AMA INSIDER

JAMES HOLTER

There are many reasons to ride motorcycles. The most memorable involve feelings…feelings of freedom, of nostalgia, of conquest, of companionship and serenity. Possibly even feelings of athletic heroism.

This is why some of the bikes you’ve ridden you remember — just like some of the people you’ve met — more than others. They made you feel something.

Want to feel like a pro? Race a pit bike. It requires line selection at full-throttle, conserving momentum, finding traction, hitting the lip, and timing to clear a measly 12-foot tabletop. Few have the skills to execute those decisions on a 450cc motocrosser. On a 110cc pit bike it’s reasonably achievable, and once you do it’s an unforgettable feeling.

Last month we introduced a new section in these pages called, simply, “AMA Garage,” which will become a staple in American Motorcyclist going forward. In the section we’ll cover bikes (among other things) that make us feel a particular way. Most will not be techno-wonders, and maybe not even the best-in-class. Some might be old — vintage! — and others might even be slow, subjectively ugly or questionably sound.

What these bikes do achieve are remarkable, unforgettable feelings, anything from humility to grandeur, and they do so in abundance.

But we can always feel more, right?

As motorcyclists, we know that part of the fun is defining that “more” in our own way — and making it happen. In AMA Garage we’ll cover practical ways to unlock more of the feelings that drew us to these bikes in the first place.

In my personal garage I have a few bikes, some runners and some projects. The two that get ridden the most are an adventure bike and a vintage enduro bike. Each inspires a particular feeling, and that’s why I keep them. One of the projects they share space with is a 2005 YZ125.

This YZ never really was my motorcycle. I bought it for my secondoldest well before he became a Marine — and his service has been over for about a year. My fourtholdest rode it some, but mostly the bike has sat, taking up space. I never sold it because I stubbornly refused to divest myself of what many consider the representative standard of a bygone era: 125cc two-stroke motocross.

As a runner, the YZ, sadly, was generally overlooked. And then came the pandemic.

After moving into a new home this summer, my plan was to get a new off-road bike, probably a YZ250FX or a CRF250RX — maybe a Beta 390 RR-S. I’ve had modern four-strokes. They’re easy to ride, versatile and enormously capable. I was ready for another. Then, I went shopping, and realized that the supply chain issues we’ve read about were real. How real? The motorcycles I wanted to buy were nowhere to be bought. That’s serious!

Just like that, I found myself looking squarely at that once-overlooked YZ.

I bought this bike used. The previous owner had it, somewhat surprisingly, set up for off-road. It had a large fuel tank, skid plate and some other trail-friendly bolt-ons. Other than regular maintenance, I hadn’t done much. (My biggest mod was bolting on the forks and shock from

a 2006 YZ250F, the year Yamaha introduced its much-lauded SSS technology.)

I decided, for a fraction of the price of a new bike, I could give this YZ everything it needed so it could give me a feeling I remembered fondly: banging through gears, burning through clutch plates, chasing RPMs on a mission to achieve moto-hero status, if even only in my mind.

Since that decision, my parts buys have included modern plastic, exhaust, silencer, graphics, a tall seat, handlebars, tires, sprockets, a chain, brake pads, a pipe guard, jets, grips, air filter and much more.

Not sure if you’ll see my now-notso-overlooked YZ in AMA Garage (Pretty sure you will. —Ed.), but you will read about a range of other bikes from a lot of different corners of our sport — along with the parts and modifications that make them more exiting to ride.

And that’s the feeling that really matters.

James Holter is a Charter Life Member and the AMA’s chief operating officer.

GARAGE LOVE

Loved Mitch’s Garage Love column in the February issue. Those early’70s days in my shed at 12 years old with my QA50…an 80cc Yamaha… then a DT3 250…that’s where you learned what was what tinkering with your bikes. Fifty-plus years later, with a few years in between without a bike, my barn is my motorcycle haven. Just finished a 1980 Yamaha XS650 and am working on a Bultaco Alpina. And a few years ago I found a DT3, which is a constant reminder of the fun I had and continue to have learning and working on these pieces of art. My Dad was a mechanic and I learned a lot from him; I also wish he was still around to sit, watch and talk to while I work. My new KTM 350 is an awesome bike, but nothing compares to those late-’60s and early-’70s vintage bikes. My barn is where I can make sure they last so future generations can appreciate their beauty.

YOU ARE DEFINITELY NOT, DON! Okay, I can’t be the only one that digs American Motorcyclist now! You went all legit on us. Stepped up, and now we have a damn nice publication. Well done! Keep adding more!

PRESTON AND BAD BRAD

With the recent passing of AMA Hall of Famer and legend Preston Petty, I wanted to share a candid shot he and fellow Hall of Famer Brad Lackey honored me with at the 50th anniversary Hodaka Days celebration in Athena, Ore. Brad was there as Grand Marshal, I believe, but the two of them were hanging out. I was with a childhood friend who had two parts Hodakas for swap

SURVIVING THE RIDE P erry King’s Survive The Ride column in your February issue was very much appreciated and needed as a constant reminder to the practicalities of motorcycle safety. I had the pleasure of working with this man many years ago on a small film

entitled Switch…he’s a true industry professional and early inspiration to my wanting to ride. Anyone who’s seen the movie Lords of Flatbush will remember his sequence with a young Sylvester Stallone on a rooftop where Chico (King, who rode a Harley Division Electra Glide throughout the film) states out loud, “I got a bike, I can go places, I can go places!” Boy did that stick with me and help send me on my way years later riding throughout the U.S. Thanks for sharing that piece. If everyone on the road (not just bikers) followed King’s advice, the world would be a safer place. Remember, “Anything that happens (out there on the road) is your fault.”

Letters to the editor are the opinions of the AMA members who write them. Inclusion here does not imply they reflect the positions of the AMA, its staff or board. Agree? Disagree? Let us know. Send letters to submissions@ama-cycle.org or mail to American Motorcyclist Association, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity.

meet consideration, and Preston was happy to throw a leg over. Brad and Preston were an absolute hoot to visit with.

RIP WES COOLEY

We knew Wes was going to be a racer. Here we are on my dad’s bikes at Cotati Raceway in about 1959. Wes is on No. 28, with me on the other bike. Sad to hear of his passing.

Thanks for remembering Wes Cooley in your January issue. I had the pleasure of getting to know Wes when I worked for Kal-Gard lubricants in the early eighties. I was also both sponsored by Kal-Gard and had the pleasure of watching him on and off the track. He was a great ambassador for the sport, and the last time I saw him at Barber Motorsports Park — where he was Grand Marshal — it was fun seeing him enjoy old friends and being around the racetrack once again. BTW, I love the new format of the magazine and I now look forward once again to receiving a motorcycle magazine in the mail.

FACTS MATTER

You did it again! The January issue is another nostalgia issue. Two of the articles were about Wes Cooley and old Suzuki motocrossers. There is an old saying: Those that focus on the past have no future. Motorcycling has many serious problems, but especially that bikes are way too expensive. You need to cover these issues, and what to do about them.

With all due respect, Doug, we do cover current and important events, lots of them, many in the magazine, but also on the website and on social media. BTW, the high price of motorcycles is not something we — or you — can do much about. If you want a cheap motorcycle, buy a used bike. Over the last few months, in the magazine alone, we have covered the issues of autonomous vehicles not seeing emergency vehicles (and motorcycles) and causing crashes; the great helmet debate; getting foreign riders into the country during COVID for Supercross racing that millions care about; the great Lead Uprising re: minibikes (which could have wiped out kids’ bikes totally); the battle for lane-sharing in several states; the Bonneville Salt Flats in peril; poorlysensored Red Traffic Lights being a hazard to motorcyclists; coaching training for new riders; and a wide range of other tidbits from our hardworking Government Relations crew. If that’s ignoring current issues, then I don’t know what planet we’re all on. Venus, maybe! Thanks for the note, btw. —Ed