Number of Women Riders is Growing

Recent Survey Shows Shift in Rider Demographics

 

Ivine, CA (PR Newswire)- According to a recent survey, nearly 1 in 5 motorcycle owners in America is now female, compared with 1 in 10 less than a decade ago, based on data accumulated by the Motorcycle Industry Council. In fact, the data suggests that women may soon comprise ¼ of total motorcycle ownership in the U.S., a major shift in motorcycling demographics.

 

Among all age groups surveyed, women riders now make up fully 19% of American motorcycle owners. The survey showed the greatest growth among the younger generations, with Gen X women riders up to 22%, and Gen Y (Millennials) up to 26% female ownership.

 

“As the number of Boomer and mature motorcyclists shrink and are replaced by newer riders, we could soon be looking at a solid 25% of motorcycle owners being female,” stated Andria Yu, MIC Director of Communications. “We’ve seen with our own eyes many more women riders- on the roads, on the trails, on the track, with families, at motorcycling events, forming clubs and just being a part of everyday group rides. Many people in the industry have worked some 30 years to achieve this, and now the data confirms it: More and more women are getting out there and enjoying motorcycles.”

 

The MIC polled 2,472 adults nationwide for the 2018 Motorcycle/ATV Owner Survey. For decades, the MIC has served as the census board for American motorcycling, and they have tracked this steady growth in women owners/riders over the years. In fact, major efforts to invite more women into the world of motorcycling dates back to the late 1980s, when manufacturers and distributors formed the “Discover Today’s Motorcycling” initiative in an effort to encourage and introduce new riders to the sport. Cam Arnold, an industry exec and organizer of the “Women in Powersports” event last week in New York, stated “Throughout the 1990s and on till today, the big brands have dedicated increasing amounts of attention to the women’s market, and we’ve simply seen more and more positive imagery on TV, in movies, and in many mainstream settings where women on motorcycles are just having fun.”

 

Despite some studies that motorcycle ownership seems to have declined overall in the past 10 years, the MIC report indicated that motorcycling has actually grown in popularity and acceptance in American culture in recent decades, according to their survey. They found that 66% of women riders say their family and friends have a positive attitude toward motorcycles and scooters. Good news, indeed.

For more information on the Motorcycle Industry Council, visit their website: www.mic.org 

  

ProRider Atlanta- The Ultimate Rider Course

It is widely understood and acknowledged that motorcycle police officers are among the best trained and most proficient riders on the planet, in any country. The extensive and strenuous street training they undergo challenges the limits of man and machine. Very few police officers undertake the vigorous course. Fewer still successfully complete it. Yet those who do possess a skill level in riding virtually unknown to the rest of the motorcycling world.
Ken Anderson is one of those elite riders. With over 30 years experience as a motorcycle officer, including hundreds of hours of intensive training on multiple levels, and a seasoned police instructor himself, Ken has now brought this training to the civilian motorcyclist. ProRider Atlanta takes main skills taught and drilled into motorcycle officers and translates these into civilian format, to benefit the wider rider world.

I had the opportunity to participate in Ken’s ProRider class back in October, and the 8-hour course was one of the most challenging and rewarding I’ve ever undertaken. I took the course on my 1998 Yamaha Royal Star, since it’s equipped with front and rear highway bars in the event of a drop (which didn’t happen, I’m proud to say). I’ve always been very confident on the big Yamaha, having logged nearly 16 years and 90,000 miles on it. By the end of the day, I would come to realize how much more I and my bike are truly capable of.
Led by Ken and aided by Ken’s wife Patty, we were coached through riding tasks as basic as the proper way motor officers mount and dismount their bikes (from the right side, never the traffic side), how to correctly lift a dropped bike, and the safety reasons for always staying in gear while at stop lights. Ken taught then demonstrated proper clutch/throttle modulation, with Ken asserting, “The power of your motorcycle is not in the throttle, it’s in the clutch. You can twist the throttle all day, but the bike won’t roll forward until you release the clutch.” So, learning your clutch’s “friction zone” and how to manage your throttle and rear brake in unison with it, is key to improving slow control riding, obstacle avoidance, and negotiating tight cornering without resorting to “duck walking” your bike through parking lots.

We worked on the skills of clutch/throttle/rear brake management all day through a series of increasingly difficult cone courses, from simple cone weaving, quick lane change, deep & wide corner negotiating, and performing a complete “360” within a tight circle of cones. As we drilled these over and over, Ken would stop and give individual observations and instruction, as well as group debriefs before moving on to the next exercise. We didn’t master the techniques fully in one day (moto cops take months, even years to master the skills), but we each dramatically improved as the day progressed.

Ken also taught essential skills such as braking in curves, keeping eyes up and looking where you want to go, “not at your front wheel” as he calls it, and rear crash avoidance. We ended the day with a nerve-wracking exercise in emergency braking and escape, as in hard front/rear braking that results in a controlled tire skid and stop. We practiced this from 20 mph, then 30, then 40 mph, seeing the evidence of stopping distance in our skid marks. My Yamaha is not equipped with ABS or Traction Control like most other class participants, but I found I could stop in every bit the same distance they did after numerous runs, and wasn’t intimidated by my screeching tires as I came to a straight, controlled stop. Wow, and whew!

By the end of the day, Ken and Patty awarded each of us an official ProRider certificate of successful completion, which my insurance company has promised to honor with some discounts. Nice.
In all, this class pushed me beyond what I thought my limits were. I saw how much more riding control I am capable of, and how much more my bike is capable of as well. My confidence in my riding skills certainly has notched up a level.
*Oh, cool feature of Ken’s class- you can return to keep practicing the skills with subsequent classes, free of charge, for up to one year (subject to space availability in the class).
I highly recommend Ken’s ProRider Atlanta motorcycle course. Every rider should seek to improve their street skills. In my experience, there simply is no better instructor than a seasoned motorcycle officer. And Ken is the best of the best.

*For more info on ProRider Atlanta, click here- www.prorideratlanta.com
*Check out their Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/prorideratlanta/
*Photos by Phil Gauthier

Time Passages

 



Last month, my father did the unthinkable-he sold his motorcycle. It was a 2003 100-Year Anniversary Edition Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic. Beautiful bike, and he took immaculate care of it. Best of all, he rode the heck out of it, often with my mother riding pillion. So to see it go was hard, to say the least. But it was time. He’d been struggling with ill health in recent years, especially 2018, and turned 79 years old over the summer. He quipped, “The older I’m getting, the heavier this bike is getting.” He asked me to help him sell it, and it went to a good home- a former H-D mechanic, getting back into riding, who has a great affection for Heritages. Very appropriate.
I was saddened myself, because not only was this the passing of an era for Mom and Dad, it was a sort of “time passage” for me as well. We had pounded out many roads and road trips together over the past 13 years or so, logged many miles, made many memories. Precious few, even in motorcycling, can say they’ve ridden much with their fathers (or mothers), but I can, and I’m thankful.

 Dad grew up riding motorcycles, back in the 1950s. He owned a stripped/bobbed 1954 Triumph Tiger 500, and was the hooligan of West Roxbury, Massachusetts on it. He street raced, blasted through town with the baffles out, rode with a pack of rascals, preened on it for the gawking pretty girls, but kept his heart for one- My mom.
When Pop left for the Air Force, he sold the Triumph to a friend, who apparently wrapped it around a tree outside town, barely living to tell the tale. No pictures remain of the bike. Pop rode Cushmans while spending a year on Okinawa, then returned home to marry my mom, settle into a career in the airline industry, and raise three crazy, “wild at heart” boys down in “God’s Country” here in the South. He left motorcycles behind for many years, even while supplying us kids with trail and dirt bikes.
I took up street riding in 1996, and by 2005 Pop caught the bug again too. We fixed up a 1982 Yamaha 550 together, and after test riding it some, Dad decided to jump back in, this time on a Harley. First buying a 2006 Super Glide, then swapping for the Heritage (more comfortable for Mom), they both went all-in, decking out in all the best H-D gear, adding a bike trailer and toy hauler to the collection also.

 We rode all over the southeast together, and many of the famous routes down here- the Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, and Blue Ridge Parkway, to name a few. I’ve cherished every mile, every hour, riding with him across these years. He’s already experiencing “seller’s regret” understandably, grieving the steady passing of time, cursing the relentless marching of age. But it was time, they both acknowledge.
I guess I’m grieving too, selfishly, knowing our days of riding together are over. But I’m grateful to have ridden with them these years, and grateful my girls have inherited a love for riding, by the times they've shared with me on my bikes.
The guy who bought Dad's Harley? He told me how excited he is to take his wife riding with him, and hopes his daughters will fall in love with riding as well, on the back of that Heritage. As the saying goes- “One man’s sunset is another man’s dawn.”
Oh, Mom and Dad are talking about buying a golf cart now. A gas-powered one. With the big, knobby tires. Maybe raised white lettering. And an engine he can tinker with- maybe squeeze a few more horses out of? This could get interesting....

Indian Debuts FTR 1200 for 2019

 

Indian Motorcycle is shifting gears.

Since reopening for business in 2013, the legendary brand has targeted the tourer, bagger and cruiser crowd with their array of Chief, Chieftain, and Scout models. But with the runaway success of their vaunted FTR 750 flat track championship-winning race machines, the motorcycle world has been begging for and anticipating a street legal version. 

The wait is over.

 

Set for a 2019 release, Indian Motorcycle has introduced the flat-track inspired FTR 1200, a radical departure from their successful formula in recent years. The company had been hinting at a street version of their flat tracker since early 2016, with Indian R&D working hard to make good on the rumors. “We needed to make sure we delivered on the style of the FTR750,” international Product Manager Ben Lindaman said. “We had a world-wide focus group—we got a lot of feedback that the styling was right.” In our humble opinion, they hit the proverbial nail on the head.

 

The style, riding position, and aggressive tuning indicate Indian clearly intends to make a splash in the popular naked bike/streetfighter pond, well beyond the tried-and-true cruiser and classic tourer markets. Cycle World noted from the unveiling, “Peak power is claimed to be around 120 hp, and the torque curve shown at the press announcement is broad, with a slight double hump: an initial torque peak at a low 3,500 rpm, the slightest of valleys, and then a second peak at 6,000 rpm with 85 pound-feet.” The model’s slogan seems appropriate-

“Born on the dirt, Built for the street.”

 

From what we understand, Indian Motorcycle will offer the FTR 1200 in two iterations- the Standard and the S version. Standard will only be available in black, frame and bodywork, while the S will come in a variety of color combos, including the Indian Race red with white tank panels. Both will run with ABS, while the up-spec S will have a Bosch stability control system and multiple ride modes. Weight looks to be 488 dry.

Pricing will be $12,999 for the base model, with the S models ranging from $15-16,000, depending on paint scheme.

This bike will open new doors for the company. We fully expect to see more from this line in the years to come.

 

Taking the Long View

One of the skills we riders must consciously and constantly practice to stay sharp on our bikes is our situational awareness. Keeping focused while riding through ever-changing scenarios, constantly scanning our surroundings for potential threats, maintaining a “360 degree” awareness, are all vital street skills. Yet there are moments while riding that we can still experience a brief lapse in attention, can lose perspective for a moment in the saddle.

Nick Ianatsch of the Yamaha Champions Riding School trains hundreds of racers and street riders every year, and teaches an additional skill that I’ve added to my own survival arsenal. Ianatsch calls it “looking sooner, scanning back if necessary”. This entails periodically searching far forward while riding, casting your vision out as far down the road as possible, then drawing your gaze back to your immediate situation. This practice reorients the mind, resets focus, and broadens perspective while at speed.
 Kyle Wyman, MotoAmerica Superbike racer and YCRS guest instructor, describes the practice as “looking two steps forward, one step back...two ahead, one back.” Ianatsch further explains, “On the street, you look all the way through the freeway onramp to the traffic flowing or not flowing. You look not just around the canyon corner but skip your eyes to the road unwinding below you and see the radar trap on the next straight. You look past the green light and see the car leaving the gas pump and heading into your lane. Big picture. And then you bring your eyes back to the nearest probable issue.” 

Big picture. An apt descriptor. Every motorcycle riding instructor guides students to “get your eyes up”, “look farther”, and “go where you look”. All sound advice and good practice. But I’ve improved my “big picture” while riding by incorporating Ianatsch’s “look sooner” skill, which I’ve come to call, “taking the long view”. When I’m riding, I’ll force my eyes occasionally to look as “deep field” as I can, taking in every movement, every potential hazard and obstacle, every possible escape route, far out ahead of me. I certainly acquire a bigger picture this way. I find myself with a wider awareness, a calm centering, and a renewed concentration, as I ease my gaze back to the immediate. I often draw a deep breath and blow it out slowly in the brief process as well, adding to the reinforced control I experience.
Taking the long view certainly applies to life as well as riding. We can feel so overwhelmed in the course of our days, with events in the world as well as our own lives. Not only that, we often live soaking up a constant bombardment of information and stimuli, from which it is difficult to extract ourselves. Periodically “unplugging from the Matrix” as my wife calls it, and pushing our vision beyond our immediate to the distant to those things most important in the long run, can help us restore perspective.
 As a Christ-follower, I’m reminded of this frequently as I read the Bible. An example is found in Colossians 3:2- “Set your mind on things above (long view), not on things of this world (immediate view).” This helps center me in trying times, personally and when I look out at a crazy world.

So in riding and life, may we broaden our “big picture” and endeavor to “take the long view”. May you ride, and live, better for it.

Rob

 

Motus Motorcycles Closes Doors

 The most unforgettable bike I have ever ridden.

In a move that saw another American motorcycle company go under, Motus Motorcycles in Birmingham, Alabama announced their closure via Facebook over the Labor Day weekend. The announcement stated the company “is forced to shut down operations, effective immediately.”

The vision of building the ultimate American sport-touring motorcycle was birthed in the minds and hearts of Lee Conn and Brian Case 10 years ago, and Motus was born. The uniquely American notion of building a bike around essentially half a Corvette engine (their vaunted “Baby Block” MV4 1650) captured the imagination of the American motorcycling world, if not their wallets- the standard MST and sport MSTR fetching a rather whopping $30K-$36K, respectively.

The issue for any fledgling motorcycle brand is always cash to keep going and growing. Conn and Case wrote Friday, “This week, Motus financial backers unexpectedly informed management that they will not provide sufficient capital to maintain operations and grow the business.” After thanking their “Team Motus” for dedicating “so much of their hearts and souls to Motus”, the statement declared the founders “will work to quickly find a new path forward.”

Motus joins a litany of downed American brands in recent years, including Victory, Buell, and Brammo, among others. We at Born to Ride certainly hope Conn and Case can reopen the doors of Motus in the not-too-distant future.

PittRace Crazy for MotoAmerica

The racing was chaotic and crazy at Pittsburgh International Speedway this weekend, with crashes, red flags, and photo-finishes characterizing the championship series in all classes.
Saturday saw questionable conditions on the track due to adverse weather, and when the racing got underway, all bets were off as to who could master the track. In Superbike, Georgia’s own Josh Herrin battled to the front, and held the lead to the checkered against the Texan Garrett Gerloff and South African Mathew Scholtz. This was Herrin’s first win in five years, and the 2013 AMA Superbike champ commented, “I was on the podium when I suddenly realized this was my first Superbike win in five years! That’s a huge deal for me. I just put my head down and went for it.” Points leader Cameron Beaubier and 2017 champ Toni Elias struggled in the wet-to-dry track conditions, coming up 5th and 4th, respectively.

 In Supersport, Frenchman Valentin Debise snatched the Saturday win from Hayden Gillim and Bryce Prince, while class leader JD Beach struggled in the changing conditions, and finished an uncharacteristic 4th, one of the few times he is ever off the podium.
French Canadian and current points leader Alex Dumas took his seventh win of the season in Junior Cup, in a chaotic race that was red-flagged twice due to crashes.
The Twins Cup race was mastered by Jason Madama, taking his third podium of the season, in a near photo-finish run to the flag. Twins had also seen a series of crashes, with a red flag restart as well.
What a day.

 Sunday saw the return of an epic last-lap battle between protagonists Toni Elias and Cameron Beaubier, as the two swapped the lead and some paint until the checkered flag. Elias squeaked out the win by a mere .046 of a second over Beaubier, another definite photo-finish. Elias dedicated his win to the late Brian Drebber, beloved MotoAmerica race announcer, who died tragically on Thursday in a motorcycle accident, on his way to catch a flight to PittRace for the weekend.
JD Beach jumped back to the top of the podium Sunday in Supersport, in yet another red-flag shortened race for the weekend. With a 98-point lead over Hayden Gillim, Valentin Debise, and the rest of the field, and two race rounds to go, Beach looks to sew up the championship at New Jersey September 7-9. After the win, Beach quipped, “I’m not too sure that would have happened if we would have gone the full race distance, but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.”
Alex Dumas did the double in Junior Cup, after battling Renzo Ferreira until Ferreira crashed out of the race, as did Ashton Yates. Young Dumas holds a 64-point lead in the 300-400cc championship standings.

 Stock 1000 ran on Sunday, and Andrew Lee took his second win of the season, after claiming victory at Sonoma. Again, the class saw red-flags flying, and Lee took the win in yet another shortened sprint to the finish.
Whew, what a wild weekend. Stay tuned for more info on the two remaining rounds, New Jersey and Barber, and make plans now to join Born to Ride at Barber Motorsports Park for the climactic final round of the 2018 season, September 21-23.
Tickets- MotoAmerica.com
Race highlights- BeIN Sports USA on Youtube
Race reports- BorntoRide.com

Rob Brooks

 

My Brother's Keeper

 

Recently I was riding back through middle Georgia lake country following a couple of days spent with my parents. After a fuel stop in Bostwick, an old cotton town, I suited and saddled back up to continue my journey home. A lady rider about my age had pulled in not long after me, and now was having difficulty firing back up her old Harley Sportster. Our eyes met, and I could see the look of "can you help me?" in her eyes. Without hesitation, I removed my gear, retrieved my tool kit, and went to her aid. The problem fortunately was minor, a battery post that needed to be scrubbed of corrosion and tightened down. A warm thank you, a grateful handshake, and she was on her way, as was I.

Motorcyclists have some unwritten codes, which we all (mostly) abide by, such as "the wave", riding staggered with each other, among others. Notably, most motorcyclists also follow the rule, "never leave a fellow rider stranded." This is regardless of brand or type of bike. I've been on the giving and receiving end of this "biker good will", and it's one of the many reasons I love the motorcycling community.

A couple of months ago, I was driving my pickup home from working up town, when I witnessed a young sport bike rider on the opposite shoulder, struggling with something at his rear wheel. I whipped around as soon as I safely could, and came to his aid. Turned out, his chain master link had broken by his rear sprocket, and for nearly 40 minutes he had been trying to fashion a snap of some kind to get him home. "No one has stopped or even slowed down to offer any help, not even to make a call for me," he lamented. I lived about 5 miles away and had a motorcycle trailer, I told him, and offered to transport him and his bike to his house, which turned out to be only a few miles away as well. I sped home, hooked up the trailer, grabbed a box of straps, and returned to load man and machine. Upon off-loading the bike at his place, he offered to pay me for my "troubles", which I respectfully declined. "It's what we do", I told him.

To be sure, there are some elements within motorcycling that refuse to acknowledge or come to the aid of fellow riders. Adherents of certain brands, certain types of bikes, and certain club riders look down upon any not like them, and refuse to assist those not of their ilk. And yet, they are a minuscule percentage of the motorcycling world, a fringe not representative of the vast majority of us. Overall, across the years and miles, I have found members of the motorcycling community to be among the most caring, helpful, and selfless people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. And I'm proud to be counted among them.

A couple of years ago, while on a long, multi-day road trip, a friend of mine found himself on a highway shoulder, sidelined by a large screw in his rear tire. While trying to remove the invader so he could insert a plug from a tire repair kit he (wisely) carried, he suddenly found himself surrounded by a group of patched club bikers, who had pulled over and parked in front, behind, and even street side around him. "Oh crap," he thought to himself, being on a metric cruiser, and traveling alone. His concerns were quickly dispelled, however, when the leader asked, "Any way we can give you a hand?" These rugged riders assisted my friend get plugged and reinflated, then accompanied him back into town to a local bike shop, for a better examination of the tire. When my friend offered to buy them all dinner for their troubles, they graciously declined, but each shook his hand, wished him luck, and were on their way. "Just glad we could help" was their response.

Motorcyclists tend to get painted with only a few brush strokes, by the media and the general public. We are often portrayed as scary, hard-core biker gang members, as "Sons of Anarchy" types, or as reckless, inconsiderate "stunters" and "squids", endangering ourselves and others around us. Granted, there are far too many of those among us. But again, these do not represent the vast majority of riders, anymore than a few "quacks" in the medical field represent the vast majority of knowledgeable, conscientious, hard-working physicians.
The late singer-songwriter, Rich Mullins, once penned a song that, though not specifically about the motorcycling community, most certainly applies to how many of us view each other-

I will be my brother's keeper, not the one who judges him.
I won't despise him for his weakness; I won't regard him for his strength.
I won't take away his freedom; I will help him learn to stand.
And I will, I will be my brother's keeper.
-Rich Mullins, "Brother's Keeper"

I frequently ride with a widely diverse chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, called the Kneebenders, made up of all kinds of bikes, all kinds of riders. We include sport bike riders, cruisers, tourers, a couple of ADV riders, and several Harley riders. We are "red and yellow, black and white" like the old children's Bible song. We have men and women riders, and we run the gamut of socio-economic status. We even come from the four corners of these United States. Despite all this, we share two commonalities- we are all Christian, and we are all riders. We are devoted to honoring "the code", among any and all we might encounter.
With all the divisiveness in the world today, even in our own culture, as riders we have the opportunity to make a positive impact by how we treat each other, and how we extend a helping hand to those around us. Let's endeavor to be "our brother's keeper", and model togetherness and generousity to a divided world.

 

 

Race Like A Girl- Jamie Astudillo in MotoAmerica

Not many women currently run professionally in motorcycle road racing, but those that do, have definitely earned their place. Here in the States, in MotoAmerica, there are only three- Caroline Olsen in Supersport 600, Melissa Paris in Stock 1000, and Jamie Astudillo in Liqui Moly Junior Cup. And of these, only one has rewritten the record books- Jamie Astudillo. We pointed out in our May issue that Jamie etched her name in the American road racing archives as the first woman to ever podium in a MotoAmerica professional motorcycle road racing event, when she took third place in race 2 of the season opener at Road Atlanta. Riding for Quarterley/On-Track Racing, Jamie has consistently stayed in the points chase, racing in the top 10 across the first portion of the season. Jamie is “running with the big boys”, and challenging for the front in every race.
I had opportunity to catch up with Jamie at the Road America round in Wisconsin, close to mid season, and spent a few minutes discussing her life and racing, for an article in Born to Ride. I found Jamie to be a winsome, enthusiastic, warm personality off the track, a joy to converse with. Yet underneath the “typical teenager” visage, there lies the heart of a young lion, on the hunt for racing glory.

Jamie's parents originally hail from Ecuador and Costa Rica, but have raised Jamie and her two older brothers in Pennsylvania. Like the famous Hayden racing family, the Astudillo kids have all followed in their father's tracks, racing motorized two and four wheelers since early childhood.
When asked her first riding age, Jamie revealed, "I first started riding at 2 years old, a Yamaha PeeWee 50, and was racing by 3." I was stunned, as most two-three year olds can barely walk, much less ride. Jamie raced quads for several years, then returned to cycles by age 7. Riding motocross was a family activity the Astudillos enjoyed together nearly every weekend, and by age 12, Jamie recognized, as did her parents, that she not only had a great love for racing, she was quite good at it.
Jamie competed in Motocross, GNCC woods racing, even a few hare scrambles. Recovering from a cracked collar bone at age 11, she found her way back to racing within a few months, and discovered she was faster than before, going from a top 10 rider to a front runner. "I was just so hungry to race again, hungry to be up front," she reflected. Watching the last round of the national WMX series race, seeing all those women riding pro on factory bikes, and witnessing Ashley Folick win one of her four Women's MX Pro titles, Jamie told herself, "I'm going to be on that podium one day. This is what I want to do with my life."

After enjoying great success and increased notoriety in Motocross, Jamie received a Facebook message in 2015 from Melissa Paris, MotoAmerica Stock 1000 racer, inviting Jamie to try road racing by joining her team. Jamie stated, "I figured I had nothing to lose. I mean, it's a motorcycle, just another discipline, so why not give it a try?" After a struggle acclimating to pavement, Jamie soon found her pace, and by 2017 competed in the MotoAmerica KTM Junior Cup series. She took an offer to race for Quarterley/On-Track in 2018, the team that produced last year's Junior Cup champion, Benjamin Smith. She hasn't disappointed, filling those shoes quite adequately across the first half of the season.

Jamie has big dreams. She would like to eventually dominate the MotoAmerica Junior Cup class, and aspires to one day move onto the international stage, competing in WSBK Supersport 300, or even MotoGP's Moto3 class.
Being a dad of daughters myself, I know the pride of watching your girls succeed. Jamie makes her parents proud, I know- I could see it in their eyes, as I interviewed Jamie at their team truck. The sky's the limit for Jamie Astudillo, in racing and in life. As a race fan and a "daughter dad", on behalf of all of us at Born to Ride, I wish Jamie all the best success. 

Rob Brooks

*photos by Rob Brooks & Ryan Nolan

MotoAmerica at Road Atlanta

The 2018 MotoAmerica racing season roared off its “launch pad” at Road Atlanta, April 14 and 15th, to great fanfare. With nail–biting racing, accompanied by the gravity-defying stunt shows of the Tony Hawk Experience and American Motor Drome’s Wall of Death, MotoAmerica put on a weekend spectacle like no other.
The “young guns” of Junior Cup (300-400cc) led off both days, racing for glory in the MotoAmerica entry-level class. Of particular note to Born to Ride was the first-ever female podium in American road racing history, as Jamie Astudillo took 3rd place on Sunday, after a 4th place finish on Saturday. Dads of daughters everywhere were proud.
The brand new Super Twins class featured a grid full of Suzuki SV 650s and Yamaha MT-07s. The deep throaty roar of V and in-line Twins across the grandstands was palpable. We hope this class will continue to grow in number of racers and popularity.

The Supersport 600 class saw a new rivalry develop, between veteran Yamaha Factory rider JD Beach and Hayden Gillim, who rode Superstock 1000 last year. They split the podium both days, swapping 1st and 2nd on two races.
Superbike 1000 also saw the return of dominant performances by defending class champion Toni Elias, demonstrating why he’s a renowned, world-class competitor. Toni took the checkered flag in perfect conditions on Saturday, then in adverse, rainy and windy conditions on Sunday. A true champion in every respect. Toni will be hard to catch this year, much less defeat.

We had opportunity to talk with Tony Hawk, after he took a VIP 2-up “hot lap” ride around Road Atlanta with retired racer Chris Ulrich. Asked what he thought of the experience, Tony exclaimed, “That was like the best, customized rollercoaster ride ever! When Chris pinned it across the front stretch, hitting 160 mph, it was a level of adrenaline rush and fear that I’ve never experienced before. Incredible.” Coming from the skateboarding legend himself, that spoke volumes.
The howl of uncorked motorcycle engines, the rush of triple digit speeds screaming by, and the drama of racers battling for position across the track course- a weekend of MotoAmerica racing is indeed an adrenaline rush in every respect, even for spectators.

World class American road racing is back, thanks to the vision and leadership of Wayne Rainey and company. For the season schedule, results, standings, and highlights, visit MotoAmerica.com. If a race is held anywhere near you, make arrangements to attend- you’ll be so glad you did. Catch the races broadcast live on BeIN Sports and BeIN Connect. And of course, Born to Ride will report on all the action, as the race season progresses.
We hope you are as excited as we are!
*More & better photos coming up in the May issue of Born to Ride.

MotoAmerica Preseason Observations

Spring is here, and racing is in the air.
MotoAmerica, the nation’s premier motorcycle road racing organization, returns for its 4^th season. Helmed by racing legend Wayne Rainey, 3-time World Gran Prix champion, MotoAmerica is returning the sport to its former glory days of the 1960s-1990s. With race weekends spanning the country (3 of which run here in the South), the season kicks off at Road Atlanta with great fanfare, including exhibitions by Tony Hawk & Friends, the infamous American Motor Drome Company “Wall of Death”, a Kid’s Zone and the “Caffeine & Kickstands” custom bike show.
I talked with Paul Carruthers recently, MotoAmerica’s Communications Manager, about the 2018 season-

Rob- 2017 was such a thrilling season: The epic battles between Toni Elias, 2016 defending champion Cameron Beaubier, Roger Hayden, and veteran Josh Hayes; Toni taking the Superbike title in the end; Garrett Gerloff winning his 2nd consecutive Supersport title, etc. After watching the preseason testing, who’s looking strong to threaten for the titles this year?
Paul- The preseason has been a good one, and has shown just how close we expect the racing to be in the Motul Superbike class. Cameron Beaubier has been impressive in coming back from injury to lead all the tests and you can tell that he's full of confidence and wants that number one plate back! We all know now how strong Toni Elias can be, so counting him out would be silly talk. There's also a lot of fast young guys jumping up to Superbike this year, riders like Mathew Scholtz and Garrett Gerloff.
Rob- There’s been some realignment of the classes this year, and the introduction of Super Twins, which I think will be thrilling to watch- definitely to hear!
Paul- We think the Twins class has a good future. It's normally a big class in club racing and we think we'll see a lot of local guys showing up to race. It's an interesting class, and we might see a lot of different things out there on the track. Should be fun to watch and, as you say, listen to!
Rob- What can fans expect to see in the racing this year?
Paul- They will see great racing in every class. The Junior Cup will be loaded with talented kids this year, now that it's open to all the manufacturers. Superbike will be a thriller at every round and Supersport will be closer than most people think.
Rob- What can fans expect to experience at a MotoAmerica event this year?

Paul- We are making a big push to make our events truly “events”. While our focus will always be the racing, we are ramping up the other activities so that our fans will have plenty to do every single day at our races. At Road Atlanta, for example, we're having Tony Hawk and his team come in to give the fans skateboarding exhibitions on a giant ramp that will be in the paddock. (Road Atlanta round will also feature the "Wall of Death") We will have musical acts at most of the events, so I think people will be impressed with MotoAmerica in 2018.
Rob- beIN Sports network will be carrying all the races this season, right?
Paul- Between beIN Sports and beIN Connect, all of our races will get live coverage. It might switch around as to what races are on what platform, but they will all be covered.
Rob- Road racing has a long history here in the States. What do you see as its future? A return to the glory days of the 60s-90s?
Paul- It's a different time, but we’ll get it to where it needs to be. We want competitive racing, a chance for our riders to race internationally and we want to provide events that our fans can enjoy from morning ‘till night.

Rob- Can viewers also find and follow the action on MotoAmerica’s website?
Paul- Yes, we’ll have timing and scoring on the site from every event so people at home can follow the action. We are also packing the site with quality content about our series, our teams and our riders with both the written word and video content.
Rob- Born to Ride will be there, covering the Southeastern rounds, and running regular updates on the standings as the racing progresses. It’s going to be an exciting season.
Paul- As always, we look forward to seeing you guys there, and we can't wait to get started!

Don’t miss the speed and roar of American motorcycle road racing- Visit MotoAmerica.com for tickets to every championship weekend, and catch the races on beIN Sports and beIN Connect all season.

2018- The State of American Motorcycling

 

Much has been written and discussed in recent years about the apparent decline of motorcycling in America. Sales have been down over the last decade or so. Baby Boomers are beginning to age out of riding, and yet their children, the Millennials, aren’t flocking into dealerships as previous generations did. Harley Davidson has posted quarterly sales declines for about a year and a half, and most other major brands, domestic and import, have felt the pinch of decreased showroom traffic. Much hand-wringing has ensued as a result, with some bemoaning the future death of our sport- riding replaced with driverless automobiles and highways, Uber and Lyft- style services becoming the norm, and expanded rapid transit forcing motorcycling into some impending extinction.

In the past year, further evidence of motorcycling’s slow slide was said to observed in the sudden death of Victory Motorcycles, an announcement that shocked us all. Polaris’ reasons were actually understandable, as they chose to focus R&D and marketing on the legendary Indian brand. EBR (Erik Buell Racing) shut down operations, again, which was not as surprising. Even MV Augusta, the boutique Italian sportbike brand, has found itself in and out of bankruptcy the past few years. And yet, Triumph has posted record U.S. sales in 2016 and 2017, with the reimagining and reengineering of their Bonneville line. As I’ve stated before, they seem to have their finger on the pulse of the American rider, young and old.

Industry insiders and outsiders agree that more can be done to grow motorcycle riding in America. Robert Pandya started the “Give a Shift” Initiative, a forum to discuss the health and future of the Powersports industry. AMA has been generating dialogue over effectively passing our sport on to the next generations. And the big brands are showing signs of awakening, realizing that slapping some fresh paint and accessories on old models won’t bring in flocks of new riders. New and revived brands are positioning themselves to grab market share, such as Royal Enfield, Hyosung, Ural, Husqvarna, even Janus (built in Goshen, Indiana) among others, all building appealing machines for the next generation.

I’ve given this some thought myself, and would like to offer some suggestions from my observations- for the industry, and for us as passionate riders.

To the Motorcycle Industry:

We are not in the 1980s anymore. Gone are the days of assuming “If you build it, they will come” (apologies to “Field of Dreams”) or “race on Sunday, sell on Monday.” I remember in my youth when everyone from Harley to Honda advertized on TV, in magazines and newspapers, and even on billboards. Just marketing in motorcycle publications won’t cut it- you’re “preaching to the choir” so to speak. Go grab the attention of potential riders, like you used to in decades past.

Build bikes that are approachable, appealing, and affordable to new or returning riders. There’s a reason Indian sells so many Scouts and Scout 60s. They aren’t huge, heavy and intimidating, they aren’t the price of a small car, and they evoke a nostalgia younger generations want to connect with. They are but one example. Harley’s Iron 88 is a big seller, the entire Triumph Bonneville line moves well as do Ducati’s Scrambler models and BMW’s RnineT offerings, not to mention the Japanese “Big Four” with cool, retro-styled bikes, all under 1000cc and many under $10,000. Build more of those, market them, and future generations will walk through your doors.

To the Riders of America:

There are many reasons we ride. We talk about these among ourselves, in our riding groups, and across the moto-media we interact with. But when was the last time we invited someone to visit a local shop or dealership with us? Or attend a bike night or rally event with us? Or volunteered to attend a motorcycle safety course together? A new Lightspeed Data study cited in Powersports Business revealed that in 2017, Millennials comprised 36% of all bike sales, new and used, at an average of $8500 per bike, with Generation X riders not far behind. That is promising, but we must “keep the throttle pinned” by discussing and demonstrating our wonderful world of motorcycling at every opportunity. Millennials will ride, Gen Xers are returning to the fold, and the emerging Gen Z (18-under) can catch the fever as well. Let’s be contagious.
May the future of motorcycling in America be bright.

The Far Side of the World

Motorbikes in Indonesia

 

My wife and I enjoyed a 12-day trip to Indonesia this past year. I've made the trip several times in recent years with a non-profit I help manage, 127 Legacy Foundation, and have always been fascinated with the culture of motorcycles over there. Some interesting observations from our trip abroad:

The largest displacement engine I’ve ever found in Indonesia was 250cc. It's an interesting contrast to the US, where, aside from scooters, a 250 is about the smallest you'll find.

The rider always wears a helmet, yet often passengers do not. Even multiple family members, including small children, will be helmetless, while the "wrist" will wear one.

*We spent a few days around Tokyo, Japan prior to continuing on to Jakarta. I was startled to find very few motorcycles, including scooters, in Japan, whether in the city or country. Ironic, that the nation with four of the top producing brands in the world (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki), and yet so few of their own citizens actually ride.

 

During a traffic jam in Jakarta, looking back through the tunnel was astounding. There appeared to be hundreds rolling our way - one large, moving mass of "man and machine”.

 

The traffic was stopped in front of our hotel, but that did not prevent riders from throttling through and around, in a constant stream. 

 

A teen riding home from school with a parent, outside the city of Kupang, Timor. Amazing how often I saw multiple riders with no helmets or other protective gear for the passengers.

 

 

Often the only means of transportation for entire families, children are squeezed onto seats between parents and older siblings, often up to 4-5 on a bike and helmetless, as evidenced here.

 

These three-wheeled "motortrikes" are common throughout the cities as delivery vehicles on the surface streets.



 

Small-bore motorcycles and scooters clog the already packed streets of downtown Jakarta, Indonesia by the thousands, flowing through traffic by lane-splitting, curb-jumping, and red-light running.

 

 

Even out in the city of Kupang, near the far eastern end of the Indonesian island chain on Timor, scooters and small motorcycles are a way of life. Traffic is not as bad as in Jakarta, so streets are easier to navigate with two wheels or four. I'd feel more comfortable riding out here!

 

Taken from a transit bus we were on, the riders on these diminutive mounts, men & women, young & old, were fearless in traffic.

 

Several small motorbikes parked outside an orphanage we support on the western Indonesian island of Sumatra, in the city of Minas. They teach the boys how to repair them, to give them a means of earning a living upon graduating out at 18.

 

 

The shop behind the orphanage, where the kids practice their skills at motorcycle repair and maintenance.

 

 

A friend at our orphanage in Minas, Sumatra let me cop a ride on his bike. Without an international drivers license, I was not allowed out on open roads, but had a blast throttling around side streets and dirt roads.

 

 

This Kawasaki was about the coolest little ride I saw in Sumatra. When the owner fired it up, I discovered it was a howling, smoking 2-stroke!

 

McDonalds delivers in many parts of Jakarta, via scooters like these.

One of the doctors at a clinic we helped build near Kupang, Timor owned this Honda. And yes, I had to take a spin on it. Such a cool little bike! 
As with much of Asia and the Pacific Rim, motorbikes in Indonesia are a necessary element of life. As the 4^th most populous nation on the planet, the Indonesian archipelago of islands is among the world’s greatest purchasers of motorcycles and scooters. As a rider myself, it’s just another reason I enjoy traveling to the far side of the world. Many kindred spirits abroad!