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FINAL THOUGHTS
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THE FINAL UPDATE: 03/15/01



I started riding motorcycles in 1969.
I've had a motorcycle or two in my possesion ever since.
In 1973 I started racing motorcycles.
Even though I've roadraced, motocrossed, hillclimbed, flat tracked (3wheelers)
run on the dry lake beds, ETC. ETC.
Dragracing was what I enjoyed the most.
In 32 years of racing and riding I have NEVER had a serious injury,
NEVER had some one 'run' me off the road.
( in 1988 I put 67,000 miles on ONE of my bikes )
So you can't say I don't ride.
I have owned too many bikes to even try to count them all.
AND more than one of them has recorded OVER 100,000 miles on the clock.

I have won #1 plates at my home track/s.
I have competed in 100's of national events.
In both sportsman and pro classes.
I have set numerous national records.
In 4 major organizations.
And I've gone 215.85 mph in the quarter.
My collection of time cards of more than 5,000
means I've gone more than 1,000 miles a quarter mile at a time.

Starting in March of '73 I began working in m/c shops of all types.
2 man shops to a store that employed close to 60 people.
I've done ALL aspects of the business, sales, parts, service, advertising.
I've worked for minimum wage.
I've also been the top commission earner in EVERY position I've held.
I've seen the demise of 3 wheelers.
and I see the eventual demise or HEAVY restiction of PWC and SLEDS.
I even remember the FIRST customer I helped in the parts dept.
He got ANGRY when I couldn't get him the part he wanted.
Of course all he knew was that his bike was a 400.
But he wasn't sure how many cylinders it had or why it wasn't running.
All he knew was that he had painted it red, but it was originally blue.
Besides the customer who didn't know what he had,
( and there are many like him )
The biggest problem with customers was their complaint that:
I was making a 50 cent profit on a 1,000 dollar part and wouldn't give them a break!

DESPITE all that there are still A LOT of customers that are the greatest in the world.
Helping people enjoy their riding experiences to the fullest.
Teaching people to ride safely
Teaching people to DRAGRACE!!!
Sharing the excitement of a first trophy with someone who thought they would never win.
Sharing stories of great rides here in the USA and in other countries.


BUT as I see it,
There aren't that many ENTHUSIASTS left out there any more.
Riders nowadays think a long ride is to their buddies house
or to the local bar on the weekend.
When was the last time you left for lunch and you and your buddies
ended up in VEGAS 900 miles away?
NOW I'M NOT SAYING, that everyone is not an enthusiast.
It is just that they seem to be a dying group.
Along with a motorcycle that can be set up the way YOU want it.
Change the bars to be a cruiser this week.
Change the bars, add a header, put on some wheelie bars and go racing.
Then when vacation comes put on a Windjammer and bags to go travelling.
Yes times are a changin'
But, with all the technical advances out there.
Why don't people ride more???

The 'shop' I have now is on HIWAY 101
And I have more than 100 riders go by on weekdays.
And TOO many to count on weekends.
And they are all out for a long ride.
200 to 500 miles, FINE.
About 5 percent are actually going more than 1000 miles on their trip.
The majority don't know ANYTHING about motorcycling.
And they are BRAND LOYAL, even though they don't know squat about the 'other' models.
Even the ones produced by the same manufacturer of the bike they are riding.

WE ARE ALL MOTORCYCLISTS IF WE ARE ON TWO WHEELS !!!!!
MY POINT IS THIS:

THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT YEARS OF MOTORCYCLING

In the last few months though I have had less hassles, and had MORE FUN working at GOLD BEACH ADVENTURES. Even though I can't swim I enjoy taking people up/down the ROGUE RIVER on KAYAK TOURS.

GOLD BEACH ADVENTURES

I WILL MISS the people at the drags and the noise and all that goes with it. BUT.....

I am getting rid of it ALL.
I am keeping my TOP FUEL BIKE.
( it will look good hanging on the wall of my shop )
I have turned my NITRO INJECTED FUNNY BIKE into a coffee table.
MY 'little' blower bike is now a beautiful plant stand that my wife can use.
BUT...
NO MORE STREET BIKES, RACING, RIDING,
or wondering about the cosmic reasons for being a motorcyclist.

A SPECIAL NOTE & THANK YOU:

To CHUCK CASTON.

Through your help and guidance I learned more about life, motorcycles, and mechanics.
You were not only the most caustic person I ever met but the most stubborn.
HOWEVER, with that said you were also one of my closest friends and the BEST BOSS I ever had.
Very few bosses ever said thank you job well done, but you not only said it you showed it with gifts and REGULAR Thank Yous.
Other people I've worked for could take lessons from you.
It has been said that I missed out on a lot of opportunities for BIG DOLLAR sponsorships because they were afraid that you would come along. But I say that I wouldn't have gotten anywhere if it had not been for your expertise.
Thank you for the professional way you showed me how to do all sorts of things.

THANK YOU:

RICK BLACK,
for giving me that first job in a motorcyle shop, & telling me it will be a great "summer job". For giving me valuable life and riding lessons.

ERNIE FITZGERALD,
who got me excited about m/c DRAGRACING.

RON HANSON,
one of only two people I know that rides more than me. you are the BEST customer I've ever had.

BOB LYSLE,
the other person who is ALWAYS riding somewhere.

RUSS COLLINS,
Thanks R.C. for not being so self involved that you didn't have time to help out someone who was just getting started.

Z-1 DAVE KAMINEN,
for not getting mad that my heavily modified yz490 made 2 HP. more than your stock Z-1 and for keeping your sense of humor.

GEORGE GANGLER,
even though he's sometimes a grouch, he can fix anything anywhere.

JASMINE ARCHER,
Where ever you are thanks for the time together racing and laughing.

MARC DEFUR,
sorry that you never made it to a national after all the encouragement that you gave me.

'DIRTY' JOHN BLOCK,
a class act who never boasted about himself but only about others.

BUTCH PARKER,
Who taught me to keep going after that dream, & after 13 years proved to himself and to me that it will happen.

TJ,
for ALWAYS being my #1 fan. Bragging about her big brother even when things weren't running the numbers.

LAST BUT NOT EVER LEAST,

JESUS CHRIST my SAVIOR

HE has kept me safe and ALWAYS pointed out the straight and narrow, even when I was heading for the guard rail HE brought me back into "the racing line"

ALL that any of us do here on earth will be forgotten when it is all said and done, EXCEPT what we have done for our LORD. All HE wants us to do for HIM is to accept HIM into our hearts as our LORD and SAVIOR.


THANK YOU FOR 32 GREAT YEARS
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING NEW