Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128352
._- ---- --j ID ST iiiiiiii I R eun ion R id e OFF-ROAD _ By JEFF DEBELL PHOTOS BY PAUL CUPPER n 1994 , over 600 riders fro m all over the globe descended upon the famous John Zink Ranch north of Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the 69th running of the International Six Days Enduro (fo r me rly the International Six Day Trial). In October of 2004 , ISO Vintage enthusiasts and Six Days veterans, and close to double that number of spec tators and support personnel, returned to the Zink Ranch for the eighth running of the ISDT Reunion Ride. The ISDT Reunion Ride is in its eighth year, having been founded by Leroy Winters and Dick Mann back in 1997 to reunite Ame rica's forme r Six Days riders , celebrate the original ISDT and give Vintage motorcyclists a chance to experience a small slice of Six Days-style riding. This year 's Reunion Ride also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 1994 Six Days, which was the second of only two ISDT/Es held on American soil. Most of the Tulsa Trail Riders staff working the Reunion Ride also worked the '94 ISDE, and the re were a number of 1994 ISDE vets riding the event, such as Mike Lewis, Jeff Fredette, Dwight Rudder, Helm ut Clasen , Steve VanZant and this year 's overall winner, Steve Travis. Winters and Mann developed the format of the Reunion Ride, and it has I Eig ht h Annual Ler oy W inter s M emoria l ISDT 'R remained unchanged since the early rides down in Winters' home state of Arkansas. A Friday night barbeque supper and bench -racing session is followed by 40 to SO miles of trails and special tests on Saturday, w ith a banquet later that evening. The event ends Sunday with a shortened morning of trail riding, with a terrain test or two, followed by an after noon of grasstrack rnotos and a medal ceremony to end the weekend . Riders travel from all four corners of the United States and also from overseas to attend the Reunion Ride. It is the on ly eve nt of its kind on this side of the Atlantic, and for many Vintage-bike nuts it has become the event of the year. Comi ng to the Reunion Ride is like stepping into a time mach ine . First , there's the parc ferme filled with all the bikes everyone loved back in the "good old days." The paddock begins to fill on Friday afternoon with beautiful examples of European bikes - Sachs, Jawa, Bultaco, SWM, Penton, Husqvarna , BSA, Maico and Japanese groundbreakers, such as Hodakas, Jeff Fredette's KDX's, Chris Carter's factory prototype IT-400 and the American -built Rokons. A walk through the pits and sign-up also puts you smack in the middle of America's finest riding talent and motorsports innovators . The Penton team was well represented by John Penton, Doug Wilford , Dave Mungenast, Dane 38 DECEMBER 1,2004 • CY CLE N EWS Leimbach, Carl Cranke, Fred Came ron and others . Tommy McDermott, the 1949 ISDT gold medallist, was there, as were several other "old guard" riders such as John Greenrose, Gerry and Vern Pacholke, and Charlie Bethards . St. Louis riders Ron Ribolzi, Ed and Pat Schmidt , Rayand Dave Jr. Mungenast and Lars Valin were there, along with a couple dozen other former Six Days greats, most riding, with some just there to spectate and renew friendships with old riding pals. Easy to spot in any crowd was former Indianapolis Pacer Rik Smits, retired from pro basketball now and devoting his time 40th Anniversary (Ab ove) Jo ck Pe nt o n (left) a nd l arry Mai ers were on hand to to ke pa rt in th e festivitie s. (Below ) J ust like in the o ld d a ys a cce leration tests co uld be found o ut on the course.