Issue #268 The Time of Their Lives
History doesn’t belong just to itself or to those who were the winners and losers back in the day. Rather, it’s a celebration for all.
There are many expressions about history. You don’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been. The past is the originator of the future. Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it. It all sounds a little ominous. However there are many occasions where history is something to be celebrated, both by men and women, for their achievements.
In this issue we take a series of journeys into the past beginning appropriately with John Campbell attending the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame banquet, held for the first time in western Canada with a definite western inductee theme.
John and I discussed the story and how we should present it visually. It’s not as simple as you might think. Got pictures? Yes there was a photographer at the event. The challenge is that these gentlemen were being recognized, not for where they are today, but for what they did in the world of motorcycling whether that was 10 or 40 years ago. It is tough to convey the message that the distinguished gentleman standing at the dias was once a young man flirting with danger on the track. The problem we faced was similar to that facing Hall of Fame organizers: how do we make the past relevant and exciting for the present generation? How do we capture the excitement of a previous generation and preserve it for the next while making them exclaim ”They did that back then? Cool!”
Which is why we are so fortunate in Doug Bone’s story about Doug Wilson, who is not in the Hall of Fame. Some are known for contributing something dramatic to motorcycling—a grand career on the track perhaps, or a memorable win. But there are many others whose victories were in a private arena, and who answered challenges for their own satisfaction, without the glamour of the spotlight. This is Doug Wilson’s story. Here’s a man who has seen a lot of miles yet still looks darn comfortable on a motorcycle. That’s not the fascinating part. Rather, the fascination lies in the photos Doug Bone sourced of Mr. Wilson in his youth. There’s one of him sitting on his motorcycle / snowmobile contraption that in itself tells a thousand words. The simple fact that it was powered by an Ariel engine makes it eligible for its own little place in the Hall of Fame.
In some manner, we are always celebrating the past. ‘Robert Smith’s Vintage Hall,’ which appears in every issue, is a celebration of the past—some of the bikes profiled by Robert could be considered Hall of Famers, while others are historical anomalies celebrated if not for their greatness then at least for their uniqueness.
Then there is Bill McKenzie’s vintage racing story deeper in this issue (“Circuit in the Slow Lane”). Setting aside Honda’s excellent CBR125 racing program, vintage racing may be the most accessible racing venue for many enthusiasts And, as our Oshawa-based freelancer, the vintage roadracer Steve Bond, might tell you, racing an old bike can be every bit the challenge of racing a new one.
Maybe the Hall of Fame is really a thank-you. A thanks given to those who gave us something—be it the excitement of a competition victory, a product or service that changed motorcycling or, like, Doug Wilson, an enthusiastic smile and the sense of adventure to build a snowmobile from a toboggan and bits and pieces of an Ariel motorcycle. The resulting machine may not have won any competitions but it was probably one heck of a ride. And just a little bit before its time.
