The Official 2011 Barber AHMRA Event Thread

[swooshdave]

That burghandy Honda behemoth is a Rune, they only made them a few years. It's a goldwing flat six engine. I like the little honda racer bin the picture below it. Looks like you are having a great time. So when is the IS getting back to seattle?

Yeah, they have another one in the museum.

As much as I'm unimpressed with most Hondas that racer was kinds tidy.

It'll be many years before the Interstate comes back to Portland. But that's fine, the Proddy isn't even done yet. :mrgreen:

More pics in an hour or so. Stay tuned.

edit: so maybe more than an hour...

 

[swooshdave]

Went to see the start of the trials first. We only saw three of the sections but they looked fun (except the 1 line on the first section... brutal).

This little beauty was for hauling bikes. And I mean hauling!

Of course there was an airshow with vintage stunt planes. I'll see how good the video is later when I get home and might share it. Nothing like 4 thundering airplanes right ovehead.

And then they had a race for 100 yr old (or older) bikes! Very cool.

We stopped by Kenny's pit again but he was still too busy to say hi.

More race bikes.

Vicious Cycle from Portland. Boy, they are a long way from home!

We spent the rest of the day in the musuem. If you only go to one motorcycle museum in your lifetime... this is the one. Not much else I can say.

A good part of it was sitting listening to Leo Goff and John Healy talk about building engines. Not hard to pick up a few pointers from those guys!

This bike was parked outside the museum. It looked better in person.

That was pretty much the whole day. The worse part was that we stood in line at two different places trying to get lunch and they both ran out of food. Apparently they weren't expecting this many people. One estimate was 50,000 for the weekend. We'll be getting in line earlier today, but I suspect the food carts will be better stocked. The crowds won't be any less today.

 

[jsouthard]

I just got home from barber.

Super overwhelming this year. I feel like I walked for two days and still didn't get through the entire swap meet area. It was great to see #34 on the Manx get 1st. my friend Tony on a 71 Triumph finished 15th at the race.

Lots of fun.

 

[jsouthard]

Horrible waste of a good featherbed...

 

[swooshdave]

I walked past that pile of parts and thought that scrap metal prices must have gone down because nothing in there was worth anything.

Got to watch Schwantz take care of a certain Triumph in the race today. Got to watch that one from the museum window.

We made it as far north as Chattanooga tonight. For anyone on a bike, I-59 in AL is horrid. Try to avoid it.

After dinner and headed to the hotel the clutch was slipping really bad. When we go to the hotel it was puking ATF from the primary. We have no idea what happened. We'll check it out in the morning. But it might be fatal. Poor girl hasn't been ridden this hard in a long, long time.

Anyways, a ton more pictures here:

We again parked in the pits, this time up top. But we shared a spot with a nice 75.

We immediately ran into this bike. A very sweet 75. I'm sure it's owner will identify himself on the forum soon. :mrgreen:

I looked all over and this was the only Ducati I ever saw out there. Swear!

Here's my brother with TC Christenson of Hogslayer fame. This guy is a character! What a great person. Had fun talking to him.

The double engined bike is in the OTHER Birmingham, so they brought the triple.

And here's me with Jim Cutting, the Hogslayer documentary producer.

And then as we were about to leave we run into this guy! Surely one of the most stunning VR880s ever made. He said he has a friend who spends a LOT of time on this forum. I assured him that I spend more time that anyone else (except LAB :mrgreen: ) but I'm sure a few who are here a bit too.

I only say this one more time, if you ever only do one more thing in your life, get to Barber for this event.

Thanks to jsouthard for posting some pics. Let see what other people have!

 

[Holmeslice]

How did you come all the way here and not say hello!?

 

[jsouthard]

How did you come all the way here and not say hello!?

I'm assuming this is to me?.?

I really wanted to meet you in person and see your bike Kenny (Did watch you race a bit!), but there was just too many people there. I get a bit overwhelmed by huge gatherings (which is probably why I got into Norton's and Punk Rock rather than Harley's and Pop music!).

There were a couple local Nashville people racing, Eric England on a BSA and Tony on his Triumph not to mention all the INOA people i have met by living all over this country. I didn't see a single person i knew the entire time I was their. Even the INOA booth had a couple people from Florida, who were nice to meet but didn't know.

Have to catch you next time!

 

[swooshdave]

We stopped by Kenny's pit three times and each time he was too busy working on bikes or talking to someone else. It happens.

The Interstate was DOA this morning. We now suspect the crank seal blew (they tend to do that after 40 years and a seriously hard ride) and filled the primary with oil. Instead of messing around with it we just pulled the spare bike out of the trailer and loaded the Norton back in. Plus this gave me a chance to put some miles on one of my dad's /5s. This one is a 71 and all original. I can certainly see why people like those BMWs :mrgreen: especially for touring. Even so I'd still take a well set up Norton over the BMW.

All together we were well over 1000 miles for the trip. We had some great food (and some really bad food too) and saw some great scenery.

My ride for the last 400 miles. Definitely a "gentleman's bike", not to be rushed but it will get you there in style.

I think the first thing I need to do when I get home is call a cardiologist, nothing but bbq and other fine Southern foods. :mrgreen: This here is an onion loaf, basically a onion ring orgy.

Cherokee HD Dealer has this little beauty outside their shop... only because it won't fit inside. :mrgreen:

One of the final pit stops. Tomorrow will be sorting all the gear, fixing some bikes and playing with some other ones. As the wife says... a proper "mancation". :mrgreen:

As other people get home I hope to see some other pictures.

 

[dirtymartini]

We left this morning from Greensboro around 9am. From there we headed west to Asheville.

At our first stop near Hickory we ran into a guy who said he has a Norton in his barn. He hasn't done anything with it in a long while. But he wasn't going to let it go either.

I was following my brother and saw something come off the bike. It was the centerstand spring. We stopped and just removed the centerstand. Solved that problem for now.

Lunch was at Little Pigs in Asheville for some serious bbq.

Rest area somewhere in the North Carolina mountains.

We finally stopped south of Chattanooga in Trenton, GA. Put on about 450 miles today. About 125 to go to Barber in the morning.

I am new to this forum and just found this thread. I saw you guys getting on I-40 somwhere in the 190's mile markers. I was heading west on my R1150RT and gave you a wave an thumbs up as I went past. I figured you were headed to Barber but didn't find your bikes there.

 

[swooshdave]

I am new to this forum and just found this thread. I saw you guys getting on I-40 somwhere in the 190's mile markers. I was heading west on my R1150RT and gave you a wave an thumbs up as I went past. I figured you were headed to Barber but didn't find your bikes there.

I suppose a pair of Nortons would be a little hard to miss barreling down the road. Heck, I bet you even remember what those Dunstall pipes sounded like as you went by. :mrgreen:

We were parked in the pits most of the time. Of course with as many people as were there it would be nearly impossible to just run into someone there.

 

[dirtymartini]

I am new to this forum and just found this thread. I saw you guys getting on I-40 somwhere in the 190's mile markers. I was heading west on my R1150RT and gave you a wave an thumbs up as I went past. I figured you were headed to Barber but didn't find your bikes there.

I suppose a pair of Nortons would be a little hard to miss barreling down the road. Heck, I bet you even remember what those Dunstall pipes sounded like as you went by. :mrgreen:

We were parked in the pits most of the time. Of course with as many people as were there it would be nearly impossible to just run into someone there.

They sounded good as you were accelerating onto the highway....I was wishing I was riding mine. I hope to go to Barber again next year, I have family 20 miles from the track...free room and board!