Youngsters In The AMCA

[Slojo]

"By the way pm me any pics of your racer your doing if you dont mind "

51 FL

I am just beginning the build stages and interesting photos are yet to be shot. Set up / lay out processes such as knocking sheet metal into submission, and determining other basic component formats. I may run a new article similar to the one for my !914 cannonball bike. Stay tuned.

51 FL have you viewed the !914 cannonball article? Do you have a first name? Some of us might like to get to know you.

Joe

[51FL]

Slojo , you werent who i was reffering to , you offered pictures and i understood your posted its other who criticize and dont offer postive input . By the way pm me any pics of your racer your doing if you dont mind

[Robert Luland]

Good God, This thread is a immature as you can get. And you guys can’t understand why the membership doesn’t show up here. Joe, you hit it on the head. Bob L

[Slojo]

"to being corrected on grammar"

51 FL

I made the comment of using spell check, I did not say anything about grammar, they do go hand in hand though. I did no intend to insult you so try not to be sensitive, just a little constructive criticism.

I start every day with the thought on "how can I improve myself", typically I fail but every day offers a chance for another attempt, I TRY. There is nothing wrong with improving yourself, give it a shot. You can go back to the chopper boards that's cool, while you are there bring some of the chopper guys over to this forum.

Relax, have fun, enjoy yourself, meet new people, make friends, build a motorcycle collection and ride, that is what it is all about.

Joe

[cube74]

51 FL You should stay in the club and the forum. You are right on the money. This paying your dues is a bunch of crap. The professional vendors sometimes have a bad attitude and some think their crap does't stink. I love seeing guys like you here.

[exeric]

Perhaps I am the one that made the "money" detour. I gleened that from other letters and not from 51FLs original post. Sorry if you thought I was referring to you. Obviously I copped an attitude about the "old guy" AMCA thing, and for that I will not apologize.

When I first started going to AMCA meets in the mid 70s, there were very few people my age. I vended at my first AMCA meet which was at Maguire Field and got the stink eye from all of the old guys because I was a long haired hippy. I left early and didn't have a good impression of the AMCA. However, I kept going because I loved motorcycles, and the meets got to be more fun because I began meeting some great people. Mort Wood. Bud Cox, Dave Leitner, Ralph Mundel, and Jerry Ottaway were some of the people who took the time to make me feel welcome. That's not to say there weren't a few jerks but you have to remember that the cultural wegde between generations in those days was profound. Many of the old guys were WW2 veterans and didn't have much love for people of my generation that were changing America's culture. Some of that cultural change was visiting the AMCA meets at that time and members of my generation could be first class jerks as well. The point of this historical side bar is to say that it's always going to be a transition for new members in any club. There will be rough spots but we can all agree on our love for old motorcycles. I've always been amazed, amused, and proud of the weird mix of people that not only get along in our club, but become lifelong friends.

The last thing I wanted to say was; it will not be the old members of the AMCA that make it die. It will be the new members that don't keep it alive. . . . But, that's a mute point because I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell of the AMCA dying.

[olddaze]

51FL empty your inbox. Can't send a PM

[bill campbell]

Like I said before if you want to find out what goes on in our area go to the Yankee Christmas party bring your friends,its open to anyone even chopper riders (most of the members are old scooter tramps ) they'll like it that you ride to the party. we have a road run in sept also.
will be at Stafford springs on 8/14/11(I'll have the old bikes by the front entrance) for the late summer meet and then on to brookfeild new york for the empire chapter meet 8/19-29/11 this is a friday saturday meet as well so try to get some time off its worth the ride.7 hrs from boston

[Robert Luland]

Yep, your whining!

[51FL]

I would like to start off by saying thanks to anyone that read understood or commented on the positive , to the rest of you who cant seem to follow a conversation long enough to remember your metamucil . I support the AMCA any chance i get i own a magazine subscription , i own the calender . What i dont understand is where this got derailed i was trying to offer the insight of a younger genaration , yes i own the amca card that has all the NATIONAL MEETS , not local chapter meets to those who questioned but Joe Blow Jr shouldnt have an easy time locating that . I never complained about prices , i bust my ass to pay for my bikes work a full time job and hustle parts on the side , but i sure as hell aint driving 600 miles to a meet where vendors are leaving cause there wives wont let them spend the weekend . My good Friend vends a bunch and sometime leaves on sat afternoon , and trust me i make sure he hears my opion on that . SO ANY ONE THAT THINKS IM WHINING ABOUT PRICES IM NOT SURE WHERE YOU GOT THAT . IF YOU DONT WANT YOUR CLUB TO END A MISERABLE OLD DEATH WE CAN CHANGE SOME WAYS AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS , IF NOT IM SORRY FOR OFFERING ANY INSIGHT AND MY VEIWS . My Knuckle racer post was a perfect example , from being told to look at the post before me (which wasnt titled any where close to what i was looking for ) to being corrected on grammer ,im thinking about goin back to the chopper boards . No this isnt a poor old me , but what happen to solid advice or help , i can take some **** as long as theres a positive with it not just some internet nazi .

[olddaze]

If ya re-read the first post, he never said that he expected free parts or that the price was too high. Don't know how ya split off that direction.

[BigLakeBob]

Here's my 2 cents. 51FL, you ask for a list of AMCA events, aren't they listed in the mag or on your membership card? Buy a calender and support the AMCA, they are all on there. I have been going to swap meets since I was 17, 29 years now. It has taken me all this time to trade up and keep buying to have all the junk I have. No one just gave me anything because I was young, sure I was helped along the way as it sounds like from the posts here, you will be helped too. It sounds like you have had no trouble collecting a stable of bikes so far. Everything involves priorities along with time and effort. I started incorporating the meets with family vacations. Drove from FL , via Nashville to make wife happy, then on to Davenport with a 6 month old daughter. Now I take my daughter on vacations after meets, last year Niagara Falls, this year the UP. Try that, you get to do your hobby, and the family gets a vacation, go to a different meet every year. As far as Sundays, the Walneck meets are usually on Sundays, maybe one is in your area. For the last 2 years I have met a young man, maybe 21 in the hotel near Wauseon, he comes from MI and goes to the meet looking for something older that a Shovel he now owns, it takes time. Enjoy the different meets, be patient make friends and get some knowledge along the way. Bob

[exeric]

The coolest people I know, are not!

Robbie

That's a brilliant quote Robbie. When I use it, I'll give you credit.

[Rubone]

And I totally agree with Tom and Eric,
When I was a young guy and interested in old bikes and parts, no one came along saying "Gee Kid, how nice that you are interested. I'll sell or give you anything you like for next to nothing". I busted my ass trying to exist and build my projects. I spent long hours proving my worth to the older riders, the old bike dealers, everyone involved. I didn't party with the boys, chase girls, or any other money eating activities. I basically was of one mind. I chose work that helped my education or paid well for taking up my time. I expected nothing from anyone then and still do not. And no, it isn't all about the money. But it sure as hell is about the attitude and desire, not about how many face-book friends you have and how cool you are. The coolest people I know, are not!
Robbie

[fabercycle]

Eric, you are exactly right.....35 years ago it WAS exactly the same. A guy has got to pay his dues a bit, to earn what he's got. In 1978, I remember dodging the landlady, and paying my rent late because I had to buy new parts for the bike, eating peanut butter and jelly for 3 or 4 days straight, until payday came, cuz I spent the dough on bike parts. If a young guy has to sacrafice a little to partake in the motorcycling sport, then it will do him good and build character, the problem is, that all of today's society is programmed for "instant gratification".

Just to set the record straight on vending, I am probably one of the last guys to leave Wauseon, and Davenport on Sunday, I have been told before by fairground crews to get my crap packed up and vacate the fairgrounds,, somewhere after 1 or 2 o'clock on sunday. Once I had a guy from Montana, who just showed up at Davenport at about 10am, wondering where the meet went, I was able to sell him a ton of VL parts and made his day, I figure, them other vendors that cleared out early just missed the boat! I will also help a young guy when I can, my free handlebars, and other parts, are on Ryan Mackeys bike, and it was a good investment, as I see him at meets still looking for parts.

If you're young and you think 40% of the guys are unapproachable......so did I 30 years ago, and some of them are now my friends, some are passed away, and some I still don't know, or do business with....it don't bother me, cuz they'e the ones missin' out!

DA Bagin, I believe in helping people out, but I also believe everyone has to do what's necessary to get what you want.