R.I.P Jim McLean...

Jim McLean

John Pierce and Jim

Got some bad news from John Pierce this morning...

John's Email...

"Jim McLean on his Pepper Red and Black 57 and I last spring on a ride up the White Mountains in N.H.. Ironically, the 46 I'm on took a tumble mid summer and it is is in the shop now for a re-fit . Jim helped  me out of a bad situation  that day . Jim got hit a couple of days ago in Mexico on a dirt bike. And is no longer with us. " May the road rise to meet you, the wind be cool on your back, and the sun be warm on your face".  R.I.P. Jim, you will be missed."

"Big Mikey" Revisited...

Big Mikey's '74 Sportster that he bought new...

Of course the Sportster spewed oil when I started it...

Warning...

"Little Mikey" (12) learning how to kick it through...

Good night buddy...

\

Found this in his garage...it hit home...

I did a little post on the passing of my good friend "Big Mikey" in October. Since then his wife called me and asked if I could help out by putting his bike away properly until his son "Little Mikey" (now 12) was old enough to mess with it. I said of course!
Well, I got back to Jersey today and took care of things...mainly just dump the gas and pull the battery, stuff like that. "Little Mikey" was assisting me and together we got it all squared away. It felt good to get this done. I gathered all his bike parts together and boxed 'em up. In doing so, I found the button pictured above...I stared at it for a few and put it back where I found it...I also found some other stuff..."Shovel Buddy" time if you catch my drift (Google it)...
Anyway, Mikey's old Sportster is resting comfortably until it's time for it to be recommissioned...I showed the kid how to kick it through and told him to go out there and do it every now and again.
Continue to R.I.P. Mikey...

R.I.P. "Big Mikey"...

Me and Big Mikey circa 1990

My long time friend "Big Mikey" from Jersey passed away last Sunday. The "Big" in his name was more his personality then his size. This guy was someone I considered invincible for the past 30 years. He'd been bounced off bumpers, crashed, flipped off his bike while standing on the seat, had his share of brawls, long nights, took no shit from anyone and a few years ago beat cancer, you name it he killed it! And all the while living it up as he always did. So when his wife called me Sunday to tell me that he passed away while sleeping on the couch, I just couldn't believe it. His heart just gave out they said...I don't know maybe it was full...
Big Mikey bought a 1974 Sportster, brand new, in Jersey and road it to California and back a couple of times. It was his only bike, he owned it til the day he passed...and he rode the piss outta it. We had a lot of great times and I have a lot of great (unbelievable) memories... Thanks Mikey!

Big Mikey leaves behind a wife, a son, a daughter and a select few who will feel the loss of a true friend and at times one crazy ass MFer!

Steve Ciccalone - Rest In Peace my friend...

I stole this pic from http://hendersonkj.com/

I can't believe what I heard on the phone tonight...

I got some very bad news tonight. My good friend Steve Ciccalone passed away today. I don't have any more info then that. Steve was the absolute best. I just talked to him last week and he was looking forward to enjoying a "Life Giving Lager" with me at Jefferson in a couple of weeks...

Steve served as the National Meet Coordinator for the AMCA until a few years ago and was the smiling face you would see first when entering the gate at the Jefferson PA meet.

I have never met a nicer person then Steve. What a loss...

RIP "Gentleman" Ray Dhue

The Gentleman on his 49 Pan Harmony '87

Gentleman Ray's Meeting Minutes June 1987

Saddlebags I got from Ray in the early 80's

Received some bad news today.

At 10:30 this morning "Gentleman" Ray Dhue passed away. I have known Ray since the 80's through the Colonial (North Jersey) Chapter of the AMCA where he served as Secretary for many years. Ray lived up to his name and unlike me, he was always polished, courteous, respectful and he produced meticulous restorations. Although two people couldn't be more different (both in life style and reputation not to mention motorcycles) we got along great! I still have a set of Buco saddlebags that I got from Ray in the 80's. I ran them on my Knuckle and Flathead for years. Now they hang on the mantle above the fireplace waiting to go back into service. I also purchased a1954 HD 165 from Ray that I still own.

I just saw Ray at the Jefferson Meet this past October. He was his usual self. He had moved down to Florida some years ago but I would still see him at most events in the North East.

I dug up an old copy of the Colonial Chapter News Letter "The Kicker" and low and behold it was the June 1987 issue where Ray mentions my marriage in his column. Interesting that he mentions "threatening skies" on that day...maybe he was a profit as well.

I will miss "Gentlemen" Ray Dhue...Rest in Peace my friend...

Richard "Dick" Winters-Easy Company Commander

January 21, 1918 - January 2, 2011

Thank you and RIP

Karl Duffner - RIP

Karl Duffner's Incredible Head Stone

On Thanksgiving Day we lost Karl Duffner after a long, tough bout with cancer. He was 70 Years old and a member of several chapters of the AMCA in and around Eastern Pennsylvania.
I attended a benefit ride for him last year (I think it was last year).
Karl rode the shit out of his motorcycles...BMW, 1959 H-D Panhead (Red White and Blue), 1960 BSA Gold Star, etc. Karl was an interesting character to say the least. He came to the US from Germany in the 1950's and has always been a serious motorcycle enthusiast. I didn't know Karl well, I would see him at the AMCA Meets with his jet black hair and wild bikes.

Karl is immortalized in the form of an unbelievable headstone. I have never seen anything like this before.... RIP Karl...

Thanks to Dave Minerva for letting me know.
I have been doing too many of these in the last couple of years...

Krazy Kevin - Sent in by Arno

inside out pic

Kevin and Arno Jefferson 2009

Jefferson 2009

See you buddy...

These shots were sent to me by Kevin's friend Arno from Germany.

(Some from Jefferson, PA 2009)

"Pictures of my friend Kevin at Jefferson 2009 for the Internet,"

arno

"Hi??,yes Kevin and I last Year in jefferson Swap meet,I have it to help tent construct and had three beautiful days with him,sorry for my englisch,"

Your English is just fine Arno...

Krazy Kevin R.I.P

Rhinebeck 2007
Rhinebeck 2007

Brooklyn 2010


I just read that Krazy Kevin died yesterday. I was hoping to see him at the meeting in Newburgh last night...now I know why he wasn't there. I'm gonna miss hanging out with him at the meets this year and at the winter dinner...fuckin' a...
I stole this pic and service info from the White Knights Blog http://wkithok.blogspot.com/
there will be a wake monday and tuesday at Kearn's funeral home in East Meadow Long Island. viewings at 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm.

Russ Paradise Revisited

Back in April Russ Paradise passed away. I did a post on him then. I found a few more pictures. The ones of his 39WLDR are from 1991 in Wauseon Ohio and the one of me and him are from Wauseon Ohio again in 2003 with our Dueling Grimy Knuckleheads!

One hell of a guy...

In Memory of Russ Paradise: February 20, 1945 - April 03, 2009

I received word yesterday that my good friend and mentor Russ Paradise passed away. I was looking forward to seeing him this Thursday at an AMCA meet in Pennsylvania.

The attached crappy pictures I snapped from images of an old VHS tape on my TV. Russ raced dirt track in the 60's until Uncle Sam interrupted his career by drafting him off to Vietnam. He resumed after he returned.

The pictures above are from 1991 at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in Western Ohio. Russ is on his old 45" WLDR Flathead. As I looked through the view finder I realized that this is the exact moment that I decided that I had to Flat Track race before I die. It took me almost ten years to make that a reality.

Russ loved to "get right up in the loose stuff" and spray the crowd with pea gravel (his favorite racing surface) as he went by the Grand stands.

Russ shared a lot of his experience and wisdom with me over the years. Trying to teach me the art of broad sliding, tuning my Flathead and drinking Jack and Ginger at 7 AM when it's "Crackin' Cold"! I only mastered the latter. He recently sold his Knucklehead to another friend and I got to ride it around his property this past fall.

I will definitely miss this (sometimes cranky) old bastard! I learned a lot from him...now I just need to put it to some good use!

RIP