A Lap of America, the Heritage Museum,
and the AMA Vintage Days
By John Cerilli • Photos by the author.
(c) 1995-1996 Motorcycle Shopper. All Rights Reserved.
Lap of America
The first brief story is an interesting one, not because of the events so much
as how it all came to pass. Let me explain.
Several months ago, I was "surfing" on CompuServe, and several of us starting
chatting with a Buell rider named Court Canfield. Now all of you know what a
Buell is. It is the creation of design engineer Erik Buell and is basically a
very fast, very solid, very unique sport-touring Harley café-racer.
Court lives in Topeka, Kansas and owns construction company. He is a family
man, with two teen-age sons. Former Marine and competition gymnast, but more
importantly, a motorcycle rider and enthusiast. He started talking about the
quality and reliability of his Buell and how they were great sport-touring bikes.
Several weeks of informal "on-line" chatting went by, and then one day, Court
started talking about talking a month off and completing a coast-to-coast "Lap
of America" on his Buell just to prove how reliable they were. In fact, Court
started using "Buell... Lap of America" as his signature when he posted messages.
One thing lead to another, and before you knew it, Court was putting together a
complete itinerary regarding his trip. The amazing thing is the tremendous
support and encouragement that Court received "on-line" to move forward with
his journey. Everyone (myself included...) was saying: "Go Court, Go!"
I think the reason most people got excited is that most of us do not have the
flexibility to just pick up and do something like this on a spur of the moment.
Court was fortunate to have an understanding wife and family, and a business
where he could take some time off without a major disaster. It should also be
noted that Court was planning on financing this entire adventure out of his own
pocket, so there was no hidden agenda on his part. When I finally talked to
Court on the phone, he told me that the entire event was started to "snowball."
Court even had to get a person just to keep his calendar straight. I promised
Court that if he swung through Phoenix, I would suggest a nice hotel to stay at
and buy him dinner. I suggested that Court stay at the Crescent Hotel off
Interstate I-17 mainly because it was convenient, and was long his trip route.
He agreed. More on that later.
The plan was to leave around July 1st from Kenosha, Wisconsin, ride to the east
coast, visiting various Harley dealers and supporters along the way, then head
for the west coast, with the same theme, then, up the northwest and back east
again to Milwaukee, WI, traveling over 10,000 miles in 30-plus days.
Well, true to his word, I did have the privilege of meeting Court Canfield in
person, during his brief run through Phoenix.
By the time he made it to Phoenix, he had already ridden many hundreds of
miles. Most of his experiences revolved around people, and I told Court that it
would be the people he met along the way, most of whom he met on CompuServe, that
he would remember for years to come. Court agreed, and as a result of his trip,
there have been many other opportunities that have surfaced. Many people go
through their entire lifetime, and will not experience what Court Canfield has in
a mere month.
In 1982, I once quit a very good job, and traveled (by motorcycle) around the
United States and Canada for over nine months with two other riding buddies.
Billed as "The Great Escape Tour", it will a journey I will remember to the
grave. Court knew exactly what I was talking about.
Although I have never personally been on a Buell, I have ridden motorcycles on
the street for over twenty-five years, so over the dinner that I promised him,
we shared a lot experiences and camaraderie. The evening passed quickly, and
before long, I had to catch a plane to Ohio.
In summary, Court's Buell performed without a hitch, or as he put it: "the
bike did not cough the entire trip!" Court is back home now, safe and sound,
and planning his next adventure. Erik Buell and company should also be happy.
I heard they sold about 21 new Buell's as a result of Court's "Lap of America."
AMA's Heritage Museum
On a recent trip to visit my wife's family in the Dayton, Ohio area, I was able
to stop by the Motorcycle Heritage Museum in Westerville, Ohio, (just outside of
Columbus). This museum, sponsored by the American Motorcyclist Association
(also in Ohio) has been operating since 1990, and vividly showcases numerous
displays and exhibitions about the history and sport of motorcycles. It was
great to pull up and see a huge parking lot with very distinctive concrete
parking spaces with a side view drawing of a motorcycle and the word "ONLY" on
the pavement. There were about twenty-five bikes parked out front the day I
visited the museum.
When you first walk in, you can't help but notice the beautiful bronze sculpture
by famous artist Steve Posson. It is of a famous board-track racer putting a
vintage V-Twin through the paces. On the wall behind the sculpture are dozens
of wooden plaques from various "Museum Sponsors". Many are from motorcycle
clubs around the country, but many are also from private individuals. It was a
very nice touch and shows the immense support from the motorcycle community at
large. I understand there is a donation fee of $500 toward the museum to get a
plaque on the wall. Money well spent for a worthy cause toward a museum that
will be around for many generations of riders to enjoy.
The theme for 1995-1997 is called: "Excelsiors: The Lost Legends" and is
focused on Hendersons, Excelsiors, Clevelands, ACEs, both the four cylinder and
twin models. The bikes were gorgeous, and many were "one-of-a-kind" featuring
over 30 pre-1932 classics. It was wonderful to see these machines, some in
their original glory displays with historic photos and other blue-prints and
engineering drawings from the same era. Most of the bikes are from private
collections on loan for the duration of the exhibit.
Jim Rogers is the curator of the museum, and is a great guy to talk to. Very
enthusiastic and knowledgeable, his background is in "commercial exhibitions
and displays" for trade shows, so he is more than qualified to be running the
show, and from what I saw, it is obvious that Jim knows what he is doing. This
place is a "must-see" if you are into motorcycles. I highly recommend visiting
the museum if you are traveling in the Columbus area. It will be well worth
the stop.
AMA Vintage Days
During this same visit to Ohio, I had the opportunity to experience the AMA
Vintage Days held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, July
21st through July 23rd. Lexington is near Mansfield, and is about an hour north
of Columbus. This was my first time at this event, and although I was only able
to attend on Saturday only, I can say that this event was entertaining and
exciting. I only wish that I were riding my Road King because the Ohio
countryside is truly scenic.
I especially like passing through all the small
towns along the way. Given all the current "urban sprawl" in and around the
Phoenix area, it is nice to see small, family farms and wide open fields of
corn and other crops. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4 mile, 15-turn
road course, and the facilities were first class. There is even a "Goodyear
Tower" which houses "Race Central" at the base of the tower and a full press
room on the second floor. There are medical facilities, SCCA offices, a
Richland Welcome Center, maintenance and shower areas, campgrounds, and plenty
of parking for both competitors and racing fans alike.
During the entire weekend, the following activities were being held:
• Motorcycle and Memorabilia Auctions by JC Wood & Company
Color photo of auction tent. (28k bytes).
• Huge Swap Meet with Vintage Vendors
• Bike Shows for all makes and years
• AHMRA Vintage Racing
Color photo of one of the races. (20k bytes).
• Sound of Singles/Battle of the Twins, including BEARS Racing
• Penguin Road Racing School
• New Bike Demo Rides: BMW, H-D, Kawasaki and Yamaha
• BMW Battle of the Legends
• Coca-Cola Classic Contour Lap
Corporate sponsors included Honda, Valvoline, Goodyear, Miller Genuine Draft
and Coca-Cola. I did not get an exact number, but the crowds were estimated at
over 18,000 for the entire weekend. With my AMA card, I paid only $10 for a
day pass, and we spend most of our time walking around the grounds, viewing the
dozens of classic bikes going up for sale at the auction, visiting the numerous
vendor tents, watching the vintage races (a real kick!), and basically, watching
all the other motorcycles and people coming and going. The vintage races were
also very exciting to watch.
I was fascinated by the variety of motorcycles that were ridden to the event.
There was a real mix of just about everything there. Unlike a regional or
national HOG (Harley Owners Group) rally that I participate in quite frequently,
there were current and vintage bikes from all known manufacturers, both current
and extinct. In particular, I was pleased to see many British bikes: Triumphs,
Nortons, BSAs, etc. in superb running condition being ridden from all parts of
Ohio. One could have easily spent a day just previewing these.
Inside the JC Wood auction tent, there were equally as many classic bikes for
sale, going to the highest bidder, across the auction block. Again, I was
impressed with the overall condition of many of these classic mounts. I would
say that the majority of bikes I previewed were not restored, but were in
original, low mileage, running condition. With each one, I pondered what
the story was behind it. Where was it found? Was the original owner selling
it? What was going to happen to the bike after the new owner purchased it?
Would he or she ride it, or, would it just be sold again. Would it wind up in
some museum, or lay covered in some collectors garage for years, unattended.
With each bike, there was a story, and there were plenty of stories to be told.
Someday, I am going to attend one of these auctions with about $10,000 in my
pocket, and see what happens! Anyway, it's nice to dream.
The next big "motorcycle journey" will be at the end of September, where we will
journey to the beautiful pines and mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico for the
Golden Aspen Rally, so until next time, ride safe, and I'll see you on the road.
SOURCES:
• Court Canfield is a Buell rider and enthusiast from Topeka, Kansas.
• The new Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is located at AMA headquarters
in Pickerington, Ohio, and is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on
major holidays, but open from noon to 4 p.m. on Memorial Day,
Independence Day and Labor Day. General admission is $3 with a discount
for seniors and AMA/AMCA members. Children get in free. For more info
call 614-856-2222 or visit MotorcycleMuseum.org.
• American Motorcyclist Association
13515 Yarmouth Drive
Pickerington OH 43147
Phone: 614-859-1900
1-800-AMA-JOIN
Fax: 614-856-1920
AMADirectlink.com
• Information about future events for Mid-Ohio: 1-800-MID-OHIO
or 419-884-4000
About the author...
John Cerilli has been an active motorcycle rider, toy motorcycle collector, and
enthusiast for the last 25 years. He is a current AMA and Life H.O.G. (Harley-Owners-
Group) member. He has written articles for Motorcycle Collector, The BMWMOA News,
and several other motorcycle magazines.
His e-mail address is: johnc2@cox.net.
