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A gentle giant. An avid Victory Rider. A friend and guy you could always count on.
All are descriptions of Bedford, Indiana, Victory Rider Ron Harris. To the great dismay of all Victory Riders, Ron died October 16 as the result of a traffic accident in which a car crossed the centerline of a Kentucky highway and struck him head on as he rode his Victory. He was only 56.
Ron was known to Victory Riders all across North America. As a Leg Captain of the annual V2V Relay, he met and instantly became a friend to scores, even hundreds of Victory Riders who took part in the cross-country trip. He was known as “victoryryder892” in the VMC forums, and was loved by all.
Sadly, one message Rob posted about a month ago in a VMC forum reinforces that his life was way too short and he had great plans to really enjoy what should have been his future. From the VMC:
Well guys, yesterday, September 27 was my birthday, (56 y/o & 37 yrs on the job) and my gift to myself was signing my early retirement papers. My retirement starts November 1. I put a lot of thought into it, and decided now was a good time, rather than waiting until later. No one knows what the future has in store for us, and I knew this might be my best chance to retire early enough so I can still do some things I've been putting off. I want to do a road trip right away, before winter hits here. Then, after my winter projects are done, I plan to hit the road next year, so don't be surprised to see a familiar Speed Yellow V92C going through your town. I hope to make it to more VMC events next year, and travel more. There is so much I still want to see, and experience. I've lost some good friends along the way that died too young, and I'm pretty sure they would agree that I'm doing the right thing.
His plan was to really enjoy his "toys," which included a 2004 Victory Vegas Arlen Ness Signature Series, a 2002 Victory V92C (the “Bumblebee” bike he rode in honor of departed friend Mike Bird) and a 1966 Mustang convertible.
As noted in his obituary, “He was a member of the Terre Haute Chapter of the Victory Motorcycle Club, the Viking Club, the Patriot Guard Riders, the Classic Car Cruiz N and participated in the Miracle Ride for Riley Hospital. He loved car shows and riding his motorcycle.”
Some notes posted on the VMC site since Ron’s passing reflect what a great guy and good friend Ron was, and they include:
• “Many Ch. 8 riders, as well as Indy-area riders, have ridden 1,000's of miles with Ron and considered him a friend. Ron was always our default ‘big kid.’ (I think Ron's height was about 6', 5"). He was enthusiastic & playful, he was always pulling pranks or on the ‘receiving-end,’ and he loved his ‘toys.’ (He not only owned and rode multiple bikes, his bikes received LOTS of TLC!”
• “Yes, we lost a great guy. Ron was a special friend and treated everybody he met as a brother. He never met a stranger and always had a helping hand if you were in need of one, I remember he led the V2V to and from Ohio this past summer. Ron loved old cars, cigars, motorcycles, eating and beer (not necessarily in that order)… It was too bad he didn't get to realize his dream of riding and meeting other VMC members after retirement, but maybe he's on those long sweeping curves with his good friend Mike Bird. Ride on guys!”
• “Ron was one of the best friends I ever had. I only knew Ron for three years but it seemed like we were close for a lot longer time than that. He was the best man at my wedding, he was my mentor for riding, he was my crutch when I was down, one of the first to offer a stranger a hand. Words can't tell all the great things Ron was, he was just Ron… I could write forever about Ron and the good things he has done, but basically, I'm just going to miss Ron.”
• “If it hadn't been for Ron, I wouldn't have gone up to Sturgis, MI, this past summer, but I did and met a lot of good people on that trip, too. You know for a guy that was 6', 4”, he always looked you in the eye no matter how short you were and was a man of his word. I believe in God and heaven and I think Ron is looking down and thinking ‘What's all this fuss about?’ It's always hard to give up friends and loved ones to death but healing will come in time. He will be missed by all who knew him.”
• “In addition to all the other things to his credit, he was a Leg Captain for the Victory Highway ride. I guess a lot of people are going to have a big hole in their life left by Ron's passing.”
Victory Rider Ray Russell, aka Rayhog2, reported on what it was like on the day of Ron’s funeral:
“About 70 bikes took Ron to his final resting place high on a hill today. Ron must be with God because one could not ask for a more perfect day. A great turn out for this great man. Everything went very smoothly. The family was/is extremely grateful for what we all did for Ron yesterday and today. I was told many times that it was exactly as he would have wanted. Can't get any better than that. I want to thank all the Victory Riders that were there today to ride and stand with the PGR. We make a helluva team. Thank you all. God bless and please ride safe.”
Godspeed, Ron.
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