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When it was time for my "lesson," they thought it would be hysterical to show me how to go faster, but never showed me how to stop! Which, looking back, must have been pretty funny- until I decided to stop by smashing into part of the new fence my dad had just built! Despite this early incident, my interest in motorcycles stayed with me, and developed into a taste for vintage. I don't know how this happened; perhaps it's the look, or the sound, or the feel- but, I knew that I had to have an old bike! Then I went to Mid-Ohio. It was 2004, and the marque for that year was BMW. If you've never been, and have an interest in old bikes- this is your Valhalla! An entire weekend dedicated to those who know the difference between a Mikuni and an Amal wandering through the endless rows of swap meet, looking at thousands of beautiful classic bikes, with other enthusiasts from all over the country- this is where I belonged!
I also never realized what an extensive "community" the BMW riders were, and once I saw the passion and commitment to those bikes, I started hunting for one of my own! Being able to travel on a reliable vintage bike had never occurred to me, and I decided the R75/5 "toaster" was the ride for me. I found a nice 1972 R75/5 in Illinois, had it tuned up by my good friends at Motoworks in Chicago, and rode it back to Kentucky.
Feeling "inspired" I sought out vintage specific rallies and events, gave notice at work, and headed to Chicago for an event called "Mods Vs. Rockers." At that event is where I met up with the Ton Up Club, a nationwide vintage/café motorcycle club. Approving of my bagless, stripped down Beemer, with flat bars, and no turn signals, they invited me to join! It worked out great because I was looking to attend Mid-Ohio again, and this time it would be part of a group- the more the merrier! We pulled up to the campgrounds and saw some banners already up with 'Ton Up' on them- as several other chapters had already arrived. We got settled into our campsite, passed around some beers, and easily made new friends. With that fantastical, fateful weekend I took off the entire summer- riding my BMW from Milwaukee (Rockerbox), to Raleigh (Raleigh Rumble) and many points in between! Always stopping off at these new friend's cities to visit, grab a beer, and talk about bikes. I ended up putting about 4,000 miles on the bike that summer, and have about 4,000 great stories as well! Mid-Ohio has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. Expect it to be dreadfully hot, expect it to rain, expect to be sunburned, expect to see some of the coolest motorcycle racing, and expect to meet some of the nicest people ever. This event alone has kept my interest for the past several years, and has tweaked it to become an obsession with vintage racing! Instead of shopping at the swap (or searching for shade!) you can find me trackside, or in the pits at the end of the day. There is something very exciting about watching thirty year old machines blast past you on the straights, and nimbly race through corners. Having spent the past couple of years watching AHRMA (American Historical Racing Motorcycle Association) a few of my friends have also picked up the sport- and I'm proud to cheer them on! I'm still a little envious. Will I be next?!? That's what I'm hoping, but, even if I won't be racing next year- you can count on me being at the rallies, and the races. Oh, a word of caution, though- according to my dad, I'm really good at going fast, just not so good at stopping! Check out more of Jacqui at www.thevintageadvantage.com and www.tonupchicago.com.
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Copyright © 1996-2008 BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, Inc. and respective authors and contributors. All rights reserved. This material is for personal use only. Republication and redissemination, including posting to news groups, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of BMW MOA.
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