100cc rule unchanged

[brian kirby]

The '08 rulebook is available for download at the AHRMA site and its got the 100cc class in it unchanged, no 6 speeds allowed. If you go to the site they have the PDF file for the rulebook named wrong, after you download the file you will have to rename it from 08_handbook.pd to 08_handbook.pdf.

Brian

'72 Six Day (on loan from Ernie P.)

[[email protected]]

Brian be patient even though the six speed ban has been published this does not mean it cannot be ammended before racing starts.We're still working on it We hope to know more later this week. Fingers and toes are all crossed.
Thanks
Paul

[brian kirby]

Paul, I am kicking around the idea of building a Yamaha 100 but I agree we should be patient and see what we can get done. Even if they dont change it, a less than perfect 100 class is better than no 100 class at all which is what we had before.

Brian

'72 Six Day (on loan from Ernie P.)

[john durrill]

6 speeds are a go folks thanks to Paul S., the Hodaka group and a bunch of folks hounding the powers that be.
 So you can run what you have excluding NOS and super chargers chuckle chuckle!
 and have a great time in 2008
John D.

[Dwight Rudder]

YEAH !  Thank you Hodaka guys !
Dwight

[[email protected]]

Brian thank you for being patient and waiting this out for a week or so. Because of the holidays some of the people we needed to speak with were away with their families enjoying what is most important.
The word came down tonight that after many calls and emails even on New Years Eve and New Years Day the Six Speed ban has been reversed. The formal post will be on the Ahrma website within a few days.

I would just like everyone concerned who cares to know the truth about what really went down was that Paul Danik, Dane and Doug Wilford were kept totally in the loop the entire time. Ed Chesnut and I sought their suggestions and advise to help get this ruling overturned. Also within Ahrma we worked hand in hand with someone that agreed that this ban should not be and fought hard to also have his voice heard so to represent the feelings of the Ahrma membership. This man is Fred Guidi from West Virginia. So if you know him please tell him hello and thanks for his hard work. If you do not know him I am sure you will meet him at the races. It was his voice from the inside that was heard by the board and the board heard what the membership wanted and reversed the rule.
I personally appreciate all those that believed in what we were trying to do behind the scenes and that were supportive.

It was a lot easier and better perceived coming from the Hodaka guys who already had legal bikes in the class to get the six speeds in rather than have the six speed guys saying hey what about us.

Other people may have done it different ways but we did it by working from within rather than fighting and trying to do it from the outside. I am just glad it worked out and I can race with my Penton, Hercules and DKW brothers.
See you guys on the track in Arizona.
Thanks for the space.
Paul

[brian kirby]

Thanks for your effort Paul. I was never going to build a Sachs, if I build a 100 it will be a Yamaha so the 6 speed rule had no effect on me directly, but this is going to be better for everyone involved with the 100cc class. I think you know that even though I was one of, if not the loudest critics of the 6 speed ban, I never thought it was a result of the Hodaka guys doing back room deals. There are many more rules in the AHRMA rule book that I think are dumb and they have nothing to do with Hodakas.

My biggest problem with the rule has always been as much with the process, it seemed to appear as a result from something other than the process detailed in the bylaws. Likewise, while I like the result of yours and others efforts to change this rule, this was also outside the prescribed AHRMA rules process at least as I understand it.

Brian

'72 Six Day (on loan from Ernie P.)

[[email protected]]

Thanks Brian for the very nice response.
I can appreciate what you say and at times have had the same feelings. I am not here to defend nor tear down Ahrma but to just explain that there has been a bunch of folks that for many years have tried to get a 100cc class put through Ahrma but were turned down at every vote. I was totally surprised when the call came through that there was going to be a 100cc class in 2008.

You are correct the way we needed to amended the six speed ban was done out of the normal channels but it was done within Ahrma not from the outside. The rules were posted and this gave us an extremely short time before the first race in Arizona. I as well as a few others felt that for this class that we had devoted so much time and effort to get was to succeed there needed to be a fair and even playing field for everyone. The thought of a six speed ban seemed ridiculous and I and again as many others felt that this would have put a huge cloud over the class even before it started.

There were a few from within Ahrma that felt that the class may not have the turnout that we hoped for but if this cloud ( ban ) continued they inevitably would have been proven right. At least this is my personal belief. So yes there was a push from within to try and get this overturned before Arizona. This way myself and anyone else that cares to race the class knows what to expect and has time to try and get their bikes ready. So time was of the essence. So for that yes I may be guilty.
Ahrma is not perfect. I am not perfect nor are any of us  but I can say honestly that we tried to do what was right and do it from within rather than fight from the outside. Again I am not defending Ahrma nor myself but only trying to give you honest solid answers why this happened and had to happen quickly. There might be others to say how we handled it was wrong or Ahrma should have done it this way but truly I am proud of how "we" handled this and extremely happy for the end result.

Some of the people that we spoke to and dealt with seem to share this same passion within Ahrma . My only hope and belief can be that things will change for the better and soon. I am getting to old to fight the world anymore and  all I look forward to is racing and riding with my friends. I hope that in some very small way this new class does just that and put's many smiles on guys faces. We all do this for fun and that is what it should always be just for fun. I know that when I take it to seriously it is time for me to get out. Brian I hope you get that Yamaha running and I hope to see you out on the track. You will kick my butt but I for sure will be smiling all the way.
Thanks
Paul

[brian kirby]

Any way it happened, it is good the largest possible pool of 100cc bikes is eligible. I am sure there is a portion of AHRMA that thinks the 100 class wont succeed. Thank you again for your work getting the 6 speed ban removed. I now have to get my tail in gear and throw a 100 together!

Brian

'72 Six Day (on loan from Ernie P.)

[firstturn]

Thanks Paul and to all your friends.  I personally do not feel the Pentons need the 6 speed, but so many people would be out a great amount of expense and that did seem unfair.  You have once again proved that Motorcycle people are the best.  I enjoy your Hodaka site and visit it often...who knows I may pick up a Ace some day.  I have a lot of great memories with the Hodaka brand.

Ron Carbaugh

[Paul Danik]

To Paul, Fred, Ed and all of the others who worked tirelessly through the holidays to get this rule change enacted, THANK YOU very much. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Just as John Penton constantly worked to improve his motorcycle, you Gentlemen have taken something that was basically good, realized its shortcomings, and turned it into something much better in a manner that you should be proud of.

Thanks again,
Paul

[Larry Perkins]

Thanks for your efforts Paul!

In this instance it has a good turn but an important thing should still be remembered.  It is WRONG for this to happen good or bad!  It is not right that AHRMA can be swayed on a rule because of the influence of any one person or group.  This is equal to a lobby group influencing our Federal Government and it is one of the biggest flaws in our Government system.  Hopefully one day the Lobby will be against the law.  This did not happen within NORMAL procedure nor did it happen within AHRMA as explained.  If the influence comes from outside and gets the board to change a rule they have passed it is not right even if the outcome is a good thing. This is typical AHRMA and it points to the Good Old Boy mentality that continues to run it.  It comes back to most of the problems that AHRMA has and continually brings up the same question, "Who Runs AHRMA?"  AHRMA is broken and no one group or influence can continue to fix it.  AHRMA must change the way things happen and make internal FAIR changes to survive.

Beyond that I say Thank You for helping this have a good outcome.

Larry P

[Mick Milakovic]

Paul S, Paul D, and all involved, thank  you for your efforts and congratulations on the results!  All of the discussion has surrounded the 100 class in vintage, but will there be a 100 class in post-vintage as well?  Happy New Year!