The annual gathering of vintage motorcycles at Mid Ohio for the AMA’s Vintage Motorcycle Days has come and gone with its usual fine collection of great vintage bikes of all stripes. The weather was extremely hot and humid which may have played a part in what appeared to be somewhat lower attendance numbers, though I saw fewer vendors set up in the infield, too, however the swap meet didn’t seem to be any smaller, it was loaded with everything imaginable.
I finally got to meet Aniket Vardhan, designer and builder of the Royal Enfield Musket V-Twin, and see the bike up close and personal. The bike’s a beauty, it sounds great and Aniket says he’s working on getting things ready so he can go into production. It’s amazing to see the work and detail on this home engineered project, it looks professional in every detail. Tom Lyons, of the Fireball 535 team, was also there though I missed Chumma who hadn’t yet shown up with the Badger, there were a few problems slowing his arrival and he didn’t get there until after I had gone.
Craig Vetter designed and built the Mystery Ship back in 1980 and built a limited series, something like ten of them I believe, this one, obviously, is number seven.
Manufacturers used to build some nice smaller displacement bikes, these Honda CB400s are one prime example.
This was Kawasaki’s year at Mid Ohio. I saw more pristine examples of the classic Z1 this year than I have ever seen before. They were everywhere you looked, something made easier now by the excellent availability of parts.
When I spotted this, I had no idea what it was which stands to reason since I’ve never seen one. It’s a Matchless Silver Hawk. The point of interest here is the engine, it’s an 18 degree V4 with a bevel drive overhead cam, from the early 1930s. Who says the early bikes were low tech?
Here’s a closeup of the Matchless V4. Looks pretty sweet.
Then there was this Kawasaki 4 cylinder powered, wooden bodied 3 wheeler. There was no info by it anywhere and the owner wasn’t around so I can’t say much about it. The wooden body seemed to be the work of a fairly accomplished boat builder. Maybe he decided it was time for a non aquatic project. Looked nicely done and I later spotted it driving around. Interesting piece.
There’s no way to really give you the flavor of Vintage Days, there’s simply too much there to sum up in a few photos, but if you’re looking for something to do next July, you might want to head over and check it out. It’s time well spent.
Hawk says
Beautiful stuff. Well worth the trip, I’d say. Thanks for sharing.
Smith Motor Works says
The three wheeler is awesome. I wish I’d been there.
BoxerFanatic says
Lots of cool stuff.
That Kawasaki 3-wheeler is what have always wondered what a Morgan 3-wheeler would look like with the front axle and grille pushed up in front of the engine, rather than having the engine hanging off the front of the car.
I want to build one of those with a Triumph Rocket III engine. 😀
todd says
Just look for the “F” series Morgan trikes; the F4, F2, F Sport, and F Super. I wouldn’t mind any of those, it’s just the Super Sport is more iconic.
-todd
JasonB says
Anybody have a link to a comprehensive set of pictures from this year’s event? I’d love to look through a photobucket link to get a sense of what good and interesting stuff showed up.
sfan says
Well it is a bit of a reality check to see bikes of my youth, like the CB400 and Z1, showcased as “vintage.”
Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" says
Just be glad they’re not called antiques. If you prefer, you could call them classics. That’s what I do, it makes me feel better. 🙂
sfan says
I guess we can all aspire to be considered “vintage”… in due course! : )
B50 Jim says
Fabulous gathering! Shows what a vast variety of bike there have been. I always thought Honda’s CB400 was a sweet little machine; I knew a fellow who owned one when they were new, and he said it was a rev-happy rocket; keep it turned up and it would make every other 400 at the time look like a stone. The Royal Enfield Musket looks like the ideal motorcycle; give it the Fireball treatment and stand back! it would serve as a great basis for any number of machines, from a naked street cruiser to a kitted-out tourer. Build them in quantity at a reasonable price, and I predict Aniket won’t be able to keep up with demand.
NinjaRider says
I was there this weekend, had a great time, but it seemed as though the event was half planned. After talking to one of the Kawasaki guys at the demo ride area, there was another event at Carlisle, Pa this weekend, probably why the vendors and demo rides were scarce this year. It was a little less crowded this year, but it wasn’t dead either.
jbar28 says
This was the fourth year in a row I’ve been to VMD, I’m fortunate to live near by. It was better than last year but nowhere near what it was in 2008, my first year.
The swap meet was still going strong, at least on Fri-Sat, better than last year and nearly up to what it was in 2008. Lots of neat bikes and parts for sale, maybe not quite as many as in the past but it seemed like lots of buying and selling was going on. Many swap meet dealers pulled out Sat night and by noon Sunday it was a ghost town, although that may have been because they sold so much of what they had brought. My buddy bought a bike from a guy on Saturday afternoon that said it was the last unsold one he had of eight he brought. Or maybe they know Sunday is a waste, Sunday attendance was maybe a third of Friday or Saturday.
The racing was much better than it’s been since the AMA and AHRMA split, which was good to see. However, only 3 bike manufacturers came for demo rides, not the eight or nine that were here in 2008, and the ‘manufacturers midway’ consisted to one booth selling sunglasses and one selling a few leather vests and things. Pathetic.
In 2009 and 2010 they said it was the economy that kept things from being as good as 2008, but I think it’s pretty clear that the AHRMA split and the changes AMA has made in this event (higher prices, mostly) has really hurt it. I think they better get find a way to get their act together or this event will continue to spiral down and people will plan to go to Barber in October instead. Find a way to get people out there and get the demo rides and big vendor/dealers back.
Here are some pictures from this year. Not a ‘comprehensive set’ as JasonB asked for, but a taste anyway.
https://picasaweb.google.com/jbar28/VintageDays2011
For those of you who have not been to VMD and want to see more, here are some pictures from past years:
https://picasaweb.google.com/jbar28/AMAVintageDays2010
https://picasaweb.google.com/jbar28/AMAVintageDays2008
michel crockwell-laurent says
thanx for the pix paul and jbar28 much appreciated from Bermuda !!
Tom Lyons says
Hi Paul,
Great meeting you at VMD over the week-end!
It was a real fun time, and I agree Aniket’s Musket was terrific. It was the first time that I had seen the Musket in person, too.
Our Team Badger completed the task, and I gave a little synopsis on your other article comment section about it.
VMD is an experience that everyone should experience at least once.
I loved every minute of it.
Alex says
CB400s are still made, though the design has been updated a little (http://motorcycles.honda.com.au/Naked/CB400). I think the new ones look better, but I am a philistine.
The Matchless looks pretty funky.
Ri says
The Kawasaki 4 looks interesting and practical if made into a modern version. I wonder how eco-friendly these cars are.
––Ri of changerules(dot)net
B*A*M*F says
That Matchless is like a Moto Guzzi and a Lancia got together on a tour of England, and that narrow angle, air cooled V4 was the result.
JasonB says
In the off chance that you return and see this, thank you very much to “jbar28” for taking time to share your written and photographic views. It’s just the type of reporting I was looking for to get a real sense of the event- much appreciated.
wannaby says
That royal enfield looks kind of like the old Super Vee
J says
No plug wires on the Enfield?
Tom Lyons says
Yes, the plug wires are on the other side with the other plugs.
Aniket was in the process of doing a twin-plug conversion, and hadn’t put the ignition system on the plugs yet.
chris schafer says
Notice the cycle car is front wheel drive.
Deborah says
I love the look of the vintage bikes. I have not heard of the Matchless Silver Hawk. It would be great to head out to the show next summer.
Indiesol says
Great post. I wish I could have made it this year.
Incidentally, I just helped a friend get a barn find CB400F back on the road – a yellow ’76 like the one pictured. Funnest bike I’ve ridden to date.
grumburg says
I am proud to say the red CB400f is mine!. Just completed 6 month restoration from a parts bike that had been in a machinery shed for 20 years. What a sweet little bike! I agree that Vintage Days is dying. Have gone for 15 years and appears 07/08 was the peak. AMA is trying to do it on the cheap.
Tucker says
Made it to VMD for the first time ever this year. Awesome event. Loved all the sweet eye-candy. Thankfully, all these bikes were made way before I was even thought of, so no nostalgia here, just appreciation for classic styling and that awesome cool factor that the classics always accomplish.
Luther says
Every year the vmd is smaller, and AHRMA’s Birmingham event grows larger. Maybe AMA should not have knuckled under to annuli’s intimidation. The AMA just gets more irrelevant every year.