Competition class motorcycle judging

[redfred84]

The AMA isn't the end of the line here. But I understand the dillema. One has to scratch up as much proof, and docuementation one can for this. Otherwise, every one who owns an old Porche will be claiming it to be the ex-James Dean car.
Each & every Competition Class entry must be submitted to the Chief Judge for registration. He will consider all applications, and run it past a committee for eligibility. Try and think of the glass as half full.
I would say that for every time we come across a situation like you dipict, we would have successfully identified 20-30 imposters, thus glorifying the true competition bikes that do have their history intact. I don't think we will run across too many situations of un-proven machines; at least I hope we don't. This is a new system, it's meant for the best, and we will learn as we go, as in everything in life. Like I said before, it's very easy to critisize the judging, and a few worthy bikes may fall through the cracks with this, but hopefully the genuine machines are better recognized with this method. The goods should overwhelmingly out-wiegh the bads. But I realize that a lot of people are hell-bent on bads.
Besides, digging up the info, is half the fun!
RF.

[indianut]

How does that bike get judged?

By how much FUN you have owning and Riding it. Wht do people feel the Need to be Judged?

[Rubone]

Well I guess this answers some of my questions, (although the vin # question seems to have been avoided!). It appears that the years of trying to find period correct bits to finish a good example of a class"C" or privateer racer has been for naught. I suppose I will go on to plan B and just build them to AHRMA specs and race them and forget about showing them for this club! Even though acquiring an engine here and a frame there was how many period racers did it I see that doesn't fit well with the formula laid out. Too bad, lots of folks like this old junk. But then now it appears to have become just old junk! Might see you on a track, won't be seeing you on a judging field!
Robbie

[T. Cotten]

History loses again.

....Cotten

[46WL]

I'm confused. If I find a Chrome-Moly 45 frame, a 49WR motor, a narrow clutch, etc, and put it together to make a factory WR, will I still be able to have it judged as original? Obvoisly won't be any racing history on it as this bike.

[Rubone]

46WL,
The way I read it is that the new competition rules only apply to privateer type machines. Chris said

Factory built racers are not included in this.

in his first post. So if you built a WR (with chromemoly frame it would have to be in dirt track trim), it would have to comply in every aspect to a catalog machine. No owner, sponsor, or dealer modifications allowed. And it would be judged in regular fashion, not the new competition class. That is all clear as mud right! And no provenance would be required, only that it complies exactly to standard "as built" specifications as listed in period sales info or factory photos.
At least that is how I understand it, but I am often just as wrong as the next guy!
Robbie

[redfred84]

This is exactly why I wish Chris hadn't jumped the gun, and spilt the beans. He wasn't on the Judging Committee. So his initial reaction was a knee-jerk, complete with HIS interpretation of the new class. Everyone on the Judging Committee, who worked very hard for over a year, had enough respect to wait, and let the Chief Judge announce this exciting new facet of our effort to preserve History. Hopefully Steve Dawdy will chime in with the official announcement, complete with an explaination, as only he is worthy of fully explaining it at this point. He is working with Bill Wood, to make this announcement a biggie, through the web site; this has been the delay in us getting the news.
So in the meantime, we are all on the same team, please think positive here. I think this new class is a great way to honor true competition machines.
I'm outta here for a few days. I hope the official announcement happens soon, and soothes everyone's fears.
RF.

[duffeycycles]

amateur class did not care about numbers.The indian I rebuilt had nos 741 cases never stamped.The bike was raced from 48 to 60 without numbers.owner still alive.The only progragms with serial # I have seen is springfield late 40s & early 50s,and that was pro class

[Chris Haynes]

Hopefully Steve Dawdy will chime in with the official announcement, complete with an explaination, as only he is worthy of fully explaining it at this point.

Fred,
He already has.
http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/bbo...tition+judging

[scd]

Honor Competition Class

Hi All:
I am happy to see the interest and good questions regarding our new class. This is a pet project of mine, so I will admit that I was thrilled to see the Judging Committee and the National Board embrace a model that has been carved out with valuable input from judges, enthusiasts, and the "old-timers" in the racing world.
The most basic reason for this new class is to provide a niche for "as-raced", or competition modified bikes. We realized that these machines simply don't fit under our standard approach to judging in which bikes are evaluated against the factory specifications. These modified to race (win) machines break too many judging rules to earn enough recognition if judged with the stock bikes. Yet, their importance in motorcycling history is obvious
I know this has been a bit confusing, so here's basically what we will have available next year for competition motorcycles. If a factory race bike is in stock factory trim, that is, how it would have arrived from the factory, it can certainly be judged within the stock division along side all the other original and restored bikes. Obviously most such bikes will be in restored condition. If there is an original unmodified WR/KR/Big Base etc. out there, we would love to see it on the judging field.
In contrast, if a bike has been modified to make it competitive, it may be eligible to be judged in the new Honor Class, but it has to prove that it is worthy of this distinction. It must first present some form of ID to our Honor Competition Committee that clearly shows that it raced back in it's day. The committee will review all provided documentation and render a decision fairly, certifying the machine as eligible for judging. Serial numbers, good pictures, historical documents will all be important. Serial numbers, from then and now, will be helpful, but not held up as a determining factor as they are in our stock classes. Race bikes worked for a living, and things happened, sometimes to their numbers. But things will need to be legitimate (representative), in a similar manner to how the bike may have been scrutinized in it's day at the track.
As with all AMCA judging, judges must compare the bike to something (a standard) to decide if it is representative of a machine that really existed. With stock bikes the concept is simple. We compare it to the factory specifications. But what do you compare a one-of-a-kind bike to? In the Honor Competition Class the owner provides the standard in the form of documentation. The bike is then judged against it's documentation (essentially compared to itself) as it existed in the era of it's racing campaign. If a standard cannot be provided because of inadequate documentation, the bike cannot be adequately judged and will therefore not meet criteria for certification. The certification committee will not be able to provide prejudgments of actual or hypothetical cases. Every case will be treated in a very deliberate manner with consideration of all provided information.
The formal description of this new class as posted on this thread is correct and true. It will soon be placed in the judging section for easy access.

Thanks,
Steve