American Motorcyclist Association

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is an American nonprofit organization of more than 200,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights. Its mission statement is "to promote the motorcycling lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling." The organization was founded in 1924 and, as of October 2016, had more than 1,100 chartered clubs.

It provides guidance and advice on running events and rallies for clubs and promoters, and allows affiliated members to vote on AMA matters. It also has a corporate membership category with representatives from the US motorcycle industry.

The AMA is the official national federation representative (FMN) for the United States of America in the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and organizes US teams and riders for FIM-sanctioned events, including the International Six Day Enduro, Motocross Des Nations, and Trials Des Nations.

History

The AMA was a whites-only organization from its inception in 1924 until the 1950s, not allowing African Americans or any other minority group to join for its first 30 years.

Outlaw and one-percenter

The term one-percenter was coined after the 1947 Hollister riot in Hollister, California. The AMA reportedly responded that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, implying that the remaining 1% were outlaws. The AMA now says they have no record of such a statement to the press and calls the story apocryphal. One-percenter motorcycle clubs are often also known as outlaw motorcycle gangs or OMGs according to the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Competitions

The AMA sanctions over 2,000 events each year hosted by chartered clubs and promoters across the country in the disciplines of Motocross, Off-Road, and Track Racing. Each discipline is guided by the AMA Racing Rule Book, which is organized, written, and voted on each year by the AMA Congress, composed of AMA delegates from across the country representing their areas, disciplines, and districts. In addition to a yearly congress, the AMA also organizes the AMA National Awards Banquet that awards championships to all of the AMA Amateur National championships from across the country, in addition to naming the AMA Racer of the Year, AMA Youth Racer of the Year, AMA Women's Racer of the Year, AMA Club of the Year, and more. The AMA Board of Directors annually presents non-competition awards to those who carry on the AMA mission. Those awards include the AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award, the AMA Bessie Stringfield Award, the AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award, and the Jim Viverito Friend of the AMA Award.

AMA Championship Competition

MotoAmerica
AMA Superbike Championship
AMA Supersport Championship
AMA King of the Baggers
AMA Super Hooligan
AMA Stock 1000
AMA Talent Cup
AMA Twins Cup
AMA Mini Cup
Endurance Racing
AMA EnduroCross Championship
AMA National Enduro Championship Series
AMA US Sprint Enduro Championship Series
AMA Florida Enduro Championship Series
Speedway Racing
American Flat Track
AMA National Speedway Championship
AMA Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series
Moto Trails
AMA Vintage Trials Grand Championship
AMA/NATC East MotoTrials Championship Series
AMA/NATC East Youth/Women’s Trials Championship
AMA/NATC West MotoTrials Championship Series
AMA/NATC West Youth/Women’s Trials Championships
Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials AMA National and FIM World Records
NATC Trials Championship
Off-roading and Hill Climb
AMA American Hillclimb
AMA Arizona Off-Road State Championship Series
AMA Cal Classic
AMA East Hare Scrambles Championship Series
AMA National Hare and Hound
AMA Pioneer Motorcycle Club
AMA Vintage Hare Scrambles
AMA West Hare Scrambles Championship Series
Grand National Cross Country
Grassroots Off Road Series
J Day Off Road
NGPC Racing
Arena cross
AMA GT Arenacross Championship
AMA North America Arenacross Championship
AMA Partzilla Regional Arenacross Series
Motocross
AMA Motocross Championship
AMA Amateur National Motocross
AMA District 14 Motocross
AMA RMX Championship Series
AMA Moto86 Series
Supercross
AMA Supercross Championship
SuperMotocross World Championship
Ice Racing
AMA Ice Race Grand Championship – GP
AMA Ice Race Grand Championship – Oval
ATV Racing
ATV MotoCross Championship
GNCC ATV Racing

AMA Pro Racing

AMA Pro Racing was formed in 1994 to respond to the growth of motorcycle racing in the United States and holds many events. The AMA is the largest motorsports organization in the world, overseeing 80 professional and more than 4,000 amateur events each year. The AMA also maintains the Motorcycle Hall of Fame located near Columbus, Ohio. It is the designated governing body of motorcycle sport in the US, as designated by the world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).

On March 7, 2008, the AMA Pro Racing series was sold to the Daytona Motorsports Group (DMG), headed by Roger Edmondson and Jim France. The DMG became responsible for the AMA Superbike Series, AMA Motocross Series, AMA Flat Track Series, AMA Supermoto Series, AMA Hillclimb Series, and ATV Pro Racing. The sale did not include the AMA Supercross and AMA Arenacross Series, whose rights are currently owned by Feld Entertainment. DMG would license the AMA name and trademarks to promote the motorcycle racing series. The new management sparked criticism among some of the press and fans for allegedly alienating the factory teams and for introducing NASCAR style rules such as rolling start and pace car. DMG was replaced by MotoAmerica as AMA Superbikes promoter in 2015.