On The Pegs June 2020 - Volume 5 - Issue 6 | Page 111

On The Pegs VOL. 4 ISSUE 7 - July 2020 111
traveling with Mike when I was 15. He was 30 as I recall. We terrorized the highways
and Byways of Oklahoma and surrounding states. I grew up fast! It was 1969,
I was 15 years old, traveling al-most every weekend and being tutored by one of
the premier riders in this part of the country. I was very fortunate and didn’t even
realize it. On one of our trips we attended a Mick Andrews Tri-als School and trial in
Columbia, Missouri. I think I was in the Amateur Class and won a trophy in the trial.
After the trial, we were standing around talking to and taking photos with Mick.
At the time I always wore a bandana around my neck. Mick grabbed it and acted
like he was choking me and looked at Mike and said, “one day soon you will be
wanting to do this”. I still remember it to this day. Mick quickly became my new
hero. Once I turned 16 I was able to get a driver’s license for an automobile. Then
it was time for Middle America to take cover! I was riding Bultaco at the time. I was
on a mission! I progressed through the ranks quickly and was itching for a new
ride. Unbeknownst to me, my father had contacted Mike McCabe and had Mike
drive to Kansas, one state North of Oklahoma, and pick up a shiny new OSSA MAR
for me. Mike made up some story about going to dinner with me and my parents
and wanted to have us come to his house before-hand. I thought it was kind of
crazy, as it was not on the way to the restaurant. While there, Mike asked me to go
get something out of the garage. I went to the garage and what was there but a
new scooter, FOR ME!! I was elated. Mike had also been talking to my dad trying
to get his per-mission for me to accompany Mike to the SSDT in 1972. I wasn’t old
enough to get an Internation-al Competition License from the American Motorcycle
Association but could get an International Drivers License, so I was his Gas
Man…. My councilors at school thought it would be a good learn-ing experience
and I agreed with them. Probably the only time I ever agreed with them. Before
going to pick up Mike’s scooter from Sammy Miller in Highcliffe, we did our best to
find some of the motorcycle shops we had only read about in motorcycle papers.
We succeeded at finding sev-eral. At one hotel we stayed in, the attendant took us
up to show us our room. We deposited our luggage in the room and went to the
local pub for dinner. Upon returning to the room we opened the door to find the
room full of smoke! We opened the small window and tried to get the smoke out
of the room. Upon inspection of the room when the smoke cleared, we discovered
that I had placed my suitcase too close to the wall heater. I didn’t realize that the
attendant had lit it when he first walked into the room. The smoke was my suitcase
almost catching fire!! We drove our rented Hillman Hunter to Highcliffe and
got the Bultaco ready for the SSDT at Sammy’s shop. When Mike finished prepping
it Sammy took us to his riding grounds to test Mike’s work. Mike Had Sam-my ride