Bosshoss Country
Transcription
Bosshoss Country
bosshoss country s p r i n g 2 0 1 1 $8.95 US./$9.50 Canada volume 16, number 2 Official Publication of the Boss Hoss Riders Association www.bosshosscountry.com 1 bosshoss country Official Publication of the Boss Hoss Riders Association Publication Information Subscriptions: Boss Hoss Country Magazine™ is published four times annually in color 8.5”x11” format. The rate for Boss Hoss Country Magazine and B.H.R.A is $50.00 annually. Please allow 4 weeks for your subscription and membership to arrive. To Subscribe: Visit bosshosscountry.com to subscribe online or send check or money order to Boss Hoss Rider’s Association. You may also call 731-286-4915 with your VISA/ Mastercard/AMEX/Discover Card to order, or fax us at 731-286-2453. Our preferred method of becoming a member is by visiting our web page: www. bosshosscountry.com. Submissions: We welcome submissions of photography, articles and rally reports from all parties interested in reporting events related to the Boss Hoss Cycle experience. Boss Hoss Country Magazine assumes no responsibility for the arrival or safe return of your material, although we make every effort to return material if requested. The submission of your material constitutes your agreement that Boss Hoss Country Magazine has one time publication rights. Please state in writing that your material is original and is not an infringement upon the rights of others. Submittals constitute your permission for Boss Hoss Country Publications, Inc. to edit your material for brevity and clarity. Submission guidelines are available via email at v8hoss@bosshosscountry. com or by calling 731-286-4915. Articles and photographs published in Boss Hoss Country Magazine include full credit to the author and photographer. Such information must be submitted along with your articles. Letters are considered submittals and are subject to the same stipulations. Letters must be signed, and must include your name and address. If you choose, Boss Hoss Country Magazine will withhold your name and address from publication. Acceptance Agreement: Accept this magazine and the information herein with the understanding that a wide variety of sources have submitted this material. Neither Boss Hoss Country Magazine nor the publisher can guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information. Boss Hoss Country Magazine is not affiliated with any organization other than the Boss Hoss Rider’s Association, Inc. The publication of photographs, illustrations, articles or advertisements is not an endorsement by Boss Hoss Country Magazine or its publisher of any specific product or service. Viewpoints expressed in Boss Hoss Country Magazine are the opinions of the author of the individual article and do not necessarily constitute the viewpoint of Boss Hoss Country Magazine or the publisher. Advertising: Boss Hoss Country Magazine and the publisher reserve the right to reject any advertising deemed to be objectionable. Nor is Boss Hoss Country Magazine responsible for the accuracy or completeness of advertising. Advertisements are digitally scanned from the advertisers’ camera ready copy. Advertisements in Boss Hoss Country Magazine appear exactly as submitted. In rare instances illegible or unscannable material will be re-typeset, duplicating original material as closely as possible. Boss Hoss Country Magazine is not responsible for ommissions or errors resulting from such duplication. Advertising is accepted with the understanding that merchandise and services offered are accurately described and sold at the advertised price. Boss Hoss Country Magazine does not endorse any services or products advertised herein. Safety: 2 Boss Hoss Country Magazine and Boss Hoss Riders Association urge you to ride responsibly and to take advantage of courses of instruction offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Always ride within the limits of your personal ability, your motorcycle’s capacity, and road, traffic and weather conditions. Always wear a DOT/Snell approved helmet and dress appropriately. Keep your motorcycle in good working condition. Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 please support our advertisers! And when you see them, thank them for supporting Boss Hoss Country Magazine and the Boss Hoss Riders Association. Without those advertisers, we could not publish Boss Hoss Country Magazine. These advertisers are not only running successful Boss Hoss businesses, but their advertising dollars support our growing organization of Boss Hoss Riders. Please visit our website at www.bosshosscountry.com. Publisher’s Information Boss Hoss Country is published quarterly by Boss Hoss Riders Association, a Tennessee Corporation at: 790 South Main Street, Dyersburg, TN 38204 Fax: 731-286-2453 Editor in Chief: Seth Chandler, Executive Editor: Judy Otto, seth@bosshosscountry.com judy@bosshosscountry.com Editorial Consultants: Claire Wales, claire@bosshosscountry.com Art Director: Seth Chandler, seth@dca-dcpr.com Contributing Photographers: Seth Chandler, Claire Wales, DCA/DCPR, seth@dca-dcpr.com claire@bosshosscountry.com dca-dcpr.com Ad Sales: Seth Chandler, seth@bosshosscountry.com Contents of Boss Hoss Country Magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher. Warning... images are larger than they appear... much larger. Don’t be scared. www.bosshosscountry.com 3 in this issue 7 Power tour 8 Monte is back in the saddle 14 Daytona & the V8 Parade 18 Berzerker: a Ricky Dietz/cal BH Custom 22 Rider Profile - Dave Arthur 30 Dealer Profile - Boss Hoss kamloops 36 In Memoriam: Claudio Keusch 36 Zum Gedenken an Claudio Keusch 46 rider profile - Robbie and Debra Sanders 4 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 www.bosshosscountry.com 5 take a ride at the next ARIZONA BIKE WEEK Boss Hossr e w po Tour WESTWORLD, SCOTTSDALE 3/30/2011, THEN 4/13-18/2011 DESTINATION VEGAS SOUTH POINT HOTEL - 4/8-10/2011 LAUGHLIN RIVER RUN AVI RESORT, LAUGHLIN, NV 4/27/2011 - 5/1/2011 ASHVILLE BIKEFEST WNC AG CENTER, ASHVILLE, NC 5/12-15/2011 Available in the standard mind-blowing, heart pounding, adrenaline rush, normal version... or we can customize one especially for you. BOSS HOSS OF FREDERICK FREDERICK, MD - 6/3-5/2011 AMERICADE QUEENSBURY, NY - 6/7-11/2011 MOUNTAIN BOSS HOSS SOMERSET, PA - 6/23-25/2011 CHOPPER CITY SPORTS FRIDLEY, MN - 7/9-10/2011 SIRON AUTOMOTIVE BLOOMINGTON, IL - 7/16/2011 STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY MONKEY ROCK, STURGIS, SD 8/5-13/2011 BOSS HOSS NATIONAL RALLY PARIS LANDING STATE PARK NEAR PARIS, TN - 9/22-24/2011 BIKES BLUES & BBQ FAYETTEVILLE, AR 9/28/2011 - 10/1/2011 BIKETOBERFEST DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, DAYTONA BEACH, FL 10/13-15/2011 www.bosshoss.com 6 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 leading the charge. Boss Hoss Cycles was saddened by the departure of Chief Operations Officer Rad Hunsley in mid-February –although he’s not really gone, since he remains just a phone call away, in close touch with his friends and colleagues. Hunsley’s decision to accept another position was months in the making, said BHC owner/ founder Monte Warne. “Hard as it was to see it happen, the conditions and timing were just ‘right’ for this change.” --not only “right” for Hunsley, but for Monte himself, who admits that after a ten-year sabbatical, he had been sorely missing the hands-on connection with the company he established 21 years ago. “Rad and I had talked about it extensively; I had been thinking about getting back into Boss Hoss—and when Rad made his decision to move on, I realized I was genuinely ready for action again,” said Warne. Not many people know that he and Hunsley are actually related, 8 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 he points out. Those family ties mean they will continue to maintain a close connection, with Rad ready and willing to assist with any transitional issues, as needed. “Rad’s not the leader of the pack anymore—I am,” Warne explains, “but Rad’s right there behind me. I’m just enthused that I can go back now and pick up where he left off.” at what we’ve done. The new model is going to offer the best of both worlds,” he hints. “If you liked the sound of the Boss Hoss big block—get ready!” Improved fuel economy and comfort are also part of the new set of 2012 Boss Hoss attractions—and they’re a lot more than just talk: these visions are already off the drawing board and in the works. Also in the works are new “this quarter was our biggest quarter in two years.” The Shape of Things to Come Warne’s optimism and enthusiasm is evident as he discusses future strategies and directions for Boss Hoss Cycles and its coveted products. “I’ve got lots of plans and upgrade ideas that I’ve been working on; I could tell you about all of them, but then I’d have to kill you,” he quips happily. Customers will just have to wait till the new model year comes out, when “they’ll be amazed at the improvements we’re implementing,” Warne promises. Boss Hoss dealers have been given a sneak preview of the changes to come, however, and their excitement is electric. “It’s going to be a real barnburner when customers get a look ways to spread the Boss Hoss gospel—including public relations efforts that may put copies of the magazine you’re holding into the hands of the mainstream public by making it available at news stands and convenience stores. Already, riders report, more of the general public recognize the Boss Hoss by name than was once the case—but it’s still rare and unusual enough to turn heads, which is a large part of the Boss Hoss’s charm, believes Warne. “These bikes are like Lamborghinis; people are aware of them, but only see one every once in a while—and that adds to their mystique.” www.bosshosscountry.com 9 And, given our name, ask about our custom designs and parts for your Boss Hoss bikes and trikes. Come by for a tour or visit us online at www.cwidaytona.com. welcome to our corner. The newest Boss Hoss dealer in North America just may be the most conveniently located of all... Custom Works of Daytona Beach at 806 N. Beach Street. New & Used Boss Hoss bikes and trikes, parts, service, apparel... you name it and we’re on it. Building on a Firm Foundation is very conservative, just as I am; that’s why the company has been “Boss Hoss Cycles is not the as successful as it has, same company it was ten despite unfavorable years ago,” he reflects. “It’s economic conditions.” more organized, a lot more sophisticated, and the bikes Other, larger are much more reliable now, manufacturers with thanks in part to Rad’s great higher volumes have indeed come and gone during hard times, while Boss Hoss Cycles has remained stable by tightening its belt a notch. “Rad and I often discussed catastrophe contingency plans,” Warne notes. “What if we didn’t have any business for a year? What if we had to shut down for a year? Careful planning meant that we were financially prepared for emergencies, and could survive them if we had to. management. In spite of the economic crunch, we’re seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel and the company is already experiencing huge relief; this quarter was our biggest quarter in two years.” Warne’s firm views on financial responsibility have kept the company on an even keel despite tough times: “I learned early in business, before Boss Hoss ever came along, not to over-extend my credit on any venture. I determined to start small and let the business grow without taking anything out of it. My goal was to let it build and build, and keep it secure—and that’s exactly the way we’ve run this business from day one. Rad Custom Works • 806 N. Beach St • Daytona Beach, FL 32114 USA 10 257-1300 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 (386) • Fax: (386) 257-1698 • www.cwidaytona.com • info@cwidaytona.com that great ideas and conservative management pay off in the long run. “Always has,” says Warne. “Always will.” Watch for Monte, Meredith, and their daughter at the 7th European Boss Hoss Rally this July, in Pullman City, Hasselfelde/ Germany—and at upcoming “Boss Hoss has always cashflowed everything that we’ve ever done. As I sit here today, I can assure you that the company is completely debt free—and will remain debt free. We may have to make cutbacks and slow down production, as we have done through the recession period, but we have continued to operate. We’re such a small company that it doesn’t take thousands of motorcycles for us to stay above the water line; we can build a couple hundred a year and continue to focus on quality.” major U.S. rallies, as well. As Warne says, “It’s a return to the Mom-and-Pop era!” – a change the Boss Hoss family of riders can welcome with pleasure! The bottom line, proven over 21 years of Boss Hoss history, is www.bosshosscountry.com 11 12 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 www.bosshosscountry.com 13 pho daytona 2011 tos by S C eth d han ler 14 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 www.bosshosscountry.com 15 see more photos from Daytona at bosshosscountry.com 16 2011 Boss Hoss National Rally - Paris, TN Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 mark your calendars registration form on page 42 September 22-24,2011 www.bosshosscountry.com 17 Ricky Dietz is a guy in love with the berserker legend, wherein fierce, no-holds-barred Viking warriors were consumed by rage and driven by blind fury to destroy all enemies and obstacles, no matter how bloody the battle and how unfavorable the odds against them. Ricky Dietz is also a guy determined to get what he wants. I vote that we get out of his way! Berzerker: “The baddest Boss Hoss ever…”? Dietz ordered up the fastest motorcycle in the world—off the line. “I’m an NHRA fan,” he explains, “and to me that first quarter-mile tells the story. I wanted Berzerker to be the fastest street legal bike in the world.” On 4 Pages · Programmable 5 Character Channel Name · Gear Indicator · Predictive Lap Time · Prop Slip and Prop Speed for Boats · Power/Ground/Engine RPM/ External Programming Buttons Harness · Speed, Lap Time, Lap No. From GPS · Downloaded Data Provides Track Mapping, Segment Times, Data Reports · Includes DatalinkII Data Analysis · Software and Installation Manual · Metric / Imperial Configurable “It’s a first in many areas for a Boss Hoss. The 430 c.i. engine is a highly modified LS style on nitrous oxide that produces almost 1000 hp. And its approach to traction control is unique, different from anything I have ever seen on a bike before.” Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 “This bike is all EFI, with electronic fuel injection,” Dietz points out with pride. The 3” x 7” Racepak IQ3 dash monitor* displays up-to-the-second readouts on everything from manifold pressure, ignition time, fuel flow, injector performance, etc.—four pages’ worth of digital Seriously, the combination of Dietz’s commitment not to settle for second best, coupled *Racepak Datalogger features: with the tenacity and talent of the guys at California Boss 32 Channels · Internally Mounted GPS Hoss—who love a creative · Internal 3 Axis G Meter challenge!—resulted in the birth · 512MB microSD Memory Card of a one-of-a-kind custom bike · Programmable Shift Lights that breathes raw power, and · Programmable Warning Lights With answers (loudly) to the name On Screen Warning · 24 Programmable Sensor Inputs “Berzerker”. What he got is, according to California Boss Hoss’s Jim Stoddard, “a really extraordinary bike—the baddest Boss Hoss that was ever made! 18 Atop the handlebars sits another Berzerker original feature—a multi-function computer that monitors everything going on with the engine and the rest of the bike. data you can scan through with the touch of a button. Its data logger records information for later downloading and analysis—a troubleshooter’s dream gadget. “It reports your 0-60 mph time in seconds, your 0-100 mph time, how many lateral g’s you’re pulling into a turn, and your acceleration g’s at launch. It’s fantastic—and extremely versatile,” Dietz adds. “The 430 engine will turn 8200 rpm—just a guess because I haven’t ridden Berzerker yet—but that should put me close to 170 mph in drive! When I want to hot dog, I don’t want to have to limit myself to 120 mph because that’s redline. I wanted more—without compromising my transmission.” Dietz’s crystal-clear mental picture of what he wanted, made for some interesting builder challenges: “I really wanted Berzerker’s LS engine to sound offensive. When the engine was first built, I heard it and I was totally disappointed. It had the power (847 hp with NOS), and without the NOS it was making more torque across the board than the 502—but it just didn’t sound impressive. I said no. “I told the builder I wasn’t happy with the sound. I said I wanted it to turn 8,000 rpm. I wanted the heads and intake ported/matched---all the black magic—all the little performance tricks; I wanted everything. I didn’t want an ‘off the shelf’ car cam—I wanted it custom ground, designed specifically for a 1,000-lb motorcycle that must sound pissed off.” The builder promised to make it bark; and he did. Although Dietz was out of the country at the time the engine rebuild was completed, he still laughs at the memory of the e-mail he received from Victor Vert at California Boss Hoss, advising him that the rebuilt engine was a success. “HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! What www.bosshosscountry.com 19 have YOU-WE created?” Vert’s message began. “We all just stood there in disbelief at the sounds and vibrations and power emitted from the engine…My ears have never hurt from the sounds of a motorcycle until today, and that was your bike just idling!!...I promise you that this bike’s sounds, idle and power will far surpass any of your expectations! It truly is a wonder of the world of motorcycles!” Mission accomplished. The Berzerker’s heart was beating strongly, and its new voice commanded respect. The final touch—Berzerker’s “skin”—was completed in late August. As soon as the paint was dry, the photographers went to work capturing some eye-popping perspectives of Berzerker’s brawn. The bike’s NHRA drag theme dominates the paint scheme. The manufacturer logo decals aren’t decals—they’re airbrushed into the candy apple red paint that covers the custommade sheet metal of the bike’s body. “It doesn’t resemble any other Boss Hoss I’ve ever seen,” Dietz pronounces with satisfaction. 20 began talking about his plans to build a superbike. One thing led to another, and when Dietz flew back to Russia for another month in exile, Cal Boss Hoss’s Jim Stoddard got busy, and by the time Dietz returned, all the groundwork had been done, plans were laid and how-to’s considered. In the beginning Dietz, who has been a rider since age 12, when he got into dirt bikes and began racing motocross, has ridden off and on ever since. After a short sabbatical, he began riding again in 2005, on a Road King he immediately conspired to beef up in search of more speed. At Biketoberfest 2006 he succumbed to the temptation to take a Boss Hoss demo ride, and, like many of us, HAD to have one. He was consumed by the dream of getting a Boss Hoss for the full month of his off-shore stint on a oil drilling rig in Russia—and when he came home to Louisiana for his month long “weekend”, he bought a new Super Sport from Houston Boss Hoss in December 2006. At the time, says Dietz, “My first thought was, “Who could ever want anything more than this?’” Well, human nature being what it is, that “who” turned out to be him. Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 Accompanied by his brother, who also rides a Boss Hoss, Dietz made the trip up through the West and rode into Sturgis by way of Montana for the big annual blowout. Dietz laid some money down and told Stoddard to get started. “Even then,” remembers Dietz, “it Berzerker’s creation was a lengthy process—how long, Dietz is reluctant to say—and over that period, his investment in this eyeand ear-popping prototype has run easily into six figures. As Vert warned him, Dietz recalls with a chuckle, “‘I’m not saying it’s gonna happen, but anything that can go wrong, might go wrong!’ Boy, was that ever so true—and it was all due to vendor-related delays. When Dietz isn’t on the job in Russia on his alternating 28-day shifts for Shell Oil Company, he runs his own 13-year-old company, Berzerker Incorporated, which has launched first a trucking company, then an advertising agency, and is currently hatching a new endeavor he is unwilling to reveal just yet. A dedicated rider, he averages about 15,000 miles a year on his motorcycle—a good trick when “We’re riding around in Sturgis,” Dietz explains, “and I’m thinking I’m the big dog, and suddenly this thunder came alongside of us— shaking the ground. A guy with an awesome Boss Hoss pulled up alongside us at a red light, and as soon as the light went green, we pulled over and talked to him. He had 1100 horsepower: a 900 hp engine and a 200 hp shot of nox. “The bike was a custom job—one of Marv Jorgenson’s bikes—and I was totally in awe. My brother leaned over and whispered in my ear, ‘We got gay bikes!’ “That dude was my inspiration,” concluded Dietz. “I decided then and there, I was going to have something like that!” From that point, the dreaming and scheming began; Dietz explored methods and makers and weighed his options. After running into California Boss Hoss dealer Victor Vert at the Laughlin River Run during one of his ‘shore leave’ months, Dietz was still a work in progress. We had some ideas and a concept for the engine and fuel tank, but we thought of new things and changed things as we went along. I was constantly scouring the internet and hot rod magazines for cutting edge products. I knew I was in good hands, considering that Stoddard is a former top fuel funny car racer/mechanic, Vert’s passion for hot rods, and because Southern California is the hot rod mecca with every resource you could ever imagine, all within a 30 mile radius of Cal Boss Hoss!” “You watch these bike-builder videos, and they make it seem easy. They’ve been there and done that many times, but our plans were fluid and subject to change every time a new idea was conceived. It was definitely an educational experience for all of us. Cal Boss Hoss has been really great through this whole process and I definitely have a bunch of new friends.” Dietz is married and he and his wife, Melanie, are the proud parents of four dogs. he spends about 7 of the 12 months either out of the country, or traveling to and from the job. “Berzerker is unlike anything else that’s ever been out there in the Boss Hoss world, that’s for sure,” he says with confidence. “And it’s not going to be just a show bike; I’m going to ride the hell out of it and enjoy it.” Watch for Dietz and Berzerker at rallies to come—we’ll probably feel the earth shaking long before they come into view! www.bosshosscountry.com 21 Rider Let’s announce right up front that this isn’t an instructional primer on how to form an outlaw gang, nor a cautionary tale on how to reform afterwards. It’s a look at the life of a man who loved motorcycles long before most people had seen or heard of them; whose fascination with them burgeoned when the 22 stigma of “outlaw” was a part of their appeal—and whose admiration for them endured far beyond that time, when the world and its attitudes had changed dramatically, and so had he. “In our day we were scruffians,” remembers Dave Arthur, a charter member of the infamous Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 now Profile of a then dave arthur Satan’s Slaves motorcycle club established in 1960 in California’s San Fernando Valley area. “But today’s law enforcement authorities would love to have those days back. We mostly just drank and got into fights—there was none of the brutality and drive-by shootings that you see today. The world hasn’t gotten better,” he reflects sadly. “Back then, just long hair was a big thing. Today, everybody wears their hair any way they want, and tattoos and piercings are no big deal.” Cf: Remember when parental types regarded the Beatles as dangerous because their hair was too long? It’s all a matter of perspective. Arthur spent his early years in Brooklyn, and was always a bold and venturesome child. His dad was a freelance photographer for the Hollywood movie studios. “Dad used to shoot those stills they posted outside movie theatres—with black and white pictures of scenes from the movies. He travelled all over the world, taking shots on the set of movies like ‘The Bridge over the River Kwai.’ His photos appeared in Life, Collier’s, and TV Guide. Dad was always gone, and Mom was an alcoholic. They were great people—I loved them, but they were no good at raising kids.” So while other “difficult kids” cut classes and skipped school, Arthur and his brother would hop freight trains and ride to Vermont or other far-off places. “We were pretty radical— adventurous. Other kids were threatened with being grounded if they even thought about hanging out with the Arthur brothers.” His family moved to California from Brooklyn when he was 14. His Dad was assigned a 1952 story on trailer life, so they travelled across the U.S. in a brand new Dodge and trailer home, ending the trip at a trailer park in California. Arthur got interested in Whizzer motor bikes, Cushmans, Mustangs, and ultimately bought himself a Harley for $150 at age 15. “That was a lot of money, then,” Arthur points out. “I dropped out of school, and hustled money at a pool hall and worked at a machine shop to get enough to buy the motorcycle. In California, you could get a license to ride a motorcycle at age 15 and that’s all I wanted—motorcycles and girls. “After a while, the Harley was giving me trouble, and an older guy at the machine shop said he could fastest motorcycle in late ‘59.” Time inevitably passed; his Dad returned from his global travels and reminded Arthur that he was 17 years old—it was time to honor his deal and go into the Air Force. The best that could be said of that exposure to the military experience is that Arthur’s preference for the unconventional, and a lifelong habit of flouting rules did not mesh well with the rigorous demands, short hair and strict discipline of boot camp. After six weeks, he pursued and received a medical discharge because of flat feet. “I called them ‘million dollar legs’ at the time! The first thing I asked for when I got home was my Triumph, but my mom told me that somebody had stolen it out of the garage while I was gone.” An unemployed pedestrian civilian, Arthur walked to visit a girlfriend whose father, a studio executive, while drunk, promptly offered to buy Arthur a motorcycle if the lack of transportation was all that was standing between him and finding a job. Because it was a Monday and the Harley dealership was closed, they went to the next closest motorcycle dealership, and Arthur wound up with a BSA Super Rocket 1960. At 17, Arthur was one of the youngest motorcycle riders in the area, and his friends, whom he describes as misfits like himself, tales from biking’s dark side rebuild it and make it a stroker, and I said, ‘Okay—that’s cool. Do it.’ But I didn’t have any money. “About this time, my dad got back from Europe. He said he’d pay to get the bike fixed the way I wanted it on the condition that I would go into military service at age 17. That seemed like a whole lifetime away, so I agreed. I got my Harley back in action, but because my friend could still beat me on his bike—a Triumph—I traded the Harley for a Triumph Bonneville—the world’s www.bosshosscountry.com 23 were all in their 20s. At the time, says Arthur, there were hardly any motorcycles around—you might see one a week if you were lucky. “Because they were such rarities, everybody looked at them. The only bikes you could get were Triumphs, Indians, and Harleys. Those of us who loved motorcycles were all scrappers, rebels—guys who made our own rules—and people just weren’t used to us. They weren’t comfortable around us.” Before Hunter S. Thompson ever focused his gonzo skills on Hell’s Angels and made them an American byword—before the days of Prez Sonny Barger, Arthur says, “We wanted to become Hell’s Angels; turned down.” So the frustrated group of about ten bikers decided to form their own club, Satan’s Slaves. “We liked to drink and party hard and chase women; we didn’t care about anything else,” Arthur remembers. “We made it hard to get into the club—it was exclusive. It took people 8 or 9 months as prospects to get in, so it was a real source of pride to become a member. I was a charter member—and that club was my life, my family.” Arthur earned a living playing pool in a windowless pool hall he regarded as his official residence. Dave Arthur at the recent Satan’s Slaves Reunion we went up to their clubhouse in San Bernardino and asked to start a chapter in the San Fernando Valley. Because there was already a chapter in Venice, which was less than 25 miles from us, we were 24 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 His mail was delivered there; it was the address on his driver’s license. “It was just a thug place, but I was happy there. Somebody at the pool hall gave me some marijuana—my first time—it was 1959 or 60, the beginning of the drug scene, and this was brand new to me.” Many of his subsequent adventures in the shadowy underworld of drugs and drug trafficking are unprintable, giving a rare and hair-raising glimpse of the Dark Side to those of us more inclined to mainstream pastimes. Arthur spent time in prison for dealing marijuana, emerged as a “celebrity” at age 25, and spent his days at the beach, and his evenings with girls, playing pool, and riding bikes. Life is just one continuous learning process. Some of us are “out there” learning more every day—good and bad—than others learn in an entire lifetime. Arthur was perched on the leading edge, embracing new experiences—and in the process he made a lot of contacts, including celebrities who introduced him to cocaine. “It was sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I was in the money—I bought an airplane, a Corvette, a million-dollar Ferrari, classic Vincent motorcycles, anything I wanted. A Penthouse Pet of the Year was my girlfriend. I was just a young, crazy guy, and I loved the lifestyle and cocaine. It did me in, eventually, but till then, I was a millionaire for 7 years. I had scrapes with the law, but I had money and good attorneys. I had a trucking company that hauled sand and gravel and made money that way, too. “But then I started smoking crack—and that was the fastest decline—the worst drug of all.” From a great high, he started steadily going downhill. In 1977, the Satan’s Slaves became the San Fernando Valley Hell’s Angel Chapter. Since Hell’s Angels didn’t allow crack cocaine, after 17 years Arthur retired from the club, which had way too many rules for him. The story of his decline isn’t pretty; as Arthur intended, it provides a sobering lesson: “I started not liking myself,” admits Arthur. “It was not good. I started losing all my money, my empire collapsed. It took about 4 years,” he recalls. He struggled unsuccessfully on his own to kick the habit, experiencing dangerous seizures as a result of his abuse, till ultimately, at the proverbial rock bottom, his friends took him to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, where he was shocked by the presence of a man in a wheelchair, paralyzed by the same sort of seizures Arthur had been experiencing. “People there were happy,” he exclaims, still amazed by the revelation. “What druggies really want is to be happy. I listened to the speakers at the meeting; many seemed happy and I wasn’t—and that’s what I wanted.” With the support of the friends who sponsored him, Arthur took the life-changing step, attended daily meetings, and on February 18 of this year, he celebrated a special anniversary: “I’ve been clean for 20 years,” he says with pride. “I was 49 when I quit alcohol, drugs, everything. Now that I’m clean, I recommend ‘no anything’—not even alcohol.” He moved to Las Vegas, where he lives today with Lisa, his girlfriend of 15 years. There he bought a house and a truck to reestablish a hauling business, became a Born Again Christian, and was baptized. “I believe in Jesus. He’s been good to me; I don’t like to preach religion, but for me, it’s great. In the program, the main thing you learn is to rely on a higher power; you learn that the world doesn’t revolve around you.” Today, clean, sober, and happy, Arthur characterizes himself as just a regular old working guy; one who is glad to share his story if it helps others. He often addresses groups of substance abusers and recovering addicts at Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and takes quiet pride in the knowledge that others find his experiences useful in dealing with their own demons. Arthur’s powerful voice, humor, and honesty about his past mistakes offer a sample of the quality that makes him such an effective speaker and storyteller. One constant in Arthur’s life, through good times and bad, was his love of motorcycles—pictured here are some of the classics from a collection that he acquired over the years, and preserved even when his other possessions had to be sacrificed. Included is a 1962 Triumph TR6 fixed up in the style of Arthur’s 17-year-old days. “That one is representative of its era—a real nice bike,” he points out. The rigid Harley is the last bike he built himself, started in 1996 or 97 and finished in about a year. “I’m keeping that one because it reminds me of when I was young. I had a lot of bikes like that one. It’s a fast bike,” Arthur comments. “I also have a Mustang motor scooter. It’s a little tiny motorcycle. I had one at age 14, and traded a car for it. “I also have a Salisbury motor scooter—an interesting bike, and a really rare scooter, originally made by Northrop Aviation. A lot of movie www.bosshosscountry.com 25 stars like Clark Gable had them back in the day. They go about 55 mph, which is pretty fast for that type of bike.” His collection also includes an Ariel Square Four 1954 model with a four cylinder engine. “It was way ahead of its time,” says Arthur. “They were really the Cadillac of the British bikes. Really smooth; they sound like little Offenhauser race cars.” And of course the gem of his collection—and what he calls his most life-changing event in 50 years of motorcycle riding—is the Boss Hoss. “It truly amazes me,” he says. (Read the full story of Arthur’s memorable acquisition of his first Boss Hoss in the Spring 2010 Anniversary issue of Boss Hoss Country.) “I really didn’t think I’d like the Boss Hoss that much. I had the same mentality as most regular motorcycle people do: ‘they’re big, they’re heavy, they’ll never handle’.” When he checked e-bay, however, and found a 2003 model with 541 miles on it, stored by a guy who never rode it, he bought it sight unseen and trailered it from Kansas to Nevada behind his old station wagon—he wouldn’t even attempt to ride it until he got home. “I thought if it didn’t work out, I could always re-sell it. “It intimidated me a little,” Arthur admits. “But when I got back, I couldn’t wait to try it! I got on it and rode it around the block before I ever went in the house. And then I couldn’t wait to ride it some more! “The first three days I took it out, it broke down and I had to bring it back on a trailer every time. It was always something—the fuel pump, 26 the carburetor, the alternator, the battery—all because it hadn’t been run in a long time, and hadn’t ever been properly broken in. But I was overjoyed—like a little kid. I didn’t care if I had to push it each time! I still loved it. “At the time, my collection of bikes was much larger, but after I got the Boss Hoss, I just didn’t ride them much anymore; I just mainly rode the Boss Hoss. I loved my Boss. I’d never had a bike with a windshield; those old outlaw guys just didn’t have windshields. I loved it; I called it a window for a long time. That little trunk under the seat was a GIANT plus –I could put in a sweatshirt and a down jacket and a pair of gloves, and I could ride in my T-shirt on the west coast where it gets hot out, and yet when evenings came I could pull out my warm stuff. “I started riding the Boss everywhere, thousands of miles at a time. I rode it to the Midwest, Oklahoma, through Oregon, down to California from Nevada—and over to Arizona. It just doesn’t ever break, leak, or let me down.” Arthur was so enthusiastic about the V8 bikes that eventually he also added a V8 Chopper to his collection—“mainly because I’m a chopper guy at heart,” he explains. “but I’m never selling my Boss—I think having two V8’s is the best of both worlds. I’m the Western U.S. rep for V8 Choppers and I sell them because I love them, too. But I tell people looking for a touring bike that my recommendation is a Boss Hoss; if they want a chopper, my suggestion would be to get a V8 Chopper. The best solution is to have one of each! That’s my genuine feeling. I feel blessed to have both Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 bikes and ride them both, and I just love them.” He’s also a big fan of the new LS Boss Hoss models. “I tell people they’re lighter than my small block and faster than a big block. They’ve come a long way and they look good and I’d love to have one, but it’s not in the budget right now.” Looking at the biker world from his perspective of 55 years’ worth of riding experience, Arthur reflects thoughtfully: “I wish the mainstream bike riders would take our bikes seriously. We need to recruit more ‘regular folks.’ If they just ride these bikes, they’ll come away with a whole new attitude. “It’s a little irritating when people ask me questions like, ‘What are you gonna do if it falls over?’ I feel like saying, ‘I don’t know about you, but I don’t fall over on my bike. If you have problems with falling over while riding your bike, maybe you shouldn’t have one!” he laughs. “If they’d just ride it, they’d know better.” In the final analysis, says Arthur, “I have fun selling them and I have fun riding them, and my old enthusiasm for motorcycles is back again. I’ve always loved motorcycles, but the V8s—they’re just like a whole new ball game. I feel like a little kid again—it’s cool as hell.” www.bosshosscountry.com 27 28 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 Daytona 2011, at the Boss Hoss owner’s appreciation party, across from the speedway. 29 www.bosshosscountry.com Ernie Beadle, the Western Canadian dealer for Boss Hoss in Kamloops, British Columbia, doesn’t believe in living a dull life. If adventure doesn’t come looking for him, he goes after it! Just take a look back at some of his tales that have appeared in Boss Hoss Country over the last few years: He’s dealt with a flood, an up-close-and-personal encounter with Hell’s Angels, customers dropping out of the sky in helicopters, and some pretty impressive international gatherings of the Boss Hoss faithful held at opposite corners of the globe, as well. “As soon as my feet touched the ground, I was allowed to ride it,” he remembers. “Since then, I’ve had many bikes; I tried to calculate the number of miles I’ve ridden just on the bikes I can remember, and my best guess is that I’ve logged over 225,000 miles on bikes with never an accident.” --Unless you count the “sort of” accident that resulted when he hit black ice and wound up down and skidding across the road! Although Beadle says he bounced or skipped like a rock, however, he walked away without injuries. getting one up there was a huge deal.” He talked with Rad Hunsley, then BHC CEO, who guided him through what he describes as the rigorous process of buying and shipping one, and at some point along the way, he made a lightning decision.“I thought, ‘What the hell—I may as well be a dealer as I have the time and passion for them!’—and that’s where it all started.” Owner of a commercial real estate company he has been operating for 30 years, Beadle regarded the Boss Hoss venture as a semi-retirement HOSS TRADERS: Boss Hoss – Kamloops, BC, Canada Dealer Profile Born and raised in Vancouver, Beadle moved with his family to a farm in Langley, BC, before striking out on his own and winding up in Kamloops 30 years ago. His motorcycle memories started growing early, since his dad bought a BSA125 for him and his siblings when Ernie was about seven years old. 30 As frequently happens, it was love at first sight when he spotted his first Boss Hoss at a run in Reno, Nevada. “As I am an old (figuratively option that would allow him to take speaking) diehard quarter-mile racer, some time off and enjoy doing power was a big thing for me,” says something that he had a passion for; Beadle. “So, to see a V8 in a bike and his business has grown from was the best of both worlds for there. this cowboy! There was no dealer in western Canada at the time, so roadWhen he established the dealership On the somewhere near Fayetville, AR Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 2011 Boss Hoss trikes in 2008, he started with the required inventory of three bikes. The number of bikes he keeps in stock varies, depending on time of year and market conditions. “In general I only keep about three bikes around, as I typically sell five or six a year. I try to not keep more inventory than the market will bear. The level of public interest in the Boss Hoss has been better than expected, as most people that call me have already ridden or seen Bosses somewhere and they just order them without delay. It’s a love or hate situation: If they want them, they order; if not, they don’t call. It’s pretty simple.” Most of his customers are Ernie and Hugo (BH Sweden) travel the world attending Boss Hoss rallies. Here they are just like him, Beadle says. at Pullman City in Germany. “They’re 50-60 years old, (above) Ernie’s idea of bar stool(s), 502 trike plus v-8 bar stool, another happy customer. former adrenaline junkies that love the sound and the controllable power of the Boss Hoss.” During the course of the three years he’s been in business, Beadle has sold about 15 new bikes and trikes and a couple of used ones. His dealership has already relocated once. “I started out in a Yamaha shop, where I had the bikes on display only as they wanted the Boss Hoss up there for exposure, as it was a great crowd pleaser. They then sold to another dealer who is going through an expansion mode and hopefully will look at taking on www.bosshosscountry.com 31 the Bosses, too, to broaden their market appeal. However,” Beadle points out, “I have a shop at home where I do all the mechanical work on the bikes and then I trailer them to outside shows, rallies, etc., for greater visibility.” One of his favorite venues for showing off the bikes is the International Bike Show in Vancouver, BC, every January, attended by close to 30,000 people. “All the major dealers are there so it is great exposure,” Beadle points out. “Kamloops also puts on a huge outdoor car show that includes Zipping through the Rockies... quarter mile in any directions—it’s a huge attention grabber.” Beadle’s customers have enthusiasm for the Boss Hoss that equals and sometimes even surpasses his own: “Murray and Donna, customers from Vancouver, bought a 502 bike, a 502 trike, and a V-8 Hoss Fly bar stool—and then Murray custom built a trailer with a beer wagon on top, to pull behind his Hoss Fly—just for kicks at car shows, rallies, etc.” Now there’s a guy who really loves the Boss Hoss brand! Ernie and Dagmar Midcap, host of driving television. Beadle also mentions couples who have each bought two Boss Hosses to ride modifieds, antiques, race cars, together. One couple, Ernie (another street performers, and more—and one) and Barb, chose a 502 bike I take my bikes, trikes, and Hoss and a 350 trike; another couple, Fly bar stool and fire it up every Wayne and Carol, bought a pair of hour during the show. That gets trikes—a ’32 coupe for him and a everyone’s attention for about a 32 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 ’57 Chevy for her. His most unusual customer may very well be the one Ernie’s story spotlighted in our Spring 2009 issue: “Buying on the Fly.” When the buyer called and asked if he could drop in to take a look at Beadle’s 502, he meant it literally. He used GPS coordinates to drop out of the sky in his helicopter and land on Beadle’s 40-acre front lawn. A week later, he flew in again with a friend who bought a second 502. Beadle had to hustle to deliver both bikes in time for Christmas, driving a couple of hours through two feet of snow to do so, he recalls. With 225,000 logged bike miles to his credit, Beadle obviously enjoys spending a lot of time in the saddle, and often tackles long solo rides on his own, like his qualifying 26-hour Iron Butt ride from Sturgis to Kamloops nonstop (except for gas). “The Boss Hoss was super comfortable to ride for that extended period of time,” he claims. Once married, Beadle is now single, with a new partner in his life, and with two daughters, Lindsay, 23 and Courtenay, 26. Both are into horses, especially the youngest, who is an equestrian coach and instructor who often rides competitively in Palm Springs and Tucson. The oldest is more of a biker girl and has her bike license; until recently she had a Harley Sportster of her own, but sold it when she decided to get married. She is between bikes, now, but Beadle sees a Boss Hoss in her and her husband-to-be’s future someday. “My new partner has just started getting into riding and really loves it; however, her involvement is on a much smaller scale than mine!” he jokes. “I also ride with a varied group of buddies, and we try to get out at least once a week for an evening ride—then the weekends are free to do whatever we like.” Beadle and his longtime best friend Rod were virtually born together 56 years ago—three months apart, to families three houses apart—and the family friendship endures today. The boys made a pact long ago to go riding every year–just the two of them—and they have honored that pact for many years, with an annual ride that he truly looks forward to “because it is full of laughs and giggles, and lots of verbal abuse between the two of us. That ride is always a week-long ride in the fall, somewhere in BC or the northwest U.S.” Beadle also gets together with two other best buddies, Butch and Nagle, to do a similar yearly trek. The three of them are nicknamed the “Three Stooges.” “--and quite fitting!” Ernie adds. “This trip, too, is full of laughs and fun, combined with practical jokes, some local suds (Miller’s, that is!) and some Ernie in the Rockies at about 10,500 ft. great rides.” He has maintained the tradition of these two rides and looks forward to them each and every year— something he thinks all good buddies should do. “It is a great stress reliever, good bonding, and just a whole bunch of fun; and in this day and age, you need to take advantage of every opportunity you get to have some fun, because one day we will all have to hang up our boots; and then all we will have are the good times and memories to remember,” Beadle reminds us. As previously mentioned, Beadle enjoys jauntering off to Boss Hoss rallies on both sides of the globe; He attended the European Boss Hoss Rally held at Pullman City two years ago and wrote (in our Fall 2009 issue) a colorful and enthusiastic story of his trip, including the opportunity to realize his longtime dream of riding the Swiss Alps—an unforgettable experience he still treasures. “Andy Mueller, the European importer and German dealer, was a super host, and the Europeans are really friendly. I would go over there again in a minute!” he concludes. “I also went to New Zealand to Brian and Sue Ford’s grand opening in Christchurch, and rode around there, as well. What a fabulous country! And the people are super there, too. Brian and Sue were incredible hosts, and quite the characters, I must say—that is, if you can understand their unique accent and interesting figures of speech!” He makes it a point to attend most of the U.S. Boss Hoss Rallies at www.bosshosscountry.com 33 BOSS HOSS CLUB Dyersburg and Paris, Tennessee. “I always have a blast, since I get to meet riders that I have met before or talked to many times—so it is more or less party time, with Boss Hoss always putting on a great event with lots of tailgate parties. “That’s one thing about the Boss Hoss family,” he reflects thoughtfully. “They are all so friendly—more so than any other group I have been associated with. I had Harleys for many years, and they are fun people, too—but nowhere near as close to a family unit as Boss riders are. They are always cheerful, upbeat, ready to share stories, and always glad to see you or accommodate you.” Asked about his special goals for the future, Beadle describes a notion still in the early planning stages—a Herculean effort the 56-year-old is considering undertaking for the noblest of motives: “I have recently lost a couple of friends to cancer, and have been contemplating doing a fundraiser to bring in money that would be earmarked specifically for cancer research,” he explains. His 34 idea—based on Ewan McGregor’s long-distance rides chronicled in the documentaries, TV series, and books, “Long Way Down” and “Long Way Round”—is to plan a marathon ride on the longest stretch of road in the world, reaching from the tip of Alaska to the Angentinian tip of South America (about 20,000 miles or 32,000 kilometers). “I’m contemplating building a Boss Hoss designed for such a ride, and locating sponsors to make the charitable donation to cancer research,” says Beadle. “I checked with the Guinness Book of Records to see if I could try for the world record, but only one man has set the record; others have died trying to better it, so they will not sponsor such an event anymore.” Because he cannot try to break the world record, he is looking at doing it over a six-week period, which would mean covering around 300 miles a day, which would then let him stop and smell the roses along the way, he points out. “That’s not much on pavement, but over half of this ride would be on gravel and dirt roads, and that is slow going.” Well aware that this major adventure will require a lot of careful planning Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 and forethought, he is beginning initial studies of what it might take to build a bike appropriate for such a ride. Boss Hoss Denmark www.bosshosscycles.dk + “Hopefully I can do it someday soon, since I’m not getting any younger,” he points out. “This would be the ultimate test for any bike—and I’m sure the Boss Hoss would pull through without a hitch.” Birger Hansen + bh@boss-hoss.dk + Torvet 4 + 6100 Haderslev + Tel +45 40 13 80 22 + Fax +45 74 53 14 08 We’ll all be waiting eagerly to hear more news as Beadle develops his plans—including potential support from the Boss Hoss factory and a mystery riding partner (from Europe) to be confirmed soon! Meanwhile, be sure to visit his website (www.bcbosshoss.com), call him at 250-377-1221, or drop in (vertically or otherwise!) to his dealership at # 201-982 Camosun Crescent in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada V2C 6G2. It’s best to call ahead though, as he may be out for a long ride somewhere! www.bosshosscountry.com 35 Claudio Keusch The European Boss Hoss community and its brothers and sisters worldwide join in mourning the passage of a good friend and rider who lost his battle with cancer on February 7, 2011. Klaus Keusch, known to his friends as Claudio—and to much of his world as “Mr. Boss Hoss“—will be fondly remembered. In Memoriam Claudio Keusch Die Europäische Boss Hoss Gemeinde und ihre weltweiten Brüder und Schwestern betrauern gemeinsam das Dahinscheiden eines guten Freundes und Motorradfahrers. Er verlor den Kampf gegen den Krebs am 7. Februar 2011. An Klaus Keusch, allen Freunden bekannt als Claudio und vielen Anderen als „Mister Boss Hoss“, wird man sich immer erinnern. Zum Gedenken an Claudio Keusch by Martin Kolbe von Martin Kolbe Zum Gedenken an Claudio Keusch In Memoriam Claudio Keusch 36 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 Claudio Keusch visited Daytona Bike Week on a regular basis. In spring 1991 he and his friends saw a Boss Hoss for the first time on Mainstreet. Although Boss Hoss was, at this time, more in an experimental stage, Claudio got infected by the V8 virus straight away. After a few years he mothballed his Senn-Chopper, and his first Boss Hoss, a clutch model, became one of the first ones licensed in Switzerland. The theme for the paint job was set from beginning. It had to be the American Flag. Little by little he modified his bike to his vision. The clutch was exchanged for an automatic drive. The rear tire grew to a width of 285mm. He even made a support on the luggage rack, so he could take his pocket bike with him. In 2001 I contacted Claudio for the first time. His business card had floated around my wallet for 2 years already. I met him at his home and wanted to know more about Boss Hoss. After a short chat he said, “Let’s go and ride”. Thus, I sat behind Claudio on the Boss Hoss. He directed us out of town. After a few kilometers he stopped at a big parking lot. “Now it’s your turn”, he said. What!? My first ride with a Boss Hoss would be with his bike with Claudio Keusch besuchte regelmässig die Bikeweek in Daytona. Im Frühling 1991 sahen er und seine Freunde zum ersten Mal eine Boss Hoss auf der Mainstreet. Obwohl die Boss Hoss damals noch eher im Experimental Stadium war, hatte sich Claudio sofort mit dem V8 Virus infiziert. Nach ein paar Jahren wurde sein SennChopper eingemottet und seine erste Boss Hoss, eine Eingang mit Handkupplung, wurde als eine der Ersten in der Schweiz zugelassen. Das Motiv für die Lackierung stand von Anfang an fest. Es musste die USA Fahne sein. Nach und nach passte er die Maschine seinen Vorstellungen an. Die Kupplung ersetzte er durch eine Eingang Automatik. Der Hinterreifen wuchs bis auf 285mm Breite. Er machte sich sogar einen Ständer auf den Gepäckträger, damit er sein Pocket Bike mitnehmen konnte. Im 2001 nahm ich zum ersten Mal Kontakt auf mit Claudio. Seine Visitenkarte wanderte schon 2 Jahre in meiner Geldbörse herum. Ich traf Ihn zu Hause und www.bosshosscountry.com 37 theme was painted on. To avoid some of the annoying questioning, he engraved the most important specifications of the BB on the dash just below the instruments. him as a passenger? Well, he didn’t need to twist my arm… Everything went well until we approached the traffic circle in town. We had to get 3/4 of the way around. I steered and pushed but the wide car tire just wanted to go straight. Finally, with a big effort, we made it out of the correct exit. I was in a cold sweat, but Claudio trusted me and I felt his confidence. Otherwise I would not have made it out of that traffic circle… In winter 2004 he fulfilled another dream. He bought a brand new Big Block in the USA. As he wanted to ride it in Daytona in March, before sending it to Switzerland, the BB had to be ready to ride in Florida. Although the deadline turned out to be tight, he did ride his black BB through Mainstreet in Daytona. Just to be on the street the BB had to be painted. So it was done in basic black. Once the BB was in Switzerland the already well known American flag 38 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 knapp wurden, fuhr er mit seinem BB über die Mainstreet in Daytona. Um die Maschine fahren zu können wurde sie schwarz lackiert. Als dann der BB in der Schweiz ankam wurde das allseits bekannte USA-Flaggen Thema auflackiert. Um der ewigen Fragerei etwas zu entgehen, hatte er die wichtigsten Daten des BB auf die Instrumententafel unterhalb der Armaturen eingravieren lassen. Claudio war es gewohnt im Rampenlicht zu stehen, denn als Magier stand er doch einige Jahre auf wollte etwas mehr über Boss Hoss erfahren. Nach einem kurzen Gespräch meinte er nur, „Komm wir gehen fahren“. Also setzte ich mich bei Ihm hinten drauf und wir fuhren raus aus der Ortschaft. Nach ein paar Kilometern hielt er an einem grossen Parkplatz. „Jetzt bist Du dran“, hiess es dann. Was!? Meine erste Fahrt mit einer Boss Hoss soll ich mit Seiner Maschine und mit Ihm hinten drauf machen? OK, viel Überredungskunst hatte er nicht gebraucht… Alles lief gut, bis wir zum Kreisel im Ort kamen. Dreiviertel rum mussten wir. Ich habe gelenkt und gedrückt, aber der breite Autoreifen wollte einfach nur geradeaus. Schlussendlich sind wir mit viel Mühe doch noch beim richtigen Abzweiger rausgefahren. Ich habe Blut und Wasser geschwitzt, aber Claudio hat mir vertraut und das Vertrauen habe ich gespürt. Ansonsten wäre ich wohl nicht mehr aus diesem Kreisel rausgekommen… Im Winter 2004 hat er sich einen weiteren Traum erfüllt. Er kaufte sich einen brandneuen Big Block in den USA. Da er die Maschine in Daytona im März fahren wollte, bevor sie in die Schweiz verfrachtet wurde, sollte der BB in Florida zur Ausfahrt bereit sein. Obwohl die Termine www.bosshosscountry.com 39 Claudio was used to being in the spotlight. As a magician he was on stage for several years. Therefore, it was not astonishing that he was featured in regional and national newspapers. His pictures and stories also found their way into some motorcycle magazines. That way he was shown in the magazine ‘Moto Sport Schweiz’ with his Small Block and later with his Big Block again. verschiedensten Bühnen. So erstaunt es auch nicht, dass er in regionalen und nationalen Tageszeitungen portraitiert wurde. Auch in ein paar Motorradmagazinen fanden sich Bilder und Stories von Claudio mit seiner Boss Hoss. So ist er z.B. in der ‚Moto Sport Schweiz’ mit seiner Small Block und später auch mit der Big Block erschienen. Beim alljährlichen Boss Hoss Treffen in Pullman City Harz in Hasselfelde war er von Anfang an dabei. Er verstand es die Besucher mit einem Zaubertrick, seiner charmanten Art oder mit einem Burnout oder Stunt auf der BB zu faszinieren. Auch wenn ein Burnout mit ‚ein wenig’ Feuer schlussendlich sein hinteres Schutzblech verbrannte, nahm er das mit einem Schulterzucken hin. „Das macht nichts, ich wollte das Schutzblech eh tauschen“, war sein einziger Kommentar. He was a regular at the annual Boss Hoss Rally in Pullman City Harz in Hasselfelde from the beginning. He knew how to fascinate visitors with a magic trick, his charming personality or with a burnout or a stunt on the BB. Even though a burnout with ‘a little’ fire finally burned his rear fender, he took it with a shrug of the shoulders. “I don’t mind, I wanted to replace it anyway”, was his only comment. An der ‚European Bike Week’ in Faak in der Kneipe ‚Harrys Farm’ wurde immer wieder zu Burnouts in der Bar eingeladen. Da die Bike Week ein Harley Davidson Event ist, standen da meist Harley’s und versuchten einen Burnout mit mehr oder weniger Erfolg. Natürlich durften die Boss Hoss nicht fehlen, und so fuhren Andy Werner, Andy Müller und Claudio kurzerhand hinein und haben zu Dritt gezeigt wie so was gemacht wird. Claudio war auch bekannt dafür dass er in der grossen Parade jeweils Balance und Stunt Tricks vorführte. Die Zuschauer jubelten und klatschten, wenn er im ‚Flieger’ vorbeifuhr. At the ‘European Bike Week’ in Faak in the tavern ‘Harry’s Farm’ people were encouraged to do a burnout in the bar. As the bike week is a HD event, there were mostly Harleys trying to burn some rubber, with more or less success. Certainly the Boss Hoss could not have been left out here. Andy Werner, Andy Müller and Claudio rode in the bar and all three together showed how this is done. Claudio was known for doing balance and stunt tricks Claudio bekam die Diagnose Krebs im Jahre 1999. Er wollte von Anfang an gegen diese Krankheit kämpfen. Er liess sich auch nach vielen Jahren kaum etwas anmerken, wenn ihn Schmerzen plagten. Immer wenn er gefragt wurde, wie es ihm gehe, bekam man eine positive Antwort. „Alles pico bello“ hiess es immer, in den letzten Jahren vielleicht ein, „Morgen bin ich wieder unterwegs!“ Er nahm jeden Spitalaufenthalt mit seinem Ihm eigenen 40 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 in the big parade. The crowd cheered and applauded when he rode by them as ‘plane’. In 1999, cancer was diagnosed. Claudio was willing to fight against this illness from the beginning. Even many years later, he never let anyone see that he was in pain. If you asked him about his well-being, he always answered “Everything is great!” In the last few years he sometimes said “Tomorrow I’m on my way again!” He took every stay at the hospital with his own brand of humor. The operations were just a “tune-up” or “customizing”. A few years ago the last vertebra of the tail bone had to be amputated due to a metastasis. Shortly afterwards another surgery was needed to take out the second vertebra. Questioned about that he just said: ”That’s really helpful. This way I can ride my BB much longer without pain in my butt.” From 2006 on, Claudio could hardly work because of the cancer. That left him more time for the essential things in life. He was on the road with his BB and enjoyed life as long as he could. Humor. Die Operationen waren bei Ihm nur „Tuning“ oder „Customizing“. Vor ein paar Jahren musste Ihm das letzte Glied des Steissbeins amputiert werden, da sich eine Metastase dort festgesetzt hatte. Wenig später musste noch einmal Operiert werden und das zweite Glied wurde entfernt. Darauf angesprochen meinte er nur: „Das ist ganz nützlich, so kann ich länger auf der Boss Hoss fahren, ohne dass mich der Hintern schmerzt“. Da Claudio wegen dem Krebs seit 2006 kaum mehr arbeiten konnte, hatte er mehr Zeit sich um die wichtigen Dinge im Leben zu kümmern. Er war viel unterwegs mit der BB und Claudio satisfied his love of freedom not only with riding the motorcycle, but also by soaring through the air with his rigid glider. The glider had to be sold long ago, but the fascination for flying never let go of him. About 6 years ago he ordered a new paraglider in order to get up in the air again. Now he was torn between riding the motorcycle or enjoying the sights with the paraglider. The best solution was found quickly: ride the BB into the Alps to go paragliding. genoss das Leben solange es ihm noch geschenkt war. Claudio hat seinen Freiheitsdrang nicht nur mit Motorradfahren ausgelebt. Er war in jungen Jahren mit seinem eigenen Deltasegler durch die Luft gekurvt. Der Deltasegler wurde allerdings vor langer Zeit verkauft. Die Faszination Schweben liess Ihn aber nie los. So bestellte er vor rund 6 Jahren einen neuen Gleitschirm, um wieder in die Luft gehen zu können. Jetzt war er hin und her gerissen, soll ich Motorradfahren oder doch mit dem Schirm die Aussicht geniessen. Die beste Lösung wurde schnell gefunden: Mit dem BB zum Gleitschirmfliegen in die Alpen. In the last two years Claudio found peace and concentration in building statues of stone men on the shores of Lake Constance. From simple beginnings, he eventually worked up to building large statues at the lake. Occasionally, people leave little presents at these towers. This skill also made it into the newspaper. In den letzten zwei Jahren fand Claudio viel Ruhe und Konzentration im Bau von Steinmännchen. Es fing ganz einfach an und steigerte sich bis zu hohen Türmen, die er am Strand des Bodensees gekonnt platzierte. Vereinzelt hinterliessen Passanten sogar kleine Geschenke bei den Türmen. Auch diese Fertigkeit fand Ihren Weg in die Zeitung. As Claudio’s death notice reminds us, “I did not go away; I just went ahead.” Auf Claudios Todesanzeige war geschrieben: „Ich bin nicht von euch gegangen, ich bin nur vorausgegangen.“ Die ganze Boss Hoss Familie kondoliert seiner Familie und seinen Freunden. All of the Boss Hoss family extend our sympathy to his family and friends. Thank you, Martin, for sharing your memories of this special rider. Vielen Dank, Martin, dass Du die Erinnerungen dieses einzigartigen Motorradfahrers mit uns teilst. www.bosshosscountry.com 41 42 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 www.bosshosscountry.com 43 New 1 Piece Car Rims $1400 Kick Stand Guard $29. $39 $1195 $900 $995 $930 $900 $28.95 www.bosshoss.com 44 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 Everything is bigger in Texas. very, very fast. 8.5 gallons. New & Used Units In Stock 445 horse power, yours times about 4. because it makes my butt look smaller. yes, it’s a car engine. and ready for delivery. are you sure you’re not a cop? zero to wet your pants... approximately 1.5 seconds. Parts and Service. Financing Available. 2125 W. Pioneer Pkwy. B-1 Grand Prairie, TX 75051 Phone: 972-660-8717 • Fax: 972-660-8878 www.texasbosshoss.com • texasbosshosscycles@msn.com visit the all new bosshosscountry.com If you’re already an owner, you know the questions to which these answers apply. If you’re not yet an owner, here are the answers to the questions you’ll be asked regularly. Feel free to make copies of this and hand them • • • • • • • • • join BHRA manage your subcription online upload classifieds ads (members only) post photos to the photo gallery buy a friend a membership to BHRA collect your BHRA patches get deals on events and rides download pdf’s of previous issues be a part of the entire Boss Hoss family of riders, dealers, employees and media email: kim@bosshosscountry.com or seth@ bosshosscountry.com for more details. out wherever you go. It’ll save you at least 15 minutes at every pit stop. www.bosshosscountry.com 45 Texas two for A Boss Hoss Family Affair Robbie and Debra Sanders of Big Spring, Texas, have had a thing about speed for a long time. Even before he began racing drag boats on both U.S. coasts and nationwide, Robbie had been zooming over muddy motocross courses, after first earning his spurs on a Mustang motorcycle he rode to school during junior high. After graduation, Robbie served three years in law enforcement before his father built the first airport in the area; then Robbie found a new career in the air—as a pilot serving corporate clients—until his recent retirement. Debra, who has worked 34 years for ONCOR Electric Delivery Company, a local employer, has “done everything with them but climb a telephone pole,” jokes Robbie. Most of the five weeks of annual vacation time she has earned are spent covering the highways and byways side by side with Robbie— each on their own unique Boss Hoss. But the Boss Hoss wasn’t a snap decision for either of them: “After junior high, I didn’t ride anything for a while until the 70s, when I bought a Honda Gold Wing and rode it for three or four years,” Robbie remembers. 46 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 When his son won a Harley Sportster in a raffle and presented it to his dad, Robbie rode it for about a year before trading up to a 1999 Road King which he rode happily for a couple more years until that fateful day at the Sturgis rally where he lined up with others to experience his first demo ride on a Boss Hoss—and the rest, as they say, is history! Debra’s solo riding career began with her first shaky practice runs on a Honda trail bike, which led to a Harley of her own, and ultimately carried her into the saddle of her own Boss Hoss—three easy stages over the course of a mere six years! ”When Robbie took his Boss Hoss demo ride,” says Debra, “I was just a new rider. I didn’t even think about taking a demo ride myself—not even on one of the trikes. So I stood around and waited for him to come back from the ride, and when he drove in with that grin on his face, I knew that the Boss Hoss was going to be the next bike we put in our garage!” Her prediction was dead on. Inspired by that demo ride at Spearfish, within six months Robbie pounced on the opportunity to buy a 2000 model 350 Boss Hoss from a friend. The friend had purchased part ownership in a motorcycle dealership—but discovered that customers weren’t looking at his merchandise because they were too distracted by the overpowering presence of his Boss Hoss. So Robbie happily took the Boss Hoss off his friend’s hands and rode it until 2006. Along the way, Robbie also picked up a 2002 model 502 and passed it on to a new owner through his friend and local Boss Hoss dealer, Curtis Pyatt at Texas Boss Hoss, before winding up with his current 2006 model. Meanwhile, Debra, who had enjoyed sharing rides on Robbie’s bikes over the years, was encouraged by Robbie to learn the joys of riding solo. “I took her out one day to the airport with a borrowed Honda trail bike—a little bitty thing—and started teaching her how to ride, taking it easy out there on the wide-open tarmac. After a week or two, she could ride that thing pretty well, so I bought a Honda Shadow Spirit from one of my friends, and taught her to ride that one.” Debra signed up for a motorcycle safety course and qualified for her license with ease. “It was funny,” www.bosshosscountry.com 47 “I was riding my Boss Hoss, and she was on my 1999 Road King Classic, and as soon as we got outside of town, I pulled over at a little roadside park and told her we were going to switch bikes, and she was going to ride the Boss Hoss.” In spite of her initial fears and reluctance, Debra handled the bike like a pro—and loved it. On the way back home from the visit, Debra again rode the Boss Hoss, and Robbie gave her some special instructions: “This time, when we’re cruising, I’ll give you a signal when it’s clear and safe—when I do, just open it all the way up and count slowly: 1—2—3— 4—5, and then let off; you’ll get the full effect of riding a Boss Hoss.” Robbie chuckles as he continues the tale: “I gave her the signal, and she opened the thing up and just took off! Well, I opened up the Harley, too, but I couldn’t stay with her. I started counting myself: ‘1—2—3—4—5— 6—7’ --and still she was completely out of sight. I started to worry that maybe the throttle was stuck or something! she recalls. “I was the only woman taking the course with six men. I was kind of afraid that I might not pass it, but a couple of the guys had the macho attitude that they were going to be outstanding riders.” By the time the test course was completed, the overconfident guys were singing a different song, however; Debra reports that her score on the riding course was nearly perfect, while some of her classmates were falling over on the turns. 48 After a year riding the Shadow, Debra had the opportunity to try out a friend’s new Harley Softail—with Robbie urging her on, of course! Although she had serious misgivings about experimenting on someone else’s brand new bike, once Debra got a taste of riding a more powerful bike, she was eager to trade up to a Harley 2001 Heritage Softail of her own just two weeks later. Determined to create a true convert, however, Robbie surprised her on an 80-mile highway trip to visit Debra’s parents. Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 “She finally let off up there somewhere ahead, and let me catch up to her. When we stopped, I asked what happened: ‘Man, I thought the throttle was stuck or something. You just ran off and left me!’ “She turned around and smiled at me and said, ‘Now you know what it feels like!’” That adrenaline jolt of your first ride is not a feeling you forget. So when Robbie ordered a new Boss Hoss in 2006 and he and Debra discovered a www.bosshosscountry.com 49 second brand new 2006 Boss Hoss sitting beside it in the showroom, Debra’s eyes lit up. When she found out that the second bike wasn’t yet spoken for, Debra lost no time letting Curtis know that it was going to be hers! And so it was. Once the paint jobs on both new Boss Hosses were completed, Debra and Robbie picked them up and started riding. Two months later, content to concentrate on the Boss, Debra sold her old bike—and has covered many a happy trail on the Boss Hoss since then! What’s weird about a “girl” riding a Boss Hoss? Debra says it’s a lot of fun just to see the looks on people’s faces when she rides up on a bike that looks two sizes too big for her at first glance. Robbie points out that when Debra was riding with him on her Harley, people who approached him to ask about his Boss Hoss wouldn’t hesitate to comment about how it was just too big for them—they wouldn’t even think of riding something like that. Now, he laughs, when he and Debra ride up together on their Boss Hosses, he never hears such a comment. Apparently they’re reluctant to express such reservations about their own ability and willingness to handle it, when they see Debra managing it with casual ease. “They always ask Debra the same questions,” Robbie reports. “‘Can you hold that up?’ and ‘Can you ride 50 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 that?’ in tones of disbelief.” Silly questions, she points out, since they just saw her ride up on it! It is a big bike!— no argument, agrees Debra. But because it’s balanced so well, she has few problems; she admits to laying it over only twice in five years of active riding—once when she was sitting still, preparing to back up and park on uneven ground. “It was just stupid!” she grumbles, impatient with herself. Debra’s “power ride” has even gained her a few fleeting moments of national fame: Robbie tells us that during the 2008 Sturgis rally, a number of politicians and their media entourages were present— including McCain and the film crew covering his presidential campaign. Robbie recalls riding in downtown Sturgis alongside Debra when a videographer stepped out into the street directly in front of her, forcing her to stop to avoid running over him. He aimed at Debra, captured his footage and disappeared. The same thing happened at the next corner, with a different cameraman targeting her. The next day Robbie got a phone call from a friend in Texas who reported seeing Debra and her Boss Hoss on national television, in a segment focusing on McCain’s activities in Sturgis. Regardless of your politics, anything that gets As soon as it arrived, of course, Robbie couldn’t resist riding it. And as we all know, as soon as you ride one, you’re sunk! Robbie promptly made his son an offer; as a result, now the Sanders garage houses three Boss Hosses. One of these days, Robbie says, he may sell the 502 to Curtis, a good friend who covets it fiercely. you and your Boss in front of a nationwide viewing audience can’t be all bad! Like Robbie, Debra loves the power of the Boss Hoss. “You don’t have any trouble going down the road and getting around people; and some of the reactions when I pass people are just fun to see. When my parents first found out that I had a bike of my own, my mother said, ‘I thought we taught you to have better sense!’ But now they’ve gotten past that; they know that I just love riding.” The urge to acquire Boss Hoss models has become a real family affair. Their son spotted a 502 big block on e-bay early in 2010, and quickly snapped it up. “A New Yorker originally bought the bike on e-bay, rode it around the block and put it back on e-bay the next day,” Robbie reports. “He said, ‘If I had found a place to turn around, I wouldn’t have even gone around the block on it!’ It was way too much horsepower for him.” But his loss was a gain for Robbie’s son, who quickly acquired it, and asked his dad to put it on display in Curtis’s Dallas area showroom. collectible 502 would disappear in a heartbeat! Are there more Boss Hosses in the Sanders’ future? What rider is ever satisfied? Robbie is looking ahead to someday selling the 502, and either pumping the motor in his 350 or trading up for an LS3. Although she may be Has Boss Hoss “If I thought he’d keep it for himself, I’d let him have it!” says Robbie, but Curtis ia consummate buyer and seller who, with his hard-working wife and partner Kristi, is dedicated to keeping the Bosses rolling quickly in and out the doors of his Texas dealership. No doubt that eminently shopping—what woman doesn’t?— Debra plans to hang onto her Boss for the time being. “I just don’t see giving it up any time soon.” Avid riders, the two have put 45,000 and 35,000 miles on their 2006 Bosses alone—not counting the 40,000 or more they’ve logged on their other, earlier bikes. Their travels have taken them to Montana’s Glacier National Park, to Canada, Utah, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and more, including rally runs to Sturgis—and of course to the Boss Hoss National Rally. Their home in Big Spring, between Dallas and El Paso, offers very flat topography, says Robbie, and they have to ride 200 miles ‘just to get anywhere’. Occasionally they haul the bikes to Raton, New Mexico, park the trailer with permission from a property owner, and just ride from there for a couple of weeks. Most people don’t realize what effective touring bikes the Bosses are, says Robbie, which he finds astonishing, in view of the 350 Chevy engines that power them. “They just don’t think that these bikes will go long distances,” Debra agrees, “but we ride them everywhere—for days and weeks at a time. People need to realize that they’re great touring bikes—and they’re a blast to ride, too!” Here’s to many more happy trails for the Sanders family—including a fall journey to Paris, Tennessee, where they can meet even more of the Boss Hoss family of riders! www.bosshosscountry.com 51 Boss Hoss Dealer Listing of dealers who advertised in this issue US Dealers (Alphabetical order): Arizona Arizona Boss Hoss 8295 E. Raintree Drive, Suite F Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Ph: 480-222-0094 arizonabosshoss.com chris@arizonabosshoss.com Arkansas Rick Taylor, Inc. P.O. Box 808 2809 S. Knoxville Russelville, AR 72801 Ph: 479-890-2662 bosshossofarkansas.com rick@bosshossofarkansas.com California California Boss Hoss 1414 W. Pacific Coast Hwy. Harbor City, CA 90710 Ph: 800-912-2488 calbh.com info@calbh.com Connecticut Stamford Boss Hoss 792 Pacific St. Stamford, CT 06902 Ph: 203-359-1556 bosshossct.com BossHossct@aol.com Florida Custom Works 806 N. Beach St Daytona Beach, FL 32114 (386) 257-1300 Fax: (386) 257-1698 cwidaytona.com info@cwidaytona.com Illinois Boss Hoss by Siron 2415 Bunn Street Bloomington, IL 61704 Ph. (309) 827-7611 ADMIN@BOSS-HOSS.COM www.boss-hoss.com 52 for a complete listing of dealers, visit bosshoss.com Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 Maryland Boss Hoss of Frederick 100 D Buchiemer Road Frederick, MD 21701 Ph: 301-662-9447 bosshosscyclesfdkmd.com jg@bosshosscyclesfdkmd.com Minnesota Chopper City Sports 7191 Highway 65 n e Fridley, MN 55432 Ph: 763-572-2100 choppercity.com choppercity@multicorp.net Ohio Lima Auto Mall 2100 N. Cable Rd. Lima, OH 45805 Ph: 800-541-5015 limabosshoss.com bosshoss@limaautomall.com Oklahoma Trinity Trikes 200 S.E. 19th St. Moore, OK 73160 Ph: 405-794-3935 Fx: 405-794-3916 trinitytrikes.com info@trinitytrikes.com Oregon Wildrose Boss Hoss 56723 Country Villa Ln. Warren, OR 97053 Ph: 503-366-1200 Cell: 971-235-1635 wildrosebosshoss.com wfainc@opusnet.com Pennsylvania Mountain Boss Hoss Cycles, Inc. 116 Runway Road Friedens, PA 1554.1 Ph: 814-445-8297 mountainbosshoss.com tom@mountainbosshoss.com Texas Texas Boss Hoss Cycles, Inc. 2125 W. Pioneer Pkwy., B-1 Grand Prairie, TX 75051 Ph: 972-660-8717 texasbosshoss.com texasbosshosscycles@msn.com International Dealers (Alphabetical order): Australia Pacific Boss Hoss Melborne, Australia Ph: 61 3 9737 0717 bosshoss.com.au sales@bosshoss.com.au Canada/British Columbia BC Boss Hoss # 201-982 Camosun Cres, Kamloops, BC V2C-6g2 Ph: 250-377-1221 Fx: 250-571-1222 bcbosshoss.com ernie@bcbosshoss.com Denmark Boss Hoss Cycles of Denmark Torvet 4 DK-6100 Haderslev, Denmark Ph: 45 74 52 10 22 arizona bh ad, full page Germany Boss Hoss Cycles Germany Grubenstrabe 4 Huerth, Germany 50354 Ph: 0049 2233 714188 Fx: 0049 2233 714189 bosshosscycles.de info@bosshosscycles.de Japan Boss Hoss Cycle Japan Ph: 001 81 284 64 0214 Fx: 001 81 284 64 0228 bosshoss.co.jp support@bosshoss.co.jp New Zealand Brian Ford Engineering LTD. Christchurch 91-93 Rutherford St. Christchurch, New Zealand Ph: 011 64 3 384 2828 bosshoss.co.nz brianfordnz@yahoo.co.nz Sweden Boss Hoss Cycles Sweden Gulltofsavagen 14 Orebro, Sweden 70217 Ph: 46 (0) 703 93 63 93 boss-hoss.se info@boss-hoss.se www.bosshosscountry.com 53 Siron Boss Hoss Cycles The name you can trust...Providing the greater midwest with new and used Boss Hoss bikes and trikes, apparel, accessories, service and support since 1998. by you ride the genuine article. Boss Hoss Cycles by Siron 2415 Bunn Street Bloomington, IL 61704 Ph. (309) 827-7611 www.boss-hoss.com wear it as well. mens embossed leather jackets on sale now: $150 (size med-XL) ladies embossed leather jackets on sale now: $130 (size med-2XL) genuine boss hoss apparel available at www.bosshoss.com 54 Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Spring 2011 www.bosshosscountry.com 55
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