Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group Rolls out Scholarships to Students
The iconic 1969 movie Easy Rider conjures a passion for motorcycles and a love of the open road. The Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group (CVMG) wants to ignite that same passion with younger motorcycle enthusiasts by offering scholarships and sparking interest in the CVMG.
“None of us are getting any younger and it’s important to attract younger members to the group,” said CVMG’s Vice President John Tankard. In 2021, CVMG launched its CVMG Education Fund to three educational institutions in Canada, including RRC Polytechnic.
Through the Fund, a $1,000 award will be available annually to two eligible students in RRC Polytech’s Marine and Powersports Technician Program. To qualify, students in the Marine and Powersports Technician Program must demonstrate an interest in motorcycles, satisfactory academic standing and leadership and teamwork qualities. Recipients are selected by department faculty.
“I want to get into a profession of working on motorcycles – motorcycles are my passion,” said Beau Carino, a Marine and Powersports Technician graduate who is currently re-building a 1983 Suzuki GS450. “I actually got it last year, it was my wife’s cousin’s bike. It was just sitting in their barn for 10 plus years, or so.”
“While the Education Fund is part of our ongoing work to introduce the CVMG to a younger audience and build enthusiasm in the sport or hobby, we also see our Education Fund as an investment in the future of the students,” said Tankard, who joined CVMG in the 90s and has enjoyed travelling many miles on his vintage Suzuki 750 with his wife, and has since had to pass his beloved bikes on to another enthusiasts due to challenges with his eyesight.
Carino has been repairing the bike in the garage at RRC Polytech with the help of an instructor, when asked if the bike ran, he quickly responded with, “It didn’t run, no. But it’s running now. The only thing left to do is the seat and clean up a little bit of things here and there.”
“At first, I was going to do the whole Café Racer thing, but now that I’m nearing completion, I think I’m going to ride it the way it is,” shared Carino enthusiastically as he noted that he and a couple of friends all ride vintage bikes.
CVMG, a not-for-profit organization, started in 1968 with a dozen members, promotes the use, restoration, and interest in older motorcycles and those of historic interest. With more than 50 years since its inception, the organization now boasts 2,500 within 34 sections, nationally and internationally. Members own more than 7, 000 motorcycles covering 200 different makes.
“Now, working on the older stuff. It’s made it pretty fun. There’s a lot of different things – like, you don’t have to deal with computers or anything. It’s nice, back to the basics,” noted Carino who hopes to join the CVMG in the future.
The various sections of CVMG host rallies, shows, displays and sporting events as well as lending support to many other various community affairs. They also encourage the preservation of records, data, objects pertaining to the history of motorcycles and motorcycling which CVMG hopes will benefit all enthusiasts.
The first scholarships were awarded to Beau Carino and Hunter Barker in the 2021/22 academic year.
