Britbike forum Forums Events - meetings / rallies / rides Mid-Ohio vintage motorcycle days meeting VMD 2022

My brother and I were in a RV parked right up against the fence about mid way up the main drag. It was near impossible to cross over to the swap meet area as the almost solid stream of bikes minibikes,cars trucks even a lawnmower wizzing by. The median where there were no parking signs was packed full of bikes. By late Sunday afternoon the swap meet area was near empty, lots of goodies left behind as people didn't want to haul stuff that didn't sell back home. I think the rain Saturday cut into the swap meet sales quite a bit. I brought home a couple of windshields and mufflers that were left behind.
Lots of wheelie experts on the main drag too.

Larry H
66 A65L
72 CB500-4

Larry's post was interesting to me. Years ago, I used to drive out with Mike A. He liked to book out first thing Sunday morning, which the AMA frowned on for vendors. I decided I would drive out myself, and stay till the bitter end and look to see what treasures vendors left behind. There was not a single nut or bolt. By 4:30 it was as if there had never been a swap meet (other than beer cans and food wrappers at the garbage cans). There was nothing! I tried again the following year. Same thing. All of this was probably 15 years ago or more. Now Mike and I still travel separately, but for different reasons. This year I left around 2:30. I no longer stick around. Of course, the whole thing is different now. Years ago, the swap meet was where things were happening at night and the campgrounds were pretty quiet. That certainly is not the case anymore!

Ed from NJ

Crazy>>> Someone left a perfectly good Honda VTR 250 carcass by the trash can!!

I don't know ... the words "perfectly good carcass" don't usually go together so well .... !

Lannis

I suppose it depends on which part of the country your from!

Sounds more like the Hawg Wild rallies which are so popular around here. I'm glad that the gas prices kept me home.
I might be interested if we could come up with a group of vendor spaces and camp there.
I hope that Barber never descends to that level, though I do enjoy the late slow races in the B lot.

So the tickets for Vendors spaces for 2023 went on sale last week. Last year the camp grounds were a zoo, while the swap meet area was quite pleasant for old grey beards like myself. There were a host of empty vending spots near Brian ("Royal Oilfield)'s vending spot, as well as across from mine. I know many of the regulars were turned off by the campground antics and are voicing apprehension about coming in 2023. Rather than stay home, it would make a whole lot of sense to pool the resources, get a few vending spaces next to each other, and call it Britbike central. Folks could also bring surplus bits to sell and make a little money too. I would hate to see the Britbike presence die out, when there is a viable solution at hand.

Ed from NJ

I think VMD is going to be in trouble, although I hope they can work their way out of it.

The Penton club, which has always had a large and active presence at VMD, has decided not to participate nor set up a display in 2023 due to "ever-increasing dangerous and uncontrolled conditions" the past couple of years in the area of their display.

I can see where they're coming from .... It didn't used to be like this; why the AMA has let it get out of hand, I don't know. They seem to have plenty of competent help at the gates and such.

Lannis

I am not so sure about “competent” help. After my experience with that moron that wasn’t going to allow me into the camp ground at 12:03 AM after I got back from Ashland, my opinion of the hired help there is jaded. But he was smart enough to understand that being a “f#cking F150 parking lot” was a very poor career choice

I think there may be two different organizations at the Mid Ohio event. The AMA organizes the actual event, ie.; the motorcycle competitions, infield attractions, demo rides, swap meet, etc. The Mid Ohio Sports Car Course manages the track/facility/grounds. We pay the AMA for vendors "booths" and the MOSCC for event tickets. Having worked at public events I don't envy any of the workers involved, and try to treat them fairly . I think both groups look away from the pit bike/ barrel racing problem. We have accumulated three joining vendors spots over the years, people come and go. Some camp at the vendors site and some sleep in hotels, the hotel people bring ice and coffee/breakfast in the morning. It works. Have fun, mtrude

I would be in for the swap meet plan but I may have a conflict problem. Nephew's wedding in pacific northwest. Need to sort out the dates

Mid Ohio announced weekend tent camping passes for 2023……..$245 advance price and includes 2ngeneral admission tickets……

Well.....if you guys were serious about getting multiple swapmeet spaces....There are about 10 clusters of three or more spaces left to buy. FYI Brian

I hope VMD knows what they're doing. As we know, the swap meet is now 95% old Jap dirt bikes, which is fine if that's the clientele that buys the spaces and spends the money, but you do lose some long term customers that way.

The biggest complaint is still the one that I p!ss-and-moan about all the time.... The thousands of pit bikes and ATVS that run up and down the swap meet all day, getting in the way of the purpose of the meet, which is socializing and getting some business done. But they never fix it...

See you there nonetheless. I don't give up that easy.....

Lannis

the pit bike crowd irritates me too. not the bikes but the idiots who cant be bothered to get off themachine before pushing into some sellers space to look att he tables

srsly

I have worn out legs and I am going to miss out on too much if I don't have a pit bike. Besides which, sitting at my vending spot watching the pitbikes go by is kind of enjoyable. Having said that, there are plenty of a--holes out there using the pathways as a race course.

Ed from NJ