Three Cowtown Riders Pass On.....

in the last 2 years. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, none of them died on a bike.

Bill Loosely was an old K-man from way back. He started turning wrenches on A7's, B8's, F2's and such like back in 1966. He also raced most of the hot offroad bikes back in the day. After a number of years working for the local Kawi dealer, he started his own shop. He was doing okay but then the economy went sideways and so did Bill's shop. After that, he worked outside the sport until he died but was never without a bike. Bill passed on just before last Christmas. He was a treasure trove of Kawasaki info and I really miss his quiet way of passing along that info.

Gordon Partridge passed on about a year and a half ago. This guy rode a zillion miles over the course of almost 40 years of riding. He owned most of the "important" bikes at one time or the other and was just putting the finishing touches on a KLR650 for a trip to Tierra del Fuego when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Gordon was one of the few guys I know that could be counted on to call a spade a spade or to call BS if someone was talking out of his butt. Maybe that's why we got along so well. Gordon was the brother I should have had. I know he's up in Heaven ripping up the roads on a variety of bikes just like he did here on Earth. Keep on riding, Gordo....

Ross Dubber was a big guy and liked big bikes. Ross started riding later in life and owned a succession of Gold Wings. He was a real character and could always be relied on to have a joke ready for any occasion. He was never in a hurry on the road but, somehow, he always had company even when travelling with a bunch of "Joe Racers".
The doctor made Ross give up riding about 3 years ago for health reasons and Ross never really recovered from that.
He passed on 2 years ago and had a large wheeled escort for the trip to Boot Hill.

The motorcycle fraternity in Calgary is a poorer place for the passing of these three gents.

hopefully some younger riders were fortunate enough to gain from their experiances:(

WE LOST ANOTHER GREAT GUY FROM CALGARY LAST YEAR HARRY KOPIJEWSKI [DIRTY HARRY ] HE WAS A FANTASTIC FABRICATOR LOVED HARLEYS OLD PAN HEADS IN PARTICULAR BUT HE ALSO LIKED TO GO FAST SO HE FOUND MOTORCYCLE DRAG RACING INTURN WE FOUND HIM, HIS FIRST BIKE WAS ONE HE BUILT HIM SELF IT HAD A SC500 YAMAHA TWO-STROKE MOTOR IN IT HE RAN IT UNTILL HE BLEW UP THE MOTOR AND COULDN'T FIND PARTS FOR IT HE THEN BUILT HIS FIRST GS POWERED BIKE.HE ALWAYS BUILT HIS OWN FRAMES FROM SCRATCH HE BUILT HIS OWN FRAME JIG HE BOUGHT A LATHE AND MILL AN TAUGHT HIM SELF HOW TO MACHINE.HE RODE SUZI'S AND I RODE KAWI'S SO WE BUGGED EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME,ANYTIME I NEEDED ANY FRAME WORK DONE HE WAS THE ONLY GUY I TRUSTED WITH MY LIFE. WE TOWED TOGETHER RACED AGAINST EACH OTHER I DID HIS CYLINDER HEAD WORK FOR HIM HE DID MY FRAMES WE HAD SO MUCH FUN ON ROAD TRIPS ME,GREG, AND HARRY THE THREE STOOGES.HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER 3 WEEKS TO THE DAY HE WAS DEAD. HE LEFT A WIFE AND 3DAUGHTERS BEHIND
PLUS A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE OF LOVED AND RESPECTED HIM. I THINK OF HIM EVERY DAY AND I ESPECALLY MISS HIM IN THE STAGING LANES I STILL FIND MY SELF LOOKING FOR HIM EVEN NOW WE MISS YOU BUDDY, LOVE TIMEBOMB

Thanks for that, timebomb33. Yes, Harry was a great guy and a real character. I miss him even today and expect him at any time to drive into the bike wreckers looking for parts.

what wreckers did you know harry from t.j's. because he was always picking stuff up there. brake's, back wheels, forks. that kind of stuff you know.

Yep, that's the place. Harry was a good customer and I wish all of our customers were like him.