Barber Vintage Festival

Ton Up NC at the 1st Annual Barber Vintage Fest

The Barber Vintage Festival is arguably the most famous, largest and best vintage motorcycle event in the world (with the Bull City Rumble coming in at a close 2nd or 3rd ;) The event does a comprehensive job of covering all facets of motorcycling including collecting, restoring, racing and riding vintage motorbikes. The 13th edition of the event will take place on October 6, 7 and 8, 2017 and you can be certain that Ton Up NC will have a strong presence at the event as they have since the first edition of Barber Vintage.

Aside from racing, one of our favorite pastimes at Barber is the swap meet, with its eclectic mix of motorcycles in various states of repair and the interesting people who make or supplement their living selling them. What follows are some photos from the 2016 edition of the Barber Vintage Swap Meet.

See you there next year!

Ton Up NC #3c 2015 AHRMA Vintage Cross Country National Champion

2015 was a good year for Ton Up NC. Some great vintage British bikes were acquired by the club, Dave J was inducted as our newest member and the cherry on top was Chad B. being christened the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association's 2015 National Cross Country Champion in the Classic Intermediate racing class. Chad accomplished this feat riding his hand-built late 60's BSA Victor 441 thumper to victory several times over the course of the 2015 racing season. The bike was assembled over the years from odds and ends gathered at vintage swap meets, part donations, and good ol' blood, sweat and tears. If I'm not mistaken, total cost was less than $100. If you've never heard Chad kick the life into this great machine, you are missing out, the sound of this thumper is unmistakable and angrier than any Harley you might hear at the local poker run. In a nut shell, when you hear this beast going up behind you in the woods, your best option is to just get out of the way. Congratulations Chad on getting your first National Cross Country Championship (Chad was also a past AHRMA National Champion in Road Racing astride a Triumph T140.)

See you at the races in 2016 (click link for schedule)

Ton Up NC= Riding, Racing and Restoration of Vintage Motorcycles

Shh, White Lightnin'

Chad fires up the BSA 441 for the first time in 2014.

...or so the late George Jones lyric goes. Since 2009 the American Historic Motorcycle Racing Association (AHRMA) has held one of the East Coast's best kept secrets: The Carolinas White Lightening Cross Country Classic. The race has been held for the past several years in Chester, SC and is one of the highlights of the AHRMA vintage cross country calendar. The course is a great combination of single track trails, fire roads and grass track as it zig-zags in and out of the woods on the South Carolina farmland. Ton Up NC members have particapted in the event for most of its history and it typically signals the beginning of the racing year for most of us. What follows is a quick glimpse at what you've been missing out on if you've never attended. This year the event is scheduled for March 12 and 13, 2016. More info. here.

Jim and his Triumph T25T

The starting line.

Ton Up NC's Eric P. gets the hole shot on his Honda Elsinore MT250 (unfortunately, the Elsie blew up after a lap)

Camp Ton Up Chester, SC.

Talking shop with Malcom Smith's former mechanic.

The post-race steak dinner.

Chad takes home first place and hold's Scott's "Cool Bike" award for his AJS (pictured above).

Ton Up NC = Riding, Racing and Restoration of Vintage Motorcycles.

If you would like to be a support our mission and the annual Bull City Rumble Vintage Motorcycle show, please visit our webstore and purchase a shirt, poster, patch or sticker.

Ton Up NC webstore: tonup.bigcartel.com

2015 Ton Up N⋆C Vintage Motorcycle Event Schedule

...a few events you might catch us dripping oil at in 2015.

(Calendar is frequently updated and is East Coast-centric. Check back often for updates.)

January

16-18  Freeze Your Balls Off Vintage Scooter and Motorcycle Rally aka FYBO- Durham, NC

February

20-22  Roebling Road (Road Racing)- Bloomingdale, GA

28       Aonia Pass MX Park (Cross Country Racing, Observed Trials)- Washington, GA

March

7-8     White Lightning (Cross Country Racing) Chester, SC

April

12       Raleigh Eurobike 2015- Raleigh, NC

25       Meltdown Vintage Motorcycle Show- Henderson, NC

May

2         Carolina Classic Motorcycle Show- Spencer, NC

3         Devil’s Ridge (Vintage MX racing) Sanford, NC

15-17  AMCA Southern National Meet- Denton, NC

17       British and European Classic Motorcycle Day- Germantown, MD

June

19-20  Smokeout 16- Rockingham, NC

TBA    British in the Blue Ridge Rally- Hiawassee, GA

July

3-5      Heavy Rebel Weekender- Winston-Salem, NC

10-12  AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days/Mid-Ohio- Lexington, OH 

10-12  New Jersey Motorsports Park (Vintage Road Racing)- Millville, NJ

13-17  International Norton Owners Rally- Asheville, NC

25-26  McKee's Sky Ranch (Vintage MX and Cross Country Racing) (Terra Alta, WV)

25-26  Antique Bikes on Main- Chesnee, NC

August

7-9      OVBSAOC BSA Rally- Toronto, OH

September

4-5      Ton Up NC Presents: Bull City Rumble 11- Durham, NC

5         Lake Sugar Tree Vintage Vintage MX Racing (Axton, VA)

12       Delta Motorsports Park (Vintage MX Racing)- Delta, OH
12        Zoo City Motocross (Vintage MX Racing)- Asheboro, NC

19-20  ISDT Reunion Ride- McArthur, OH

October

8-11    Barber Vintage Festival (Observed Trials, Cross Country & Road Racing)- Leeds, AL

15-18  Daytona International Speedway(Vintage Road Racing)- Daytona Beach, Fla.

31       Aonia Pass MX Park (Observed Trials)- Washington, GA

November

1         Aeonia Pass MX Park (Vintage MX)- Washington, GA

December

 

AHRMA Racing: McKee's Sky Ranch WV 2013

Chad's Penton.

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)

Wood.

For more information on the McKee's Sky Ranch complex go to www.mckeeskyranch.com

For more info. on AHRMA vintage racing go to www.ahrma.org

To support Ton Up NC racing and the Bull City Rumble by a shirt, patch, poster or decal from the Ton Up NC webstore: http://tonup.bigcartel.com

See you at the races!

-Brian