Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge FJ

It has taken me some time to get to this task, even after all these years, it's a tough reality for me as I prefer to think him still sitting surrounded by his computer gadgetry. updating our face book page, approving a new member and engaging in a heated discussion in the forums at the same time. The hammer of smiting wielded when necessary to keep us all in line... steadfast to the ideals Robert had set forth at the beginning.

I'd known him for some time through the website but only had the pleasure of his company for a short time many years later. In the early days of BA.com, there was just the 3 of us, Robert kept things running, he managed the links and I managed the events section. That was pretty much it back then.. not a lot of frills on the old web page, but we had a lot of fun.

We had communicated a few times back then, just website stuff, business only kinda thing, always short and to the point. I recall once he and I engaging in a discussion on the tech forum about one thing or the other finally agreeing to disagree.. I remember thinking then,"He's warming up to me."

When we went to present format and brought a few more folks on board to help moderate, it began to feel more like a family. The site had grown 10 fold and there was always something going on and he was always so involved, he once told me that a good moderator reads every post, and dilligently went along practicing what he preached. But that philosophy has it's thorns as well and he left us for a time to reflect.. so to speak but gallantly returned to take the reins full on during the great Earnshaw bugout.

He introduced many ideas to include a facebook page and new front page that really got the site back up to speed, generating new interest and breathing in new life...man those were the glory days. Rallys everywhere, international rallies, people from all over getting together to celebrate life and the love of motorcycles and motorcycling. He was our driving force, our disciplinarian, our teacher... our friend.

I first met him face to face in 2011 at the Southwest Triumph Fest, he was sitting in Dwights garage when we rolled up. I went up to him to shake his hand and tell him it was good to finally meet him.. I'd known him for probably 9 years via interweb, and stuck out my hand. He, of course handed me his CDI unit and a tube of sealer and said "Here. fix this." We both laughed and I proceeded to sit down beside him and begin spreading the sealer around the seams carefully as he watched and we discussed the procedure.

After 2500 miles cross country, my old butt was about done so I spent a good bit of my time not riding a motorcycle. I did get to ride with him one day though when some of us split off from the larger group and went exploring, he on his renta-Harley took the jabs quite well.

I had the pleasure again when he made a surprise visit to a Georgia rally one year. He and Di hit it off immediately and soon became fast friends, we didn't get to see him everyday as he was battling an illness but we did get to enjoy a few rides and nightly gatherings. I'm always busy during the rallies but did manage a few good conversations with him while he was here.

Pretty much the whole gang was hanging in the polebarn one night and while I was milling about talking to folks, he and Di were sitting together with our camera viewing the pics we had taken during the day. I'll never forget the look on his face as he grinned at me motioning for me to come closer. "You are in so much trouble.." he said with a huge grin shared by Di. He then showed me an almost perfectly framed picture of Tom Vances wife Bobby's, butt. I had apparently taken it accidentally but it looked really bad for me and he wasted no time incriminating me for it. That was just the kind of guy he was.. a fine example of the best humanity has to offer.

So glad we had that time..... those few days to share the same space, some laughs, some food and some miles.

When I was a child my mother told me something that has always stuck with me.. She said that as long as some one remembers you, you are never really dead. The truth in that statement is carried with me where ever I go and passed amongst the people I meet. There, on that plain of existence they all still exist.

I know a lot of you knew him much better than I so I encourage you write your story, share your memories, your loss... so he may live on through the telling.

I never met him other than on the forum. We took a few friendly jabs at each other and I looked forward to meeting him. Unfortunately that day never came.

I also met him at Dwight's SW Triumph Fest. I don't remember the year, did a few of them, remember we went to the Grand Canyon, Kolb Studio etc. Friar John, what a character. Yep, he won't be forgotten.

I will never forget that crazy little round man. He had the ability to make you laugh as he was making you pissed.

It might sound a little strange to say but I actually think of The Good Friar most days - he gifted me a fabulous buffalo hide wallet that is in my pocket nearly every day.

As a moderator, we had been in touch fairly regularly via PMs etc (the site was much busier back then) in addition to messages through the site though, obviously being on this side of the Atlantic, meeting up was never going to be a regular occurrence but we did meet up in, I believe in 2009, heading to Dwight's.

I was with Wendy in Las Vegas and John had come down from Montana and was staying with friends. Wendy and I had a couple of days in his company before we rode down together to Prescott, AZ.

We had a few days at Dwight's we rode back North with John until our routes split, he went North back to Montana and we rode West back to Vegas.

Great time.
Still miss ya fella

I had the opportunity to meet FJ on two occasions. The first at a Southwest Rally in Prescott. 2011 maybe. As most of us I too had felt the wrath of John's hammer of smiting a few times. I was thinking this guys just a butt.

Once we met I had a completely different perspective of him. Friendly, funny, intelligent. We spent a little time in Prescott together but not nearly enough, that was a large turnout with not enough time to really socialize with everyone.
My second opportunity to meet up with the good Friar was at a Georgia Rally. As Chy mentioned FJ was under the weather, so again opportunities were missed.
One thing I'll always remember was saying goodbye on the last day of that rally. John gave me this big ole bear hug and a big ole smile.
I'm thankful I had the chance to meet the man, no matter how fleeting the moment.

I too met FJ at the SW rally in '11. My first impression of him, after we shook hands, setting at Dwight's dining room table behind his laptop was he truly is the smart mouth geek I thought him to be. We did a Fri. ride with a few people and he stayed right on my tail all the way through the first curves coming out of Prescott with that rental Harley of his. Coming back we stopped at a bar and he gave me a hard time about how slow I was going. Which was true as many here can attest I ride at my own comfort level.

The next day we were getting ready for the big ride and there were a few people around the Harley trying to help him take the back part off the toe to heel shifter be cause he wasn't used to it. You know one of those times where there's about 3 or 4 people trying to do one small job. I asked if the Harley was a rental (I know I'm of those people who sometimes ask stupid questions) and he said in his typical smart reply " No...I bought it just for this rally" But before the rally I also had some contact with him through pm's and I knew his way. That's what made this forum so interesting and fun back then, you never knew what to expect from John but you were sure it would be interesting and sometimes even controversial. He never put up with much BS on the site and would delete your thread if he knew it would insult people or cause hard feelings.

Along with being a pioneer on this site he was also finding ways to improve his TBA. First he had it painted a kind of burnt orange and then he was the first, I believe, to convert it to a belt drive. When he had some problems with the drive he converted it back to chain drive. I know someone has some pictures of his '02 TBA.

I remember how excited he was when the new R-3's came out. He was always talking bout them and was proud when he finally got one.

Friar John was one of a kind and will always be missed here.

Where did the Friar s 2 Americas end up? IIRC, one was a runner, one was dead in the water from wear and tear and his Rocket, who cares. Just curious, that's all.

Last I seen of the orange one was a picture Moe posted when he went to his funeral. The family still had it then. If I had any computer skills I could look up some pictures here. They also had some of his rally shirts on display in his honor.

He was an exceptional guy.I could figure that out just from the forum.
I still remember when I read about his accident I didn't believe it at first.I was shocked and really felt as if I'd lost someone close to me even though we'd only talked through the forum and a few e-mails, and never met personally .
R.I.P.Friar John.

I thought it a joke in poor taste at first, I still miss him too.

Never met him but his appearance on this site after so long speaks to the affection many felt for him. I miss him AND the times when his presence on this site was crazy active!

I just joined this site in October of 2015.

I had just gotten my America and wanted to learn and know as much as I could about my new bike. I went through almost every post on this site.

I read a lot of Friar's posts before I learned of his death.

Many of you also have had a great influence on me. Tales from the Road is epic. I printed it and read it regularly. It should be published.

I can tell you that even though he is no longer with us he is here in this forum. His passion, his humor, and his wisdom are in the posts he placed here. They are his foot prints i the sand. All you have to do is search them out. I am glad you have the memories of the times you had together.

The last time the good Friar popped into my head was November 20th. That is the day I purchased my R3T. In the middle of the excitement of getting another bike. As I sat on it in the showroom, placing my hands on the handlebars and lifting it off the kickstand for the very first time. Out of no where. "Friar John" popped into my head. For just a second the smile left my face. Then I tucked that thought away and as he, I am determined to ride that Rocket.

I wish I could express myself in as few words as Ian. It is not my way.

chatted often on yahoo messenger. i would always ask when i could fly up & borrow a bike and he would say no. met him @ the chevron in dahlonega & gave him a big ole hug. we went inside to pay for gas and he said he didn't like me standing behind him cause i made him nervous then spent the day riding behind him. when it came time to say our good-byes i asked if i could fly up & borrow a bike so we could do some riding & he said "anytime man". he talked about buying a r3 for a while & i was kinda pushing him to just go ahead & buy it. still feel kind of bad about hounding him to go ahead make that purchase.

If you have been riding for any length of time you know someone that has lost their life on a bike. I have lost a number of friends over the years. Most of the time it is never their fault. Just wrong place wrong time.

This is a dangerous sport we participate in. It touches a part of our souls that nothing else can reach. We are all grownups and know the risk.

Life is short you have to live it.

May sound stupid, but hey I ride a motorcycle.

my first face to face with FJ
was at SWTF in 2011 as well.
as is often the case, when i attended
one of our rallies, my presence - prior to
arrival - was only known by a couple of folks.
FJ did not know ahead of time.

i was standing near the top of the stairs in Dwight's kitchen
when John came in the house.
He looked up, did a double take, looked up again and realized who
he was looking at.

Let me tell you, that was some hug.
It was during that rally when John said,
"i had no idea Shari (mert) was such a
hugger." We had already been close in mind
but meeting in person, spending a few days
around our friends definitely cemented
the friendship.

The following year I was to turn 50.
I rented a house on Blood Mountain
for GA12. I knew there was no other
place I could spend my birthday that year.
Something about Georgia in The Pines...

anyway, I encouraged John to come
to GA celebrate friendship, ride
those amazing roads, and give me a birthday hug.
moe was a major architect of that trip and helped
pull everything together.

I wish Fj had felt better on that journey.
He was definitely struggling with his health.

One evening it was just he and I at the mountain house.
we were piecing together a loose plan for
me to attend Kootenay later that year.

For me that is where the ride ended. i never did get to see FJ in his territory.

The call came while I was in The Adirondack Mountains for Americade. bittersweet to say the least.

Good rendition mert, what I wouldn't give to ride Montana, Idaho, Washington and BC roads again with him.

We shared a birthday too and it is approaching.

I think about John frequently. I met him face to face twice, both times at Dwight's. We spoke on the phone frequently...business and just to talk. I was looking forward to seeing him at the Georgia Rally that he attended, but like most my best intentions, that fell through as could not get time off from my other job.

John was a good soul, honest and what you saw is what you got, he was just a good man. Because of facebook and his page I still see him most every day that I login, just because his face in my friends list is at the top!

He was special as are a number of you to me, the folks I have met in my travels and those whom I have corresponded with. I have been privileged to meet so many of you and deal with so many of you on a business level, you were the reason I went into business, you were the reason I found a new passion.

Life changes, in good an bad ways. The folks here a source of enjoyment in my life. My greatest enjoyment has been the times I have been on the road and getting to meet you all face to face, some I have ridden many miles with. You all have felt like my family in a very real sense. Twisted and pathetic as that may seem, it be true.

Chy, thank you for the post, thank you because it made me realize that it isn't just me, the boy touched our hearts and is missed.

There are a few others that I think about too. Big Jack, Dereck, Don... I still see their faces and was glad I had the opportunity to meet them face to face.