Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!
14 TESLA AUTOPILOT INVESTIGATED
Data of Tesla Autopilot and other driver-assist systems linked to hundreds of crashes
22 MALCOLM’S MOMENTS
Malcolm Smith talks about compound fractures and body casts
26 COVER STORY: SKIN IN THE GAME
Flat track racers Jared and Nichole Mees take a gamble on race promotion
40 ONE DAY OF MAGIC
Marty Moates’ dramatic win at the 1980 USGP
56 EVENT CALENDAR
AMA-sanctioned rides, races and events
62 AMA GARAGE
Tips, tweaks, fixes and facts: The motorcycle ownership experience, explained
66 LAST PAGE
1970 ATC90: Honda’s three-wheeled wonder
ON THE COVER:
Racing, even at the highest level, is a different animal than promoting races, but pro flat track racers — and husband and wife — Jared and Nichole Mees are making a serious go of it. Their annual Lima Half-Mile is already a success, and now they’re taking on the biggest of them all — the Springfield Mile.
Photo by Gary Yasaki.
EDITORIAL AND COMMUNICATIONS
Mitch Boehm Editorial Director
Todd Westover Creative Director
Joy Burgess Managing Editor
Kali Kotoski Editor-at-Large
Keaton Maisano Associate Editor
Eliza Mertz Digital Content Manager
Chad Fulton Graphic Designer
Alice Sexton Graphic Designer submissions@ama-cycle.org
Michael Kula Business Development Manager (949) 466-7833, mkula@ama-cycle.org
Tiffany Cipoletti Government Relations Manager, On-Highway
Peter Stockus Government Relations Manager, Off-Highway
Erin Reda Grassroots Coordinator
MARKETING AND MEMBER SERVICES
Amanda Donchess Director of Membership Marketing and Services
Lauren Kropf Marketing and Advertising Coordinator
Tiffany Pound Member Services Manager
Joe Bromley Program Development Manager
Pam Albright Member Fulfillment Coordinator
Bob Davis Program Volunteer Specialist
Stephanie McCormick Member Services Representative
Vickie Park Member Services Representative
Charles Moore Member Services Representative
Kelly Anders Member Services Representative
Carol Vaughan Member Fulfillment Representative
Sarah Lockhart Member Services Representative
Taylor Fluck Member Services Representative
Robin Walker Member Services Representative
John Bricker Mailroom Manager
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Shaun Holloway Director of Information Technology
Joey Brown Application Developer
Ed Madden System Support Specialist
Rob Baughman Operations Specialist
American Motorcyclist magazine (ISSN 0277-9358) is published monthly (12 issues) by the American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Copyright by the American Motorcyclist Association/American Motorcyclist 2021. Printed in USA. Subscription rate: Magazine subscription fee of $19.95 covered in membership dues.
Postmaster: Mail form 3579 to 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Periodical postage paid at Pickerington, Ohio, and at additional mailing offices.
It’s late July as I type this, and that means the AMA’s annual Vintage Motorcycle Days event just happened at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. And of course I was there with many of you, as VMD isn’t only the biggest one-weekend event in all of motorcycling, with racing and riding and HOF stuff and the country’s biggest swap meet, it’s also the most fun, with some 40,000 classic bike-crazy motorcyclists celebrating their love of our sport — and its history — literally like there’s no tomorrow for three days (and nights).
You can expect tons of coverage in the next edition of American Motorcyclist, but let’s just say right here and now that VMD 2022 might just have
PERSPECTIVES TIPPING POINTS
BY MITCH BOEHM
other Americans’ standout performances during the 1970s…“Rocket Rex” Staten leading a moto at Carlsbad in 1975, and Pomeroy finally winning one there in 1977 when he bested the likes of five-time World Champion Roger DeCoster and fivetime USGP winner Gerrit Wolsink in moto number one.
The Europeans had dominated motocross during the 1960s and ’70s, but the Americans were coming — and fast. And nothing said that better than Moates’ shocking win at the 1980 USGP at Carlsbad, the subject of our Marty Moates USGP feature story on page 40. Whether you’re an off-road or motocross fan, a street bike or road racing junkie or anyone
The Europeans had dominated motocross during the 1960s and ’70s, but
the Americans were coming — and
fast. And nothing said that better than Moates’ shocking win at the 1980 USGP at Carlsbad.
been the biggest and best ever, the latest variant of COVID-19 notwithstanding. I have attended more than a dozen VMDs and have never seen the place bursting at the seams as Mid-Ohio was this past weekend.
World Champion and AMA Hall of Famer Kevin Schwantz was our guest as Grand Marshal during the weekend, and as he and I golf-carted over to the motocross area one morning for Opening Ceremonies, I spied a guy riding an old Bultaco wearing a Jim Pomeroy jersey. Having already finished this issue’s One Day Of Magic piece on Marty Moates’ dramatic 1980 Carlsbad USGP win, I immediately flashed back on Pomeroy’s epic victory in the 1973 Spanish GP, America’s first-ever overall motocross GP win.
That led, of course, to thoughts of
in between, I encourage everyone to read it, as it chronicles one of the truly epic stories in motorcycling history.
I’d also encourage you to watch The Motocross Files producer Todd Huffman’s amazing documentary on the 1980 USGP (Carlsbad 1980: One Day Of Magic, available on Amazon), which brings Moates’ accomplishment to life with actual ABC Wide World of Sports footage and sound, and handfuls of superb interviews with the players of the day, including DeCoster, Lackey, LaPorte, Wolsink, Bob Hannah, the late promoter Gavin Trippe, and many more.
Huffman grew up a BMX kid in San Diego but soon got sucked into the motocross scene, and once in the documentary business wanted to do something big on the USGP. “Carls-
bad was always a big deal to us kids,” he told me recently, “and when Moates won, well, that was huge.”
Some fun facts about the documentary’s production: One, when Huffman asked ABC/Disney about using the excellent Wide World of Sports telecast footage, they had no clue what he was talking about or where it was, finally finding the master tapes buried somewhere after a long search. Huffman paid $20,000 for the rights to the footage, and it shows, the video from hand-helds and helicopters — along with Jim Lampley’s excellent play-by-play — giving the film an amazingly visceral ‘you are there’ feel.
Another was the crazy interview schedule in Europe for guys like Wolsink and world champs such as the late Joel Robert and Andre Malherbe, racers Huffman interviewed at the same time for his The Motocross Files mini documentaries. “One day we did Joel in the morning,” Huffman told me, “stopped at Andre’s for an interview and lunch, and then finished up with Gerrit at his house. What a day!” Indeed. World Champions Brad Lackey (500cc, 1982) and Danny LaPorte (250cc, 1982) put exclamation points on the Pomeroy/Staten/Moates trend, and our MX des Nations boys in 1981 (LaPorte, Johnny O’Mara, Chuck Sun and Donnie Hansen) and ’82 (David Bailey, O’Mara, Jim Gibson and Danny “Magoo” Chandler, with Chandler winning all four des Nations motos that year) stamped those tipping points bright red.
But Moates’ win was a bedrock piece of America’s rise. Enjoy!
Mitch Boehm is the editorial director of the AMA
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PTA MEET AND GREET
2022 MEMBER
MONTHLY DRAWINGS
• Liberty Sport Eyewear
• Nelson Rigg Choice: Cover, Luggage
• Mimi & Moto Children’s Books
• Motion Pro: Pro Fill Airchuck
• Warm & Safe 12V USB Adapter
• Bohn Armor Skull Cap
• AMA T-Shirt
QUARTERLY DRAWINGS
• Bohn Armor Pant & Shirt Set
• Motool Slacker & Street Kit
Members who join or renew their AMA membership from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022 are automatically entered to win one of these awesome motorcycling prizes!
SWEEPSTAKES
BACKFIRES
HEY, MA! I WON!
I’m 60 now, but back in 1973 or ’74 I entered a drawing at the Broadway department store while shopping for school clothes with my mom…and I won! The grand prize was a 1973 Husqvarna SC125 and four tickets to the Carlsbad GP that year, and my dad drove me and three of my friends down to Carlsbad to watch the races. Attached is a picture of the note I had written to my mom on a note pad telling her to
call my sister and where I was and that I had won the drawing. The note makes me smile to this day. I had a 1973 XR75 and was beyond stoked to have a brand-new Husky 125. I hadn’t ridden many two strokes at that point; I think when I was 11 or 12 I had ridden a friend’s Hodaka a couple of times. Anyway, I rode that Husky for three or four years, and it was really sweet! It was an SC model, with three close and three wide, and it worked great on long tracks. I wanted to share my story of good fortune with all the fans of the Carlsbad USGP. I went to a few races there when I got my driver’s license, and what a great time of my life that period was! Thanks so much for listening and for letting me share my memory.
Dan Hall
ANGELLE AND DRAG
When I joined the AMA many years ago, my goal was to support an organization that fought for my rights as a biker, and that’s still my sole motivation for membership. I’m a Harley guy; the metric bikes and off-road racing stuff are of little interest to me. One thing that’s always been a pet peeve of mine is how the AMA seems to ignore drag racing. It’s like the staff is unaware it exists. So imagine my surprise and joy when seeing Angelle Sampey on the July cover! Bravo! I became an instant lifelong fan of hers when I was at Reading, Penn., in ’96 when she won her first national event. Prior to that I had little interest in Pro Stock Bike; it was all Suzukis, not a Harley in sight. Angelle made me take an interest, and I followed her career until she retired the first time. By then, Harleys were well represented, so I continued following the class despite my favorite rider being on the sidelines. I’m glad she’s returned to the sport. She may be the biggest reason there are so many women in the class now, which is a win for everybody. I only wish she was still riding a Harley, but that’s just me! Thank you for a great article. Perhaps we’ll see more coverage of motorcycle drag racing in the future.
Mike Peters Charlton, Mass.
Glad you enjoyed it, Mike. And I would say this about story choice and what we cover in American Motorcyclist Boiled down, our goal is to feature really good stories and storytelling in our pages…not specifically the type of riding involved, be it motocross, road riding, ice racing, trials, whatever. (They’re all great; they all rank!) We tend to focus not so much on the type of riding but the people doing the riding, the human stories that happen on and around motorcycles. Our hope is that our younger members riding
LETTER OF THE MONTH
A FAMILY AFFAIR
m just halfway through the July issue, and it strikes me that the mainstream media never covers stories like the one about the Tsakanikas family. These are the real stories of how motorcycling is a family-’n’-friends thing, and how families can come together and learn about practice, patience, developing skills and learning from each other. All we get in the regular media are gangs on ATVs and dirt bikes terrorizing city streets, or the evening news documenting the grisly death of a motorcyclist on a local highway. Those unfortunate stories do happen, but there are many more stories of families and friends having fun safely, organized rides raising money for charities, and touring riders acting responsibly while spending money in the local economy. So cheers to writer Keaton Maisano and the AMA for the story, and cheers to the Tsakanikas family, and all the other motorcyclists enjoying our sport together.
Ron Santos W. Warwick, R.I
Letters to the editor are the opinions of the AMA members who write them. Inclusion here does not imply they reflect the positions of the AMA, its staff or board. Agree? Disagree? Let us know. Send letters to submissions@ama-cycle.org or mail to American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity.
dirt bikes will enjoy the retrospective pieces we do a lot of, and that we grey-haired oldsters will enjoy stories about the new generation growing up with motorcycling as we all did back in the 1960s and ’70s. Thank you for the kind words on Joy Burgess’ Angelle piece.
—Ed
COVER ME
I agree one hundred percent with Mitch Boehm’s strategy in the July issue of covering the front brake lever, especially when riding on the street. It is a technique I used for close to 40 years. But Mitch leaves the impression that beginning rider classes do not teach covering the front lever and actively discourage this practice. I taught classes for 33 years and every one included this technique. It was not introduced until the second half of the class, when discussing strategies for the street. By this point the students had seven hours of studying and applying the basic skills of starting, turning, shifting and braking. In the second half, reducing reaction time
by placing fingers on the front brake lever was taught and encouraged in both the classroom and range. Its application was highlighted in several “what if” scenarios discussed in the classroom. In fact, it was even included as a question in the written test. Note: this was not an MSF course, so I can’t speak for their curriculum. The bottom line is, it is a great technique that can give you precious time and space to stay out of trouble.
Dustin Kassman Corvallis, Ore.
Reading Mitch Boehm’s “Cover Me!” piece in the July issue made me want to throw the magazine across the room. In years past, once someone was certified by an MSF RiderCoach Trainer to teach the Basic RiderCourse (BRC), that person was also certified to teach the Experienced RiderCourse by default. However, that hasn’t been the case for a number of years. There is now an additional certification needed to teach anything beyond the BRC. In the BRC it is definitely
true that RiderCoaches are going to encourage students to use all four fingers on the brake lever. As Mitch points out, it is often the best way to teach absolute novices when they are first learning. But MSF recognizes that what we teach novice students is not the end-all, be-all of riding; which is why there are so many intermediate and advanced course options available, many of which actually encourage covering the brake lever to reduce reaction time and to enable techniques like trail braking in addition to more advanced riding techniques that are simply beyond the skill level of a novice rider…and would seem to some students to contradict what is taught in a BRC.
Dave Wendell
All this cover-the-brake discussion can only be a good thing, and it is good to hear that rider coaches from all around the country and from many different organizations are thinking about ways they can help riders ride more safely.
TBACK IN THE DAY
Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!
his isn’t actually me. The rider is Otto Bernhard, a lifelong family friend. The year was 1952 and I was still “swimming in the sea,” as they say. But all through my childhood a black Beemer in the driveway meant Otto was over to visit. He bought a new bike every three to four years, always BMWs, and rode year around if the streets were plowed and dry. I can’t say how many times I burnt myself on those darn cylinder heads but they did save me twice when I tipped it over. I just couldn’t stay off. My first ride was with Otto. My first solo was on one of his bikes. And when he had to hang it up at 85, his last boxer became my first.
I ride a BMW K1600 GT now and Otto, at 97, always asks about it. I would so love to give him one last ride but physically it’s just not an option. I felt compelled to send this photo because it was this man and his bike that infected me with the motorcycling bug that I’ve had ever since. Thanks Otto.
—William Schafer
Go Otto, go! —Ed.
Me on my first bike — a 1966 Sears 106SS — at my parents’ house in 1967 between my freshman and sophomore years in college, and me in the same location 41 years later on my ’07 H-D FLSTSC.
—Scott Davison
Here’s a shot of me aboard my Husky 250WR getting ready to start the 1975 Kaw Valley National Enduro…wishing I had owned a Vern Street Products Enduro Clock III!
—David Hill
This is my first bike back in 1970, a Honda CA110. 50cc of pure power! Now 50-plus years later I just achieved AMA Charter Life membership to go with 37 years in the AMCA and ABATE Life membership with 30-plus years.
—Louie
Hale
This is me at 17 with my nephew on my 1951 74 cu.in. Harley-Davidson. It was light blue with blue saddlebags. My Dad gave me $5 every week to make an $18 monthly payment. The bike sold for $1,130 with a buddy seat and saddlebags. I still remember that blue motorcycle sitting on the showroom floor. I went to work at a local motorcycle shop to buy gas and accessories. My Mom wrote me an excuse from high school to ride this bike to Daytona Beach for the motorcycle races in 1953 when it was run on the beach and A1A. I am 86 now and still ride my two-wheel 2005 Honda Gold Wing.
My 1971 Bultaco 125 Labito Scrambler: This is a photo of me on the bike in 1971. I was 17. It was street legal and fast, but very loud. I was banned from riding it in Riverhead, N.Y. We used to take it to the ocean and give the girls rides on the beach. Had it for a few years and sold it.
—John D. Voyles
My 1983 XR200: My son and I in 1984, 13 years later. I taught Jonathan to steer and use the throttle while he sat in front of me. Once out in Coyote Canyon with my son sitting between me and the tank we were stopped by a Ranger who firmly stated that my son could not be on the bike without footpegs. We had just arrived, so I cut a steel rod, put rubber tubing on it and attached it to the front downtube with tie wraps. The Ranger was so pissed off when she saw that, but she did let us ride.
—Paul Hichborn
This is my 13-year-old self aboard my new 1976 Suzuki RM100, which I hardly knew what to do with after coming off my previous mount – a 1975 Honda XR75. Quite a difference in power! The boots — probably Hallman — and the early Suzuki motocross jersey are hand-me-downs from my 10-year-older motorcycle mentor and “corruptor-in-general” –who you know as your AMA Board of Directors Vice Chair Gary Pontius. The second pic is of me and Gary in Moab, Utah, last April (2021), where, in continuation of his helpful mentoring, he showed me how to really scare myself on my 2020 Beta Xtrainer 300.
Since my first “motorcycle” — a minibike with a lawn mower engine at the age of 8 — I have never not had a bike. I’ve enjoyed all types of motorcycling and currently ride a BMW R1200GS, Harley Road King — and there’s still a Sherco trials bike tucked away in the mini barn. I feel blessed to have experienced the sport’s golden era and to have met so many great people along the way — like Gary — all of whom are part and parcel of my fondest memories in my own personal On Any Sunday life story.
—Ross D. Griffith
I had roughly the same experience, Ross! My first racebike was an XR75 (albeit a highly modified one), and the following year I graduated to a Yamaha YZ100, which was a completely different animal. Those RMs were good, too! —Ed.
up to speed
News, notes, insight and more from the motorcycling universe
Tesla Autopilot Investigated
Renewed scrutiny comes as data of Tesla Autopilot and other driver-assist systems are linked to hundreds of crashes
BY KALI KOTOSKI
oncerns over the prolific and unmitigated spread of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in semi-automated vehicles have finally got federal authorities seriously involved in investigating the safety, or the lack of, in vehicles that cruise America’s roads utilizing technology that has yet to adhere to any consumer or federal safety guidelines.
CIn June, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ratcheted up scrutiny over Tesla’s Autopilot system when it announced that it was upgrading its probe into 830,000 vehicles under the banner of an engineering analysis, a required step if the agency decides to seek a broad recall.
The announcement comes less than a year after NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation to assess the safety of the Autopilot system in 765,000 vehicles. The probe
was prompted after a dozen Tesla vehicles struck stopped emergency vehicles. In the announcement, NHTSA said it had identified six additional crashes with emergency vehicles, bringing the total to 18.
NHTSA said the upgrade is “to extend the existing crash analysis, evaluate additional data sets,
and even the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a federal agency that has investigative authority but lacks any enforcement power, have criticized the lack of NHTSA oversight to ensure the safety of the technology. Specifically, the AMA has seen little to no evidence that manufacturers take motorcycles
“On average in these crashes, Autopilot aborted vehicle control less than one second prior to the first impact.”
NATIONAL
perform vehicle evaluations, and to explore the degree to which Autopilot and associated Tesla systems may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driver’s supervision.”
For years, organizations like the American Motorcyclist Association
into consideration when developing their technology.
According to NHTSA’s preliminary analysis, the very features meant to make the vehicle safer failed in the crashes with emergency vehicles. In the majority of the 18 crashes under direct scrutiny, the Forward Collision Warning system played almost no
HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
role in getting the driver to take control to avoid a collision, making “Forward Collision Warning” systems a profound misnomer. Additionally, NHTSA found that the Automatic Emergency Braking feature was only activated in approximately half of the crashes. In 11 of the crashes, none of the drivers or the car acted in two to five seconds before impact.
“On average in these crashes, Autopilot aborted vehicle control less than one second prior to the first impact,” the agency said. That is a damning statement, and even more damning is that the technology threw up its hands and deliberately stopped working at the very moment when literally seconds can determine the outcome of an incident, if a driver was in control.
The agency also reviewed 106
Tesla Autopilot crashes not involving emergency vehicles, finding that in almost half of the crashes that driver attention warnings failed to alert the driver in time to take control of the vehicle and avoid incident.
Additionally, NHTSA is investigating 758 incidents of unexpected brake activation tied to Autopilot in a separate inquiry into 416,000 newer Teslas. On top of that, NHTSA is investigating 35 crashes involving Tesla Autopilot that were linked to 14 reported deaths since 2016. While it is unknown if there will be a
recall of Tesla vehicles, what is clear is that with Tesla as the poster child of a company that is pushing the envelope with this technology, other manufacturers will soon be on the radar. Ford Motor, General Motors and BMW have similar hands-free autopilot-like systems, yet far fewer of those models have been sold.
Besides Tesla, NHTSA also disclosed that Honda vehicles were involved in 90 incidents, Subarus in 10, while Ford, G.M., BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai and Porsche each reported five or fewer crashes. With all manufacturers chasing the same goal of marketing
For example, in mid-June NHTSA disclosed that over a 10-month period from July 1 of last year through May 15 of 2022, nearly 400 crashes involved cars with ADAS, leaving six people dead and five seriously injured. Tesla’s Autopilot system was involved in 273 crashes, accounting for five of the six recorded fatalities.
NHTSA’s willingness to even start collecting crash data shows that the agency is under fire — and has been — for years, with critics claiming that its lack of assertiveness with manufacturers let the genie out of the bottle.
“Until last year, NHTSA’s response to autonomous vehicles and driver assistance has been, frankly, passive,” Matthew Wansley, a professor at the Cardozo School of Law in New York, told the New York Times. “This is the first time the federal government has directly collected crash data on these technologies.”
Tesla has been the leader in pushing semi-autonomous technology, with many manufacturers racing to catch up despite a lack of federal oversight into the technology’s safety.
carefree convenience that masquerades as safety, the numbers will certainly grow unless regulators can react fast enough to get a hand back on the wheel.
While it is encouraging that the NHTSA is finally making some moves, there has never been data presented on how or if autopilot-like systems can detect motorcycles, which is the AMA’s steadfast concern. And while the data presented thus far is raw, it is unclear if it will bring meaningful regulation soon — or soon enough to save lives.
It also begs the question of how many crashes do autopilot-like systems cause and how many they actually prevent, i.e., does the reward really outweigh the risk or vice versa? Until consumers have that data and motorcyclists have that data, there are definitely many concerns around the autopilot-like vehicles on America’s already increasingly dangerous roads.
up to speed
Lasting Legacy
Racer Scott Mullin’s name lives on in endowed scholarship fund
BY KEATON MAISANO
Future students at Manchester Community College (MCC) in New Hampshire will never meet Scott Mullin, but they’ll feel his impact.
The family of Mullin established an endowed scholarship fund at Manchester Community College to help students pursuing careers in the powersports industry. The Scott M. Mullin Memorial Scholarship Fund will offer need-based financial assistance to students enrolled in the Powersports program seeking a career in the motorsports industry.
A husband, father and racer, Mullin was 38 years old when he passed away in a racing accident in 2021.
“Scott was a very close friend of the Power Sports program at MCC,” said Professor Marc Bellerose, chair of the Automotive Technologies department at MCC. “Scott’s influence helped his MCC family maintain a commitment to the educational, professional and personal success of their students.
With this scholarship, we will continue Scott’s legacy and help others enter the field.”
In 2005, Mullin’s family opened Souhegan Valley Motorsports. Mullin grew his knowledge and passion in and outside of the classroom on his way to being regarded as an expert
within the powersports industry.
“Through watching his family ride and race, Scott’s motorcycle passion started at a very young age,” said Scott’s parents, George and Barbra Mullin. “Once we started the business and recognized the need for a larger pool of skilled technicians, he took the initiative to work with MCC to recruit and was always more than willing to talk to students. We hope the Scott M. Mullin Memorial Scholarship Fund will open doors for others to start down the powersports path to continue his legacy and his desire to help others.”
The college’s 22-credit Powersports certificate prepares students to be highly skilled, workready technicians with an emphasis on customer service.
Those wishing to donate to the Scott M. Mullin Memorial Scholarship Fund can do so by going to givenhcc. org and clicking on the Manchester Community College option.
Triumph’s E-Bike Tease
The Hinckley firm’s TE-1 electric prototype could up the ante
BY KALI KOTOSKI
T
riumph Motorcycles is soldering the circuits for a potentially gamechanging electric motorcycle with its announced completion of Phase 4 testing of the TE-1, an e-prototype yielding test results that, according to Triumph, “exceed expectations.”
The TE-1 project, the result of a public-private partnership funded by the British Government’s Office of Zero Emission Vehicles, offers an impressive 175 hp at peak power and 80 lb. ft. of torque, and provides the instant responsiveness and smooth power delivery expected of an electric motor. The level of performance is similar to the Speed Triple 1200, Triumph said.
Triumph also claims the TE-1 goes 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, and 0-100mph in 6.2 seconds.
“Throttle response on the TE-1 is kind of incredible,” said Daytona 200 Champion Brandon Paasch, who participated in the final testing phase. “It’s very torquey, and when you first touch the throttle it’s instant power, which is obviously what I love as a motorcycle racer. I got to peg this thing all the way from zero to 100-percent throttle and it’s unbelievably quick; it pulls like crazy.”
The TE-1 has a claimed 100-mile range on a full charge, which is either plenty or not nearly enough, depending on the type of riding you do. But what sets the motorcycle ahead of its competition is a
20-minute charge time going from dead to 80 percent. By comparison, the LiveWire by Harley-Davidson takes 50 minutes to go from 20 to 80 percent charge.
The TE-1 has an overall weight of 485 pounds, making the prototype lighter than the equivalent electric motorcycles on the market.
While this is still a prototype, Triumph is using what it has learned from this project to hopefully deliver an electric motorcycle to market soon.
“The TE-1 prototype and the incredible results it has achieved […] has provided crucial insights and capabilities that will ultimately guide our future development,” said Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer for Triumph. “Of course, the final production motorcycle will not be exactly what you see here today, but rest assured, the models we do develop will encompass all its learnings and its exciting dynamic spirit.”
up to speed
RIGHTS Roundup
What’s trending in government relations and legislative affairs
BY KALI KOTOSKI
Motorcyclists
Repel Hill Assault
The “Monson Monster” has been operated by the Quaboag Riders Motorcycle Club since 1946. It is known for some of the most challenging hills in the country. But that didn’t stop the Town of Monson, Mass., from issuing two vaguely written cease-and-desist orders that banned hill climbing under the guise that zoning laws had been broken. The Town claimed that Quaboag had illegally brought in landfill to change the hill’s height.
“Of course, these accusations were
absolutely false and came from some new people in town trying to make a name for themselves,” said Quaboag Vice President Jim O’Connell. “So we got some lawyers and, eventually, the town realized they got themselves in a big jam.”
Since the cease-and-desist orders were handed down, the not-for-profit club started getting the word out with social media campaigns and a fundraiser, targeting hill climbers and fans from across New England that appreciate a hill that has a storied seven-decade long history.
Then came time for the first public hearing over the issue with Monson’s Zoning Board of Appeals. Hundreds of motorcyclists, off-road enthusiasts, and generations of “Monson Monster” fans rolled down to Town Hall to protest the potential closing of the hill. So many people showed up that city officials had to postpone the hearing due to lack of space.
“We had 200 to 300 motorcyclists show up, people from the town, [and that] impressed us to have their support,” said O’Connell, adding that there were nearly 1,000 people total who came out to support the club
and the hill.
After that postponed meeting, the public pressure was dialed up as the AMA sent out an Action Alert informing members to attend the next hearing on July 14.
“It is really inspiring to see so many people coming out over land-use issues,” said AMA Government Relations Manager for Off-Highway Issues Peter Stockus. “Clearly, the Quaboag Riders Motorcycle Club and Monson Hill are cornerstones in the community, and we thank everyone who attended to show their support for the club and the historic hill climb.”
Again, hundreds took the streets to voice their concerns to the Zoning Board of Appeals. While the show of support was just as strong, Quaboag organized it so the public would disband before the hearing to ensure the issue was addressed.
The Zoning Board of Appeals struck down the cease-and-desist orders, granting a significant victory for operations at Monson Hill. While the Town of Monson has 20 days to file an appeal to try overturning the Zoning Board’s decision, O’Connell is confident that the order will hold.
“We are already planning for our first event on August 21, are getting sanctioned and have insurance,” he said. “Besides during COVID, we have operated events every year, and now we are back.”
Arizona Club Helps Apprehend Pipeline Fire Suspect
n Sunday, June 12, a group of six riders from the Trail Riders of Southern Arizona were taking their annual ride up in Northern Arizona’s cool tall pines to beat the heat when they came across a fast-moving blaze.
In a frenzied attempt, they tried to contain the fire after calling 911, but the winds were already creating an inferno. Two of the riders saw a white truck fleeing the scene and, after a chase, they stopped the vehicle and took down the license plate info.
The authorities soon arrested Matthew Riser, 57, a homeless man who allegedly started the fire by burning his toilet paper.
“Had we been there 30 minutes sooner, we might have been able to stomp it out with six guys,” said AMA
Life Member Gary Meeker. “If it was 45 minutes sooner, we would not have seen it and just kept on riding.”
The Pipeline Fire has burned over 26,000 acres and decimated trail riding in that area, which is maintained by the Coconino Trail Riders, Meeker said.
“We were fortunate that we were there to help the authorities,” he said. “But unfortunately, these beautiful trails will be closed for some time.”
It took firefighters nearly two weeks to contain the blaze. The U.S. Forest Service has charged Riser with federal natural resource violations.
he Federal Trade Commission has acted against Harley-Davidson in announcing that the Milwaukee-based manufacturer illegally restricted customers’ right to repair through warranty language that did not allow the use of third-party parts or unauthorized mechanics to repair their purchased motorcycles.
The FTC specifically took aim at Harley-Davidson’s warranty language that stated, “the use of parts and service procedures other than Harley-Davidson approved parts and service procedures may void the limited warranty.”
In turn, Harley-Davidson has signed a consent agreement with the FTC that will no longer void warranties and uphold consumers’ right to repair. Some aftermarket companies have since cheered the FTC decision, claiming that customers will have more choices for repairs and upgrades during the warranty period.
The agency, under a sweeping executive order by President Joe Biden signed last summer, has made right to repair a primary mission aimed at promoting more competition in the economy and lowering prices. Most notably, the FTC hit iPhone manufacturer Apple last summer, which has led to third-party service shops popping up across the nation.
The AMA supports right to repair and opposes any effort to restrict the ability of motorcyclists to repair their own motorcycle. Stay tuned for more coverage of this issue.
Riding ROUNDUP
More Than a Rally
t is hard to imagine how a three-day rally that happens once a year can make an impact that lasts a lifetime, but that is exactly what the Mid-Atlantic Women’s Motorcycle Rally (MAWMR) has done for the last 30 years.
Making its debut in 1993 when founder Nancy Warren sought to create a community of women riders, the rally has grown into an anticipated event full of fun and riding, with themes of sisterhood and charity permeating the festivities.
Now the oldest continuously operating all-women motorcycle rally in the United States, MAWMR president Cyndi Brandt stressed the event has two major goals.
“One is just to empower female riders, and the second is to fundraise for women that are less fortunate than us that are fighting and surviving some type of women’s cancer,” Brandt said. “It’s just so empowering to feel so many people in the same place doing the same thing that you love.”
With almost all the rally’s members touched by the effects of cancer in some way, the group has raised
more than $425,000 — more than $30,000 of which was raised in 2022 for Pink Out Women’s Cancer Fund and Help for Oncology Problems and Emotional Support (H.O.P.E.) — since the inception of the event.
Backed by good people supporting a noble cause, the rally is full of fun events to celebrate women and motorcycling. For the last two years, MAWMR has taken place in York, Penn., and more than 300 women have traveled from as far as Arizona to attend.
“You get caught in the web of MAWMR,” Brandt said, “because it’s so enthralling to be there around so many other people that either love riding motorcycles or just love being around them. We have people that have attended that have never ridden a motorcycle.”
That web is evident in the fact that around two-thirds of the previous year’s attendees return to the rally each year to participate.
Heather VanKeuren, MAWMR vice president and rally attendee since 1998, and Brandt are living examples of the impact the rally can have, as their friendship started and blossomed at MAWMR.
While the sisterhood is apparent in the friendships that form at the rally, the Parade of Chrome that occurs on the final day of MAWMR may be the most powerful display of unity.
“No matter where we came from, what our age is, whatever our background is, we’re all one as we ride through the town,” VanKeuren said about the Parade of Chrome.
MAWMR will return to York on June 15-17, 2023. Registration opens at the start of 2023 and more information can be found at mawmr.org
—Keaton Maisano
Racing ROUNDUP
KAYLA YAAKOV
RACER SPOTLIGHT
Road racer Kayla Yaakov has racked up nearly 400 wins since she started racing at age 5, but her victory at Ridge Motorsports Park this past June in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup made history. Just days after the Pennsylvania native celebrated her 15th birthday, she became the first female racer to win a MotoAmerica race.
The Altus Motorsports Kawasaki rider had come close to claiming that historic win several times this season with four third-place finishes before finally claiming the top step of the podium. Finally, on June 26, after leading the morning warmup, Yaakov led the majority of the laps and raced to a breakthrough victory.
“[This victory] really means a lot because I’ve been close to that position all year,” Yaakov told American Motorcyclist, “but I just kept falling short at the very end. It was great to finally get the win!”
Two years ago Yaakov told this author, “My [goal] is to race pro here in the United States in MotoAmerica,” and she accomplished that dream… and more. And how fitting that she raced to that historic win at the very track where she first went pro — Ridge Motorsports Park.
— Joy Burgess
...got their start more than 100 years ago at places like Weirs Beach near Laconia, N.H., and Harley-Davidson Motor Co. in Milwaukee, Wis.
AMA Gypsy Tours have always been about riding and sharing the camaraderie of two wheels with like-minded enthusiasts at great destinations.
And that continues with the 2022 Gypsy Tour schedule, where riders can meet, share experiences and even grab their collectible AMA National Gypsy Tour pin dated with the year.
The Americade Rally
JUNE 7-11
Laconia Motorcycle Week
June 11-19
Thunder in the Valley June 23-26
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
July 22-24
Four Corners Motorcycle Rally Sept. 2-4
www.americanmotorcyclist.com/gypsytour
Yaakov leading at Ridge Motorsports Park
malcolm’s moments
Nearly losing a leg put me in a very dark place…
BY MALCOLM SMITH
If the crash was ugly, my injuries — several compound fractures — were even worse. I’d broken my lower leg in three places, my femur in two.
It didn’t hurt right away. Major trauma seems to flip a circuit breaker in one’s body that keeps really intense pain away — for a while, at least. Of course, when they pulled me out of that pepper tree, tried to straighten my leg and placed me on a stretcher…wow. It was really bad.
PART Seven OF BODY CASTS AND COMPOUND FRACTURES
form. But graduation was only a few days away, and I wanted out of there for good.
I remember asking the emergency room doctor who met me there, “Can you just cast it so I can go home? I need to attend graduation in a couple of days…” Surely, I figured, a good cast would do the trick. He laughed, and not quietly.
“You, my friend, are a long way from a simple cast,” he said.
And of course he was right.
A couple of thoughts ran through my head on the way to the hospital. One, I wouldn’t be racing for a while, and that bothered me, as I’d just done pretty well in my first AMA Pro race. The second was school. I was no fan of the classroom in any way, shape or
My leg was in terrible shape, the broken bones pointing every which way, and other complications causing the doctors to talk about amputation. My mother was having none of that, so she moved me to a different hospital and began talking to other doctors about ways to save my leg. I, of course, was horrified.
My leg ballooned with blood and
fluid, and at one point was as big as my chest. The doctors would drain it, give me blood, it would balloon again, and on and on it went. They couldn’t really do much until the swelling subsided, which in some ways was a good thing, as it gave my mother some time in her search for a physician who had an idea of how to save my leg. Keep in mind that this was 1959. Medicine had made many strides by then, but orthopedic surgery and reconstruction was just a shadow of what it is today.
My mom heard of and contacted a sharp young hotshot doctor named Fellowes who was a bone-graft expert, which would end up being important to fixing my badly splintered lower leg. He examined me and told her and me that he was reasonably confident he could save my leg, but that it wouldn’t be easy. It would
“I didn’t fit in a wheelchair, so I ended up living on a wheeled gurney, day and night, and had to be pushed around by someone for mobility.”
MALCOLM SMITH
MALCOLM’S MOMENTS
involve several surgeries, none of which would be simple or quick, and also some painful bone grafts from my hip.
I would have four surgeries in the next few weeks. The first — fixing my femur by inserting a rod through the middle of it — was reasonably simple, comparatively. The other three involved my lower leg, which needed bone grafts and an assortment of pins, plates and screws to secure the many breaks and splintered pieces. The details of those operations are mostly lost to me, the pain and anesthesia over the weeks dulling my memory. What I remember most coming out of those surgeries was the pain of the bone grafts and the cast…and what a cast it was! The term “body cast” comes to mind, and while it wasn’t a full body cast, it certainly was more than half of one. It immobilized my left leg completely, but covered much more of my body, going partway up my chest and all the way to my right knee. It also splayed my legs with help from a metal bar that spanned from knee to knee. I’m not exactly sure why, but given the fact that I still had both of my legs, I wasn’t about to
“I’d been through some serious motorcycle and medical hell, and I remember telling my mother that I was through with motorcycles forever.”
MALCOLM SMITH
argue too loudly.
I stayed in the hospital for about six weeks, so it was August when I finally got released. And boy was I miserable. With the cast forcing a laid-out body position, I didn’t fit in a wheelchair, so I ended up living on a wheeled gurney, day and night, and had to be pushed around by someone for mobility. Our street was dirt, so I was pretty much confined to our yard and driveway. For someone used to going where they wanted when they wanted, and usually on a motorcycle, it was very frustrating to be so cooped up.
It was incredibly uncomfortable, too. Daytime temperatures were in the 90s and low 100s, so I sweated, sweated, and sweated some more.
Our air-conditioning system at the house was straightforward: if it was too hot, open the windows! And without the ability to take a proper shower or bath, or remove the cast to dry out underneath, you can imagine how moist and dirty and uncomfortable and stinky it was for me — and for others.
Going to the bathroom was difficult and humiliating. The cast has access holes front and back, so I had to urinate in a bottle and use a bedpan for my other business. Since I couldn’t sit up or raise myself up by myself in order to get the bed pan underneath me, my stepfather Ray King fashioned a trapeze of sorts, which I used to pull myself up off the gurney. It consisted of a rope and broomstick handle that attached to a hook mounted in the ceiling. By this point I’d been through motorcycle and medical hell, and I remember telling my mother that I was through with motorcycles forever. And I meant it, too. We’d both been badly traumatized by the accident, and I couldn’t imagine going through this sort of thing again.
Luckily, that didn’t happen. AMA
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Flat track racers Jared and Nichole Mees take a gamble on race promotion
I SKIN IN THE GAME
BY JOY BURGESS
was in tears,” remembered ex-pro dirt track racer and now race promoter Nichole Mees of her and husband Jared’s first foray into the race-promotion business at the 2016 Lima Half-Mile.
“
“We’d bought the race in 2015 with the first event coming quickly,” she added, “and when June came around I was suddenly being pounded with questions I didn’t have good answers for, and things people didn’t like. I barely knew what I was doing and was just completely overwhelmed. People were cussing me out, and I really had no idea what we’d signed up for…and ended up locking myself in the bathroom to hide from it all.”
“Luckily,” she remembered with a smile, “Jared came with some good advice. He told me, ’Do your best and please who you can, but you’re serving 8,000 people and you’re not going to please all of them.’”
“My skin’s thickened up quite a bit since then,” Nichole said with a laugh.
Jared kicking up the pea gravel at the Lima cushion track back in 2018. Right: Jared and Nichole’s daughter Hayden sang the National Anthem — much to the delight of the fans — at the 2022 AFT Lima Half-Mile.
GARY YASAKI
KRISTEN
JODI JOHNSON
not far behind Scott Parker’s all-time record of nine.
Jared’s also won 63 Grand National races (at presstime), holds two X-Games Gold medals, has completed a dirt track Grand Slam — winning a Mile, Half-Mile, TT and Short Track — multiple times, and set the record for the most podium finishes in a single season with 17 — 10 of them were wins — in 18 events in 2017.
Nichole also had a significant flat track career, as one of only a handful of women to ever hold a national number in the sport. She not only made 32 Grand National Main Events, a significant feat in itself, but also finished 20th overall in her final season among the best dirt trackers in the world — at a time in professional flat track when it was a fight to even make it to a main event. She was named AMA Female Rider of the Year in 2003, and once beat the fastest boys in the land in a Dash for Cash sprint at the Springfield Mile. And she did all that aboard a ferocious Harley-Davidson XR750, the gnarliest, nastiest racebike for over four decades that many men were unable to tame.
responsible for both of their successes as racers have carried over,” Carr continued. “As a racer, it’s about scoring the most points. But to be a good promoter today it’s not just about how many tickets you sell. Your success is driven by the experience you provide those who buy the tickets. I think Jared and Nichole have a good grasp of that. They don’t just promote a motorcycle race…they promote an event.”
Nichole feels that their years spent racing give them an advantage, especially when connecting with the fans. “I spent a long time on the racer side dealing with fans,” she said. “It’s pleasant there…making conversation, signing autographs.”
“But on the promoter side” she added, “you’re dealing with fans — customers — that are frustrated because parking is too far away or you didn’t have the vendors they wanted. As a former racer I can make a connection with them. I often hear, ‘Am I really talking to Nichole Cheza Mees?’ Because many fans have seen me race and now they follow Jared’s racing, they make a connection with us, and a good connection with the customer makes things run a lot smoother.”
“To this day,” AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Chris Carr said,” Nichole’s had the best finish ever for a female in the premier class — seventh place at Knoxville, Iowa, on Sept. 10, 2011. I finished right behind her in eighth place that night. She proved to the world that a woman could compete in one of the toughest sports…she could turn the throttle, and she did a great job.”
Does all that combined experience as racers give them an edge as promoters?
Carr believes so. “Of today’s generation of racers, something that’s served Jared so well as a racer — and the reason he’ll continue to be successful as a promoter — is that he’s probably one of the most mentally organized racers I’ve ever come across.”
“The qualities that have been
For Jared, his years of racing and time spent at tracks across the country make him want to give fans a good experience.
“We’ve gone racing at many different tracks,” Jared mentioned, “and we’ve seen things we think could be run better or stand out differently. One of the biggest ways to give the fans a good show is by providing a good racetrack. As a racer, I don’t enjoy racing on a bad track, so I work to try to make sure the track is as good as it can be.”
“Since we’ve been to Lima when it’s dry and dusty,” Nichole continued, “we try to think about how we can fix that. In the past they used to have one or two drags for the track, and prep took a long time. Now we run three to four drags, and one lap can prep the track immediately. Seeing it from
Left: Nichole in 2017 running Lima just weeks after Hayden was born. Below: Nichole and Jared were the first husband and wife to ever race a flat track Main Event together.
SCOTT HUNTER
JODI JOHNSON
JODI JOHNSON
DAVE HOENIG
the racer side and going back to the drawing board to make changes and improvements makes a difference.”
But no matter how hard they work to provide a great track, there are always variables that present challenges.
“Rain delays are huge,” Nichole told us. “People give you a lot of crap when the track isn’t prepped. But if they predict three inches of rain, we’re not going to put all that calcium down on the track to get washed away. Of course, if the rain doesn’t come, you’re left struggling to get that calcium and water on the track to get it going at Lima.”
While track prep is one of the
the same thing but on the promoter side now.”
“I also get the t-shirt designs going, handle food vendors, line up the beer and alcohol for the event, deal with the AFT contracts, and handle a lot of the day-of setup operations,” Jared continued. “Really, I wish you could see all that we do before the event even happens. It’s just Nichole and I doing trophies together, sorting and folding 1,100 t-shirts, and so much more.”
From American Flat Track announcer, flat track historian and former racer Scottie Deubler’s point of view, it’s thinking outside of the box that’s resulting in success for Jared
“Lima holds a lot of sentimental value for me. I won my first Grand National there in 2005.”
biggest and perhaps one of the most obvious things promoters deal with, there’s a whole lot more that goes into these events.
and Nichole.
“American Flat Track handles the rider side of things,” according to Nichole, “But we make the decisions on track prep, the vendors we have, and bring in sponsorships to help pay the riders. Most people don’t understand the cost that goes into promoting an event. There’s not just the cost of the facility, but the money we pay AFT so they can bring the riders and the show. Then there’s all the advertising and additional expenses.”
While Nichole handles the ticketing system and customer service, Jared spends a lot of his time rounding up sponsorships and vendors. And once again, his years as a racer prove valuable.
“My entire career I’ve picked up the phone and wore out just about everyone through the offseason trying to get sponsorships gathered up for my race program,” Jared said. “And getting sponsors on board with Lima or Springfield…well that’s just
“Lima is old school racing, it’s been on the circuit since 1985, and it’s always the last Saturday in June, so it’s a good race to promote,” Deubler said. “But Jared and Nichole are taking it to the next level by thinking outside the box. They understand that it’s a show, and they try doing things differently. For example, this year they did something different by having the stars ride out during opening ceremonies, much like they do at an AMA Supercross. They’re always trying different things. They want what’s best for racers, but they understand that fans want a show.”
Nichole echoed that, noting that they don’t want the show to be just a motorcycle race.
“We want fans to have stuff to do, such as live music, so there’s something going on when there are breaks in the actual racing,” she said. “My main job is making the customers happy, so I tell them that I welcome their feedback. Tell me what you think because I want to make it better next year. Without the fans, we don’t have a show, and they’re the ones
JARED MEES
GARY YASAKI
SCOTT
HUNTER
Above: There’s a whole lot going on behind the scenes leading up to each Lima Half-Mile event to ensure fans get the best show possible.
GARY YASAKI
SCOTT HUNTER
supporting us and keeping it going.”
Jared and Nichole have come a long way since that first crazy year they promoted Lima — and the second year when they pulled it off just weeks after their daughter Hayden was born. But this year they’ve taken on yet another challenge.
“Usually at this point we’re thinking, ‘great, it’s over!’” Jared mentioned.
“But this year…nope. We’ve gotta thrash again for Springfield.” And Springfield is a biggie, arguably the biggest of them all.
Both Jared and Nichole know the former promoters, Dave and Tamra Kiesow, well after racing at the Springfield Mile — “the world’s fastest dirt oval” — for so many years.
“I have a lot of respect for them,” Jared said, “and I put the bug in their
ear that when they were ready to retire that we might be interested.”
“Right before COVID hit, they came to us and said they were ready to retire,” Nichole added, “and since we’d done such a great job with Lima, they wanted to know if we were interested in purchasing the Springfield Mile races. Jared said, ‘Yup!’ But I was a bit scared to take it over when we didn’t know
“on the promoter side you’re dealing with fans — customers — that are frustrated because parking is too far away or you didn’t have the vendors they wanted. As a former racer I can make a connection with them. ”
NICHOLE MEES
what the effects of COVID would be.”
“With that unease about taking it on,” Jared continued, “the Kiesows promoted Springfield for one more year, and at the beginning of 2021 we struck a deal to take it over in 2022. This Labor Day weekend will be our first time to promote it.”
As with Lima, Springfield holds a lot
of sentimental value for the couple. Both have raced to excellent results on the Springfield Mile, but it’s also the spot where Jared proposed to Nichole in 2012.
“I’d been asked to be a part of opening ceremonies,” Nichole remembered, “and I thought Jared had been acting weird but didn’t think anything of it. I went up for opening ceremonies and he proposed to me
Nichole leading the pack on her HarleyDavidson XR750 at the Springfield Mile in 2015. Check out that front wheel orientation!
DAVE HOENIG
right there. He was always the guy who said he wasn’t getting married or having kids. I actually said into the mic, ‘Are you serious right now?’ He asked me, “Is that a yes?’”
In 2013, the two got married at…you guessed it, the Springfield Mile. “We had a very unique wedding,” Nichole said. “We went out and practiced and qualified that morning. After qualifying, we got dressed up and had a wedding out on the front straightaway with Scottie Deubler marrying us. Then we got back into our leathers and went racing. We even ended up in the Main Event together — the first husband and wife to do that.”
“Our daughter Hayden — named after
the late Nicky Hayden and his family — was also born the same weekend as the Springfield Mile,” Nichole continued, “so there’s a lot of history there and it’s so cool we get to take it over and promote it now.”
Of course, going from a one-race weekend to promoting a double-header weekend promises to be a big transition and challenge for the couple.
“Last year we knew we’d be taking the event over,” Nichole said, “so I spent the week with the Kiesows learning the ropes and how I can take what we already do at Lima and implement it at Springfield. Sure, we’ll probably make some mistakes and learn from them, but hopefully it won’t be as traumatic as the first year at Lima. We’ll work towards a smooth-running show, and what doesn’t work…we’ll make it work better.”
First Lima…and now the legendary Springfield Mile. What does the future hold for the couple and their company
Left: Jared proposes to Nichole at Springfield. Right: Mr. and Mrs. Mees took a lap around the Springfield Mile aboard Jared’s #1 XR750 after their wedding ceremony on the front straightaway.
JODI JOHNSON
DAVE HOENIG
Mees Promotions?
“We’d love to continue promoting events,” Nichole weighed in, “and I like it because it keeps me involved in the sport in a different way. But it’s a lot of work to make it successful. If or when Jared retires, I think things will have evolved more on the promotional side, especially since Jared has always been such a good businessman.”
Jared’s a bit more cautious looking forward to the future.
“It’s a tricky question,” he told us. “The future of Mees Promotions depends on how the sport shapes up in the next few years — whether we move forward, stay the same, or move backwards.”
When asked about the current state of professional flat track racing, he said “I don’t think it’s as good as it can be. I’ll leave it as that.”
I think if we all work together and keep listening to fans and riders, we can make the sport better.”
Fans, riders, sponsors, supporters… they’re all essential to the success of any promoter.
“We appreciate all the supporters, sponsors and all those who help weekof and during the event,” Jared said. “Without all that help it wouldn’t be possible. And thanks, especially, to the fans for supporting the two biggest races of the year. Without them we wouldn’t be able to do it.”
“We’ve hit a point right now where the fire is getting low,” Jared continued, “and we need some gasoline to fire back off again. We need something
Sponsors, vendors, entertainment, food and alcohol, track prep, ticketing, customer service…there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into promoting a race. As Jared said about Springfield, “it’s a gamble.” Just like racing bar-to-bar at 100-plus mph on a dirt oval comes with risk, so does promoting these events.
Whether it’s inclement weather or having to refund thousands of tickets to fans because of a cancelled race —
“Usually at this point we’re thinking, ‘great, it’s over!’ But this year, nope. We’ve gotta thrash again for Springfield. And Springfield is a biggie, arguably the biggest of them all.”
JARED MEES
spicy. I have ideas, but some are gonna hate them. On the promotion side of things, I’d like to keep going and expand. I already have a couple racetracks in mind I’d love to pick up, but there are things out of my control that need attended to before I can move to the next step.”
“I’m very nervous about Springfield and taking it on…it was a gamble. I love the sport, I love racing, and I love Springfield and Lima. But if the races aren’t successful, I’m not going to put everything I’ve worked so hard on over the years into it to lose out, so I’ve gotta keep it profitable and make sure it makes business sense to keep doing it.”
which happened to Jared and Nichole when COVID hit in 2020 — a lot can go wrong.
“It’s challenging,” Nichole said, “but we love flat track and want to bring new fans to the sport. It’s why we work so hard.”
AFT announcer Scottie Deubler appreciates seeing racers step into race promotion. “Nichole and Jared,” he told us, “along with other current and former racers like Cory Texter, Brad Baker, Sammy Halbert, Rob McLendon and Bert Sumner, have found that promoting races is a great way that they can reinvest in the flat track community.”
“I love seeing today’s racers give back to the sport,” Duebler continued, “putting their own skin in the game. It’s in our blood!” AMA
Jared (1) leads a freight train of thundering twins at the legendary Springfield Mile — the “world’s fastest dirt oval.”
SCOTT HUNTER
SCOTT HUNTER
THE MARTY MOATES MIRACLE
“It’s a sport which has grown enormously in popularity in this country over the last several years, and which Americans have become more and more competitive... it’s almost a surprise that no American has yet won here at Carlsbad.”
ABC’s Jim Lampley, 1980 Wide World of Sports telecast
“
We thought it was over,” remembered the late racer and longtime industry icon Tom White. “We figured, ‘Well, he’s lived his dream, he’s led some laps’…but we thought that was it.”
White was talking about privateer motocrosser Marty Moates, who’d holeshotted and led the first moto of the 1980 USGP at Carlsbad before crashing just past the race’s mid-point. And White, who sponsored Moates that year with suspension componentry through his White Brothers aftermarket company, wasn’t alone in that feeling.
One Day of Magic
BY MITCH BOEHM
THE TIPPING POINT PART ONE
A dramatic win at the 1980 USGP at Carlsbad not only propelled local privateer Marty Moates into the history books as the first American winner of the famed event, it helped Launch American riders into a leadership position they’d never relinquish
“This was a big deal, that an American had actually won a moto at Carlsbad, and was actually going for an overall win, which had never happened before.”
LARRY
HUFFMAN
What had begun as excitement and hope that maybe, just maybe, Moates could hold on to become the first American to win at Carlsbad turned to bitter disappointment the instant Moates and his Yamaha YZ465 skidded off the track and hit the California adobe.
Luckily, Moates grabbed the clutch almost immediately after falling and kept the engine running, remounting behind Danny LaPorte and Hakan Carlquist, who’d scooted by as Moates scrambled in the dust.
“Most local boys are gonna give up,” said AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame motocrosser Bob Hannah. “No doubt. They don’t have the heart.” And as everyone who’s ever raced motocross knows, it’s very, very difficult to remount after a fall and regain the speed you had before; the fading adrenaline and fatigue are often too much to overcome.
But Moates had heart, and did overcome, catching and re-passing Carlquist with an absolutely brutal inside move over Devil’s Drop and the following left-hander — all of which caused ABC’s Wide World Of Sports anchor Jim Lampley to utter some of the most powerful words in all of motocross history: “So now there are two young Americans at the front of the pack. Oh, how times have changed in Grand Prix Motocross…” And oh, how true those words
would ring in the coming years.
The 30,000-strong Carlsbad crowd, which had been crazy for Moates all race long, and who’d then cheered for LaPorte when he’d inherited the lead, went ballistic.
“Everyone rallied for those two,” remembered the late factory Kawasaki mechanic Steve Johnson. “It was crazy, especially with everyone waving American flags.”
Future 500cc world champ and AMA Hall of Famer Brad Lackey, who was behind the struggle up front, felt it just as strongly. “The crowd went nuts,” he said, “and it was cool. I said to myself, ‘well, they aren’t cheering for me,’ but it still looked good!”
But Moates wasn’t done, quickly passing LaPorte when the Suzuki superstar and future 250cc world champion lost the front end momentarily in a left-hander at the bottom of a downhill. “That was it,”
“It was really tough to say who was gonna win that day. It coulda been Wolsink, it coulda been [Roger] DeCoster, it coulda been [Heikki] Mikkola. But Marty Moates? A total wild card.”
DANNY LAPORTE
“You have 40,000 people waving American flags for you? Moates had never seen three guys wave American flags at him. That crowd gave him three seconds a lap. Easy.”
After an opening-moto holeshot, LOP-sponsored Marty Moates (23) crashed and lost the lead to Danny LaPorte (16) and Hakan Carlquist, but kept the engine running and remounted to pass both riders, stunning himself and the crowd. Here he works on LaPorte.
BOB HANNAH
“there was a reason to be more confident, to be more excited than normal.”
Bill Rychlik, Moates’s suspension tech, was also confident, actually taking bets on Moates’s performance that day. “I had several wagers going that Marty would win everything!” Rychlik said with a smile.
If Moates and his crew — and most of the other racers — wanted to win more than anything, Lackey, competing for a 500cc world title, just wanted to get points and survive. “I never wanted to win the race,” he said. “I wanted to get in there, get as
many points and get the hell back to Europe where the ground was soft!”
Lackey wasn’t exaggerating. Carlsbad was arguably the nastiest, gnarliest motocross course in the world — hard-packed, slick, squareedged and blue-grooved nearly everywhere. Rumor has it that it never, ever got disked, because when it was tried once, the top couple of feet of terrain came off in massive flat chunks because it was too compacted and hard to be broken up.
“Yeah,” said Trippe, “it was a rough and gnarly piece of terrain. Of course, for me, the rest of the event was just
as scary; it was an amazing mass of humanity that could’ve gone horribly wrong in so many ways.”
Between motos, tension was high, especially for Team LOP.
“The hardest thing to put to the side,” remembers Offner, “was the exhilaration. You know, you have to do your job so he can get back out there for the second moto…and hopefully do it again.”
“I don’t think any of us really believed he could come back and win the second moto,” said sponsor Tom White. “But we all had a hope and a prayer!” Moates’ brother David was
“I never wanted to win the race, I wanted to get in there, get as many points and get the hell back to Europe where the ground was soft!”
BRAD LACKEY
sanguine: “It could have been a fluke,” he said.
But it wasn’t, at least at the start, Moates pulling another superb holeshot from the extreme inside of the gate and leading the pack away from the start. “Marty Moates, for the second consecutive time, has come off the line and taken the lead!” —ABC’s Jim Lampley, 1980 Wide World of Sports telecast
The fans exploded once again, many thinking they might be witnessing a miracle in just 45 minutes’ time. But if the pressure was high before the
second moto, it was unbearable now that Moates had gotten the lead again — especially with Lackey lurking not far back after passing Jean-Jacques Bruno for second. “Brad was really coming on strong,” remembers David Moates. “I can’t imagine the type of pressure Marty was under,” said Offner. “And pressure was Marty’s weakness.”
“It was just a matter of time until he caught Marty,” added David Moates. “You could see it happening.”
“The local boy may win there every week of the year,” said Hannah of
the situation. “But when the big boys are there they’ll eventually overpower him.”
Slowly but surely, Lackey did just that, catching and passing Moates at the bottom of a nasty downhill. Suddenly, some of the air seemed to escape from the Moates victory balloon. The crowd, hungry for an American win of any flavor, remained rabid for the two Americans, waving the thousands of flags furiously in every corner and down every straight.
“I thought maybe he was tired,” remembers Lackey of the pass, “and
Moates’ LOP-modded Yamaha YZ465 was supertorquey and set up relatively soft to absorb Carlsbad’s nasty whoops and rock-hard adobe, and he used it to good effect, outlasting the entire field and showing serious speed.
“The crowd literally went insane when it was over, It was the biggest thing I’d ever seen at an outdoor motocross event.”
LARRY HUFFMAN
Moates’
that was all he had.”
But it wasn’t. Moates quickly caught and repassed the future world champion on another rutted, downhill section, and the crowd, already screaming, seemed to bump things up a notch.
“Marty Moates, for the second time today, has lost the lead and regained it, and he’s just done it against the man that many regard as the best in the world.” —ABC’s Jim Lampley Suddenly, Moates was back on top, and the anticipation of a possible double moto win by an American rider began to reverberate through the hillsides. “You have 40,000 people waving American flags for you?” said Hannah. “For you? Moates had never seen three guys
wave American flags at him. That crowd gave him three seconds a lap. Easy.”
“You could feel the crowd pushing him along,” said brother David.
“This guy,” remembers factory mechanic Mike Guerra, “he could do it. You could feel it.”
“We all thought,” said White, “‘maybe he can do it. Maybe he can hold on.’”
Lackey helped Moates’s cause by crashing in the same spot in which he’d passed Bruno and Moates, his bike jamming under a fence. “That good passing line bit me in the butt,” Lackey remembers with a laugh. “Why couldn’t I have just not slid all the way under that stupid fence!” Lackey waved Moates by the next time around, knowing how that must
have felt and genuinely wanting him to succeed.
“All the sudden,” said Offner, “there was no longer this horrible anticipation of something bad happening.”
And suddenly, it was over, Moates once again punching the sky and throwing his goggles skyward at the checkered flag.
The crowd literally went insane when it was over,” said Huffman. “It was the biggest thing I’d ever seen at an outdoor motocross event.”
“This is unprecedented perhaps in the whole history of grand prix motocross...for an outsider such as Marty Moates to win both motos of a race of this significance...” — ABC’s Jim Lampley Really well put.
second-moto holeshot whipped the Carlsbad crowd into a froth, especially when he lost the lead to Brad Lackey and then regained it. It was nuts.
Many regard Moates’ win that sweltering June day just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean as a turning point — a tipping point, if you will — in motocross history…a point at which a handful of top American riders, who’d won national AMA titles and here and there on the international scene, could finally see what could be accomplished on the world stage, and understand that, hey, this could be done, and that they, too, could do it.
What could be done was a load, too. Moates’ win set the stage for Chuck Sun’s USGP win the following year, along with a Team USA’s first Motocross des Nations win (and twelve more in a row afterwards!). And then came Lackey and LaPorte’s 500cc and 250cc world championships in ’82…and the rest is history.
We know from the race’s outcome and the amazing ABC Wild World of Sports footage that’s contained in Todd Huffman’s outstanding Carlsbad USGP 1980: One Day of Magic documentary (get it on Amazon) that Moates’ LOP Yamaha was fast. But without superb suspension and chassis setup, little of that flexible power could get routed to the slick but hard-packed California adobe — and the LOP Yamaha was solid here. Up front were 38mm magnesium-slider Simons fork legs filled with 7.5-weight oil and held by alloy from-billet triple clamps and steering stem. (Interestingly, Steve Simons would build the revolutionaryat-the-time inverted fork that Lackey
would use to win the 1982 500cc World Championship on his factory Suzuki.)
In back was a specially built shock from White Brothers, with co-owner Tom White recollecting things this way: “We built the shock for Marty’s YZ that year. We changed the shock dramatically, lengthening and revalving it. My brother Dan, working with our suspension expert Bill Rychlik, developed a double spring system for a plusher initial ride with good bottoming resistance, and we also added a huge reservoir to control heat. Many hours went into suspension testing on that LOP YZ465.”
The bike was set up surprisingly
soft, with lots of sag and very light damping settings. And that was no accident, either, as the soft suspension literally took the edge off the hundreds of sharp-edged bumps at Carlsbad, and also allowed the bike to corner securely, since the extra sag allowed it to sink into its travel and be lower to the ground and easier to control.
“My wife and I were sitting about halfway up the Carlsbad Freeway,” White remembered, “one of roughest sections of the track on that June day. Watching our rider — Marty — become the first American winner of the Carlsbad USGP was one of the proudest moments of my life.”
The Yamaha’s engine was also special. Aside from the increased displacement (493cc vs 465cc stock), the engine featured special Offner porting designed to not only make the bike powerful but easy to control — a key part of going fast on Carlsbad’s slick, hard-packed surface. The LOP bike was also very light, with liberal use of aluminum and magnesium. No wonder, then, that Team Yamaha rider Rick “The Lumberjack” Burgett was heard grousing during the 1980 AMA 500cc National series that the LOP Yamaha was blowing his OW41 works bike off on the straights, and maintaining that advantage in the corners. A privateer bike running with — or better than — full factory works machines? That simply did not happen — unless, of course, you
Marty Moates (right) and LOP chief Laurens Offner at a 500cc AMA National during the 1980 season. Their YZ was seriously competitive.
were Laurens Offner and Marty Moates.
AMA National Motocross champion, AMA Hall of Famer and industry CEO Mark Blackwell reflected thusly on Moates’ dramatic win: “I remember that as a watershed event. Like when Mary Tripes won the first Supercross in 1972, or when Jim Pomeroy won the Spanish GP. Of course, by 1980, the Americans had made significant progress against the Europeans, but Marty’s remained a breakthrough performance. Moates surprised many of us that day with his speed but also his smoothness.
I remember thinking, ‘there is no way he can keep this up,’ but lap after lap he did, and then came back in the second moto equally strong.”
Motocross Action’s Zap Espinoza put it this way: “Marty Moates on a privateer Yamaha? Not supposed to happen.”
But it did.
And while Marty Moates is gone, his legendary efforts on that sweltering June day in San Diego County provided a tipping point for not only an entire cadre of top-level American riders, but for an entire industry and country.
Nicely done, Marty Moates. AMA
Documentary creator Todd Huffman hosted a DVD release party at a Carlsbad theater back in 2010, which attracted many fans and industry luminaries — AMA Hall of Famers David Bailey and Broc Glover included.
MAKE IT YOURS
The AMA offers a variety of card types and designs for members. In addition to our standard card, we offer a number of themed cards that identify you as belonging to a specific group or speak to your passion as a motorcyclist.
Call (800) AMA-JOIN (2625646) to request an affinity card at any time, at no additional cost.
DEALS AND DISCOUNTS
THE ESSENTIALS
Lodging
Save 15% at participating Choice Hotels Properties.
Up to 10% off at Motel 6. Use code: M64AMA
20% discount off available rates, call (800) REDROOF and use the code VP+ 503343. To make reservations online use code: VP+ 503343 in the field labeled “VP+/ID#”
PRODUCT DISCOUNTS
ADVMoto 20% discount. Use code AMADV20
AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Free admission to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio.
AMA Supercross Tickets
10% discount on tickets at supercrosslive.com Use code 5AMASX
Anthony’s Leatherworks
10% discount. Use code AMADISCOUNT
Blendzall
AMA members can save 20% at blendzall.com. Use code AMA20 at checkout.
Bohn Body Armor
10% AMA Member Exclusive Discount. Visit bohnarmor. com and use code AMA18 at checkout.
Butler Maps
AMA members receive a 20% discount at butlermaps.com. Use code AMAMEMBER
Cardo Systems
20% discount online with valid AMA membership card.
Colorado Motorcycle Adventures
10% discount with valid AMA membership card.
Car Rentals Up to 25% off at any Avis or Budget. Avis Code: D388100 Budget Code: Z942000
AMA Gear Find patches, pins, T-shirts, hats and more.
Edelweiss
AMA members save on standard bike tour. Use code 21AMA-EBT03 at checkout.
Evans Cooling System
25% discount on Evans Coolants and Prep Fluid. Use code AMAFUN at evanscoolant.com.
EVS Sports
10% discount and free shipping on all orders. Use code AMAEVS20
Haynes
Heli Bars
Use code AMAM2020 for a 10% AMA Member Exclusive Discount at helibars.com.
® Medjet
Air medical transport and travel security protection – visit Medjet.com/AMACycle or call 1.800.527.7478, referring to American Motorcyclist Association.Annual rates are reduced by 20% and start at $235.
MotoAmerica 20% off 2-day and 3-day passes at select MotoAmerica events. Use discount code AMA20
Motool AMA members can save 10% at motool.co. Use code AMAVIP at checkout.
Save an additional 15% on all Haynes & Clymer print and online repair manuals. Use code AMA15 MX Mounts
Helite Moto AMA members get 15% off every order at helitemoto.com. Use code HELITEAMA
International Motorcycle Shows
Save on advanced adult oneday general admission. Use code AMA20
Legacy Track Dayz 15% discount on Legacy Track Dayz events. Use code AMARideLTD
Liberty Sport Eyewear 30% discount on all “motorcycle collection” frames. Discount code AMA30.
MX Boot Repair 10% discount. Use code AMADISCOUNT
Risk Racing 15% off products at riskracing.com. Use code AMA15
Rlink Rlink offers AMA Members 25% off industry leading GPS Security Systems. Use code ama2020rl
off on our mounts Use AMADiscount at checkout
MYLAPS 20% discount off MSRP or current sales price on weborders or orders coordinated by the AMA. Use code AMA-789HJK
Nelson Rigg 20% AMA Member Exclusive Discount on all products! Use promo code AMA-NR20
Time Save 20% on select products. Rockwelltime. com. Use code AMA20
STKR Concepts 15% off products at stkrconcepts.com. Use code AMA15
The Dirt Bike Academy 10% exclusive discount on instruction. Learn more at thedirtbikeacademy.com Street Skills 10% discount on online courses at StreetSkills.net. Use code AMACCOC.
MAD Maps Save 15%. Use code AMA15
Quin Design Helmets
and
light. Use code AMA at thirdeyedesigninc.com
Dowco Powersports
20% discount. Use code AMA20
EagleRider For Club EagleRider AMA members receive 2 free rental credits
Matrix Concepts
AMA members receive a 25% discount on most products for shop, garage & track necessities at matrixracingproducts.com Use code AMA25
Rider Magazine
member exclusive discount: $19.99 for 2 years (24 issues) + 2 extra free issues.
ALASKA
COMING EVENTS
Be sure to check the event website or call the organizer for the latest information, including postponements or cancellations.
Road Ride/Run: Sept. 1- 5. Calexico. 45th Annual Three Flags Classic. California Motorcycling Assn., 949-769-1726, 3flagschair@sc-ma.com, sc-ma.com.
Speedway: Sept 3. Auburn. Extreme Sidecar National Championship 250 & 150cc Youth National. Fast Fridays Speedway, 530-878-7223, fastfriday@aol.com, fastfridays.com. Speedway: Sept. 7. City of Industry. 2022 AMA Speedway Motorcycle Racing. Industry Hills Expo Center DBA: Industry Racing, 626-330-0324, kelly@industryracing.com, industryracing.com.
Speedway: Sept 10. Auburn. Fast Fridays Speedway, 530-878-7223, fastfriday@aol.com, fastfridays.com.
Hillclimb: Sept. 4. Mattoon. Central Illinois Motorcycle Club, 217-246-7154, hopper54p@yahoo.com.
Motocross: Sept. 4. Casey. Fly Racing Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, lincolntrailmotosports @gmail.com, www.lincolntrailmotosports.com
Gran Prix: Sept. 4. Ottawa. Variety Riders Motorcycle Club Inc., 815-434-3669, varietyriders@yahoo.com, varietyriders.com.
Flat Track - TT: Sept. 5. Mattoon. Central Illinois Motorcycle Club, 217-246-7154, hopper54p@yahoo.com. Motocross: Sept. 5. Casey. Fly Racing Showdown Series, Lincoln Trail Motosports, 217-932-2041, lincolntrailmotosports @gmail.com, www.lincolntrailmotosports.com.
Hillclimb: Sept. 10. Mt. Vernon. District 17 Hillclimb Series. King City Dirt Riders Inc., 618-204-4896, kcdr24@gmail.com. Motocross: Sept. 10. Wedron. AMA District 17 Motocross Series. Moto Pro Inc., 815-431-9913, wardy@mtco.com, www. foxvalleyoffroad.com.
Hare Scrambles/Cross Country: Sept. 11. White City. Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders Hare Scramble. Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders, 217-725-5048, igste@yahoo.com, cahokiacreekdirtriders.com. Motocross: Sept. 10. Wedron. AMA District 17 Illinois State Championship. Moto Pro Inc., 815-431-9913, wardy@mtco.com, www.foxvalleyoffroad.com.
Motocross: Sept. 17. Shell Rock. New Hartford Racing MX. New Hartford Racing Association, Inc., 319-885-6469, newhartfordracing@gmail.com, www.newhartfordracing.com. Motocross: Sept. 18. Shell Rock. New Hartford Racing MX. New Hartford Racing Association, Inc., 319-885-6469, newhartfordracing@gmail.com, www.newhartfordracing.com.
KANSAS
Drag Race – Dirt: Sept. 4. Ozawkie. Abate of Kansas 47th Annual Labor Day Rally Field Events. ABATE of Kansas, 913704-9233, harleytower@aol.com, abateks.org.
KENTUCKY
Dual Sport: Sept. 10. Golden Pond. LBL 200 National Dual Sport. Thomas Brothers Promotions LLC. (KT Riders), 270-350-6324, ktriders@gmail.com, http://www.lbl200.com. Observed Trials: Sept. 17. Bedford. Trials Inc., 937-516-2458, www.trialsinc.org.
Enduro: Sept. 24- 25. Laurel . Tigercreek Enduro. Runners Enduro Team of Mississippi, 601-527-2018, carstencagle@gmail.com.
MISSOURI
Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Steelville. Spider Ride. Concours Owners Group, gmazzola@sbcglobal.net, https://concours.org. Road Ride/Run: Sept. 18. Cottleville. St. Louis Ride for Kids. Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, 610-392-3678, akaras@ curethekids.org, https://team.curethekids.org/event/2022-stlouis-ride-for-kids/e375227.
Dual Sport: Sept. 24- 25. Bixby. Show Me 200. Midwest Trail Riders Association, 314-434-5095, ridemtra@hotmail.com, http://ridemtra.com. Adventure Ride: Sept. 24- 25. Bixby. Show Me 200. Midwest Trail Riders Association, 314-434-5095, ridemtra@hotmail.com, http://ridemtra.com.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Road Race: Sept. 4. Loudon. United States Classic Racing Association, 413-498-4433, raceuscra@yahoo.com, www.race-uscra.com.
NEW JERSEY
COMING EVENTS
Be sure to check the event website or call the organizer for the latest information, including postponements or cancellations.
Road Race: Sept. 3- 4. Millville. ASRA Team Challenge/CCS. American Sportbike Racing Association, 817-246-1127, info@ asraracing.com, www.asraracing.com.
Motocross: Sept. 18. Millville. Beast in the East/New Jersey Championship Series Pro-Am. Field of Dreams MX, LLC., 856-765-3799, info@njmpfod.com, www.njmpfod.com.
Dual Sport School: Sept. 26- 27. East Burke. Vermont Training Tour- 599cc and Below. Motovermont, 802-860-6686, info@ motovermont.com, motovermont.com/vermonttrainingtour.
Dual Sport School: Sept. 28- 29. East Burke. Vermont Training Tour- 599cc and Below. Motovermont, 802-860-6686, info@ motovermont.com, motovermont.com/vermonttrainingtour.
WASHINGTON
Road Ride/Run: Sept. 17. Spokane Valley. 16th Annual POW/ MIA Ride & Event. Combat Vet Riders, Inc., 509-319-0889, jeremiah1392@yahoo.com, combatvetriders.org.
Round 10: Gobbler Getter National –Nov. 6. Stanton, Ala. (205) 340-4298 perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com
AMA EnduroCross National Championship Series
Oct. 15: Maverik Center – Salt Lake City, Utah
Sept. 24: First Interstate Bank Center – Redmond, Ore. Oct. 1: National Western Events Center – Denver, Colo. Oct. 22: Findlay Toyota Center – Prescott Valley, Ariz. Nov. 5: Ford Idaho Center – Boise, Idaho Nov. 19: Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center – Reno, Nev.
AMA National Hare and Hound Championship nationalhareandhound.com
Round 6: Sept. 10. Panaca, Nev.
Round 7: Oct. 8-9. Lovelock, Nev.
Round 8: Oct. 22-23. Lucerne Valley, Calif.
AMA National Grand Prix Championship ngpcseries.com
Round 8: Oct. 1-2. Ridgecrest, Calif.
Round 9: Oct. 29-30. Blythe, Calif.
Round 10: Nov. 12-13. Havasu, Ariz.
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
AMA West Hare Scramble Championship westharescramble.com
Round 6: Oct. 15-16. Boise, Idaho
Round 7: Nov. 5-6. Toutle, Wash.
Round 8: Nov. 19-20. Wilseyville, Calif.
AMA East Hare Scramble Championship amaeastharescrambles.com
Round 7: Sept. 18. Bath, N.Y. Full Action Cycles.
FEATURED EVENTS OR SERIES
AMA Mid East Racing Championship Series mideastracing. com
Round 11: Sept. 17-18. Union, S.C.
Round 12: Oct. 1-2. Woodruff, S.C.
Round 13: Oct. 15-16. TBA.
Round 14: Oct. 29-30. Hickory, N.C.
New York Off-Road Championship Series nyoa.net
Round 9: Sept. 4. Twisted Fence.
Round 10: Sept. 18. Full Action Cycles.
Round 11: Oct. 2. TBA.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
AMA Arizona Off-Road State Championship Series amraracing.com
Round 7: Sept. 17. Page. Rock Stars MC.
Round 8: Nov. 12. Oracle. XMC.
Round 9: Dec. 10. TBA. Off-Camber.
NATIONAL RECREATIONAL
AMA National Adventure Riding Series americanmotorcyclist.com/nationaladventure-riding
Sept. 17-18. Yosemite Dual Sport Adventure. Groveland, Calif. Family Off-Road Adventures. (209) 993-7306. familyoffroadadventures.com
Sept. 24-25. Show Me 200. Bixby, Mo. Midwest Trail Riders Association. (314) 434-5095 ridemtra.com
Sept. 24-25. Big Woods 200. Wabeno, Wis. Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders. (920) 350-2030 widualsportriders.org
Oct. 1-2. Perry Mountain Tower Run. Stanton, Ala. Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club. (334) 327-5086 perrymountainmotorcycleclub.com
Oct. 1-2. Shenandoah 500. Natural Chimneys, Va. Washington Area Trail Riders. watr.us
Oct. 7-9. Eastern Sierra Dual Sport. Lone Pine, Calif. Family Off Road Adventures. (209) 993-7306. familyoffroadadventures.com
Nov. 5-6. The Hammer Run. Port Elizabeth, N.J. Tri-County Sportsmen M.C. Inc. teamhammer.org
Nov. 5-6. Howlin’ at the Moon. Payson, Ariz. Arizona Trail Riders. (602) 692-9382 arizonatrailriders.org
Nov. 25-26. L.A. – Barstow to Vegas. Palmdale, Calif. District 37 Dual Sport. (626) 446-7386 labarstowbegas.com
AMA National Gypsy Tour americanmotorcyclist.com/gypsytour
4 Corners M/C Rally,September 2-4. Durango, CO.
AMA Grand Tours https://americanmotorcyclist.com/ grandtours
Great Lakes Cabot Trail Tour. Jan.15 - Nov. 30. Southern California Motorcycling Association, 330-857-8131, cabottrail@sc-ma.com, sc-ma.com
USA Four Corners Tour. Jan.15 - Nov. 30. Southern California Motorcycling Association, 805-889-5220, usa4c@sc-ma.com, sc-ma.com
Best 15 US Roads Challenge. Jan.15 - Nov. 30. Southern California Motorcycling Association, 330-857-8131, best15us@sc-ma.com, sc-ma.com California Adventure Series. Jan.15 - Nov. 30. Southern California Motorcycling Association, 330-857-8131, adventures@sc-ma.com, sc-ma.com Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas. March 1-Nov. 15. MC Grand Tour of Texas, LLC, 210-777-1434, davidcanada@ mcgttx.com, www.mcgttx.com Tour of Honor. April 1- Nov. 30. Tour of Honor, 208-740-0899, admin@tourofhonor.com, tourofhonor.com.
AMA Trademarks
The following represents active, registered trademarks,trademarks and service marks of American Motorcyclist Association, Inc. (AMA). Usage of any AMA trademark or registered trademark without our permission is prohibited. Please contact jholter@ama-cycle.org for more information or assistance, (800) AMA-JOIN® • AMA Dragbike® •AMA Endurocross® • AMA Motorhead® • AMA Pro Grand National Championship® • AMA Pro Racing® • AMA Race Center™ • AMA Racer® • AMA Racing® • AMA Racing Land Speed Grand Championships® • AMA Supermoto® • AMA Supercross® AMA SX Lites® • AMA U.S. ISDE Team™ • AMA U.S. Jr. Motocross Team™ • AMA U.S. Motocross Team™ Amateur National Motocross Championships® • American Motorcyclist Association® Arenacross® • ATV Hare Scrambles National Championship Series® • ATV Motocross National Championship Series® • Flat Track Grand Championships™ • Grand National Enduro Championship® • Gypsy Tour® Hare & Hound National Championship Series® • Hare Scrambles Championship Series® • Hare Scrambles National Championship Series® • Kids Just Want To Ride® • Motorcycle Hall of Fame® • Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum® • Motorcyclist of the Year® • Motostars® • National Adventure Riding Series® • National Dual-Sport Series® National Enduro Championship Series® • Protect Your Right to Ride® • Protecting Your Right to Ride® • Ride Straight® • Rights. Riding. Racing.® • Road Race Grand Championships® • Vintage Grand Championships® • Vintage Motorcycle Days® • Vote Like A Motorcyclist®
Garage
Tips,Tweaks, Fixes and Facts: The two-wheeled ownership experience, explained
WINDSCREEN BASICS 101
What they’re made of, and how to properly clean and care for them
BY KALI KOTOSKI
What sometimes goes unnoticed and underappreciated in life is often something right in front of your face, and in motorcycling, that rings truer than ever.
Consider for a moment the utilitarian and sometimes stylish marvel that is the motorcycle windscreen…and then consider the science and technology behind these durable plastic designs.
A windshield offers numerous benefits to the motorcyclist: The right design can double your bike’s comfort level on both shorter and (especially) longer rides, with windblast and the accompanying roar that comes with it reduced dramatically. A good windscreen can shield you from rain and snow and other inclement weather. And they can often (though not always) improve the looks of your bike.
But for all their functional benefits, the windscreen/windshield genre
is comprised of typically expensive chunks of plastic that can become damaged and prematurely worn without proper care or maintenance. A less-than-knowledgeable hand can significantly lessen the plastic’s lifespan or turn it so hazy that its purpose is diminished.
Time, then, for a little Windscreen 101.
What plastic is this?
Decades of science have revolutionized plastics and their many applications, with the vast majority of today’s bike-specific screens made of acrylic (often known as Lucite or Plexiglas) or polycarbonate (Lexan). A fun fact is that Lexan was developed for use in space and was the material used for the visor of Neil Armstrong’s helmet when he landed on the moon in 1969.
Boiled down, acrylic is less expensive than polycarbonate, UV resistant, easy to shape and
offers great clarity, though it is more brittle than Lexan and more prone to cracking when worked. Lexan is significantly stronger but more expensive, and while it resists chips and cracking quite well, even when drilled, it dents and scratches more easily (more on this in a bit).
To visually identify what type of plastic your bike’s windscreen has we spoke to CEO and President of National Cycle Barry Willey, who’s been in the windscreen business longer than most of us have been riding motorcycles — and whose company is an OEM supplier to BMW, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha.
Willey explained a simple rule of thumb: “The edge of a clear acrylic windshield is always white or light in color,” he said. “For clear polycarbonate, the edge is always black, or at least grey, because polycarbonate is naturally yellow, and
blue has to be added to it to make it an acceptable color — clear.”
According to Willey, the industry standard for manufacturers is to equip new bikes with a polycarbonate windshield, albeit a cheaper, softer and thus more scratch-prone version of Lexan than National Cycle’s many offerings, which utilize a robust hard-coat for durability and scratch resistance. He added that acrylic is the most widely used plastic in the aftermarket, primarily due to its affordability.
Why know your plastic?
Knowing what plastic your windshield is made of makes a world of difference in terms of care. Cleaning your shield with the wrong cleaner or product can lead to disaster, with nearinstantaneous crazing giving that beautiful clear plastic an ugly and dangerous mist coating. Crazing is a chemical reaction that creates tiny cracks as soon as the errant chemical is applied.
“Consumers need to be really careful with today’s cleaners,” Willey said, “because other chemicals used on the bike, such as a wheel cleaner, can immediately damage the windshield.”
windshields are bad; it’s just something to consider when weighing your investment decision. On the upside, acrylic windshields are easier to keep looking new.
Compared to untempered glass, acrylic is about eight times stronger, with polycarbonate a whopping 200 times stronger. Department of Transportation-approved helmet face shields use polycarbonate, as well as machine-tool safety shields.
“But for manufacturers to keep costs down, they typically don’t hard-coat the Lexan,” Willey said. “And in not doing so, the inevitable static buildup attracts dust and microscopic particles, which will leave
urge to give it a quick dry wipe! What you need here is patience and time and lots and lots of water. Get yourself some liquid dish soap and get the water flowing, ideally at a lukewarm temperature. The key here is to get all the grime to float on the surface, with ample suds and water to eliminate the possibility of any abrasion. This can’t be stressed enough.
Now take a large microfiber towel, the more surface area the better, and wipe it softly dry. It is best to just wipe it down once and completely; don’t keep wiping once it’s dry. And if you’re determined to try some cleaners, follow the DIY golden rule by testing it in a small inconspicuous spot on the windshield first.
The primary guidance for acrylic and polycarbonate windshields is to use products free of alcohol, ammonia and abrasives. Petroleumbased degreasers and alkaline cleaners need to be avoided. Some examples of dangerous windshield chemicals include Windex, Rain-X and Armor All.
“Acrylic windshields are really hard and weather well, Willey said, “but acrylic will still scratch and isn’t as impact resistant as polycarbonate. If something hits it hard enough it can shatter into sharp pieces, which is why manufacturers adopted polycarbonate after the lawyers chased them into it.”
That doesn’t mean acrylic
Polycarbonate and acrylic put to the test...with a baseball bat. Tests show that while acrylic shatters, polycarbonate
very small scratches when wiped off. That is why you can see scratched windshields on the showroom floor if they are not cleaned properly.”
However, polycarbonate with National Cycle’s proprietary Quantum hardcoat creates a state-of-the-art plastic that is said to be 30 times more scratch-resistant than acrylic and can withstand a home run swing with a baseball bat.
So what about cleaning?
Imagine you’ve had a long day of riding and have sacrificed a small army of insects on your windshield, along with dust, dirt and whatever other grimy debris you’ve encountered. Absolutely resist the
But soap and water do the trick surprisingly well; just ask your local car or bike detailer. Who’d have thought that given the myriad chemical products on the market?
Preventative care and upkeep
A primary enemy of any plastic windshield — aside from wonky chemicals and dry wiping — is the sun’s UV rays. In addition, acrylic windshields are prone to developing a haze over time, and even minor scratches can limit visibility. Polycarbonate windscreens can yellow, and eventually the hard-coat can delaminate or flake off.
Willey recommends routinely applying a coat of natural carnauba wax on acrylic or polycarbonate windshields. The wax gives an additional sacrificial layer to the windshield and should be regularly applied. It also prevents oxidization, makes the windshield debris and scratch resistant, and allows water to easily flow off. Remember, though, the wax is for waxing and not to be used as a cleaning agent. Once again, however, test in a small area.
With proper care, Willey said today’s plastic windshields can last over 10 years, making the investment quickly pay for itself.
flexes on impact and remains unscathed.
LEFT (CORNERS) VS. RIGHT
Despite what you often read, the classic outside-inside-outside cornering line of the track is not the smart move on the street
BY MITCH BOEHM
s a frustrated college kid with a hot new sportbike and no racetrack on which to hone my then-rookie-esque cornering skills, I admit to doing what many of us have done through the years in an attempt to achieve that oh-so-special cornering/g-force feeling on our motorcycles: ride way too fast — and take way too many chances — on curvy public roads.
AIt was a simple thing for me, too, as, living in Utah, I had twisty canyon roads right down the street, and made good use of them for several years — though, looking back, it’s a wonder I survived it all.
Me and my friends did that classic Sunday Morning Ride thing as much as we could. Get up early, jump on our bikes, meet at the base of one of the local canyon roads, and then let ’er rip
for a couple hours.
We watched whatever road-racing coverage we could find on Motoworld (remember that show?); we read Twist of the Wrist, and Jeff Karr and Ken Vreeke’s words in Motorcyclist magazine; and we applied what we thought we knew about braking points and body position and the “racing line” on those wonderfully curvy roads as often as we could.
We studied and bought the latest tires (Pirelli Phantoms and Dunlop K291s/391s were the rage at the time), and ooohed and ahhhed over their shredded edges after a fast ride. We dragged our knees and made sure everyone knew it… We were fast and we were good, dammit, and our motto was “get out of the way, rookies” cuz here we come!
And of course, we were total idiots.
Unfortunately, this thinking — that’s it’s smart and acceptable to ride like that on backroads, and to use the classic “racing line” — still gets written about in the bike media on occasion, and as someone who’s done a lot of street riding and road racing over the last 42 years, I can’t figure it out.
I’m not a safety snob by any means, and on occasion — like when I’m riding in the Alps and traffic is light or non-existent, or I’m on some deserted backroad Stateside — I’ll let ’er rip and get the adrenaline flowing. But for most riders in most situations, it ain’t smart.
Right is Right
I get asked a lot about street-riding lines and strategies, and over time I’ve settled on a few basic rules that seem to work pretty well — unless you pitch
STREET SAVVY
it into a corner completely coated with oil or hydraulic fluid, as happened to me one morning on a Carmel, Calif., backroad during a Kawasaki press introduction. But that’s a story for another time.
Boiled down, I look at right- and lefthand corners quite differently on the street, and the reasons for this come down to cars and trucks — where they can be, and what they spew. Obviously, you have no control over where another vehicle will be on the road as it approaches you, and the same holds true for whatever liquid or gravel they’re carrying, or what’s leaking from their powertrain.
Given these factors, my tactics are different, so let’s start with the easier of the two…right-handers. I tend to keep to the inside of the lane on righthanders for obvious reasons. One,
any leaking fluids, or dropped sand or gravel, are likely to be deposited in the middle or left half of the lane thanks to centrifugal force, so staying in the right third keeps you and your tires out of harm’s way.
I find the asphalt on the inside is typically cleaner and grippier, and while entering a right-hander in the left of the lane is workable and gives you a better view of what’s coming at you, moving right as you tip your bike in is in almost all cases the better and safer way to go — especially if an oncoming four-wheeler is cheating over the centerline.
Left is…Well, Left
Left-handers are much trickier. You want to stay to the right of the lane to keep centerline-abusing vehicles
out of your life, but because of that centrifugal force/physics thing, the right of the lane is typically dirtier and greasier than the left. So what to do? My advice is to stay right, slow down a bit, and be extra vigilant on the asphalt-reading and traction-feel side of the equation.
Of course, if you get really good at reading asphalt (and you will with lots of miles and experience), you can still have a ton of fun in left-handers. All of which means being reasonably safe on those curvy road rides — and ignoring the outside-inside-outside racing-like blather in the media — is totally within the realm, and you’ll live to tell your grandkids what a hero you were, too.
Funky in the extreme, the 1970 ATC90 altered the motorcycle universe forever
Precious few vehicles in the powersports space can lay claim to literally altering the axis of the entire industry, but Honda’s fun and funky ATC90 — which debuted in 1970 — is a shoe-in.
Designed by an R&D team headed by engineer Osamu Takeughi, the US90 (the unit’s original name before the ATC moniker was trademarked) resulted from an innocuous, shot-inthe-dark request from Honda Japan upper management in 1967 that said, basically, come up with something for upper-tier North American dealers to sell during the winter months — motorcycle sales slowing to a crawl during that time.
Take’s team developed all sorts of non-traditional wheeled and tracked vehicles over the coming months, but not until American Honda sent him the balloon-type wheels and tires from a U.S.-built Amphicat sixwheeler did Take’s three-wheeled concept make the jump to lightspeed
— or mudspeed — and morph into the machine that would become the ATC90.
From there it was full speed ahead, the team replacing the prototype’s 70cc engine with Honda’s 90cc unit for more down-low and midrange power (better for sand and mud) and doing tons of testing on those surfaces both here and in Japan to be sure performance was up to par.
It’s weird looking back with 20-20 hindsight, but Honda bosses were considerably unsure about the ATC and its chances for sales success, and insisted on keeping production costs as low as possible in case of a failure. Dealers were skeptical, too, and understandably so. This was, after all, a totally unknown and untapped market.
Of course, we all know what happened next. Despite only mediocre sales in the first year or two, the ATC90 — and its 70cc and 110cc variants that came later —
exploded in popularity during the 1970s, creating an entirely new market that would become the billiondollar segment we now know as the ATV/UTV industry.
Stay tuned for a full-on ATC90 feature story in an upcoming issue. It’s good stuff! — Mitch Boehm
Inspiration for the ATC’s balloon tires came from the AmphiCat 6-wheeler.
