Look, BUT DON'T TOUCH!

[Hrdly-Dangrs]

Had a great time at Harmony last Friday! Turns out to have been the best day of the three day event (with regards to the weather)! What could be better then coming home sunburned, tired and full of fresh memories of the days sights of great looking bikes and B/S'ing with some old friends....Finding the latest issue of The Antique Motorcycle in my mailbox of course! So anyway, I was reading thru and came up on the second installment of 'Long-Term Capital Gains' by C.T. Riley. Let me say right off that I like this series. (I'm sure the Spring issue featuring the 'Japanese' motorcycles was a hard pill for some of us to swallow) Ok so what does this have to do with the 25 Year rule you ask?? Well, I find it interesting that while we (some of us), speculate as to the best picks for 'Future' Antique (collectible) Motorcycles, we (some of us), do not like the idea of a 25 year Rule. We (some of us), do not want to see these machines and their much needed parts on our Club's fields until they are 35 years or older! However, if you look at the quoted 'estimated cost today' line under each motorcycle depicted in the article, you'll notice that the prices for these machines are already quite high. Needless to say, "Original" parts for these machines are also going up! "So what, you say.....you can find those parts at any swap meet other then the AMCA!"....AH-HA!!..And there is my point...Why should we have to go to other swap meets to find the sheet metal/original parts that will be required to bring these bikes back to their AMCA recognized Restored Original condition over the next several years while we wait for our Classic 1975, 850 Commando to become eligible for the 35 year Rule for Judging/Showing! Seems to me that we should be encouraging the seeking out and displaying/selling of these much needed parts to our Members at 'OUR OWN SHOWS NOW'! "I don't want to have to pick thru a bunch of British/Japanese parts to find the 'Old' stuff you say". Well I don't know about you but as for me, you can bet that if I'm selling some hard to find early Indian/Harley parts, I'm going to make sure they're not mixed up with my boxes of Triumph/BSA or even Kawasaki (EGADSS!) parts! It's up to me as the Vendor to layout my parts to attract the attention (read...Sell) to those guys that are seeking them out! My point in all this is that NOT ALL THOSE THAT BUY OUR PARTS ARE MEMBERS! When the gates open for our shows, we get many different people coming thru seeking parts for their bikes. How often have you overheard some of these guys ask a vendor if he has any parts for a 70's Harley/Triumph only to be told, "Sorry, but thats too new. Everything here is 35 years or older"! So now the guy walks away and down the isle, searching in vain for some parts for his not quite 35 year old bike! Likely he leaves a little dissappointed! Don't count on him coming round next year. I've seen this a lot over my 15 years of vending the AMCA. Not everyone coming to our shows knows of or understands the 35 year Rule. OK, sure you can't please everybody, but I think this is an example of how the 35 Year Rule hurts us. "Well you say, hey that's too bad. Let him go to the British/Japanese meets for his stuff!" Well, I say, my sellling him some 70's Triumph/Japanese MC parts for his project could help me pay for the early Indian/Harley parts I want from the vendor down the row...(YOU PERHAPS)? "Yeah, well it isn't just about money" you say. True enough...but try getting anything done without it! "Yeah well our 35 year rule keeps us few and Special". Well then why are we considering selling our Magazine on the news stands?? People coming thru our Chapters show gates, new Memberships, sales of our Chapters T-Shirts, National Club items and calenders all help pay the bills! As far as I'm concerned, when I see all 9,000+ Members and an additional 1000+ Non-Members coming thru the Gate on a Saturday morning at the Harmony Meet, I'll consider it a 'little crowded'! If our goal is to get these 35+ Year and older motorcycles up and running, then maybe a few extra years of bringing out the parts/literature and project bikes 'AT OUR SHOWS' could only enhance that goal and enlarge our Membership and all our Chapter's much needed revenues! The 35 Year Judging Eligibility Rule need not be an 'end-all' to all the other aspects of our club. Let's face it, we're quickly coming to the point where just the addition of another year doesn't make that newly eligible motorcycle an 'Antique.' Hell we're trying to pass off a 68' Sportster as an 'Antique', while we all know its really a 'Classic Era' motorcycle. Let's keep the Antiques 'Antiques' and 'Judge' them accordingly and let's usher in the 'Classics' and set down some new 'Rules' for them and the incoming "Moderns" in a way that Keeps our Club growing and expanding along with its Members Interest in all things 'Motorcycles'!....What Do You Think?.... Hrdly-Dangrs..........Sorry for the confusion, but I meant for this to go under the 25 Year Rule Thread. Admin Guy if possible could you switch this under the 25 Year Rule??