History Comes Alive at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

For 72 hours in July, central Ohio is the center of the vintage motorcycling universe.

It was 1947. You just picked up a one of the last Knuckleheads to roll out of Milwaukee, an EL 74. With the hand-shift four-speed transmission, wraparound oil tank and chrome accents, you were the king of style -- and king of the road.

Or, perhaps it was the summer of 1968, and you were riding one of the all-time utilitarian motorcycles, a Norton Commando. With the punchy 750cc powerplant and next generation frame geometry, you ruled the twisty backroads.

Then again, maybe it was a 1974. You were 15 years old and came home from school one afternoon to find a Honda CR125 Elsinore sitting in the driveway, next to your dad, grinning ear to ear.

Memories like these make it obvious why we call them “vintage” motorcycles. And there’s one place where you’ll find these memories come alive—a bike, a part or even a racer, pitching it sideways in turn one or dueling through the esses.

That’s Vintage Motorcycle Days, held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Morrow County, Ohio.

Every year, tens of thousands enthusiasts join the AMA and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, and nearly 1,000 independent vendors at vintage motorcycling’s biggest bash.

This year will mark the 19th anniversary of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days and the event's 16th year at the world-class complex of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. In 2009, tens of thousands of attendees converged on Mid-Ohio for the mid-summer extravaganza, which featured BSA as the Marque of the Year, and AMA racing legend Don Emde as Grand Marshals

For 2010, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days promises to be just as thrilling, with Husqvarna serving as Marque of the Year. Historians say that motocross in America happened because AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Edison Dye brought the classic make to U.S. shores and toured the country with European stars.

For a hint of what you’ll experience this year, check out our past coverage of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days (right). Then, buy your tickets and mark your calendar. You’re about to experience history all over again.