Classic Iron, Trendy Magic: 2025 AMA Classic Motorbike Days

From the second I crested the hill and noticed row upon row of tent tops, vehicles, RVs, toy haulers, bikes, quads, golf carts, minibikes, and pit bikes unfold throughout the rolling inexperienced hills of Lexington, Ohio, I knew AMA Classic Motorbike Days was in full roar. Now in its thirty third yr – and its thirtieth on the 380-acre Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course advanced – the occasion felt extra alive than ever.

This yr’s VMD was held July 25-27 (Friday-Sunday) and drew upwards of 40,000 attendees and greater than 300 roadracers, motocrossers, hare scramblers, trials riders, flat-trackers, and pitbikers. VMD is a high-energy, family-friendly, multigenerational, not-to-be-missed bike pageant that brings collectively classic followers and normal fans. Bikes of all ages, sizes, manufacturers, and kinds buzzed round in every single place as children, teenagers, adults, and seniors wandered from races to demo rides to seminars to bike exhibits to the swap meet and again once more.

Brad Lackey, the 1982 500cc World Motorcross Champion and AMA Corridor of Famer, was this yr’s Grand Marshal, and VMD commemorated two Suzuki milestones: the fortieth anniversary of the GSX-R sportbike and the fiftieth anniversary of the RM motocross sequence machines.

Among the many OEMs providing demo rides was Royal Enfield, who additionally supplied assist for the Motorbike Classics AMA Motorbike Corridor of Fame Bike Present introduced by Royal Enfield (say that thrice quick!). Whereas at VMD, I gathered testimonials after attendees returned from Royal Enfield demo rides. Reactions had been overwhelmingly optimistic, with riders expressing pleasure in regards to the model’s resurgence over the previous few years and praising its lineup of classic-styled, reasonably priced machines. Many stated they had been prepared so as to add a Royal Enfield because the second, third, or tenth (!) bike of their storage.

Royal Enfield had its full vary of fashions readily available, together with the air-cooled single-cylinder 350s (Meteor, Basic, and Hunter), liquid-cooled single-cylinder 450s (Guerrilla and Himalayan), and air-cooled parallel-Twin 650s (Bear, Basic, Continental GT, INT, Shotgun, and Tremendous Meteor). You may learn my overview of the Guerrilla 450.

AMA workers stated that this yr’s VMD broke attendance data. Each the swap meet and tenting areas had been bought out, and the vitality throughout the grounds was electrical. In every single place you turned, one thing was occurring. From racing to wrenching to instructing to socializing, the weekend was a full-throttle celebration of motorcycling heritage and group. And for fans of a sure age, the ring-a-ding-ding and blue smoke of 2-strokes took us proper again to our earliest days of using and dreaming.

On the coronary heart of VMD was a full weekend of classic roadracing on Mid-Ohio’s iconic 2.4-mile, 15-turn circuit. Races ranged from pre-war machines to rumbling sidecars and thunderous V-twin baggers. WERA ran a decent, thrilling program, and the Bagger Racing League was a crowd favourite, with dramatic Manufacturing Inventory and Tremendous Road showdowns.

Out within the fields and woods surrounding the roadrace circuit had been off-road races and trials competitions. On Saturday night time, the Ashland County Fairgrounds hosted flat-track racing.

When the bikes weren’t on monitor, crowds packed the paddock space and AMA Corridor of Fame Fanzone, the place B’laster hosted stunt exhibits, rider seminars, and autograph periods. Probably the most widespread points of interest was the Wall of Loss of life, which attracted shoulder-to-shoulder spectators all weekend lengthy.

The Penton House owners Group hosted a big gathering of Penton bikes to honor John Penton’s a centesimal birthday, a becoming tribute since Mr. Penton handed away on Sept. 7, a couple of weeks after he turned 100.

After which there was the legendary swap meet, additionally the most important ever with greater than 860 distributors hawking their wares. It was a mind-boggling gold mine of uncommon components, barn finds, memorabilia, and mechanical oddities. Rows upon rows of tables buzzed with collectors, builders, and cut price hunters.

A few of the most touching moments weren’t about horsepower, they had been about coronary heart. I watched mother and father instructing their younger children to journey within the grass and dust, serving to them pop their first wheelie or get their boots soiled. It was a reminder that this occasion isn’t nearly bikes; it’s about passing the fervour on to the following technology.

Even within the sticky 95-degree warmth, even throughout the sudden lightning storms that delayed races and demo rides, the vitality by no means light. If something, the climate added to the joy. For a lot of, the mud turned a part of the enjoyable. AMA Classic Motorbike Days reminded all who attended that motorcycling’s spirit doesn’t age, it simply good points character. We’re already counting the times till subsequent yr’s occasion.

The thirty fourth annual AMA Classic Motorbike Days will probably be held July 24-26, 2026, at Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course in Lexington, Ohio. For extra info, go to the AMA web site.