It is with heavy heart that I report a past Forest Chapter and Dade County Chapter President down.  A piece of cancer has reduced him to a hospice bed in his living room.  I have been stopping there on my way home from work this week to check on him and the only thing that keeps me going back is that I know he is more weary of not being able to get up than I am of waiting for it.  It is hard to see him this way and harder to know that he is not getting better

My personal business of this evening is looking for a sidehack I can borrow to take him for one last ride.  If I can find one, I would like to leave work tomorrow and pile him in it.  I do not know why I cannot think of anyone I know who has one, but I am willing to rent one.  If you can think of someone who might be game, my phone number at home is 352-591-0676.  I am looking for something local/close to the Ocala area, this is the time of year I also seem to be working a minimum of 12 hours per day.

I met Alan when he was part of the Dade County Chapter.  For you newer folks, we had a Dade County Chapter until a year or two after Hurricane Andrew dusted them pretty hard down in that area.  He is one of those folks you can always enjoy.  He is rich, not in dollars, but he has good depth and always seems to make me laugh, even in this bed.  Alan moved to Ocala many moons ago and picked back up into our ABATE agenda.  He helped with many things and did several tours of duty as the President of the Forest Chapter and in the Legislative office as well.  I have been thinking a lot lately about yesterdays and one of them that stands out in my mind was the eve of our helmet law in Florida changing back in 2000.  I spent a quiet evening with a couple of friends who owned a real taste for what it had taken to get that far.  We went out for a little ride, but pretty much laid low.  We were not locked in on some great celebration or party, in fact it was a very sober and somber evening.  We  reflected on yesterday, talked about tomorrow and all of those oblivious to what was going on.  We thought about some folks who had been there for the battles but whose life had been too short to be with us when we finally won that war.  We talked about the countless others who would enjoy the Freedoms for which we had so desperately fought and knew they would never give those Freedoms or those efforts even a thought.  We talked about those people who would not be able to savor the flavor of Freedom because they do not even know how it tastes or what it takes to get it. 

I do not have many close friends.  I am thinking that is probably because I am not a very good one to have.  Alan has been one of them.  Despite what must be hundreds of times he asked me over for dinner, a cookout or something that I was too busy to make it to 99.9% of the time, for some reason he would still call me.  Hindsight can be one of those painful things sometimes.  I am wishing I would have chiseled in that last camping trip or beach run he was yammering me about.  Alan is a proud man and kind of private as well.  In more normal times he would probably even be pissed I was talking about his business, much less in public forum.  Fact is, he has been more than too mellow the last few weeks and not even complaining about what time I am going by his house.  It is the latter that makes me know how sick he is in that this guy used to have his feet on the floor hours before daylight every morning.  The newer folks may not even know him as the last I remember him active was on my last tours at the Forest helm.  Alan Hill is a Life Member of ABATE of Florida.  Know he used to carry one of our torches.  I remember being the best man at his wedding.  One minute it feels like a hundred years ago, the next like it was yesterday.  The wedding was at the Sertoma Youth Ranch, after a State BOD meeting and during the Spooks worker’s party.  Again for you newer folks, know some of us are in it so deep we meet and marry at ABATE functions.

Jeanette has taken off work to be at home with him and I suppose he is probably even more weary of worrying about all of those related issues and the things on his to-do list he did not get to before becoming bedridden. 

If you can help sell his motorcycle, that will be helpful.  In addition to having quit work himself very shortly before becoming bedridden, there exists a good pile of hospital and related bills begging to be paid.  If you are looking for a clean, classic machine, Alan is one of those detail oriented folks.  Although not a motorcycle mechanic by trade, he made a good living as a mechanic for a long time and is very detail oriented.  He just barely got the machine broke in good after a major rebuild before this thing took him down.  He does good work himself and outsourced the paint, some slight machine work on the cases to accommodate slightly larger heads to get a complete 88cu, and the machine work on the heads.  I saw all of the parts he put it together with, good stuff.  He was building it to ride himself for another 20 years, so you can be sure he produced a premium job. 

I quit being bulletproof a long time ago, in 2001.  I guess it is time to quit taking other things for granted as well.  In addition to watching your back out on the road because if you let your guard down, it CAN happen to you, take this opportunity to check yourself and those you care about to make sure they are taking care of themselves medically as well.

Ride safe,

JEB

FOR SALE:  very CLEAN,  Harley Davidson FLH, 10k

Alan Hill is under siege with an inoperable melanoma on his liver and needs to liquidate his motorcycle to help make ends meet.  He has a pile of hospital bills, is out of work and now bedridden in the care of hospice at home.  This previously loved motorcycle came into his life in 1984 when he still lived in Miami.  He has done several facelifts over the years and the machine is in fully restored condition at the moment, with 2,500 or less miles on a very nice rebuild that started at the frame.  I saw it going back together, the powdercoat on the frame is so thick and so clean that it looks ceramic.

This last major rebuild included a big bore kit but modifications held to a minimum with only slightly oversized heads, stock type cams.  It is 88ci now and included new pistons and cylinder heads made in the USA. ( Less than 2500 miles on this new engine.)

The carburetor was also switched to constant velocity carburetor and provides excellent midrange power.  Thinking this is attached to what is probably a 4.5 gallon gas tank.

This build also includes a new clutch, new plates and new pressure springs.

All new Miller bearings; front & rear axle bearings, & steering head bearings

This machine sports an electronic ignition and a lot of detail.  Socket head screws were used everywhere they could be; stainless – easy to clean

This build also included a new primary chain/front; new front primary sprocket and a new

secondary chain. 

This machine sports good tires and a nice and very accommodating king/queen seat and the battery is about a year old.

The frame & brackets were all powdercoated by Crazy Chris out in Shores, jam-up job

$10,000.00

call Jeanette, 352-622-3473

Jhill92254@aol.com