A bit of motorcycle trivia

[rmrc51]

I saw this posted on another forum. Talk about a fella who really loved his job!!! Thought I'd share it here also;

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Reprinted from Dealer News

90-year-old motorcycle technician to retire after 64 years
Publish Date:
Mar 19, 2013

SARASOTA, Fla. – A shop technician who said he's seen just about everything is retiring at the end of the month at age 90, after 64 years at the same job.

"I still like what I'm doing, I enjoy working here with all the guys here…they’re great people to work with," Kenny Clark told WWSB.

He started at Hap's Cycle Sales during the Truman administration. At that time there was one motorcycle registered in Sarasota County and two in Manatee County. When he arrived on his motorcycle from Illinois in 1949, he took the job for Hap Poneleit for $12 a week.

"He and my father together had motorcycle magic. They had technical skills beyond the other guys locally," said Hap’s son Robert, who is now general manager of Hap's Cycle Sales . "Kenny was a famous race rider when he was younger, then got into building race motors, and that was his forte, to build those engines real fast."

Clark said he plans to be a frequent visitor at Hap’s.

Posted by Holly Wagner

 

[bigjohn2345]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Trent]

Wouldn't it be a blast to sit in that shop and talk to that guy and hear his stories? Thnx for the post...

 

[Tinbasher]

Wouldn't it be a blast to sit in that shop and talk to that guy and hear his stories? Thnx for the post...

I hope someone does just that with a recorder.

 

[Bill Reber]

Yes it folks like him that make the world go round.

 

[RdKnB]

I hope someone does record his stories.

 

[bikerbillone]

Been to Haps many times back in my BMW days. One of the few dealers who did BMWs and Honda.

 

[Lucky]

Thanks Rich great story. RIDE SAFE

 

[LDM]

Cool

 

[skuuter]

Jim Drinker in Chattanooga is 87 years old and still wrenching on Triumphs....I learned a lot from Him in the 70s when I was Building-n-Owning a bunch of Triumph Twins.....He has no plans at the moment to stop, and anything that wasn't made by Triumph isn't a "Real Motorcycle" to Him..... ThumbUp