If one heard a little thunder in the mountains recently, that did not come from the endless influx of much-needed and much-appreciated rain. That came from a legion of well-crafted sounds emanating from classic antique motorcycles with riders sporting Carolina blue vests traversing the backroads of Pendleton County.
They came as part of the increasingly popular Moto Giro competitions in the United States, based on road rallies and competitions held in Italy for decades.
Jeff Munn, fellow enthusiast and also co-owner of Dry Run Distillery and Historic Annanias Pitsenbarger Farm, explained “I was volunteered to host one in West Virginia.”
The Moto Giro is about as old as motorcycles themselves. About two months before the guns of August opened up in Europe, a cadre of enthusiasts riding the recently invented motorcycle searched for ways to show off both riding skill and machine performance. They organized the first Giro Motociclisto d’Italia in 1914, then developed it into a national tradition in the 1950s.
Almost 20 years ago, the excitement of motorcycle performance competition, crossed over into the United States. In 2008, the first competition in America took place in California.
As Munn and others emphasize, however, please don’t call it a race. Moto Giro is not The Cannonball Run so much, as it is a test of the skill of the rider and the precision performance of his or her machine. Courses run over tar and gravel and dirt roads to test skills and capabilities, as well as to steer competitors free of major highways as much as possible.
As Munn explains, “There’s no advantage to going fast” because the riders must average 25 miles per hour.
Motorcycles must come from the year 1968 or earlier with engines between 199cc and 305cc. All riders should follow the rules of the road and also accepted etiquette among competitors. Riders must follow competition guidelines in speed. Points are tallied from time trials, agility tests, and other aspects of the competition, but as in golf, lowest score wins.
What does the winner get? Munn said, “No cash. Just bragging rights.” Other prerequisites include a commemorative T-shirt, keeping the numbered identification vest, and whatever amazing memories and stories one accumulates along the way.
Furthermore, part of the challenge comes from following the “road chart” that lays out the roads on which the route runs. No GPS or other electronics are allowed, just good old fashioned “figure it out.”
Competitors form teams to take on the challenging 220-mile course. On this day, riders stopped at Thorn Spring Park halfway through their day to perform agility tests and take a well-earned break from the road.
One of the first motorcycles to pull into the park was run by Steve Aretz and Deb Welch from Smyrna, Virginia. They sported a gleaming and new looking 1963 Triumph with a 200cc engine. Aretz smiled and explained, “These are mostly small displacement, weird motorcycles.”
He noted that he and his fellow riders plowing through a total of 20,000 feet in elevation changes “are happily insane.” Thus far during the day, they had experienced Dolly Sods, Smoke Hole Canyon, and Sugar Grove. On their way towards Canaan Valley they would travel through Circleville.
Not long after came Brianne Rolph, a native of Ohio who had won a recent event. She related that her father and godfather had learned of the event about 13 years ago. They started competing and “invited me to come along. I started riding on the team.” She affirmed that following the road charts is part of the challenge, saying, “Don’t get lost!”
Rolph also noted that the appeal lies more in travel, seeing new places, and camaraderie on the road than winning, but “it’s sure nice when that happens.”
Helping Munn and his wife, Theresa, welcome the Moto Giro riders was the Franklin Ruritan Club. They laid out a lunch of hot dogs with homemade sauce, homemade macaroni salad, and hot coffee and hot chocolate for the unusually cold and wet conditions.
“Jeff called us and asked us if we could do the meal,” said Angie Hedrick from the Franklin club. Also on hand was Becky Hedrick, Diana Mitchell, and Nancy Bowers. Angie Hedrick shared that while the dedication remains as strong as ever to work in the community, “we need to get the word out about all the clubs in the community.”
The decline in volunteerism and joining service clubs has hit every community. Angie Hedrick noted, “There’s a lack of interest. Younger people just aren’t interested anymore.” That said, the Ruritans continue to support local events, provide scholarships to young people, and support community organizations such as volunteer fire departments and 4-H.
George Ellis rode in from Albany, New York. “I’ve been to 24 of these.” he shared. “Now I help to put them on.” Ellis described one of the great benefits of hosting a Moto Giro, saying, “You’ll find riders back in the fall just to visit the places they’ve seen.”
But one common theme prevailed, outside of having a great time. All agreed that the beautiful examples of original manufacturing design and the loving craftsmanship of owners looks far better on the country roads of West Virginia than simply sitting merely admired, but otherwise unused in a garage.
