Today in motorcycle history, June 3, 1977

 

 

 

 

    On June 3, 1977,  Rider Insurance Company*, the only insurance carrier exclusively serving motorcyclists, opens for business.

   Currently the largest motorcycle insurance provider in New Jersey and the only company exclusively serving the motorcycle community, Rider attributes it's success to the extraordinary support of their loyal customers and to the dedication of it's employees in staying focused on what they do best – motorcycles.

 

  Working out of the basement of his home, Harry Bleiwise founded Rider Insurance Agency in 1971 because, as a new rider, it didn't take him long to realize that bikers were not being treated with the respect they deserved.  Bleiwise wanted to do something to change that.  His dedication to motorcyclists paid off as, over the next six years, Harry gained the loyalty of over 20,000 New Jersey riders.

   In 1977, one of the largest insurance companies that Harry’s agency was placing business with pulled out of the state of New Jersey.  Rather than give up on his fellow riders he invested everything that he had and borrowed the rest to come up with the capital required to start his own insurance company.  On June 3, 1977 he started Rider Insurance Company.

 

   Although for many years Rider was only available in New Jersey, in 2007, after many requests, operations expanded into new states.  Rider now provides coverage to motorcyclists in Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

 

   "While we’ve come a long way since Harry’s basement, we have remained true to our mission to serve the motorcycling community with the respect they deserve."

 

   *This is by no means a plug for an insurance company it just so happens to be something that involves motorcycles on this particular date.   No offense, but I personally don't give a crap what insurance company you use. 

  

Today in motorcycle history, June 1, 2001

 

 The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame opens.

 

  In a joint effort the Museum's Board of Directors, local students and members of the Sturgis community, including the legendary Jackpine Gypsies motorcycle club,  gathered on March 10th, 2001 to scrape, sweat, sand and paint the old church building next to the Pyramid Bar.  Gene and Nancy Flagler, owners of the church, decided to charge only $1.00 a month for rent, helping to make the Museum a little easier to manage financially.

  The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame finally becomes a reality, opening its doors to the public on June 1, 2001.  Local bikers, celebrities and national collectors loaned the new Museum a wide selection of vintage and rarely seen motorcycles and memorabilia.  The collection ranges from a 1909 Imperial to an outstanding 1965 BSA Starlite. 

  Harley-Davidsons, Indians, Hendersons, Triumphs, flat-trackers, full-dressers, dirtbikes and dragbikes. 

 

The impressive collection offers visitors a glimpse into the magnificent world of two wheels.

 

Today in motorcycle history, May 30, 1998

 

  Canadian motorcycle racer Miguel Duhamel dedicates his May 30, AMA Superbike race win at Road Atlanta to Josef Boyd and Dirk Vandenberg.

  On Wednesday, May 27, 1998,  the two Honda associates were killed in a tragic accident during motorcycle evaluations at Willow Springs Raceway near Rosamond, California.

  Dirk Vandenberg, 48, Manager of Product Evaluation from American Honda Product Evaluation and Press Department and Josef Boyd, 49, Senior Engineer, Motorcycle Division, Honda R&D Americas, were evaluating a pre-production version of the Honda CBR600F4.  At the time of the accident, Boyd was apparently standing on the track photographing the motorcycle being ridden by  Vandenberg.  

  In what is considered a freak accident,  Dirk Vandenberg, a rider with nearly 40 years of experience, somehow lost control, swirved and collided with his friend, resulting in the deaths of both men. 

 

  Josef A. Boyd, aka GL Joe, was considered the "father" of the GL1500C Valkyrie F6C motorcycle, which was a "cruiser" derivation of the Honda Goldwing.

  Following their deaths the words, "Dedicated to Super Evaluators Dirk Vandenberg and Josef Boyd", were embossed in raised letters on the inside of the Honda CBR600F4's upper fairing.

                                        

Today in motorcycle history, May 29, 1907

 

 

  Arguably, the greatest motorcycle race of all-time is born, the Isle of Man TT.

  The 1906 International Cup for Motor-Cycles held in Austria was plagued by accusations of cheating.  Legend has it that there was a conversation on the train back to England between the Secretary of the Auto-Cycle Club, Freddie Straight and the brothers from the Matchless motorcycle company, Charlie and Harry Collier and the Marquis de Mouzilly St Mars led to a suggestion for a race the following year for road touring motorcycles based on the automobile races to be held in the Isle of Man on closed public roads.  

 

  The new race was proposed by the Editor of "The Motor-Cycle" Magazine at the annual dinner of the Auto-Cycle Club held in London on January 17, 1907.  It was suggested that the races should be run in two classes, single-cylinder motorcycles and twin-cylinder motorcycles.  The idea was greeted with widespread approval.  All in favor say, "Aye", and all did. 

  The first race was to be held over 10 laps of the St John's Short Course of 15 miles 1,470 yards for road-legal touring motorcycles.  To emphasize the road touring nature of the motorcycles, there were regulations made up that stated the bikes must be fitted with seats, pedals, mudguards and, to some extent, mufflers. 

 

  The 1907 Isle of Man TT single-cylinder race, was won by Charlie Collier on a Matchless (did you expect something different?) at an average speed of 38.21 mph and the winner of the twin-cylinder class was Rem Fowler riding a Norton motorcycle at an average of 36.21 mph. 

                                           

                        

Today in motorcycle history, May 28, 1989

   

  Iván Palazzese is killed at the German Grand Prix.

 

 

  Riding a Morbidelli for Venezuela in 1977 Ivan became the youngest person at the time to stand on a Grand Prix podium, when he finished third behind Spain's Angel Nieto and Germany's Anton Mang at the 125cc Venezuelan Grand Prix at the age of 15.

  In 1982 he won two 125cc class Grands Prix races and finished the season in third place, behind Nieto and Italy's Eugenio Lazzarini.

  Ivan Palazzese was killed at the 1989 German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring.  He was right behind Andreas Preining when Preining's engine seized and abruptly slowed, causing the riders to collide and subsequently crash. While Ivan was picking himself up off the ground, he was struck by riders Bruno Bonhuil and Fabio Barchitta who both crashed, but for some unknown reason no race officials or doctors intervened.  It was fellow rider Virginio Ferrari who stopped his bike and came to Palazesse's aid but, Palazzese was already dead having sustained massive chest injuries.  

  A monument stands in his honor in the Italian city of Alba Adriatica, where Palazzese was born.

          
                                              

Today in motorcycle history, May 27, 1990

 

 An American one-two finish at the 1990 German motorcycle Grand Prix as the rivalry of Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Rainey continues at Nurburgring.

 

  A rivalry that began at the 1987 Superbike National Championship and lasted until the career ending injuries suffered by Wayne Rainey at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix that left him paralyzed from the chest down.  Early into the 1995 season, after a conversation with Rainey, Kevin Schwantz decided to retire from the Grand Prix circus, partly due to nagging injuries and partly because losing the one great rival that had fired his competitive intensity made him view his own mortality much more clearly. 

  Schwantz had accumulated 25 Grand Prix wins during his career, one more than his great rival, Wayne Rainey.

  Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Rainey were both inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.  The FIM named them each a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000.  In 2007 Rainey was also inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of  Fame.

 Schwantz co-designed the Circuit of the Americas racetrack with Tavo Hellmund and with the assistance of German architect and circuit designer Hermann Tilke.

 Wayne Rainey has refused to give up racing despite his disability and now races a hand-controlled Superkart in the World SuperKart series based in Northern California.  He lives in Monterey, California in a house which was built overlooking the Laguna Seca circuit shortly before his career ending accident. 

  The nearby circuit has named a corner in his honor, the Rainey Curve, a medium-speed, acute left-hander that follows the famous Corkscrew.

Today in motorcycle history, May 24, 1999

                    

  Buell recalls 1,765 X1 Lightning models.

 

  Due to possible chafing of the rear brake reservoir hose.  This "small problem" can result in the loss of brake fluid and, alas, the loss of your rear brake.  If you're on a mountain road doing 85 mph at the time that could kinda suck.  Not saying it's ok to speed on mountain roads but, if you're not speeding on a Buell why did you buy it in the first place?

 

  Oh yeah, the same models are recalled for the need of re-routing of the positive battery cable.  The stock factory routing has the cable in too close in proximity to the batterybox which could cause  your new Lightning to stall suddenly.  Not a good thing if you're cranking down that same mountain pass or twistin' the wick trying to beat your buddy on his Suzuki while on Route 50 in Neveada.

 

Just keepin' you informed.

 

Recall Date:

MAY 24, 1999

Model Affected:

1999 BUELL BUELL X1 LIGHTNING

Summary

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THE REAR BRAKE RESERVOIR HOSE CAN CHAFE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID.

Consequence

SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE RIDER COULD EXPERIENCE LOSS OF REAR BRAKING CAPABILITIES.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR BRAKE RESERVOIR HOSE AND REPLACE THE HOSE IF NCESSARY.

Units Affected:

1765

Notes

BUELL MOTORCYCLE CO.