But back to the original goal.
I've tried to use caution when writing this blog to not throw people's names around if I don't need to. The Internet is tricky. We can all be Googled. So I try to respect that when I can.
But John Ryan is a totally different animal. Go ahead, Google him. You might want to include the word "motorcycle" with that search. You will find out that he is not your average motorcycle rider. Of course, most of Eddie's acquaintances are not average in any way. But John makes those other guys look perfectly normal.
I will never forget the first time I met him. It was the BMW MOA Rally in Johnson City, TN in 2009. I had grown accustomed to wandering about motorcycle rallies and shows with Eddie. You walk about 3 feet and stop to talk to someone. 3 more feet, another long conversation. Then 2 or 3 other people walk up and you talk to them for a while. And so it goes - after about an hour we might have covered 30 feet.
As we were walking along one of the vendor areas at the BMW MOA, I saw a guy sitting on the ugliest motorcycle I have ever seen. An FJR at a BMW rally? He was dressed in a full Aerostich suit with a very official patch on the right breast that said "NASA". He looked like he hadn't slept in days and perhaps hadn't bathed during that time either. In other words - he looked like every other LD rider I had ever met.
Eddie said, "Look, there's John Ryan. I haven't spoken to him since I used him as a bonus in the last Butt Lite." I immediately knew who this guy was.
He holds some of the most bizarre records in long distance riding. The most notable - the record for traveling from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Key West. He did it in 86.5 hours. Give or take a couple of minutes.
Eddie loved using actual people as bonuses without telling the riders who the surprise "guest" would be. In the '08 Butt Lite, riders were traveling between Albuquerque, NM and Raleigh, NC. They had the option of taking a quick ride up to Long Valley, New Jersey to grab a photo of a celebrity at a party. John was the celebrity. I can't recall who all took the challenge but I know my favorite two-up couple did and had no problem making it back to Raleigh in time for the checkpoint.
So, we stopped and chatted with John for a few minutes and moved on.
After Eddie's death I received a lot of calls, emails, cards, & letters from people I had never met or barely knew. John was one of those people. What made John's calls different was that he didn't stop with just one. He called regularly to check on me. Sometimes we would talk for a minute or two. Sometimes much longer.
Eddie's Road hit the road this past summer & we traveled to the BMW RA Rally in Vermont. Mr. Ryan was there. This time on an ugly BMW but same suit, same "NASA" insignia. I had decided that he was someone who should share in the task of placing Eddie around
the country. Besides, he and I had bonded over fried Oreos and Twinkies. If he can appreciate junk food to that level, he is obviously Eddie's kindred spirit.Rider: Super Secret Celebrity #22
Location: Carmichael's Irish Pub, Moundsville, WV
Odometer: I don't think they go that high
Apparently Eddie is permanently affixed to that sign. Good job, John. (And nice SPAM shirt.)
But I still want you to take Eddie to Alaska.
Not sure when that will happen, but getting Eddie to Alaska is at the top of my ride list.
ReplyDeleteI thought that someone would have brought him up there by now. Not yet?
On second thought, he didn't get out on the road until late summer, and it was already getting a bit late in the Alaskan riding season....
John