Why I missed the GG drags

[av8]

A half hour north of Famoso, near Tulare, AHRMA -- the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association -- held its season-ending TT and vintage motocross Nats at Tulare Cycle Park this past weekend. Couldn't/didn't wanta miss it because it's a family thing.

While this is off-topic enough for Ryan to kill the post, I thought a lot about many of my HAMB bros while I was cruising the pits and shooting the racing. I'm going to post pics on my starphoto account soon so as not to further piss off Ryan.

In the meantime, I want to share this image of a true American two-wheel hot rod from the day -- Ray Tanner's Harely dirt tracker, owned and restored by veteran Harley race bike builder Marsh Runyon. Marsh, in his seventies, races this wonderful old scoot in AHRMA events, and while it's no longer competitive against the "late model" Brit twins, this old warrior bike won some significant AMA professional gold back in the day ridden by Tanner and Joe Leonard, who won Peoria on it in '54, several years after the intro of the KRTT.

I'll post my starphoto link as soon as I can assess it on my new computer. For now, enjoy.

[av8]

And here's the busy side of the bike . . .

[autocol]

vintage dirt stuff rules. i'm personally inclined towards the motocross stuff rather than the circle track, but all the same, it's gorgeous machinery. nice bike.

[manyolcars]

gorgeous knuckle

[Roothawg]

I doubt that this is OT Mike...... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[mikes51]

A real beauty! Thanks for posting.

I didn't know they raced the "big twins" on the dirt, or at least a 61? I had thought the "K" models were only raced against the brit bikes because of the matching displacements. Were there 61 cubic inch brit bikes back in those days?

[McGrath]

"-- Ray Tanner's Harley dirt tracker"


Is that the same thing we call "Flat Track" in the Midwest? About 20 some odd years ago, one of my Friends Dad was still racing Flat Track on a Harley. He did a lot of Traveling 'cause the Tracks were Few and Far between. Even less of them around nowdays, in Missouri anyway.

I went with them one time, I think down around Springfield MO. Pretty wild Shit, very little Straight in that Track, it was almost a Circle. The Bikes spent more time layed over and sliding, than they did running upright.

I was 12 or so at the time and in Heaven. I had never been around Bikers before, and these guys were the Real Deal. All I had to go on was a warped idea of Television Bikers and I found out pretty quick that TV was full of Crap. These guys were rough as they come, but friendly as hell too.

After the Race, one of them told me if I could start his Bike, I could ride it. Right after it Kicked me halfway over the Handlebars I decided I didn't need to be riding it anyway... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[C9]

Cool pics Mike.
Thanks, enjoyed them greatly.

Reminds me of the Harleys I used to see in the old AMA magazines one of dad's friends passed on.

I don't think Ryan's gonna get ticked at posting a few pics.
From what I understand the HAMB is set up to delete the photos after a couple of weeks.
I'm sure if it was a problem he would have said something to the posters of pics.
Of which I'm one of the worst offenders.

Interesting though, that you posted it when you did.
I was at the local Harley shop a couple days back.
They sell trailers there and I was looking for some trailer stuff for the new toybox.

I had to walk by one of the modern renditions of the flat track Sportster - the orange and black one - and it sure set me to thinking.
Toss the billet wheels, get some wires and you'd have a great bike for running around.
Might make a few other changes as well, but not too many.
I like the racy attitude of the new Sporty and it's tempting.

Harleys are hot rods too.
Albeit short a couple of wheels, but all the hot rod stuff applies.

I guess if you look at it in the other direction, a roadster is just a four wheeled bike....

[McGrath]

"i'm personally inclined towards the motocross stuff"

Hey Autocol, did the Bultacos ever make it over to Australia? I had an Uncle that raced Motocross back in the 70's with a Bultaco Pursang 250. I don't remember much about it, other than it was bad assed when you got into the Powerband. He had a 1/4 turn throttle on his, made it about half assed Dangerous for normal riding.

[av8]

mikes51 -- I'm not sure precisely when the displacement/valve arrangement rules came about, maybe mid '50s, but the big motors were permitted in some AMA Class C events, like TT. As best as I recall (little foggy so many years later), the Brit bike importers lobbied the AMA for the Class C rule changes that limited flattrack to 500 cc and TT to 650 cc. Harely flatheads were permitted 750 cc as compensation, but the rules definitely favored the overhead imports for a time.

bftwcs -- "Dirt track" is a bit more generic in that it accommodates TT as well as flattrack. At the time Tanner raced the big Harley, riders weren't specialized like they are now. The Grand National Champion had to be an all-around racer -- flattrack, TT, and road racing. Likewise, the motorcycles were not as specialized as they would later become. By the late '50s the general-purpose Class C bike had pretty much disappeared.

C9 -- Check out the Triumph for sale on the StarPhoto link where I parked pit pictures of Cheny Triumphs, Tribsas, Rickmans, BSAs, an Ariel Red Hunter, and Marsh Runyon's incredible Harley motocrosser. . .

http://photo.starblvd.net/AV8FORD?st=album&pg=4&pw=*72643FA6A601

The Triumph is a low-miles '77 Bonneville that is in outstanding condition. E-mail be if you're interested.

[Crosley]

Kool, Kool little scooter!

and I like the fact that you called it a scoot.

[av8]

Some scoots are also weapons, Tony, like the XR-based motocrosser Marsh brought with him. This Harley is way beyond clever! Most important, it's a stunning performer. It was ridden in Saturday's TT by a fellow with whom I wasn't familiar (I've been on the fringe for years so am not real current), a racer who could exploit the incredible power and handling this scoot embodies.

Saturday's competition, in the equivalent of old AMA Open Expert, was as keen as it was in the day, but even the strongest of the big Brit twin race motors were outgunned by this Harley, lap after lap.

If there was something to fault about this weapon it would be the absence of the much-loved, characteristic Harly sound, the "brrrrrrrruppppp" as it accelerates. Instead, it sounds more like a 360-degree vertical twin -- the nastiest 360-degree vertical twin you can imagine, however! I'm thinking the unequal-length exhaust pipes might be responsible for this (the old scoot also has a substantially longer pipe in the rear cylinder, and it also sounds not quite as Harley as it looks), but Marsh was too busy and involved for me to take up his time with a detailed Q&A session on a race weekend. (I plan to rectify that as soon as I can arrange to spend a day or two with Marsh to develop a story or two about his work and these motorcycles.) I'm thinking too, that the unequal exhaust pipe lengths might have something to do with the power Marsh's motors develop; don't know, just a thought, and I love a mystery!

[Shiva69]

Mike/AV8.

Wow. what a great picture and info.. please get me more info... this is great

Thanks
Garth

[autocol]

sean: they sure did... it was long before my time that they were prevalent (i'm 24) but i think back then the bultaco's, maico's, and BSA's used to fight it out... we have quite a thriving vintage MX scene here in oz. there's quite a few state series and a number of national events too.

personally, i've got enough old shit to fix with four wheels, so my dirt bike's a 99 model http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Brootal]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/image_uploads/202032-AHRMARUNYON2.jpg

I want a Harley like that for the STREET! Too cool Mike. Thanks.

[av8]

Boris -- I agree. One of the first thoughts that came to mind when I saw the Ray Tanner bike was how cool it would be on the street! Maybe we can talk Marsh into building us a couple of clones . . . http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Here's Marsh bench racing with my B-in-L. Despite his size (six-foot four) and age (70s) Marsh gets around both TT and motocross courses in good style. Oh, did I mention that Marsh has a prosthetic left leg from just below the knee? Yep, his skiddin' leg!

[tunglegubbin]

Build a new one, from Sweden.
http://www.flatheadpower.com/products/knucklehead_products.htm