting days. Please allow 4-8 weeks after initial payment for shipment. Sales subject to product availability and order acceptance.
Signature
Mrs. Mr. Ms. Name (Please Print Clearly)
Address
City
State Zip
01-17513-001-E40921
9345 Milwaukee Avenue · Niles, IL 60714-1393
RESERVATION APPLICATION SEND NO MONEY NOW
*Plusing dis sh
Almost 1½
feet tall
01_17513_001_BIR.indd 1 1/29/14 10:52 AM
Dale
Tal
lman
Jr.
DIRTSTREETMAIN 191918AM_05_2014_sec04m_Rights.indd 19 3/18/14 4:14 PM
~ A JC Motors Company ~ 800.336.7009NaturesMtnPlayground.com/motolodging2For more info visit:
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The awesome diversity available for lodging in Nature’s Mountain Playground will blow you away. It’s time to rethink lodging, it can be so much more than just the place you close your eyes after a day of adventures. From themed suites, to rustic cabins, to high-rise mountain views, to bed and breakfasts, your lodging choice can become a major part of your experience. Contact us today for help planning your next ride.
We put the “friendly” in motorcycle-friendly lodging...
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Congress AdvAnCes TAx-Money TrAnspArenCy BillGroups Against OHVs Have Abused Program
Congress advanced another step toward voting on bipartisan legislation that would reinstate the tracking and reporting requirements for payments made under the Equal Access to Justice Act.
The lack of transparency and oversight has led to abuse of this program by groups that use taxpayer money to sue in an effort to stop off -highway vehicle recreation on public lands.
These lawsuits can ultimately lead to restrictions on responsible motorized access—without public comment—through what the U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls a “sue-and-settle” strategy.
Introduced by U.S. Reps. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), this bill—H.R. 2919, the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act—would return the EAJA to its original intent, instituting targeted reforms to reinstate and track reporting requirements intended to make spending under the act more transparent.
CleAr Creek MAnAgeMenT AreA reopensSevere Restrictions Stifle Access
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced the reopening of the 31,000-acre Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern in California’s San Benito and Fresno counties to extremely limited use by street-licensed vehicles and pedestrians.
Under the decision signed Feb. 11 by the California state director of the BLM, vehicles licensed for highway use may obtain permits to enter the Serpentine area, and the BLM retains the right to limit the number of annual visitor-use days “to reduce human health risks associated with exposure to naturally occurring asbestos.”
Currently, the BLM is limiting vehicle touring to five days a year and pedestrian activity to 12 days a year.
The BLM decision also means that, on those few days, all-terrain vehicles will have access to the parts of the Clear Creek Management Area that were never closed, but were rendered inaccessible by the other restrictions.
Street-licensed vehicles can tow or haul the ATVs to the trailheads.
The BLM also says about 5,070 acres of public lands within the Clear Creek Management Area “exhibit Wilderness characteristics” and “will be managed to emphasize primitive, non-motorized recreation opportunities.”
The 75,000-acre Clear Creek area, which includes the Serpentine ACEC, was closed in 2008 after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency raised concerns about asbestos exposure.
Subsequent testing by the International Environmental Research Foundation—at the request of the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of California State Parks—concludes that “there is clearly an opportunity to allow OHV recreation at CCMA.”
The state of California is conducting further testing.
roy gArreTT reCeives 2014 Friend oF The AMA AwArdOff-Highway Activist
AMA Life Member Roy Garrett, of Plainfield, Ind., is the recipient of the 2014 Friend of the AMA Award in recognition of his innovative work.
A member of ABATE of Indiana DIRT, Garrett has been a fixture in the off-highway riding community for many years, promoting responsible off-highway recreation.
The AMA was impressed by the ability of Indiana’s on- and off-highway clubs and organizations to work together to protect the riding freedoms of all of the state’s riders.
“I joined the AMA in 1970 when I started racing motorcycles,” Garrett says. “I started working club and district business in 1983. I was an AMA congressman in the late eighties. The AMA helped us start DIRT in 1994. I have been the president or vice president since
it started. I am currently the off-road director for ABATE of Indiana DIRT, and the road captain for Stoney Lonesome M/C. I am very pleased and honored to receive this award from the AMA.”
Imre Szauter, the AMA’s on-highway government affairs manager, presented the award during the recent Hoosier Motorcyclists’ Roundtable and the Motorcycle Expo.
Phot
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AM
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DIRTSTREETMAIN 2120 AmericanMotorcyclist.com
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800.336.7009NaturesMtnPlayground.com/motolodging2For more info visit:
Text “motolodging2” to 304.782.0400 or enter keycode “motolodging2” on NaturesMtnPlayground.com
The awesome diversity available for lodging in Nature’s Mountain Playground will blow you away. It’s time to rethink lodging, it can be so much more than just the place you close your eyes after a day of adventures. From themed suites, to rustic cabins, to high-rise mountain views, to bed and breakfasts, your lodging choice can become a major part of your experience. Contact us today for help planning your next ride.
We put the “friendly” in motorcycle-friendly lodging...
& more...Watoga State Park
Morning Glory InnWatoga State Park
Elk River InnBarnett Cabins
Locust Hill Inn
Old Clark Inn
Hillsboro House
Mountain Quest Inn
Scan with your phone
Phot
o by
AM
A Li
fe M
embe
r Gar
y Se
llers
Bure
au o
f Lan
d M
anag
emen
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House Bill 1047, sponsored by Rep. Sam Moore (R-District 22), would permit motorcycle operators to lane split if the vehicle being overtaking is traveling no more than 30 mph and the motorcyclist is traveling no more than 10 mph faster than the vehicle being overtaken.
Also, House Bill 869, sponsored by Rep. John Yates (R-Griffin), would permit lightweight vehicles, such as motorcycles, to proceed through an intersection controlled by a traffic-actuated signal if, after coming to a complete stop and waiting for 60 seconds, the operator determines their vehicle wasn’t detected.
Kansas
House Bill 2543, proposed by the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, would exempt motorcyclists from paying tolls on the Kansas Turnpike.
LouisianaSenate Bill 317, sponsored by Sen. Gary
L. Smith (D-Norco), would prohibit the establishment of checkpoints where the only vehicles subject to or targets for inspection are motorcycles.
MichiGan
The Michigan House voted to let off-road recreation vehicle drivers go without a helmet and eye protection on private property.
The exemption is similar to one that exempts helmet requirements for snowmobile operators on their land.
The legislation would exempt property owners, family members and invited guests from the helmet requirement while riding on the property owner’s land. The bill now goes to the state Senate.
MissouriHouse Bill 1655, sponsored by Rep.
Eric Burlison (R-Springfield), would offer adult motorcycle operators and passengers the option of wearing a helmet while riding.
nebrasKaLegislators supporting a repeal of the
state’s mandatory helmet law proved unable to muster the 33 votes needed to end a filibuster of the bill.
State Sen. Dave Bloomfield of Hoskins had made repealing the helmet law a priority.
Although he thought he had the 25 votes he needed to pass his bill, the bill’s opponents would not let it go to a vote.
The proposal would have required helmets for riders younger than 21 and eye protection for all riders. Nebraska has had a helmet law in place since 1989.
Washington governor Wants task ForceGroups Would Study Outdoor Recreation
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee hopes to bring together public, private and nonprofit groups to form a Blue Ribbon Parks and Outdoor Recreation Task Force.
The goal would be to develop a strategic plan and provide solid policy direction to better leverage the state’s outdoor assets.
The task force would include representatives from outdoor recreation businesses and other key industries, recreation and conservation nonprofit organizations, elected officials and other opinion leaders.
The governor’s plan calls for as many as six listening sessions across Washington to ensure the state’s diverse range of interests is fully represented.
The task force would deliver its strategic plan and recommendations to the governor in September.
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To KTVI-Fox2 television personality Charles Jaco in St. Louis for apologizing via Twitter for his remark suggesting that the presence of motorcyclists near the Missouri state capitol meant the legislature was thinking about legalizing methamphetamine and for removing his Tweet.
To Suff olk County, N.Y., Legislator Thomas F. Barraga (R-West Islip), for saying that no one in his county should ride motorcycles or bicycles. The remark came in response to a letter from a 17-year-old boy whose mother was seriously injured in a car-bicycle crash last year.
To the San Antonio, Texas, police offi cers who located and arrested a man who posted a video on Facebook showing him riding recklessly and illegally through traffi c on a motorcycle. Alberto Rodriguez, 27, was arrested for suspected motorcycle theft. He also had several outstanding warrants. Prosecutors were considering additional charges.
To Charles Jaco, a reporter on KTVI-Fox2 news in St. Louis, for his Tweet denigrating motorcyclists and perpetuating stereotypes.Jaco noticed an unusual number of motorcycles near the Missouri state capitol and Tweeted, “Lots of Harleys at State Capitol today. Assume #MOLeg fi nally getting around to legalizing meth?”The motorcyclists were testifying on laws that prohibit motorcycle sales on Sundays.
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HELPING INJURED VETERANSVETMotorsports Honored For Outreach
VETMotorsports, a nonprofi t organized to help wounded and disabled combat veterans through hands-on motorcycling programs, received a certifi cate of appreciation in February from the Ohio Department of Veteran Services.
DVS Director Timothy Gorrell recognized the organization “for its work to help disabled veterans through unique motor sports programs.”
VETMotorsports, based in Upper Arlington, Ohio, off ers post-9/11 combat veterans a chance to participate in racing events that can recreate the structure, sense of mission and excitement the veterans experienced while serving.
Some veterans participate as competitors, while others become members of the crew.
“The motorcycle community is a very positive and tight-knit group, so we thought, ‘Why can’t we capitalize on that?’ ’’ says AMA member Peter Cline, executive director and founder of VETMotorsports.
Cline got the idea for the program from a British eff ort, Race2Recovery, to involve wounded veterans in the Dakar Rally.
The holder of an AMA pro road-racing license, Cline decided to start using the veterans in his pit crew in the Harley-Davidson XR1200 series, owned and run by Daytona Motorsports Group, doing business as AMA Pro Racing under long-term contract.
After some test runs in the summer of 2012, Cline launched the nonprofi t in May 2013. Since then, more than 45 veterans have participated in the program, along with a guest or caregiver.
“The key for us now is sustainability,” Cline says. “We are not directly affi liated with any one group. We work with all the veterans’ organizations. But we are completely dependent on contributions.”
Proceeds go to a non-clinical outreach program, provided free to the veterans.
“We can reach out to all the veterans’ groups and fi nd participants, but we need funding to pay for meals, clothing, transportation and other program expenses,“ Cline says.
During 2014, VETMotorsports plans to continue its motorcycle-racing program, adding the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to its calendar.
A pilot program in which a paraplegic soldier participated in a car race proved successful, Cline says, so 2014 also will bring an expansion into auto racing.
“We need to diversify,” he says.
To learn more about VETMotorsports or to become a program participant, visit the website www.vetmotorsports.org.
(L-R) Ohio Department of Veterans Services Director Timothy Gorrell and VETMotorsports Executive Director and founder Peter Cline
James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2013 with
their VETMotorsports crew member
The No. 3 Motolist.com entry with its VETMotorsports crew at Daytona qualifying in 2013
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KTM’s Charlie Mullins adds GnCC opener To win lisT Inaugural Mud Mucker Offers Grueling Conditions
Not far from Daytona Beach and the excitement of Bike Week, the first round of the 13-round AMA-sanctioned AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series, presented by Maxxis, got underway on March 9.
The first running of the Moose Racing Mud Mucker GNCC offered up a challenging introduction to riders, with ample mud throughout the course. After a three-hour battle, factory FMF/KTM rider Charlie Mullins edged out a stacked field of XC1 Pros to capture the first overall win of the 2014 season.
AmPro Yamaha’s Josh Strang grabbed the holeshot, with his teammate Paul Whibley and Rockstar Energy KTM’s Ryan Sipes close behind.
The riders who dominated last year’s GNCC series—Mullins and his FMF/KTM teammate and defending national champion Kailub Russell—were down in a heap in turn one, complete with bent bars and parts sent flying everywhere. XC1 Pro Class contenders Stu Baylor and Andrew Delong were down as well, setting up drama-filled charges through the pack.
Mullins, the 2011 GNCC champion, quickly made his way from nearly last into the lead position by the second lap. From there, he engaged in a heated battle with Whibley that lasted for nearly an hour.
Whibley, who spent much of last year battling injury, was happy to start the year with a solid second-place finish.
A battle for third emerged between Strang and AMSOIL Honda’s Thad DuVall. They battled down to the final field section, with Strang grabbing the final podium position by less than one second.
naTional enduro opener Goes To Charlie Mullins Record Entries Attend South Carolina Event By Shan Moore
Charlie Mullins kicked off the 2014 season in a big way by taking a dominating win at the opening round of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Championship Series in Pelion, S.C., a race that saw a record 721 entrants sign up for the event.
Mullins got off to his usual strong start, winning the first five tests on the tight and sandy South Carolina course, before cooling his jets and cruising home for the win in the final test. In the end, the FMF/KTM rider beat out second-place finisher Jesse Groemm by 1 minute, 34 seconds.
“It feels good to start off the year with a win,” says Mullins, who is looking to claim his second straight—and third career—AMA National Enduro Championship. “I took a pretty hard crash in the first test, but I was able to keep the bike running then get back on the gas fast enough to still win the test.”
In contrast, Groemm, who is riding for Shane Watt’s Maxxis/Klim/Dirtwise KTM Race Team in 2014, got off to a slow start in the 10.5-mile opening test, but came on strong in the end, finishing up with the fastest time in the final test.
“I was tight and felt like I was riding horrible in the first test, but I picked it up after that and had a strong finish, which put me into the runner-up spot,” Groemm says.
Stu Baylor finished third in his first major race since suffering a wrist injury over a year ago. The FMF/KTM rider was sitting in fourth behind Mike Lafferty until the fifth
test when Lafferty, who ultimately finished fifth, missed a marker and lost nearly two minutes trying to get back on course.
AirGroup Racing Husqvarna’s Nick Fahringer finished fourth in South Carolina, despite discovering afterward that he had broken some internal fork components during the race, which he says cost him some time.
Former AMA National Enduro Champion Russell Bobbitt pushed Mullins in the first two tests, finishing just seven seconds behind the defending champ in test one. However, a crash in test three sent the factory Husqvarna rider to the hospital with a serious leg injury.
In the new-for-2014 Rekluse Expert-AA class, which is designed to provide a proving ground for up-and-coming riders, South Carolina’s Zach Hayes took the win, beating out fellow KTM riders Tyler Trammell and Martin Howell. Hayes won two of the six tests and finished 17th overall.
“I was a little tight in the first two tests, but I still rode pretty well,” Hayes says. “I got off to a good start and was fastest in tests one and two, and then I was able to hold on for the win. There were some sketchy areas in the clear-cut section and you had to be careful, but I was able to stay out of trouble and keep it on two wheels.”
For more information about the national series, which includes classes for a range of skill and bike categories, go to www.nationalenduro.com.
RacerTV Offers Online Coverage In addition to coverage on the NBC Sports Network, the 2014 GNCC series includes live online streaming coverage on RacerTV.com. GNCC Live is providing in-depth, live race coverage of every Pro ATV and Pro bike race this season, totaling approximately 65 hours of live racing coverage throughout the season.
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JEFF SUTCH: BACK IN THE GAMEHospital Uses Dirt Rider’s Recovery To Highlight Success
New Jersey’s Jeff Sutch found himself on the other side of the cameras recently when the hospital that handled his two hip-replacement surgeries made him a subject of its advertising campaign.
The “Back in the Game” promotion features several former patients from New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery active again in their pre-surgery pursuits.
Sutch, 45, spent most of his career as an action sports cameraman, handling features on athletes and shooting the fi rst 26 X-Games. He was involved in the creation and launch of MTV Sports and won a 2010 Sports Emmy for HBO’s “24/7 Jimmie Johnson Race to Daytona.”
When shooting competitions or athlete profi les, Sutch often strapped on a camera and hopped on a dirt bike or a snowboard to get the best shots.
“I had to be an athlete myself to do what I did,” he says.
A dirt-bike rider since childhood, Sutch began to feel the strain from his riding and his camera work. Then he was run over by a teen-aged driver.
His hips hurt. His mobility faltered. One of his children started helping him put on his socks every day.
“I have some buddies who work on Wall Street who ride too, and we would go out on our KTM 350s on the weekends to ride,” Sutch says. “I was trying desperately to keep riding.
“My enthusiasm level is very high,” he adds. “I was doing some hare scrambles, but it was too much. So I eventually cut down to doing 15-minute motos. Then that failed me.”
Sutch got serious about his health,
searching for a surgeon he trusted with his future mobility. After interviewing six
doctors, he settled on Dr. David Mayman, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
“With the new prosthetics they have now, I needed to be the Bionic Man,” Sutch says.
The fi rst hip replacement occurred in 2012, the second
in February 2013.The fi rst post-surgery issue: When could he get back on his dirt bike?
“The doctor said he could see how passionate I was about riding. So, he said, ‘Give me 90 days,’ ” Sutch relates. “I said, ‘Doc, I’ll give you 100.’ ”
So, 101 days after his second surgery, Sutch went for an off -road ride on his KTM. That’s when the hospital’s advertising agency approached him about the commercial. Sutch was happy to help.
“I had a world-renowned hospital endorsing me doing tabletop jumps,” he says.
The hospital’s commercial shows Sutch riding on a friend’s 300-acre farm.
“I feel 100 percent now,” Sutch says. “I just had my one-year follow-up with the doctor, and everything is fantastic.”
Nowadays, Sutch is looking forward to more rides with his Wall-Street buddies and his 12-year-old son. He says he might even try to work in an AMA District 6 motocross event.
“Riding is going to be huge for us this year,” he says. “I am itching to get out.”
Jeff Sutch’s camera work can be found at www.sutchworks.com.The hospital’s commercial is at
www.hss.edu.
Jeff SutchJeff Sutch
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RYAN VILLOPOTO WINS HIS FOURTH DAYTONA SUPERCROSS
Blake Baggett Takes 250SX Main EventMonster Energy Kawasaki rider Ryan
Villopoto led all 20 laps of the 450 main event to win his fourth career Daytona Supercross at Daytona International Speedway on March 8.
Villopoto, a native of Seattle, never faced a serious challenge for the lead on his way to a 12.632-second victory. Rounding out the podium were KTM riders Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey.
Villopoto’s race was uneventful—with the exception of putting his bike down with seven laps to go.
“Whenever you have a fall like that, all that’s running through your mind is ‘Don’t stall the bike, and get up as quick as you can and take off ,’” Villopoto says. “Luckily I had a nice lead, and I was able to get up and regroup.”
Villopoto’s victory at Daytona, his fourth in the last fi ve years, keeps him atop the AMA Supercross championship standings with a 28-point lead over Dungey.
Villopoto and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Stanton both have four career AMA Supercross main event wins at Daytona. Ricky Carmichael, also in the Hall of Fame, owns a record fi ve Daytona Supercross wins.
In the 250 main event, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett led 14 of 15 laps on his way to a 16.748-second victory. His teammate and hometown favorite Adam Cianciarulo of nearby Port Orange earned his fourth career podium by fi nishing second. Martin Davalos rounded out the podium.
RACE BY THE RULESLooking For AMA Competition Rulebooks?
AMA-sanctioned events run according to the rules developed and written by AMA Congress, the elected rule-making body that meets annually. Based on the collective wisdom of promoters, clubs, racers, volunteers and AMA staff , the AMA Competition Rulebooks have been in eff ect for 90 years—and they are for the exclusive use of AMA-chartered clubs and promoters running AMA-sanctioned events.
The rulebooks are broken down by discipline, so you can grab just what you need for whatever you race. Visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com/rulebooks to fi nd the 2014 AMA Amateur Competition Rulebook, as well as the following 2014 supplemental rules:
• AMA Enduro National Championship Series
• AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series
• AMA Youth Hare & Hound National Championship Series
• AMA MotoTrials National Championship Series
• AMA Hare Scrambles Championship Series
• AMA Youth Hare Scrambles Championship Series
• AMA ATV Hare Scrambles Championship Series
• AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series
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• AMA Ice Race Grand Championship• AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship
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BOARD ELECTIONS FOR 2015Southeast, South Central Regions
Individual member representatives on the AMA Board of Directors will be elected to serve the Southeast and South Central Regions starting in 2015.
For information about obtaining a candidate application, email AMA Director of Administrative Services Sean Maher at [email protected] or call (614) 856-1900.
The candidate application deadline is Aug. 1.
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TYLER BOWERS SWEEPS OVERALLS IN ALBUQUERQUE ARENACROSS Kawasaki Rider Gets Eighth Win Of Season
After narrowly taking the Arenacross class victory on the fi rst night of Albuquerque’s AMA Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross doubleheader, Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Tyler Bowers made it a sweep with a more convincing eff ort the second day.
Bowers moved into the early lead to start the fi rst 15-lap Arenacross class main event of the second night, with TUF Racing Honda’s Jacob Hayes in second place and Bower’s teammate Zach Ames in third.
Bowers set a torrid pace over the fi rst few laps to establish a multi-second lead on the rest of the fi eld. Behind him, Hayes and Ames engaged in a battle for second with Ames ultimately making the pass on the third lap. From there, the three riders broke away from the fi eld. Bowers fi nished just over two seconds ahead of Ames, with Hayes in third.
In the second main event, Motosport.com’s Michael McDade took advantage and grabbed the early lead, followed by FLY Racing KTM’s Cheyenne Harmon and Woodstock KTM’s Travis Sewell.
Hayes, in sixth, had the best start of the
podium fi nishers from the fi rst main, while Bowers followed in ninth and Ames in 10th. It didn’t take long for Hayes to make his way up front, moving into third place by Lap 3 and the lead on Lap 6.
Meanwhile, Bowers was also on the move, and made it to second on Lap 8. Despite his best eff orts, though, he couldn’t make it around Hayes, who won the second main event.
Bowers’ 1-2 fi nishes were better than Hayes’ 3-1 results, giving him the overall by two points.
For more on AMA Arenacross, and to learn how riders in the series earn points to qualify for an AMA Supercross license, visit www.arenacross.com.
Tyler Bowers
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REV’IT USA CHRONOS GTX JACKETMSRP: $669.99Info: revitusa.com
The Chronos GTX textile jacket from Rev’It USA is a good all-around jacket, but it’s particularly well suited for adventure riders who encounter all types of conditions and can benefi t from comfort and comprehensive protection.
As I took the Chronos GTX out of its box, my fi st impression was of the color—not quite white but something that perfectly straddled the line between silver and light tan. At $669.99, I defi nitely expected the Chronos to deliver luxury-level comfort, and I wasn’t disappointed. The thick Gore-Tex liner is very comfortable, and, at least in this reviewer’s opinion, the style is very fashionable.
My jacket was a large, and I was a bit skeptical of the fi t. I’m 6-foot and 175 pounds. This would typically put me at the right size for a large, but it’s rare that I don’t have to go XL for arm length.
Thankfully, the Rev’It must be made a bit on the large size because they nailed it for me. Arm length was good and it didn’t feel bulky around the chest. However, the jacket was a bit long for my personal preference. One of my pet peeves is when the stomach area curls or bulges when you sit on the bike. With a waist-length jacket like this, the seated stomach bulge is noticeable.
The most surprising element for me was the out-of-the-box placement of the armor. Everything was anatomically correct. The elbows bent easily and the shoulders felt protected.
I live and ride in Northern California, and conditions were perfect with 50 mph winds and heavy rain to test the waterproof claims of the Chronos. The jacket itself was indeed breathable, having large mesh panels and a webbed inner lining. The liner was warm and did not let in the slightest hint of moisture. An especially nice feature was the adjustable neck snap, allowing me to regulate the amount of air intake to the neck and chest area.
Overall, I felt the jacket itself was very
well made, and the placement of the zippers and snaps was ideal. The wrists fi t snugly, and the bendable areas left nothing to chance for protection. The liner was top notch, while the outer shell repelled water as promised and dried quickly.
AMA Member Tested FLY RACING STINGRAYMSRP: $129.95Info: www.fl yracing.com
Fly Racing’s Stingray is designed to be a protective roost guard with a built-in hydration system. I have tried multiple brands of protectors, along with various hydration systems, and I’ve discovered that each was lacking in some area. I was eager to see how the Stingray stacked up.
First off , I found the Stingray to be a high-quality product. However, the initial set up and adjustments were complex. I was glad I had access to mirrors to get the straps positioned properly. That said, while it was a complicated process, within a few minutes of unwrapping the system, I did have a satisfactory fi t.
The shoulder cups are removable and the hydration system can be easily used without the roost guard. The front chest protector plate has buckles to allow removal, and the hydration system can be worn like a backpack. I liked the ability to adjust the upper chest strap closer to or further from my neck, which allowed more clearance for my neck brace. Although each of the straps was very long, the excess could be trimmed if needed.
The Stingray is currently only available in one size, which is not ideal. I am 5-foot, 11 inches and weigh less than 150 pounds. Although this hydration system fi t
By Jason Lisica
Thankfully, the Rev’It must be made a bit on the large size because they nailed it for me. Arm length was good and it didn’t feel bulky around the chest. However, the jacket was a bit long for my personal preference. One of my pet peeves is when the stomach area curls or bulges when you sit on the bike. With a waist-length jacket like this, the seated stomach bulge
The most surprising element for me was the out-of-the-box placement of the armor. Everything was anatomically correct. The elbows bent easily and the shoulders felt
California, and conditions were perfect with 50 mph winds and heavy rain to test the waterproof
breathable, having large mesh panels and a webbed inner lining. The liner was warm and did not let in the slightest hint of moisture. An especially
well made, and the placement of the zippers and snaps was ideal. The wrists fi t snugly, and the bendable areas left nothing to chance
DIRT 3130 AmericanMotorcyclist.com
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me OK, it would probably fi t a larger body size much better. Additionally, it did take slightly longer to fi t, remove, and re-
install than some other brands I have used. That may not be an issue when going out for a trail ride, but could be a problem in a race situation. Fumbling with gear for tools or parts stowed in a pocket during a race is not only stressful, it costs valuable time.
Although the storage bladder in this pack holds 70 ounces, I found that was not enough for a long day, but acceptable for shorter trail rides. At most longer race events, we have some limited free time at the gas stops, and can refi ll our hydration packs during those breaks. A larger fi ller cap would facilitate that, and be a nice upgrade to this unit as well.
Overall, the quality of the Fly Racing Stingray stands out. I appreciate some of the features and the combined roost guard/hydration system design is executed nicely. While it would benefi t from a few minor refi nements, this is a well-made system worth a look.—Kelly Hassman
NO-FEE DAYS AT WAYNE NATIONAL FORESTTrail Ride For Free
The Wayne National Forest, located in Ohio, will off er three recreation fee waiver periods during summer and fall of 2014.
• National Get Outdoors Day, Saturday, June 14• National Public Lands Day, Saturday, Sept. 27• Veterans Day Weekend, Saturday, Nov. 8-11
The Wayne National Forest off ers more than 390 miles of multiple-use trails, which include all-terrain vehicle (ATV), off -highway motorcycle, mountain bike and hiking trails.
With the exception of the above fee-waiver periods, trail permits are required to ride the trails, which are open April 15 through Dec. 15.
In addition to the trail permits, ATVs and off -highway motorcycles operated in the Wayne National Forest must also be registered by the state of Ohio. The fee waiver periods only apply to the user fees charged by the national forest, not the vehicle registration requirement.
For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/wayne.
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PRESS RELATIONS 101Promote Yourself, Promote The Sport
Everyone loves a cool story, and motorcycle racing is the coolest sport in the world. That makes you, as a motorcycle racer, news.
Even better, if you race in an AMA National Championship Series or Grand Championship event, you are competing at the country’s highest level for your discipline. That’s big news!
With a little work, you can get press for yourself, your sponsors and your sport by making it easy for local media outlets—in most cases, the local community newspaper—to cover your races.
Getting ink is just like winning a race—you can’t win if you don’t get to the starting gate. So, while you can never guarantee that you’ll see your name in print, if you don’t make the eff ort, chances are slim that you ever will.
In short, you want to make it as easy as possible for the paper to cover your race. That means giving them photos and a story. The paper probably won’t run your story word-for-word, but your write-up will give them the facts they need to jumpstart their own article.
Here’s what you want to do.
See why we’re miles ahead in customer satisfaction.
At Markel, you’re more than a number on an insurancepolicy. For over 40 years, Markel has focused on providingmore of what you want – fast, fair claims handling andexceptional customer service.
That’s why 40% of our new customers are referrals.
Get a FREE Quote Today!Save up to 35% with our discounts
1-855-461-7844www.markelinsuresfun.com/mcad
MotorcycleinsurAnceinsurance not available in MA and nc. Discounts and coverages are subject to availability
and qualifications. Discounts not available in all states. Insurance provided by MarkelAmerican insurance company and Markel insurance company. ©2014 Markel service inc.
Markel Half Page H.indd 1 1/14/2014 2:53:53 PM
Get ConnectedFind the newspaper’s sports
reporter or editor (or maybe both). Their contact information will be available on a “Contact Us” page of the newspaper’s website. If you don’t fi nd it there, look for it in a recent sports story. If you don’t fi nd it there, call the paper and ask for it. Be polite.
Follow UpThe day after you’ve emailed the story and images, follow up with
a phone call. Ask the reporter or editor whether they received your e-mail, if the photos looked good, ask if they have any questions, and thank them for their time. Do not be pushy or arrogant. They don’t have to cover you or your race, but if you are polite, have a interesting story and make their job easy, chances are they will.
Get BusyWrite a story—called a press
release—about an upcoming race or a recent performance. This may sound like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. Write the release as if you were a reporter. Be sure to add a quote from yourself. As an AMA member, you have the AMA’s permission to use the facts or quotes from past and current AMA press releases to promote your performance in AMA events. Search for them at www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
Just remember to keep to the point. You are not competing with Shakespeare. You are providing facts and a human interest angle.
Provide PhotographyRacing is exciting. A photo
delivers that message quickly.Provide a digital high-
resolution image of yourself in action. In technical terms, this means 300 dpi and a physical size of at least 5x7 inches, which most digital cameras and cellphones can easily produce.
If you don’t have a nice shot and you have competed in past AMA National Championship Series or Grand Championship events, the AMA may have your image in our online member photo gallery at gallery.americanmotorcyclist.com. As an AMA member, you can download and use these images at no charge for this purpose.
If you are submitting a story about a recent race, ideally you will provide a photo from that event, but if that’s not possible, send in a generic riding shot. Sending something is much better than sending nothing.
It’s also a good idea to provide a high-resolution, quality portrait of yourself. If you have sponsors, represent them tastefully.
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Assa
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Amateur racers, such as 2013 AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship Womens class champion Bri Hazen from Dover, Tenn., can get the recognition they deserve by developing a relationship with their hometown newspapers.
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See why we’re miles ahead in customer satisfaction. ahead in customer satisfaction.
At Markel, you’re more than a number on an insurancepolicy. For over 40 years, Markel has focused on providingmore of what you want – fast, fair claims handling andexceptional customer service.
That’s why 40% of our new customers are referrals.
Get a FREE Quote Today!Save up to 35% with our discounts
1-855-461-7844www.markelinsuresfun.com/mcad
MotorcycleinsurAnceinsurance not available in MA and nc. Discounts and coverages are subject to availability
and qualifications. Discounts not available in all states. Insurance provided by MarkelAmerican insurance company and Markel insurance company. ©2014 Markel service inc.
Markel Half Page H.indd 1 1/14/2014 2:53:53 PM
TINY TOTS TEACHES YOUNG RIDERS
Facilitator Dave Troeger reassures a young rider as a crowd gathers to watch
the ride at the Tiny Tots Riding Experience during the Indiana Motorcycle Expo in
February. The program gives youngsters a chance to ride a motorcycle in a safe,
controlled environment.
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A POST-WAR HOT ROD Indian’s Iconic 1947 ChiefFew motorcycles in the world are as
classic or recognizable as an Indian Chief. With its muscular V-twin engine and deeply skirted fenders, the iconic machine has always stood apart from the crowd.
That’s even more the case with this bike, a 1947 model complete with a hot-rod paint job in keeping with its era. Even better, this particular Indian Chief is this year’s AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame raffl e bike, meaning you can enter to win it with a suggested donation of $5 per entry ticket at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.
The Chief started its illustrious model life in 1922, though that early machine was much diff erent than this 1947 model. It featured a 1,000cc motor that was enlarged a year later to 1,200cc (73ci). The sculpted fenders that came to defi ne the Indian look debuted in 1940.
WWII ended production of civilian models, with the factory output reserved for a limited number of military machines. When the war ended in 1946, Indian struggled to quickly return to the production numbers it had enjoyed during the war. The Chief was the only motorcycle off ered in 1946 and 1947, and demand was high.
The 1947 model carried over the ‘46’s hydraulically damped girder fork that came from the military-bike development eff ort. The ’47 also was the fi rst to carry the chrome script “Indian” logo on the tank—previous models sported an Indian-head design. The front-fender light was also reworked to feature a face.
According to the book Indian Motorcycles by Jerry Hatfi eld and Hans Halberstadt, the special
“rainbow” paint job was invented by John Polovik in 1942, and was considered by the Indian factory as a factory option, according to restorer Bob Stark. Ultimately, the multi-layer paint scheme required too much work and expertise, and was never offi cially adopted. This ’47 was restored and painted in the same colors.
The bike is on display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and will be given away at this year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, which will feature Indian Motorcycles new and old as Marque of the Year. For information on a chance to win this bike, visit www.motorcyclemuseum.org/raffl ebike.aspx
For information on AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days 2014, July 11-13 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, see page 36, or visit www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com
“Win this bike! For more information, visit: http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/raffl ebike.aspx
Photos Rainer ZiehmThe AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, features the people and machines that have defi ned the sport, lifestyle and business of motorcycling in America. The Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 non-profi t corporation that receives support from the AMA and from the motorcycling community. For info and directions, visit www.motorcyclemuseum.org, or call (614) 856-2222.
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www.motorcyclemuseum.org/myhalloffame or call 1-800-342-5464 for assistance
$180donation
8”
8”
$20donation
3”
3”
$80donation
6”
6”
Put yourself in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is YOUR hall of fame—we couldn’t exist without the generous support of our donors. Now there’s a new way for you to show that support in a very visible way: My Hall of Fame. The idea is simple: A $20 charitable donation gets you a 3-inch-square space on the wall in the Hall of Fame entrance foyer that hangs during the campaign year. Want a bigger space? A 6-inch square is an $80 donation, and an 8-inch square is a $180 donation. You also get an offi cial certifi cate noting that your picture is on display in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Hang your picture, your kid’s picture, your company logo, almost anything. It’s up to you! Get in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame today!
0214 My Hall of Fame ad half page.indd 1 12/10/13 1:45 PM
Californian Max Bubeck became an icon for winning enduros and setting land-speed records on Indians during a career that spanned over 40 years from the 1930s to the 1970s. After retiring from competition in the late-1970s, Bubeck continued to be active in motorcycling, doing everything from restoring classic Indian motorcycles to sponsoring antique motorcycle meetings.
Bubeck was born in Los Angeles on June 28, 1917. He purchased his fi rst motorcycle—an Indian 101 Scout—from his brother when he was 16. Bubeck learned his off -road riding skills in the mountains north of the growing city. By the middle 1930s, Bubeck had traded in his Indian V-Twin and began riding and racing the company’s four-cylinder model.
In 1937, a friend told Bubeck of an event put on by a local club, called the Greenhorn Enduro. The race was held annually over the mountains to the deserts north of Los Angeles. Bubeck fi nished fourth novice in the ’37 race.
“It turns out that I was lucky to fi nish fourth that fi rst year,” Bubeck recalled. “The top three had to race expert the next year. So I got one more year in the novice ranks!”
The Greenhorn Enduro was temporarily discontinued after the 1939 race due to World War II. After spending the war years working for airplane manufacturer Lockheed, Bubeck picked up where he left off , racing in various off -road events. In 1947, the 130-pound Bubeck won the Greenhorn aboard a 530-pound Indian 4.
“I didn’t know it couldn’t be done, so I did it,” Bubeck said.
Bubeck’s riding expertise wasn’t confi ned to mountain trail riding. In 1948 he rode an Indian “Chout”—a mix of Chief and Scout parts—built with partners Frank
Chase and Pop Schunk, to a record speed of 135.58 mph on the Rosamond Dry Lake. The speed was the fastest time ever recorded by an unstreamlined Indian.
In the late 1940s, Bubeck again went against popular opinion and began racing Indian’s vertical twins, then considered uncompetitive. Bubeck and Ed Kretz teamed up to develop the new bike and fi gured out many ways to make the machine better, which led to the introduction of the Indian Warrior in the
late 1940s.One of
Bubeck’s most popular wins came in 1950 aboard the new Warrior. That year, he won the Cactus Derby, a long-distance desert race and mountain race originating in Riverside, Calif. The race was unique in that it started at midnight. That year, Bubeck’s bike lost its lighting barely an hour into the race. He managed to continue by riding with other riders and using their
lights. Bubeck still won.Bubeck’s last major win came in 1962.
That year, the 44-year-old racer again won the Greenhorn Enduro (on a 1949 Indian Warrior), a full 15 years after he’d last won the race. In all, Bubeck competed in 32 Greenhorn Enduros (from 1937 to 1979) and fi nished the rugged race 24 times.
For years after, Bubeck hopped up Indians, and during the 1970s became a distributor for Hodaka motorcycles. After retiring in the early 1980s, Bubeck continued his love aff air with Indians, restoring old bikes and making cross-country trips on the classic American machines.
When inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, Bubeck still rode every week with a local group, and staged an annual antique motorcycle ride through Death Valley. He died in 2011 at the age of 93.
Hall of Famer
AN INDIAN ‘MOTOCYCLE’ ENDURO ACE Max Bubeck tamed the deserts and the woods from the 1930s to the 1970s
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE: AMA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS MARQUE OF THE YEAR Old And New Indian Machines Will Be Showcased July 11-13
Indian Motorcycle will be celebrated as the 2014 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Marque of the Year, July 11-13, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days featuring Indian Motorcycle as Marque of the Year will include special recognition, displays and race classes for historic Indian-brand motorcycles (including Indian “Motocycles” from the early days), as well as participation from the new Indian Motorcycle.
Attendees at the three-day festival of vintage motorcycling will experience a special Indian Motorcycle-themed tent on the Mid-Ohio infi eld featuring beautiful examples of classic Indian machines, as well as the latest machines from the new Indian Motorcycle. In addition, a full demo fl eet of Indian Motorcycles will be at the event, allowing enthusiasts to get a fi rst-hand feel for the company’s lineup.
“Few of motorcycling’s great brands have as much history as Indian Motocycle, which began in 1901 and helped defi ne the pre-WWII motorcycling era with iconic models like the Indian Scout and Chief,” says AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “With the modern revival of the Indian Motorcycle name being backed by Polaris Industries, we’re excited to celebrate the brand’s iconic motorcycling history, as well as its future.”
Indian Motorcycle Vice President Steve Menneto says the company is looking forward to showcasing its new models to some of motorcycling’s most die-hard enthusiasts.
“It is a real honor to our entire team for Indian Motorcycle to be selected Marque of the year for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days,” Menneto says. “We know that enthusiasts of all brands come to this event, and the chance to not only celebrate where the Indian Motorcycle came from but to display and ride where we are heading is going to make a for a fantastic weekend.”
AMA members can call (800) 262-5646 to purchase a weekend pass to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days for $45, or a one-day pass for $25 through May 27, saving $5 off the regular advance purchase rate. The AMA member discount is in addition to the regular $10 savings on advance ticket purchases, and there is no service charge for AMA members when purchasing through the AMA, making the savings even greater.
DIRTSTREETMAIN 3736 AmericanMotorcyclist.com
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www.motorcyclemuseum.org/myhalloffame or call 1-800-342-5464 for assistance
$180donation
8”
8”
$20donation
3”
3”
$80donation
6”
6”
Put yourself in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is YOUR hall of fame—we couldn’t exist without the generous support of our donors. Now there’s a new way for you to show that support in a very visible way: My Hall of Fame. The idea is simple: A $20 charitable donation gets you a 3-inch-square space on the wall in the Hall of Fame entrance foyer that hangs during the campaign year. Want a bigger space? A 6-inch square is an $80 donation, and an 8-inch square is a $180 donation. You also get an offi cial certifi cate noting that your picture is on display in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Hang your picture, your kid’s picture, your company logo, almost anything. It’s up to you! Get in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame today!
0214 My Hall of Fame ad half page.indd 1 12/10/13 1:45 PM
On Display At The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
“67” By Dale BertWhat it is: An airbrushed image of a
racing motorcycle at speed, one of two paintings on display by the Chino, Calif., artist and motorcyclist
What the artist says: “I have always been told art should evoke emotion. It is much easier to evoke anger or sadness, but serenity is also an emotion. Sometimes in our world today, it is much harder to take the viewer to a place away from their stress, allow them to calm down and relax, to remember a moment when their worries just disappeared. There is simple beauty in most of the things around us. Sometimes you just have to look at it from a different perspective.”
See it: “67” is currently on display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame as part of the exhibit “2 Wheels + Motor: an International Fine Arts Exhibition”
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Perfect Balance:
Trials Offers Thrills, skillsGo Slow To Go Fast By James Holter
Motorcycle competition isn’t always about getting from Point A to Point B the quickest. One of the more popular disciplines that puts a premium on technique vs. speed is trials.
Trials, or “moto-trials” as it's sometimes called to distinguish it from its bicycle equivalent, tests a rider’s ability to navigate a section of trail without putting down his or her feet, stalling the motorcycle or crashing.
Trials bikes are off-highway motorcycles engineered to produce smooth, usable power across a range of engine speeds. They are light and nimble and feature relatively soft, trail-friendly suspension.
Trials enthusiasts ride on trails, in backyards, in fields and over obstacles both natural and man-made. Trials clubs host AMA-sanctioned trials events all over the country. These events provide an organized setting, new riding opportunities and a competitive outlet for an active community of trials competitors.
For new riders, or old riders wanting a new challenge, trials is a great option.
“If you can ride slowly over rocks and roots and things and control your bike, you can ride over those things fast and control your bike,” says Brad Baumert, AMA Life Member, offroad motorcycle enthusiast, trials rider and the U.S. importer for the Spanish trials bike manufacturer Sherco.
Baumert is something of a trials evangelist, championing its benefits for riders of all ages whenever he has the opportunity. He says that trials teaches good riding habits, promotes family, offers a supportive competitive landscape, and is a relatively inexpensive, low-maintenance motorsport.
Skill DeveloPmentBeginning riders often try to go too
fast too soon, skipping over the steps necessary to develop the riding technique that ultimately would allow them to go even faster. Trials places no premium on speed and often penalizes it if riders rush, lose control and have to put a foot down. Instead, it forces you to focus on developing that technique.
“If you can ride a trials bike through sections, you can do any type of motorcycle sport there is,” Baumert says. “[Trials] teaches you the basics: throttle control, clutch control, balance, looking ahead, all the key ingredients to being able to ride on a trail fast.”
The cross-discipline benefits of trials can’t be disputed. Many off-road race stars cut their competitive teeth in trials, including multi-time AMA Endurocross Champion Taddy Blazusiak and former Grand National Cross Country Champion David Knight.
“Having that control over the throttle and not having the
the conleyS:Like many families, the Conleys prefer to spend their time together riding dirt
bikes. Clockwise from lower right: Logan, Lucas, Eryn, Kim,
Gwendalyn and Greg.
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throttle control you is the biggest key,” Baumert says. “Being balanced on your bike, so when you’re in a corner you’re not weighted too much on the inside or the outside is important. If you're balanced perfectly, you can ride much more smoothly through the corners.”
Baumert says that trials also teaches you one of the most important skills of all, regardless of what type of motorcycle you’re riding: “Looking ahead, making sure that you know where you’re going and not staring at your front wheel and just reacting to things.”
The Conleys—Mom Kim Conley, Dad Greg Conley, 11-year-old Gwendalyn, 10-year-old Eryn and 5-year-old twins Lucas and Logan—from Conneaut Lake, Pa., love trials. Kim and Greg say that they saw immediate skill improvement in their
kids when they started the sport.The two girls started at an older age
and had the benefi t of maturity, Kim says. What was most surprising to them was how quickly the younger twins developed. Both Lucas and Logan were able to balance and ride when they got their fi rst bike—an Oset electric trials bike—for their third birthday.
Lucas and Logan started competing the following year.
“I couldn’t believe how they took off and how mature they became,” Kim says. “You could see it. The fi rst year of competing, they needed help. You couldn’t really expect a lot out of them that fi rst year, but at every trial competition, they got better and better.”
At trials events, diff erent classes follow diff erent marked lines through the
sections, based on diffi culty. Greg says that once Lucas and Logan learned how to read the section signs, it became hard for him to keep up as the boys bounded from section to section on their own.
“When they started, they didn’t read their letters,” he says. “Now they pull up, walk the section, get back on the bike and away they go. They move so fast, I can hardly get close enough to take pictures. It’s pretty cool.”
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FAMILY TIMEThe Conleys say that the sport of trials
has provided a number of family-friendly activities for all of them.
Kim Conley sums it up well: “It’s togetherness. It’s all about having fun. There are a lot of sports you can get your
kids involved in, but trials you can actually do together. One day, my husband and kids will all be able to go on the same loop together. It’s just about being able to do something together as a family.”
That, of course, is true about many disciplines, from harescrambles to dirt
track. What makes trials diff erent, Baumert says, is a format that encourages constant communication.
“When you ride a trials together, you’re within speaking distance of each other,” he says. “You’re able to help each other, coach each other through the sections.
“When you ride a trials together, you’re within
speaking distance of each other. You’re able to help
each other, coach each other through the sections.
For a family, it’s the best time you’ll ever have on a
motorcycle because you’re communicating and
helping each other and encouraging
each other.” —BRAD
BAUMERTBrad Baumert
communicating and helping each other
and encouraging
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For a family, for a father and son or mother and daughter, it’s the best time you’ll have on a motorcycle because you’re communicating and helping each other and encouraging each other.”
For Greg Conley, who rode trials when he was younger, it means a lot to experience the same benefi ts with his kids that he enjoyed growing up.
“Trials is something I did with my brother, and my whole family is into it, and every event with the Trials Inc. group [an AMA-chartered promoting club] is like a huge family reunion,” Greg says. “I’m not knocking other sports, but some can get really competitive, and you have to spend a lot of money for just a few minutes of riding time. In trials, you have more time on the bike, more seat time, more time with your friends, and after the awards ceremony, everybody sits around and keeps talking.”
LOW IMPACTThere’s nothing wrong with kicking
up some dirt or railing ruts through a corner, but such riding is best done on designated trails or tracks.
Trials, on the other hand, produces almost no noticeable environmental impact. The slow speeds, lack of intentional wheel spin, low-air-pressure tires, soft knobbies and very quiet exhausts mean not only can you ride without disturbing the soil, but you can have a conversation at the same time.
For the Conleys, who started their kids on electric trials bikes, the sport was even less invasive.
“We have the electric bikes, and Greg has a vintage gasoline-powered bike and a modern gas bike, and they don’t bother anybody,” Kim says.
COMPETITION BASICSLike most AMA-sanctioned
motorcycle competition, trials events welcome riders of all skill levels and on a range of equipment.
“Local events might get 60 to 70 riders, and they’re all diff erent abilities,” Baumert says. “We have our novice class all the way up to what we call our champ class, which is our top class. In that, you’ll have fun as a beginner trying to navigate turns through sections that are mostly fl at ground, and then you’ll advance your way up where you’re in a more advanced or expert class.”
Sections are carefully laid out by experienced trials riders so all competitors are challenged but safe. For example, beginner and kids' loops will focus on throttle control and turning, while expert lines will require riders to ride off -camber corners, rooted banks and large logs or rocks.
“Youth B is the beginners' class, and it's very safe,” Kim says. “Youth A is more challenging, but if they feel that an obstacle is unsafe, they’re not going to add it to the section. The kids also walk the sections. They can see, OK, here’s something I need to avoid. They might hit a rock and fall over, but the next time around they’ll avoid it.”
Baumert says that trials is more accessible than a lot of other disciplines.
One reason is the cost of entry. He says that trials bikes not only remain competitive over time, but their low-revving motors and slower speeds reduce wear and tear.
“You could get a 10-year-old bike for $1,000 to $1,500 and ride it a couple years before you step up," he says. "The bikes are very inexpensive.”
Baumert says that riders from sports where horsepower is key will be pleasantly surprised by trials.
“Everything you know about maintenance in motocross or enduro you can throw out the door,” he says. “These motors don’t rev really high. They’re really a lifetime motor. You won’t ever have to rebuild your motor. You clean the fi lter, oil the chain and that’s about all you have to do maintenance wise.”
Although protection is paramount, the slow speeds reduce the possibility of a serious crash and the lack of roost permits a minimalist approach when it comes to gear, Baumert says.
“You have to protect yourself, of course, with a helmet, some boots and maybe some gloves,” he says. “But other than that, people might ride in blue jeans, or they might ride in the latest trials gear, but it’s all over the board at a local trials. It’s probably one of the easiest-entry motorcycle sports there is.”
To fi nd a trials, search local events at www.americanmotorcyclist.com. For information on the AMA/NATC MotoTrials National Championship Series, see www.mototrials.com.
Special thanks to Bob Wentzel, who provided access to son Quinn Wentzel's Training Facility for the photography in this story.
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COVERAGE DENIEDInsurance Discrimination Threat Hangs Over Motorcycling By Jim Wi� ers
Street motorcyclists and off -highway riders who hoped that the Patient Protection and Aff ordable Care Act would require health-insurance policies to cover treatment for injuries sustained while riding are in for a big disappointment, experts say.
The president’s signature health-care reform legislation, which began rolling out in January, failed to close the gaping loophole in the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that allows employers and insurance companies to exclude “risky activities” from coverage.
Instead, employers and insurers can continue to establish arbitrary standards of behavior and determine health-care coverage based on the source of the injury.
It’s not just motorcyclists and all-terrain vehicle riders who are aff ected.
Other activities typically excluded by health-care plans include hang gliding, skydiving, bungee jumping, parasailing and rock climbing. Also excluded: automobile, aircraft or speed-boat racing; reckless operation of a vehicle or other machinery; “ultimate fi ghting;” use of explosives; and travel to countries with advisory warnings.
While injuries resulting from these activities can result in costly medical bills, motorcycle and ATV riding are arguably everyday activities enjoyed by an estimated 22 million Americans.
All too often, injured motorcyclists and ATV riders don’t realize the limits of their health-care coverage until they are lying in a hospital bed.
Devastating e� ectKent Stuermer of Roseburg, Ore.,
crashed his Honda CR250 in December, breaking his neck and hand and tearing ligaments in his shoulder.
The results: $173,000 in medical bills that his health-care plan won’t cover, and the prospect of those expenses rising to more than $250,000 when all the treatments and rehabilitation are complete.
“That’s more money than I’ve made in my whole life,” Stuermer says.
Stuermer’s C2 vertebra is secured with a screw. He is wearing a neck brace. His arm and hand are in a cast. He can’t work his truck-driving job. And the 56-year-old and his wife are scraping by on her $700-a-month Social Security check and drawing down their savings account.
The Stuermers bought their policy
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directly, because his employer does not provide health-care benefi ts.
“I should be the poster boy for the campaign to get people to read their insurance policies,” Stuermer says. “Most everybody trusts their insurance agent. You look the policy over a little bit, see you have $2 million in coverage, then sign it.”
The exclusion for injuries sustained in dirt bike crashes is on page 22 of Stuermer’s policy.
When he found out in mid-February that his policy would not cover his medical bills, Stuermer called his insurance agent.
The agent reminded him that he had 10 days to read the 50-page policy before signing it.
Stuermer wrote a letter to the insurer, called a lawyer and enlisted the help of a state lawmaker. But no one has been able to help.
“We are just up against a hard wall here,” Stuermer says.
Injured firefighterLt. James Baker, a fi refi ghter in
Sebring, Fla., crashed his motorcycle along U.S. 27 while off -duty in June 2009. He was not wearing a helmet.
The city’s insurance carrier denied his claim for about $86,000 in medical expenses, saying the employees’ policies called for riders to wear helmets, even though Florida law does not require them.
The provision had been added to the policy in 2005 to exclude “activities of a hazardous nature,” but the city failed to inform the aff ected workers.
The city eventually reached a settlement with Baker, who successfully argued that he sustained no head injuries in the crash, so the helmet requirement was irrelevant.
But the result could have been much more dire.
Jumping through hoopsEven if your health insurance policy
covers your motorcycle-related injuries, collecting your benefi ts may take extra time and eff ort.
Pennsylvania AMA member Jeff rey Goelz, a Motorcycle Safety Foundation certifi ed RiderCoach who has been riding for 27 years, was involved in a crash with a car in September.
His 2002 Suzuki GSF Bandit 1200S was totaled.
“I was whisked away in an ambulance, in only my boots, gloves and helmet. Everything else was cut off me in the road,” Goelz says. “The treatment I received was based on the thought I had medical insurance on my motorcycle policy. I didn’t, as my previous insurance covered me for such things, and I didn’t read the fi ne print when we switched providers.”
At a follow-up visit with his primary-care physician, Goelz was told that his employer-provided health insurance plan would not cover his care.
He contacted the insurer and learned that his plan would cover much of the expense, but the health-care providers were required to verify coverage on each and every visit.
“This took days,” Goelz says. “Sometimes appointments had to be moved. But it needed to be done every time, and took far too long to approve.”
Goelz’s lawyer told him that, because Pennsylvania is a “no-fault” state, Goelz couldn’t collect reimbursement from the car-driver’s insurance company.
“I have yet to see a penny for pain and suff ering,” he says. “My FSA (Flexible Spending Account) is almost empty because of the expenses I’ve had to incur because my health insurance would refuse me treatment without a ton of red tape.”
The ordeal aff ected more than just his physical health, Goelz says.
When he got on a training bike in October to teach a motorcycle-safety class, anxiety consumed him.
“Even on a little 250, in a parking lot, demo’ing exercises I could do in my sleep, my heart was pounding, and I would almost hyperventilate,” he says. “I remember one day not being able to do the fi gure 8 in the box, something I had great profi ciency with.”
For about four months, Goelz didn’t get back onto a bike. He sold his other bikes.
By February, he was ready to try again.“I put a deposit on a new (used) bike
(a 2009 Suzuki GSF1250S),” Goelz says. “I would rather be anxious on two wheels and work through these issues than watch spring pass me by like a dog pressed against a window.”
The economicsEmployers and insurers say they must
exclude “risky behavior” from coverage to help contain the rising costs of health care and health-care coverage, several studies show.
But a study by the University of North Carolina’s Highway Safety Research Center shows that the average costs of motorcyclists’ injuries are actually slightly lower than the costs for other accident victims.
High-risk activities rarely enter the discussion about what drives U.S. health-care and insurance costs ever higher.
David Cutler, a health economist who has worked for President Obama on health care issues, told PBS NewsHour that three factors account for most of the high cost of U.S. health care:
• Administrative expenses, which account for about 25 percent of health-care costs;
• Doctors’ pay, drug costs and durable medical equipment prices are much higher here than in other countries; and
• Americans receive more care for the same illness or injuries than people elsewhere.
Meanwhile, a Harvard University study shows that unpaid medical expenses represent the biggest cause of bankruptcy in the United States, representing 62 percent of all personal bankruptcies.
The study also states that 78 percent of those fi ling for bankruptcy because of overwhelming medical expenses had some form of health insurance.
Kent Steurmer had been riding dirt bikes for more than 40 years when a 2013 crash damaged a vertebra. He faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.
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ACA brings no changeKevin Lucia, a research professor
and project director at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute, says no federal standards affect individual or small-group policies and “there is a huge amount of flexibility for large companies” under the ACA and other laws.
His associate, David L. Cusano, says that each state must determine which exemptions are going to be allowed under policies issued within its borders.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners agrees with that assessment.
None of the ACA rating provisions applies to self-insured employer plans, so there would be no effect on the use of motorcycle-rider status to determine employee contribution rates, according to an NAIC spokesperson.
And those plans are not subject to state insurance law, so the question of whether state laws address it is not relevant for them.
Fully insured group plans are subject to state laws, but not to the ACA rating requirements.
Most people in the United States are covered under self-funded employer plans, Lucia says.
History of discriminationThe AMA became involved in the
issue of lifestyle discrimination in the 1990s when members alerted AMA staff that employers were canceling health-insurance coverage for motorcycle riding.
Because of the AMA’s hard work alongside other groups, HIPAA contained a provision prohibiting employers from denying health-care coverage to motorcyclists and others engaged in legal activities when injured.
But the federal agencies that implemented the law subverted the intent of Congress. Their rules forbid the exclusion of motorcyclists and ATV riders from overall coverage under the employer’s plan, but allow lifestyle restrictions in the payment of claims.
Two attempts to close the loophole failed.
In 2005, U.S. Reps. Ted Strickland of Ohio and Michael C. Burgess of Texas
co-sponsored a bill that would protect individuals injured in recreational activities. That bill was not enacted.
In 2007, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine reintroduced the HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical Correction Act, which also faltered.
Cusano says the agencies implementing HIPAA “wanted employers to have flexibility” in determining the scope of their health-insurance coverage.
Recent actionThe AMA sent a letter on Nov. 7 to
Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seeking answers to two questions:
• Will injuries resulting from activities that contribute to active lifestyles, such
as riding a motorcycle or ATV, be covered without qualification under the minimum requirements of all the plans offered in the federal and state exchanges?
• Will the change in minimum requirements under the ACA require all private insurers to include coverage, without qualification, for lifestyle choices such as riding a motorcycle or ATV?
At press time, four months later, Secretary Sebelius had yet to respond.
States slow to actCusano, who served as chief legal
counsel to Coventry Health Care, Inc. on implementation of the ACA, says motorcyclists and others with an active lifestyle must turn to the states for relief.
He says employers or insurance providers submit their plans, including
The best part? You’re automatically entered when you join or renew between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2014.
www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com (800) AMA-JOINNo purchase necessary. For complete rules, terms and conditions visit http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Membership/RenewSweeps_Rules.aspx.
2013 Yamaha Super Ténéré As the proud sponsor of the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré National Adventure Touring Series, Yamaha is awarding one lucky member a new 2013 Super Ténéré! Riders participating in the series will also be automatically entered.
JOIN OR RENEWyour AMA membership in 2014 and you could win! Member #
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AMA_MembershipSweepsBikeAd_03-2014.indd 1 1/21/14 9:04 AM
Jeffrey Goelz, injured in a crash in on his motorcycle in Pennsylvania, found that being insured did not always mean easy access to health care. His insurer required him to obtain advanced approval for each appointment for treatment.
Dunc
an K
enda
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DIRTSTREETMAIN
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4544AM_05_2014_sec08m_CommonFeature.indd 44 3/18/14 3:56 PM
The best part? You’re automatically entered when you join or renew between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2014.
www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com (800) AMA-JOINNo purchase necessary. For complete rules, terms and conditions visit http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Membership/RenewSweeps_Rules.aspx.
2013 Yamaha Super Ténéré As the proud sponsor of the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré National Adventure Touring Series, Yamaha is awarding one lucky member a new 2013 Super Ténéré! Riders participating in the series will also be automatically entered.
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DIRTSTREETMAIN 454544AM_05_2014_sec08m_CommonFeature.indd 45 3/18/14 4:42 PM
Enter for your chance to WIN a
and be KING of the ROAD!1947 CHIEF
Go to www.motorcyclemuseum.org and click “Raffle Bike” for tickets or call (800) 342-5464
Minimum donation of $5 per ticket, or $20 for five tickets, is suggested.
®
exemptions, to the state insurance regulators, and the regulators decide whether the requested exemptions fall in line with state law.
According to a 2010 report from the National Conference of State Legislatures, 29 states and the District of Columbia have statutes that protect employees’ from adverse employment actions based on their off-duty activities.
These statutes provide three different levels of protection:
• Use of tobacco only;• Use of lawful products; and• Any and all lawful activities. Four
states—California, Colorado, New York and North Dakota—offer statutory protection for employees who engage in lawful activities.
But most of those laws protect workers only from being dismissed or disciplined for their “risky behavior” off-duty and away from the employers’ premises.
The statutes do not address exclusion of lifestyle choices from the employer’s health care plan.
Only Colorado specifically prohibits discrimination in health care coverage for participants in “motorcycling; snowmobiling; off-highway vehicle riding; skiing; or snowboarding.” (See Colorado Revised Statutes section 10-3-1104.)
Time for local actionWith no help on the horizon at the
federal level, those who wish to end this type of lifestyle discrimination must focus on convincing their state legislators to adopt state laws and regulations recognizing motorcycling and ATV riding as legitimate activities.
Stuermer has asked his state representative in Oregon to press for a law like Colorado’s that prohibits lifestyle discrimination based on the nature of the injury.
“By the grace of God, somehow we’ll make it,” Stuermer says. “But what if this happened to someone with a wife and two kids? What if this happened to 40 families?”
The AMA encourages other states to use the Colorado law as a starting point for efforts to end this type of discrimination within their jurisdictions.
Ensuring You ArE insurEdLawyers Say Coverage Worth Extra Dollars
The first step to take to ensure that you and your family are adequately protected is to read your current health insurance and vehicle insurance policies and take note of the levels of coverage, the maximum out-of-pocket expenses you could incur and any exclusions.
Then talk to your insurance agent to determine the types and amounts of additional coverage you need.
And the time to do that is now—before you are involved in a crash.
Anthony Castelli, a Cincinnati, Ohio, accident and personal injury attorney and AMA member, says the best type of insurance to buy is uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage.
Liability coverage pays if you injure someone else.
“But what if someone injures you and has very little or no insurance? Where are you going to turn to get compensated?” Castelli says. “That’s where uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance comes in. That’s what you purchase from your insurance company, and it pays you in the event that the person who caused your injury had very little insurance.”
Say the person who caused your injury carried $12,500 in liability insurance.
“Heck, if they put you in the emergency room and you had some significant follow-up, that’s going to eat that up,” Castelli says. “And if you’ve got a real serious injury, you’re going to have much more compensation than you’re entitled to.”
Castelli recommends buying at least $100,000 of uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage.
“It’s not that expensive,” he says.Pennsylvania attorney Edgar Snyder
recommends adding or increasing
uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage and bodily injury liability coverage, as well as taking advantage of “stacking,” if it is available in your state.
Stacking increases your benefits, if all your vehicles are covered under the same insurance policy.
For example, if you have $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence limits on each vehicle, and you have three vehicles on your policy, with stacking you are entitled to coverage in the amount of $300,000 per person and $900,000 per occurrence, Snyder says.
For the other types of coverage, he recommends:
• Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence.
• Bodily injury liability coverage of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. Many states have minimum coverage amounts for this coverage, which is designed to cover any claims against you if you’re found legally responsible for causing a crash.
Snyder advises to check with your agent to find out whether you can add medical coverage to your vehicle policy or whether you need to buy a supplemental health insurance plan.
“Keep in mind that some states may not allow you to have medical benefits on your motorcycle insurance policy, so it’s critical that you have other medical insurance,” Snyder says. “If you don’t and you’re in an accident, your medical bills will add up quickly.”
Carrying that additional coverage eases the stress on you and your family as you ride. And, if you are involved in a crash, it can provide the financial support you need while you are off work, receiving care and recovering.
DIRTSTREETMAIN 4746 AmericanMotorcyclist.com
4746AM_05_2014_sec08m_CommonFeature.indd 46 3/18/14 3:54 PM
Enter for your chance to WIN a
and be KING of the ROAD!1947 CHIEF
Go to www.motorcyclemuseum.org and click “Raffle Bike” for tickets or call (800) 342-5464
Minimum donation of $5 per ticket, or $20 for five tickets, is suggested.
®
DIRTSTREETMAIN 474746AM_05_2014_sec08m_CommonFeature.indd 47 3/18/14 3:54 PM
A few of the hundreds of AMA-sanctioned events this month, detailed on the following pages. GO RIDE
2,43
1
1,52
1
4 Join hundreds of other motorcyclists for a scenic ride through Tennessee and support
a good cause at the same time at the Middle Tennessee Ride For Kids that starts and ends at Jim Warren Park in Franklin, Tenn., May 18. Registration is 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The escorted ride starts at 10 a.m. rain or shine. Info: www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids.
2 You have two chances this month to catch the action of the AMSOIL AMA Grand National Cross Country series. Don’t miss
the exciting racing on May 10-11 in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. and May 24-26 in Morgantown, W.Va. For the full schedule, see page 53.
3 Year after year, the AspenCash Rally—set for May 15-18 this
year—dishes out heaps of camaraderie and good times for street riders. AspenCash is an AMA National Touring Rally held in Ruidoso, N.M. Info: www.motorcyclerally.com.
1 Time to break out your dual-sport bike or adventure-tourer and
run the roads and trails in the AMA Husqvarna National Dual-Sport Series and the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré National Adventure Riding Series. This month, the Husqvarna series features the Hanging Rock 200 in McArthur, Ohio, on May 17-18, while the Yamaha series features the Yosemite Adventure tour in Buck Meadows, Calif., May 3-4; the Hanging Rock 200 in McArthur, Ohio, May 17-18, and the Berkshire Big Adventure in Tolland, Mass. May 17-18. For the full schedules, see page 55.
5 The 2014 AMA Pro Motocross season gets under way with the
Glen Helen National in San Bernardino, Calif., May 24, followed by the Hangtown Motocross Classic on May 31 in Sacramento, Calif. For the full schedule, see page 52.
COMING UPIf you’re a touring rider and haven’t experienced Americade, plan to be in Lake George, N.Y. June 2-7. This AMA National Convention features motorcycle tours, meals, parties and all the fun you can stand. Info: www.tourexpo.com.
Laconia Motorcycle Week is June 14-22 in Laconia, N.H. This weeklong AMA Gypsy Tour is jam-packed with action, motorcycle racing and motorcycling activities. Info: www.laconiamcweek.com.
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A few of the hundreds of AMA-sanctioned events this month, detailed on the following pages. MAY EVENTSALABAMA
RECREATIONAL
ROAD RALLY
MAY 29: BIRMINGHAM: BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION INC.
ARIZONA
COMPETITION
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 18: KINGMAN: CENTRAL ARIZONA TRIALS INC, (602) 840-3640, CENTRALARIZONATRIALS.ORG
ARKANSAS
RECREATIONAL
ROAD RUN
MAY 16: MARBLE FALLS: MOTORCYCLE SPORT TOURING ASSOCIATION, (870) 743-4062
MAY 29: EUREKA SPRINGS: MOTOMARATHON ASSOCIATION, (303) 641-1062, MOTOMARATHON.COM
COMPETITION
MOTOCROSS
MAY 24: SHERWOOD: 2 DAY EVENT, DIRT BIKE MIKE LLC, (501) 282-1864, DIRTBIKEMIKE.COM
CALIFORNIA
RECREATIONAL
ADVENTURE RIDE
MAY 3: BUCK MEADOWS: 2 DAY EVENT, FAMILY OFF-ROAD ADVENTURES, (209) 649-3633, FAMILYOFFROADADVENTURES.COM
ROAD RUN
MAY 14: TORRANCE: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION, (828) 665-6891, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG
ROAD RALLY
MAY 13: RANCHO CUCAMONGA: RUN FOR THE WALL
COMPETITION
CROSS COUNTRY
MAY 25: GRIZZLY FLATS: 2 DAY EVENT, EARTHSCAPE CUSTOM DIRT WORKS, (916) 421-7268
ENDURO
MAY 4: GEORGETOWN: CALIFORNIA ENDURO RIDERS ASSOCIATION, (925) 413-2434, CERA.ORG
MAY 10: OMO RANCH: POLKA DOTS MOTORCYCLE CLUB
EUROPEAN SCRAMBLES
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) RIDGECREST: 2 DAY EVENT, BADGERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (661) 242-2712, BADGERSMC.ORG
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: RANCHO CORDOVA: 2X PROMOTIONS LLC, (740) 297-6686, 2XPROMOTIONS.COM
MAY 10: PALA: 2X PROMOTIONS LLC, (740) 297-6686, 2XPROMOTIONS.COM
MAY 17: SNELLING: 2X PROMOTIONS LLC, (740) 297-6686, 2XPROMOTIONS.COM
MAY 18: SNELLING: 2X PROMOTIONS LLC, (740) 297-
6686, 2XPROMOTIONS.COM
MAY 29: RANCHO CORDOVA: 2 DAY EVENT, DIRT DIGGERS NORTH M.C. INC, (800)-HANGTOWN, HANGTOWNMX.COM
MAY 31: HESPERIA : 2 DAY EVENT, COMPETITIVE EDGE MX PARK, (760) 947-9054, RIDECEMX.COM
SHORT TRACK
MAY 3: LODI: STOCKTON MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (209) 956-1505, STOCKTONMC.ORG
COLORADO
RECREATIONAL
POKER RUN
MAY 18: COLORADO SPRINGS: COLORADO SPRINGS TOURING CLUB, (719) 635-0138
COMPETITION
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: DACONO: IMI MOTORSPORTS INC, (303) 833-4949, IMIMOTORSPORTS.COM
MAY 18: MILLIKEN: TWO RIVERS RACING LLC, (970) 587-5770
MAY 26: BRUSH: CACTUS PROMOTIONS LLC, (970) 768-0519, BRUSHMX.COM
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 4: LAPORTE: ROCKY MOUNTAIN TRIALS ASSN, (719) 395-8505, ROCKYMOUNTAINTRIALS.ORG
MAY 24: CANON CITY: 2 DAY EVENT, ROCKY MOUNTAIN TRIALS ASSN, (719) 564-6476
DELAWARE
COMPETITION
ENDURO
MAY 4: DELAWARE CITY: DELAWARE ENDURO RIDERS, INC., (302) 229-1805, DELAWAREENDURORIDERS. COM
MOTOCROSS
MAY 31: SEAFORD: 2 DAY EVENT, MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION, (443) 359-1089, SPEEDCITI.COM
GEORGIA
COMPETITION
MOTOCROSS
MAY 3: WASHINGTON: AONIA PASS M.X., (706) 678-3737
MAY 4: WASHINGTON: AONIA PASS M.X., (706) 678-3737
IDAHO
RECREATIONAL
ROAD RALLY
MAY 3: BOISE: IDAHO COALITION FOR MOTORCYCLE SAFETY, (208) 941-1689, IDAHOBIKERSRIGHTS.ORG
COMPETITION
REL-ENDURO - ISDE
MAY 31: IDAHO CITY: 2 DAY EVENT, BOISE RIDGE RIDERS, (208) 384-5141, BOISERIDGERIDERS.ORG
ILLINOIS
RECREATIONAL
POKER RUN
MAY 18: BARTONVILLE: PEORIA MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC., (309) 697-4981, PEORIATT.NET
TRAIL RIDE - RECREATIONAL
MAY 18: (Includes ATVs) OTTAWA: VARIETY RIDERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (815) 434-3669, VARIETYRIDERS.COM
COMPETITION
HILLCLIMB
MAY 10: WHITE CITY: CAHOKIA CREEK DIRT RIDERS, (618) 946-4316, CAHOKIACREEKDIRTRIDERS.COM
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) BYRON: MOTOSPORTS ENTERPRISES LTD, (815) 234-2271, MOTOBYRON.COM
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) PECATONICA: PRO SHOW INC, (815) 275-6686, STATELINEMX.COM
MAY 11: MASON: CROSSROADS MX AND OFF-ROAD PARK, LLC, (618) 686-2769, CROSSROADSMX.COM
MAY 11: WALNUT: 4P PROMOTIONS INC, (815) 379-9534, SUNSETRIDGEMX.COM
MAY 16: WOODSTOCK: WOODSTOCK RACING LLC, (815) 337-3511, WOODSTOCKMX.COM
MAY 17: (Includes ATVs) BELLEVILLE: BELLEVILLE ENDURO TEAM INC, (618) 277-3478, BETDIRT.COM
MAY 18: CASEY: LINCOLN TRAIL MOTOSPORTS, (217) 932-2041, LINCOLNTRAILMOTOSPORTS.COM
MAY 24: BYRON: MOTOSPORTS ENTERPRISES LTD, (815) 234-2271, MOTOBYRON.COM
MAY 25: BYRON: MOTOSPORTS ENTERPRISES LTD, (815) 234-2271, MOTOBYRON.COM
MAY 31: PECATONICA: PRO SHOW INC, (815) 275-6686, STATELINEMX.COM
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 17: TILTON: 2 DAY EVENT, TRIALS INC, (502) 515-6514, TRIALSINC.ORG
ROAD RACE
MAY 17: SOUTH BELOIT: AMERICAN SPORTBIKE RACING ASSOCIATION, (817) 246-1127, ASRARACING.COM
TTS
MAY 3: (Includes ATVs) BELLEVILLE: BELLEVILLE ENDURO TEAM INC, (618) 277-3478, BETDIRT.COM
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) ALTON: SPLINTER CREEK DIRT RIDERS INC, (618) 372-4355 SPLINTERCREEK.COM
INDIANA
RECREATIONAL
ROAD RUN
MAY 4: COLUMBIA CITY: OLD FORT MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (260) 489-3707
MAY 26: KOKOMO: MIDNIGHT RIDERS MC, (765) 452-7654
COMPETITION
HILLCLIMB
MAY 18: (Includes ATVs) MIDDLEBURY: GOSHEN IRON HORSEMEN, (574) 825-3399
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) CULVER: PLYMOUTH BLACKHAWKS MC, INC., (574) 259-0103, PLYMOUTHBLACKHAWKSMC.COM
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) AKRON: READS RACING, (574) 893-1649, READSRACING.COM
MAY 25: (Includes ATVs) PIERCETON: READS RACING, (574) 893-1649, READSRACING.COM
IOWA
COMPETITION
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) MONTEZUMA: FV MOTO X, (641) 623-3456, FVMOTOX.COM
MAY 17: (Includes ATVs) CEDAR RAPIDS: CEDAR VALLEY TRAIL RIDERS INC, (319) 775-0893, CVTR.ORG
MAY 17: WINTERSET: 2 DAY EVENT, RIVERSIDE RACEWAY, (515) 266-7545, RIVERSIDERACEWAY.NET
MAY 25: (Includes ATVs) MONTEZUMA: FV MOTO X, (641) 623-3456, FVMOTOX.COM
KANSAS
COMPETITION
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 31: SEDAN: 2 DAY EVENT, ARK VALLEY TRIALS ASSOCIATION (AVTA), AVTATRIALS.COM
LOUISIANA
COMPETITION
ENDURO
MAY 3: CRAVENS: 2 DAY EVENT, LOUISIANA TRAIL RIDERS ASSOCIATION, (225) 444-5502, SERA & TSCEC
MOTOCROSS
MAY 3: KENTWOOD: WILDWOOD MX PARK, (225) 776-2305
MAY 4: KENTWOOD: WILDWOOD MX PARK, (225) 776-2305
MARYLAND
RECREATIONAL
ADVENTURE RIDE
MAY 4: LITTLE ORLEANS:
WESTERN MARYLAND MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION, (443) 695-2793
MASSACHUSETTS
RECREATIONAL
ADVENTURE RIDE
MAY 17: TOLLAND: 2 DAY EVENT, BERKSHIRE TRAIL RIDERS ASSOCIATION, (860) 201-4416, MUDSLINGER.ORG
COMPETITION
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 4: WRENTHAM: KING PHILIP TRAIL RIDERS, (508) 479-5681, KINGPHILIPTRAILRIDERS.COM
MICHIGAN
RECREATIONAL
BIKE BLESSING
MAY 18: BALDWIN: PARA-DICE MC, (616) 893-3542
COMPETITION
1/2 MILE DIRT TRACK
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) LAKE ODESSA: I-96 SPEEDWAY LLC, (616) 642-0555, I96SPEEDWAY.COM
MOTOCROSS
MAY 3: BLOOMINGDALE: DUTCH SPORT PARK, (269) 683-4418, DUTCHSPORTPARKMX.COM
MAY 4: BLOOMINGDALE: DUTCH SPORT PARK, (269) 683-4418, DUTCHSPORTPARKMX.COM
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) CADILLAC: CADILLAC MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (231) 884-3729, CADILLACMC.COM
MAY 10: MILLINGTON: BAJA MX INC, (989) 871-3356, BAJAACRES.COM
MAY 11: MILLINGTON: BAJA MX INC, (989) 871-3356, BAJAACRES.COM
MAY 11: (Includes ATVs) PORTLAND: PORTLAND TRAIL RIDERS, (517) 647-7045, PORTLANDTRAILRIDERS.COM
MAY 17: NEWAYGO: BIG AIR MOTOCROSS, (231) 652-5225, BIGAIRMOTOCROSS.COM
MAY 18: NEWAYGO: BIG AIR MOTOCROSS, (231) 652-5225, BIGAIRMOTOCROSS.COM
MAY 18: MILLINGTON: BULLDOG RIDERS M/C, (810) 241-7741, BULLDOGSMX.COM
MAY 31: BELDING: GRATTAN RACEWAY, (616) 691-7221, GRATTANMX.COM
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OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 4: WHITMORE LAKE: MICHIGAN ONTARIO TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (517) 849-9231, MOTATRIALS.COM
MAY 18: FLUSHING : MICHIGAN ONTARIO TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (248) 583-1437, MOTATRIALS.COM
SHORT TRACK
MAY 17: (Includes ATVs) DEFORD: LUCKY THUMB MOTORCYCLE CLUB, INC., (810) 404-2895, LUCKYTHUMBMOTORCYCLECLUB. COM
TTS
MAY 18: (Includes ATVs) DEFORD: LUCKY THUMB MOTORCYCLE CLUB, INC., (810) 404-2895, LUCKYTHUMBMOTORCYCLECLUB. COM
MINNESOTA
RECREATIONAL
TRAIL RIDE - RECREATIONAL
MAY 17: THEILMAN: 2 DAY EVENT, GOLDEN EAGLES CYCLE CLUB, GOLDENEAGLES.COM
COMPETITION
ENDURO
MAY 31: HUNTERSVILLE: 2 DAY EVENT, RIVER VALLEY ENDURO RIDERS, (612) 247-2039
HILLCLIMB
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) RED WING: INDIANHEAD MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (651) 764-1220, INDIANHEADMC.ORG
MAY 11: (Includes ATVs) RED WING: INDIANHEAD MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (651) 764-1220, INDIANHEADMC.ORG
HARE SCRAMBLES
MAY 4: CAMBRIDGE: NORSEMEN MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (763) 656-3866, NORSEMENMC.ORG
MAY 11: MILLVILLE: HI-WINDERS, (507) 753-2779, SPRINGCREEKMX.COM
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: MILLVILLE: HI-WINDERS, (507) 753-2779, SPRINGCREEKMX.COM
MAY 10: LITTLE FALLS: RM PROMOTIONS, (218) 894-2826, MOTOCITYRACEWAY.COM
MAY 11: LITTLE FALLS: RM PROMOTIONS, (218) 894-2826, MOTOCITYRACEWAY.COM
MAY 18: BROOKSTON: ECHO VALLEY MOTOCROSS PARK, (218) 348-4754, ECHOVALLEYMOTOCROSS.COM
MAY 18: BROOK PARK: BERM BENDERS RACEWAY, (320) 679-2582, BERMBENDERS.COM
MAY 18: KELLOGG: MOTOKAZIE INC, (952) 244-9996, MOTOKAZIE.COM
MAY 25: MILLVILLE: HI-WINDERS, (507) 753-2779, SPRINGCREEKMX.COM
MAY 26: MILLVILLE: HI-WINDERS, (507) 753-2779, SPRINGCREEKMX.COM
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 17: THEILMAN: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (507) 351-8879, UMTA.ORG
MAY 18: THEILMAN: UPPER MIDWEST TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (507) 351-8879, UMTA.ORG
NEVADA
COMPETITION
ARENACROSS
MAY 3: LAS VEGAS: 2 DAY EVENT, FELD MOTOR SPORTS, (800) 216-7482, ARENACROSS.COM
ENDUROCROSS
MAY 2: LAS VEGAS: SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, (888) 234-2334, THEORLEANSARENA.COM
GRAND PRIX
MAY 3: (Includes ATVs) PRIMM: 2 DAY EVENT, SUNLAND SHAMROCKS, (818) 767-4594
HARE & HOUND
MAY 17: LAS VEGAS: SILVER STATE TRAILBLAZERS, (702) 994-6823
HARE SCRAMBLES
MAY 3: (Includes ATVs) PRIMM: 2 DAY EVENT, SUNLAND SHAMROCKS, (818) 767-4594
NEW JERSEY
RECREATIONAL
ROAD RUN
MAY 25: BRIDGEWATER: DAWN PATROL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (908) 722-2664, DAWNPATROLMC.COM
COMPETITION
ROAD RACE
MAY 4: MILLVILLE: AMERICAN SPORTBIKE RACING ASSOCIATION, (817) 246-1127, ASRARACING.COM
NEW MEXICO
RECREATIONAL
DUAL SPORT-OFF ROAD
MAY 30: VADITO: NEW MEXICO OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLE ALLIANCE (NMOHVA), NMOHVA.ORG
COMPETITION
HARE SCRAMBLES
MAY 17: LAS CRUCES: 2 DAY EVENT, AERODYNE PROMOTIONS, LLC/ GAS-IT OFF ROAD RACING, (575) 524-8316, NMDRC.COM
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 4: SAN YSIDRO: NEW MEXICO TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (505) 780-2551, NEWMEXICOTRIALS.COM
NEW YORK
RECREATIONAL
POKER RUN
MAY 4: SLOATSBURG: RAMAPO MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (201) 767-3594
ROAD RUN
MAY 24: MELVILLE: IDONTKNOW MC, (631) 676-5159
TRAIL RIDE - RECREATIONAL
MAY 10: HANCOCK: 2 DAY EVENT, BEAR CREEK SPORTSMEN, (732) 271-1616, BEARCREEKSPORTSMEN.COM
COMPETITION
HARE SCRAMBLES
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs): DREAM RIDERS, (607) 589-6337
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) WALLKILL: WALDEN MX, (845) 895-2537, WALDENMX.COM
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) NEW BERLIN: UNADILLA ENTERPRISES, LLC., (607) 965-8450, UNADILLAMX.COM
MAY 11: (Includes ATVs) NEW BERLIN: UNADILLA ENTERPRISES, LLC., (607) 965-8450, UNADILLAMX.COM
MAY 24: (Includes ATVs) CAROGA LAKE: ROYAL MOUNTAIN SKI AREA, (518) 835-6445, ROYALMOUNTAIN.COM
MAY 25: (Includes ATVs) CAROGA LAKE: ROYAL MOUNTAIN SKI AREA, (518) 835-6445, ROYALMOUNTAIN.COM
SPEEDWAY
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) ACCORD: ACCORD SPEEDWAY INC, (845) 626-3478, ACCORDSPEEDWAY.COM
SHORT TRACK
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) PATTERSONVILLE: ELECTRIC CITY RIDERS, (518) 542-2144, ELECTRICCITYRIDERS.COM
NORTH CAROLINA
RECREATIONAL
ROAD RUN
MAY 4: PITTSBORO: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION, (828) 665-6891, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG
SCHOOLS - ROAD
MAY 19: PISGAH FOREST: 2 DAY EVENT, MOTOMARK1, LLC, (919) 637-0947, MOTOMARK1.COM
COMPETITION
MOTOCROSS
MAY 18: (Includes ATVs) IRON STATION : IRON STATION MOTORSPORTS, INC., (704) 732-8200, ALLANEMOTORSPORTS.COM
OHIO
RECREATIONAL
ADVENTURE RIDE
MAY 17: MCARTHUR: 2 DAY EVENT, BUCKEYE DUAL SPORTERS, (740) 380-3050, KAEPPNERSWOODS.COM
FAMILY ENDURO-OFF ROAD
MAY 17: GREENVILLE: TREATY CITY MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (937) 459-0508, TREATYCITYMC.COM
DUAL SPORT-OFF ROAD
MAY 31: TORONTO: OHIO VALLEY BSA OWNERS CLUB, (724) 945-6018
POKER RUN
MAY 4: PORTSMOUTH: PORTSMOUTH MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (740) 353-0927, PORTSMOUTHMC.NET
MAY 17: DOVER: ABATE OF OHIO, INC., (330) 340-8882, ABATE.COM
MAY 24: GALLOWAY: ABATE OF OHIO, INC., (614) 332-0148, ABATE.COM
ROAD RUN
MAY 17: ARCHBOLD: ABATE OF OHIO, INC., (419) 796-8370, ABATE.COM
TRAIL RIDE - RECREATIONAL
MAY 31: (Includes ATVs) JEFFERSON: 2 DAY EVENT, LAKE COUNTY OFF ROAD, INC., (440) 290-6839, HTTP://LAKECOUNTYOFFROAD.ORG
SWAP MEETS
MAY 31: TORONTO: 2 DAY EVENT, OHIO VALLEY BSA OWNERS CLUB, (724) 945-6018
COMPETITION
ENDURO
MAY 4: NORWICH: OHIO WOODS RIDERS, (614) 204-1438, OHIOWOODSRIDERS.COM
HILLCLIMB
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) WATERFORD:
MAY EVENTS
Apparel Sponsorship By
www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com
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PIONEER MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (740) 678-0082, PIONEERMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM
MAY 11: (Includes ATVs) WATERFORD: PIONEER MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC, (740) 678-0082, PIONEERMOTORCYCLECLUB.COM
HARE SCRAMBLES
MAY 17: ATHENS: 2 DAY EVENT, ACTION SPORTS PROMOTIONS INC., (740) 591-7223, ACTIONSPORTSRACING.COM
MAY 31: CHILLICOTHE: CHILLICOTHE ENDURO RIDERS ASSOCIATION, (740) 649-9026, CHILLICOTHEENDURO.COM
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) SUGAR GROVE: CENTRAL OHIO COMPETITION RIDERS INC., (740) 983-3937, COCR MX
MAY 17: ATHENS: 2 DAY EVENT, ACTION SPORTS PROMOTIONS INC., (740) 591-7223, ACTIONSPORTSRACING.COM
MAY 17: NASHPORT: 2 DAY EVENT, OHIO MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION, (740) 763-0935, BRIARCLIFFMX.COM
MAY 18: DAYTON: DAYTON MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC., (937) 263-9321, DAYTONMC.COM
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 3: TORONTO: 2 DAY EVENT, TRIALS INC, (502) 515-6514, TRIALSINC.ORG
OREGON
RECREATIONAL
POKER RUN
MAY 10: TIGARD: ROSE CITY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (503) 706-3969, ROSE-CITY-MC.ORG
ROAD ENDURO
MAY 10: TIGARD: ROSE CITY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (503) 706-3969, ROSE-CITY-MC.ORG
PENNSYLVANIA
RECREATIONAL
DUAL SPORT RIDE
MAY 18: LAWTON: BACK MOUNTAIN ENDURO RIDERS, (570) 675-1814, BMER.ORG
POKER RUN
MAY 10: WAYNESBURG: PATRIOT’S DREAM RIDING ASSOCIATION, INC., (724) 833-2922
MAY 17: LEBANON: PA MOTOR MAIDS
MAY 17: SKIPPACK: BLUE COMET MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (267) 261-3580, BLUECOMETMC.COM
MAY 18: COLUMBIA: THUNDERBIRD MOTORCYCLE CLUB, INC., (717) 898-0871
MAY 18: KRESGEVILLE: ZINC CITY MC, (570) 992-4214
MAY 26: LEBANON: LEBANON VALLEY MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC., (717) 270-9797
MAY 31: DENVER: CLASSIC HARLEY-DAVIDSON, (610) 916-7777, CLASSICHARLEY.COM
ROAD RUN
MAY EVENTSMAY 3: GLENSIDE: MOTORCYCLISTS FOR JESUS MINISTRIES, PA CHAPTER, (215) 887-2289, RIDERSFORTHESON.COM
MAY 18: SCHUYLKILL HAVEN: SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (570) 385-1460, SCHUYLKILLCOUNTY MOTORCYCLECLUB.COM
MAY 18: LANDISVILLE: KENNETH A NEIDINGER MEMORIAL RIDE, (717) 951-7665, KENNYSMEMORIALRIDE.COM
ROAD RALLY
MAY 15: BIRD IN HAND: RETREADS MOTORCYCLE CLUB- MID ATLANTIC REGION, (856) 241-8979
COMPETITION
1/2 MILE DIRT TRACK
MAY 17: (Includes ATVs) GRATZ: SHIPPENSBURG MC, (717) 796-0294, BAERMOTORSPORTS.COM
ENDURO
MAY 25: HECKSCHERVILLE: READING OFF ROAD RIDERS, (610) 921-3592, RORR.ORG
GRAND PRIX
MAY 4: BETHLEHEM: BUSHKILL VALLEY MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (610) 258-3208, BIKEHILLCLIMB.COM
HARE SCRAMBLES
MAY 3: SKIPPACK: BLUE COMET MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (610) 489-1240, BLUECOMETMC.COM
MOTOCROSS
MAY 17: HANOVER: 2 DAY EVENT, MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION, (717) 698-5635, HAPPYRAMBLERS.ORG
MAY 18: BIRDSBORO: PAGODA MOTORCYCLE CLUB, (610) 582-3717, PAGODAMC.ORG
MAY 25: HANOVER: HAPPY RAMBLERS, (717) 698-5635, HAPPYRAMBLERS.ORG
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 4: SPRING GROVE: WHITE ROSE MC, (717) 229-2621, WHITEROSEMC.ORG
SHORT TRACK
MAY 3: (Includes ATVs) SPRING RUN: PATH VALLEY SPEEDWAY, (717) 368-5902, PATHVALLEY.COM
TTS
MAY 11: PARKESBURG: E PA PISTON POPPERS MC INC, (484) 336-9160
SOUTH CAROLINA
RECREATIONAL
DUAL SPORT RIDE
MAY 18: CHESTER: FAMILY RIDERS, (803) 385-8402, CAROLINADUALSPORTERS.COM
TENNESSEE
RECREATIONAL
ADVENTURE RIDE
MAY 24: WESTPOINT: 2 DAY EVENT, NORTH ALABAMA TRAIL RIDERS ASSN, (256) 810-7229, NATRA-WESTPOINT.NET
ROAD RUN
MAY 18: FRANKLIN: PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION, (828) 665-6891, RIDEFORKIDS.ORG
COMPETITION
CROSS COUNTRY
MAY 10: (Includes ATVs) HURRICANCE MILLS: 2 DAY EVENT, RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, (304) 284-0084, GNCCRACING.COM
TEXAS
RECREATIONAL
ROAD RALLY
MAY 16: BRENHAM: BRITISH MOTORCYCLE OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF HOUSTON, BMOAONLINE.COM
COMPETITION
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: EDGEWOOD: KINGDOM MOTORSPORTS LLC, (214) 939-9321, BUFFALOCREEKMX.COM
MAY 9: FLORESVILLE: RMX EVENTS, LLC DBA: CYCLE RANCH, (855) 571-6686, HTTP://CYCLERANCHMX.COM
UTAH
COMPETITION
HARE & HOUND
MAY 3: (Includes ATVs) LITTLE SAHARA: SAGE RIDERS MC, SAGERIDERS.COM
VIRGINIA
COMPETITION
GRAND PRIX
MAY 4: MARTINSVILLE: VIRGINIA COMPETITION HARE SCRAMBLE SERVICES, (276) 632-5931, VCHSS.ORG
MAY 25: BRISTOL: VIRGINIA COMPETITION HARE SCRAMBLE SERVICES, (276) 669-0981, VCHSS.ORG
MOTOCROSS
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) WYTHEVILLE: VICTORY SPORTS INC, (423) 323-5497, VICTORY-SPORTS.COM
MAY 24: SUTHERLIN: 2 DAY EVENT, BIRCH CREEK PROMOTIONS, LLC, (434) 489-2992, BIRCHCREEKMXPARK.COM
WASHINGTON
COMPETITION
MOTOCROSS
MAY 10: WASHOUGAL: WASHOUGAL MX PARK, LLC, (360) 601-5347, WASHOUGHALMXMPK.COM
WEST VIRGINIA
COMPETITION
CROSS COUNTRY
MAY 24: (Includes ATVs) MASONTOWN: 2 DAY EVENT, RACER PRODUCTIONS INC, (304) 284-0084, GNCCRACING.COM
MOTOCROSS
MAY 10: HEDGESVILLE: MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION, TOMAHAWKMX.COM
MAY 11: HEDGESVILLE: MIDDLE ATLANTIC MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION, (410) 375-1059, MAMAMX.COM
ROAD RACE
MAY 26: SUMMIT POINT: AMERICAN SPORTBIKE RACING ASSOCIATION, (817) 246-1127, ASRARACING.COM
WISCONSIN
COMPETITION
HARE SCRAMBLES
MAY 4: (Includes ATVs) BURNETT: BEAVER CYCLE CLUB, INC., (920) 319-6889, BEAVERCYCLECLUB.COM
MOTOCROSS
MAY 3: TIGERTON: FANTASY MOTO LLC, (920) 419-2863, FANTASYMOTO.COM
MAY 4: TIGERTON: FANTASY MOTO LLC, (920) 419-2863, FANTASYMOTO.COM
MAY 10: ATHELSTANE: PINE RIDGE RACEWAY, LLC, (920) 434-7015, PINERIDGERACEWAY.COM
MAY 11: ATHELSTANE: PINE RIDGE RACEWAY, LLC, (920) 434-7015, PINERIDGERACEWAY.COM
MAY 11: LAKE MILLS: AZTALAN CYCLE CLUB INC, (414) 265-1582, AZTALANMX.COM
MAY 17: (Includes ATVs) BARABOO: CMJ RACEWAY LLC, (608) 220-6853, CMJRACEWAY.COM
MAY 18: (Includes ATVs) MARSHFIELD: MARSHFIELD T&T RIDERS, INC., (715) 384-4555, HTTP://T-N-TRIDERS.COM
MAY 25: ATHELSTANE: PINE RIDGE RACEWAY, LLC, (920) 434-7015, PINERIDGERACEWAY.COM
OBSERVED TRIALS
MAY 10: WAUZEKA: WISCONSIN OBSERVED TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (319) 624-2003, WISCONSINTRIALS.ORG
MAY 11: WAUZEKA: WISCONSIN OBSERVED TRIALS ASSOCIATION, (319) 624-2003, WISCONSINTRIALS.ORG
SHORT TRACK
MAY 17: (Includes ATVs) BURNETT: BEAVER CYCLE CLUB, INC., (920) 319-6889, BEAVERCYCLECLUB.COM
MAY 30: (Includes ATVs) PLYMOUTH: SOUTHEASTERN SHORT TRACKERS, LTD, (262) 339-7430, DAIRYLANDCLASSIC.COM
TTS
MAY 18: (Includes ATVs) BURNETT: BEAVER CYCLE CLUB, INC., (920) 319-6889, BEAVERCYCLECLUB.COM
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HALL OF FAME EXHIBITS AND EVENTS
AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAMEMOTORCYCLEMUSEUM.ORGThe AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Closed: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.Main Hall: AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Recognizing those who have made signifi cant contributions to all aspects of motorcycling.Dirt-Track! All-American Motorcycle Racing: Celebrating the storied history of the dirt oval.2 Wheels + Motor, A Fine Art Exhibition: The spirit, excitement and adventure of motorcycling is expressed through fi ne art.Founder’s Hall: Honoring the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s generous contributors.July 11-13, Lexington, Ohio: AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. Information: www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com.
AMA PRO RACING
AMA PRO FLAT TRACKAMAPRORACING.COMMay 25: Springfi eld, Ill.: Springfi eld MileJune 15: Knoxville, Ia.: Knoxville Half MileJune 28: Lima, Oh.: Lima Half MileJuly 5: Hagerstown, Md.: Hagerstown Half MileJuly 19: Elma, Wa.: Grays Harbor RacewayJuly 26: Sacramento, Calif.: Sacramento MileAug. 2: Castle Rock, Wa.: Castle Rock TTAug. 5: Rapid City, S.D.: Sturgis Half MileAug. 8: Indianapolis, Ind.: Indy MileAug. 17: Peoria, Ill.: Peoria TTAug. 23: New Kent, Va.: Colonia Downs MIleAug. 31: Springfi eld, Ill.: Springfi eld Mile IISept. 28: Santa Rosa, Calif.: Santa Rosa MileOct. 11: Pomona, Calif.: Flat Track Season Finale
AMA PRO HILLCLIMBAMAPRORACING.COMJune 1: Spring Grove, Pa.: White Rose MCJune 8: Freemansburg, Pa.: Bushkill Valley MCJune 18: Canaan, N.H.: Ridge Runner/Laconia Bike WeekJuly 13: West Branch, Mich.: Ogemaw Hills Bike WeekAug. 3: Muskegon, Mich.: Muskegon MC *All Star ChallengeSept. 21: Spring Grove, Pa.: White Rose MCSept. 28: Freemansburg, Pa.: Bushkill Valley MC
Oct. 12: Oregonia, OH: Dayton MC
LUCAS OIL AMA PRO MOTOCROSSPROMOTOCROSS.COMMay 24: San Bernardino, Calif.: Glen Helen NationalMay 31: Sacramento, Calif.: Hangtown Motocross ClassicJune 7: Lakewood, Colo.: Thunder Valley NationalJune 14: Mt. Morris, Pa.: High Point NationalJune 28: Blountville, Tenn.: Tennessee NationalJul. 5: Buchanan, Mich.: RedBud NationalJul. 12: Mechanicsville, Md.: Budds Creek NationalJul. 19: Millville, Minn: Spring Creek NationalJul. 26: Washougal, Wash.: Washougal NationalAug. 9: New Berlin, N.Y.: Unadila NationalAug. 16: Crawfordsville, Ind.: Indiana NationalAug. 23: Tooele, Utah: Utah National
AMA PRO ROAD RACINGAMAPRORACING.COMMay 30: Elkhart Lake, Wis.: Road AmericaJune 21-22: Birmingham, Ala.: Barber Motorsports ParkJuly 19-20: Lexington, Oh.: Mid-Ohio Sports Car CourseSept. 13-14: Millville, N.J.: New Jersey Motorsports Park
MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSSAMASUPERCROSS.COMApr. 5: Houston: Reliant StadiumApr. 12: Seattle: Century Link FieldApr. 26: East Rtherford, N.J.: MetLife StadiumMay 3: Las Vegas: Sam Boyd Stadium
AMA PRO-AM COMPETITIONApril 9-13: San Bernardino, Calif.: Glen Helen Raceway, California Classic; www.2xpromotions.comApril 12-13: Manheim, Pa.: Sleepy Hollow MX Park, AMA Amateur National Area Qualifi er; www.sleepymx.comApril 13: Blountville, Tenn.: Muddy Creek Raceway, Thor United States Mega Series; www.victory-sports.comApril 20: Casey, Ill.: Lincoln Trails Motosports, JM Racing Suspension Spring-Shootout; www.lincolntrailmotosports.comApril 26-27: Livingston, Tenn.: Thunder Valley, AMA Amateur National Area Qualifi er; www.victory-sports.comMay 3-4: Bloomingdale, Mich.: Dutch Sport Park, AMA Amateur National Area Qualifi er; www.dutchsportsparkmx.comMay 4: Wallkill, N.Y.: Walden MX, Walden MX Spring Pro-Am; www.mamamx.com
May 11: Hedgeville, W.Va.: Tomahawk MX, MAMA MX Series; www.mamamx.comMay 11: Walnut, Ill.: Sunset Ridge; www.sunsetridgemx.comMay 10-11: Little Falls, Minn.: MotoCity Raceway, AMA Amateur National Area Qualifi er; www.motocityraceway.comMay 11: Pala, Calif.: Pala Raceway, Road to Mammoth-King of the West Rnd 6; www.2xpromotions.comMay 18: Kellogg, Minn.: Motokazie Motocross; www.motokazie.comMay 24-25: Southwick, Mass.: Moto 338, Motocross League of American; www.motocrossleagueofamerica.comMay 25: Athelstane, Wis.: Pine Ridge Raceway; www.pineridgeraceway.comMay 26: Brush, Colo.: Sweney Cycle Park; www.sweneycyclepark.comMay 29-30: Rancho Cordova, Calif.: Hangtown Motocross, Pro National Amateur Day; www.hangtownmx.comMay 31: Pecatonica, Ill.: Stateline MX; www.statelinemx.comJune 1: Mt. Carroll, Ill.: MC Motopark; www.mcmotopark.comJune 1: Berwick, Pa.: Evansville Motocross Park; www.evansvillemxpark.comJune 8: Nashville, Ill.: Holzhauers MX, Mid-America MX Series; www.thetrackatholzhauers.comJune 28-29: Mammoth Lakes, Calif.: Mammoth Moutain, Monster Energy Mammoth Motocross; www.2xpromotions.comJune 29: Blountville, Tenn: Muddy Creek Raceway, Thor United States Mega Series-Pro National Amateur Day; www.victory-sports.comJuly 6: Cliff ord, Pa.: Hurricane Hills MX; www.hhmotocross.comJuly 6: Altamont, Tenn.: Fast Farms MX; www.midsouthraceproductions.comJuly 6: Buchanan, Mich.: Red Bud Motocross, Pro National Amateur Day; www.redbudmx.comJuly 13: Blountville, Tenn.: Muddy Creek, Thor United States Mega Series; www.victory-sports.comJuly 19-24: Ponca, Okla.: Ponca City MX, Ponca City Amateur Championship (MLA); www.motocrossleagueofamerica.comAug. 10: Crystal Falls, Mich.: Valley Raceway MX; www.valleyracewaymx.comAug. 10: Malvern, Oh.: Malven Motocross, Battle of Ohio; www.omxa.netAug. 24: Nashport, Oh.: Briarclif MX, Battle of Ohio; www.omxa.netAug. 24: Edgewood, Tex.: Buff alo Creek; www.buff alocreekmx.comAug. 24: Millville, Minn.: Spring Creek, Viking Clash; www.springcreekmx.comAug. 30-31: Millington, Mich.: Baja Acres, Baja Brawl; www.bajaacres.comAug. 31: Athelstane, Wis.: Pine
2014 EVENTS
THE ADVENTUREis out there
Get itcome
High Adventure. No Hassle.The best routes, roads and two-track, mapped by local experts. A great challenge with like-minded riders. A full weekend’s activities, with camping, campfires, food and prizes.
For more information visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/Riding.
Sponsored by Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.www.yamaha-motor.com
Apparel Sponsorship by
0414_AMA_Yamaha NARS.indd 1 2/13/14 9:22 AM
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2014 EVENTSRidge Raceway; www.pineridgeraceway.comSept. 7: Seward, Pa.: Pleasure Valley Raceway; www.pvrmx.comSept. 7: Mason, Ill.: Crossroads MX, World of Powersports Crossroads Cup; www.crossroadsmx.comSept. 13-14: Reynolds, Ga.: Silver Dollar MX, Vurb Classic; www.motocrossleagueofamerica.comSept. 21: New Castle, Del.: Blue DIamond MX, Delaware State Championship; ww.bdmxpark.comSept. 21: Tigerton, Wis.: Fantasy Moto, Midwest Mega Series; www.fantasymoto.comSept. 20-21: Garwin, Ia.: Oak Ridge MX, Motocross League of America (MLA); www.motocrossleagueofamerica.comSept. 28: Dalton, Ga.: Lazy River MX, Thor United States Mega Series; www.victory-sports.comOct. 5: Englishtown, N.J.: Raceway Park; www.racewaypark.comOct. 12: Tallassee, Ala.: Monster Mountain MX Park; www.monstermx.comOct. 11-12: Duquoin, Ill.: Indian Hills Motocross, Motocross League of America (MLA); www.motocrossleagueofamerica.comOct. 19: Blountville, Tenn.: Muddy Creek, Thor United States Mega Series; www.victory-sports.comOct. 26: Buckeye, Ariz.: Arizona Cycle Park, Western Pro-Am; www.arizonacyclepark.comNov. 1-2: Pell City, Ala.: Mill Creek MX, Motocross League of America (MLA); www.motocrossleagueofamerica.comNov. 23-26: Gainsville, Fla.: Gatorback Cycle Park, Mini Olympics-Supercross; www.unlimitedsportsmx.comNov. 27-29: Gainsville, Fla.: Gatorback Cycle Park, Mini Olympics-Motocross; www.unlimitedsportsmx.com
Nov. 30: St. George, Utah: St. George MX; www.stgeorgemxw.com
AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
AMSOIL AMA GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIESGNCCRACING.COMApr. 12-13: Union, S.C.: VP Racing Fuels Big BuckApr. 26-27: Springville, Ind.: Dunlop Limestone 100May 10-11: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn’sMay 24-25: Morgantown, W.V.: Rocky Moutain ATV*MC Mountaineer RunJune 7-8: Millfi eld, Oh.: Wiseco John PentonJune 21-22: Snowshoe, W.V.: AMSOIL SnowshoeSept. 6-7: New Berlin, N.Y.: Can-Am UnadillaSept. 20-21: TBA, Pa.: Car-Mate TBAOct. 4-5: St Clairsville, Oh.: ITP Powerline ParkOct. 25-26: Crawfordsville, Ind.: AMSOIL Ironman
GEICO AMA ENDUROCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPENDUROCROSS.COMMay 2: Las Vegas: The Orleans ArenaMay 15: Austin, Texas: Circuit of the AmericasJune 21: Sacramento, Calif.: Sleep Train ArenaAug. 23: Atlanta: Gwinnett CenterOct. 4: Denver, Colo.: National Western ComplexOct. 11: Salt Lake City, Utah: Energy Solutions ArenaOct. 18: Everett, Wash.: Comcast ArenaNov. 15: Boise, Idaho.: Idaho CenterNov. 22: Ontario, Calif.: Citizen Business Bank Arena
KENDA AMA NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIPNATIONALENDURO.COMMay 18: Park Hills, Mo.: Michael Silger, Missouri Mudders; (636) 639-6373, MOMudders.com June 1: Arrington, Va.: Chuck Honeycutt, April Fools Promotions; (757) 375-5665, VCHSS.orgJune 29: Marquette, Mich.: Nick Zambon, UP Sandstormers; (906) 228-7010, UPSandstormers.comJuly 27: Cross Fork, Pa.: Peter Burnett, Brandywine Enduro Riders; (610) 883-7607, BER.usAug. 10: Grand Junction, Colo.: Thomas Jundtoft, Bookcliff Rattlers MC; (970) 250-9942, bookcliff rattlersmc.comAug. 31: Union, S.C.: Duane Wellington, Greenville Enduro Riders; (864) 908-6109, GreenvilleEnduroRiders.comSept. 14: Matthews, Ind.: Doug Spence, Muddobbers; (765) 998-2236, MuddobbersMC.com
AMA EAST HARE SCRAMBLESAMARACING.COMJune 14, Youth Bikes & ATV; June 15, Amateur Bikes & ATV: Berwick, Pa.: Duane Fisher, Evansville MX Park; (570) 759-2841, EvansvilleMXPark.comJuly 13, Youth & Amateur: Battle Creek, Mich.: Byron Kibby, Battle Creek Motorcycle Club; (269) 209-8184, BattleCreekMotorcycleClub.comAug. 16, Youth; Aug. 17, Amateur: Athens, Ohio: Kevin Brown, Athens Motorcycle Club; (740) 590-3490, AthensMotorcycleClub.com Sept. 20, Youth; Sept. 21, Amateur: Bartow, Fla.: Keith Finnerty, Central Florida Trail Riders; (407) 774-9090, CFTRiders.comOct. 4, Youth; Oct. 5, Amateur: Plainview, Ill.: Ron Whipple, WFO Promotions; (309) 314-3343, WFOPromotions.com
AMA SUPERMOTO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIESAMARACING.COMApr. 19-20: Lake Havasu City, Ariz.: SARA ParkMay 30-June 1: Elkhart Lake, Wis.: In conjuction with AMA Pro Racing Road Race ChampionshipJuly 5-6: Denver, Colo.: In conjunction with NASCAR eventJuly 26-27: Salt Lake City, Utah: During Bike Jam at Miller Motorsports ParkSept. 13-14: Sturgis, S.D.: downtown street race
AMA WEST HARE SCRAMBLESAMARACING.COMApr. 12, Youth; Apr. 13, Amateur: Chappie-Shasta OHV Area-Shasta Lake, Calif.: Russel Smith, Redding Dirt Riders; (530) 921-1233, reddingdirtriders.comMay 3, Youth; May 4, Amateur: Primm, Nev.: Ronald Maas, Sunland Shamrocks MC/Big 6 GP; (818) 767-4594, ShamrocksMC.com June 14, Youth & C Amateur; June 15, Pro, A & B Amateur: Elkton, Ore.: Jared Achepohl, ETRA, Inc.; (541) 912-8296, ETRA.netSept. 6, Youth; Sept. 7, Amateur: Anza, Calif.: Justin Shultz, SoCal MC/Big 6 GP; (949) 981-6776, SoCalMC.comOct. 4, Youth; Oct. 5, Amateur: Ridgecrest, Calif.: Chris Cory, Viewfi nders MC/Big 6 GP; (661) 450-8150, Viewfi ndersMC.com
SRT AMA HARE AND HOUNDAMARACING.COMApr. 12, Youth; Apr. 13, Amateur: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Justin Shultz, SOCal MC; (949) 981-6776, SoCalMC.com Apr. 26, Youth; Apr. 27, Amateur: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Gary Alspaugh, Vikings MC; (805) 680-6336, VikingsMC.orgMay 3, Amateur and Youth:
Jerico, Utah: Neil Dansie, Sage Riders; (801) 369-5939, SageRidersMC.comMay 17, Amateur and Youth: Caliente, Nev.: Zack Livreri, Silver State Trailblazers; (702) 994-6823, http://sites.google.com/site/silverstatetrailblazers/Aug. 23, Amateur and Youth: Caliente, Nev.: Zack Livreri, Silver State Trailblazers; (702) 994-6823, http://sites.google.com/site/silverstatetrailblazers/Sept. 20, Youth; Sept. 21, Amateur: Yerington, Nev.: Erek Kudla, Get-Xtr-Eme; (805) 236-5866, Get-Xtr-Eme.comOct. 11, Youth; Oct. 12, Amateur: Lucerne Valley, Calif.: Darren Moen, 100s MC; (714) 863-7170, www.100sMC.org
AIRES AMA/NATC MOTOTRIALSAMARACING.COMMay 24 -25: Texas Creek, Colo.: Rocky Mountain Trials Association; (719) 564-6476, RockyMountainTrials.orgMay 31-June 1: Sedan, Kan.: Ark Valley Trials Assocation; (316) 644-7774, AVTATrials.comJune 21-22: Tremont, Pa.: Tiff any Tobias, Rausch Creek Powersports; (570) 682-4600, RauschCreekRacing.comJune 28-29: Sequatchie, Tenn.: Ashley Jackson, South Eastern Trials Riders Association; (423) 942-8688, TrialsTrainingCenter.com
AMA/NATC EAST YOUTH MOTOTRIALSAMARACING.COMJuly 4-6: Sequatchie, Tenn.: Ashley Jackson, South Eastern Trials Riders Association; (423) 942-8688, TrialsTrainingCenter.com
AMA/NATC WEST YOUTH MOTOTRIALSAMARACING.COMJuly 18-20: Howard, Colo.: Bill Markham, ITS Off road; (719) 942-3372, ITSOff road.com
AMA VINTAGE DIRT TRACK
YOU CAN HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.AMA members do it all—long-distance rides, off -road races,
cruising main street, vintage dirt track... To better serve our broad membership base, American Motorcyclist magazine is now published in two versions. The dirt version includes more off -highway and racing content. The street version includes more articles for road riders.
To switch, call (800) 262-5646, ask for membership services and tell them which version you want.
Want to read both versions? Call the above number to get both delivered to your home for just $10 more a year. Members can read both online at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/magazine for free.
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amaracing.comMay 4: Henry, Ill.: Half Mile; Steve Nace, Steve Nace Racing; (270) 442-7532; www.stevenaceracing.comMay 17: Tar Heel, N.C.: Short Track, Tar Heel Speedway; (910) 258-2272; [email protected] 18: Tar Heel, N.C.: TT, Tar Heel Speedway; (910) 258-2272; richard/[email protected] 20: Harpursville, N.Y.: Short Track; Square Deal Riders; (607) 725-3069; [email protected]; SquareDealRiders.comJune 21: Harpursville, N.Y.: Short Track; Square Deal Riders; (607) 725-3069; [email protected]; SquareDealRiders.comJuly 12: Ashland, Ohio: Half Mile; AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days; Ken Saillant, (800) 262-5646; [email protected]; AmericanMotorcyclist.comAug. 9: Indianapolis, Ind.: Short Track; Mid-America Speedway; (317) 871-4392; [email protected]; MidAmSpeedway.comAug. 29: Springfield, Ill.: Short Track; Illinois State Fairgrounds; Steve Nace, Steve Nace Racing, (270) 442-7532; www.stevenaceracing.comSept. 20: Cuddebackville, N.Y.: Short Track; Tri-Sate M/C Ltd.; (845) 566-4956; TriStateClub.comSept. 21: Cuddebackville, N.Y.: Short Track; Tri-Sate M/C Ltd.; (845) 566-4956; TriStateClub.com
AMA VINTAge MOTOCrOSSamaracing.comMay 18: Athens, Oh.: Action Sports Moto-Park; www.actionsportsracing.com
July 11-13: Lexington, Oh.: AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Mid-Ohio Sports Car CourseAug. 3: Walnut, Ill.: Sunset Ridge Motocross, www.sunsetridgemx.comAug. 24: Casey, Ill.: Lincoln Trail Motorsports, www.lincolntrailmotorsports.comSept. 14: Coldwater, Mich.: Log Road Motocross, www.logroadmx.comOct. 4: greensburg, Ky.: Russell Creek MotocrossOct. 18: Paoli Peaks, Ind.: Mammoth East, www.podium1motoplex.com
AMA ATV HAre SCrAMbLeSamaracing.comJune 14-15: berwick, Pa.: Amateur and Youth, Duane Fisher, Evansville MX Park; (570) 759-2841, evansvillemxpark.comJuly 13: battle Creek, Mich.: Joe Wathen, Battle Creek Motorcycle Club; (269) 729-9691, BattleCreekMotorcycleClub.comAug. 16: Athens, Ohio: Kevin Brown, Athens Motorcycle Club; (740) 590-3490, AthensMotorcycleClub.comSept. 20: bartow, Fla.: Keith Finnerty, Central Florida Trail Riders; (407) 774-9090, CFTRiders.comOct. 4: Plainview, Ill.: Ron Whipple, WFO Promotions; (309) 314-3343, WFOPromotions.com
MTN.DeW ATV MOTOCrOSS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPatvmotocross.comMay 17-18: Mount Morris, Pa.: ATV Stampede, High Point Raceway, High Point MXMay 31-June 1: Walnut, Ill.: ATV Showdown, Sunset Ridge MX, Sunset Ridge National
2014 EvEnts
PENNSYLVANIASEVEN MOUNTAINS
DUAL SPORT & ADV. RIDES
Entry: patraiIriders.orgTWO DAYS- JUNE 21-22
June 14-15: Nashport, Oh.: Ohio National, Briarcliff MXJune 28-29: Millville, Minn.: Spring Creek ATV National, Spring Creek MX Park, Spring CreekJuly 12-13: New berlin, N.Y.: Northeastern ATV National, Unadilla Valley Sports CenterJuly 26-27: buchanan, Mich.: RedBud ATV National, RedBud MXAug. 9-10: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: ATV Dirt Days, Loretta Lynn’s
AMA FeATureD SerIeS
ALL STAr NATIONAL FLAT TrACK SerIeSstEvEnacEracing.comMay 23: Peoria, Ill.: Peoria Speedway, Short TrackMay 24: Springfield, Ill.: Illinois State Fairgrounds, TTJune 21: Ashland, Oh.: Ashland County Fairgrounds, Half MileJuly 4: Frederick, M.D.: Rodney Farris Memorial at the 92nd Annual Barbara Fritchie Classic, Half MileAug. 4: billings, Mont.: Billings Motorsports Park, Half MileAug. 6: Sturgis, S.D.: Mead Co. Fairgrounds, Half MileAug. 15: Lewistown, Ill.: Spoon River Speedway, Short TrackAug. 30: Springfield, Ill.: Illinois State Fairgrounds, Short TrackSept. 20: York, Pa.: York Expo Center Randy Texter Memorial, Half Mile
AMA MrAN NIgHT rACe DeSerT SCrAMbLe SerIeSmranracing.comJune 7: Nelson Hills, Nev.: Wild BunchJune 28: Pabco rd., Nev.: GamblersJuly 12: Jean, Nev.: JackrabbitsJuly 25-26: Searchlight, Nev.: Bushwackers
bIg 6 AMA WeST COAST grAND PrIx SerIeSBig6racing.comMay 3-4: Primm, Nev.: Buffalo Bills Casino, Shamrocks GPSept. 6-7: Anza, Calif.: The Ranch, SoCal GPOct. 4-5: ridgecrest, Calif.: Ridgecrest Fairgrounds, Viewfinders GPNov. 1-2: goran, Calif.: Quail Valley, Prospectors GPDec. 6-7: Pala, Calif.: Pala Raceway, Vikings GP
eAST COAST eNDurO rIDerS eNDurO SerIeSEcEa.orgApr. 13: Port elizabeth, N.J.: greenbrier enduro, Tri-County Sportsmen Motorcycle Club; 1 (888) 274-4469, teamhammer.orgMay 4: Delaware City, Del.: Delaware State enduro, Delaware Enduro Riders; (302) 834-4411, www.delawareenduro
riders.comMay 25: Heckscherville, Pa.: broad Mountain enduro, Reading Off Road Riders; (610) 921-3592, www.rorr.orgJune 1: grier City, Pa.: Shotgun enduro, High Mountain Dirt Riders; (570) 954-7799, hmdr.orgJune 8: Deposit, N.Y.: ridge run enduro, Ridge Riders Motorcycle Club; (973) 919-4780, www.ridgeriders.orgJune 29: blain, Pa.: Foggy Mountain enduro, Susquehanna Off Road Riders; (717) 533-2242, sorrmc.comJuly 13: gillett, Pa.: barbed Wire enduro, Southern Tier Enduro Riders; (607) 382-8534July 27: Cross Fork, Pa.: rattlesnake National enduro, Brandywine Enduro Riders; (610) 368-7332, www.ber.usAug. 10: Three Springs, Pa.: green Marble enduro, Green Marble Enduro Riders; (410) 638-9367, greenmarbleenduroriders.orgAug. 17: berkshire, N.Y.: Speedsville enduro, Ithaca Dirt Riders; (607) 657-8248, www.ithacadirtriders.comAug. 24: Mauricetown, N.J.: beehive enduro, Competition Dirt Riders; (609) 319-7496, competitiondirtriders.orgSept. 7: Shippensburg, Pa.: Michaux enduro, South Penn Enduro Riders; (717) 265-6055, southpennenduroriders.comSept. 21: brandonville, Pa.: Moonshine enduro, Valley Forge Trail Riders; (484) 948-5361, vftr.orgNov. 9: Warren grove, N.J.: Stump Jumper enduro, Motorcycle Compeition Inc.; (609) 575-7820, ride-mci.comNov. 23: New Lisbon, N.J.: Pine Hill enduro, Central Jersey Competition Riders; (732) 558-6475, www.cjcrmc.org
eAST COAST eNDurO rIDerS HAre SCrAMbLeS SerIeSEcEa.orgMay 17-18: MCI Hare Scrambles, Motorcycle Competition Inc., (609) 575-7820June 14-15: gMeW @ rocket Hare Scrambles, Green Marble Enduro Riders; (410) 683-9367June 21-22: reading Hare Scrambles, Reading Off Road Riders; (610) 921-3592Jul. 19-20: Anthracite Hare Scrambles, Valley Forge Trail Riders; (610) 476-3747Aug. 2-3: Shotgun Hare Scrambles, High Mountain Dirt Riders; (570) 954-7799Sept. 13-14: MMC Hare Scrambles, Meteor Motorcycle Club; (856) 889-7300Sept. 27-28: ridge Hare Scrambles, Ridge Riders MC; (973) 919-4780Oct. 4-5: Sahara Sands Hare Scrambles, Pine Barons Enduro Riders; (609) 654-6300
Oct. 25-26: Ormond Farms Hare Scrambles, Competition Dirt Riders; (609) 319-7496Nov. 15-16: Delaware Hare Scrambles, Delaware Enduro Riders; (302) 834-4411
eAST COAST eNDurO rIDerS DuAL SPOrT SerIeSEcEa.orgOct 12: Pine grove, Pa.: Rorr Dual Sport, Reading Off Road Riders; (610) 921-3592, rorr.orgOct. 25-26: Chatsworth, N.J.: Meteor Dual Sport, Meteor Motorcycle Club; (856) 889-7300, www.meteormc.comNov. 1-2: Port elizabeth, N.J.: TCSMC National Dual Sport, Tri-County Sportsmen MC; 1 (888) 274-4469, teamhammer.org
WOMeN’S MOTOCrOSSmxsports.comApr. 13: San bernardino, Calif.: California Classic; (559) 761-0887June 29: Mammoth Lakes, Calif.: Mammoth Mountain; (559) 761-0887Aug. 31: Millington, Mich.: Baja Brawl; (989) 871-3356Oct. 5: englishtown, N.J.: KROC Raceway Park; (732) 446-7800Oct. 19: blountville, Tenn.: Top Gun Showdown; (423) 323-5497Nov. 29: gainesville, Fla.: Winter Olympics; (312) 689-3461
AMA AMATeur CHAMPIONSHIPS
rOCKY MOuNTAIN ATV/MC AMA AMATeur NATIONAL MOTOCrOSS CHAMPIONSHIPmxsports.com
northEast rEgional championshipJune 21-22: Armagh, Pa: Pleasure Valley Raceway (Youth)June 28-29: Mt. Morris, Pa.: High Point (Amateur)
northEast arEa qualifiErApril 12-13: Fredricksburg, Pa.: Sleepy Hollow; 570-419-6555April 19-20: Hedgesville, W.Va.: Tomahawk; 304-582-8185April 26-27: Dillwyn, Va.: Actiontown MX Park; 434-548-6043May 3-4: export, Pa.: Steel City; 304-284-0084May 10-11: New berlin, N.Y.: Unadilla Valley Sports Center; 607-965-8450May 17-18: Winchester, N.H.: Winchester Speed Park; 603-239-6406
southEast rEgional championshipJune 7-8: blountville, Tenn.: Muddy Creek Raceway (Youth)June 14-15: Chatsworth, ga.: Lazy River (Youth)
southEast arEa qualifiErApril 12-13: Henderson, N.C.:
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2014 EVENTSNorth Carolina Motorsports Park; 252-767-6671April 26-27: Tallassee, Ala.: Monster Mountain; 334-318-8475May 3-4: Washington, Ga.: Aonia Pass; 706-678-3737May 24-25: Danville, Va.: Birch Creek Motorsports; 434-548-6043
MID-EAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPMay 31-June 1: Crawfordsville, Ind.: Ironman (Amateur)June 7-8: Buchanan, Mich.: Redbud (Youth)
MID-EAST AREA QUALIFIERApril 12-13: Rossville, Ind.: Wild Cat Creek MX; 765-379-2482 April 26-27: Livingston, Tenn.: Thunder Valley; 423-323-5497May 3-4: Bloomingdale, Mich.: Dutch Sports Park; 269-683-4418May 10-11: Millington, Mich.: Baja Acres; 989-871-3356May 17-18: Nashport, Ohio: Briarcliff MX; 740-763-0935
NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPJune 14-15: Mt. Carroll, Ill.: MC Motopark (Amateur)June 21-22: Walnut, Ill.: Sunset Ridge MX (Youth)
NORTH CENTRAL AREA QUALIFIERApril 26-27: Casey, Ill.: Lincoln Trail Motorsports; 217-932-2041May 3-4: Tigerton, Wis.: Motozone; 920-419-2863May 10-11: Little Falls, Minn.: Little Falls Raceway; 218-894-2826May 17-18: Winterset, Iowa: Riverside Raceway; 515-266-7509May 24-25: Byron, Ill.: Byron Motosports Park; 815-234-2271
SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPJune 14-15: Wortham, Texas: Freestone MX (Youth)June 14-15: Houston, Texas: Three Palms (Amateur)
SOUTH CENTRAL AREA QUALIFIERApril 12-13: Prentiss, Miss.: Golden Pine; 601-506-8669April 26-27: Ponca City, Okla.: Ponca City MX; 205-669-8857May 3-4: Kentwood, La.: Wildwood MX; 225-776-2305May 10-11: Lakewood, Colo.: Thunder Valley MX; 303-697-1003May 17-18: Yantis, Texas: Johnsonville MX Farm; 903-217-7965May 24-25: Little Rock, Ark.: Tony Wynn MX; 501-282-1864
NORTHWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPJune 7-8: Rancho Cordova, Calif.: Prairie City MX (Youth,
Amateur)
NORTHWEST AREA QUALIFIERApril 26-27: Porterville, Calif.: Porterville OHV Park; 740-297-6686May 10: Washougal, Wash.: Washougal; 360-601-5347May 17-18: Turlock, Calif.: Oatfi eld Raceway; 740-297-6686
SOUTHWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPSMay 31-June 1: Hesperia, Calif.: Competitive Edge (Youth, Amateur)
SOUTHWEST AREA QUALIFIERMay 17-18: Turlock, Calif.: Oatfi eld Raceway; 740-297-6686
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 27-Aug. 2: Hurricane Mills, Tenn.: National Championship, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch
AMA DIRT TRACK GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPSTEVENACERACING.COMJune 23-26: Springfi eld, Ill.: Illinois State Fairgrounds
AMA HILLCLIMB GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPVALLEYSPRINGHILLCLIMB.COMAug. 15-17: Bay City, Wis.: Mike Bronk, Valley Springs Motorcycle Club; (715) 594-3726
AMSOIL AMA AMATEUR NATIONAL ARENACROSSARENACROSS.COMMay 3-4: Las Vegas: South Point Arena
KENDA AMA TENNESSEE KNOCKOUT GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPTENNESSEEKNOCKOUTENDURO.COMAug. 17: Sequatchie, Tennessee
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: U.S. ROUNDS/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
FIM ROAD RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND PRIXFIM-LIVE.COMApril 13: Austin, Texas: Circuit of The AmericasAug. 10: Indianapolis: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
FIM ROAD RACING SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPFIM-LIVE.COMJuly 13: Monterey, Calif: Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca
FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONSFIM-LIVE.COMSept. 28: Kegums, Latvia
FIM JUNIOR MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPFIM-LIVE.COMAug. 10: Bastogne, Belgium
FIM INTERNATIONAL SIX DAYS OF ENDUROFIM-LIVE.COMMay 31-June1: Idaho City, Id., West Qualifi er: Peter Reynolds, Boise Ridge Riders; (208) 384-5141, BoiseRidgeIdaho.orgJune 14-15: Wellston, Ohio, East Qualifi er: William Depue Jr., Appalachian Dirt Riders; (740) 384-6379, ADROhio.orgNov. 3-8: 2014 ISDE: San Juan, Argentina
FIM TRIAL DES NATIONSFIM-LIVE.COMSept. 13-14: St. Julia., Andorra
AMA DUAL-SPORT/ADVENTURE SERIES
AMA HUSQVARNA NATIONAL DUAL-SPORT SERIESAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COMApr. 26-27: Brooksville, Fla.: Devil’s Creek DS/ADV Ride, Dixie Dual Sport, Inc, Robert Frey; 727-919-8299; www.dixiedualsport.comMay 17-18: McArthur, Ohio: Hanging Rock 200, Buckeye Dual Sporters, Bill Kaeppner; (740) 380-3050; www.kaeppnerswoods.comJune 7-8: Lock Haven, Pa.: Durty Dabbers Great Adventure, Durty Dabbers, Nils Mantzoros; (570) 726-3343; www.durtydabbers.comJune 7-8: Bixby, Mo.: Show Me 200, Midwest Trail Riders Assoc., Robert Kaufman; (314) 434-5095; www.ridemtra.comJune 7-8: Wabeno, Wis.: Ride For Research, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, John Newton; (920) 350-2030; www.widualsportriders.orgJune 14-15: Odell, Ore.: Black Dog Adventure Ride, NW Tour & Trail, Tom Niemela; (503) 681-8881; www.blackdogdualsport.comJune 21-22: Big Bear City, Calif.: Big Bear Run, Big Bear Trail Riders, Jim Nicholson; (818) 391-3083; www.bigbeartrailriders.comJune 28-29: Fort Rock, Ore.: Fort Rock National Dual Sport, Lobos MC, Billy Toman; (503) 656-5801; www.lobosmc.com/July 19-26: Newberry, Mich.: 30th Annual “Michael R Burlingham Memorial” Six Days of Michigan, Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan, Lewis Shuler; (517) 781-4805; www.cycleconservationclub.orgAug. 2-3: Walden, Colo.: Moose Run Dual Sport Rally, Front
Range Riders, Deborah Nielsen; none; www.frontrangeriders.comAug. 16-17: Tillamook, Ore.: Rat Dog Dual Sport, NW Tour & Trail, Tom Niemela; (503) 681-8881; www.blackdogdualsport.comAug. 29-Sept. 1: Hood River, Ore.: Dual Sport Northwest, Sound Rider!, Tom Mehren; (206) 650-9102; www.soundrider.comSept. 6-7: Golden Pond, Ky.: Land Between the Lakes 200, KT Riders, Jesse Thomas; (270) 522-3703; www.lbl200.comSept. 13-14: Columbus, Ind.: Buff aloe 500 D/S Adventure Ride, Stoney Lonesome MC, Nathan Gaskill; (812) 343-9772; www.stoneylonesomemc.comSept. 13-15: Reno, Nev.: Ride Reno 200, Dust Devils MC, Gary Lambert; (775) 224-0361; www.dustdevilsmc.comSept. 27-28: Buck Meadows, Calif.: Yosemite Dual Sport , Family Off Road Adventures, Lawrence Borgens; (209) 649-3633; www.familyoff roadadventures.comSep 27-28: Wabeno, Wis.: Big Woods 200, Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders, John Newton; (920) 350-2030; www.widualsportriders.orgOct. 11-12: McArthur, Ohio: Baby Burr National Dual Sport, Enduro Riders Association, Steve Barber; (614) 582-7821; www.enduroriders.comOct. 25-26: Tuckerton, N.J.: Meteor Ride in the Pines, Meteor MC, Jeff Fitzpatrick; (609) 654-5015; www.meteormc.comNov. 1-2: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Hammer Run, Tri-County Sportsmen, Eldin Polhaumas; (888) 274-4469 (856) 785-2754; www.teamhammer.orgNov. 8-9: Wickenburg, Ariz.: Howlin’ at the Moon, Arizona Trail Riders, Don Hood; (623) 826-1092; www.arizonatrailriders.orgNov. 28-29: Palmdale, Calif.: LA-Barstow to Vegas, AMA D37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 446-7386; www.district37ama.org
AMA YAMAHA SUPER TÉNÉRÉ NATIONAL ADVENTURE RIDING SERIESAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COMApr. 12-13: Bybee, Tenn.: Slate Creek 500, Appalachian Trail Riders, John Strange; 865-322-0193; www.volunteerriders.comApr. 26-27: Brooksville, Fla.: Devil’s Creek DS/ADV Ride, Dixie Dual Sport, Inc, Robert Frey; 727-919-8299; www.dixiedualsport.comMay 3-4: Buck Meadows, Calif.: Yosemite Adventure Tour, Family
Off Road Adventures, Lawrence Borgens; (209) 649-3633; www.familyoff roadadventures.comMay 17-18: Tolland, Mass.: Berkshire Big Adventure, Berkshire Trail Riders, David Seften; 860-201-4416; www.mudslinger.orgMay 24-25: Westpoint, Tenn.: Factory Creek Adventure Ride, NATRA, John Bowling; 256-810-7229; www.natra-westpoint.netJune 1: Atlanta, N.Y.: Thrills in the Hills, Wayne County MC Club, John Albanese; 315-946-3082; www.waynecountymc.comJune 14-15: Odell, Ore.: Black Dog Adventure Ride, NW Tour & Trail, Tom Niemela; (503) 681-8881; www.blackdogdualsport.comAug. 16-17: Tillamook, Ore.: Rat Dog Dual Sport, NW Tour & Trail, Tom Niemela; (503) 681-8881; www.blackdogdualsport.comSept. 5-9: Buena Vista, Colo.: Continental Divide Adv Tour, Exit Tours, Michael Brown; (719) 207-1189; www.coloradodualsport.comSept. 13-14: Columbus, Ind.: Buff aloe 500 D/S Adventure Ride, Stoney Lonesome MC, Nathan Gaskill; (812) 343-9772; www.stoneylonesomemc.comSept. 13-15: Reno, Nev.: Ride Reno 200, Dust Devils MC, Gary Lambert; (775) 224-0361; www.dustdevilsmc.comSept. 20-21: Logan, Ohio: Nutcracker 200, Buckeye Dual Sporters, Bill Kaeppner; (740) 380-3050; www.kaeppnerswoods.comOct. 25-26: Chatsworth, N.J.: Meteor Ride in the Pines, Meteor MC, Jeff Fitzpatrick; (609) 654-5015; www.meteormc.comNov. 1-2: Port Elizabeth, N.J.: Hammer Run, Tri-County Sportsmen, Eldin Polhaumas; (888) 274-4469 (856) 785-2754; www.teamhammer.orgNov. 8-9: Wickenburg, Ariz.: Howlin’ at the Moon, Arizona Trail Riders, Don Hood; (623) 826-1092; www.arizonatrailriders.orgNov. 14-16: Hammonton, N.J.: Pine Barrens 500, BMW of Manhattan Motorcycles, Jack O’Connor; 732-714-8874; pinebarrens500.org; [email protected]. 28-29: Palmdale, Calif.: LA-Barstow to Vegas, AMA D37 Dual Sport, Paul Flanders; (626) 446-7386; www.district37ama.org
AMA PREMIER TOURING SERIES
AMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM
AMA NATIONAL RALLIESAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COMJuly 11-13: Lexington, Oh.: AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days; AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com
NATIONAL CONVENTIONSAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COMJune 2-7: Lake George, N.Y.: Americade; Americade.com
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Sept. 17-21: Ruidoso, N.M.: Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally; MotorcycleRally.com
NatioNal touRiNg RallieSAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COMMay 15-18: Ruidoso, N.M.: Aspencash Rally; MotorcycleRally.comJune 8-11: Rapid City, S.D.: Star 2014; ridemsta.comJuly 17-24: Snowshoe, W.V.: 2014 Roadrunner Motorcycle Touring & Travel Annual Touring Weekend; http://www.roadrunner.travel/events/touring-weekend/.comaug. 29-Sept. 1: Hood River, ore.: Rally in the Gorge; soundrider.com/rally
NatioNal gypSy touRSAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COMapr. 23-27: laughlin, Nev.: Laughlin River Run; laughlinriverrun.com
June 12-15: austin, tex.: Republic of Texas (R.O.T) RallyJune 14-22: laconia, N.H.: Laconia Motorcycle Week; LaconiaMCWeek.comJune 26-29: Johnstown, penn.: Thunder in the ValleyJuly 28-aug. 3: tulsa, okla.: 37th Annual National Bikers Roundupaug. 4-10: Sturgis, S.D.: Sturgis; SturgisMotorcycleRally.comaug. 28-31: Killington, V.t.: Killington Classic; killington classic.com
aMa SigNatuRe eVeNtSAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM
March of Dimes Bikers For Babies Rides: Nationwide: www.bikersforbabies.orgRides For Kids events: Nationwide: www.rideforkids.org
aMa NatioNal gRaND touRSAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM
Jan. 1-May 24: Big Money Rally Grand Tour: bigmoneyrally.com; [email protected]. 1-oct. 31: Tour of Honor Grand Tour: tourofhonor.com; [email protected]. 1-oct. 31: Team Strange Airheads 30th Anniversary Memory Lane Grand Tour: teamstrange.com/2014/grandtours; [email protected]
aMa NatioNal extReMe gRaND touRSAMERICANMOTORCYCLIST.COM
Feb. 2-Dec. 15: USA Four Corners Grand Tour: Southern California Motorcycle AssociationtBa: SCMA Three Flags Classic Grand Tour: Southern California Motorcycle Association
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2014 EVENTS
No matter what or how you ride, the AMA has a special card for you. Want one? Just let us know by renewing early, or telling us when you renew via our online signup form at
AmericanMotorcyclist.com, or calling (800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646).
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(800) AMA-JOIN® • AMA Dragbike™ • AMA Endurocross® • AMA Pro Grand National Championship™ • AMA Pro Racing® • AMA Race Center™ • AMA Racer® • AMA Racing® • AMA Supermoto® • AMA Supercross® • AMA SX Lites™ • AMA U.S. Drag Racing Championship® • AMA U.S. Flat Track Championship® • AMA U.S. Hillclimb Championship® • AMA U.S. Motocross Championship® • AMA U.S. Supercross Championship® • AMA U.S. Supersport Championship® • ATV Hare Scrambles National Championship Series™ • ATV Motocross National Championship Series™ • Amateur National Motocross Championships™ • American Motorcyclist Association® • Arenacross® • Dirt 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™ • 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®
In this collection of stories, Kirk Swanick tells the story of growing up a gear head behind both the wheels of muscle cars and the handlebars of motorcycles.
In the title story, “A Tale of Two Dusters,” join Kirk and his colorful sidekicks as they navigate the ups and downs of wrenching and wrecking hot rods, going to school, and growing up on the back of a scrambler. Those who grew up in the 1970s culture of muscle cars and motorcycles will relate to the episodes of moto-craziness and find it hard not to grin at the mostly harmless hooliganism of the era.
The second half of this book is full of colorful stories inspired by riding
and wrenching those fun-filled hot rods of the two-wheeled variety. In these stories, Kirk not only relates his experience with the mechanical challenges of motorcycles, but also describes the great rewards granted to those who are lucky enough to ride them.
Distributed to the trade by:
Swanick tells the story of growing up a gear head behind both the wheels of muscle cars and the handlebars of motorcycles.
Dusters,” join Kirk and his colorful sidekicks as they navigate the ups and downs of wrenching and wrecking hot rods, going to school, and growing up on the back of a scrambler. Those who grew up in the 1970s culture of muscle cars and motorcycles will relate to the episodes of moto-craziness and find it hard not to grin at the mostly harmless hooliganism of the era.
The second half of this book is full of colorful stories inspired by riding
and wrenching those fun-filled hot rods of the two-wheeled variety. In
P U B L I C A T I O N Swww.roaddogpub.com
New! from Road Dog Publications
Kindle version from amazon.com • Nook version available from bn.com278 pages, ISBN 978-1-890623-40-1 (paperback), 978-1-890623-41-8 (eBook)
1 -800 -462 -6420
No matter what or how you ride, the AMA has a special card for you. Want one? Just let us know by renewing early, or telling us when you renew via our online signup form at
AmericanMotorcyclist.com, or calling (800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646).
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Sunday BikeS and Monday BikeSIt’s Good To Have OptionsBy Frank L. Palmeri
Not long ago, I was out on my recently restored barn find, a 1973-1/2 BMW R75/5, tooling around the beautiful hills and valleys of upstate New York. On the way home, I pulled into a gas station to top off. After putting my gloves back on, I hit the starter button and nothing happened. The silence was deafening. I checked the key and switches. Everything was fine, but no joy.
This bike has a side-mounted kickstarter, but my technique must be off, because I couldn’t even get that to work. Then I tried pushing and popping the clutch. I got a real good workout, but that didn’t work either. Finally, just for laughs, I hit the starter button again and she fired right up. How about that?
The next day, I had to ride from Albany, N.Y., where I live, to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to take a train into Manhattan for a business meeting. At 4:30 a.m., while it was still dark out, I rolled my 2003 BMW K1200RS out of the garage and into the driveway, hit the button and took off.
Soon, I was on Interstate 87 South slicing and dicing with early morning FedEx and UPS trucks heading down the road at a cruise-controlled 75 mph. When I got to the Metro North train station, I ditched all my riding gear in the cavernous cases on the big K bike, and then joined the swarm of commuters heading into Manhattan via rail.
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2014
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When the meeting was over, I made it back to the train station, put on my riding gear, hit the button and not long after pulled into my driveway. No drama at all.
The R75/5 is what I call a Sunday bike, and the K1200RS is what I call a Monday bike. A Sunday bike is the kind of bike that many riders say has “character.” This usually means it is vintage, most likely with carburetors, points and maybe even a kickstarter.
A Monday bike, like my K1200RS, is usually modern, probably fuel-injected and with computer-controlled ignition—in other words, just push the button and go. In 35 years of riding, I’ve determined it’s the Sunday bikes that make me appreciate the Monday bikes so much, and that there’s a place for both in the garage.
A Sunday bike will almost certainly have a carburetor. While these simple devices have done an admirable job of running all kinds of internal combustion engines for decades, they can have issues. (I vividly remember a carb blowing right off a friend’s bike when his engine backfired.) They can leak, get clogged and have jets fall out from the vibration.
Still, when you’re on a Sunday ride (no business meeting to get to), you might not mind having to fashion a jet needle out of a toothpick on the side of the road. Think about it—what other device can a guy still fix with the multi-tool carried on his belt, get home and then have a great story to tell because of it?
A Monday bike will surely be fuel-injected and computer-controlled. If you’re as old as I am, you will remember having to carry around spare spark plugs, and being careful not to flood the engine when starting. EFI has taken all that voodoo away. Youngsters have no idea what it was like “back in the day.” That’s why, when you really need to be somewhere, you reach for the modern bike. Leave the spare plugs at home. Just push the button and go. Gotta love it.
Now, some say Monday bikes lack the character that Sunday bikes have, but I
have to disagree. I look at it this way: When I get on my K1200RS, I know I can burn two tanks, get three states away, have a cup of coffee, burn another two tanks and return home to watch the football highlights with absolutely no issues. The bike just works, and it works so well that you can spend long, long hours in the saddle just enjoying the ride. That, to me, is character in the same way a Swiss watch has character. Precision and dependability never go out of style.
Where you get character with a Sunday bike is what it does to you as a rider. When I first got my Norton Commando, I knew nothing about working on bikes. Owning that bike forced me to get tools (lots of them) and learn how to use them. When Sunday bikes are running right, there’s nothing better. The problem is there’s just no way something from the ’70s or earlier is ever going to run right for long without vigilant upkeep.
When I had my Commando on the road, I was fanatical about the maintenance. I made many long journeys on that bike, including several trips to the sorely missed and over-the-top Sport Bike Rally in Parry Sound, Ontario. I had some parts fall off along the way, and a cracked header pipe, but only once in maybe 20 years did that bike leave me stranded.
I like to keep at least one Sunday bike and one Monday bike on the road at all times. This way I have multiple ways to enjoy the endlessly fascinating sport of motorcycling. Plus, when a friend comes by and wants to borrow a bike, I can toss him the keys to the Sunday bike and say, “if you can start it, you can ride it.” That’s always fun, especially with something like my BSA Victor, a big kick-start single with a ferocious kick back.
Sunday bikes provide the promise of adventure. Monday bikes just get the job done. If you have room in the garage for both, you are a lucky rider indeed.
Frank Palmeri is an AMA member from Schenectady, N.Y.
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2014
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AMA Members Call (800) 262-5646
before May 27, 2014, to order advance
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101490_i01_AHMO0214Leo BurnettFebruary 18, 2014 12:14 PMGM
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Nate Hudson, Long Beach, member of BA MOTO Club , raises some dust on his 2008 Triumph Bonneville T100®.
WHITE NOISEISDANGEROUS.
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