Club Name: Oregon Vintage Motorcyclists
Year Founded: 1979
Number of Members: 300
Home city: Portland, OR
Website: Oregonvintage.org
Club Email: ovm@efn.org
Member dues: $15 - entitles member to free admission and vender space at the Corvallis Show
1. What exactly is a vintage motorcycle?
We consider any two or three wheeled vehicle over 20 years old to be vintage.
2. Where did the 20 year threshold come from?
The choice of 20 years was made when the club formed and in 1979 it probably made sense. Many members want to increase it to perhaps 25 years but it's probably not going to happen anytime soon.
3. What's the appeal over their modern counterparts?
The appeal of a vintage motorcycle is nostalgia, character and value - probably in about that order. As with old cars a lot of the appeal is having the motorcycle you've always wanted, but could not afford when you were younger.
4. I love the idea of owning a vintage motorcycle how do I start?
To start ask yourself what you want. Is there a model you wanted but couldn't afford years ago? Do you want to show the bike or ride it? How much, how far, how fast do you want to ride your vintage motorcycle? What can you afford? How much of the restoration can you do yourself? Come to an event like our Corvallis Show and view the bikes and talk to the owners.
5. How difficult is the upkeep of a vintage bike?
The difficulty in owning a vintage bike depends on what model you select and what level of restoration or repair you want to pursue. Some common models (Norton, BSA, Triumph or BMW) are rather easy to work on and to find parts for than modern bikes and are also cheaper to maintain. Rarer models (Vincent, Indian, Zundapp, Nimbus and many more) are more difficult to find parts for or to find information on restoring.
6. What are some of the rarest vintage bikes OVM represents?
As a club that welcomes all types of motorcycles we see many quite rare models. For example a pre-WWII Zundapp, several single cylinder racing Vincents, very early Hondas, and a Levis. Every year there are rare bikes on display at the Corvallis show.
7. Does OVM coordinate rides or is it more for show?
OVM organizes several rides each year. Some are before our large events like the Corvallis Show, the Oaks Park Picnic and the Annual General Meeting. Some are stand alone rides (Batwater Station, Longest Day). Some are ad hoc.
8. What other club activities are planned?
OVM has an annual show in Corvallis on the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend, an annual picnic at Oaks Park on the first Sunday in August, and a winter banquet though we didn't have one last year. We also have monthly meetings in Portland, Salem, Eugene and Medford.
9. Why join the Oregon Vintage Motorcyclists?
The best reason to join any vintage motorcycle club is for the support in the restoration and ownership of your old bike. The second best reason is the social aspect and the ability to see some fine old machines.