The 8th Annual Barber Vintage Festival is just around the corner. The top event on our vintage calendar – as it should be on yours – it features a fantastic swap meet, AHRMA vintage motorcycle racing on the 2.38-mile Barber Motorsports Park track, the incomparable Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, the Wall of Death motorcycle stunt show, the Race of the Century for bikes 100 years old and older, and of course the Motorcycle Classics/Dairyland Cycle Barber Vintage Bike Show. And for the first time, Motogiro USA South, a one-day, 170-mile vintage ride.
Every year we come back from the Barber Vintage Festival with the same advice; don’t miss the next one, because if you don’t make the show, you’ll miss out on one of the seminal events on the vintage motorcycle calendar. 2012 looks guaranteed to be no different, with all the great elements we’ve come to expect out of the Vintage Festival – the Wall of Death, the Race of the Century, our show, the VJMC show, the AMCA show, AHRMA road racing, AHRMA Vintage Motocross, AHRMA Trials, an air show, and one of the best motorcycle swap meets in the country.
This year sees the addition of the Jerry Woods CycleMarket & Auction, where buyers will be able to make offers on vintage bikes for sale without having to stay put to bid as with a typical auction, and the Ace Café returns for a second year, offering a ticket upgrade that will give attendees access to special Ace Café activities, food and beverages. The Ace Corner, co-produced with the folks at Dime City Cycles, will be sited above Turn 17, a particularly excellent spot for watching the AHRMA racing. More info here.
We’ll be there as we have every year, this year featuring the Motorcycle Classics/Dairyland Cycle Barber Vintage Bike Show. Our featured Marque this year will be Triumph, and the show is open to all bikes built before 1987. Registration starts on Friday, Oct. 12, and the show proper kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 13. The Judging for trophies in five classes begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, with our awards ceremony starting at 3 p.m. Find more information on our show by clicking here.
Also on Saturday as our show is getting into high gear, at 11 a.m. Matt Wiley, vintage suspension specialist for Race Tech, will give a one-hour seminar on how to improve the suspension on your vintage ride. Matt knows his stuff like few other people, so don’t miss this always popular tech seminar at the Motorcycle Classics tent in the Expo area.
The big news is the addition of Motogiro USA South. Organized by the United States Classic Racing Association (USCRA), the body responsible for organizing the annual MotoGiro USA in New England, Motogiro USA South will be held on Thursday, Oct. 11, before the Barber Festival kicks off, giving participants a unique opportunity to tour the beautiful backcountry surrounding the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala. This one day ride will cover approximately 170 miles, avoiding major highways and towns. Headquarters for the event will be the Ducati Duckstock at Barber. Entries are limited, so if you think you’re interested you better hustle now and see if you can sign up. Go here for more info. See you in Alabama! – Richard Backus
