We lost a member and I lost a good friend

Roger "Rock" Winfrey I believe registered here as a member last fall after he bought a 77 KZ1000 LTD from me. I don't think he ever posted much but I know he did look at the site from time to time using it as inspiration and to get ideas on how he wanted his bike to turn out.

When we first met Rock had stopped by my house to inquire about buying a project bike. I almost ran him off because at the time he stopped I was in the middle of a cleaning tear and since I don't often get in one of those moods it's normally best for me to not be interupted. I was trying to get Rock to tell me what he was looking for and what his budget was since there is no point in looking something that costs several thousand if your budget is only a few hundred. Rock could see I was getting annoyed so he told me he was going home to get his XS1100 Yamaha that he had re-done. He just lives down the street so he showed back up with his bike which was nicely done a few minutes later. After seeing his bike I knew Rock wasn't just a tire kicker with big dreams. We ended up making a deal on the 77 LTD 1000 I bought as part of a 2 bike package several years ago. During our conversation I found out Rock was also into vintage cars and he had a 65 Mustang that he was in the process of re-doing. Since I was planning on going to a local car show later in the evening I asked Rock if he wanted to ride along and check out the cars. So we rode to the car show, checked out some really nice vintage cars, had some dinner and became fast friends.

Over the last 6 months we've worked on various things together bikes, cars, trucks, my motorhome etc. We made a good team because we each had different skill sets and thus enjoyed different aspects of a given task. Rock was an absolute genius at taking a rusty, crusty, old, part that I was ready to toss and bringing it back to life.

Over the winter Rock played around with the 1000 a little at a time adding a GS1100 swingarm, swapping the mag wheels for the spoked wheels from my 1000 A2, cobbling together a sidewinder exhaust made from a Suzuki headpipe and an old Vance and Hines megaphone I had laying around, adding an oil cooler from stuff I took off the A2 and other stuff I had sitting here. A few weeks ago we finally got it hitting on all 4 cylinders after discovering a bad coil and he was getting ready to paint it. It currently sits in his garage in primer.

I talked with his wife Sharon yesterday and I'm planning on helping her finish both the bike and his Mustang. We both know what he had been planning on doing to them and we want to see his plans through to completion. Sharon rides as well and has since she was 18. The 500 Vulcan she has now is her third bike, she previously rode a 250 Ninja and something before that.

It seems ironic to me that we lost Rock due to problems with his heart. Anyone who knew him would have told you that he showed a lot of heart in all he did.

I'm attaching a pic of Rock just chilling on the patio of a local restaurant last September and as soon as I find it a picture of what his bike looked like when he started with it. I'll get some pics in the next few days of how the bike sits now and will try to keep this updated as we progress in finishing it.

sorry for your loss its always tuff to lose a friend. I admire your willingness to help his wife keep his vision alive.

I finally found the pics of Rock's bike when he got it from me.

Yep. Sucks to get old. My sympathies to you and his wife.

That's pretty sad. Just getting to know the guy well and all that. Sorry to hear you lost your friend.

Regards,

Larry C

So sorry Andy. Is this the guy I talked to about parts? Roy

May his memory be eternal, and the love and camaraderie that he inspired in you and in others, always bring joy to those that knew him. My condolences to you and to his family.

Great Pictures ,Sad story . Good help and good friends are hard to come by. God speed brother.

Sorry for your Loss.

roy-b-boy-b wrote: So sorry Andy. Is this the guy I talked to about parts? Roy

Yeah Roy you and Rock talked about the extended swingarm you had for sale. I was looking forward to introducing Rock to all the good folks I see every year at the Mid-Ohio event. He would have fit right in with our core group and in addition to his mechanical skills he was also a great chef so our chow would have improved as well.

sad news.

sorry for your loss.

leon

Sorry for your loss.
RIP Rock.