Lovely to look at, but sometimes hard to keep on the road.

Call it eternal optimism or just plain stupidity, but even though years of experience suggest otherwise, I still launch into classic motorcycle projects assuming everything will go according to “plan.” I mean, what could go wrong tearing apart a 30- or 40-year-old bike, right?

The latest little “deviation” from plan started with a suspension project on my 1983 Laverda RGS. Last October I rode the RGS to Alabama for the annual Barber Vintage Festival. The 1,600-mile round trip ride went swimmingly and the Lav ran great, but the suspension seemed lacking in control and comfort, not particularly surprising given the bike’s age (almost 30) or mileage (66,000 and counting).

At Barber, I got to talking with Race Tech vintage motorcycle suspension guru Matt Wiley about my suspension woes. No sweat, Matt said, let’s strip it, clean it and upgrade it to Race Tech’s emulator valves (so-called because they emulate modern cartridge fork valve technology and let you tune the damping curve). Cool.

Back home, I waited until the end of the riding season to strip, clean and ship the fork internals off to Matt to perform his magic. I’ve installed Race Tech emulator valves in a BMW, but Matt said he wanted to do this one himself so he could have some fun upgrading the fork legs with hard-anodized insides and powder-coated outsides.

That was in early January, and I wasn’t in any rush, figuring I’d use the winter down-time to take care of a few other related issues, like stripping the steering yokes to powder-coat them and replacing the steering head bearings. And with the bike stripped down naked it was also a good time to pull off the valve cover and check the valves.

A couple came up tight, which is a bit of a bummer on Laverda triples because it means removing the cams to replace the adjusting shims under the cam buckets. Cams off, everything was going normally until a close look at the exhaust cam revealed a lobe was starting to shed material. Damn. That’s not only weird, it’s expensive.

A call to Laverda guru and pal Scott Potter resulted in a set of milder F1 cams to replace the hot 4Cs in my RGS (who am I kidding; I don’t really go fast). Matt was making progress on my forks, so I was starting to get anxious to get the top end buttoned up and move on. But evidently the motorcycle gods didn’t want me to, because torquing down the very last camshaft support, the very last nut, the stud pulled. Lovely.

That meant taking everything back apart, removing the stud, and oh-so-carefully drilling out and rethreading the stud hole to accept a thread insert. Not really the kind of job you like doing engine-in. Luckily, everything went perfectly, and finally I had the cams back in place and all the valve clearances set. In the meantime, the forks and the new Race Tech G3-S shocks I’d ordered arrived from Matt. I was really anxious to keep moving, because spring and the new riding season were right around the corner.

Life was good. The engine ran beautifully, the new cams giving a little more torque down low where you really use it. The suspension went back together perfectly, and now performs even better than it looks. The back end, formerly wooden and disconnected, is smooth and responsive. And the front, which used to pogo on rough surfaces, is smooth and controlled.

Nice, but there was a new hitch. I thought I’d noticed a hint of clutch slip riding back from Barber, but now the clutch was letting go if I really got the engine singing. A call to Laverda parts meister Wolfgang Haerter netted the necessary clutch plates, and two weeks later it was back together, running and riding perfectly. Finally.

The point is, you can’t really anticipate this kind of stuff. The goal is to get it back together and ride another day. And if you do, then I guess it all went to plan, after all. — Richard Backus 

 
A stunning 1939 Matchless at the 2012 Meet at the Ace at the LeMay in Tacoma, Wash. 

Picture-perfect weather and 200-plus vintage bikes greeted attendees to the inaugural Meet at the Ace Vintage Motorcycle Festival at the LeMay vintage car museum in Tacoma, Wash., Saturday, Aug. 25. Hosted by the LeMay museum in partnership with Mark and Linda Wilsmore and Ace Café London, the event was the museum’s first to celebrate vintage motorcycles.

You couldn’t have asked for better weather, with temperatures in the mid-70s all day and barely a cloud in the sky as participants strolled around the museum’s 3.5 acre show field taking in an impressive selection of machines. Bikes on hand ranged from an immaculately restored 1954 Vincent Black Lightning to Roy Ivalters’ lovely and very original 1965 Honda 305 Dream, which, incidently, took 1^st Place in the Japanese category. Best of Show went to Ron Rumbolz’s fantastic 1963 Norton Atlas.

 
1963 Norton Atlas with period fairing took Best in Show.  

Former Cycle World editor-in-chief David Edwards led judges through the task of assessing the bikes and rendering a verdict. I was fortunate to be one of those judges, along with former Isle of Man TT racer Mark Gardiner, Motorcycle Classics regular contributor Robert Smith, the Cretins Motorcycle Club’s Kevin Wiebusch and collector and vintage bike restorer Dennis Merwood.

The quality of bikes on hand was excellent, and in the end we were able to narrow down our top three choices in 13 categories. My favorite of the show? Hands down it was Terry Johnson’s completely original, 15,000-mile 1948 Harley-Davidson S-125, which took 1^st Place in the American category. Bought new by an uncle who then rode it from his home in the Midwest to Seattle, it has a unique history in having been shipped around the world in a sub when said uncle took it with him on assignment with the Navy. Abandoned in a shed for some 30 years, Terry says that after a simple cleaning and flushing it started on the third kick.

 
1948 Harley-Davidson S-125. Completely original and an excellent runner. 

Saturday’s show was followed with Sunday’s Ride to Rainier, which turned out to be a huge draw with what must have been 125-plus riders sharing a leisurely 50-mile ride to the tiny hamlet of Elbe in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. Although the ride was open to all bikes regardless of age, there were plenty of classics making the run. Alan Comfort brought his 1938 Velocette MSS – featured in our May/June issue, read the story here – along with a 1948 Moto Guzzi Astore, which he handed over to me for the ride. I’d never ridden one of MG’s famous “bacon slicers” (so named for their signature outside flywheel) and it was a hoot. Alan’s bike ran beautifully and handled the two-lane roads with aplomb. It’s slow, sure, but it’s also sure-footed, and endowed with so much charm you just have to love it. It starts easily, reminding me more of a vintage farm engine than a motorcycle, and runs faithfully, returning a satisfying thrump with every rotation of its single cylinder.

 
Editor Backus on Alan Comfort's 1948 Moto Guzzi Astore.  

All told it was a fantastic event, and plans are already in place for next year’s 2^nd Annual Meet at the Ace Vintage Motorcycle Festival at the LeMay museum. Don’t miss it. - Richard Backus 

 

 
Nobby Clark (far right) with Team Norton Champagne at the 2010 Bonneville Vintage GP. 

Perhaps putting an end to its self-induced public relations nightmare, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame has announced Nobby Clark’s election to the Hall of Fame following a supplemental vote. A week prior, SportsBikes Inc Magazine presented Nobby with its 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

It’s been quite a roller coaster for Nobby Clark and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, as the HoF first announced then cancelled Clark’s induction in the HoF, citing a “balloting error” for doing so. The firestorm that resulted caught the AMA HoF squarely off guard and led to the resignation of some of the HoF’s most famous inductees, including motorsports journalist Dave Despain and three-time world champion Kenny Roberts.

Following weeks of silence and a seeming refusal to recognize the damage it had inflicted upon itself, the AMA HoF finally decided to hold a supplemental vote to determine whether Clark should be inducted. With all due respect to Nobby, who is without question worthy of the honor and perhaps more worthy than some who have preceded him, the result of the supplemental vote hardly comes as a surprise given the hole the AMA seemed to have dug for itself.

Be that as it may, congratulations to Nobby, it’s good to see him finally getting his justly deserved place in the HoF secured. And while there are still plenty of questions to be asked – including the simple fact there are no rules or set procedure for a supplemental vote – perhaps this puts the worst of the issue behind the AMA – and Nobby – for now. Below is the complete text from the AMA Hall of Fame’s press release announcing the results of the supplemental vote. – Richard Backus 

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame announces results of supplemental vote for Derek 'Nobby' Clark induction August 16, 2012  

Famed Grand Prix motorcycle tuner Derek "Nobby" Clark has been elected to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in a supplemental vote, the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation reports. 

"Derek 'Nobby' Clark stands shoulder-to-shoulder with roadracing's most enduring legends, and played a key role in successes that will go down in history among the greatest of the sport," said Jeffrey V. Heininger, chairman of the AMHF. "It's time for Mr. Clark to take his rightful place among the many legends who embody the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame." 

For 25 years, Clark was one of the world's leading motorcycle race mechanics. In addition to being a part of 17 FIM Grand Prix world championships, earned in classes ranging from 50cc to 500cc, his teams won three Daytona 200s, one Daytona 100, four Imola 200s and eight Italian championships. Clark not only excelled at the highest level, but also worked with some of the greatest motorcycle racers in history, including Hall of Famers Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Kenny Roberts. 

"It certainly was a surprise," Clark said. "I'm very excited, and I'm looking forward to being in Las Vegas for the induction ceremony and seeing my old friends. I haven't seen quite a few of them for quite awhile, so it's going to be like a family reunion." 

Clark also expressed his appreciation for the support he received during the supplemental vote process. 

"I'd like to thank everybody who supported me," Clark said. "I admire them, and I respect them, and I hope they all come back to the Hall of Fame. In my opinion, all of them are legends, and I respect them not just for what they've done in racing, but for what they've done for motorcycling in general. Motorcycling is a big family, and that is something we are privileged to have." 

Clark joins the late Rod Bush, KTM North America president and industry visionary; pioneering female motocrosser Sue Fish; 1975 AMA Supercross Champion Jimmy Ellis; world-class bike restorer Brian Slark; the late Al Wilcox, iconic race starter; and off-road racing legend Ty Davis as a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2012. 

The supplemental vote for Mr. Clark was implemented by the AMHF, which oversees the Hall of Fame, in response to procedural errors that invalidated Mr. Clark's inclusion on the original ballot. The supplemental vote did not affect the other 2012 Hall of Fame inductees. 

"The members of the AMHF Board of Directors extend our sincerest apologies to Mr. Clark for the mistakes that invalidated his original ballot," Heininger said. "By way of this supplemental vote, we've ensured that Mr. Clark's induction took place with the utmost sincerity and that no one can question his inclusion in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame." 

The supplemental vote was tallied by the independent voting service Votenet. The accounting firm Plante Moran independently audited the results. 

The class of 2012 will officially be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame on Nov. 16 as part of the AMA Legends Weekend. The weekend also includes the 2012 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Dave Mungenast Memorial Concours d'Elegance on Saturday, Nov. 17, featuring many of the country's most impressive original and restored classic motorcycles. 

In addition to the current class, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction ceremony shines the spotlight on two previously inducted members of the Hall of Fame, reminding the motorcycling community of the amazing careers of these Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legends. For 2012, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legends will be 1998 inductees Malcolm Smith, a pioneer in off-road motorcycling and a star in the motorcycle documentary "On Any Sunday," and Mert Lawwill, the 1969 AMA Grand National Champion whose title defense was the central theme of the timeless film. 

Tickets for the AMA Legends Weekend are now available through this online registration form:http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5r7zy8ea4316694&llr=vw9ldxbab or by calling (800) 342-5464. 

The AMA Legends Weekend will be held at the Las Vegas Red Rock Resort, a world-class spa, hotel and casino, featuring a range of entertainment, dining and family-friendly attractions. The facility's expansive ballrooms provide a stunning backdrop for the AMA Legends Weekend. Room reservations are available now at a special group rate by calling (866) 767-7773 and referencing group code RCIAME or AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST. Online room reservations are available at www.redrocklasvegas.com. 

More information about the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame can be found atwww.motorcyclemuseum.org. 

 

 

 

 

 
Back in the day: Brian Slark when he worked at Matchless, circa 1963. That's Brian, fourth from left. 

Former Matchless/Norton employee, motocross pioneer, bike restorer extraordinaire and Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum technical director/restoration consultant Brian Slark will be inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as part of the 2012 AMA Legends Weekend at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 16-17, 2012.

"Brian Slark is a true renaissance man in the world of motorcycling," said Jeffrey V. Heininger, chairman of the board of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which raises funds for the Hall of Fame. "Not only did he help create motocross in America, but he also created works of art while working at some well-known motorcycle museums. His expertise is second to none."

Born in London, England, on Feb. 2, 1938, Slark was a moving force in the creation of a vibrant motocross-racing community in the United States during the 1960s. He helped organize motocross tracks, and promoted the sport by teaching famous people -- including then-teen heartthrob Bobby Darin -- to ride motorcycles. He also imported and built Rickman Metisse and Cheney motocrossers.

Slark later assisted the late Dave Mungenast -- who is also a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame -- in the creation of a motorcycle museum in St. Louis. He then helped create the world-class Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala. Slark also played a key role in setting up the bikes for the immensely popular "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1998, which later traveled to the Field Museum in Chicago and then Bilboa, Spain.

"As my wife said, for once I was absolutely speechless," Slark said, reacting to the news that he would be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. "[Working with motorcycles is] something I've been doing nearly 60-plus years and I love it. I never ranked myself in the league of other people in the industry. I've just done what I love to do."

 
Brian Slark (middle) with Motorcycle Classics' editor Richard Backus (left) and former Moto Guzzi brand manager Rick Panattieri at the 2011 Barber Vintage Festival.

Slark said he is particularly humbled and honored that he is being inducted to the Hall of Fame where his longtime friend Mungenast is honored.

"Dave was an incredibly multi-talented person," Slark said. "He did so much for kids and everybody. He was a mentor. He was a wonderful guy and a good friend. To be in the same league as Dave is an incredible compliment. I can't express how I feel."

Slark's motorcycling career spans more than 60 years. It began in 1957 when he started work at Associated Motorcycles (AJS and Matchless) in London, England, testing and evaluating bikes. He soon moved to the factory race shop.

In 1964 he spent a year in California riding desert events and helping organize motocross tracks. His experience prompted him to move to California the following year.

In 1969, Slark managed the service and competition departments for Norton and AJS at the west coast factory facility. Later, he became marketing communications manager for Norton-Villiers and advised designers on models for the North American market.

Slark decided to strike out on his own in 1976, and he opened a British bike shop in Southern California. Two years later he became the volunteer technical editor for the International Norton Owners Association-a role he still holds today.

In 1986, Slark sold his bike shop and moved to St. Louis. Ten years later, he joined the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum as technical director and helped elevate the museum to its present position of the largest collection of motorcycles in the world. He remains in that post today.

Slark is the fourth member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame class of 2012 to be announced. He joins the late Rod Bush, KTM North America president and industry visionary; pioneering female motocrosser Sue Fish; and Jimmy Ellis, 1975 AMA Supercross champion. The remaining 2012 inductees will be announced in random order in the coming weeks.

The class of 2012 will officially be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame on Nov. 16 as part of the AMA Legends Weekend. The weekend also includes the 2012 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Dave Mungenast Memorial Concours d'Elegance on Saturday, Nov. 17, featuring many of the country's most impressive original and restored classic motorcycles.

In addition to the current class, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction ceremony shines the spotlight on two previously inducted members of the Hall of Fame, reminding the motorcycling community of the amazing careers of these Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legends. For 2012, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legends will be 1998 inductees Malcolm Smith, a pioneer in off-road motorcycling and a star in the motorcycle documentary "On Any Sunday," and Mert Lawwill, the 1969 AMA Grand National Champion whose title defense was the central theme of the timeless film.

Tickets for the AMA Legends Weekend are now available through this online registration form: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5r7zy8ea4316694&llr=vw9ldxbab or by calling (800) 342-5464.

The AMA Legends Weekend will be held at the Las Vegas Red Rock Resort, a world-class spa, hotel and casino, featuring a range of entertainment, dining and family-friendly attractions. The facility's expansive ballrooms provide a stunning backdrop for the AMA Legends Weekend. Room reservations are available now at a special group rate by calling (866) 767-7773 and referencing group code RCIAME or AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST. Online room reservations are available at www.redrocklasvegas.com.

More information about the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame can be found atwww.motorcyclemuseum.org.

 

 

 
Just some of the RetroTours stable: Moto Morini 500 Strada, Moto Guzzi Ambassador and Laverda 750SF 

Congratulations to Clint Hoops, the winner of the Motorcycle Classics/RetroTours Redneck Giro Sweepstakes! We received thousands of entries for a chance at winning a spot in RetroTours' exclusive Redneck Giro and a complete set of leather riding gear from River Road Motorcycle Gear, and Clint was our lucky winner!

In a few short weeks Clint be winging his way to RetroTours headquarters in Pennsylvania to join Motorcycle Classics editor-in-chief Richard Backus and Retro Tours founder Joel Samick – plus five other tour participants – for three days of crusing the back roads of West Virginia on classic Italian twins.

Bikes on the tour will include a Benelli Tornado 650S, a Ducati 860GT, a Moto Morini 500 Strada, a Laverda 750 and a Moto Guzzi Ambassador. We’ll switch off at every gas stop, giving everyone on the tour multiple opportunities to ride each of the bikes Samick lines up for the tour. It’s an amazing opportunity to ride vintage machines you never thought you’d get to experience, out on the road where they belong. These aren't trailer queens, but well-sorted, perfectly maintained classics that we'll ride through whatever nature sends our way.

I’ve done this tour once before, back in 2010, so I can tell you from experience it’s fantastic, as Clint is likewise going to find out. And Clint is the perfect guy to win this trip. A subscriber to Motorcycle Classics since issue #1 in 2005, he’s also the president of theIdaho Vintage Motorcycle Club. Clint’s first bike was a 1962 BSA Gold Star (his brother still owns it today), and his garage currently holds a pair of Yamaha XS650s, a Triumph TR5MX, a BSA 441, and a late model Triumph 955 Tiger and 610 Husky. A seasoned rider, Clint’s our kind of guy.

 
Sweepstakes winner Clint Hoops with his trusty Husky 610.

The tour runs September 7-9, and we’ll report back when it’s all over. So again, congratulations Clint, and thanks to the rest of you for signing up! And stayed tuned, we’ll have more cool sweepstakes to come! – Richard Backus