A tribute to my Dad

One of our board members just lost his dad this past week.  It got me thinking about my dad who is 78 years old but still kicking (his dirtbike that is).  I have the greatest dad on earth!  My earliest memories of dad are of him cutting something up with his torch.  He was always making some new machine, be it a dragster, roadster, dune buggy or motorcycle.  And he made trucks out of more cars than I can remember.  And trailers.  I remember as a young boy going to the Irwindale dragstrip to watch my dad race his cars there in the 1/4 mile.  Playing under the grandstands, inhaling the racing fuel from the dragsters.  Our yard was filled with rusty hulks of the discarded cars he made stuff out of.  And the lamps.  Dad cut jagged strips of metal from car bodies and molded them together into a support stand for a light bulb, throw a lamp shade over the bulb and walla!  
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

thats a great story its good you have great memories and thats all that matters all the good times you had with him.  thanks for sharing that paul.  when he had a dirt bike what kind was it ansd size???  
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Autismspeaks.org   check it out
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life in the fast rut!!!!
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my rides- 2008 yz250f fully modified, use to be j-laws bike
        &
IT400 1979 yamaha!!!
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Home: SO CAL

Dad had really cool jobs.  He published a newspaper for District 37 desert racing.  Wrote the stories, took the pictures, went looking for advertisers, and printed them up.  I remember going into the printer's shop, the smell of ink overwhelming me.  I always got to bring home little pads of colored paper to write and draw on.  We had a wooden booth dad made that I would sit in and sell the papers to the race families out in the desert.  I would get to be there when the black and white photos would emerge from their solutions in the dark room.  I saw the pictures of JN Roberts streaking across the desert before they were in print!  And dad is an artist.  He did his own cartoon strips.  He drew huge posters of dirtbike riders that I would get to color.    
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

Dad had other jobs as well.  He worked for a motorcycle magazine, I think it was called "Motorcyclist" but I'm not sure.  He would bring different bikes home to test, take pictures of and write reviews for the magazine.  He would bring home all kinds of stuff to try out on our bikes, most of which we were able to keep, and write about them.  My brothers and I would each get to ride the bikes, with dad taking pictures of us doing jumps or roosting corners.  I can't remember all the bikes I've ridden over the years as a kid.  : O  
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

WOW!!! thats just wonderful paul i am so glad you have these great stroies of your father sounds like a great man. AND HE WORKED FOR DISTRICT 37!!!!! thats huge in its self DANG!!! thats huge out here in cali my MX trainer who is an AMA national champion, he races district 37 all the time. he does great he etheer gets 2nd or 1st. lol  
--------------------
Autismspeaks.org   check it out
--------------------
life in the fast rut!!!!
--------------------
my rides- 2008 yz250f fully modified, use to be j-laws bike
        &
IT400 1979 yamaha!!!
--------------------
Home: SO CAL

I rode a dirtbike before I learned how to ride a bicycle.  The bicycle was really hard to get on I remember thinking, dirtbikes were so much easier to ride!  But when we did start riding bicycles my dad was there to help us turn them into bmx bikes, before there was such a term.   He brought home the weirdest bikes (a Powell minibike, a ToteGoat 250).  Dad imparted into me a love for the exotic bikes.  We had a Parilla, a Penton, a Sachs, Hodakas, Husqvarnas, in addition to the Kawasakis, Yamaha, Suzukis and Hondas.  Of course I've added my own CZ and now KTM into the mix.  
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

Alex, please use this thread to tell us about your own dad, no offense.  
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

great thread  
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live fast ride hard
NOR*CAL
YZ 250

Dad raced the desert himself, on a Kawasaki 110, and later a Hodaka 100, in the trail bike class.  I would walk literally miles into the desert to get a glimpse of him racing.  He had a familiar blue and white vest thing that looked more like a cape than a chest protector.  I could pick him out through the dust every time.  This was in the late 60's.  I've written a few stories about dad in my stories thread.  
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

well i remeber when i was really little my dad taking us out on jet skis for the first time when i was 5. I WAS SO HAPPY. but the thing i will remeber would have to be when i was 5 my dad getting me my own surfboard and teching me how to surf. within one week i was a natural, i wont ever forget my dad would call my teacher tell them i was sick pull me out of school to go surf with him for the day at our favorite surf spot. man we would pack a lunch and just me and him surf all day long. Just that sweet father son tim as many of you know about. and no my dad didnt pull me out of school all the time just like proply 3-5 times in a year and those were probly some of the best days i have had.  
--------------------
Autismspeaks.org   check it out
--------------------
life in the fast rut!!!!
--------------------
my rides- 2008 yz250f fully modified, use to be j-laws bike
        &
IT400 1979 yamaha!!!
--------------------
Home: SO CAL

Dad would load us up each Friday night and leave early Saturday morning for the desert.  When there wasn't a race that weekend we would go somewhere new to camp and ride.  Before I was tall enough to do so he would set me on the Totegoat and run with me until the clutch went out and I was riding!  I couldn't touch the ground but that didn't matter.  Dad always set up a small track around the camp and I would ride this track for hours until I would run out of gas or stop for some reason I can't remember.  
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

Look at this picture:
 
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

That is one of my dad's creations I am riding>  Notice the homemade toolbox-number plate, the homemade pipe and silencer, the leading link front forks, homemade skidplate, even rear footpegs for a passenger...  
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc

ya another gerat time was when i was 8yrs old and on my 8th birth day we wernt doing anything till saturday with my grand parents. well the day was like any other day and my dad was like hey alex i need some help with fiber glassing this radio arch for a boat so i was like sure ok dad. well he walked ahead of me into the garage. and when i walked out there he was nealing by MY FIRST dirt bike, i just about fainted and went to heaven. i huged and kissed my mom and dad for hours i was freaking out it was a 2000 PW 80 yamaha. my dad cleaned it up, put a fresh filter and stuff on it. and then the next morning he was like why are you not up i was like fpr what hes like where going riding. I WAS LIKE WOOOOOOOOOOOO! he took me to some private fire roads and dad took my brothers 110cc and me and him just took off into the hills what a great day that was. theres another great memory i have. me and my dad get along so well we just stick together and me and him always like the same hobbies. so when i got my race bike he went out and bought a bike just so me and him could hang out and have fun together like we always have. Well i have to say my mom has been a saint she has been the best mom i would never ever ever want another mom than my mom she has been my i cant describe she has done so much for me in my 15 yrs of life that its scary and i love her to death and me and here get along great too.  
--------------------
Autismspeaks.org   check it out
--------------------
life in the fast rut!!!!
--------------------
my rides- 2008 yz250f fully modified, use to be j-laws bike
        &
IT400 1979 yamaha!!!
--------------------
Home: SO CAL

awesome paul and alex  
RIP old dirtrider