S.E. Rochelle Reliability Run -March 30th, 2019, Durham NC

Saturday March 30th 2019

All bikes are welcome but the oldest bike to start and finish wins the prize. 

SCHEDULE:

WHEN: Saturday March 30th, 2019

WHERE: James Joyce Irish Pub

                912 W Main St 

                Durham, NC 27701

Noon - 1PM

Registration (FREE)

1 PM - 2PM

Reliability Run (40 mi) and Duke Campus Photo

3PM - Till 

Award to the Oldest Bike to Complete Run

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/589235178258323/

1913 & 2013 Reliability Run Vintage Motorbikes from all over the world will started and finished in Durham, NC. A low speed round-trip ride through the Carolina countryside. The ultimate two-wheel attrition test of mechanic and machine. Awards were given to the oldest motorbike successfully completing the ride.  RULES and REGULATIONS: 1) Motorbike must start and finish under own power. 2) Motorbike age determined by manufacturer year, month and serial number. 3) Mechanical stops are allowed but tools an supplies must be stowed on motorbike. 4) This is NOT a race and all local, State and Federal laws must be followed.

Inside Rochelle's Durham shop (photo courtesy of Durham Library).

Sidney Edgar Rochelle (1878-1960) was a veteran, a business man and most importantly to us, a motorcycle enthusiast from Durham, NC, the place a handful of us Ton Up NC boys call home. From 1910 to 1954, SE Rochelle owned and operated the local Harley Davidson/Henderson/Indian dealership formerly located on the corner of Parrish and Corcoran St (and later on Mangum St.) in Durham. This was North Carolina's first Harley Davidson Dealership.

Rochelle not only provided the Durham motorcyclists with bikes, he created a motorcycle community in ways ranging from his promotion of motorcycle related attractions at the local amusement park, to the organization of a riding club and many local versions of the AMA sanctioned Gypsy Day Tour rides. Rochelle's Gypsy Day rides consisted of a round trip from Durham to Greensboro and back. Rochelle's club also traveled all over the USA.

Outside the old shop on Parrish Street, SE Rochelle is 2nd from right. (photo courtesy Durham Library).

Chad and I outside the old 208 Parrish Street location of Rochelle's old shop. It is Dos Perros restaurant now.

Whirl of Death motordome at Lakewood Park in Durham (photo courtesy of Durham Library).

Rochelle's Durham Gypsy Day Tour ride circa 1923  at Trinity College now Duke University.
(photo courtesy of Durham Library)

Durham motorcyclists band together (photo courtesy of Durham Library).

SE Rochelle and his motorcycle club circa 1910 (photo courtesy of Durham Library).

For more information on SE Rochelle, visit the Endangered Durham website, to which I am indebted for much of my knowledge about Mr. Rochelle.

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

-Brian/Chad

Bull City Rumble 12: Sept. 2-3, 2016 -North Carolina's Largest Vintage Motorcycle Show & Rally -Downtown Durham, NC (Labor Day Weekend)

September 2-3, 2016

The Bull City Rumble is a world-renowned vintage motorcycle and scooter rally hosted by Ton Up NC annually on Labor Day Weekend in Durham, NC. Thematically, the event has its roots in the traditional rivalry of Mods vs. Rockers, the sensationalized clash of two youth cultures- scooter riding mods and motorcycle riding rockers, in 1960’s England. The event has evolved from its humble beginnings in a parking lot in 2005 to a multi-venue, multi-day rally drawing thousands of enthusiasts from all over the world.

The hosts, Ton Up NC, are a small not for profit group of enthusiasts with a singular goal: to promote the riding, restoration and racing of vintage motorcycles. 2016 marks Ton Up NC’s 13th anniversary as an organization and marks the 11th edition of the Bull City Rumble. When not organizing events, the members of Ton Up NC compete nationally in vintage dirt and road motorcycle racing.

On Labor Day weekend, 2016 (Sept. 2-3), downtown Durham will again be filled with the sights and sounds of vintage scooters, motorcycles and enthusiasts from all four corners of the globe. The historic Lucky Strike Tobacco Warehouses in Durham’s Brightleaf District serves as the backdrop for the annual bike show on Saturday, September 3 where judges are not necessarily looking for the prettiest and cleanest machines but who are looking for well ridden bikes with personality and craftsmanship. Later, festivities move indoors to the Social for some of the finest burlesque dancers in the South, Rock and Roll music and refreshments.

Make plans to come join us for one of the best two-wheeled events in the South: The Bull City Rumble September 4-5, 2015.

Pre-Register Here

BIKE SHOW CATEGORIES INCLUDE:

• Vintage British (up to 1979)
• Vintage European (BMW, Guzzi, Ducatti etc. up to 1979)
• Vintage Japanese (up to 1979)
• Vintage American (up to 1979)
• Post Vintage (1980-2000 classic sport bikes etc. vs. cruisers)
• Retro Modern (Modern Bonnie, Guzzi V7 Classic, Kaw w650 etc.)
• Competition (vintage dirt/road race bikes)
• Vintage Scooter/Moped

All entries must run.

THE SCHEDULE:

Fri. September 2 

7:00pm-?  Rumble Registration Pre-Party

Green Room

1108 Broad Street, Durham, NC

Sat. September 3

11:00am Motorcycle Breakfast

1:00pm Vintage Motorcycle, Scooter and Cafe Racer Show

1007 W. Main Street, Durham, NC

4:30pm Bike Show Awards and AHRMA Charity Raffle

1007 W. Main Street, Durham, NC

5:00pm-? Bull City Rumble After Party at The Social

Featuring: 

Little Lesley and the Bloodshots

Hearts and Daggers

The Low Counts 

plus Burlesque

1007 W. Main Street, Durham, NC

WHERE TO STAY:

Days Inn ($51 and up)
3460 Hillsborough Road Durham, NC 27705 (919) 383-1551

Red Roof Inn ($60 and up)
1915 N Pointe Dr Durham, NC 27705 (919) 471-9882

Hilton Garden Inn ($101 and up)

2102 West Main St, Durham, NC 27705 (closest to the Rumble epicenter)

Hampton Inn Suites ($101 and up)
1542 North Gregson Street, Durham, NC 27701 (919) 688-8880

Marriott City Center ($139 and up)
201 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701 (888) 236-2427

Homewood Suites by Hilton (from $125)

 3600 Mount Moriah Road, Durham, NC 27705 (919) 401-0610

PRE-REGISTER HERE FOR $20 AND SAVE:

http://tonup.bigcartel.com/product/bull-city-rumble-11-pre-registration

Please support this year's sponsors:

Hemo Bioscience

Combustion Cycles

Durham Tire

CITY LIMIT MOTO

Viking Bags

Motorcycle House

James Joyce Irish Pub

Alivia's Durham Bistro

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

 

Bull City Rumble Poster Bundle

Get all three Bull City Rumble Posters in one shot for $9.98.

All posters are 11" x 17" full color machine printed.

Included in this bundle:

Bull City Rumble 7 event poster ©2011

Bull City Rumble 8 event poster ©2012

Bull City Rumble 9 event poster ©2013

All posters designed by Martin Cimek (Triumph, Mods vs. Rockers Comics, Ton Up Chicago).

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

New! BULL CITY RUMBLE 9 BUNDLE: (Shirt/Patch/Stickers for $20)

The Bull City Rumble 9 Bundle includes:

One Bull City Rumble 9 two-sided shirt: Small-XXXL
(note that XXXL's are one-sided print T's)

One Bull City Rumble 9 Rally Patch

Three Ton Up NC Stickers

A $30 value for Just $20 plus s/h

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

2013 International Motorcycle Shows: Atlanta Recap.

Ahhh… the final event of the motorcycle calendar year, The International Motorcycle Shows Atlanta edition, is now just a bittersweet memory. We'd like to thank those of you stopped by to check out our exhibit, chatted with us about our bikes and/or the Bull City Rumble, financially supported us by buying some Ton Up NC/Bull City Rumble merchandise, to Ton Up Highlands for bringing some bikes for the display, to Combustion Cycles for lending us a trailer and motorcycle and an extra big thanks to the staff at Progressive International Motorcycle Shows for inviting us to participate again this year. I hope you all had as much fun as we did.

For those of you who missed it or just had questions about the bikes in the display, below is a L-R list of the bikes that we brought (feel free to email us with specific questions at tonupnc@gmail.com):

1951 Vincent Black Shadow Series C

1961 Triumph 5TA Speed Twin "Bathtub Bike"

1964 Triton

1966 Norton Atlas

1962 Triton (not pictured)

1966 Triumph T120 "Big D" TT Special

1973 Bultaco Pursang 350

If you missed this stop in the IMS tour, there are still a several left to check out and likely one that is close to your neck of the woods if you are in the North, Midwest, or Left Coast. Click for a complete International Motorcycle Shows tour listing.

We hope to see you all next year at the races, shows and on the streets of NC and beyond… for a complete schedule of upcoming races and events you might see us at click here. To help support our mission and help us fund upcoming events please purchase something from our online store by clicking here.

Duc girls Ton Up in Atlanta.

Jenna Pye on the Atlas. 

L-R: Marcus, Brian, Chad, Fletch (Ton Up Chicago)

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

Wild & Wonderful [Trail] Riding in West Virginia - Hatfield McCoy Spring Ride

Last weekend I returned to the mountains of West Virginia to ride the famous Hatfield McCoy Trails (HMT). For those of you that don't know about HMT and love off-road trail riding, find yourself in the know.

For southern trail riders that love Brushy Mountain and Durhamtown you will be blown away by the HMT.  Imagine the organization or Durhamtown and the elevation of Brushy and then imagine both with no red clay and the ability to absorb and drain rain water. If you are still on the fence allow me to add that all HMT participating towns allow you to ride on the roads (without plates/lights) and patronize their businesses with muddy gear. A $50 bill gets you a pass you can use on any of the 8 trail systems, 365 days of the year. I will also add that many (not all) of the trails are vintage friendly.

I pulled up to our posh rental cabin where I met a dozen buddies from my hometown that have been meeting and riding HMT for 7 years straight now.  The Hillbilly Hilton was fully equipped with a loaded game room, hot-tubs, multiple flat screens, cable, sound-system, in-deck grill and fire pit. First class digs for a low brow boys weekend.

The guys had already logged of day of soggy riding in the rain on Friday at the Bear Wallow trail which presented the weekend's first casualty.  A 1000cc Can-Am ran off the trail and came to an abrupt stop when it quickly found a tree.  Fortunately the only injury was the riders ego and wallet.

The lovely town of Logan, WV has a magnificent downtown with plenty of extracurricular activities for riders, but to protect the innocent and for the sake of keeping this post 'SFW I will leave you with the following pics and the assurance we had a great time.

On Saturday we loaded up the rigs and drove to the Little Coal River trail which is one of the oldest trail systems and historically the most rider friendly. 

About one hour into the ride, the group was quickly descending a ridge when the lead Can-Am launched into the air and smacked a tree ending it's weekend.  Rider and wallet were both shaken but fine.

With 2 Can-Ams on the trailer and later 2 Honda's having a rear luggage rack wardrobe malfunction, the rest of the group consisting mostly of Team Polaris and Team Motorcycle put the hammer down and logged around 100 miles making it back just before sunset.

Sunday morning I said farewell to my 4-wheel buddies and headed southward for some 2-Wheel-Me-Time passing through Gilbert, WV to the trial head of Pocahontas which is the newest trail of the HMT system and only 3 hours from Durham, NC right off I-77, North of Bluefield, WV

 Some of the the Pocahontas trails are amazing and some are still in development with gravel connectors and semi-paved shared use roads. Fortunately one of the connectors led me into the Indian Ridge trail system  where I was tempted by some of the famous unofficial "Outlaw Trails" but since I was riding alone I decided not to tempt fate. After 140 miles and the gas tank on reserve I headed back to the truck with plans for summer and fall trips in the works.
 
 -Chad

For more information on the Hatfield McCoy Trails go to: http://www.trailsheaven.com/

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