As the weather in most of the country turns much more rider friendly, the AMA encourages everyone to get out and ride.

The AMA Recreational Riding program offers several opportunities—some familiar and some new—to log some miles for the sake of a good time.

Last year, the AMA-sanctioned more than 50 national-level recreational riding events and approximately 650 regional and local rallies and rides and gatherings. And the 2019 season promises even more.

“Overall, we want to offer more riding activities this year, whether that’s through an AMA organizer or AMA headquarters,” said AMA Recreational Riding Manager Heather Wilson. “Our members are our core. So, we encourage everyone to take the initiative and find a riding event that appeals to them.”

Wilson says that if an event doesn’t exist nearby, interested members should not hesitate to step up and make it happen.

“If you have ideas for club activities or rides, get things rolling,” she said. “Don’t wait for someone else. And be sure to contact us, because the AMA is here to help you get organized.”

As Wilson visits AMA-sanctioned events throughout the year, she will be reaching out to AMA-chartered organizers in those areas to talk about how the AMA can assist the promoters, clubs and their members.

“We want to do everything we can to create as many opportunities as possible for AMA members to make 2019 their best riding year yet,” Wilson said.

A full list of AMA-sanctioned events is online at www.americanmotorcyclist.com > Events > Find an Event.

AMA Classic Grand Tour Returns

The AMA Classic Grand Tour returns this year, as the AMA celebrates its 95th anniversary.

Featured in 2003 and 2009, this popular grand tour includes a fun challenge, but like all grand tours, it allows riders the flexibility of picking their route and determining their timetable.

“Many AMA Grand Tour organizers promote regional tours,” Wilson said. “The AMA Classic Grand Tour covers the entire country. It can be done at your own pace and on your own route, solo or  with a buddy or with a group.”

The AMA Classic Grand Tour challenges participants to find and document signs that contain the letters “AMA” in sequence.

Get a photo of your motorcycle and your Grand Tour flag with the sign and send the photo to the AMA, along with a photo verification form.

Some examples of words that fit the bill: AlabAMA, JAMAica, KalAMAzoo, PanAMA.

But riders don’t have to limit themselves to city or state names. Any sign—business, park, billboard, street—qualifies, as long as “AMA” appears in sequence. AMAzing will work. So will thingAMAbob. Or catAMAran.

Each word may be used just once by each participant. That means you can’t spend a weekend in Alabama taking pictures of state signs and win.

The AMA Classic Grand Tour begins April 1 and ends Nov. 1.

Each month, the AMA member with the most submissions in that month will be featured on the AMA Grand Tours Facebook page.

At the end of the tour, the participant with the most points will receive a plaque and appear in American Motorcyclist magazine.

A $40 registration fee gets you entered at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/AMA-Grand-Tours. Other AMA Grand Tours are listed there, as well.

So, do some research, then get out there and find those “AMA” signs!

AMA National Gypsy Tour

The first event on the 2019 AMA National Gypsy Tour was the AMA Gypsy Tour at Bike Week in March.

But there are plenty of events remaining across the country where AMA members can pick up a Gypsy Tour pin by visiting the AMA booth or tent.

Gypsy Tours began in the early 1900s, with riders gathering for a picnic, along with field meets involving slow races, stake races and plank riding. They traditionally were scheduled around separate AMA-sanctioned motorcycle competitions, such as hillclimbs and dirt-track events.

Today, the AMA National Gypsy Tour calendar includes events such as Laconia Motorcycle Week in Laconia, N.H.; Thunder in the Valley in Johnstown, Pa.; AspenCash in Ruidoso, N.M.; and 2019 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Honda, in Lexington, Ohio, and more.

More information and an event schedule are available at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/GypsyTour.

 

Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series

The 2019 Beta AMA National Dual Sports Series, presented by Kenda Tires, features 16 multi-day events for serious off-road-oriented dual sport street-legal motorcycles.

These events take riders along some amazing single-track trails and America’s beautiful backroads. The routes are well-designed and well-marked.

Beta will present one lucky series participant a Beta motorcycle at the end of the 2019 series. And participants will be entered to win products from sponsors Kenda, Seat Concepts and IMS Products.

“The series attracts casual trail riders and former racers, and many events feature alternate routes that appeal to different rider skill levels,” Wilson said.

The series schedule and detailed information about the events can be found at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/Dual-Sport-Riding.

AMA Road Captain and AMA Trail Boss Workshops

AMA Trail Boss Workshops and AMA Road Captain Workshops help AMA members learn about the best practices for creating courses and conducting rides.

The AMA Trail Boss Workshop was developed in 2018 and is typically offered in the spring and fall of each year at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio.

It averages 1.5 hours in length and is limited to 30 participants.

Topics include planning the route, paperwork, emergency preparedness, staffing the ride and more.

AMA Road Captain Workshops started in 2017, offers AMA members and clubs the opportunity to discuss best practices for successfully and safely leading a group ride.

The workshops last about an hour and historically have been held at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Neither of these programs leads to certification. Instead, they provide a forum to share ideas and experiences.

Both programs have expanded to sites away from the AMA campus.

Some AMA State Chapter coordinators are conducting workshops in their states.

AMA members who would like to host a Trail Boss Workshop or a Road Captain Workshop in their area should contact Heather Wilson at [email protected].

KTM AMA National Adventure Riding Series

For those who enjoy a little diversion into the dirt, the 2019 KTM AMA National Adventure Riding Series, presented by Kenda Tires, offers 14 events organized by AMA-chartered clubs and promoters in 10 states.

Wilson said the events are intended for adventure riders of all skill levels and are a great way for new adventure riders to learn more about one of the fastest growing disciplines in motorcycling.

KTM will award one series participant an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2020 KTM Adventure Rider Rally. And participants will be entered to win products from sponsors Kenda, Helite Moto, Seat Concepts and IMS Products.

Details and a complete event list are available at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/Adventure-Riding.

 

Kids Teaching Kids To Ride

Wisconsin Program Introduces Youth To Motorcycling

The Youth Off Road Riders program began in late 2017 when AMA District 16 secretary Melissa Ellingson and a group of racers wanted to get more of their friends involved in the sport they love so much.

Since then, the group has raised more than $20,000, solicited gear from District 16 families, set up a GoFundMe account and made presentations to clubs and other organizations to promote the program.

The program, with teachers ages 4 to 17, provided coaching for more than 100 children ages 3 to 17 in 2018, its first year of operation.

“I coordinate the AMA District 16 end-of-the-year banquet,” Ellingson said. “Over the past couple of years, I’ve heard the same comments from our sponsors: ‘What are we going to do to promote youth riding?’ It was a great question, and I did not know how to answer it.

“It had me thinking about why [there is] the decline, and what can we do to change it,” she said. “I took that question and started talking to parents to find out why they were not interested in our sport.”
Meanwhile, Ellingson’s daughters, Autumn and Nadia, had been working with younger kids on the track.

“One day a father came up to me and said, ‘I have been trying to get him to do that for weeks.  When he goes out there with Autumn, he listens.’ This got me thinking,” she said.

Ellingson added a youth informational meeting to the November 2017 District 16 awards banquet, and “the response was overwhelming.”

Initially, funding and public relations presented obstacles to getting the program rolling. YORR needed motorcycles to increase beginner participation.

 

 

Local dealerships offered loaner bikes. Riding families offered their personal bikes for use in the clinics.

To get the word out, YORR used social media, postings at local dealerships and notices in club and promoter literature. They also made presentations in schools and had a float in a parade.

The program came together quickly, with plenty of sponsors and volunteers pitching in. And the effort has paid off for both the beginners and the more experienced riders.

“We received sponsorships from FLY Racing, AMA District 16, Pine Harbor Log Homes, Sugar Maple MX, as well as Rapid Angels Motorcycle Club, Madison Motorcycle Club, Kettle Moraine Cycle Club, Motovation MX Training Facility, Golden Eagle Log Home, Donahue Super Sports and Country Sports,” Ellingson said.

In addition to youth and teens, the YORR program helped a dozen women—”moms, sisters and friends of our youth rider participants”—take a beginner riding class.

“We have 4-year-olds that work with an adult, making sure that the beginner rider is looking up at them instead of the ground,” Ellingson said. “We have 5-year-olds hand out certificates at the end of each clinic, and they have no problem talking in front of 50-plus people when they know what they are doing is making a difference. It really is a wonderful program to watch these kids develop confidence at such a young age.”

Adding to the ranks of riders also benefits promoters and sponsors.

“During 2018, we had over 30 sets of gear purchased from our sponsors, 15 bike purchases that we know of and five kids became AMA/District 16 members who competed in their first races,” Ellingson said.

Ellingson said 2019 is shaping up as another great year.