bikes being judged at oley 2010

[Sportster Jerry]

Fewer bikes were presented with no gas, no batteries or bad numbers, so the messages from Eustis must be getting round the Club.

I ride my winner's circle original paint sportster over 100 miles round-trip to Oley every year, but this year it stayed in the garage on Sunday with a full tank of gas and good numbers. XLCH's have no battery because they came stock with a magneto, so you got me on that one.

My Dad left his orignal paint Triumph at home this year too. Judging at Oley was a father-son tradition for use every year. But due to the new changes to judging, we sat it out because we are into this hobby for enjoyment, and that doesn't seem like that is what it's about anymore.

P.S. Our bikes both earned 99 points and will stand up to any judging standards, past or present. So don't assume everyone who kept a bike out of judging this year did so because their bike can't meet the new criteria.

[rwm]

so i wasn't the cold driving rain that kept bikes away.

[panz4ever]

"On the other hand, bikes have to be presentable, so we are talking about a judgement call from human beings."

Oh how I love the cockney drivel....and your choice of words in defense of the point deduction is priceless!

[bmh]

If I saw correctly, it appeared that there was only one bike in the winners circle. Yet I counted at least 3 Indians , sitting on trailers and such around the grounds with judging tags hanging off the bars. Just sittin there in the drizzle, not under the pavilion. Not part of the show. Sure looked like a protest to me. The judging field was real thin all around. A noticeable lack of Indians, Knuckles and even early pans. I watched some of the judging and there appeared to be a great deal of debate over an H-d external oil filter on a 50 pan. It sounded like the conclusion was that the filter was allowed as an official accessory, but the lines would be a deduction. I assume they meant the oil lines.....HUH? The owner said it all came as a kit and the judges asked if he had brought a 1950 accessory catalog. He said no and they said "to bad". I have watched the judging quietly, with great interest the past several years. Always trying to learn something. I must say this appeared to be the least organized crew of judges I've watched. Come on, Didn't the little arm bands have a certain vintage European flare?? And I still don't know exactly what the messages from Eustis are. There still has been nothing in the form of an official publication outlining the new rules and procedures, so I guess we still make em up on a case by case basis. Did the original Sporty's get docked for their mucho blue pipes? Seems like the only people that are happy with the situation are Rocky and the board. If the members will not enter their nice old motorcycles in the show, there is no point in anyone showing up to see it. Maybe that's why we are courting the chopper crowd these days. They love signing disclaimers and getting peoples choice awards and that looks like the direction we are headed. Oh well , that's the way the cookie crumbles.

[2wheels]

Doesn't this new judging group see what the "messages from Eustis" are? They think it's how wonderful this group of goofs are doing. And do they really think their rules are better than before, where are their brains? By the looks of things at Oley the message is "Don't put your bikes in the judging". If you're a good judge the message is "Don't judge". This mess needs straightened out BEFORE you put your bike in for judging or else your judging sheet is going to be crap.

It's a real shame to see where our judging is headed. Maybe if we can vote in a real board of directors, we'll get some people in there that care about motorcycles instead of their own personal gains. This custom culture class is another oddity and is not what we want for our young people. We should be emphasizing the greatness of the old bikes instead of how you can mulilate them. If the club goes in this direction it will have to change it's name. Maybe the custom culture class can start their own club, and they can take along our board of directors and this new group of judges with their self-serving rules. Then what will we have left, we'll have a new board of directors, our good judging system back and our real motorcycles.

[rbenash]

Rob/Lucy - thanks for the pics! Also enjoying the XLCH judging info and dialog in general. First Oley meet I missed in a long while, so this helps me catch up a bit. This whole judging controversy has me a bit concerned though, I must say. Shame that it seems like confidence in the system is suffering a bit right now. Should have my '65 FLH done this summer, might hold off getting it judged until this looks resolved.

[Magic]

The Weather was a problem Sunday morning

so i wasn't the cold driving rain that kept bikes away.

Yep it was the Cold driving rain for me as I live 20minutes away and didn't wanna trailer a good rider. besides it's just another brass plate to put on the board so another day will come. I'm more about talking to people about thier M/C or mine showing and it didn't seem like a nice morning for it. Keep riding them..Merlin in Pa.

[inrustwetrust]

That is a very nice refit on the magneto of the Evans motorcycle. It was originally a Berlin wasn't it? The body of the original mag was a galvanic nightmare in its composition and it is doubtful that any functional examples exist today. Nice bike.