I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Smoky Mountain Small Bore Rally again, and the weekend was truly bigger and better than ever. I am amazed every year at how much time, imagination, and of course money these folks devote to their passion for these small size and displacement motorcycles.
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Most who took up motorcycle riding as kids typically got their start on pull-start Sears & Roebuck minibikes, Honda Trail 70 or 90 bikes, or maybe something like a Yamaha YZ80. I got my start on a scooter. I was 14 years old, Christmas of 1962, and to my surprise, I was gifted a brand new Vespa 150 motor scooter by my parents. From that day forward, my whole life changed. I was free. I could go where I wanted, when I wanted (or so I thought), a very dangerous prospect for a young rascal like myself.
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In the early hours of Thursday, March 6, 2025, I left home pulling my toy hauler/trailer, headed for Daytona Beach. I had loaded in the trailer my Honda Monkey and CB500X , and my friend David’s Triumph Bonneville 1200. David was pulling his teardrop camper with his Mercedes as we headed on our way to Florida. The weather was good and we made it to the Florida line somewhere around noon.
Daytona, here we come!
It was the summer of 1984. I was riding my Harley-Davidson FLH to California with my wife at the time, on one of our many road trip adventures. We stopped in Flagstaff, Arizona and visited the Harley shop, mostly because we were always looking for more oil for the Harley. As I walked in the front door, they were using a new black XLX Sportster for a doorstop to keep the front door open.
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My first experience with the American Motor Drome Co. Wall of Death was at the Barber Vintage Festival in 2004. I was amazed by this legendary thrill show and have attended each year since, for the last 15 years now. Motor drome motorcycle stunt shows have a rich history in American motorcycling culture, and are a very unique subculture unto themselves.
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After the Forrest Gump stop and lunch we headed for the Four Corners so we could say we stood in four states at the same time. While there a rain storm came up and we were stuck for an hour. By the time the rain stopped the parking lot was complete mud, that slimy sticky kind that makes it very hard to ride. If you’ve never tried to dirtbike a Goldwing, let me assure you it’s no fun. We finally made it to Cortez around 6 PM safely albeit a little wet. We were assigned a much nicer hotel in Cortez because of some repair work on the one we had booked, so we got a really good deal there. We also heard that evening that large hail had pounded Page right after we left. Geez. We must be living right.
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I recently returned from two fabulous small bore motorcycle rallies. I first visited the 2nd annual Barber Small Bore Rally hosted by Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama. The second rally was held in Maryville, Tennessee, the Smoky Mountain Small Bore Rally. This is my second year being involved with the small bore motorcycle community, and I even purchased a Honda Monkey a little over a year ago to participate.
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It’s riding season, and time to plan those bucket list road trips you’ve been dreaming about! How do you make those dreams a reality? The first secret to a successful ride is proper planning. Whether rolling solo or leading a group, developing a simple plan is always the best way to go. Let’s get started
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Riding to Sturgis, South Dakota in August is always an experience. It’s usually hot and dry with the occasional thunderstorm. This year’s trip was the wettest I’ve seen and I’ve been going to the rally since the late 1970s. Yes, I’m that old.
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