Classic bike fans in the greater Atlanta area should point their bikes this weekend toward the famed Road Atlanta race track for what’s set to be the first of a series of exhibition races for classic and “near classic” race bikes, the Historic Moto Grand Prix.

Organized by former AMA racer Bill Brown, five races are planned for 2008, with the first set to run this Sunday, May 4, during the Historic Sportscar Racing Mitty Challenge at Road Atlanta (www.roadatlanta.com).

Designed as an alternate forum for both acknowledged classics like Manx Nortons and MV Agustas, the new series is also looking to draw more recent “classic” racers including the likes of Yamaha’s legendary water-cooled, two-stroke TZ750 as successfully raced by the likes of Giacomo Agostini, Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson. In fact, regular contributor Neale Bayly will be on hand for the first event, making a run on a 1985 FZ750 that organizer Brown is planning on morphing into a full-blown Eddie Lawson replica as the season progresses. Brown tells us he even has a correct factory race frame like the one used by Lawson. Film crews from SPEED and other motorsports outlets are scheduled to be there, too, and if the day pans out as planned we’ll end up seeing some of the action on TV at a later date. We’ll post any updates on coverage as they become available.

 

Brown, who plans a variety of different classes with attention to era, displacement and track capacity so that bikes are evenly matched, sees this as a unique opportunity for riders with bikes that otherwise might just sit to get them out of hibernation and on the track – where they belong. Amen to that, we say.

While long-term plans for the Historic Moto Grand Prix are still developing, we think Brown is spot on in trying to tap into a rich vein of motorcycle racing culture – the near classics – that generally gets short shrift from the established bike community, sitting somewhere between too new to be classic and too old to be competitive in modern racing. Yamaha is providing critical financial support of the new series, a move that suggests the boys at the Tuning Fork Factory appreciate the role their old racers have in fostering and maintaining rider and customer support for the factory’s efforts both on and off the track.

Next stop for the series is Alabama's famed Talladega Speedway, with more racing action scheduled for May 31-June 1, 2008. If you want to know more or have a bike that you think belongs in the new series, call Brown directly at (404)379-6091. – Richard Backus

William Hornaman, Erie, Pa., is the lucky winner in the Motorcycle Classics giveaway for a pair of tickets to the 3^rd Annual Legend of the Motorcycle Concours d’Elegance in Half Moon Bay, Calif. And proving that you don’t have to be first to be, well, first, William didn’t register until the last hour of the last day of the contest. “Hell, I never win anything,” William tells us, defending his procrastination.

But he got his name in before the deadline, beating out hundreds of other hopefuls in the process. And if he can swing it, he’s planning on making it a trip for two so he and his wife, Cara, can celebrate their first wedding anniversary at the show! William, who parks a 1972 Honda CL350, 1976 BMW R90/6 and 1996 Buell Thunderbolt in his garage, is looking forward to checking out the incredible bikes at LOM and meeting up with the Motorcycle Classics crew. This ticket giveaway is a first for us, and now we’re scrambling to come up with some kind of special surprise for William when he gets there, especially if Cara comes along for the ride. Good fun, and thanks to everyone who signed up. Maybe next year … — Richard Backus

Go here for more information on the 3^rd Annual Legend of the Motorcycle Concours d’Elegance or go to www.legendofthemotorcycle.com 

 

With April being Autism Awareness Month, we thought it would be appropriate to spotlight an autism fundraiser geared toward bikers. On Sunday, June 1, the California Autism Foundation (CAF) will host the fourth annual Ride For A Better Chance in the San Francisco Bay area. The event will feature a poker run with two separate starting locations, with live music, prize raffle, vendors, exhibits and a barbecue following the run’s completion.

This is a great opportunity to enjoy the scenic Bay area on two wheels and support a worthy cause. If you’re a San Francisco or California resident, a rider looking for a West coast stop on your summer tour or just a person who firmly believes in the CAF’s work, come out and show your support. It’s a family-friendly atmosphere that’s sure to be a lot of fun.

And if you can’t make it, you can always sponsor a rider or make a donation.

For more information on Ride For A Better Chance, visit www.rideforabetterchance.com.

If you have an event or fundraiser you’d like to see featured on our events calendar click here or visit http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/events/register-event.aspx

 

Tired of tuning into SPEED TV for some good motorcycle action only to find nothing but NASCAR? Mark your calendar now to tune in at 11 a.m. Eastern (8 a.m. Pacific) this Sunday, April 20 to catch the third installment of Trippin’ on Two Wheels. A new motorcycle touring series crafted by Dennis Gage, host of the award-winning My Classic Car, Trippin’ features Motorcycle Classics contributor Neale Bayly, Dennis and Dennis’ son, Sam, two-wheeling through exotic locales around the globe. The third episode follows the trio as they explore Spain aboard Aprilia Tuono Rs -- and you’ll even get to see Neale throw one down the road! Click here for a sneak preview: http://www.trippinontwowheelstv.com/spainpreview.html 

This is definitely must-see motorcycle TV, and we want everyone to pass the word on to motorcyclists everywhere to support some of the best motorcycle TV to come along in ages. Up until this series launched, the boys in control at SPEED didn’t believe there was an audience for an enthusiast-oriented motorcycle series. But the success of Trippin’ – the last episode was the highest rated non-NASCAR program of the day for SPEED! – has them scratching their heads. Could it be people might actually watch a show just because it’s a good story? The answer’s a resounding YES! and we want to make sure the show continues its well-deserved success.

This is quality programming that shows motorcycling in a positive light -- the type our industry and our hobby needs. These programs are shot and edited more like short films than typical television shows, and they’re holding viewers’ attention. Judging by viewer reaction to Gage’s Trippin’ series there’s strong desire for this kind of programming over the typical “thrash and trash” the networks incessantly jam down our throats in their bid to grab ratings. Tell your friends, watch it and enjoy, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll finally get the message through to the network execs that we’re an audience to satisfy. – Richard Backus

 

King of cheap that I am, I routinely find myself installing tires for one reason or another. When it comes to getting that rubber to slip over the rim, I typically use whatever slippery liquid I have at hand, including soap, oil and grease, without much thought to how it might interact with the rim. According to the following tech tip posted on Randakk’s Cycle Shakk at www.randakks.com, the type of rim plays a role in what you use to grease that tire into position. – Richard Backus

The following Tech Tip is courtesy of Honda GL parts and restoration specialist Randall Washington at Randakk’s Cycle Shakk, and was supplied to Randakk’s by noted GL1100 guru Howard Halasz. Howard is a frequent contributor of technical columns and other information to GWRRA's Wing World Magazine ( www.wingworldmag.com). This Tech Tip applies to any motorcycle with aluminum rims:

If you decide to change your own tires, you can safely use soapy water as a lubricant to dismount the old tire and mount the new tire.

However, if your rim is made of anything other than chrome plated or stainless steel, I do not advise you to use soapy water.

A local Honda dealer here in Houston installed new tires, front and rear, on my customer's 1999 GL1500SE Last week the customer brought his Gold Wing to my shop to install new fork seals and steering head bearings. He told me that his front tire had a slow leak.

It turned out that the tire itself was not leaking. I checked the tire, valve stem, and valve for leaks using water from my garden hose. I found no leaks. Then I checked for leaks around the rim between the rim and tire bead. By this time, bubbles were flowing like an Alka-Seltzer tablet in a glass of water!

I dismounted the tire from the rim, and found some grayish white powdery corrosion. This corrosion usually forms after a tire is lubricated with soapy water. Apparently, the soap in the soapy water had enough sodium hydroxide (the stuff that makes soap slippery) to corrode the alloy rims that are used on later model Gold Wings. Parts of the rim were also pitted right where the bead contacts the inside of the rim.

If you ever get a chance, look at the ingredients on a can of Drano or Sani-Flush. You'll find that products such as Drano contain sodium hydroxide, also known as lye. Sprinkle some Drano into an empty aluminum foil pie pan. Then sprinkle some water into the pan and watch the bottom of the aluminum pan literally evaporate, leaving a grayish white powder behind.

A similar, but less severe chemical reaction takes place when soapy water is used as a lubricant for tire mounting and dismounting.

One optional lubricant is Lemon Pledge furniture polish. Now the dismount and remount job is so easy that even a caveman can do it!

But now the problem with Lemon Pledge furniture polish is that the first time our caveman friend slams on the brakes, the rim will stop, but the motorcycle will act like the Energizer Bunny and keep rolling! Now the tire beads are so slippery that there isn't enough friction between the rim and tire bead to keep the tire from slipping around the rim!

During my 43 years as a motorcycle technician, I've tried everything from Vaseline, axle grease, rear end gear oil, motor oil, soapy water, Crisco, Mazola oil, olive oil, 3-in-1 oil, WD-40, Lionel electric train oil, cod liver oil, castor oil, and candle wax to Vicks Vapo-Rub. All of these products had major drawbacks when it came to tire mounting lubricant and sealant!

I finally found a product that will ease the mounting and dismounting of a motorcycle tire. This product also acts as a sealant. The product is known as a protectant. Two brand names of such protectants are STP Son-Of-A Gun and Armor-All Protectant. These products are used exclusively in my shop, and they can be purchased at most auto parts stores and discount store automotive departments.

If you choose to have your local Honda dealer or certified Honda technician change your tires, I highly recommend that you insist telling your service people, 'PLEASE DO NOT USE SOAPY WATER TO MOUNT MY NEW TIRES. USE A LUBRICANT THAT IS SAFE AND FREE OF ALKALIS, SUCH AS A PROTECTANT.' "

Howard Halasz, Wing World Technical Contributor - Houston, TX

 

VJMC National Rally heads to Arkansas

If you’re a vintage Japanese motorcycle fan who likes to ride – and why else would you have that ’75 GT550 except to rip it down the road? – you should start making plans now to attend this year’s VJMC National Rally scheduled for Sept. 3-6, 2008, at Heber Springs, Ark.

Heber Springs is only about 65 miles north of Little Rock, making it pretty accessible to a good portion of the vintage riding community. Arkansas may sound off the beaten track, but pull out that old Rand McNally and you’ll quickly realize how many states either touch Arkansas or have borders just a few miles away. Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas are all within proximity, making Arkansas a perfect choice for this year’s national rally. Throw in the miles and miles of perfect two-lane black top that Arkansas is famous for and you have a ready made Mecca for old bike fans – especially those who like to ride.

The VJMC’s Jim Townsend tells us they’ll be staging daily rides during the rally, including rides for smaller machines in the 125cc category. The club’s still making final plans and preparations including reserving the main Heber Springs camp site and getting hotels signed up for reduced rates. Even so, Jim suggests making reservations now, as rooms in the area tend to fill up quickly thanks to the area’s attraction for fishing. Rally central will be the Heber Springs Quality Inn, but there are plenty of hotels, most of which you can find by browsing through www.heber-springs.com

Look for rally updates at the VJMC website (www.vjmc.org), but most importantly get that old H1 out of the garage and ready to roll. There’s just something about the smell of 2-stroke in the morning air! – Richard Backus