Motorcycling
history, personalities will take center
stage at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
AMA Press Release
All About Bikes AMA
The American Motorcyclist Association
Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 24-26 at
the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in
Lexington, Ohio, offers a destination
this summer where fans of motorcycling
can get up close and personal with the
people who have shaped the sport and
industry into one of America's favorite
pastimes.
"For those who can't get enough of
motorcycles, motorcyclists and the
motorcycle lifestyle, the seminar
program at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
can't be missed," said AMA Special
Events Manager Tigra Tsujikawa. "Whether
you're interested in technical info from
the top authorities in a particular
field, or want to meet the brains behind
significant machines from years past,
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will satisfy
your appetite."
The seminar lineup this year highlights
the contributions of individuals
connected to BSA, which is the 2009 AMA
Vintage Motorcycle Days Marque of the
Year, plus Honda's groundbreaking CB750,
which is celebrated by one of this
year's Classic Clubs, the Sandcast Only
Owner's Club (SOOC). In addition to a
display of BSAs under the Marque of the
Year tent, the SOOC, and the
International CBX Owners Association,
will have their own display tents at the
event, as well.
The attractions begin with AMA Vintage
Motorcycle Days Grand Marshal and AMA
Motorcycle Hall of Famer Don Emde, who
grew up riding and racing BSA
motorcycles. Emde will be on hand for
discussions and autograph signings all
weekend. Emde also will take to the
track, riding classic BSA motorcycles
during mid-day breaks in the vintage
road racing on the Mid-Ohio track.
A BSA seminar focusing on the brand's
racing success will also be a big draw.
It will feature four of the top-five
finishers of the 1954 Daytona 200 that
cemented BSA's reputation as a racing
breed. That year, BSAs swept the top
five spots in the historic race. On hand
will be Ken Eggers, Bobby Hill, Dick
Klamfoth and Tommy McDermott. Moto Retro
Illustrated Editor Mitch Boehm will
moderate the discussion.
CB750 Honda fans will be in for a huge
treat at "Birth of the First Superbike,
the Honda CB750KO," where Mark McGrew
and Robert Jameson will detail the
developments that led to the
introduction of this pioneering
motorcycle that many contend established
the inline-four as the de-facto standard
in the sportbike market.
Also for the Sandcast crowd, noted
restorer Vic World will offer valuable
tips and inside advice at "Restoring
Honda's Sandcast CB750." If you have
plans of restoring one of these
significant models on your own, or just
want to learn more about the bike from
someone who has possibly rebuilt more
examples than anyone else on the planet,
don't miss it.
Those interested in the history of women
in motorcycling will certainly be drawn
to Cristine Sommer-Simmons' talk based
on her new book, "The American
Motorcycle Girls: 1900 to 1950." Sommer-Simmons
will reflect on well-known women riders,
such as Dot Robinson and Bessie
Stringfield, and also relatively unknown
women riders who nevertheless have great
stories to tell. A book signing also
will be available after this seminar.
Of course, not all seminars are tied to
a particular marque or model -- or even
focus on the past. Longtime industry
innovator Craig Vetter will be on hand
to discuss the next generation of
motorcycle streamlining and fuel economy
in "The Future of Streamlining and
Motorcycle Design."
Other seminars will include "Finding the
Motorcycle of Your Youth: A Great Memory
or Possibly a Case of Amnesia" by David
Hellard; "Building the Vincati: Tips and
Stories from Six Decades of Wrenching"
by Matthew and Sid Biberman; "The Last
BSA: The Triumph Hurricane" by Vetter;
and "Triumph Technicalities" by John
Healy and Don Hutchinson.
For seminar location and detailed
schedule information, log onto
AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com .
The Phoney War on Bikie Gangs
- The Monthly
(subscription) - ‘Robbie', an
Adelaide-based member of the Finks
Motorcycle Club, got a new tattoo to
celebrate the South Australian
government's war on bikies. He now has
the word ‘Finks' emblazoned across his
throat in bold green type. It was an
indescribably painful process, but
Robbie, a 25-year veteran of the club,
endured it for what the tattoo
symbolises. He is not going to hide
away, nor submit to the labels anybody
else might give him. He has a criminal
record and has done time, but he refuses
to be typecast as a criminal. He
operates on a different plane
altogether, willing to do some short
jail terms in order to maintain a life
of medieval-style knight errantry. If
they send him back to prison, it will
just give him more time to master the
Navajo flute, which he has been learning
to play.
At the same time, Robbie's new tattoo
sends a message to his club mates. Their
membership is not something they can
wear, like a suit or a piece of
jewellery, then put away in the cupboard
when it's inconvenient. It's not an
image that can be used to intimidate
weaker beings for personal gain. It's a
commitment, one for which a member must
be prepared to sacrifice his liberty,
and possibly even his life.
The strength of that commitment will
soon be tested. The South Australian
premier, Mike Rann, has just enacted
what he calls the toughest anti-bikie
laws in the world - which would suggest
that the state is in the grip of some
major bikie activity. Rann has said that
his Serious and Organised Crime
legislation was partly inspired by the
commonwealth government's anti-terrorism
laws, enacted after the London and
Madrid bombings. In reality, it gives
the police what they have always wanted:
a lower burden of proof, making it
easier to get convictions for offences
already covered by existing laws.
The new law provides that the state's
attorney-general, acting on advice from
the police, can declare any group of
people a criminal gang and then prohibit
members from associating with each
other, through the use of control
orders. If the members meet or
communicate six times in a year, they
will face up to five years in jail.
There will be no review or judicial
appeal, nor can the clubs or individuals
gain access to the intelligence on which
the control order is based.
In a legal first for an Australian
state, the police will also be able to
ban the wearing of insignia in public if
it deems that community safety is
compromised. This amounts to a legally
enforceable dress code. And to enforce
it, the police will only have to satisfy
a "balance of probabilities", rather
than prove their allegations beyond
reasonable doubt. South Australia's
attorney-general, Michael Atkinson, has
proudly described this as "a social
experiment" and branded his state "a
laboratory" for others to observe in
their own struggles with bikies.
Remarkably, the director of public
prosecutions, Stephen Pallaras, QC, has
told the Adelaide media that the new
legislation doesn't go far enough. "Why
do we tolerate [the clubs'] existence?"
he said. The answer is that their
existence is still legal, at least until
1 July, when the new law comes into
force. The organisations' clubhouses are
set up in accordance with council
by-laws; their members are subject to
the same legal framework as any other
citizens. Over nearly four years of
monitoring the media coverage of bikies,
I have read on numerous occasions the
phrase ‘outlawed motorcycle gangs', as
if the clubs were already proscribed.
They are not.
Premier Rann has said that the old laws
were not sufficient. The bikies have
been able to thwart police by hiring the
best lawyers in town - hence the
lowering of the evidentiary hurdles.
This reinforces the popular belief that
bikie gangs have become a new kind of
organised crime, pursuing anarchic goals
while cleverly working the legal
political system to their advantage. In
reality, there are no legal precedents
in Australia to suggest that these clubs
are set up for the purpose of criminal
activity. Their hierarchies are not
structured to facilitate crime, as they
would be in dedicated drug syndicates.
No club stipulates that members must
have a criminal record or commit an
offence to join. It would be ridiculous
to suggest there aren't criminals
involved - there are accomplished
villains in most chapters - but it's
equally fatuous to maintain, as South
Australian authorities have, that the
motorcycle is a mere prop, a cover.
Illegal activities tend to be
decentralised, carried out in groups of
two or three members and often with
accomplices from outside the club. The
uneven distribution of wealth among club
members is ample evidence of that. At
most, clubs provide a permeable membrane
through which criminals can pass back
and forth, enlisting hard men to resolve
their business disputes.
Motorcycle flips, injuring rider
-
Leader-Telegram - BUFFALO CITY -
A Buffalo County man was transported to
Winona Area Hospital after flipping his
motorcycle near the Wisconsin-Minnesota
border Friday evening.
Timothy Dahl, 38, of Buffalo City lost
control while driving through a curve on
Highway OO just north of Buffalo City in
Buffalo County. His 2007 Harley Davidson
flipped as he skidded.
The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department,
which responded to the accident,
reported Dahl, who was traveling alone,
was transported to the hospital with
unknown injuries. Investigators believe
speed played a role in the crash.
The Tri-Community Fire Department and
Scenic Valley Ambulance assisted.
Popular Irish road racer killed at
Walderstown -
Visordown.com -
A POPULAR IRISH racer has been killed
during practice for Northern Ireland's
annual Walderstown road races in Co
Westmeath.
Reports say Andrew Neill, 27, from
Newmills in Co Tyrone, was killed when
he came off the track and collided with
a tree during practice for the 125cc
race.
Event organisers, the Fore Motor Cycle
Club Ltd, abandoned the race following
the crash. Sources say an investigation
is already under way.
Another rider was also seriously injured
during the incident.
Mr Neill's former team-mate, Mark Young,
died in a crash during the opening race
of the North West 200 earlier this year.
Both men had competed for the D&G Wray
Racing team.
A spokesman for Fore Motorcycle Racing
Club said he could not comment because
the accident was already under
investigation.
Bikers ride to raise cash for crash
victims -
Staunton News
Leader - STAUNTON — Local rider
Nelson Graybill doesn't know why there
is such a tight bond among
motorcyclists, but he said he feels it's
his duty to help a fellow rider even if
he doesn't personally know them.
"If something ever happens to another
rider, I'll be there to help," he said.
"It's just the way it is."
Graybill was one of dozens of riders who
helped raise more than $1,000 Sunday
during a benefit "poker run" to help
four riders who were involved in a May
30 collision when a vehicle hit them in
West Augusta. Sunday's event at
Shenandoah Harley-Davidson, which
featured a $10 entry fee, a raffle and
other ways to donate, took the riders
across the area collecting cards at
designated locations to see who could
get the best poker hand.
Organizer Jackie Duff, who is friends
with many of those hurt in the
collision, said she wanted to help the
riders with medical bills and other
expenses related to the incident.
"This is just our way to help," she
said. "(Motorcyclists) are just like a
big family, and if we see a biker down,
we are going to be there."
Duff added the event is a way to battle
some negative stereotypes of
motorcyclists by showcasing the positive
aspects the group brings to the
community.
"Some people just have some bad view
about us because of some groups they
heard about," she said. "But we are just
normal people. We have doctors, lawyers
and people from all walks of life out
here today."
Highlighting the need for some of the
events to benefit downed riders, less
than an hour before the event began, a
crash involving a motorcycle occurred on
Lee Jackson Highway, not far from the
Shenandoah Harley-Davidson. Several of
the riders, who would later take part in
the poker run, gathered at the scene of
the crash that sent a motorcyclist to
the hospital after police say a driver
of a car failed to yield the
right-of-way and struck the motorcycle.
Bob Ladd, owner of the store, said the
crash is a sobering reminder of why
riders need to help raise awareness of
traffic safety and be there for each
other when something goes wrong.
Oak Park man in hospital after crash
- St. Cloud
Times - A 53-year-old Oak Park
man was listed in critical condition
Sunday after the motorcycle he was
riding collided with a vehicle on
Minnesota Highway 27 in Wahkon in Mille
Lacs County.
Paul Lazorik was westbound at about 4:30
a.m. Saturday and collided with an
eastbound vehicle driven by Yu-Lan
Robbins, 59, of Brooklyn Center,
according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Robbins was treated and released for
injuries sustained in the crash. A
passenger in Robbins’ vehicle, Kelvin E.
Schultz, 53, of Isle, received minor
injuries, according to the state patrol.
Man injured in motorcycle crash dies
- Eagle Tribune -
HUDSON, N.H. — The 55-year-old Pelham,
N.H., man whose motorcycle was hit by an
elderly driver on Saturday afternoon
died in a Boston hospital yesterday
morning.
Richard Kelley was not wearing a helmet
when his 2005 Harley-Davidson was struck
by Harrison Smith, 88, of Hudson on
Route 102 just before 3 p.m. Saturday.
Kelley was taken by medical helicopter
to Brigham and Women's Hospital in
Boston, where he died at 5:30 a.m.
yesterday, according to a hospital
spokesman.
Smith was driving north on Route 102 in
his 2005 Toyota Prius and was waiting to
make a left turn on Page Road just
before he struck Kelley, who was
traveling south.
But Smith made the left-hand turn before
confirming that traffic was stopped and
it was safe to turn, police said.
Kelley's motorcycle struck the passenger
side door of Smith's car.
Smith was not injured and was wearing a
seat belt at the time of the crash,
according to police.
Kelley was first transported to Southern
New Hampshire Regional Medical Center in
Nashua before being airlifted to Brigham
and Women's Hospital.
Sgt. Michael Gosselin said yesterday the
Hudson police accident reconstruction
team is still investigating the crash
and will determine what charges, if any,
to file against Smith.
Smith did not return a phone call
seeking comment.
Wreck seriously injures motorcyclist
- St. Joseph
News-Press - HELENA, Mo. — An
Andrew County man suffered serious
injuries Saturday afternoon when his
motorcycle overturned in rural Andrew
County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said
Ricky R. Lisenbee, 55, of Rosendale,
Mo., was taken to Heartland Regional
Medical Center in St. Joseph. A nursing
supervisor said Mr. Lisenbee was listed
in stable condition Sunday night.
The patrol’s report said the crash
occurred at 1:30 p.m., on Missouri Route
V, three miles west of Helena, Mo.
Mr. Lisenbee — driving a 2008
Harley-Davidson motorcycle west on the
highway — drove off the right side and
overturned several times, ejecting him.
The motorcycle landed on the right side
of the roadway along with Mr. Lisenbee,
who was wearing a helmet.
Motorcyclist dies following crash
- NH Primary -
HUDSON – A 55-year Pelham man died early
Sunday morning after the motorcycle he
was driving collided with a car on Route
102 near Page Road on Saturday
afternoon.
Police said Richard Kelley died at
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston,
where he was airlifted after the
accident.
Kelley was traveling south on Route 102
on a 2005 Harley Davidson around 3
Saturday afternoon when he collided with
a 2005 Toyota Prius, police said. Kelley
was not wearing a helmet.
Police said the driver of the Prius –
88-year-old Harrison Smith, of Hudson –
was traveling north on Route 102 and
began taking a left turn onto Page Road
before the flow of traffic on the
opposite side stopped, police said.
The motorcycle struck the passenger door
side of the Prius, police said. Smith
was wearing a safety belt and was not
injured.
Kelley was initially taken to Southern
New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua
before he was airlifted to Boston.
The collision is still being
investigated and no arrests have been
made, police said.
This was the second accident involving a
motorcycle in two days.
On Friday afternoon, 23-year-old
Christopher Farrar, of Nashua, crashed
his 2007 Honda CBR-1000 when he tried to
avoid a car that was making a turn on
Ferry Street, police said.
Farrar drove off the paved portion of
the road and crashed, police said.
He was not wearing a helmet, and
suffered minor injuries, police said.
Farrar refused medical treatment, police
said.
Motorcyclist, 75, killed in
Laporte-area crash -
Williamsport
Sun-Gazette - LAPORTE - Wesley L.
Mann, 75, of Laporte was killed late
Sunday morning when he lost control of
his motorcycle and crashed on Route 487,
a half a mile north of Ricketts Glen
State Park in Colley Township, according
to state police.
Mann's southbound cycle struck a guide
rail twice before it and Mann skidded
several feet on the highway about 11:40
a.m., police said.
Sullivan County Coroner Wendy Hastings
pronounced the cyclist, who was wearing
a helmet, dead at the scene.
Mildred Volunteer firefighters also
responded to the crash.
Amity Township motorcyclist killed in
Adams County crash -
Reading Eagle -
Michael E. Levan, 52, was killed in the
1 a.m. crash in Menallen Township,
troopers said.
Officials in the Adams County coroner's
office were not available Sunday for
further information about the death.
Investigators gave this account:
Levan was riding north on Carlisle Road
when he lost control of his motorcycle
on a right curve.
The cycle crashed into the guy wire of a
utility pole and threw Levan.
Levan was not wearing a helmet.
An investigation is continuing.
Motorcyclist dies from injuries
following Tuesday wreck -
Online Athens -
An Athens man died this morning from
injuries he suffered after he wrecked
his motorcycle Tuesday night on Atlanta
Highway, Athens-Clarke police said.
Ronald Ernest Smith, 48, was in critical
condition following the 10:30 p.m.
wreck, and doctors placed him on life
support at Athens Regional Medical
Center, according to police.
Smith was driving a 2005 Kawasaki
motorcycle Tuesday west on Atlanta
Highway in a lane that becomes part of
Epps Bridge Parkway, when he lost
control, hit a curb and wrecked, police
said.
Gear up for motorcycle ride benefit
- Nashua
Telegraph - MERRIMACK – At 16
years old, Hollis/Brookline High School
student Nick Jennings was known for his
enjoyment of sports, school spirit,
skills in art, improvisational humor and
musical abilities. Jennings lived life
to the fullest, and his motto, “Life is
short, ride hard,” is carried on in an
annual scholarship and memorial
motorcycle ride in his name.
Now in its fifth year, the Nicholas
“Nick” Jennings Memorial Scholarship
Ride, held in memory of Jennings who was
killed in a 2004 automobile accident,
will round up local motorcycle
enthusiasts at Nashua Harley Davidson in
Merrimack on Saturday, July 25, for a
ride that leaves the dealership at 9:45
a.m. Bikers return to the dealership at
3:30 p.m. and will enjoy music, food and
raffles.
The motorcycle ride raises fund for an
annual scholarship that Jennings’ family
awards to local high school students. As
Harley enthusiasts, they approached
Nashua Harley Davidson, who readily
agreed to participate and support the
ride.
“Over the past four years, the
scholarship fund continues to grow, and
it gives us great hope that the fund
will become perpetual to benefit
Hollis/Brookline High School and Nashua
High School South students,” said
Melissa Beth Jennings-Nutter, Jennings’
older sister.
This it the first year that Nashua high
school students were invited to apply
for the scholarship, and it is the
family’s hope that the fund will grown
and encompass opportunities for students
in surrounding towns as well.
This year, the Nicholas Jennings
Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded two
$1,000 scholarships. To date, 13
individuals have received $1,000
scholarships.
“I find it gratifying and very
fulfilling to be able to see other
children succeed in Nick’s memory,” said
David Jennings, Jennings’ father. “It
gives me great pride to see the entire
Memorial ride come to fruition. That is
what helps me deal with my loss and
grief.”
Registration forms for the ride can be
downloaded at
http://lifesshortridehard.com and
brought on the day of the event from
8:30-9:30 a.m. The entry fee is $30 per
rider, and $5 per passenger. Checks
should be made payable to “Nicholas
Jennings Memorial Fund.” A rain date of
Aug. 22 has been schedule in the event
of inclement weather.
The first 100 registrants will receive a
free T-shirt, but all participants will
be offered a 15 percent discount off of
regularly priced motorcycle apparel and
parts at the dealership.
For those who wish to contribute to the
memorial scholarship fund but cannot
participate in the event, checks may be
mailed to Dave Jennings, 14 Clinton
Drive, Hollis, NH 03049.
Nashua Harley Davidson is at 717 Route
101A in Merrimack. For more information
or to register, visit
http://lifesshortridehard.com .
Bikers Ride in to Church -
WDTV -
Motorcycle enthusiasts gathered at Jewel
City Church for a worship service and
afternoon bike ride.
The church is celebrating its 9th annual
Biker Weekend.
On Saturday, the church had a car show
and charity motorcycle ride to benefit
St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
On Sunday, Sr. Pastor Robert Shingleton
rode on stage in a Harley Davidson
Motorcycle during their Sunday worship
service. An afternoon lunch gathering
and ride immediately followed.
"I've ridden motorcycles most of my
life," said Shingleton. "God just gave
me the desire to reach out and have a
special day every Sunday for bikers.
Fatal motorcycle accident in
Georgtown kills man -
WHAS 11.com
(subscription) - One man is dead
after a motorcycle accident in
Georgetown, Indiana.
Police say it happened just after 7:00
p.m. Sunday in the 2500 block of
Georgetown-Greenville Road.
Police say 54-year-old John Cibulka, of
Georgetown, lost control of his
motorcycle, crossed the center line of
the road and struck a car.
The driver of the car and his passenger
were not injured.
Police say Cibulka was not wearing a
helmet.
Deer Jumps In Front Of Motorcyclist
- NBC4i.com -
A Rarden, Ohio man suffered severe head
injuries Sunday afternoon after he was
thrown off his motorcycle after
colliding with a deer on Southbound U.S.
23 on the southeast side of Chillicothe.
The Highway Patrol gave the driver’s
name as Freddie Reedy, 54. The mishap
was called in around 3:30 pm as a group
of motorcyclists riding separately from
Reedy came upon the accident scene
within a minute or so of the collision.
The deer was dead. The motorcycle bore
evidence of the collision and both the
cycle and its rider were 455 feet
further down the road at a concrete
bridge. Reedy, who was not wearing a
helmet, had suffered head injuries. The
motorcyclists included medics who
treated Reedy before an ambulance
arrived. He was taken to Adena Hospital
then life-flighted to OSU Main. The
injuries were described as
life-threatening.
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