AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Craig Vetter — motorcycle inventor, designer and racer — will be the featured guest at the annual AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona on Friday, March 14 at 7 a.m. at the Daytona Beach Club on the infield at Daytona International Speedway.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona fundraiser will feature a live interview with Vetter, an audience Q&A period and an autograph session with Vetter and the other Hall of Famers in attendance.
Vetter founded the Vetter Corporation, a company that became famous for its touring and sport fairings for motorcycles from the late 1960s into the 1980s. His company later sponsored the Kawasaki team when Reg Pridmore became the 1978 AMA Superbike Champion. In addition, he sponsored famous Vetter Fuel Economy Contests where motorcycles were able to squeeze more than 400 miles out of a gallon of gas. He also continues to implement this program at the annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event in Ohio.
Vetter said he’s looking forward to making the journey from his home in Carmel, Calif., to Daytona during Bike Week to meet fans and catch up with old friends. He also elaborated on the changes motorcycles and motorcyclists have seen over the past decades.
"My first motorcycle design was in 1964: the Daytona Display for Bridgestone motorcycles," Vetter stated. "My college professor was concerned: ‘Motorcycles… are you sure?’ In those days, motorcycles were not a part of ‘nice’ society. We were not respected and our motorcycles certainly did not belong in museums.
"Things sure have changed," Vetter noted. "Today, motorcyclists occupy a new position in American culture. Today, it is cool to ride. We even have a Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. How did all that happen?
"I lived this period," he continued. "I helped make those changes. Along the way, I met the greats of motorcycling. I look forward to telling some of my stories at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona, where it all began for me 50 years ago."
Jeff Heininger, chairman of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which oversees the Hall of Fame, elaborated on Vetter’s achievements.
"Craig Vetter’s impact is far-reaching, starting with the design of the iconic Windjammer fairings of the 1970s, continuing with motorcycle designs like the Triumph X-75 Hurricane and the limited-edition ‘Mystery Ship,’ and enduring more recently with a resurrected series of motorcycle fuel economy runs that push the boundaries of everyday streamlining," Heininger explained. "We’re proud to host motorcycling’s design professor emeritus for this year’s Breakfast at Daytona."
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona takes place during the 2014 Daytona Bike Week and is open to the public. Tickets are available now at www.motorcyclemuseum.org. The proceeds benefit the AMHF and the Hall of Fame.
