tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67606355932078739082024-03-13T10:36:57.200-07:00Little Interviews with Big PeopleA great part of the site will be interviews with motorcycle people. It will also review the books they have written, if such be the case. Not being a wrench, I will be avoiding technical areas. This site is about the folks that make motorcycling such an exciting arena. I welcome comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at: williemacwrites@comcast.net.
Enjoy the site. Williewillie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-37506964144714789632009-09-22T10:20:00.000-07:002009-09-22T10:20:26.899-07:00Catching up...<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm sorry I haven't been able to post this past week, or so. I won't make excuses except to say I have been very busy. Soooooo, hang in there with me. I should be back posting by the weekend. Thanks for your patience. </span>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-81152330399940479902009-09-09T11:30:00.000-07:002009-09-11T19:04:28.969-07:00"I Hope My Judgements Have Been Vindicated..." Part 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Sqf0kfDt9vI/AAAAAAAAADg/sq95I_jhvEY/s1600-h/SST_05%5B1%5D+(2).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Sqf0kfDt9vI/AAAAAAAAADg/sq95I_jhvEY/s400/SST_05%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379537187566909170" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Let’s talk about taking a bike from concept to showroom.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Starting backwards there is not much you can do in less than two years. Normally, it would be three to four years. A new bike from scratch four years. Update to an existing bike may be two, two and a half years. You might get it down under two years, but not by much, because even if you have a relatively small project when you start messing around, you may have to develop a new tool, for instance. That takes up time which cannot be collapsed.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Talk to me about starting a project.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> There are a few different ways to start a project. You can recognize you have a bike that needs an update. You need to figure out what needs to be done to the bike and me putting a list together of things we could improve. That’s based on feedback from customers that have actually had a chance to ride it. Feedback from the press. Feedback from our own engineers.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A bit more difficult is when you have an empty hole to fill with no bike. It takes a bit more head scratching. It comes down to a piece of paper. A list of attributes.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> How do you know you have a hole if nothing is there?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> I guess that comes from the world around you. There’s lots of this kind of bike and we don’t have anything to compete. More rarely you might think “there’s a good kind of bike that we could do.” Just from your experience in motorcycles.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once you start pushing them into boxes you can categorize them and figure out where you don’t have one.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> How is the decision reached to actually move ahead with the idea?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> There is a few months work on feasibility, the likely impact on the business. See how many engineers we’re going to need and for how long. How much money it’s going to cost to get it together. How many we can expect to sell. How much we’ll make on each one. An economic case for the bike. How it fits with Triumph. How it fits alongside other bikes in the range. This is what it would be like. This is how hard it would be to do. Present all that data to what we call the stakeholders, which is the boss, of course, Mr. Bloor.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Sqf1DwpFPoI/AAAAAAAAADo/zS-V-myLYPg/s400/F2KR0222%5B1%5D+(2).JPG" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379537724862971522" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Everything goes past him first. Then to our CEO and various of the sectional managers in the company. To be honest, once John (Bloor) says we’re doing it, and then it is more of a case of letting everyone else know what we’re doing. We have a lot of projects going on simultaneously, so the whole thing has to be doable with the people we’ve got.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> How about marketing research?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> We don’t do as much marketing research as those outside the industry assume. We certainly do when we are approaching a project we haven’t done before. We need to understand it properly. And, we do some research when updating bikes as well. Not in every country we operate in. Frankly, the US is one of the more difficult countries in which to do research because you are so big and spread out. It is difficult to find people to talk to. But, when you do find them, especially with motorcycles, they are most happy to talk to you.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Feedback is very difficult to quantify. We get negative feedback from or dealers every month. The US has a very organized system in that the area managers – about nine of them – get to all the dealerships in their area and get comments back from the dealers in their area including about our bikes. Suggestions for improvements on the new bikes, comments on the existing ones. That all comes back to me. I often find, that if we are doing our job properly we have already picked up on the stuff. We understand our own motorcycles well enough to know what we need to do on them. Sometimes you get a “well, that’s a good idea.”</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> How many motorcycles does Triumph have under development at any one time?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> If you will hold on for just one moment I will count them up and tell you (computer keyboard clicking in background). One, two, three…fourteen…twenty-seven, twenty-eight under development. Some of them we’re just getting kicked off on. Some of these are relatively minor updates.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> You folks are busy.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> We’re very busy. We get a lot of requests from people saying why don’t you do this? Why don’t you do that? The answer is often yes, that would make a nice bike, but we can’t do all the bikes we would like to do. We have to prioritize. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Is there anything I should know that I haven’t asked you?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton (laughing):</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> What our model plans are for the next five years (laughing). I guess I should tell you we are doing very well. Doing better than most. Production sales last year sold more models than ever, in the history of Triumph. Officially, we are more successful than Triumph has ever been for the last 107 years.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Last question, how do you want to be remembered?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Fondly (chuckling). As a motorcyclist, I suppose. Regarding the products that have been coming out for the last year, or so, I hope my judgments have been vindicated.</span></span></span>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-88032919039244302782009-09-06T11:08:00.000-07:002009-09-06T11:37:05.288-07:00"I Hope My Judgements Have Been Vindicated..." Part 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SqP6-H1zhwI/AAAAAAAAADA/k1SGdNVpMgw/s1600-h/F2_Hinckley_(1)%5B1%5D+(2).jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SqP6-H1zhwI/AAAAAAAAADA/k1SGdNVpMgw/s320/F2_Hinckley_(1)%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378418325174060802" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Well, here we are back at it with Simon Warburton. I keep forgetting to talk to him about the Ural…</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Ever think you would be where you are now?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Not actually. When I was growing up the British motorcycle industry was pretty much dead. When I was up at the university I knew that John Bloor was working up the Triumph, but I didn’t have a clue. It was launched on a relatively small scale, just before I left for Spain. So, I sort of missed out on the first few years of Triumph. To be honest, after my years of travel and teaching, I thought I had lost my chance at getting back into engineering. So, I was very grateful to Triumph for letting me back in.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">When I came back to the UK after living in Spain I actually studied to be a secondary school teacher, with the plan of moving abroad again. While I was in the UK working as a teacher, a friend of mine, from when I was taking engineering, started working for Triumph. He said I should try applying here. They weren’t too worried about you past experience. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Do you personally own a bike, or just ride factory?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> I don’t really own a bike. I own a dirt bike. I had a Daytona for a couple years, but only put on about 750 miles a year. I have to ride factory bikes. I have a couple small children so don’t get to ride much. I ride during the week, to and from work, testing the bikes out.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> What is your favorite bike?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> That is a tricky question. I used to be a sports touring rider. I had a succession of Sprints and put a lot of miles in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the UK. I used to cover between fifteen and twenty thousand miles a year. More recently, because I have the kids at home and I don’t go off covering distance anymore, it’s been track days on the Daytona. If I am riding around the streets, I quite like my Speed Triples. My wife started me reducing the number of bikes in my garage which was up to eight, at one time.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I’m a big fan of the Sprint ST, having owned two and covered a lot of miles in France and Spain on them. What I like best about the ST is that it’s comfortable and “long-legged”, meaning you can cover some serious distance easily, but it’s also agile and sporty enough to have some fun on the way.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Willie Mac:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Other than motorcycles what occupies you life?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> I did mention two boys, aged three and five. They are great fun and take a lot of time. I’m quite fond of reading, read all sorts of stuff. Again, I don’t have enough time to do that. I’m a bit of a languages buff. I do like traveling and learning languages. To be honest, with this job, it’s all time consuming.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Willie Mac: </span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What motivates you?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Warburton:</span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> That’s what life is all about. You’ve got to enjoy it. I have to enjoy what I’m doing. I guess it’s childish in a way, just riding motorbikes. I went through a phase fifteen, or twenty, years ago, “I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be enjoying this. I should be getting around doing serious stuff.” If that’s what you enjoy doing, don’t be ashamed of it. Just go for it. It has been such a positive experience going anywhere on a motorbike compared to any other form of transport. You feel much more connected with the world around you. You experience it more, more natural experience.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <i><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Next time Simon will take us from motorcycle concept to the showroom.</span></span></span></i>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-15949849755638331042009-09-04T06:48:00.000-07:002009-09-04T07:37:08.323-07:00"I Hope My Judgements Have Been Vindicated..." Part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SqEb1_XhUlI/AAAAAAAAACo/kelxUfzRkVY/s1600-h/F2_Hinckley%5B1%5D+(2).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SqEb1_XhUlI/AAAAAAAAACo/kelxUfzRkVY/s400/F2_Hinckley%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377610044414186066" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My letter to Hinckley was carefully addressed to: </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Someone That Cares <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Department</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. My intention was to jot off a quick note to Triumph Motorcycles, about their new to be released Thunderbird. Keeping it brief, I scribbled a rambling discourse of three single spaced pages in which the T-bird, Bonneville, Sprint ST, Speed Triple, Rocket III, Honda, Ducati, and Harley were all mentioned. I dropped it in the post. Then, I chewed my lip for awhile thinking they really should be warned about getting blindsided by Ural. Ah, what the heck. No one reads those letters anyway.</span></span></span></i></b></span></span></i></b></p><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SqEdHcQNVOI/AAAAAAAAAC4/grp929Ki41Q/s320/Simon_Warburton,_Triumph_Product_Manager%5B1%5D+(2).JPG" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377611443737548002" /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One day about a week and a half later, I received an email from a Simon Warburton. I know that name. Where do I know it from? Now, Simon is probably the most quoted person at Triumph. Simon is the Product Manager for Triumph Motorcyles, in Hinckley, UK. Read anything about Triumph in the media and most likely Simon will be mentioned at some point. </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I suddenly realized, that in Hinckley, someone does indeed read those letters! I should have mentioned Ural.</span></i></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Thus started a running conversation over the next few months in which I bored him silly, and he enlightened me as to the way of Triumph. I thought you might enjoy eavesdropping on a little of our on-going conversation.</span></span></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> You have been involved with motorcycles all your life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Yes, but not professionally until I came to Triumph. It kicked off for me at age eleven, when my father bought myself and my brother a little 50cc. Too small at the time, but we didn’t know that and progressed to a Honda 125SL back in the 70s. I started racing motocross when I was about sixteen, for a few years. I went off to university and I couldn’t afford motocross anymore. I studied engineering. After university I traveled around for awhile. I rode around South America for a few months: Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, and Equator. About four months. I planned on six but ran out of money.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> A regular Che.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Yeah, I didn’t know much about him at the time, but the route did cover some of his same route. But, to be honest with you, when you are traveling around South America there isn’t much of a choice.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> How about your first job?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Teaching, in fact. Several small jobs while I was at university then went traveling around. I decided I wanted to live in Spain. The easiest way to do that was to teach. I was in Spain for three and a half years. I loved Spain. I loved living there. I had great fun.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Have you spent much time on this side of the pond?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton: </span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Not much at all, some dealer seminars and Daytona a couple of times. Many years ago I spent three weeks riding bikes around. Hot weather testing and high altitude testing, because we are a bit short of both here in the UK. I’ve been over on holiday with the kids a few times. I would absolutely love to spend some time there. The scenery and variety you have over there, during that three week period of test I told you about, mostly in Colorado and Arizona, just riding the bikes around was a wonderful experience.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Willie Mac:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Do you have any good adventures about that?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Warburton:</span></span></b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Mostly you get an adventure when something goes wrong. Nothing went wrong. It was a fascinating experience.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-13828449292325853422009-09-03T12:52:00.000-07:002009-09-03T18:11:11.606-07:00Book Review: Endless Horizon by Dan Walsh<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A Word of Intro</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">SO CAL. The frequently referred to land of fruits and nuts. Best climate in the country. Classy women and hot cars. Could be, it’s the other way ‘round. Grooviest, </span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">‘this is it!’</span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> places to dine…this fortnight. Happy hours where the mere thought of a cigarette will get you run out of town on a surfboard. The heart of sunshine where political correctness is turning everything gray. This is where I grew up. With the Beach Boys and Sex Wax and Graham’s Drive-In.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Graffiti-Richard-Dreyfuss/dp/078322737X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1252008719&sr=8-1">American Graffiti</a></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> reality TV.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Grew up and became a cop, ‘til my back gave out on me. Ahhh, new career choices abound. It became quite regular, for awhile, to attend parties where wine coolers were</span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">the beverage of choice. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What do you mean a Silver Bullet? </span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In a bottle!</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I suppose you smoke, too?</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Well, in the morass of self defense and the justification of values</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">the</span></span></b></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> question usually popped up, “Do you miss being a cop?” followed by, “What do you miss about it?”</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Took me awhile to figure it out. What I missed. It was the people. I missed talking to the crooks, the homeless, outlaw bikers, street folk, Hare Krishnas and massage parlor operators. Often psychotic. Never dull. Street people have a unique perspective on life most will never know, understand, or even want to.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Streetwise Dan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dan Walsh knows. He understands. I just finished his book: </span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Endless-Horizon-Motorcycle-Journey-Around/dp/0760336040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252007976&sr=8-1">Endless Horizon: A Very Messy Motorcycle Journey Around the World</a></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. I guess it falls somewhere between </span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Travels-Charley-Search-America-Centennial/dp/0142000701/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252008128&sr=1-1">Travels with Charlie</a></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and the </span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Choirboys-Joseph-Wambaugh/dp/0385341601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252008183&sr=1-1">Choirboys</a></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. It is getting lots of good press. The online forums either love it, or hate it. I loved it. Loved it so much I read it twice. Back to back. Once wasn’t enough.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Walsh is a motorcycling journalist whose dispatches from the road were published in <b><i><a href="http://www.motorcyclenews.com/Bike/">Bike</a></i></b> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and </span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/index.html">Motorcyclist </a></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">magazines.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The first time through, like a combo plate, was hard to digest. Maybe I was in too much of a hurry. Most likely it was his Brit accent.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Which brings me back to my intro. Walsh doesn’t mess around with wine coolers and the like. He gets down with the street people. No Hilton and prescribed adventure here. </span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“I’m looking for the cheapest kip in town, ideally run by a bald man with a hairy back and gravy stains down his vest.”</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">He travels solo and takes life as it is dealt out. That is why I liked the book so much. It is also what probably puts off a lot of people. Not many feel comfortable dealing with street folk. If you don’t like touching people don’t become a cop, or a motorcycling journalist taking to the road. I felt comfortable with his travels and the people he rubbed elbows with. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Bon Voyage Twice</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The book starts with a frail main squeeze relationship that weakens when he takes off on his </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Yamaha XT Desert Rat</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> for Africa. The first step in a ‘round the world venture. The book can be exciting, especially when lost he rides through a minefield rather than backtrack in the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">hope</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> of finding the right set of tire tracks back to the correct route. Can’t get much more on the edge than that.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Walsh returns to the UK for a year with a trip to the US squeezed in. Then he picks up a </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">BMW F650</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in Toronto and heads off to Buenos Aires. Along the way he finds the Great Dismal Swamp, New Orleans and the City of Angels. It was here abouts that I started to relate to the book. I could close my eyes and smell the stale beer and body odor in Venice as the afternoon fog mingled with smoggy haze. When he slides across the border into Tijuana I start feeling at home. By the time he reaches Argentina I am ready to saddle up and join him. Well, maybe only as far as Central America. I found what I want there.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Walsh On Walsh</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What is nice about this book is he actually spends time talking about the bikes and the problems with them he encountered.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Too many books talk where stayed and sights seen, with little about the bike. I happen to like to read about the bike. I can go sightseeing out of a <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lonely+planet&sprefix=lonely">Lonely Plane</a></i><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lonely+planet&sprefix=lonely">t</a></i> guide. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">He also talks about himself: his relationship problems, his insecurities, and an analysis of his life with alcohol. Deep stuff, thoughtfully written, which is a bit of change from his rough and risqué style. But, mostly it is about the people he meets. The friends and lovers he encounters. And, a solo ride around the world. That, to me, is what life is all about.</span></span></span>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-49712767455210527752009-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:002009-09-02T10:52:30.742-07:00Good News...I just spoke with Mike Traynor's son, Brian, about his dad. Mike appears to be doing well. The hospital staff are optimistic about Mike's recovery, saying that he is getting better. He will be in the hospital for awhile regaining his strength. As Brian said of people that reach a certain "golden age," it is important to keep an eye on all the other body parts as well. In that arena, Mike is doing well. Everything is working like it should. So, while Mike may not be out of the woods yet, it looks like he is hanging in there. And, that's what we want. Get well soon, Mike.willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-70979232610766587582009-09-01T16:54:00.000-07:002009-09-01T17:35:25.020-07:00I Made Her a Quiet Promise: Part 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Sp25r5fHk-I/AAAAAAAAACg/A3-4sBDiCEU/s1600-h/Mike_Traynor_with_beloved_BMW_RS_-_Phot_by_Doug_Pippen%5B1%5D+(2).jpg"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Sp25amPJTrI/AAAAAAAAACY/yNikqU3VwPM/s1600-h/Mike_Traynor_speaking_about_Ride_for_Kids_at_STAR_2007%5B1%5D.PNG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Sp25amPJTrI/AAAAAAAAACY/yNikqU3VwPM/s320/Mike_Traynor_speaking_about_Ride_for_Kids_at_STAR_2007%5B1%5D.PNG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376657396742049458" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">WM: You are still involved with </span></span><i><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ride for Kids</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. You have been the state director for the Honda Sports Tourning Association (now the</span></span><a href="http://www.sporttouring.us/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></a><i><a href="http://www.sporttouring.us/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Motorcycle Sports Touring Association</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">) in Georgia and founder of the Helen, Georgia regional rally. What else is keep you busy these days? </span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Traynor:</span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The </span></span><i><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> is keeping us busy. We have been fortunate enough to get really involved with the medical community. Diane is probably the most respected non-medical person in America today when it comes to brain tumor research both for adults and pediatric. We are very active in the motorcycle community. We have close relations with all of the magazine editors, and a whole lot of the regional runs as well. We participate in the Life for Kids programs. Our plates are very full. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">WM:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Is there anything you haven’t accomplished in your life, or maybe something you would have done differently?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Traynor:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> There is no school to teach you to lead the </span></span><i><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ride for Kid</span></span></a></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> program. It is the school of life. Every little thing we have done in our lives has prepared us to all come together as a member of the </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> team.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I think it’s exciting.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I wish I could have gone to school. I think we would have been a little farther along now, had I understood better how a non-profit works. There are a few that said we were nuts because we don’t stop.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">If you had ever been a pall bearer for a little girl who was a brain tumor patient, or if you had ever delivered a eulogy at a funeral for boy that died with a brain tumor, or if you had embraced a parent whose child was grievously ill in a hospital, you would be crazy too. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">WM:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Who has had a positive influence on your life?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Traynor:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Her name is Meredith Bottin. I met her in maybe 1987. A beautiful 10 year old girl, God she was just the prettiest little thing.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">She had pretty red hair and she acted like this gracious grown up woman. She was so elegant. It just didn’t really make sense, unless you have been around these kids with brain tumors. We had a </span></span><i><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ride for Kids</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> event coming up. So I met her mom, who was a really outgoing delightful lady. I met her dad and her brother Joe. Diane and I became really good friends with the family. Meredith became kind of like the icon for the event. Meredith began to have recurrences of her brain tumor. She had three different surgeries at three different hospitals. She went through a bone marrow</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Sp25r5fHk-I/AAAAAAAAACg/A3-4sBDiCEU/s320/Mike_Traynor_with_beloved_BMW_RS_-_Phot_by_Doug_Pippen%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376657693967094754" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 173px; " /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> transplant. She spent her 11</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> birthday in an isolation tent. She had surgery in Oregon. A lady wrote a book and said that people could heal their bodies with their mind. Meredith’s mother took her down to have her meet with the doctor to get Meredith to think herself well. They did everything that a parent could do. I’m sure they put themselves in grievous financial condition doing all of those things. They desperately were fighting to save their little girl. In the mean time Diane and I were watching this little girl dissipate before us.</span></span></p> <span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Diane and I got a phone call early in the morning. Julia saying that Meredith passed in the night. She had gone to be with the angels. We were very sad, but at the same time she was suffering so badly. We said that we were grateful that she had gone on to be with God. I was a pall bearer for her, and while I was carrying her casket I made her a quiet promise, that I would leave my job and work full time to cure the disease. It was the most emotional thing that I have ever gone through in my entire life.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Traynor comments: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I think it is an incredible testimony to the motorcyclist community that ninety-eight to ninety-nine percent of those who participated in the </span></span><i><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ride for Kids</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> program over the last twenty-five years do not have a child with a brain tumor. Doctors would say why are they doing this? We are good people. When motorcyclists contributed doctors could not understand. We tapped into our fellow motorcyclists. It made sense to us that if our community was willing to help, that we would find more. The</span></span><i><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Ride for Kids</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> program has raised in excess of forty-five million dollars in the last twenty-five years. In most cases, that money did not come from the pockets of the motorcyclist. It came from the sweat equity of the motorcyclists that knocked on doors; that talked to people at work and at church. The positive public relations that emerged are incalculable.</span></span></div>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-30099449533885906092009-08-28T05:30:00.000-07:002009-08-30T14:50:36.026-07:00I Made Her a Quiet Promise: Part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SpfRh-zR5OI/AAAAAAAAACA/p6I19cOPqOs/s1600-h/2008_Logo_Ride_For_Kids_25_Year_Anniversary%5B1%5D+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SpfRh-zR5OI/AAAAAAAAACA/p6I19cOPqOs/s320/2008_Logo_Ride_For_Kids_25_Year_Anniversary%5B1%5D+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374995062013945058" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> 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mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">As I started to post this I received an email tha</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">t Mike is in the hospital with a serious case of pneumonia. I, and I am sure you folks, wish Mike a s</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">peedy recovery. </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ex-soldier, motor sports racer, and newspaper man Mike Traynor, always an avid motorcyclist, founded the </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ride for Kids</span></span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> charity events and the </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. I had the opportunity to talk with Mike about his life and passion.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">WM:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> How did you get interested in motorcycles?</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Traynor:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> There is a picture of me on a Honda Dream 250. I had hair then. I turned it into a race bike. It was my great love, and interested me in riding. I was in the army, in Japan. I worked with engineers in the army and we built a quarter mile flat track and a half mile TT course.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We all became motorcyclists and racers. I was the president of the Smoke and Draggers Motorcycle Club. I have no idea where th</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SpfRq6MUmWI/AAAAAAAAACI/jHiCpPU1V9A/s1600-h/Traynor1%5B1%5D+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SpfRq6MUmWI/AAAAAAAAACI/jHiCpPU1V9A/s320/Traynor1%5B1%5D+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374995215395625314" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">at name came from. It was there when I came to that duty station. We raced with fellow soldiers and had a high number of Japanese college students who had bikes.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We had a lot of fun.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">WM:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> You got the </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ride for Kids</span></span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> program going in 1984. Would you like to talk to us about that start-up?</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Traynor: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was about the occasion for the first </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ride for Kids</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> in 1984. We attached the </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ride</span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for Kids</span></span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to an AMA race that was being held at Road Atlanta that weekend. I came up with an idea that I would start up this charitable motorcycle event. We got a great full page about the race and the disease. We promoted </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/v"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ride for Kids</span></span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> participants could get discounted tickets to the race. We had 100 people come to the event. It wasn’t easy. But we were off and running.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">WM:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> To some, motorcyclists still represent a bad public image. Did you run into image problems outside the motorcycle community?</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Traynor:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> There were two cities that did create problems. But, we were able to work around that by going to a neighboring community. We were challenged when we brought the program to Florida, because of Daytona. Television does sensationalize events. Unfortunately some things happened there that were not in the best interests of the motorcycling community. They were very aware of that. I gave them the names of police agencies, park districts, mayors, all kinds of people. After that they warmly embraced us.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They were doing due diligence, that’s what they should have done.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We don’t have much problem with that now. Mostly because </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ride for Kids</span></span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> has achieved such prominence, and much more leverage.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">WM:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> When did you first become aware of the huge impact the</span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ride for Kids</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> program had on the cure of pediatric brain tumors?</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Traynor:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> It was gradual. In the early days it was very difficult to give our money to people if we demanded it be used for pediatric brain tumors. The researchers weren’t bad guys and gals, but because they had programs being funded by universities, and philanthropic money, they had their research projects going in the direction of adults. They were going to have to hang a left if they were going to do pediatrics.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These were business people. It wouldn’t make good business sense for them to do that. We didn’t understand that in the beginning.</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SpfSM1a3MwI/AAAAAAAAACQ/i5nrsEBVAwU/s1600-h/Mike_and_friend_with_dirt_bike_try_to_remove_background_and_run_large%5B1%5D+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SpfSM1a3MwI/AAAAAAAAACQ/i5nrsEBVAwU/s320/Mike_and_friend_with_dirt_bike_try_to_remove_background_and_run_large%5B1%5D+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374995798229988098" border="0" /></a></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family:georgia;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As we became more successful , and that happened more and more quickly over the next few years, we began to amass much greater sums of money that we could put into research.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was quite reasonable for them to say “I’ll take the money and put it into adult brain tumors. And we’ll put it in a specific tumor because some kids get this tumor, too.” So we weren’t wasting our money. There is a trickle down effect from some of the adult brain tumors. We were doing the kids a favor in the only way the research community would allow us. That was perfectly reasonable once we understood what that was all about.</span></span></span></p> <span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In 1992 we launched the national </span></span><a href="http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ride for Kids</span></span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> program. That was because we had the money from Honda to be able to afford to do that. They were giving us motorcycles to give away. They were also giving us a good sized check to help us cover our operating expenses. Our financial growth became exponential at that point. Probably over the next five years. I would probably say around ’97 we began see a lot more acceptance of researchers wanting to do childhood brain tumor research. We were getting more and more exposure in the general media in more and more cities.</span></span></span>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-38165912727776688392009-08-20T15:05:00.000-07:002009-08-20T16:23:11.361-07:00Book Review: Around the World on a Motorcycle 1928 to 1936 by Zoltan Sulkowsky: Part 2Yes, to really enjoy this book you need to know the secret. The book is really no more than Sulkowsky’s journal notes of the trip, expanded upon after he returned to Hungary. The text seems to skip from one situation to the next very quickly. For instance, when the guys meet with Benito Mussolini only a couple of sentences in the book mention it. Then the story moves on. It is the same with most all famous people, political or celebrity, that they meet. Just a couple lines about the meeting. Most folks tend to go on about meeting someone famous. Name dropping.<br /><br />Not these guys. That wasn’t their gig. That’s when I figured it out. The book is about everyday people and culture. <span style="font-style: italic;">That's the secret</span>. That’s what slowed me down. Once I started to pay attention to the everyday folks these two Marco Polos came across, the cultures they strove so hard to understand and explain, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Around-World-Motorcycle-1928-1936/dp/1884313779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250810322&sr=1-1">Around the World</a> became an adventure, an education. I didn’t want it to end. I read more slowly and enjoyed more. <span style="font-style: italic;">Another secret: take your time reading this book.</span><br /><br />Did I mention when these guys got lost <span style="font-family: georgia;">THEY ACTUALLY ASKED DIRECTIONS? </span>Unfortunately, when they did ask, the locals knew little more than they did. It became a matter of finding the best road and hoping it led where they wanted to go. Many of those good roads were … ah … not so good. They did use discretion, though. When confronted by bandits (more than once) they opted to run, rather than ask “Which way?” Road maps weren’t state of the art back then, even if you had one. GPS! What’s that?<br /><br />This book doesn’t read like some cultural text. It can be quite funny. Take, for instance, when the Harley breaks down (gotta bite my tongue here) in the middle of the Australian outback. Our two heroes are down to very little food and water. There are wild animals howling in the night. They are thinking of when the next traveler will find their bones and wonder who they were. There may have been a bit of hallucination going on. They wrote letters of farewell to family and friends. Just in time, they hear someone coming. They are going to be saved! They look out through the shimmering heat waves to see a cotton caravan approaching. Not just any cotton caravan. One huge wagon stacked high with cotton bales being pulled by <span style="font-style: italic;">sixteen camels</span>.<br /><br />Or, the time they were held ransom in the middle of a river by the fellow that brought a knife to a gun fight.<br /><br />While <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Around-World-Motorcycle-1928-1936/dp/1884313779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250810322&sr=1-1">Around the World</a> could have used some sort of time line to anchor it to history, it is a minor point. What impressed me was the display of Hungarian national pride. Whenever discussing anything to do with their country, or their heritage, Hungary was shown in a positive light. National pride is something seen too little of these days.<br /><br />There are just too many stories to talk about. The cultural studies are really amazing, opening us to worlds that will never be seen again. Worlds between World Wars. A time of Depression and change and innocence. It is truly an adventure.<br /><br />Gertrude Stein said, “If it can be done, why do it?” Well, this adventure hadn’t been done. They took the challenge. They did it. This is a must read…especially if you own a Harley.willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-22992751930511905302009-08-18T18:48:00.000-07:002009-08-20T05:54:38.028-07:00Book Review: Around the World on a Motorcycle 1928 to 1936 by Zoltan Sulkowsky: Part 1<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SoteCcQJlHI/AAAAAAAAABY/JXN7MSlLYp8/s1600-h/Around_the_World%5B1%5D+%282%29.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371490376606127218" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 223px; height: 320px;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SoteCcQJlHI/AAAAAAAAABY/JXN7MSlLYp8/s320/Around_the_World%5B1%5D+%282%29.jpg" border="0" /></a> Two Hungarian guys and a gal, part of Gertrude Stein’s “lost generation,” find themselves stuck in Stein’s Paris of the 1920s. Sulkowsky and his friend Gyula Bartha decide to travel the world on a sidecar equipped Harley Davidson. They are joined briefly by a young female Hungarian artist, Boriska Tila. Tila accompanies them around Europe and through the north of Africa before she is forced to return to Hungary because of illness. The boys continue on for a total of eight years, 170,000+ kilometers, and their story is fascinating.<br /><br /><div>We need to keep in mind this adventure takes place during the Great Depression. There were few jobs and little money available for our young heroes. How many of us would take off into the unknown without resources to fall back on? Given the opportunity, how would you survive?</div><br /><div>Our guys looked up every important person in every community they visited, every Hungarian resident, Hungarian club, and Automobile Club contact to introduce themselves. Then they held lectures, for which they charged attendance. They wrote books and pamphlets which they sold along the way. They printed up the photographs they took and sold them as well. Many of those photographs are included in the book. I was surprised how many Hungarian folks were to be found in some of the most rural – read desolate - areas of the world. During their trek they ran into the likes of Benito Mussolini, Prime Minister Hamaguchi, General Chiang Kai-shek, Mayor Walker of New York, and President Herbert Hoover. In Hollywood they stopped off to rub elbows with Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, Joan Blondell, and John Barrymore.</div><div><br />It wasn’t all as easy as that, of course. <em>After all they were riding a Harley! Okay! Okay! I was just teasing.</em> It was a lot easier to take apart the 1928 model Harley than a modern Electra Glide. They often had to dismantle it to carry it across rivers, through sand dunes, and over roads too littered with boulders to ride upon. The bike held up very well. When they did get to Milwaukee, Harley rebuilt the bike for them, although the Motor Company gave them no financial support. This was a major disappointment.</div><br /><div>This is a fairly hefty book at 408 pages, plus a translator’s forward and small index. Oh, I have to mention the translator, Noemi M. Najbauer. Najbauer does a beautiful English translation from the Hungarian. Some translations I have read didn’t quite come across as easy reading. This one comes through the process with four stars. Even then, I found it took me awhile to wade through the book. Usually, I plow through a book in a few days. But, it wasn’t the translation that slowed me down. I found that I was enjoying the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Around-World-Motorcycle-1928-1936/dp/1884313779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250646781&sr=1-1"><em>Around the World on a Motorcycle</em> </a>to the point I was slowing my reading pace so I wouldn’t finish it.</div><div><br /><strong>That was when I figured out the secret!</strong> </div><div><br /><em>Next time we will talk about that secret and investigate the book a little more.</em></div>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-16740420199001332552009-08-16T16:51:00.000-07:002009-08-16T18:03:32.576-07:00Book Review: Flat Out by Rocky Robinson<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Soiqtz6A6lI/AAAAAAAAABI/rWedLsUPEEo/s1600-h/Flat_Out_Book_Cover%5B1%5D+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370730259643689554" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/Soiqtz6A6lI/AAAAAAAAABI/rWedLsUPEEo/s320/Flat_Out_Book_Cover%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a> Way back, when I was in high school, and they actually used chalk on the boards, I read an autobiography of Wilber Shaw. Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 three times back in the 1930s. What amazed me, at the time, was how the racing team would prepare the car for a race and then take it all apart to make sure they had assembled it correctly the first time.<br /><div><br />I haven’t thought about that book in a good many years. Not until I read Rocky Robinson’s book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250466824&sr=1-1">Flat Out</a>. Robinson currently holds the motorcycle land speed record - a sizzling 360.913 mph. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250466824&sr=1-1http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250466824&sr=1-1">Flat Out</a> is about the quest for that record.</div><div><br />There is no argument that the streamliners in competition at Bonneville are sophisticated high-tech machines. Far superior to anything Shaw raced at Indy. It is the approach to the competition that I found interesting. Robinson starts the book with his employment at Bub Enterprises, where he becomes the driver in Denis Manning’s quest for the record. Manning’s machines were specially built from the ground up, with custom designed engines and computer driven functions. The pursuit of the record was done in by increasing speed in small increments. </div><div><br />Toward the end of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250466824&sr=1-1">Flat Out</a> Robinson has an abrupt change of employment. He goes to work for Mike Akatiff, as driver for the Ack Attack streamliner. The Ack Attack is powered by two highly modified Hyabusa engines. Where Manning’s approach to the salt was in small measured speed steps, Akatiff’s approach was more, “Here it is. See how fast it will go.” More of the style of Shaw.</div><div><br />The conflict in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250466824&sr=1-1">Flat Out </a>is competition between Manning’s Big Red (Robinson’s previous ride) and the Ack Attack (Robinson’s current ride). A record is set when two back-to-back runs are averaged through a timed mile of the twelve mile course. Down and back. One might think that as only one vehicle is on the course at the time there would be little feeling of competition. Not so. It is more like a gymnast competition where only one athlete is on the mat at a time. The course is only open for official competition during certain time frames each year. The attempt has to be good – and fast – during that frame, or come back next year. Then there may be water on the salt. Or, wind. <em>Always, the wind</em>. At 300+ mph wind is a major factor.</div><div><br />My one reservation about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250466824&sr=1-1">Flat Out </a>is that it could use a little more depth in some areas. This is a perception probably only I would notice. Perception is uniquely individual. I just tend to enjoy books with more detail. For instance, at one point in the book, the Bub Enterprises team takes their streamliner Tenacious II to Lake Gairdner, Australia, for testing. Having spent quite a bit of time down under I was looking forward to a romp through the land of OZ. Unfortunately, while fun indeed, the romp was only one chapter. Then again, this is a racing book, not one of notorious pub crawls. </div><div><br />Robinson has done a great job in describing the behind the scenes world of the record seekers. His introduction is what hooked me into the book. In that, he vividly describes what it is like piloting a 300+ mph motorcycle. How the slightest weave can put the vehicle all over the course and possibly take the life of the driver. Bang! The transmission explodes. The smell of hot oil and methanol fill the cramped compartment. Will the deployed parachutes tangle? </div><br /><div>Read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250466824&sr=1-1">Flat Out</a>. Have an adventure in a world not many know about. I read the book. I enjoyed it. I hope you do as well. I think Wilber Shaw would have.</div>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-29587499501722788012009-08-15T10:32:00.000-07:002009-08-15T10:51:17.190-07:00The Speed Excites Me: Part 2<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SobzY7a2MjI/AAAAAAAAABA/Ghyexf0NqBg/s1600-h/Rocky_Robinson%27s_first_run_breaking_the_world_speed_record,_photo_by_Horst_Rosler%5B1%5D+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370247215278600754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 209px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SobzY7a2MjI/AAAAAAAAABA/Ghyexf0NqBg/s320/Rocky_Robinson%27s_first_run_breaking_the_world_speed_record,_photo_by_Horst_Rosler%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>Before we jump into the conclusion of Rocky’s interview, I would like to thank the folks at <a href="http://motorbooks.com/">Motorbooks</a> for helping me set up this interview. The photos were taken by Horst Rosler. Next time we will review Rocky’s book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250357296&sr=1-2">Flat Out</a>.</em><br /><br /><strong>Stress Reduction</strong><br /></div><div><br />“The bike is so complicated the crew is working on it all the time,” said Rocky, after being asked how the Akatiff team handles stress. “As for me, the stress part of it, I am just out there to drive the thing. I am concerned with hitting my mark. As fast as I can. If I was afraid to do it, I would be the wrong guy to be in it. The speed excites me. I feel comfortable doing what I’m doing. A thrilling thing that only a handful of people have the opportunity to do.”</div><div><br />Rocky continued, “I’ll tell you something else I do each season to get ready for Bonneville. I do rock climbing. It doesn’t have anything to do with speed. It has to do with getting comfortable with being on the edge. It is a focus thing. I’m not real good with heights. There is something about the challenge I like.” </div><div><br /><strong>Different Directions</strong></div><div><br />Rocky is also an aspiring novelist and working hard at a writing career. “I do a lot of writing now for the magazines, motorcycle stuff. I have a couple fiction books that I’ve written. To be honest with you the problem is the economy. All the publishing industry wants right now is a sure thing. They are looking for authors with proven success. In the fiction area I am an unknown. I am looking for someone to take a chance with me. To date I haven’t found that. I am trying to get my foot in the door.”</div><div><br />His books don’t deal with the motorcycle community, as one would expect. Rocky is trying to spread his options around a bit. “Motorcycling is a nitch market, whereas the fiction market is huge. It’s like racing. I am determined. I will keep pounding on doors until I do get into that market.” With that kind of fortitude I am sure he will.</div><div><br /><strong>Along the Writing Vein</strong></div><div><br />What about a sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250357296&sr=1-2">Flat Out</a>? A 400mph final chapter? It is alluded to both on his <a href="http://rocky-robinson.com/">website</a> and in the book. “While I was still on the salt there was a couple out there that was intrigued by what was going on. We had just set the record. They weren’t involved in racing. He asked me: <em>What do you do now? Do you just keep going faster until you kill yourself?</em> He wasn’t being rude or anything. Curious. It kind of hit home. Mike and I believe our machine will go 400mph. We just don’t want to push it. If this record stands for many years there won’t be an attempt at it. If it were to get broken this year I am sure Mike would want to take another look. We aren’t going to make that decision until the record is broken.”</div><br /><div>As we talked about the book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250357296&sr=1-2">Flat Out</a>, Rocky said, “I wish I could add a final chapter to it.”</div>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-90354157645435422962009-08-13T09:57:00.000-07:002009-08-14T11:36:54.712-07:00The Speed Excites Me: Part 1<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SoRHDESgLyI/AAAAAAAAAAw/MSRETPUc8CQ/s1600-h/Rocky_Robinson_-_Author_of_Flat_Out,_his_account_of_breaking_the_world_speed_record_on_two_wheels%5B1%5D+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369494773749002018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SoRHDESgLyI/AAAAAAAAAAw/MSRETPUc8CQ/s320/Rocky_Robinson_-_Author_of_Flat_Out,_his_account_of_breaking_the_world_speed_record_on_two_wheels%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>“Slow Down!” That’s usually what I hear from my wife when I am bouncing off walls like a high school wallflower that’s just been asked to the senior prom. Usually it’s because I am anticipating something exciting that is going to happen in my life. Granted, I don’t hear it very often. I doubt that Rocky Robinson hears it much either. Rocky is the fastest motorcyclist in the world and you don’t get that title by slowing down. I was anticipating talking to him one Friday morning a few weeks ago. </div><div><br />Beep. Beep. Beep, etc. Talk button. Ring (once). “Hello.” I had him on the line. Thus started one of the most pleasant thirty-five minutes I have had in awhile. Rocky is the real thing: nice, accommodating and a good sense of humor. He comes across so low key it is hard to believe that he pilots streamliners across the salt at over 360mph. One would imagine a tougher more aggressive stance. Nope! Just nice and easy. Kind of like his last two speed passes on the salt. Record breaking passes. </div><div><br />Not wanting to be too aggressive myself, I started by asking him if he rode much on the street, <em>or was it too dangerous</em>. Tact is my middle name. Come to find out, he doesn’t. “I don’t do a lot of riding on the street, and I do feel more comfortable on the race track or a closed course. I have access to a bunch of Harley Davidsons that I take out before I go to Bonneville. Something I can manhandle.” So much for tact. </div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SoRHdsIF-bI/AAAAAAAAAA4/eZ7x9PlCH1c/s1600-h/Flat_Out_at_Bonneville_2008_for_the_record_%5Bedited_-_use_this_one%5D%5B1%5D+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369495231119358386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G0oekBurV_w/SoRHdsIF-bI/AAAAAAAAAA4/eZ7x9PlCH1c/s320/Flat_Out_at_Bonneville_2008_for_the_record_%5Bedited_-_use_this_one%5D%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Salt Strategy</strong><br /><br />I was curious as to the two approaches to Bonneville I picked up from his book, <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Motorcycle-World-Record/dp/0760331634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250274896&sr=8-1">Flat Out</a></strong>. One was Denis Manning’s methodical easy steps approach. Rocky started out riding for Manning. Manning’s team would approach the land speed record in small measured steps. “Take it slow and get lots of data,” Rocky said. When Rocky moved on to the Mike Akatiff team the approach changed. On piloting the Ack Attack streamliner, “If it feels right go for it. If it doesn’t feel right (at 300+mph!) shut it down and pull off.” Kind of makes it sound like turning into a fast food place. </div><div><br />This is where it got interesting. There was another speed approach I didn’t pick up. Sam Wheeler’s E-Z Hook team – always a competitive threat on the salt – goes with being lightweight and aerodynamic with only 300hp. Rocky enlightened me, “The year they (Manning’s Bub team) got the record Sam was faster. Fastest guy on two wheels several times. He’s just never got the record outright.” No back to back record setting runs. “We (the Bub team and the Ack Attack team) do it with horsepower. We are putting out almost four times the horsepower than what Sam is. His bike only weighs about 1100 pounds, where ours weighs about 2000 pounds. The whole approach is different.”<br /><br />Now, I can’t imagine piloting anything with 300hp, much less one with nearly 1200hp. To get an idea of what we are talking about visit <a href="http://www.rocky-robinson.com/">http://www.rocky-robinson.com/</a>. There are two video clips – and lots links – that are must watch. The first is Rocky’s record breaking run. The second is where the Ack Attack goes down the previous year. It frightened me and I was just watching a two year old video. That fallen streamliner just keeps sliding down the salt. For perspective, watch how long it takes the ambulance to reach the bike. A thrilling part of his book is the description of that ride.</div>willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-22439250777072641022009-08-12T07:30:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:05:56.532-07:00This Really is a True StoryNot long ago I stopped into a fast food establishment for an almost drinkable cup of coffee. The place hadn’t filled with the normal grab a bite lunch timers. There were some teens at one table, seniors at others, and a construction crew back in the corner. At one table sat an elderly woman in a wheelchair, nursing a cold cup of coffee. A partially filled helium balloon sagged from one of the grips.<br /><br />I watched the lady for awhile. She looked at everyone walking by her with hopeful anticipation. Sometimes people looked back. Some nodded in her direction. Most did not. I don’t know how she got there, alone in the chair. But, there she was.<br /><br />Then the boys arrived. I knew they were coming. I could hear the Harleys three blocks away. Four guys dressed in Levis and leather with badges and patches and rockers on their back. You know the type. What surprised me was that they actually stopped for fast food. This wasn’t a pub. When they walked in, everyone paid attention. As they came through the door like gangbusters they looked around, much like a cop on a bar check. Check out the scene. Identify the problem before it is a problem. They placed and received their orders, got their soft drinks and went to a quiet corner away from people, but near enough where people could stare at them.<br />One didn’t. He took his tray and approached the old lady in the wheelchair. I could only hear one side of the conversation. The lady spoke so softly. I will let you put in the body language. It went something like this:<br /><br />“Hi. How are you doin’? Hey, look, it is kinda crowded in here today, would you mind if I shared your table?<br /><br />“So how are you? You don’t mind if I talk to you, do you? I don’t know anyone around here and get a little lonesome.<br /><br />“Yep! Sure do. Ride a Harley Davidson.<br /><br />“You and your husband used to ride? Wow! I sure would like to get my hands on one of those. Here, share some of my fries. I can’t finish them.” The biker ate maybe three fries total.<br /><br />As he sipped his Coke, I watched the old lady transform into an animated individual, excited to talk about her memories. The biker would throw out a few open ended questions and let her talk.<br /><br />“Oh, man. Look at that. They gave me a chicken sandwich instead of a cheeseburger. I hate chicken. Do you want it.” pushing the ordered sandwich toward her.<br /><br />“That is quite the rig you have there. Bet you get great gas mileage.<br /><br />This went on for however long it took his buddies to finish their meals. When they left, he made his excuses to the lady and joined his friends outside.<br /><br />As the thunder roared off down the street I studied the old lady. For awhile she sat smiling. Someone had paid attention to her. Then as the clock ticked she went back to her solitary life, hoping for someone else to notice her. Like the sagging balloon with life gone out of it.<br /><br />Me? I rode down the street to the nursing home to visit my mother.willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760635593207873908.post-66652096731402567052009-08-11T10:54:00.000-07:002009-08-11T10:57:53.919-07:00Getting StartedFirst off, I am not a computer techie. I struggle with computers because they have become a way of life, not a pleasant alternative. So, please bear with me while I learn the ins-and-outs of working my blog.<br /><br />Secondly, I am not a mechanic. I can follow a technical discussion, but you will not hear me contribute to it. I have mastered the task of changing the oil in my bike, but not much more.<br /><br />This is a blog about people; people in the motorcycling community. I happen to be a non-denominational motorcyclist. No particular brand or lifestyle attracts me more than any other. That makes everyone in the motorcycle community game. I like talking to those active in the community, and even some not so currently active.<br /><br />This blog will address those individuals. I will be doing Little Interviews with Big People. I will be posting the interviews and profiles of a multitude of personalities: the world’s land speed record holder for motorcycles, and review his book; the product manager for a motorcycle manufacturing company, who explains what it takes to put a motorcycle on the road, from concept to dealership; the outlaw turned preacher; a man that went AWOL from the British Army to be in Brighton for the 1963 Bank Holiday confrontation between the Mods and Rockers; the man that started a charity run that turned into a medical foundation because of his promise to a little girl; and, another that set a record at Bonneville at 73 years young, with one eye and nine fingers.<br /><br />I will review books and talk to their authors. A book becomes more personal when the reader has had the opportunity to talk to the author.<br /><br />On occasion I may throw in a product review, or make comments regarding something seen, or said.<br /><br />Mostly, I want to have fun and share some of the interesting folks I have had the opportunity to talk with. And, those I am going to talk with.<br /><br />I welcome comments, feedback and suggestions. I may not be able to respond to everyone, but your contribution will be read and noted. I thank you in advance.<br /><br />I suppose I should mention the rules. I will not tolerate racist or bigoted speech, sexually explicit content, discussions or descriptions of violent or criminal acts, unlicensed copyrighted material, or threats, harassment, or personal privacy violations.<br /><br />Now, let me go and figure out what I need to do next.willie machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11645301147115774402noreply@blogger.com2