We caught up with the guys from Fourth Coast Fours in Oley, Pennsylvania, and it felt like the right place to sit down and talk about what they pulled off during the inaugural Motorcycle TransAm.
If you followed the race, you already know how big a role they played.
Most people are used to seeing V-twin Harleys, and for good reason. They are everywhere, and they are loved. But the TransAm gave people something different. It put the spotlight on the four-cylinder machines that you just do not see out on the road very often. The Hendersons, the Aces, bikes that stop people in their tracks when they roll into town.
And this group did not just show up. They showed up ready.
Loring talked about finishing Mike Butts’ 1913 Henderson engine just before Oley. They knew they had a strong motor, but the chassis came together at the last minute. Like a lot of these bikes, there were still unknowns. Once the race got closer, things started to fall into place. Mike Butts got comfortable on the bike, which is no small task. A single speed Henderson is not easy to ride, especially in modern traffic. There is a clutch lever on the tank, and everything about it demands your full attention.
Mike figured it out fast. From there, it became a day by day effort. As the miles added up and the engine settled in, confidence started to build. Around the halfway point, it was clear they had something real. Mike held the lead for a large portion of the race, which says a lot about both the rider and the machine. There is pressure that comes with that, on everyone involved, and they handled it.
The Carolinas were a turning point. That stretch tested every rider and every bike. Long pulls, heat, and constant demand. Coming out of there, the sense was that they were still very much in it. Out west, things really started to click. Mike had a feel for the bike and just kept pushing forward. Behind the scenes, Mark was in the truck, helping manage and fine tune things each night. The team made small adjustments where they could, even experimenting with engine details like cylinder crosshatch patterns to help with oiling and longevity.
One of the biggest challenges came with Jeff’s Ace, a splash oil bike that had not been run across the country in this way in a century. Unlike pressurized systems, these engines rely on a simple dipper system to move oil, and nobody knew exactly how it would hold up over that distance. When a camshaft failed, the team went to work. They had a replacement flown in overnight, rebuilt the bike in a parking lot, and had it running again by morning. Jeff kept going and finished the rest of the miles. That kind of effort summed up the whole event.
By the end of the race, the results spoke for themselves. Mike Butts took the win, followed by Frank Westfall, with more of their bikes filling out the top spots. Still, everyone was quick to point out that there were plenty of strong riders out there. Pat Murphy stood out as one of the fastest, constantly pushing the pace and keeping things interesting.
Looking ahead to 2027, the Fourth Coast Fours team is already planning their return. There is talk of bringing a Cleveland four-cylinder into the mix, a machine with deep roots tied to the early days of American motorcycling. More Hendersons are likely. More experimentation too. What stood out just as much as the racing was the atmosphere around it. There was a real sense of camaraderie every night. Riders helping each other, teams working side by side, people doing whatever it took to keep bikes on the road. That is what carried the event just as much as the machines themselves.
There is also a sense that the field will continue to grow and evolve. More early Harley twins are expected to show up next time, along with hopefully some of the lesser-seen brands like Thor and Excelsior. The variety is part of what makes it special, both for the riders and for the people who come out to watch.
The 2025 TransAm set the tone for what is coming next for 4th Coast Fours. 2027 is already on the horizon.
Watch the podcast where we talk to Mark & Loring Hill below:
Photos by: Olivier Touron, Ed Harriger, Eddie Phillips, Kazuo Matsumoto
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