If you’ve got kids that are into motorcycles, take a moment and introduce them to the story of John Penton. They’ll hear how a kid from a Midwestern farm grew up pursuing his passion with hard work, joy, pain and a ton of determination.
“That’s entertainment,” I heard someone say. The crowd cheered, peering down into the Wall of Death, a worn wooden motordrome with nicks and scars. The American Motor Drome Company clearly has this nostalgic stunt show dialed in as “America’s original extreme motorcycle show.”
Motorcyclists passing through the Midwest should plan a stop at this beautiful compound. You can peruse the inspiring history of Harley-Davidson, sit on a few bikes, eat at the top-notch restaurant and be tempted to buy something at the well-stocked gift shop. Here’s just a peek at what made the Harley-Davidson Museum a special visit for us…
During a stop on the west side of Indianapolis, a resident asked, “Where ya headed?” I told them I was looking for a haunted railroad bridge nearby. “Ah, in Avon?” In this neck of the woods, most folks know about this spooky landmark. With lore dating back to the late-1800s and the promise of some old, looming architecture, this should make for a great ride destination.
Imagine tearing around a board track speedway in this little gem. Back in 2004, this 750cc beastie was found in Livermore, California. We received a heads-up via email from Dennis Suter at Vintage Flat Trackers that this was for sale, ahem, for $75,000. The email says that these cars were raced on half-mile and mile tracks from Long Beach to Portland.
If you read our original feature and interview with Hometown Jersey, you’ll learn why we love the effort they put into achieving an authentic vintage racing look. Scour the internet and leaf through old texts for early motorcycle racing pics in America and it’s evident how accurate these throwback jerseys really are. We’ve since added a couple more to our collection, check ’em out!
