The Granary Meet 2000

The Granary Meet will be held this year on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October
1st.  As always it will be a casually disorganized  event mostly centered around hanging
about, BS’ing about bikes and lying about our riding prowess.  We’ll open up each day
around 9 or 10 and have the ride maps available as always.  Eddie’s Famous Bar-B-Q,
brats, metts and drinks will be available.  For the 3rd year Matt Siegert has done another
great poster for us.  We are also hot on the trail of a wheelie riding exhibition done on
minibikes.  We will feature dirt bikes inside as Jeff has developed a serious jones for dirt
riding.  Since last year he has campaigned a 2000 CR250 Honda in Hare Scrambles which
was quickly replaced with a 500 VOR.  When I was growing up big bore Maicos were
considered fierce but like everything in this day and age the VOR would  scare a poor
Maico just sitting next to it.  As Jeff puts it so eloquently,  the bike has ass.  But that isn’t
his big news in dirt racing.

This past Memorial Day he attended the American Supercamp and learned the art of
sliding on XR100 Hondas.  That would be a 6 horsepower dirt bike set up for flat track.
He, Dan and John had a blast and got to meet, be taught by, and hang with Chris Carr, the
#1 plate holder for the Grand National AMA series where they are sliding 750 Harleys at
speeds in the area of 100 mph.  This form of learning bike control was originally
championed and taught by King Kenny Roberts.  Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and
Kenny Roberts, Jr. all used or use the XR100 training regimen.  American Supercamp has
made the education and techniques available to anyone who ponies up the fee (about
$550). The boys all rabidly agreed that the knowledge and fun imparted far exceeded the
cost.  They’re going back in 2001 along with Gina, Jeff’s girlfriend, moi and anyone else
interested. For more info check out www.americansupercamp.com.

Bob Brown had offered to let Jeff run his flat-tracker at Lawrenceburg and with his new
skills Jeff took him up on it.  Jeff’s first outing was a success - he kept the rubber side
down and didn’t get lapped, no small feats if you’ve ever seen the action at the
Lawrenceburg bullring.  No sooner than his first outing ended and Jeff was pulling together all the
components to build his own flat-tracker which he debuted 2 weeks ago.  Sporting a
Woods Rotax engine, Woods nickle plated chrome moly frame and Granary Racing paint
job the bike was everything Jeff hoped for and more.  So if you get a chance ride on down
to Lawrenceburg Speedway some Friday evening and see Jeff race.  Two of his
competitors are 54 and 69 years old and still racing!  The track entrance is across from the
Argosy Casino entrance off Rt 50 and the racing starts at 8PM.  The race facility is run by
Hershel Benkert who owns Western Hills Honda, and also races himself along with his
son Barry.

One last thing.  The track has started an XR100 class which is catching on well.  Running
the same bike the American Supercamp trains on it is plenty powerful enough for the
competitors to enjoy good close racing.  There are a few of us wannabes thinking about
this class.

Joey Dunlop

Coming off a sensational Isle of Mann TT meet, 3 wins at the age of 48, Yer Maun Joey
was killed at a road race in Estonia on 7/02/00.  He had won 2 races previously on the 3.7
mile street course when he left the course on his 125 in a left hand turn and struck a tree.
By every  account Joey was loved by all for his unassuming nature and modesty matched
with his blinding speed, especially at the TT races on the Isle.  He was the winningest
champion at the Isle.  I will never forget first seeing the on-bike video of Joey taking a lap
of the Isle on his Honda. The speed was incomprehensible (so much so I first suspected
the film had been sped up) not to mention his heavy Northern Irish accent.  The
commentator asked Joey if he ever went down at the Isle and Joey gave this surprised
chuckle and replied, ‘you dunno ever go down on the Isle.’ Joey was also no ascetic being
known for tippin’ em well  into the night with his mates.  When he wasn’t racing he was
drawing cold ones at the pub he owned.  Joey is survived by his wife and 5 children.  His
passing is a loss for all of us.

Miscellaneous

* Jeff is also building a Street Tracker which is a beautiful flat track style street bike.  If
you’re interested give him a call at 431-7670 (day).
* Not much progess this year on the Granary.  Between Jeff getting his racing together
and me gutting and redoing a 70 year old house then recovering from my injuries we have
had a singularly unproductive year on the building front.  We’ll hit it hard in 2001.
* Motolight has been sold to 2 local bikers, Rob and Tina Hollaender.  Rob is the
President of a private manufacturing concern and committed to growing Motolight while
maintaining its quality.  I’ve been working with them for 4 months and am extremely glad
we were able to do a deal.  The new local phone # for Motolight is 474-7530 while the
toll free # stays the same at 800 567-8346 and the website remains www.motolight.com.
We are designing a second smaller light which should be available this spring. They will
be at The Granary Meet.
* A good friend, Ray Pope, has opened a bike shop, Sporttour Cycles,  offering discount
parts and specializing in KLR 650s.  He is very knowledgeable about KLRs and all the
desirable mods.  He has great prices on parts and accessories and can be reached at (513)
202-0999 or www.sporttour.com.  Be sure to ask him why he sold his mint ‘88 KLR to
me.
* For sale.  Slightly biffed RC51.  Mature owner  was slightly delusional with visions of
the Isle and Joey dancing in his head.  Will throw in adjustable, anodized aluminum
Rubbermaid crutches.  Bike when pushed will quickly remind you of your advancing age.
Oh well. PS.  Sold to a friend of mine far wiser than me.

Motorcycle Web Sites

Cycle Trader online: www.traderonline.com/cycle/

Motorcycle road racing: www.amasuperbike.com

A.M.A.: www.ama-cycle.org

Thumpers: www.ionet.net/~jhanna/thumper.html

Trials riding: www.trialsusa.com/