These Are The People Bringing Up The Next Generation Of Motorcycle Racers
Late last year, the MOron crew participated in yet another 24-hour minibike road race, this time aboard the Benelli TnT135. It shouldn’t come as any surprise, but we got spanked – like bringing a knife to a gunfight spanked. Not surprisingly, the winning team consisted mostly of kids who couldn’t reach my head even with their arms fully outstretched. Surely their power-to-weight ratio helped, but we’d be dumb to think the kids weren’t also very skilled at their craft (and a lack of fear helps, too).
But where does a kid even start to try a mini road race machine? Unlike in Europe, where the opportunities are vast, there aren’t many avenues for a child in the U.S. to get their hands wet with motorcycle racing unless they start motocrossing first. That’s where the United Mini Racing Association (UMRA) comes in. Developed for riders, by riders, the club’s aim is to spread the word about racing little motorcycles, no matter your age or skill level.
While participating in the 2018 24-Hour, we caught up with Ryan O’Neill, Tony Nolley, and Mike Franklin – three of the club’s stalwarts – to get their take on why riding and racing little motorcycles is so fun, and why more people should try it. Try as we might, we couldn’t fit it in with our 24-Hour event coverage, but the conversation was too good to simply leave on the cutting room floor. So here you go. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed doing it.
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
More by Troy Siahaan
Comments
Join the conversation
Looks like fun...those guys are running an event at Apex Raceway this weekend...just FYI
This is how you meet the nicest people. Looks like a good time.