PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to announce that Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has signed on to sponsor the association's long-running selection of the summer's best touring rallies, along with the all-new AMA Flash Tours for riders who follow the AMA on Facebook.

The AMA Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero Premier Touring Series encompasses a great variety of AMA-sanctioned rides and rallies that are open to all riders, from mega-events like AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Americade and the Golden Aspen Rally, to national-level events like the Rally In The Gorge, to Gypsy Tours and Signature Events. The full slate of AMA-sanctioned road rallies can be found at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/riding/street/eventsandseries.

New for 2012, the AMA Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero Flash Tours are Facebook-based riding challenges that encourage motorcyclists to ride to towns or roadside attractions near them, where they take pictures and submit them to be published on the AMA Facebook page. A winner is chosen at random to receive prizes. With Kawasaki's new sponsorship, prizes will include gift certificates to the voluminous Kawasaki product and accessories catalog.

"Kawasaki's involvement really ties the long-standing AMA Premier Touring Series and the all-new AMA Flash Tours together, and showcases the road-going potential of the Vulcan Vaquero," said Grant Parsons, the AMA's director of communications and marketing. "Whether you like to attend the best rallies in the country, or just need another reason to get on your bike and ride somewhere near you, the AMA and Kawasaki have you covered."

To kick off the new partnership, a special, Kawasaki-themed AMA Flash Tour will be launched on www.facebook.com/americanmotorcyclist. Celebrating the Vulcan Vaquero V-twin's heritage and alliteration, the challenge will be to ride to a town near you starting with or containing the letter "V," taking your picture at a sign showing the name, and emailing it to flashtours@ama-cycle.org. Other creative submissions also will be accepted, such as a photo with a tree that has grown into a perfect "V" formation. See www.americanmotorcyclist.com/flashtours for more information. The new Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero Flash Tour will start June 18, and will conclude on July 1.

"This is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate exactly how well suited the Vaquero is to this ideal audience," said Chris Brull, Kawasaki's marketing director. "The spirit of the Vaquero demands pointing its front wheel at the horizon, so it's a natural fit with so many riding opportunities."

A full complement of AMA Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero Premier Touring Series events can be found at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/riding/street/eventsandseries. Follow the AMA Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero Flash Tours on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americanmotorcyclist.