Everything is the same, the winners still ride Harleys, and there is a hard core of fans who follow the races like camp followers of the Roman Legions. The fans know all the riders, all their stats, their won loss record and their favorite color. And this fantastic form of racing, America’s most exciting motor sport is still almost an underground event. Television covers it grudgingly, radio ignores it, and the Youtube videos are all old. Does that mean Flat Track is dead? No, it’s just either ahead of, or behind its time. Back in the day, Grand National Flat Track racing was the biggest sport around and on any given Sunday you could go watch a motorcycle flat track race when the thoroughbreds weren’t running. It was a wonderful spectacle with high school bands and bunting on the rails. And it was OUR kind of racing, American Yankee motor racing.

Nowadays for some folks, European style motocross and grand prix road racing has replaced the popularity of flat track. But not for yours truly, and not for the fanatical folks at Springfield.

After the H.O.G. article is printed and sent out, I’ll include it here on this blog.

What’s happening, is that I’m a motorcycle instructor for the Armed
Forces, and right now I’m working at Ft. Hood, Killeen, Texas. And I
gotta tell ya’, I really really love it.

I work for Cape Fox Inc., which has the contract to teach Motorcycle
safety to all of America’s military, and Ft. Hood is their biggest
facility; we teach 350 soldiers a month.

The classes we teach are: Basic Rider Course, Experienced Rider Course,
Military Refresher Course, (This is our own curriculum developed for
soldiers just returning from deployment) and Sportbike Course.

It’s a wonderful feeling to contribute to the safety of these kids, and
they’re all great kids. They’re intelligent, witty, dedicated, educated,
and their physical skills are razor sharp. It’s astounding to watch
these men return from the mountains of Afghanistan where they’re
hunters/hunted, and transfer their skills and awareness to the dangers
of riding on America’s streets. They’re WAY sharper than civilian
students. It’s the difference between teaching guard dog training to a
lean and wary wolf from the wilds, and a fat lapdog poodle.

For the first month or so, my ego got in the way of understanding what I
was doing for these soldiers. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this; that it
was a “come down” from being a motorcycle magazine jock. For twenty five
years, I’ve enjoyed the lofty position of Motor Journalist, and being
an insider into the industry. My cell phone contains the speed dial
numbers of such legends as Arlen Ness, Dave Perewitz, Donnie Smith, and
Willie G. Davidson. When I left a voice mail with any level of OEM
management, whether it be Honda, Kawasaki, Ducati, et al, they called
back immediately.

I’ve spent a couple of days with Jay Leno, ridden with Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Ann Margaret, and dozens of other celebrities. Rode to
Sturgis and Daytona Bike Week for 30 years in a row. I criss crossed
America 35 times by motorcycle, and rode through 31 foreign countries.
But that comes with the territory of being a motorcycle journalist,
everybody on the Cycle World staff has done the same, and it’s heady
stuff. Best of all, I was a writer, and enjoyed basking in the glow of
knowing that hundreds of thousands of people were devouring my deathless
prose. Even now I still get wonderful letters from people who have just
discovered an article I did five or ten years ago, and they tell me how
much they enjoyed it. That’s wonderful and I cherish those letters. I’m
deeply proud of my contribution to motorcycling as a journalist. And
yet, I knew I was a cog in the great marketing effort of motorcycling.
Yes, I met wonderful people and had a great time. But looking back, I
was viewing the motorcycle world from atop Mt. Olympus.

But not now. Everyday I get down in the trenches with these young men
and women who have just returned from serving our country. I have the
honor of spending all day with my heroes, people who have put it on the
line for our country. It’s and edgy thing teaching a class with the
‘crump’ of artillery in the distance, and Apache helicopters roaring
overhead. Geez, but I love it.

The students are eager to learn, they have some hazardous duty pay in
their pocket to go out and buy their first motorcycle and take off on it
for their four week furlough. And they’re looking to we instructors to
show them how to do it. In many cases, everything they know about
motorcycles will come from we instructors, and we take it dead nuts
serious. And because of my writing career, I feel like I have a lot to
offer.

So, there you have it. Please forgive me for not writing more and
sooner. I shall do better in the future.

All my best to you,
Beau

——————————————————————-

I was visiting the Sturgis National Cemetery for the last time this year and I noticed a man just sitting on his Heritage Softail, looking out over this field of valor. The light was perfect and I asked if I might make his picture. He politely and quietly said, ‘sure, I’d like that.’

I introduced myself and he said his name was Wolf. That’s it, just Wolf. I asked if I might have his name for this dispatch, and he quietly said, “no,” And that was that.

He told me that he was from Boston and that he rode all the out here to Sturgis for his trip of a lifetime. From here he would go to the West Coast, ride down hiway one, then back home to Boston. He didn’t know how long he’d be gone, he was just riding.

He was camping close by and he told me that, “I’ve come here every evening just to thank these people for their sacrifice. I owe them,” he said. He told me that he had been a Marine and that he was proud of that. He had joined The Corps during the Viet Nam war, but by the time he was through with training, the fighting was over. He said it in a measured matter-of-fact way that bespoke neither regret nor apology. He told me that his time in the Corps was spent “cleaning up some messes,” around the world. I have no idea what he meant, but I could tell that I had heard all I was going to hear about that.

He only spoke to answer my questions, otherwise he was content to watch with amusement, my working with the camera and trying to catch the light. But mostly he just sat quietly and looked out over the field.

When he did speak first, it was to ask if I might get a picture of him with the United States Marine Corps flag in the background. I told him I’d sure try, and we got some more shots of him and the flag.

After I was done shooting, I gave him some of my cards and told him I’d be honored to send him some prints of this session. He quietly took the cards and gently said, “Why, thank you, that would be nice.” This quiet man is the most genuine biker I met here at Sturgis. He has seen much, he has done much, and he rides far and alone.

I hope I hear from him.

Godspeed Wolf.

Official wording:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has voted to stay enforcement of a lead law that currently bans the sale of youth-model motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The stay, which extends through May 1, 2011, follows a unanimous vote by Acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas Moore.

The AMA Government Relations Department is currently examining the 25-page Stay of Enforcement document and will issue more details shortly. It can be viewed by clicking here.

Moreland added that nearly 80,000 AMA and ATVA (All-Terrain Vehicle Association) members contacted their lawmakers and the CPSC to let them know how they feel. “I’m convinced this helped shape Chairman Nord’s and Commissioner Moore’s decision to support a moratorium on enforcing the lead law,” he said.

“Motorcyclists and ATV riders need to let the Congress know that we are concerned about the law, and that we want kids’ OHVs excluded from the law,” said Moreland. “We need to continue to let our decision-makers know how we feel.”

Flat Track Racing

So, I’m going to a race this year. It will be one of the AMA biggies, and here’s the schedule for this year’s Hole Shot Series. See you there.

AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships Holeshot Series
For more detailed event schedule information, please contact the promoters

May 2: Short Track, TT
May 3: Short Track
Crooked Creek Raceway
Little Rock, Ark.
Steve Nace Racing
(270) 442-7532
snace@apex.net
www.stevenaceracing.com

May 9: Fayette County Fairgrounds, Brownstown, Ill., TT, Short Track
May 10: Bond County Fairgrounds, Greenville, Ill., Half-mile
Steve Nace Racing
(270) 442-7532
snace@apex.net
www.stevenaceracing.com

May 22: Half-mile
May 23: TT
May 24: Short Track
Eddieville Motorsports Park, Goldendale, Wash.
Mark Anderson
(509) 990-4854
mark@diamondamotorsports.com
www.diamondamotorsports.com

May 22: Short Track
May 23: Half-mile
May 24: TT
Lenawee County Fairgrounds, Adrian, Mich.
Boulis Racing
Ethel Boulis
(810) 686-7083

May 24: Shippensburg Speedway, Shippensburg, Pa., TT, Short Track
May 25: York Fairgrounds, York, Pa., Half-mile
Shippensburg MC
Darryl Baer
(717) 796-0294
candybaer@comcast.net

May 29: Short Track
May 30: TT
Salinas Sports Complex, Salinas, Calif.
California Motorsport Promotions
Jim Beck
(831) 970-3055
jimbeck72@yahoo.com
www.californiamotorsportpromotions.com

May 30: Short Track
May 31: TT
Jackpine Gypsies Short Track, Sturgis, S.D.
Jackpine Gypsies MC
Pat Schieffer
(605) 347-6374 or (605) 490-3222
racerboy62y@hotmail.com
www.jackpinegypsies.com

June 6: Half-mile
June 7: Half-mile
Pickaway County Fairgrounds, Circleville, Ohio
Keene Racing LLC
Thomas Keene
(937) 432-9515
pquik@aol.com
http://keeneracing.blogspot.com

I asked her if she’d mind posing on a Harley for me and she said, “sure, I’d love to.” I asked the bike owner if he’d mind if she sat on his bike, and of course he was delighted. I snapped a few shots and that was that. This one photo of her captured her personality perfectly.

I wonder how she’s doing these days. I hope she’s well and happy.

Sulkowsky rode around the world on a Harley-Davidson and sidecar. Not a big deal as things go these days, but he did it in the eight year span of eight years from 1928 to 1936! Consider that for a moment. Mostly dirt roads, mostly hostile countries. “They experienced the riches of sultans, witnessed primitive cultures and extreme poverty in remote villages, traveled through wilderness with the ever-present danger of wild animals and bands of outlaws, and traversed roads of all descriptions. They dealt with mud, sand, unbearable heat, bitter cold, and rivers where the motorcycle had to be taken apart to cross in a small boat. They forged roads where no roads had existed and brought a whiff of exhaust-scented civilization to people who had never before seen a motor vehicle.”

Did I mention that he did this on a Harley? And did I mention that Mr. Sulkowsky was from Hungary? He started and ended his journey from his home town of Budapest.

This is a beautiful book of motorcycling adventure when riding a motorcycle and travel was truly an adventure, and I recommend it highly.

To find it, go to www.whitehorsepress.com.

P.S. Wordpress won’t let me put this picture in my comments but I can post it here:

The last public appearance of Evel Knievel in Daytona Beach

This is from the Cycle World web cite:
To protest the ridiculousness of the CPSC’s ruling, Smith, many of the now-famous riders he inspired, and hundreds of fans and friends gathered last Thursday at his dealership, Malcolm Smith Motorsports in Riverside, California. As Smith tells it, he was standing in the store (recently named a Top 100 Dealer in the nation by Dealernews magazine) when a mom came into purchase a minibike for her child, “So the whole family can ride in the desert together,” she said.

Smith then found himself explaining to the woman how a law enacted to set ingestible lead-content levels in toys had been applied to child-size motorcycles, ATVs, parts, accessories and safety equipment—despite the fact that vehicle components that contain lead are nearly impossible to ingest!

“At that moment, I had had enough,” Smith said.

Out of this frustration, Smith and friends swung into action. To highlight the unfairness of the law’s interpretation, to draw attention to the ill effect it is having on motorcycle dealerships across the nation, they staged an act of civil disobedience. Smith simply sold two motorcycles and one ATV banned by the law.
One customer was multi-time Motocross, Supercross and most recently Supermoto champion Jeff Ward, who purchased a minibike for his son. Troy Lee, pioneering designer who brought custom-painted helmets to the peak of popularity, also bought a minibike for his son. The final purchase was by Bud Feldkamp, former race partner of Smith’s and owner of Glen Helen Raceway in nearby San Bernardino, who took home an ATV for his grandchildren.

Other supporters on hand included Supercross champ Jeremy McGrath, multi-time Baja winner Johnny Campbell, multi-decade-spanning off-road champion Scot Harden, Pro Circuit honcho Mitch Payton, and hundreds of other enthusiasts—all braved the 91 Freeway traffic to show their support.

So how is this law enforced, and what might the consequence be for breaking it? It is a bit of a mystery. As of yet, Smith has not been contacted by any member of law enforcement. Online research shows that a dealer can be fined $100,000 for every violation of the law, meaning Smith could be facing up to $300,000 in fines. But at this point, the legal repercussions of these actions are unknown.

What’s next? We don’t want to give it away, but Smith says he is planning a modern version of the Boston Tea Party. Stay tuned. More immediately, Smith says he is heading to Baja to enjoy the sport he inspired so many to try—and is now fighting for, to give even more the opportunity to experience the freedom that is motorcycling.

For a couple of months now, I’ve been watching reruns of Two and a Half men Starring Charlie Sheen. I’ve been recording the shows on my DVR and watching them two at a time after my wife goes to bed. And lately, I’ve noticed something strange at the very end of the credit roll—a full screen of text, about 300 words, but which only stays on the TV screen for about a half second way to fast to read.

Well, for a while I thought it was some sort of network disclaimer, you know the type, where the producers say they comply with at least a couple codicils of the Screen Actor Guild, only a couple animals were hurt in production, and the show only portrays fictional characters or real people that nobody likes and yadda yadda. But I got curious, I wanted to read it and after a few failed attempts I paused the DVR at the text screen. What a revelation! These are no boilerplate legal sludge drippings, each one is a precious jewel of an essay! I read the first one and was transfixed. I had found the modern Rosetta Stone!

No wonder they disappeared from the screen so quickly—they were rants. Manly rants. Rants against the universe, the state of mankind, rants against the networks, unions, mothers-in-law literary agents, psychiatry and power tools. They are treatises on how to deal with duplicity; how to create duplicity, where Darwin and Machiavelli got it wrong—and right, and the effect of the Peloponnesian wars on ’57 Chevy tailfins. They explain things like…well, what Britney Spears lyrics actually mean; why John Wayne walked that way and were Leo Fender and Les Paul space aliens bent on civil destruction?

Everything a man needs to know to survive in this post modern, post common sense, post 9-11 pre-apocalyptic world is right there on the screen.

When I read the first one it was like a secret portal of knowledge had opened up. After reading ten of them I found myself walking more upright with a new spring in my step and more fearless of what lay outside my front door. I find that nothing is a mystery to me anymore, and I have a piercing insight into all situations. All is clarity

Now, I don’t think anybody else in America reads these screeds judging from the way they voted in the last election and as screwed up as the government is. So be it. This will be our secret, just myself and you who read this blog. Let us drink from this beautiful cup of knowledge for six months. Then, we’ll all meet at a shopping mall in Nebraska. Our combined intelligence will enhance each other exponentially. Then, we’ll make our plans of conquest and by this time next year we’ll rule the world.

I can’t wait.

Screen

Back in the seventies under the Carter administration which included National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s head idiot cum chairperson Joan Claybrook, when they wanted to screw with us, they did it with safety numbers concerning crashes, alcohol use and speeding. Their proposed measures, which included the mandatory use of motorcycle seatbelts, (I actually saw some) helmets, the cursed 55mph law, and training wheels, mostly died of derision. They were laughed to death.

But now they’re coming at us like voodoo magicians with laws already on the books. They want to ban youth motorcycles because they contain—are you ready for this one?—too much lead. That’s right, there’s too much lead in the engine, battery etc, for young riders. Let that sink in for a moment. Sit there and steam.

The hypocrisy in that mandate is too much to bear. Consider the hundreds of inconsistencies. Here’s one; does that mean that children will also be banned from riding in battery powered cars which are the darling of this present administration and contain a million times more lead than a youth bike? Of course not. That’s politics, not safety.

Here is the official wording from the American Motorcyclist Association:

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) has effectively outlawed the sale of youth off-highway vehicles (OHVs). According to section 101(a) of the enacted legislation, all youth products containing lead must have less than 600 parts per million (ppm) by weight. The CPSC has interpreted the law to apply to various components of youth OHVs including the engine, brakes, suspension, battery and other mechanical parts. Even though the lead levels in these parts are small, they are still above the minimum threshold.

Here is the AMA video on this subject:

They’re coming after us again. Whattaya going to do about it?