AHRMA for idiots

[syspig]

To be clear - the idiot refers to me. I know very little of AHRMA beyond a couple of brief conversations with other local vintage enthusiasts. The general sentiment shared was that AHRMA rules can be somewhat strict when it comes to acceptable vintage bikes. Certainly more so than local club events.

Having just returned from Scotland where I was fortunate to compete in the Leven 2-day trial, I'm on sensory overload with all the incredibly cool pre-65 bikes I saw over there. And, quite fortunately - I've an opportunity to get some bikes into a container to ship back to the US.

I can ride anything I saw over there in my local club vintage classes, as air cooled and drum brakes are the only requirements. I'm curious where AHRMA might draw the line with some of these highly modified bikes I saw. Drayton frames, REH forks, custom hubs/wheelsets, billet yokes, etc.

And, to be clear - I'm not looking to win any championships. Just looking to enjoy more days in local vintage competitions, as our local club events have limited vintage turnout. I'll not be one to complain about being DQ'ed if I run afoul of an AHRMA rule or grey area, but I'd prefer not to show up only to find out I can't ride.

Thanks for any education!

[mcman56]

This is their rule book.

https://www.ahrma.org/ahrma-handbook/

I'm no expert but the few AHRMA events I have seen even have a class that allows modern bikes so you should be able to find a class for anything.  IIRC, otter frames are not legal for their pre 65 class.  I have seen TY175s with extended swing-arms and lay down shocks competing but I don't think they meet the letter of the rules.  Based on absolutely nothing, I wonder if no one is too picky about the rules unless you are going for a championship.   

 

[konrad]

37 minutes ago, mcman56 said:

Based on absolutely nothing, I wonder if no one is too picky about the rules unless you are going for a championship. 

Likely true.  In roadracing, tech (scrutineering) is about safety.  Illegal modifications must be protested by other competitors.

[motovita]

 Any equipment challenge would probably only arise in the case of a championship. You can walk through the pits ay any AHRMA event and see several bikes that violate some of the rules. There are some riders who live to stretch or skirt the rules, whatever they can get away with, I think it's part of the fun for them. Just ride and have fun. I've ridden a number of AHRMA Trials events and never even been through a tech inspection.

Edited 3 hours ago by motovita