AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio
4:45 a.m. My wake up call for this Sunday morning. Some hot coffee, a quick shower, and I am heading out the door. In 2 hours KTRSD will be track side at the largest celebration of vintage motorcycles on the continent; AMA’s Vintage Motorcycle Days! A dark, and chilly morning, greets me as I walk to the garage and fire up the bike. I will be heading North to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Race Track, one of the most challenging courses in the country with it’s 2.4 mile, 15 turn ribbon of asphalt.
By the time I arrive at the track, the paddock area is already buzzing with activity, as the teams are preparing their vintage contraptions to race, on what will be a very hot Sunday in July.
I spent much of the morning trying to get my bearings, and familiarizing myself with the day’s schedule; 13 races, swap meet, demo rides, and a seminar lead by Clement Salvadori. All of this plus a bike show, fill the agenda, some editing was certainly in order.
As the day progressed, the racing schedule backed up, due to the fact there was a significant oil spill on the course, and the track crew was having a difficult time cleaning it up. (I didn’t even realize there was a Harley in that last race!) Kidding! Here’s a few tid-bits from the day…
1. Clement Salvadori is a better writer than a speaker.
2. $6.00 for a soda and wienie.
3. Fuel $10 per gallon in London.
4. Triumph was king today.
5. Vintage bikes are cool, but very unreliable.
6. Over 60,000 in attendance on Sunday.
By mid-afternoon the sun was baking the track and the participants, sunscreen and water, were the priorities of the day. Here’s a sample…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bP-nSAcabA
I am hot, sweaty, thirsty, and ready to tear up some road! Thanks Mid-Ohio, it was a blast!
Harleys don’t leak oil… They just mark their spots.
Seriously, I hope no one was injured due to the oil spill on the track. But, I’ve yet to see an old bike in a museum without a drip pan under it. No matter if it’s a Harley, BSA, Triumph, Vincent, Moto Guzzi or even BMW. Old bikes leak, some because of poor machining, others because the gaskets have become brittle, dry or cracked. Some of them dripped oil, because of automatic chain oilers. My Hondas leaked more oil (coolant from some of them) than the Harley I’ve had for 12 years.
I don’t want to seem offended, because I too have used the ‘oil leaking’ as a joke for years. And, acknowledging the very real history of oil spots under Harleys of the past, I’m happy to say they’ve cured the problem. I hope they don’t manage to take all the vibration out though. It’s one of the ‘nostalgic’ reasons I like the feel of my Harley.
I am only kidding about the Harley’s, I really do like them. Just a chance at a cheap joke. I couldn’t resist.