The AHRMA race at McKee's Sky Ranch has been an annual favorite for the past two years. In July, the cool mountain air of West Virginia is a welcome change from the heat and humidity that North Carolina is experiencing at the same time 400 miles south. But thats not all, the folks at McKee's Sky Ranch have put together a total package of amazing terrain for vintage dirt enthusiasts. The yearly two day race includes vintage/post vintage cross country, vintage/post vintage trials, vintage/post vintage motocross as well as a vintage bike show/swap meet. For those of you who are not vintage racers, the event also includes a dual sport ride for motorcycles of all ages. The 5 mile cross country course has it all: fast service roads, stream crossings, hill climbs and some challenging tight woods sections. The crown jewel of the event is the motocross course, designed by the legendary Dick Mann in 2012, the natural terrain track is a vintage speed demon's dream with naturally banked turns, humps, bumps and did I mention its fast? This year's event is scheduled for July 24-27, and you can be sure you'll see us all there. Jack Penton of Penton Motorcycles and Ken Smith from the Australia based VMX magazine are scheduled to make appearances this year. If you decide to roll on up, down or across to the event, be sure to look for the Ton Up NC banner and stop by and say, "howdy." Until then, check out these pics from 2013...
Tech time at camp (Brian's XR200, Chad's BSA 441 and Patman's Yammer).
Ton Up Indy's Rich and Pops race ready on the Maico.
Marcus on his Bultaco 350 Pursang awaits his MX heat.
Chad on the BSA 441.
The legendary Beno Rodi on his Indian.
Chad.
Marcus takes an inside lane on the MX course.
Rich.
Ton Up NC/Indy (L-R top: Brian, Marcus, Patman, Jason, Jim; bottom: Chad, Rich and Guthrie)
Be the first kid on your block to have a Bull City Rumble 10 poster in their garage! 11"x17" of Martin Cimek designed (Cafe Racer TV, Triumph Motorcycles etc.) glory.
Johnstown, PA has earned the nickname "The Flood City" the hard way. The Conemaugh River has spilled its banks on numerous occasions. Beginning with "The Great Flood" of 1889 (this past May 2014 marked the 125th anniversary) and later in 1894, 1907, 1924 and most recently in July of 1977 (37 years ago next month).
A TV report on the 1977 Flood.
You might be wondering, "What the hell does this have to do with motorcycles or Ton Up NC?" Well, while on my travels, I came across a bike with an incredible story. Although the 1977 Johnstown Flood claimed many victims (85 people to be exact and $200 million in property damage), one BSA that was left for dead was determined to be a survivor. Many years after the flood, in the mid 1980's, a couple of kids were down on the Conemaugh River bank with their father digging around in the sand and dirt when they hit something solid: a motorcycle tyre, but try as they might, they could not budge the tyre from its resting place. The kids alerted their daddy who helped them dig some more, soon out of the dirt appeared a fork, handlebars, a tank and after hours of digging, they unearthed an entire motorbike: a BSA Lightening. The family wheeled the bike home and there it sat again for many years, until recently. A couple of years ago, the father figured that someone might have some use for this rusty old machine, so he contacted the local British Bike guy and turned it over to him to use as a parts bike. That's when the seemingly impossible happened, with just a few tweaks and a change of the carburetors, the bike fired up. Despite being buried for many years under 8 feet of water in the flood and then left to die under debris, dirt, and sand in the midst of a flowing river, the inside of the engine and tank had never seen any water. Some things are just too tough to die. What you are seeing in the pictures that follow is the bike in it's original unrestored state: original paint, rust and all...
Here's an audio clip of me talking to the current owner about the bike, enjoy...
-Brian
Ton Up NC = Riding, Racing and Restoring of Vintage Motorcycles
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We are upping the ante this year in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Bull City Rumble by offering a $500 cash prize for the bike that is declared Best in Show at the annual vintage motorcycle/cafe racer/scooter show scheduled to take place on August 30, 2014 at 1:00pm in historic downtown Durham. With a decade of history, the Bull City Rumble is one of the longest continuously running Mods vs. Rockers themed events in the world. The annual vintage motorcycle, cafe racer and scooter show draws hundreds of entries from all four corners of the globe ensuring that competition will be stiff. All bikes entered must run and yes, we will ask you to start it to prove this. You can trailer your bike to the show, but make no mistake, we will be looking for mud under the fenders, bikes are born to be ridden no matter how old.
ORDER HERE: CLICK To celebrate Ton Up NC's 10th anniversary we present to you this limited edition black t-shirt inspired by Ed Roth's famous Rat Fink designs. Original Art by NC punk rock legend: Errol Englbrecht (the artist behind the iconic Corrosion of Conformity (COC) "skull" and owner/tattoo artist at Blue Flame Tattoo in Raleigh, NC) 100% Cotton Gilden Tee Black shirt with White inked art on front only. Available in sizes: Small, Medium, Large, XL and 2XL. Get yours now! Purchasing this and other items from the Ton Up NC store supports the promotion of our mission: The Riding, Racing and Restoration of Vintage Motorcycles and the Bull City Rumble. As always, we appreciate your ongoing support. ORDER HERE: CLICK
A lot of people ask us whether we can build a bike for them, if we're motorcycle dealership, a custom build shop or a repair station. The answer is "no." But within that "no" answer lies a bit of "yes." We do build, repair and maintain all of the bikes that we use for riding and racing and its no small task. Collectively the club has well over 100 vintage bikes of all nationalities: British, Spanish, Japanese, Indian, German, Italian, Ohian as well as a few modern machines. Three cylinder, two cylinder, single cylinder; two-stroke, four-stroke, you name it... we love them all. Keeping all of these bikes road worthy is a year-round collective effort and a challenge that is not for the faint of heart (ask anyone who has owned and/or raced a Bultaco). Be it in the garage, the shed, roadside in the pouring rain, on the patio with the boys sweating over an old repair manual (wrench in one hand and a beer in the other) or trackside moments before the race; its a labor of love. Its one that pays off in spades when you finish that long ride or grueling race error free. Its also the smile on the old timers face who lovingly reminisces with you about their old Triumph that makes all the time and energy worth it.
What follows are some pictures of Ton Up NC tech days/moments from the past...
Ton Up NC = Riding, Racing and Restoration of Vintage Motorcycles
