Toad Town Racing About AHRMA

About AHRMA

The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association Ltd. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to restoring and competing on classic motorcycles. With well over 5,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage-racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has been growing at a rate of about 500 members annually for the past several years, reflecting the steadily increasing interest in classic bikes.

AHRMA traces its roots to efforts to organize vintage roadracing during the late 1970s in the Northeast. In the early '80s, other groups began emerging around the nation, adding scrambles, observed trials, dirt track and concours events to the competition options available for vintage riders. Among these organizations were the California Vintage Racing Group and, in the Southeast, the Historic Motorcycle Racing Association. By 1986 it was clear that a national organization would be necessary to administer this burgeoning sport. AHRMA was originally formed as a privately held business corporation. Other groups were brought together under one banner and one set of rules, and in 1989 AHRMA was reorganized into the member-owned association of today. The association's national headquarters is in Shawnee, Kansas, with its membership office in Wausau, Wisconsin, and publications office in Mt. Jewett, Pennsylvania.

AHRMA offers national and regional roadracing, motocross, dirt track, observed trials, enduro and GP/hare scrambles competition. The machines active in AHRMA vintage events span a full 50 years, from the 1920s to the mid-'70s. The organization occasionally sponsors concours d'elegance, swap meets and banquets featuring world-renowned speakers. The national-championship schedule typical includes 15-20 rounds apiece in roadracing, motocross, dirt track and trials. AHRMA nationals take place at some of the finest and most historic venues: Daytona, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Sears Point, Unadilla, Carlsbad, Southwick and Peoria, to name a few.

AHRMA and BMW of North America in 1992 began promoting the BMW Battle of the Legends®, extremely popular events pitting motorcycling's legends against one another on identically prepared BMW motorcycles. Tens of thousands of fans enjoy the Legends races during Classics Days each year during Daytona's Bike Week. Legends and non-racing Legends Emeritus have included David Aldana, Hugh Anderson, Mark Brelsford, Don Castro, Yvon Duhamel, Chris Draayer, Don Emde, Walt Fulton III, Dick Klamfoth, Kurt Liebmann, Dick Mann, Bart Markel, Eddie Mulder, Jody Nicholas, Gary Nixon, Reg Pridmore, Phil Read, the late Roger Rieman, George Roeder, Jay Springsteen, John Surtees MBE, Don Vesco, Walter Villa and the late Walter Zeller. Races have been held at Daytona Beach, Florida; Loudon, New Hampshire; Sears Point, California; and Lexington, Ohio. The BMW Battle of the Legends Grand Finale took place in March 1997 at Daytona International Speedway.

In an effort to bring single-cylinder roadracing to the U.S. and to rejuvenate twins racing, AHRMA in 1993 began offering Sound of Singles® and Battle of Twins® classes, with a full national series in 1994. Bolstered by the presence of world-class riders on machines such as the exotic Britten V1000, AHRMA's Daytona SOS/BOT events have attracted worldwide attention. Since 1995 the organization has been offering the almost-anything-goes Sound of Thunder® for singles, twins and triples, with Daytona as the opening round of the world Sound of Thunder series for several years. Including these innovative modern bikes with the vintage program has met with widespread acceptance and allows AHRMA to host its own events instead being the guest of another racing organization.

AHRMA members enjoy a professionally edited monthly journal, Vintage Views; an annual racing rulebook/handbook; access to a site on the World Wide Web (www.ahrma.org);   a variety of AHRMA logo products; and the AHRMA/MBNA MasterCard. The association maintains a Benevolent Fund to aid riders who are injured or otherwise in need.

Surveys have found AHRMA members are mature, fairly affluent, well-educated and very dedicated to motorcycling. Among the findings of the 1996 poll (with 32% of members responding):

Occupation

   

Highest level of education

 

Business owner

31.0%

 

High school

29.5%

Professional/technical

29.3

 

Trade school

22.9

Craftsman

10.2

 

Bachelor's degree

36.4

Administrative/management

8.9

 

Master's degree

7.1

Retired

6.6

     

Sales/marketing

5.9

 

Average age

47

         

Household income

   

Membership in other organizations

 

Over $100,000

16.7%

 

American Motorcyclist Assn.

90.0%

$60,000-$100,000

29.4

 

Local club

29.1

$30,000-$60,000

42.7

 

AMA region

12.8

Under $30,000

9.3

 

WERA

7.3

     

Antique Motorcycle Club

6.7

         

Average annual spending

   

Motorcycle activities

 

Safety equipment

$367

 

Restoration

67.5

Tires

357

 

Motocross

53.7

Fuel/lubricants

285

 

Road riding

45.5

New parts

990

 

Trail riding

43.5

Used parts

634

 

Spectating

39.4

Services

617

 

Roadracing

30.8

Publications

164

 

Trials

25.2

Travel

1,054

 

Dirt track

22.9

Lodging

662

 

Bike shows

23.7

Other

1,195

 

Crew member

12.5

Total

$6,326

 

Officiating

6.6

Promotional opportunities. Advertising space is available monthly in Vintage Views, the annual rulebook, occasional event programs and on the AHRMA website. AHRMA coordinates direct mailings to the entire membership or selected subgroups.

TO JOIN! Go To AHRMA Membership Form



Created 20 October 2001