MotoAmerica | 2024 | Silly Season

Then just listen to ZZ Top's "Ten foot Pole" song...

 

V&H has come a long way since they first built GSXR750 Superbikes for Randy Renfrow and Richard Moore. Richard would have preferred a stock motor in his bike, so he could use the throttle through the corners.

 

Brap Talk Podcast (formely done by the guys from Asphalt and Rubber) came back last week.
They talked a little about the Vance and Hines team (the guest was working for Westby and will be at VH this season).

 

I freaking loved those bikes.

 

Damn Papa!!!! That’s uncalled for!!!


But unfortunately yeah, we both had lake houses in Culver on Lake Maxinkuckee… we were both in the Lake Max Yacht Club… seriously… me in a yacht club(which is a social sailing club)… I actually knew him and really liked him… he summered in one of the more modest houses on the lake…..

actually I was doing all kinds of events for his company Tucker Rocky way before we met and the Bonnier deal happened, there were so many companies in that buy, like all the shiny motorcycle magazines, and V&H and Roland Sands, and Family events, and more… then at the Indy GP we realized we both spent summers in the same place and he mentored me on some projects as I consulted for him on some…

he’s the one that told the MA sugardaddy to pound sand when they tried to backdoor me at a private steak club in Indy on a cold Feb winter night… still makes me smile…

his mom wouldn’t let him get a motorcycle… so when she died… he got one… he was in his 70s by then… he did dual sport trips and rode from Moscow to Shanghai and loved it and the next big one was Africa… shortly after his wife died… he died on that trip…

 

Did anyone get in? Or were you saved in time?

 

LDI bought Tucker/Rocky from Bob Nichols when I was a TR rep and went on to spend more money in their other companies than allow TR to grow. And so much weird stuff went on, and that allowed PU and more so Drag Spec. to become what they are today.
Remember there was also Motorcycle Stuff around until 95ish and then they imploded.
And Custom Chrome owned the Harley market and are pretty much gone now too.
Anyway I wasn't a fan of what LDI did to TR and so many great brands that where in their catalog they're barely around anymore.

 

I still have a lot of old catelogs, like Dixie, Lockhart, MC Stuff, Tucker Rocky, fun to look at old shit and wonder, with so much shit on shelves, those companies could probably do well on Ebay if they haven't already.

 

Wasn't MC Stuff around until mid 2000's or so? Want to remember working at dealership and the rep in there around that time frame. Then they went away and WPS appeared.

 

Yep I was off a few years, sorry. M/C Stuff imploded around 2000 something when Tekgeck set them up. WPS was there as a small company and Stuff leaving help opened the door for them. Craig Shoemaker had a plan for WPS and with TR being TR that helped even more.

 

Dude, I used to tap on endlessly about those doing commentary for races but with Ben bostrom as the third.

gawd I love Jamie. Even 10 minutes with him will have you smiling and laughing for days.

@stickboy274 told me a Jamie story a few months ago that still has me dying.

 

Yep! When I started at TR (89) their mid 80s catalogs even had Metzeler slicks in them. And non DOT tires sold to anyone in those days was crazy!

 

Damn this would be amazing, maybe Scott Russell too?

Mid to late 2000's late late in the evening at Siebkens I bought Jamie a few brews and he was trying like hell to sell me and my brother one of his tricked out $40k R1's, can't remember what his company was called, bikes were painted orange....anyway couldn't understand a thing he was saying, it was memorable!!

 

the old dude full of ancient cognac rescued me! no seals were broken

Oddly enough I had to use your wisdom on this occasion, as you once said there are no back door accidents, when they claimed coincidence for them being in Indiana from California in Feb and meeting with my friend and confidant Mr Lacey... they all turned white when as I casually walked by their table he invited me to join them and asked if we knew each other... fun night... nobody got in any door back side or front which sucks as with some ethics we could have done some great things... they'd just been told off by Toyota about me and by Family Events, the flat track promoter, that Mr Lacey and LDI bought...

 

and You can’t understand guy Martin any better

 

I knew that ginger was holding out!!! Stick give up the goods!!

 

I really liked MC Stuff, or more accurately The rep Bob.

My partner in the bike shop I was part of 98-02 had been a privateer pro MX racer and the two of them knew each other well. We would laugh for hours whenever he visited. When we sold I managed a second small shop in the same area 02-05 and his visits were always a hoot. I hated to see them go. Honestly all of my reps were great guys and when allowed to do their thing really helped us grow our business. My TR rep used his contacts to help find used equipment to expand my shop side, The PU rep was actually a friend and a kid who I watched grow up from a punk kid riding his quad to the shop into a very effective rep. and the rest were just good people.

 

I still laugh about it when I think about that dog.

Honey and I was sitting at a table full of drinks, full and empty, at NOLA after an awards banquet one night. Jamie and Doug are there, a friend from Italy and a couple of other different strong accents. I asked one of them from Colorado if he understood any of it, his reply, not much.

 

And I would venture to say that your position is pure speculation based on what you would like to see happen, not based on any facts or reality. I think you are diminshing the quality of the racers who are racing the baggers, Wyman, Rispoli, Gillim, Landers, etc. These are some fast quality racers who have shown that they can compete at the top levels of MA classes and have good rides in the naggers and other classes. It seems to me that your issue revolves around your favorite classes not having the appeal and factory support that they once had. The people that are paying shops/manufacturers big money these days are not buying sport bikes and accessories. They are buying baggers, hooligans and twins. The supporters of those classes, HD, V&H, Saddleman, Indian, etc are selling performance Baggers for the street, for big money. Here is the reality of where we are at. 600SS machines are dead in the water as bigger twins and triples take over that market. 1000 Superbikes are limited as naked bikes take over that market. MA is doing a good job of staying relevent to the market and bringing in new fans.
Your position is the same as it was when AMA pushed Superbikes and let F1 die. Back then there was a wailing and gnashing of teeth that roadracing in America was going to die and that we wouldn't have anybody going to the world stage from AMA superbikes. Then we had Rainey, Schwantz, Kosinski, Russell, Polen, Lawson, Hayden, ....

I would suggest that you get over it and enjoy the racing and watching the MA competition grow.

 

/thread



Just kidding. 100 more pages at least.