kjax

I was really missing this event enough before I saw the video..... now I am really feeling like I missed a great time! Too many things to do and not enough days to do them. Glad to see that your knee is better and got you back on the podium Jim! It sure sounds like you put togehter another top notch event Sam! The Refurbish of old Faithfull is still slowly taking shape in the garage- (I have lots of spare time between midnight and 6:00am every night) Here is a pic of the "new blue 2004". (so far) Still waiting for some parts to finish. See you guys soon (will try to make it to Flint- not sure though).

Here is a link from the AMA Direct Link Site about an upcoming vote by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that is scheduled to take place on Wed 4-8-09. Hope you will take the time to follow the link and send a letter to the commission. It seems that our letter writing and e-mail have had an effect, as several US Reps and Senators are supporting our position and have written the commission expressing their desire to see that the ban on kids ORV's and bikes be lifted. Don't stop now! We are making progress.... Please chime in here with your thoughts.... Let's keep talkin about this- after all it's kids that are the future of this sport that all love. Click here to learn more: http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=780 Click here to take action: http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp Here is a copy of what I wrote to the CPSC today. Please copy or write your own- but just write them- TODAY!!!!!!! Your Message: As a Michigan business and property owner (3 counties in MI), Event Promoter and parent I am requesting that you strongly consider a revision to the regulation that is causing the ban on the sale of youth oriented ORV's and motorcycles in the US. The intent of the regulation to control the use and exposure of lead content in toys for young children is a good thing. However the language currently in place is causing unnecessary hardship to an entire industry that buys, sells and repairs ORV's and motorcycles here in the US. Considering our current economic situation in the US, the continued ban on the sale of these vehicles seems to be counterproductive at the least. IT IS THE INTENT OF THIS (LAW) REGULATION ON WHICH WE SHOULD FOCUS- NOT MERELY THE INTERPRETATION OF THE WORDS Letter from Senate to CPSC http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/cpsc_senate_letter.pdf Letter from US Representive to CPSC http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/cpsc_house_letter.pdf

The 0mnibus bill voted down last week by the US House is back before the Senate as a similar package and is up for a vote as early as Monday March 16th by the Senate for yet another vote- A vote specifically designed to override the vote as taken by the US HOUSE last week. ACT TODAY- MONDAY MARCH 16 2009- Read below or go to the attached link. Please make the call as this is once again being pushed through in the hope that it will go unnoticed by those of us who care. This proposal threatens to declare millions of acres of federal land that are being currently used for a mix of purposes. Some are wildernss, but many have structures, lakes, roads, ORV trails, horse trails, campgrounds, power lines, and more. Once designated as wilderness NO ACCESS WILL BE ALLOWED BY A MOTORIZED VEHICLE. Please act today!!!!!! http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp Omnibus Public Lands Bill to be Voted on Monday, March 16! Call your Senators NOW! The American Motorcyclist Association urges everyone to contact their Senators to vote "No" on H.R. 146, the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program. This bill was formerly known as S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which would prohibit all motorized vehicle access including motorcycles and ATVs on over 2 million acres of public lands. As you may know, S. 22 was defeated just days ago on March 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, following defeat of the bill, the U.S. Senate leadership is expected to employ a little used parliamentary procedure that allows them to overcome the outcome of the House vote on S. 22. The U.S. House of Representatives preserved your access to vital public lands when S. 22 fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass on March 11th. The successful defeat of the bill was only accomplished after thousands of concerned individuals, like you, contacted their Representatives to tell them to oppose the legislation. However, the Senate Leadership wants to try and un-do that success by bringing the bill back as a 1,300 page amendment to an unrelated bill for a vote as early as Monday. With such a short time frame for action, the best way to tell your Senators to vote "No" on H.R. 146 is to call. Click here http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp to get the phone number for your Senators. Enter your zip code in the "Find Your Officials" box and click on the name of your Senators. If you would prefer to contact your Senators with e-mail, you may contact your Senators by clicking here. http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp We have pre-written a letter for your use. Immediate action is critical to help keep 2.1 million acres of public land open to motorized recreation. Please call your Senators and tell everyone you can to do the same. Next week, every Senator must know to vote "No" on H.R. 146!

Watching Biff ride is always an exhibition!

Hey Sam, It's my busy time, but I am sure thinking about finding a way to go. Since it is a TI event as well as MOTA- if a rider signs up and pays for both TI and MOTA can they accrue points for both series? I have 2009 SR A points at TI, so would that be the MOTA SR line or the MOTA Sportsman line?

Here is a release from the AMA regarding a vote that took place yesterday in the US House of Representitives. In a nutshell, it prevented the unilateral designation of over 2 million acres of land as wilderness. Much of this property is currently in use for many uses including fishing, camping, horseback riding, ORV riding and more. This is PROOF POSITIVE that our activisim works. The "greens" will continue their agenda that includes keeping all of us (motorcycle riders of all types) off the land that is paid for with our taxes. We deserve fair and reasonable use and access to these taxpayer managed and owned properties just as they do. So keep your eyes and ears open, and please take action when something like this comes up again......and it will! http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=724 March 11, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pete terHorst Phone: (877) 877-8969 E-mail: peter.terhorst@sympoint.com U.S. House kills bill that would have closed 2 million acres to off-highway riding PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- In a major victory for off-highway motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riders, the U.S. House on Wednesday, March 11, voted down a bill that would have banned motorized vehicles from more than 2 million acres of public land, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports. The bill -- Senate Bill 22: The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 -- failed to get the required two-thirds vote of the House members for approval. The vote was 282 yes to 144 no, with six lawmakers abstaining. The bill had raised the ire of the AMA and others not only because it was a package of more than 160 bills put together to form a single bill more than 1,300 pages long, but also because it was fast-tracked through the Senate earlier this year and then positioned for a final House vote without the consideration of House members on more than 70 bills in the package. "AMA members played a significant role in the defeat of this bill," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. "We asked all AMA members, off-highway motorcyclists, ATV riders and everyone who supports responsible outdoor recreation to immediately contact their congressional representative and ask them to reject the bill. And people responded, flooding their lawmakers with requests to vote 'no.'" U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), a leading voice opposing the measure, agreed: "This bill was the poor product of a poor process, and it would have cut off reasonable access for a whole host of activities on our public lands. I think it's correct to say that the defeat of this bill today was a victory for Americans who appreciate access, such as the millions of folks who enjoy responsible recreation on our public lands. "This specific fight is certainly not over, but the grassroots lobbying so far has definitely helped our cause," Bishop said. Speaking on the House floor before the vote, U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) warned that the bill "bans recreational access to millions of acres of public land despite proponents claims that it will protect vast new land areas for the appreciation of Americans. Lands that citizens currently use for enjoyment will be barricaded from recreational vehicle use." Moreland noted that other land-access groups were also involved in fighting this measure, including Americans for Responsible Recreational Access, the BlueRibbon Coalition, the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Off-Road Business Association, the American Council of Snowmobile Associations and others. The bill was written poorly, lumping together so many different proposals, Moreland said. Additionally, it would have unreasonably banned responsible motorized recreation on more than 2 million acres of public land by inappropriately designating it as Wilderness. The procedures used for fast-tracking the bill through the legislative process also violated the spirit of open and democratic government. Moreland warned, however, that while the AMA is cautiously optimistic about the outcome of today's vote, this bill, or one very similar to it, could re-emerge in another form soon. Riders must remain vigilant. An easy way to stay on top of issues affecting motorcycling is to sign up for the AMA Government Relations Department's Action E-list in the Rights section of www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com. That way you can be notified by e-mail when you can make a difference on important issues. About the American Motorcyclist AssociationSince 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world's largest motorcycle organization with nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition events than any other organization in the world. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Hi Sam, My 2004 did similar weird spark things for most of the 2006 season. I found the problem to be in the consitent grounding (or lack of it) of the electrics under the tank. I completly removed every part and connection, brightend them and coated each with di-electric lube when reinstalling. The problem has since gone away. When I simply removed, cleaned re-assembled the fix would not stay put. The di-electric lube seemed to be the trick. Good luck ...

A friend called me to tell me about this free video game. I checked it out. I am not really into video games, but this seemed like fun- I even tried it a few times. It's really trials bikes on a video game. I never saw that before. Better yet it's free! Have fun...Let us all know if you can master it! http://www.addictinggames.com/stuntdirtbike.html

Peeps need to get a grip on reality! Screw the Lawyers! The lawyer crap is right here.... (see links below) and what a giant pile of smoldering dung it is! As I read it again I can smell the pile getting bigger! The real question is what do we do about it? http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=35263 http://www.trialscentral.com/forums/index....showtopic=23423

Here is the latest corrospondence in MI on this matter. Tom Dunn is the AMA MI D-14 Legislative Director. If you have an opinion on this it sure might be a good idea to send off a letter to the address below, let your voice be heard. This not isolated to any specific area of the country, this may affect us all. Remember it takes numbers of us in our little niche sport to be heard. On Wed, 2/18/09, Senator Debbie Stabenow <senator@stabenow.senate.gov> wrote: From: Senator Debbie Stabenow <senator@stabenow.senate.gov> Subject: Re: Please prevent the CPSC from banning youth motorcycles and ATVs To: tdunn976@yahoo.com Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 4:30 PM February 18, 2009 Mr. Thomas Dunn American Motorcycle Association District 14 5010 Stafford Ave Lansing, MI 48910 Thank you . . . . . for contacting me about the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act. I understand your concerns about the ban of lead in children's products. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act became law on August 14, 2008. This law allows for increased funding and staffing for the CPSC, creates a third-party testing system, and increases the speed of recalls when a product is found to be unsafe. The CPSC has issued regulations that do not require resellers to test children's products in inventory for compliance with lead standards. New products however will need to be tested. The CPSC is accepting comments on the rule, which may be submitted in writing to the following address: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 4330 East West Highway Bethesda, Maryland 20814 As Congress continues to debate consumer safety legislation, I will keep your views in mind. Thank you again for contacting me. Please don't hesitate to do so again if my office can be of assistance to you or your family. Sincerely, Debbie Stabenow United States Senator

It is very true, and requires that we do something right away. Please click here for a link to send an easy to do written response to the US Congress. All it requres you to do is fill your name and address and hit send. PLEASE DO THIS TODAY! http://www.tomself.com/ Here is some of the corrospondence I have recieved so far. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

WOW! The fallout from this could change the motorcycle community as we know it. (Not to mention the precedent being set for other sports) For years we have grown and promoted our sport (all motorcycles) through our families and the young people who we meet along the way. These young people grow with us becuase they too enjoy the sport and they accept the risk of injury that comes with it. If this legal precedent spreads we will no longer be able to teach our kids how to ride trials, motocross or an enduro at an actual event since the property owners and promotors may choose to exempt anyone under 18yrs from participation due to risk of lawsuit. Insurance rates will skyrocket. Kids cannot sign a waiver (not old enough to sign a binding contract) and their parents/guardians cannot sign for them as they have no idea what is in their best interest (according to the Florida Supreme Court). So we will be relegated to teaching them how to ride in own backyards. OH WAIT! ... I forgot, We can't let them ride there either since the the local township enacted an ordinance that prohibits the operation of motorcycle because it may disturb our neighbors. (Ask Jeremy McGrath about that one). Remember gang, this also applies to non competitve trail rides, Poker Runs, Rallies and the like. Could this also include riding on government land??? (Not sure about that due to liability limits against the government.) Over the years, I have had numerous personal experiences with injuries as a promotor, father and rider. The extreme being the death of a friend doing what he loved and the least being minor scrapes and bruises. We all learned from these experiences. As intellignet and responsible individuals (even when were under the age of 18!) we adjusted our future behavior accordingly. I have never known anyone personally who filed a lawsuit for a motorsport related injury, but I have heard of many. We as a society need to take responsibiltiy for our choices and quit blaming others (or letting GREED cloud our vison) I FOR ONE, AM VERY UPSET BY THIS AND PLAN TO FOLLOW IT CLOSELY, AS I BELIEVE THIS COULD REALLY BECOME AN ISSUE OVER TIME. I already sent this link to over 100 people.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL... (and to all a good riding season ahead!) No trials here- just lots of snow. Snowmobile trials perhaps????? Hey Biff, Did the gas Gas get a new outfit for Christmas? Let me kow the next time you guys are going over to Kutchey's......

Hey Biff, Was that a "good" dream or a nightmare? Sure looks like fun, let me know when you lunatics are riding...I may just come watch! Perhaps Joe Sr and I can have our own riding session while you guys are healing. Is Joey in town now? We need to get Joey on line here too. kkep me posted when you are riding over there. It's only 20 minutes for me...Biff you have a the long drive! On the tractor and disc- knowing Joey's style I'm thinking that the "pro" line uses that as well.

Very cool, doing this with your son is the greatest. You are showing him how to do things right, a great platform to build on for sure. This time goes by SO fast, so try to savor the "flavor" of this time in his life. Who knows you may have a future Champ! Nice clean website layout! Mine lived the "go fast" life (Hare Scrambles) and we chased them all over MI riding many events- lots of great memories! .

How the trials bug bit, I really can't say, perhaps it was a two part bite. I was hanging around a local Michigan dealer called Precision Cycle that sold Hodaka & Montesa primarily. I purchased 1971 Montesa King Scorpian (my first new bike) and shortly afterwards began looking for a used Cota. The first was 1969 (w/the big hubs) that was followed with the purcahse of a lighter 1971 Cota 247. I think the owner of the shop (who by now had finally hired me) who was big into trials at the time was a prime reason I started riding trials. Another very good friend (my age) bought a older Sherpa T so we decided to ride our first events together. We rode our first trials (I think 1972- maybe 1973) and were hooked. At that time the novice class in the MOTA was big. In fact many local events then would attract 200+ sign ups. At that time, promotion was mandated by points so Gary and I found ourselves riding the Champ class by the end of our first season. He rode on to be MOTA champ in a few years while my interest was spread over MX, off road, street and trials, so I continued to ride trials on and off thru 1976. I sold all of my toys (race cars included) in 1978 and became a workaholic business owner. I returned to off road in the early 1990's and to trials in the late 1990's. I still mix it up to this day. I ride 3-6 trials events each year while still keeping my interest in Enduro and HS events here in MI. All I know is that I can ride a trials on Sunday and still make it to work on a Monday feeling a little bit sore. After an Enduro I am in pain for 3-4 days! (and it costs a lot less to compete in trials too!) Let's just hope that the Import Tax being discussed in the other thread does not happen! I am going online to my Congressman today!

JMcK, Please keep me posted on your 2009 plans. My next trip into Ashville will be in late Feb 2009. I can bring bikes. Thanks!

Hey Biff, If you get laid of you can just ride trials professionaly. I'm also seeing you producing a designer line of trials bike clothing (for the bike - like the one you already have) but in HOT PINK for the ladies. Post a new pic of your gas gas in its outfit! JMck, I get down to NC once or twice a year on business, and have gone off road riding with some friends in the past (Brown Mt) . I am near and around Asheville and Morganton when in NC....is that near you or any of your 2009 events? My next trip will be in Feb 2009. I usually drive, so I can bring a bike.

Fat or thin - all of them are great! Just as long as they move slower than me.....

Gosh, with those great lists, you got me thinking.... Honda Z-50 Suz TS-90 (I think it was a TS - not the dual range trans) Honda XR-100 69 Montesa cota 248 71 Montesa cota 248 72 MOntesa King Scorpian 250 74 Montesa Cota 248 76 Montesa Cota 248 76 Montesa 250 VR Kawasaki 750 triple Ossa 250 MAR Honda CB 400F 6-8 snowmobiles from 71-78 Long break until 1992 Suz TS 185 Honda XR 250 1989 KTM 250 EXC 1994 KTM 125 SX 1992 Suz RM125 1996 Suz RM 125 1995 KTM Sx 125 1986 V500 Shadow 1985 V-65 Honda Magna 1987 Yam Yz 250 1997 Scorpa 250 EZ 1992 KTM 400 EXC 1992 Yam 250 YZ 1992 KX 100 2004 Sherco 290 2007 KTM 400 XCW 1972 Montesa Cota 172 a couple quads and few more of those darn snowmobiles again. lots of of mini's as the kids grew up in the middle of all that too. Wish I could have some of that money back now...........

Good idea...DONE!

It sure seemed that things were kind of boring around here these days, so I came up with an idea for us all to share a bit about our riding backgrounds and what brought us to this crazy sport here in 2008. I have been in many different modes over the decades, starting in 1969 with my Suzuki 90 - started competing in trials and enduro in 73 (Montesa) went to MX in 77(Montesa) then a long break from 79- 92. Back into Enduro and HS and Trials since then. Still ride street a little, but currently active in HS, Enduro, Trials and Vintage with too many bikes in the garage for my wife to understand. Rarely stuck with a single series for championship points- always tried to ride lots of mixed events- still do! Let's hear from everyone else here on TC!

Hope you had a good flight back. Hope to see you again sometime soon!

More decorations for clubhouse and garage huh? It was a great event, first time for me at that property, I know Biff and some of the others have been to numerous TI events though. From left to right- Martina (from Germany) , Biff, Joe K SR, Joe K JR, yours truly, Rob R., and Mike M. We'll be back! Thanks again! Hey Zippy, You should be really happy I didn't make any jokes about your sex change operation.

A few of us decided to make a last minute blast down to the Nov 2 TI event in Dayton over the weekend. It was a mixed crew for sure. FanticMatze even flew from Germany just to go riding with us! Even got to watch Pat Smage- that worth the price of admission by itself! FanticMatze 2nd Sprtsman Joe K Jr Champ Class 1st Joe K SR Open (non comp) Biff Champ class 2nd Kjax SR A 2nd Mike M (1st time rider) 1st Novice Rob Roosen Expert 4th Great event put on by TI! Perfect weather for November - 70 and sunny! http://www.trialsinc.org/