AMA Board Assistant Secretary Jim Williams

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Born: Newport Beach, California, 1958

First motorcycle: My first two-wheeler was a Bonanza mini-bike with a Briggs 3.5 hp engine, jack-shaft, front forks with springs(!), and a steel scrubberplate that pressed against the back tire for a rear brake. I was 7 years old. My first real motorcycle came when I was 12: a 1969 Bridgestone 50cc (yes, they made motorcycles, too!).

Motorcycling experience: I grew-up riding trails with my dad at Big Bear in the San Bernardino National Forest, then got turned on to desert racing and enduros in my early 20s. I raced District 37, FRA and CRC events for about 10 years, then got into racing a few SCORE events like the Baja 500 and 1000. I also guided tours in Baja with the original Baja tour company ("Adventure Treks") in the early to mid-'80s.

Life experience: I started my career as a field geologist: 20 percent exploration, 80 percent consulting on existing claims. All hard rock stuff (gold, silver, tungsten and barite) in Nevada, Idaho and Colorado. Working in the wide-open spaces of the West planted the seed for my maniacal love affair with long-distance, dual-sport adventure touring. After five years in the field, I decided to follow my passion for motorcycling in 1986 by going to work for the Motorcycle Industry Council as a land-use activist/planner. Ten years later, I jumped to Kawasaki as a product planning guy. Working with a multi-national company has been a great experience, and working cross-culturally with Japan has been fascinating.

Proudest achievement: Training over a thousand public land managers how to ride dirt bikes and ATVs while teaching them how to plan for, and manage, off-highway vehicle recreation. This was accomplished through the MIC with generous support from the manufacturers and direct involvement by the AMA. Over 50 of these workshops were conducted from southern California to Maine during 1988-1995. To this day, I believe this work helped preserve and expand many OHV opportunities, which might have otherwise been lost.

Why you ride: Same as all riders: Enjoyment and the adrenaline rush!

Favorite current bike: Kawasaki KLX450R. It handles like a motocrosser, but is built for the long haul, and it's whisper quiet.

AMA Member: 28 years.

Why you are an AMA Board member: I see this as a critical time in the AMA's development as an activist organization. If we don't respond by shaping the AMA into a more effective force in protecting and expanding our sport now, I fear that there could be dire consequences for the industry and riders as a whole.

The biggest challenge facing motorcycling: Gaining broad acceptance by the general public. As long as we're regarded as a "fringe" group, we will always be the low-hanging fruit for lawmakers and various special interests to grab and ultimately tear down.

What the future holds: I see huge opportunities for the AMA to grow into a really vibrant and progressive organization in the next five years. It's always been an organization worthy of riders' support, but I believe the new president has a crystal clear vision for taking it to the next level. History will judge whether we'll be successful, but in the meantime, the AMA and its new leadership deserve our unwavering support to make it happen.