RIDE-CT.com

(Photos courtesy: Brian Balsaitis/Shazamm/ESPN Images)

Doug Henry and his bronze medal

Torrington's Henry Back on Podium

By BUD WILKINSON

(Published Feb. 13, 2010 in The Republican-American)

Doug Henry’s days atop a podium holding up a trophy for winning a race were supposed to be over. Hadn’t the 2005 Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee hit an oil patch, crashed and suffered a broken back on March 4, 2007 while practicing for a Supermoto      race in Daytona, Fla.? Hadn’t the resulting paralysis below the waist forced #19 into retirement? Wasn’t he wheelchair-bound and living a sedentary life at his hilltop home in Torrington?

So who was the rider in that video that popped up on the Internet last fall showing a helmeted daredevil grabbing some air on a modified Yamaha WR450F dirt bike on a track cut through some wooded acreage?

And what was he doing last month on a podium once again, collecting a bronze medal at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. for racing a snowmobile?

If you haven’t heard of Doug Henry, well, pay attention and be prepared to be inspired:

Henry’s a 40-year-old Shelton native and three-time AMA Motocross champion, whose vocabulary lacks the word “quitter.” He kept racing motorcycles after suffering his first broken back in 1995, followed by a broken pelvis and ribs and a collapsed lung in 2005. He’s a guy who even amazes other professional racers.

“He’s a legend. What can you really say? The guy’s determination and character is on a different level,” said Nicky Hayden during a chat at the New York motorcycle show last month. Hayden was the 2006 Moto GP champion, and he raved about Henry. “The guy’s an inspiration. Our sport’s full of good people, but he’s special.”

The Daytona crash should have ended Henry’s riding days, but, just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, it hasn’t. His road back to riding began about a year ago when he heard about paraplegic dirt bikers and decided that maybe he could actually ride again.

His cousin, Rick Henry, owns Riverview Super Service in Ansonia. With the help of Rick and machinist neighbor John O’Hara, they began developing hand controls that would enable Doug to ride without using his feet. E & E Tool Manufacturing in Winsted built some of the parts.

That was step one. Step two was to get Steve Serafini of Fab-U-This Customs in Torrington create and attach a “hoop” to the Yamaha that would surround him and protect him in case he got launched when riding.

Serafini recalled that his challenge was “to design something that was fully functional that didn’t exist. Keep him safe was my main concern. He basically came to me and told me what he was looking for.”

It was a perfect pairing. Said Henry, “It was kind of an odd project. Nobody wanted to take it on. (Steve’s) the type of guy who likes doing the bizarre. He loves doing projects that nobody’s done before or nobody thinks they can do.”

Last July 28, Henry took his first ride in more than two years on his caged Yamaha. “It was very scary. I had ridden a snowmobile that winter. That was fine because you could stop and go whenever you want,” Henry said.

The problem for Henry was that, unlike other riders, he cannot put his feet down to hold up the bike when stopping. He had to stay upright and moving until he could return to a loading dock that had been built by his garage. It holds the bike in place and vertical while he mounts and dismounts.

“I knew I couldn’t stop,” he said, continuing the story of his first post-paralysis ride. “I needed a big enough area to turn around. It was a little scary at first being that high up and not having my balance yet.”

Serafini’s biggest memory of that day is the smile on Henry’s face after successfully riding. “It was so much fun. I was so excited,” acknowledged Henry, who continued to ride into the fall. “I probably rode a couple dozen times.”

It was in November, though, that he received a call from ESPN inquiring whether he might be up for the Winter X Games as a participant in the Adaptive SnoCross event. “My eyes lit up and I was very excited about it,” he said.

Doug Henry racing in Winter X Games

Again it was a step-by-step process. Step one was to line up sponsors. Yamaha, which sponsored him during his motorcycle racing days, provided a Nitro snowmobile. Planet Fitness and Monster Energy signed on and paid his expenses.

“I didn’t have many expectations,” he said. “I didn’t know how many other paraplegics there would be. All the others were amputees. I wasn’t sure how I would do against the other riders,” he said.

The other riders had a distinct advantage because they could stand, shift their weight and use their lower extremities to grip the seat while riding their snowmobiles. Because of his paralysis, Henry was simply strapped on. “You have to be careful in tough situations,” said Henry, understating the consequences of crashing.

Between agreeing to compete and going to Aspen, Henry huddled with Serafini to develop a snowmobile seat that would contain a shock absorber, with an assist from Avalanche Suspension in Colchester. They ended up designing a seat that would also swivel, giving him some mobility; “just like cornering on a motorcycle,” said Serafini.

Unfortunately, their work couldn’t be adapted to the Nitro in time for the Winter X Games. Nonetheless, Henry took home the bronze medal. Serafini watched Henry’s performance on TV. “I’m sure he would have gotten gold if he rode with that seat. You’d have no idea he’s paralyzed,” said Serafini.

Doug Henry, left, gets some air in Winter X Games

What was it like competing again? Thrilling. “The drive is still in me to do well and succeed, so when I had the opportunity, it was fun,” said Henry.

The reaction to the video of Henry riding his dirt bike and snowmobile and to his public return to racing at the Winter X Games has been predictably positive. “People think it’s the coolest thing they have ever seen. They can’t believe how fast I can go,” said Henry. “A lot of people say it’s very inspirational. That’s how I saw it the first time I saw somebody riding as a paraplegic.”

What’s been most satisfying to Serafini is “just to see him get on this stuff and see him in action. That’s the biggest high possible. This is just the beginning for him. He is just an amazing guy.”

Like all other riders – off-road or street – Henry is now awaiting the arrival of spring. “After the spring thaw, I’ll try and get back on the dirt bike as soon as I can,” he said.

To check out Henry riding his dirt bike and snowmobile, visit YouTube.com and do a search for “Doug Henry.” The first video that comes up shows just how talented and inspiring the guy is.

State Adds Advanced Course

For Sport Bike Riders

Sport bike riders who want to improve their skills will get the opportunity in 2010 with the addition of the Advanced Rider Course to the motorcycle curriculum offered by the state. Designed to teach sport bike techniques, but open to owners of all styles of bikes, the ARC will mix 3½ hours of classroom instruction with 4½ hours of range training.

John Purdy Jr., site manager for motorcycle classes in Waterbury and Brookfield, reports that the ARC won’t be offered at all of the locations in Connecticut where the Basic Rider Course and Experienced Rider Course are currently offered due to the limited size of some ranges and the training that will be required for instructors.

Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury will offer the ARC, but Cliff’s Cycle Revolution in Brookfield won’t because of the small size of the range.

Purdy explained that the hands-on drills will include eight exercises. They will teach everything from using the proper body position on a sport bike to avoiding obstacles while leaned over in a curve. Riders will use their own bikes. The price of the one-day course will be $50.

This web site RIDE-CT.com is a complement to the RIDE-CT motorcycle column that runs each Saturday in "The Republican-American" newspaper in Waterbury. Visit the newspaper's web site at rep-am.com.

New digs for The Shop in Winsted, the season's first ride and a video link to Honda's new CB1100 - See Daily Blog - Updated 3/8/2010

D.E.P. Inaction Challenged

By Off-Road Enthusiasts

By BUD WILKINSON

(Published Feb. 27, 2010 in The Republican-American)

Lewis I. Davidson has tried patience to accomplish his goal. He’s tried persistence, too, in his efforts at the state legislature in recent years, but to no avail. His newest strategy is a multi-front attack with the tacit threat of legal action if state land isn’t set aside – and set aside soon – for the legal use of dirt bikes and quads by riders in Connecticut.

“Enough is enough,” Davidson said last week, singling out as his target the state Department of Environmental Protection. “It’s very simple. They have not only not provided space, they have said, ‘We’re not going to adhere to the law.’”

What upsets Davidson, who is president of the Connecticut Motorsports Business Association, is that 24 years after the legislature actually passed a law mandating that the D.E.P. “shall make available” state land for the operation of all-terrain vehicles, the agency has yet to do so.

“We have talked to legal counsel pending a (board) meeting of the C.M.B.A.,” said Davidson. “We are considering all forms of action to get this finally brought to a head and to provide open space for residents of Connecticut to ride legally.”

Dirt bikers, like these kids, must now ride illegally

Connecticut off-road riders currently own an estimated 20,000 dirt bikes and 50,000 quads and unless they own suitable land, or know someone who does, these riders are forced to either trespass and ride illegally or go out of state to enjoy their favorite recreation. The only public property inside Connecticut’s borders currently available for use is federal land at the Thomaston Dam reserved for dirt bikes.

Under that law passed in 1986, ATV owners would be required to have their vehicles registered by the Department of Motor Vehicles and certified by the D.E.P, the certification obtainable by completing a safety education course for ATVs. Currently fewer than 3,000 ATVs are registered in Connecticut. Davidson said this is primarily because owners are unwilling to pay if they cannot play.

“The D.E.P. has cost the state millions of dollars,” said Davidson. “We are in a budget deficit in Connecticut. I’m blaming part of the reason for that budget deficit on the Department of Environmental Protection for not implementing open space.”

Davidson is now waging a four-prong attack. He’s back at the legislature pushing for the passage of Proposed Bill No. 5078. As detailed in RIDE-CT last Saturday, it would establish an all-terrain division with the D.E.P., which would “create and maintain ATV trails” and “assist in ATV law enforcement and fund grants and related activities including safety and education classes for ATVers.”

Davidson has also taken his case to Gov. M. Jodi Rell and to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

All he’s received from the governor’s office as of deadline was an automated email response. “We are awaiting further reply from the executive branch,” he said.

Davidson said he has spoken with a member of Blumenthal’s staff. “The A.G.’s office has told us, unfortunately, there was no time (frame) put into the (1986) bill, so they cannot sue the D.E.P. on behalf of the people of the state of Connecticut.”

That may well be the case, but doesn’t the passage of a law – any law – imply without written specifics that implementation occur within a reasonable period of time? The passage of 24 years is demonstrably unreasonable by any gauge. It doesn’t take a judge or jury – only common sense – to draw that conclusion, something the hair-splitting attorney general’s office might consider.

The fourth avenue is a lawsuit. “We are exploring all alternatives and avenues,” said Davidson when asked specifically about the potential for legal action, but it is known from an email sent to C.M.B.A. members that Davidson has contacted Hartford attorney John Haymond of Haymond Law. The C.M.B.A. also has in-house counsel.

Under a failed bill a year ago, with a few exceptions, ATVs in the state would have had to be registered with the D.M.V. at a cost of $70 for two years. Do the math. Using that bill as a guidepost, it’s easy to see just how much potential revenue has been lost due to the D.E.P.’s inaction – nearly $2.5 million annually.

Add in certification fees and trail riding fees – $10 per day or $50 per year under the bill proposed last year – and another huge sum of money has evaporated.

And that’s not all. Powersports dealers in the state have lost countless sales of ATVs to residents who have gone out of state to buy, thereby avoiding sales tax. That’s an additional loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.

“We have lost millions of dollars to the state coffers from the slowness of the D.E.P. to react to give people of Connecticut a place to ride, which was ordered by the legislature in 1986,” Davidson reiterated.

For his part, Davidson wants every powersports dealer in the state to write to their state representative and state senator to “make them aware of the situation and be in favor of providing, once and for all, open space to ride legally.”

In a separate email to C.M.B.A. members, Davidson told them, “Your constituents, who are ATV enthusiasts, are getting tired of being treated like second class citizens and since they can’t fire the D.E.P., they may take their frustrations out on those they can fire. (It is an election year.)”

Davidson might also work to ensure that any ATV-related legislation this year contain a drop dead date for implementation to make sure another quarter-century doesn’t pass before land gets set aside.    

DATES TO REMEMBER FOR 2010 

(Posted January 17, 2010)

With the arrival of 2010, it’s time for RIDE-CT’s annual preview of some of the major motorcycle events in the coming months, or at least an alert as to when they are happening:

April 25 – The 15^th annual Miracle Ride benefiting the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Riders come from all points on the compass for this charity event, which is the traditional kickoff to the riding season.

May 16 – The annual blessing of the motorcycles at Lourdes in Litchfield shrine and grotto. Hundreds of riders participate in this ritual that has been going on for nearly four decades. A mix of holy water and exhaust fumes.

June 7-12 – Americade in Lake George, N.Y. Vendors, demo rides and thousands of riders and their bikes. Good family fun in a picturesque setting.

Brough Superior at the 2009 Rhinebeck meet

June 11-13 – Rhinebeck Grand National Super Meet at the Duchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, N.Y. It’s a huge vintage show featuring all makes and models. Interesting bikes fill the parking lots as far as the eyes can see, too. Getting to and from this event is half the fun. 

A familiar sight at Laconia

June 13-21 – Laconia Motorcycle Week in Laconia, N.H. Hear the roar and enjoy the gridlock. What happens in Laconia, stays in Laconia, although it is tamer than it was years ago.

August 15 – The 24^th annual Brit Jam at the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds, staged by the British Iron Association of Connecticut. Brands from other lands are welcome, but this is the place to see classic British bikes and the oil spots beneath them.

September 12 – Rice-O-Rama vintage and custom Japanese motorcycle show and swap meet in North Brookfield, Mass. RIDE-CT has never attended but plans to this year.

September 19 – The 27^th annual IMOC Rally in Sturbridge, Mass., staged by the Connecticut-based Italian Motorcycle Owners Club. Owners of Italian motorcycles get to park on the lawn at the Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, while all other riders get directed to a dusty, stone-filled parking lot.

Last year, RIDE-CT tried to publicize as many charity rides as possible, and will attempt to do so again this year, but the ever-growing number of events makes keeping track of them all increasingly difficult. Please email me as soon as possible if you have an event you’d like publicized.

Looking to buy a new or used bike or need to get your ride fixed? The Dealers/Businesses page has a comprehensive list of businesses in Connecticut that deal with motorcycles, along with links. LIST  

Gallery

 RIDE-CT has come across many interesting rides over the past five years as well as interesting riders. The Gallery pages features some of them. Check back often as the page is often updated. Gallery