Zorro’s Passing Ends Amazing Riding Career That Began in 1957

He was known as “Zorro,” a nickname given Wayne Bidwell by his wife, a native of Colombia. “My middle name is Fox,” he explained a few years ago in a profile written on his two-wheeled adventures that was included in a cookbook produced by a cafe that he often visited. “Zorro” is the Spanish word for fox, so that’s what he became.

A BMW enthusiast who rode cross-country and back in 2018 at the age of 81, Bidwell died Saturday only weeks after celebrating his 90th birthday. His passing ended a riding career that began in 1957, lasted more than 60 years and covered at “at least” 300,000 miles.

Bidwell, who lived in Farmington, CT, was a collector of vintage BMW models. At the time that he was profiled for “Recipes for a Good Ride – The Toymakers Cafe Cookery Book,” he owned a 1965 R69S, a 1962 R60/2, a 1986 K75C and a 1985 R65. 

The most used bike in the collection was the /2 with more than 200,000 miles. It was the K75C that he rode to California and Oregon and back on in 2018. The trip, which he took with a friend, covered more than 8,000 miles.

Bidwell’s first experience on two wheels was in 1957 when he bought a new 175cc Lambretta scooter while attending the Rhode Island School of Design. “I rode it out of the showroom, across his parking lot, across the street, into the curb and fell over. A straight line,” he recalled.

Bidwell’s first motorcycle was the R69S, a 594cc model that BMW produced in the 1960s. His was purchased used in 1971. A friend in New York City was tired of paying for garage space for the BMW and offered it to him. He later upgraded it with a 745cc R75 motor. 

 “That was the first motorcycle that I rode,” he said, recalling that he took the R69S to the Department of Motorcycle Vehicles to pass a proficiency test and get his “M” endorsement.

In a Facebook post announcing Bidwell’s death, his daughter, Amelia Grace, wrote, “Wayne was a giant of a man, quiet, kind, brimming with a mischievous spirit and integrity. He loved his work and cared about making people happy to the end.

“He loved riding his BMW motorcycles and the freedom and community he found with them. He loved life and had a huge curiosity and enjoyed wherever adventure would lead him. He had just recently turned 90 but was still sharp and looking forward to more exploring. He was a great dad.

“Wayne was a one of a kind man with a fun and gentle heart the likes of which won’t ever be seen again. He loved all of his friends very deeply, each and every one of them lit up his eyes when he told his stories, and he had so many stories to tell of a long life well lived. He is a legend, I am so lucky to have been his daughter and friend, and to have been loved by him. Our loss is fathomless.”

Bidewell’s many friends, including this writer who knew him from countless meetings at Toymakers Cafe in Falls Village, CT, are also mourning his passing. Details on a service for Bidwell are pending.

(Photos by Bud Wilkinson.)