Today in motorcycle history, January 14, 1966

  The first Craig Vetter Series 500 fairing is sold.  The cost of looking like a serious dork with your half fairing - $78.

  The Series 500 Vetter fairing was designed to allow all Japanese motorcycles 350cc to 450cc to appear grown-up.

  I've never been sure what to think of Craig Vetter.  I find him to be a hard nut to crack.  Do I like him or loath him? 

  The "fit on every bike" Windjammer makes me blow chunks but, at the same time he did bless the motorcycle world with the Triumph X-75 Hurricane and the Triumph T160 Bonneville.  Vetter also designed the 1980 ‘Mystery Ship’ Kawasaki KZ1000-based "superbike".   Allegedly there were only ten of these built, and if you think it looks wild today, imagine the eye-poppin' reaction it had nearly thirty-five years ago!   Lying beneath his trademark fiberglass stylings were a stronger and tidied-up frame with a re-positioned steering head, new swing-arm and rear suspension, magnesium wheels and a Yoshimura four-into-one exhaust pipe.  

  So can he be forgiven for all the Windjammer fairings he brought into this world, half or full?  I almost vote yes until I'm reminded he designed the "Winged Wheels of America" fairing. The burning in my throat suddenly reappears.

Today in motorcycle history, January 13, 1974

  


  

  140 million people worldwide watch motorcycle daredevil extraordinaire Bob Gill jump an entire fleet of Ryder Rent-a-Truck vehicles in a national TV commercial that airs during Super Bowl VIII.

  On May 10, 1973, Michael Sloan Productions films Bob Gill attempting to jump a fleet of Ryder rental trucks at Masters Field, a regional airport in Miami, Florida.  Bob's rear tire touches the tallest truck...landing front wheel first on the hard concrete surface, but landing safely and riding away.  The ad created was the first to feature a motorcycle jump, the ad was voted the "Number One Action Commercial of the Year" and it propelled Ryder to the top of the rental truck industry.  The spot was so successful that Ryder bought air time during Super Bowl VIII and was viewed by over 140 million worldwide on January 13, 1974.


  Bob Gill was one of the first motorcycle daredevils to jump without a landing ramp. There were only two other known jumpers in the 1970's that were crazy enough to not use a landing ramp. Bob Pleso and Robin Winter-Smith, and they both died trying.

  On April 16, 1972 in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000, Bob cleared the 60' deep, 152' wide Cajun Canyon (outside of New Orleans, Louisiana) becoming the first motorcycle daredevil to jump a canyon on a real motorcycle, a Suzuki 400.  He also entered the Guinness Book of World Records having made the longest successful motorcycle jump of 171' over 22 cars on July 17, 1973 at the Seattle International Raceway in Seattle, Washington, in front of 20,000 screaming, drunken fans.

  Bob would take a shot at another World Record with "The Great Jump at Appalachia Lake".  On August 18, 1974, in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, Bob Gill tries to jump 200' across Appalachia Lake.  Landing 3' short, he slams the embankment at 95 mph, planting the bike into the earth and throwing Bob into the warm West Virginia dirt.  The accident caused severe spinal injuries resulting in the loss of his ability to walk thus, ending his motorcycle daredevil career.

  Walk-shmalk: not letting his disability deter him, on July 1, 1976, a determined Bob Gill rode a hand-controlled Kawasaki 900 with a side-hack across country over 8,000 miles to 30 major cities raising $1,200,000 for spinal cord recovery and repair. The ride was from Florida to Hollywood, California.

  The result of Super Bowl VIII?  Miami Dolphins 24 - Minnesota Vikings 7.

Today in motorcycle history, January 10, 1998

   



    

   Formed from the merger of the Federation of European Motorcyclists (FEM) and the European Motorcyclists' Association (EMA), the Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA) is created in Brussels, Belgium. 

  From its inception FEMA has been headquartered at Rue des Champs 62, 1040 Brussels, Belgium, in the offices previously used by its forerunner FEM.  FEMA's first General Secretary was Simon Milward who had previously served since 1992 as the General Secretary of the Federation of European Motorcyclists.  The main driving force behind the amalgamation of FEM and EMA into FEMA was Neil Liversidge, the ex-National Chairman of the UK's Motorcycle Action Group known as *MAG (UK) Ltd.
  The merger created a pan-European riders' rights organization ranging from Scandinavia in the north to Greece in the south and from Ireland in the west to the Czech republic in the east.  It also brought together national organizations who continued to compete with each other for members within their own territories such as MAG (UK) and the British Motorcyclists Federation of the UK, and BVDM, Kuhle Wampe and Biker Union of Germany.

  FEMA currently represents over 350,000 riders.

  *John Mitchell is the current National Chairman of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG).
  At the time of this writing John rides a Roulette Green Triumph T509 Speed Triple, after finally curing his addiction to Kawasaki shaft-driven fours (though he's passed that onto his wife!). 

 

Today in motorcycle history, January 9, 2006 & 2007

  




  

  The Dakar Rally claims the lives of two of it's riders.

  On January 9, 2006, Australian Andy Caldecott, riding for the factory KTM team in place of the injured Spaniard Jordi Duran, dies instantly after crashing halfway thru the Ninth Stage, 250km (155.34 miles) into the 599 km (372.9 mile) Special Stage from Nouakchott to Kiffa.
  Caldecott was born in Keith, South Australia. A long-time veteran of motorcycle endurance competition, Andy won the Australian Safari Rally four times consecutively (2000–2003) and was a competitor in the Dakar Rally in 2004 (DNF), 2005 (6th), and 2006.

  The following year, South African Elmer Symons is killed after crashing his privateer KTM at 142 km (88.23 miles) into the fourth stage in his first attempt to complete the Rally as a rider. The emergency helicopter was with him within 8 minutes of his emergency alert beacon triggering, but, sadly, was unable to do anything other than record his death.  He was in 18th place for motorcycles overall, and leading the Marathon class after the previous stage.
  Originally from Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, he began enduro racing in 1996 and moved to the U.S. in 2003. Elmer had success in numerous regional competitions and was making his debut in the Dakar Rally after previously participating in the 2005 and 2006 Rally as a support mechanic.

Today in motorcycle history, January 8, 2006

  

  

  California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, riding his Harley-Davidson (illegally), collides with a car in Los Angeles, ruining his day and his upper-lip. 

  Celebrity/actor/Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was riding his sidecar-equipped Harley-Davidson down Mandeville Canyon Road, a winding, two-lane, dead-end residential street in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood with his 12-year-old son in the sidecar, when a car allegedly backed out in front of him and the Governor was unable to stop and collided with the car totally ruining his Sunday "dad-time". 

  It turns out that Schwarzenegger did not have the proper endorsement on his California driver’s license to operate a motorcycle.

  Los Angeles Police Lt. Paul Vernon said police did not ticket the Governor for a violation because they arrived after the accident, which left Schwarzenegger with a cut on his upper lip that required 15 stitches.  Perhaps the "Governator" convincingly performed mea culpa for never having a motorcycle license and his promise to get one would put an end to "this silly ticket talk" and also end the media's interest in the event.  Where was TMZ?!

   Lt. Vernon said that the officers would refer their findings to the Los Angeles city attorney’s office, which would determine if the Governor should be cited for an infraction.  Driving a motorcycle in California without the proper license can result in fines ranging from $100 to $250 or more.

  City attorney spokesman Jonathan Diamond said the office somehow had not received the LAPD report.

  Earlier Tuesday, Schwarzenegger acknowledged that he never bothered to obtain a motorcycle license because he “never thought about it.  I'm busy being the Governor for crissakes.”

  California Highway Patrol officers (Ponch and Jon?) accompanied Schwarzenegger on the ride.  CHP Spokesman Tom Marshal said CHiPs officials concluded that the governor was permitted to operate a motorcycle with a sidecar.

 “We’re not criticizing the LAPD,” he said after learning of the department’s finding. “We haven’t seen the report, ... but we read the vehicle code as a motorcycle with a sidecar is the same as driving a car.” (huh?)  Another highway patrol spokesman, Steve Kohler, declined to discuss if officers had checked, or would check in the future, whether the Governor, or any high-ranking politician, had a proper license.  Kohler said he could not disclose such information because it involved Schwarzenegger’s protective detail.  Read as, No.

  Los Angeles police had no immediate response to the highway patrol’s statement, department spokeswoman Sara Faden said.

Today in motorcycle history, January 7, 1960

  

  


  

  The undisputed king of 3-wheels, sidecar champion Steve "Webbo" Webster M.B.E., is born.

  The most successful sidecar racer ever began his career in 1980 at  Elvington Airfield circuit, near York, and along the way he amassed wins and championships at every level, culminating in 2004's staggering achievement of an unprecedented triple crown of British, European and World titles.

  Out of the 172 Grand Prix and World Cup races Steve Webster entered, he has 57 wins, 37 second places and 27 third place finishes, as well as 78 pole positions.  Webster won the FIM Sidecar World Championship on 10 occasions, with Tony Hewitt, Gavin Simmons, David James and Paul "Woody" Woodhead.  

  In 1985 Webster and Hewitt had a massive crash at the Dutch TT at Assen, (a favorite crash highlight shown over and over on sport TV channels), where the sidecar left the track at high speed, slid along the grass before hitting a drainage ditch. 

  On Sunday, September 4, 2005, amid emotional scenes at the Circuit van Drenthe at Assen, Holland, the ten time World Champion announced he was going to hang up his leathers and helmet for good.

  His decision calls to an end a magnificent and unparalleled record-breaking career that had seen him rise from a 19-year-old club racer to the most successful sidecar racer in the history of the FIM World Championships.

  Grown men unashamedly shed tears in the Assen paddock on that chilly, September Sunday evening.

  The end of an era.

Today in motorcycle history, January 6, 2008

  

  

  

  The MV Agusta as Art exhibit closes.  Leaving new-found fans searching Craig's List across America for vintage MVA's.  

  Transportation meets art in The Motorcycle, Italian Style: Riding the Curves with MV Agusta, at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, Connecticut, closes on January 6 after a highly successful 3 month run.
   This vintage motorcycle exhibition traces MV Agusta from its World War II inception to modern day.  More than 30 bikes, most from the Classic era (1945-1980), were on display.

   Between 1948 and 1976 MV Agusta won over 3000 races and an astounding 63 World Championships overall.  In the 500cc Class alone they would win the World Championship in 1956 and then from 1958 to 1974.  With legendary riders John Surtees, Gary Hocking, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini (on an MV Three) and Phil Read, all aboard the fire-engine red machines.

  With the death of Count Domenico Agusta in 1971, the company lost its guiding force.  The works won their last Grand Prix in 1976 and by the 1980 Grand Prix season they were out of racing.  Sadly, shortly thereafter they would cease production until being resurrected by Cagiva in 1991.