ANTIQUE MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF AMERICA (AMCA)

THE AMCA SOUTH FLORIDA EVERGLADES CHAPTER LINES



President:	Flathead Jack Stauffer		Secretary:	Clare Frost
Vice President:	Clive Taylor		Treasurer:	Bob Anderson
Board Members:	Allen Berry, Eric Kahn, David Porter, Roy Wasson
Editor:	Chris Dutton	commando.chris@yahoo.com

Web Site:	http://evergladeschapter.tripod.com

Back in the Saddle:

By (Flathead) Jack Stauffer

Our Chapter is off to a great start already this year with the completion of our first Official Chapter Event at Dania Beach. The Dania Beach Art & Antique Motorcycle Show was once again a huge success with much thanks to show organizers Clive Taylor and Chris Dutton. Saturday was a bright sunny day with temps. In the upper 70’s, perfect weather for a large turnout of vintage machinery featuring a variety of marques from around the world. On Sunday the Chapter hosted a poker run through the Fort Lauderdale area which included a visit to the Specialized Motors Shop and Museum, certainly a place to check out if you have never been there. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, especially the nice turnout by the members of The Sunshine Chapter, who joined us for a fun filled weekend.

As most of you know by now The Everglades Chapter is planning to host a National Road Run in 2009. We are awaiting approval to be included in the 2009 Calendar of Events, by the National Board of Directors. This should take place at the National Board of Directors meeting to be held in Eustis, Fl. on March 1. The Chapter Road Run Committee has already chosen a host hotel and laid out preliminary routes for the rides. More information to follow as it becomes available.

Following last years Chapter elections I received a lot feedback that some members were not happy that the elections were held in the Keys, as this was too far south for many members. Good news for all, our Chapter elections for next year (2009) will be held in Clewiston on August 23rd . in conjunction with a Chapter ride. More details on the ride as they become available.

Finally our Chapter will have a booth set up at the Sunshine Chapter Meet in Eustis, Fl. on Feb. 29 and Mar. 1, we hope to see many of you there.

Ride Safe,
Flathead Jack

Time To RIDE:

By Commando.Chris

2008, isn't that spooky, who'd ever think we would be around here this long? The bikes we rode as kids are now considered VINTAGE, where does that leave us? As Jack mentioned, the 2nd Annual Dania Art, Antique & Motorcycle Show went very well! Two of the unique aspects of this show being tied in with the Dania Beach Art & Antiques Festival are, all the artist displays and antique stores on the street provide the show entrants additional entertainment for the day and it brings to the bike show many spectators who would never think to attend such an event. Both groups find this special!

In all there where 36 bikes covering the world from a local historic race bike The Aunapu Family.s Harley Flattrack / TT racer to the bike that changed many buying habits, the very first series, sand cast CB750 Honda Four, fill in with Duerkopp to Vellocette. And how.s this for full spectrum? A period flathead chopper out for the Poker Run.

photo Kelli Webb

We couldn't have pulled off this event without the outstanding help of David Porter handling command central, Eric Kahn judging and our wonderful wives, Clare for putting together the Poker Run and Weezie with art & design. Many thanks to the Bevilacqua's and Bond's, Sunshine Chapter members that made the long trek down to display & support us with their wonderful machines! A special note to a 2 year club member that attended his first club event with his 32 VL, nice to meet you Mike, we look forward to seeing you again! Please come join the fun next year, help us grow and maybe someday the Everglades Chapter could host an AMCA National Show event? In closing, this is your newsletter, send stories, share pictures, buy or sell, just share.

Ride Well and Be Careful Out There! Eustis, Deland Bound Chris

Ambition:

By David Porter

The word ambition has been defined in several ways but perhaps “the object of ardent desire or aspiration” sums it up fairly well. Of course different people have different ambitions. Some ambitions, such as the desire to be rich, is shared by many. Some, such as the ownership and successful restoration of a classic motorcycle would be shared by a rare few.

I thought it might be interesting to see how the AMCA’s stated objective “The collection, preservation and restoration of antique motorcycles” might be reflected by the varying ambitions of it’s membership, and of course, by the members of our chapter. Nowhere can this be better evidenced than at the AMCA judging events, such as Eustis, and indeed, at our recent Dania Beach show.

The entries at these events are generally classified by country of original manufacture and by age and original or restored. However, within these classifications we have several categories. These might include Best of Show, Most Interesting, Most Authentic, Most Imaginative, Most Creative and so on. At certain events, such as a concours d’elegance, the quality of the overall finish of the machine will generate the highest acclaim.

The fact that there are so many categories and classifications illustrates the great variation in the interests and ambitions of the entrants. I certainly can understand and equate to these different interests. At Dania we saw fine examples of many of these differing categories. The wonderfully Creative Triumph “low rider”, the fine Oldest Pope and the extraordinarily Most Interesting 1934 Rudge are just some examples.

So now I’m sure you’re anxious to know what my ambition is and have I achieved it? So here goes. Really my greatest ambition would be to own and restore, to award winning standards, a 1947 Velocette KSS. This was the first machine I owned. I rode it from England, through France and on to Spain. This was a wonderful adventure for me in those days. However, the possibility of obtaining one of these machines, even as a basket case, for less than some outlandish amount, precludes the possibility of my achieving this particular goal. If anyone knows where I can get one for a couple of hundred bucks let me know (smile!).

In view of these constraints I decided to downsize my ambition to the restoration of later model machines. Notable my 1971 Triumph Daytona T100R (red & black Below)

and my 1972 Norton Commando. So, have I achieved my ambition? OK, let’s see.

At the Dania show the judges awarded me a Special Achievement for my Norton And which category did this fall into? (Actually, 1st Place Commando. As we had four Commandos and reverted to AMCA judging rules, -- Ed) Well, they never said but I KNOW! It was for Most Skillfully Restored, Most Beautiful, Most Imaginative, Most Inspirational, Most Stunning,...and on...and on...and on...and, almost certainly, Best of Show!

So I have achieved my ambition. Of course I will take it up to Eustis this year but I don’t think I need to take up the judges time by entering it to be judged. I’m just going to park it directly in the WINNERS CIRCLE!

Clairvoyance :

By Clare Frost

It’s about 4 in the morning and I hear Clive get out of bed and he’s getting dressed. It is dark outside and the show doesn’t start till 10am. Yes, Clive can’t sleep. I’d like to say he’s excited like a little kid about his bike show or that’s he’s nervous that something like rain is going to ruin the day, but he’ll tell you he just had things to do before the first bikes arrive. And arrive they did!!!

The Dania Art and Antique show was held in downtown Dania Beach on January 26th and the bikes were center stage. Each entry received a ribbon and small brass plaque with the show’s name and date. Clive and Chris with help from Eric were the judges. The promoter of the Art & Antique Show, Clare Vickery, did a wonderful job of advertising and listing our bikes as “rare and vintage”. There were 36 bikes with the featured bike, a 1913 Pope V twin, winning the oldest.

When owner, Jim Thomas from Stuart started the Pope for the crowd, people climbed over each other to get a view. With perfect weather, bikers mixed with the art crowd for this event that is in its second year. Members, as did our President Jack Stauffer and soon to be wife Kelli, trailered their four bikes from Ft. Myers. His very rare German made Duerkopp won the Chairman’s award as Best in Show which is chosen by Clare Vickory. She explained she went with “simple and streamline” for this year’s bike. Last year, she picked George Bathory’s Vincent, a fancier bike in her words. Sunshine chapter’s president, Dewey Bond came down from Geneva with his “corrupted triumph” winning the best modified.

Also from Sunshine where Gene and JoAnn who do such a terrific job organizing the Eustis show, they brought their 1957 AJS.

There were entries from people who had found out about the show on the internet thanks to Chris Dutton, our “cyber king”, which brought in bikes we hadn’t seen before. Board member David Porter was great at promoting our club and signed up 6 new members making him our vote for our newly formed office, membership signer upper!

A crowd favorite was Harley row with 13 bikes ranging from 1928 to 1951. The great thing was that 5 of them were driven to the show making the slogan “ride em, don’t hide em” our theme of the day! Dave Clemons drove in on his red 1937 ULH and Garrett and Linda drove their 1949 Panhead from Coral Springs and they dress the part, it’s like being transported to the past to see them ride.

During the band’s break, Clive, Jack and Chris took center

photo Kelli Webb

stage to award the plaques with the first one going to Eric Clarke for driving the farthest from Deerfield on his 1969 Triumph Bonneville.

New member, Alan Aunapu won Best Racer with a 1951 Harley his father raced in Miami when he was the first

Harley dealer in the county in the 1940’s. The bike was a crown pleaser with detailed photos and history displayed with it.

And as much as Clive hated to do it as they are arch rivals and he says Herb has too many awards anyway, his brotherinlaw Metalflake Herb won best English twin with his Triumph TR6. A p.s. here: The author of this piece is Clive’s wife. Clive’s wife is mad at Chris’s wife Louise. Louise entered her 1963 Norton Electra and spent hours cleaning and polishing it before the judging. (She won for most rare and original). Clive told anyone who would listen that Louise is the perfect wife as she knows the fine art of vintage bike polishing and EVERY wife should be so good. Thanks Louise for making all us lazy wives look bad!

Dania Beach Poker Run January 27, 2008
Rain, rain, please go away
So we can ride our motorcycles and play.

And just in time, the clouds cleared and off we went, but not before dousing our bikers who rode in from the west side of town. The sun came out and they dried out fine.

Twenty motorcycles pulled out of the Dania Beach Art/Antique show at 10:30a for a short but sweet ride around the Hollywood and Ft.Lauderdale area with Clive leading the pack. At each stop, Clare and Metalflake Herb’s wife Pat who is also Clare’s sister, by the way, met the group with the cards. At the first stop, the Hollywood Marina on South Lake, our Treasurer, Bob Anderson, pulls the first card, the joker, to win a bike nightlight. His luck was just beginning! We billed the next stop as our highlight of the trip.

Specialized Motorcycles Inc. is a new car/motorcycle museum in Ft. Lauderdale that is open by appointment only and Clive’s good friend, Dave Boyer runs it. His boss displays all his toys that include Ferraris, Porches, at least a dozen Rickmans, highly modified Japanese superbikes, and Triumph trackmasters. The poker run bikes pulled into the covered common area adding to the museum’s ambiance. And then the eyes lit up. I’m sure everyone on the ride had the envy bug. Bill Scherer the owner had provided soft drinks for us and was thanked by all of us for taking time on a Sunday to meet us.

Next ride took us for a peak of Ft. Lauderdale Beach and a stop under the 17 Street bridge over the intracoastal and then on to our local biker bar, Flossie’s. The manager made sure we had parking right up front for the gawkers to view our bikes that included a Honda Dream, a 1933 Harley, a few Commandos, a ‘59 Triumph, two Indians and one super charged Yamaha with drag tires. Because of their lousy cards, we lost some of our players to Flossie’s and the rest of us headed back to the show for sandwiches, drinks and the awards.

I will start the list of winners by saying Mr. Lucky Bob Anderson should make other plans next year. Not only did he win the joker prize, he won the jackpot of $75 with 3 aces. AND, Bob won the jackpot last year also! But we have to be a little peeved at Clive because he ran home to get Bob a tag before the run, as Bob had forgotten his at home. Bob almost dropped out of the run, but Clive wouldn’t let him. Our second place went to Alan Aunapu and third to Elaine Peters.

Our last prize was our “breakdown” prize. After I awarded Mike on the BSA Goldstar with a mini tool set, he told me he thinks his bike has a mean “sense of humor” as it likes to stall out in front of a crowd but does just fine when he rides alone. Sounds like a perfect excuse to me!

A special thanks to our backup vehicle driver, Clive “Boy” Junior. He tells us he had to help push only one biker, his uncle, Metalflake Herb on his newly restored Triumph. We knew that Herb would be too embarrassed to receive the breakdown prize as his seat was shorting out the battery, so we kept it secret. We won’t tell anyone Herbie!

Events:

Sunshine Chapter AMCA Eustis Swap Meet & Show Feb 29 – Mar 02
Vintage Motorcycle Flattrack – Ocala Speedway Mar 02
Vintage Roadracing – Daytona Speedway Mar 03 & 04
Monday, head down to Turn Six for the INOA lunch.
March 5th Wed. Noon, Daytona 200 Monument Dedication
JWood & Company March 5th – 7th 2008
Daytona Bike Week Auction In Deland, FL
Wednesday March 5th Japanese Day by Vintage Japanese
Thursday March 6th American / British / European Day by AHRMA & Antique Motorcycle Club of America Parts Auction at 2:00
Friday March 7th 1:00 pm Motorcycle Auction
March 29th Wheels Across The Pond Queen Mary’s Pub Jupiter FL
May 17th Riding Into History St. Augustine FL

Classified Ads:

WANTED: Send me your ads!

FOR SALE:

1964 BSA Royal Star. $4,000.00 o.b.o. Re-built engine & Transmission. For photos & more information go to http://64bsa.tripod.com.

1967 Triumph Bonneville 100% complete and ready to be restored. $6,500.00 Call Chris Dutton at 954.993.3953.