Opponents of motorcycling are hard at work trying to take away our freedoms. They want to stop you from riding down streets, on public land or even in your own back yard.

Insurance companies want to jack up your rates and blacklist certain bikes right off the road. Officials want to shut down race tracks.

The fact is, motorcyclists face discrimination and the threats of discriminatory laws every day. Motorcycle-only checkpoints, for example, are happening now.

These attacks on our freedoms must stop.

As the nation’s longest-standing and most respected organization protecting your right to ride and race, the AMA is your toughest advocate for the motorcycling freedoms you deserve. But we need the political clout to fight for your rights, and we gain that political clout by having members.

A lot of members.

The more members we have, the more powerful we are. That’s because our only defense against the many threats to motorcycling is the strength we derive by banding together. Politicians understand strength in numbers.

We proved that recently with a landmark victory, when the AMA and our members played an important role in passing federal legislation that lifted the misguided nationwide ban on the sale of kids’ off-highway vehicles. Without the involvement of everyone in the riding community—from motorcycle and ATV industry officials to very young riders—this victory couldn’t have happened.

Our fight for motorcyclists’ right to ride and race continues every day.

For example, right now the AMA is urging federal transportation officials to end the grant program that gives states money for motorcycle-only checkpoints. These checkpoints single out riders and are discriminatory.

Officials claim they are pulling over riders and subjecting them to roadside inspections to promote safety. But if they really want to promote motorcycling safety, the AMA believes federal officials should be supporting motorcycle crash prevention programs.

We need you to help us fight for the rights of every motorcyclist. We need you to encourage others to join the AMA so that our strong voices are heard from the local village council all the way up to Capitol Hill saying: “Don’t take away our motorcycling freedoms!”

Encourage every rider you meet to join the AMA. Encourage every member of a racing family to join the AMA.

By joining the AMA they will help protect riding and racing. More members means more clout so we can fight important battles for all of us who love riding and racing, and for future generations.

Joining is easy. Just have them call (800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646) or go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Husqvarna is positively ancient. The company traces its roots to a 17th century milling factory that built guns for the Swedish army. While that background may not be extremely relevant to the modern iteration that manufactures motorcycles under the Husqvarna banner, it does lend some legitimacy to claims of historical iconicism.

And perhaps just a little bit of an intangible ability at producing a factory custom.

The brand, now a property of Germany's BMW, may have sprinkled some of that magic history dust on its latest concept, the "Husqvarna Concept Baja." With perhaps the exception of the headlight/number plate/cheese grater mashup (for my personal tastes, a full-on retro approach would have worked much better), the bike just looks right. It captures the era that American motorcyclists associate with Husqvarna: the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Malcolm Smith from "On Any Sunday" was king and everyone wanted to escape on two wheels.

The Baja concept bike certainly is a long way from the musket factories of Jönköping, but not that far removed from the sands of Pismo Beach -- and a time when riding was more about the ride and less about fighting for the right to do it.

Here's the press release...

January 20, 2012 - New York, NY - The distinct retro flair of the golden age of motorcycling is one that only Husqvarna can genuinely embody. The Husky marque is the definitive emblem of an era, and one that continues to symbolize bold innovation, classic design and timeless passion. Husqvarna's distinctive 1970's vibe is revisited in the Concept Baja - where vintage meets technology, and legendary style is redefined.

Vintage allure isn't all this trek-touring design has to offer; performance is what makes the Concept Baja truly exceptional. Ideal for the casual rider as well as the committed enthusiast, The Baja will continue the trek well after the pavement ends.

Husqvarna Concept Baja

• 650cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine
• Five-speed wide-ratio transmission
• Electronic fuel-injection
• Brembo disc brakes
• Perimeter frame with progressive linkage swingarm

• Wheels: 19-inch front, 17-inch rear with intermediate-knobby tires
• Innovative LED crossbar instrument display

• Approachable seat height and layout suits wide spectrum of riders

Unreal footage shot in a remote rain forest in northern Australia. Moto-paradise? Maybe.

As AMA members (and his Facebook friends) have known for some time, former NBA center Rik Smits, a dominant big man with a nice outside jumper for the Indiana Pacers in the 1990s, loves to ride. Specifically, the Dunking Dutchman (Smits is from The Netherlands), digs off-road and vintage racing. He's competed at the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships and Grand National Cross Country events.

Yahoo! Sports has noticed and published a brief article on the one-time mainstream sports star. It mostly discusses how Smits' 7-foot, 4-inch height hurts and helps (he's referred to as a "mudder") him on the track.

One point that Smits, 45, does make in the Yahoo! Sports article is how open and accessible motorcycle racing is:

Yet, Smits says his body still feels good riding a bike. And as long as his health holds up, Smits hopes there is plenty more motocross riding ahead.

"I've seen a guy in Arizona one year and he was 93 years old," Smits said. "So as long as you can go, they let you race."

Plus, we like nice guys. If my introduction to Smits at Mid-Ohio in 2010 is any indication, he will be welcomed in motorcycling for much longer than his decade-long professional basketball career. Perhaps 30 years from now we'll run a piece about an unusually tall 75-year-old motorcyclist from Indiana who enjoyed a brief stint in pro hoops.

We all know motorcycling is great family fun. When we think of family motorized recreation, we think of mom, dad and the kids out trail riding on dirtbikes and having a good time.

But there are also roadracing families.

And there were a bunch of them at the AMA Road Race Grand Championships held at Putnam Park in central Indiana Oct. 8-9.

Take little Palmer Kling of Augusta, Ga., who was racing for Scott Van Hawk’s Four Feathers Racing, and his dad, Kerry. Kerry says his wife, Michelle, and other kids, Preston and Devinne, all enjoy heading off to the track to help Palmer race.

“It’s a family affair,” he says. “I get to spend time with my kids, and they all have smiles on their faces. We do a lot of traveling and spend a lot of time together.”

Racing is great for Palmer for a lot of reasons, Kerry adds.

“You learn in winning and learn in losing,” he said.

Palmer was a winner this weekend, taking home the national No. 1 plate in the Lightweight GP class. Palmer is also a winner off the track. With Four Feathers Racing support, he takes his race bike to area schools and talks with kids about the importance of wearing motorcycle and bicycle helmets.

Meanwhile, racer Greg Kappen, who had his family and friends at Putnam Park and who earned a national No. 1 plate in the Lightweight Formula 40 class, describes the experience of racing with his wife and kids with him nonchalantly.

“Change a diaper, put a tire warmer on…,” he says.

In the wild and wacky world of motorcycling, just about anything can happen. And it does.

Whether it’s a meat-wielding harasser of a motorcyclist/film star, a motorcycle built with a working toilet that powers the bike, or a rock band playing away on a specially modified motorcycle while cruising down the freeway, there’s no lack of weirdness in motorcycling.

I don’t know whether any of this stuff is true. It’s on the web, so decide for yourself.

A bunch of baloney: Apparently, according to Us Weekly, actor Justin Theroux—probably best known these days as actress Jennifer Aniston’s beau—ran into a problem with a bunch of bologna. Someone recently stuck at least 25 slices of bologna to various parts of Theroux’s BMW motorcycle while it was parked outside Aniston’s apartment in New York City, according to an Aniston neighbor.

A bunch of um, baloney, part II: TOTO, a company in Japan that makes toilets, apparently has created a motorcycle that features a working toilet for a seat. The bike allegedly is powered by gas produced from human waste. The company reportedly created the machine to tour Japan to draw attention to the company’s environmental efforts, dubbed the TOTO Green Challenge.

From the “what was he thinking?” department: Urban designer and artist Joey Ruiter apparently has created an “invisible” motorcycle called the Moto Undone. It essentially looks like a shiny box, or maybe a mirror, so that it blends in with its surroundings.

Rockin’ out in Russia: CBSNews.com showed video of a rock band in Russia on a motorcycle cruising down the highway jamming. Well, OK, maybe it’s not rock band. But it is a drummer with a drum set, an electric guitarist and a motorcycle operator cruising on a motorcycle and playing music.

From the “not to be outdone” department: Russia may have its motorcycling rock band, but Australia has its world-record-holding sofa powered by a Suzuki GSX1400 motorcycle engine. The Herald Sun in Melbourne, Australia, reports the couch has hit a speed of 101 mph.

Future tech here now? Apparently Carole Nash, a company in the United Kingdom that provides motorcycle insurance, has something special for its customers: a liquid that you smear on your bike. Allegedly the liquid contains some kind of unique identification coding that can be read by police if the bike gets stolen. Carole Nash customers also get some tamper-proof stickers warning potential thieves that the bike has been smeared with the ID-containing clear liquid. Hmmm.

This Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8-9, is one of the original events on the AMA KTM National Dual Sport Trail Riding Series calendar: The Baby Burr National Dual Sport Ride in McArthur, Ohio. Put on by the AMA-chartered Enduro Riders Association, the Baby Burr was founded in the spirit of the club's better-known Little Burr Enduro -- one of the country's classic traditional enduros. Although the Baby Burr is a notch less extreme than its older cousin, on most years it ranks as one of the region's top pure trail rides. At its best, the Baby Burr can be truly epic.

And this year is threatening to be one of the latter.

The extended weather report is calling for sunshine through the weekend. Combined with the steady rains that have drenched Southern Ohio the past week or so, trail conditions should be perfect.

Ohio certainly doesn't have the scenery of Colorado's Rockies, the endless hills of West Virginia, the brutal rock gardens of Pennsylvania, or the unreal landscapes of Arizona or Utah. But what Ohio does have -- in the hands of a forgiving trail boss with access to thousands of acres of private land -- are miles and miles of fresh, barely ridden, perfectly flowing trail that inhabit the sweet spot right between too difficult and too easy. The same Southern Ohio clay that defies hook up, coats your bike with 50 lbs. of dead weight, destroys your goggles and makes mountains out of molehills in the worst conditions, is Mother Nature's gift to off-road in the best conditions.

Don't believe me? Point your bike hauler (or ride your dual sport) to the fairgrounds just north of McArthur on Rt. 93 this weekend and find out for yourself. It's going to be a good one...

It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen a documentary about "regular" motorcyclists. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing one. So when I received an email about a new documentary featuring an AMA-chartered club, I was pretty excited.

After all, AMA-chartered clubs are the best of the best. They organize some of the most-exciting events on the planet, and these big-hearted folks have raised millions of dollars over the years to help those who are less fortunate.

Then I took a close look at the documentary’s title: “Lincoln County Massacre."

Oh, oh. That doesn’t sound good.

Reading the email further, it said: “Through historical and contemporary footage, Lincoln County Massacre tells the story of the hours leading up to April 19, 1980 when members of the club were beaten by troopers of the West Virginia State Police.”

Oh boy.

Did the club members do something wrong? Or were these rogue cops? Or maybe a combination of both?

There was only one way to find out: watch the documentary.

Documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion was kind enough to send me a DVD of the film before its official premiere in the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival Saturday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. at the Elk Theatre in Sutton, W.Va.

It proved to be an interesting look not only at the incident involving the AMA-chartered Brothers of the Wheel—which has 250 active members and 600-800 retired members in 15 chapters in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky—but also at rural West Virginia life in 1980 and how government and judicial officials operated, for better or worse.

And, no, nobody was killed in the incident, even though the film title is “Lincoln County Massacre.”

Brothers of the Wheel was formed in 1977 in West Virginia in part because members felt that as a club they would be more successful doing charity work: raising money for toys and food for kids, etc.

“We would be an AMA-sanctioned club and be on the right side of the law,” one founder said, since there were several outlaw clubs reportedly in the area.

Club members weren’t allowed to use illegal drugs. The outlaw clubs left Brothers of the Wheel alone because they were an AMA club, according to the film, and as such the outlaws recognized that Brothers of the Wheel posed no threat to them or their territory.

Brothers of the Wheel collected $1,800 in four hours in their first Christmas fundraising effort. After that, when the local food bank or other charitable organization would run out of food they apparently would tell people in need to go ask the Brothers of the Wheel for help.

On April 19, 1980, about 20 bikers were sleeping on the ground at the White House Tavern near Salt Rock, W.Va. They were members of the Brothers of the Wheel and the Bootleggers Motorcycle Club.

State troopers arrived about 2 a.m. and attacked the sleeping motorcyclists. Apparently a biker not associated with the clubs that were at the White House Tavern had intimated a neighbor, and residents had also called police saying they heard gunshots.

When the motorcyclists were attacked, at least some fought back—not knowing they were being attacked by police officers.

The motorcyclists were hauled off to jail. A lawsuit followed.

A lawyer for the bikers recalled that "they were stigmatized by what bikers were at the time," implying that law enforcement assumed they were outlaw troublemakers rather than members of an AMA-chartered charity motorcycle club.

The lawyer also said this case against the state police was one of the first, if not the first, case in which a jury or the court found in some way against the state police, who were ordered to pay for health-care costs and damage to motorcycles.

What comes through in this well-done documentary is that back then—and, to a lesser extent, even today—non-motorcyclists paint all motorcyclists with the same broad brush when they have a bad experience or see something they don’t like.

What also comes through is that the members of the AMA-chartered Brothers of the Wheel truly believe in the principles of being a family club, and in helping others who are less fortunate.

And they truly care about each other.

These are values that I think all AMA-chartered clubs believe in. So when I see that a club is AMA chartered, I know what kind of club it is, and what kind of behavior I can expect from those club members.

That makes me proud to be an AMA Life Member, an AMA employee for more than a decade, and proud to be associated with AMA-chartered clubs nationwide.

For more information on the documentary "Lincoln County Massacre," go to http://lincolncountymassacre.com/.

Enduros are a great time for a lot of reasons. Of course, they involve you and a dirt bike. That’s a given. But there are a few more ingredients that really help this discipline stand the test of time.

• A lot of seat time. Most enduros are 75 to 100 miles long (or more).
• Time to catch your breath. Test sections are broken up by easy transfer sections and resets.
• Time keeping is easy. Basically, go as fast as you can in test sections. On the easy transfer sections where you could outpace the 24 mph average, just compare the time on your watch to the time on the route sheet. If you’re ahead, stop and wait.
• Great trail. Enduros are one giant loop, so the trail is generally fresh.
• Variety. Because enduros cover relatively large swaths of land, you can go from hills to fields to valleys and back all in one ride.
• Adventure. You never know what to expect around the next corner -- a monster hill, caves, dry creek beds, a motocross track, a barn…
• History. Enduros date at least to the birth of the AMA in 1924, making them one of the world’s longest-running motorsports.

This shot, from the 1955 Athens Milk Run, is of Clarence Wise of Zanesville, Ohio. From the December 1955 issue of American Motorcyclist: "He could use a team of horses much better than the horses in his engine. The other bike is a silent testimoney that only the hearty could survive. Wow, what a mess!"

This weekend, Ohio off-roaders will ring in the 65th anniversary of a true Midwestern classic, the Athens Motorcycle Club’s annual Milk Run Enduro. The event has been going strong since 1946. It has been won by great off-roaders from Joe “Pappy” Gee to John Penton to Terry Cunningham to Mark Hyde to Robbie Jenks.

I will be there, hopefully enjoying some perfect fall weather -- about 70 degrees and sunny. No, I have no shot at the traveling trophy that goes to the overall winner, but I’ll have a great time and get way more than my money’s worth.

Enduros might not be for everyone. If you enjoy three-hour, full-throttle assaults on a set woods loop with a few hundred of your favorite friends, sign up for a Grand National Cross Country event or hare scrambles. If you’d rather ride on your own schedule and competition isn’t your thing, dual-sport rides are for you. If you fall somewhere in the middle, a classic enduro may be the perfect way to round out a weekend.

It’s something motorcyclists figured out nearly 90 years ago, and it isn’t changing anytime soon.

There’s something about the kids going back to school that has an end-of-the-riding-season feel to it, especially since the major professional series (motocross, Superbike, enduro, etc.) are starting to wind down. If you’re like me, around this time of year, you’ll occasionally be taken off guard by a sense of regret and minor self-loathing that you didn’t accomplish all you should have on two wheels by this time of the year.

Cheer up, though. I’m here to remind you that the season’s just getting started, particularly if you ride off-road.

Nothing against track sports such as motocross, roadracing, dirt track or hillclimb (all are absolutely amazing, by the way), but if you want to maximize your seat time, off-road riding and racing is one of the best deals in motorsports. Not only do you get in plenty of miles, but at most events in most parts of the country, you get to ride stuff that’s open just once or twice a year.

Sure, you have to pay an entry fee, making them more expensive than just going trail riding, but consider what you get: miles of professionally laid-out trail, carefully arrowed routes, a couple hundred riding partners to keep you company, and at sometimes a free meal when you’re done -- oh yeah, and a chase crew!

For most of these riding opportunities, look no further than local enduro and hare scrambles series (such as the Appalachian Championship Enduro Series here in Ohio). Nationally, there’s the AMA Rekluse National Enduro Championship Series and, for cross-country racers, the Grand National Cross Country series and the AMA Racing West and East Hare Scrambles Championships.

There are other options, though. The AMA KTM National Dual Sport Trail Riding Series and the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré National Adventure Riding Series include two-day events all over the country. While these aren’t competition events, many are organized by local clubs that have long histories of putting on off-road races. Route sections often include enduro loops, and several of these events have a reputation for putting even the best riders to the test. (The adventure rides are designed for large, adventure-class bikes like the Super Ténéré and the terrain reflects that.)

In fact, the only difference between some of these events and an actual enduro is at a dual sport there’s no need for time keeping, and the end of the day won’t include a trophy presentation.

The best thing, though? There are a ton left on the schedule (dual sport, adventure ride).

As for me, this coming weekend I’m hitting the second day of the AMA KTM National Dual Sport Trail Riding event, put on by the New Straightsville Enduro Riders in New Straitsville, Ohio. I took my oldest son, Noah, to his first dual-sport ride earlier this year -- a local event organized by the Zanesville Trail Riders. Although our day was cut short by Noah’s clutch going south at the 20-mile mark, he had a good time. Not only did he get a chance to put his motorcycle operator’s permit to use, but he rode several miles with Motorcycle Hall of Famer and former International Six Days Enduro rider Jack Penton (vid below). While Noah may not get to ride with Jack on Sunday, he will have the pleasure of being told that as the son of an AMA employee, he won’t get a chance to win the 2011 KTM 530 EXC -- pretty much the gnarliest factory dual-sport bike known to man -- that’s up for grabs by everyone riding in the national series.

If you’re in the area, swing by. You won’t get a trophy, but you’ll definitely go home with some memories. And that KTM would like nice in your garage, wouldn’t it?