BlackHawk -DavenPort review

[AdminGuy]

Davenport was great! Not enough time to see it all.
It was nice to put a few faces on some names. Meet old and new friends and also to introduce my ugly face to a few of the folks from the internet. Thank-you Jim Jones for bringing the 640SS and allowing me to shoot a whack of photos. She’s a beauty! I was tired, dehydrated and in awe of the bike. Usually I’m much more talkative. I was real happy to hear that your going to take out the tools. DIY. Good job.

It was a real personal thrill to meet and yak with Bobby Hill and Bill Turman at the banquet dinner. Very nice guys. Very approachable. I think it’s just as big a thrill for them also to be recognized. I had lunch with Bill Baird & Millie and talked T100 for a bit. All American pizza next door -East of grounds is really good food. Also short walk. Don’t know who the above names are? Check the AMA hall of fame online.

I had beers with the Dutch crowd in the Holiday Inn. Great guys! Understandably heavy on the WL talk. I also tried to help a French fellow on field make a deal for a teenage IND single. Not present second party brokered deal with a high tag so I hope he hung in to close it. My french was worse than his english. But I tried.

Got to LOVE those original paint Hendersons’. Brush strokes visible. SpeedVision did some hilarious interviews out on the field. All the whooping and jeering in the background had me doubling over with laughter. Look forward to seeing the final cut on TV.

J&P Museum is a great ride and a nice day trip. Sans helmet -once out of town. Eh, next year maybe. I think Kevin V. & Dennis are still blinded from the sea of green. A great ride for old iron. Ref to the bikes not Kevin and Dennis.

Smitty gave a great IND talk/tech session on fly wheel building. 50 guys sitting edge of seats straining to hear. Mini PA systems for all chapters would be a good idea. We’ll have to work on that. Smitty was unable to haul in a fly but did bring a few goodies to use as props to talk about. The real real knowledge was transferred verbally. And most guys in attendance were looking for the detail answers that make the difference. The pit stories were the best part. I was fortunate enough to reshoot some photographs of a disassembled big base motor with KR rods. The owner was kind enough to fill me in with detailed descriptions of each photo. Very cool. This will come in handy when I’m gearing up to challenge Jerry Chinn. Or maybe faast Jim? Give me a few years.The replica HD bikes were running well and have a clear advantage. Almost unfair. IMPO

I missed the field games and very sadly missed hanging around in the pits during warm ups in the aft. Was going to take some quality photos. Next year I may have the digital steriophonic helmet vidcam ready. Great fun! Yes, I'm a geek.

Spent all the money I had on IND vendors large and small, new and used. I could really use a tracing of a 640SS brake spring plate #43123, fork shield #86392, nothing fancy just a tracing with a pencil. please? Anyone? pls email me for address.

Mahalo Jim Sutter. We’ll miss you. Enjoy the slow pace.

See you in Republic WA. for the National RR.
Paul Edwards - thewebguy - AMCA

[shawcycle]

Hello Paul: I too enjoy the activities and wandering the grounds. Please don't construe this as a complaint but rather a concern. I saw one colision between a Cushman and a BSA, fortunately no injuries and minimal damage. I also enjoy sitting in my spot and watching the motorized grocery cart, and the variety or scooters, homebuilts and motorcycles. Sometimes walking about I worry about the volume of people riding these machines. I would hate to see everyone put on foot but I fear it's only a matter of time when some one is injured and this will be the result. I don't know if any of the Blackhawk people read this and I'm not sure what the answer is but it seems to be a growing problem. John Hasty

[AdminGuy]

Hey John, Your concerns are the concerns of others, as well. Home built pit machines are one of the highlights for me also. Watching a man child pull a 50 foot long wheelie (in front of 4H building) on a 50cc mini had me thinking the same thing. It was a good cat walk, and he WAS in control, not alot of walkers around at that moment- Sat afternoon late. But I started to think - what if it were a 10yr old kid.

I just hope that parents read their kids the riot act before letting them tool around the grounds at any meet. Insurance prohibits this activity in some states. We do have speed limits on the grounds. and age restriction....

The last thing I want to hear is someone yelling full bore at folks. OR the implimentation of speed traps or uhhhhhhh the all out banning of such activities. I really just hope -people think a bit more. It's the 2 percent that ruin it.

Organized drags for class displacement of home builts could be fun? Maybe at the end of the field games? We could have Wizzer class no problem.

This issue is getting bigger every year. No body wants to be a heavy. Posted speed limit signs with a photo of Steve Ciccalone showing a big open hand. (*caption: PLEASE SLOW DOWN - or I'll crush your skull like a wallnut). And by golly -he easily could! Hi Steve. Just kidding.

Quick walking pace only? Always open to suggestions. Anyone?

[T. Cotten]

One of the worst offenders was an old fart on a green "mule". He nearly ran me over twice while unloading.
It turns out that he is a board member of the fairgrounds.

In other words, rules will be broken.

Dogs were forbidden. There were dozens.

The Meet is actually very well mannered, considering the congestion. Face it, the Meet is TOO big, and the grounds too small!
Perhaps having a spring and fall meet would thin things out, but the Chapter is already short of manpower to produce just one.

[AdminGuy]

The amount of labour and organization that goes into putting the Davenport meet on is mind boggling. A monumental effort that we should all be thankful for. It's really well done. Thank-you Chief Blackhawk chapter.

Sorry you had some grief. Ya, stuff happens.