August 14th
Shrimp Burns dies after crashing his Indian during a board-track race in Toledo, Ohio.
Albert "Shrimp" Burns rode with Harley-Davidson and Indian. He was the youngest champion of his era, winning his first title at 15. The motorcycling world deeply mourned his loss.
The Black Hills Classic begins in Sturgis, South Dakota.
Now known at the Sturgis Rally, it began in 1937 when a local motorcycle club, the Jackpine Gypsies, invited another club to Sturgis for a field day. The Gypsies rode the Indian motorcycles that Clarence "Pappy" Hoel sold at his Sturgis shop and the Rapid City group, known as the RPMs, were almost all Harley-Davidson riders.
From Wikipedia: "...the director of the rally estimated in 2005 that less than half the attendees actually rode there. Shipping companies transport thousands of motorcycles to Sturgis for attendees who arrive via airline."
Enzo Ferrari dies in Maranello aged 90.
Enzo rode motorcycles until fairly late in life, in particular a restored Rudge similar to the one he had as a young man.