January 2010 - The 1st year Honda Gold Wing will be AMCA eligible

[indianut]

The State of Florida has a 'Horseless Carriage' license plate which is a one time fee of around $25 and it is good for life with NO use restrictions. Around 1999 or so when when people driving Mustangs and early Camaros were on the brink of being able to get the Permanent plates the rule was changed to anything built in 1945 or earlier. This prevented the Horseless designation from being "watered down"! Not that there is anything wrong with Mustangs and Camaros, they just are not Horseless Carriage Material! I think the AMCA should adopt a similar rule to prevent the Club from being watered down as well. My suggestion for the cutoff would be 1972. The last Drum Brake models. The fact of the matter is exactly as Eric stated, this club is Knucklehead and Indian Riders who Tolerate other stuff. Think about it....had Florida not made the change we would now have 1974 Econolines and SL 100's designated as "Horseless Carriage".
P.S. Silentgreyfellow...Try a late model HD FL series bike. It will do all the things you say you like about your Honda, with an attachment to the Antiques you hold in High Regard.

[Chris Haynes]

My suggestion for the cutoff would be 1972. The last Drum Brake models.

Wait a minute! My 1973 Junior First Servi-car has drum brakes on the rear. My 1973 X 90 also has drum brakes.

[Paps]

And to think...I sold a perfectly patina early Goldwing to my friend, just a few years ago, for just $200.00. I got the bike on a conversion van trade for a pickem up truck. The bike was included in the trade.

[Paps]

Truth is, the "handicapped" parking spots should be located as far out as possible. Most I see using them today need the excersize. Don't get all PC on me. It's just my observation, and opinion. I can still have one of each, can't I? And people riding minis ariound at meets? Haven't we discussed that before? Something about respect, and safety, and just the general atmosphere at meets. One of these times, somebody might just start knocking those obnoxious fools off of the contraptions. There are usually carts available at the meets. Maybe we need John P. to adjust their attitude. And, you know, I have a neighbor that can't seem to get his insanely loud yard tractor started before 9 at night, then mows his yard with the light on. He would fit right in with some of our fools.
Mike

I don't want to crawl that far Mike. As far as the disrepectful mini riders go...I just shove my stick through their spokes as they go by. Paps

[micmac]

The mini's were stopped at Davenport 2 years ago I believe, but they let go again last year. It's hard carrying stuff around in the heat a dodging them.

[D.Mac]

The State of Florida has a 'Horseless Carriage' license plate which is a one time fee of around $25 and it is good for life with NO use restrictions. Around 1999 or so when when people driving Mustangs and early Camaros were on the brink of being able to get the Permanent plates the rule was changed to anything built in 1945 or earlier. This prevented the Horseless designation from being "watered down"!

Well,
As I read through these posts, I saw a lot of opinions similar to mine, and I was going to stay quiet untill you mentioned Mustangs and Camaros. Besides old bikes, my bad habits also include old cars, both hot-rods and restos. I used to enjoy car shows and cruises, but in the last 10 years or so they've become over-run with Mustangs, Camaros and other boring stuff. More and more, guys like me just don't go anymore, and the events look like a mall parking lot circa 1970, large and boring, boring, boring. I remember years ago, guys saying "we have to encourage the younger guys to attend" don't get me wrong, I think that younger guys with an interest in old stuff are great, but allowing the newer cars didn't really get that many younger guys to show, just younger cars. I also belong to a "vintage MC" club that has a twenty year cut-off and sometimes pulling into a meet you wonder if you showed up at the right place! (just look for the grey-beards!)
That's my rant for the day, I feel better now.
Doug.

PS, I remember a buddy of mine remarking once to an onlooker that he had held(and worked on) every single part on his Model A.

[exeric]

You have summed it up for me Doug. I believe there are TRUE antiques and much of what you see at car shows and bike meets just don't qualify. I got interested in antique vehicles when I was very young and later, when I was old enough to buy a car and a bike I wanted something old. I remember going to the Horseless Carriage meets at Cypress Gardens and later at the Tampa fairgrounds and those car collectors would have been embarrassed to show something that wasn't full fendered with a flat windshield. Antique motorcycle are a state of mind as well, and everyone knows what is in the "antique" realm and what is there because it made the 35 year rule. The problem is, the people who love this stuff did too good of a job of promoting it and now everyone wants everything to be in the show. Let's just give everyone who pulls into the parking lot an award.

[Anthony]

AMCA should be kickstart ONLY. The only exceptions should be a hendee special and 65 electraglide. Anything newer than 65 is a "classic" not an antique. Even 1965 is pushing it, but at least it is still a panhead. There needs to be a classic motorcycle club of america that can oversee and judge these more modern machines. Soon the judging field is going to be full of honda goldwings and hodaka super rats. Dont get me wrong, these bikes have a rightful place in motorcycle history, but they are not antiques.

[Chris Haynes]

I thought something had to be 100 years old to be an antique?

[Paps]

You are still just a bit shy of that qualifying mark., Chris.

[1776J]

Now please don't take this personally but here is my take on the Gold Wing as it applies to our hobby and possibly this club . They may be incredible engineering marvels but they have ZERO soul. Just like every new Harley and any other post circa 1974 bike has ZERO soul. What is soul in a bike? Well a big part of it is the ever present thought that you can break down anywhere and be forced to rely on your wits and possibly the help of strangers therefore creating a bond between rider and machine . Check out the movie "The World's fastest Indian" and you will see the greatest on screen portrayal of the true motorcycling ethos ever. Riding a Gold Wing is akin to abdication , giving up, throwing in the towel for a true vintage biker. To me I could care less about helping the club grow by adopting this 35 year rule. Gold Wings and all other bikes since it's inception belong in different clubs.

I could not agree more with the details you pointed out, as they are all the things I've felt for a long time now.

The idea of a 1970's, disco-era Gold Wing showing up at an AMCA meet/show and being judged alongside Harley's, Indian Scouts, Hendersons, etc. (for me personally,) is akin to a guy riding a vespa into an HA club gathering and saying in his best tough-guy voice, "Hey Bro, nice ride huh??... can I hang with you guys?" or a 16 yr old kid riding up to the gate during the Hershey antique car show with a tricked-out Honda N360 from 1968 and wanting "in".

You don't wear sweatpants in a wedding, you don't wear a tuxedo to the gym,... it's all common-sense to me,... but that's just my take on the idea. Riding what makes you happy is what its all about, but to try and compare apples to oranges, well, to me, its just that.... apples to oranges.

That may just be my old-soul mindset, "Tom Joad" way of looking at things?

Everything I ride or drive that has age, I've built or restored with my own two hands.

I know every part on my '29 Ford 'cause I built it from scratch, junkyard and swap-meet parts with a few repo things I could not find or afford when seeking originals at the time.
I cannot do "all" of my engine work because I haven't "learned all of it" yet, and do not possess the tooling to do so,.... yet!... but I was in the shop as much as possible when it was built.

Heck,...when the 4th of July rolled around last year, my wife and I celebrated out in the garage putting together and installing the newly redone mechanical brakes and drums on the "A".

I have a hunger for learning,... as knowledge of the mechanical feeds the soul,... at least it does mine.

I personally, haven't heard of any Goldwings that fit that genre yet,...

[Barry Brown]

Although I stand by my statement it probably came across as a tad draconian as I have nothing against any mechanized 2 wheeler and never put anyone down for riding whatever they want. At Oley I always take the time to do a once around the visitor bike parking lot as there have been in the past interesting 'late model" MV Agustas , Ducatis , Nortons etc. The more people on 2 wheels can only be good for all of us.
With regards to the "gold wing controversy" may I suggest the club set up specific requirements for what is acceptable similar to the Classic Car Club of America? Using a specific cut off year only is dicey. Inclusion by merit as well would be better. That way bikes such as Bart Markel's 1969 KR lowboy and Roger Reiman's KR both the ultimate development of the 750 flathead Harley , Floyd Clymer's indian resurrection etc. etc. would be in. The club seems to want to take a page out of the AACA's book for doing things so why not look at a close affiliate the CCCA ? It has been a long time since antique motorcycle collecting was a hobby of the proletariat.

[1776J]

Though many may not like "rules" or "guidelines", those are two key elements that keep good institutions, clubs and groups together and provides cohesion, flow and order (or at least the intentions of order) and a good quality of things in general.

I too do not "look down" on what people ride, I never had and never will. That is not an issue in my eyes.

However, I personally do not see the frustration of the addition of the Gold Wing as an attitude problem of anyone "looking down" on another individual, so much as a frustration that comes with the general masses that value the craftsmanship, legacy and history that goes together hand in hand with many other machines "other" than that of a "Gold Wing." Which to me, the Gold Wing and some other motorcycles lack.

When production takes over quality and craftsmanship and artistry, then the product in question goes down the tubes,.... (ie. the AMF years till now of Harley, and other manufacturers)

Again, its like taking a shoe-box house that was made yesterday at the local overpriced housing community that sprung up overnight in what used to be a farmer's field, and comparing that to a victorian home built in the late 1800s, with gingerbread details, wood within its skeletal structure at WHOLE sizes instead of half sized cheap cuts (2x4 being actual 2x4s, instead of 1.5x2.5 cuts) detailed with oak, mahogany and copper, instead of mass produced tin, aluminum and particle board, plastic and recycled materials.

Big difference to me... for I myself, I kind of see it like this:



Versus....



Ok,... back to the garage for me!

[Jerry Hatfield]

For the past six years my main ride had been a restored 1973 BMW. Although this is deemed an "antique" by the AMCA, I got this bike for different reasons. The bike has attributes that are difficult if not impossible to obtain with contemporary motorcycles: heavy (relatively) flywheels, four-speed transmission, outstanding low- and mid-range torque, simple carburetors that are easy to synchronize, ease of valve adjustment, drum brakes, and wire wheels. As I can lock my drum brakes, and I don't have to remove the fuel tank to check brake fluid level (1974 and, for awhile, later BMWs), this makes sense to me. This motorcycle is an absolute delight to ride at any speed. Many modern bikes are only happy far up the tachometer scale, as though one is always in a hurry. In an age of specialist motorcycles, this all-arounder keeps me grinning around town and through hundreds of miles a day on the open road.

As to modern motorcycles: I like fuel injection for the instant ready-to-ride startups. I like the practicality of cast wheels with tubeless tires, so a flat tire isn't a big deal. Everything else on modern bikes, I can do without.

I beleive it was a "Classic Bike" road-tester of a 70s BMW who said something like "This bike has the feel of a classic." The "feel," I think, comes from the fat torque curve and heavy flywheels. These produce the sound and feel of the "base" notes that are missing from contemporary bikes that only sing tenor. If pianos had evolved like motorcycles, we would now be missing an entire octave on the left end of the keyboard in order to pick up one or two more keys on the right end. Or perhaps the "classic feel" comes from a reasonable riding posture, evolved over the decades to produce comfort, as opposed to producing the "cool" look by riding with one's hands either face-high or belly-button high.