IN
THE
WIND
P22
AMA Motorcycle
Hall of Famer Joe
Bolger Passes
J
oe Bolger, a 2004 inductee into the AMA
Motorcycle Hall of Fame, died Tuesday,
April 21, from complications resulting from a
fall at his Barre, Massachusetts, home, his
family said.
He was 90 years old and had been in fail-
ing health the past few months.
"He was always happiest
when he was in his shop,"
his son, Brent Bolger, said.
"He could handle all sorts
of problems with engines,
and people came here to
get their engines fixed. He
loved helping people."
Mr. Bolger was a five-
time New England Scrambles Champion in the
mid-1960s and the 1970s.
He also was a self-taught designer and engi-
neer who worked in metal and wood in a small
shop behind his home.
In 1974, Mr. Bolger created a linked, rising-
rate, long-travel suspension that was put into
production as the OSSA BLT, meaning "Bolger
Long Travel."
He also designed an "equalizer" that reduced
or eliminated chain flex, which was often the
downfall of the early motocross machines with
long-travel suspension.
Also among the many patents he held was
one for a bead breaker for those troublesome
big tires on small ATV wheels.
Mr. Bolger was born in Charlottestown,
Prince Edward Island, Canada in January 1930.
Although still a Canadian citizen, Bolger
served in the U.S. Army from 1951 through 1953
and was stationed in Germany and France.
Mr. Bolger started racing in 1956 aboard a
500cc AJS. He was a proficient racer and won
the New England scrambles championship in
both 1964 and 1965. As an organizer, he was
instrumental in establishing popular Northeast
vs. Canada off-road racing events in the 1960s.
With his specialty-part design and manufactur-
ing business growing, in 1972 Mr. Bolger sold
his interest in the retail shop to devote himself
fulltime to engineering and design. He designed
special tools made to work on particular parts of
motorcycles, several of which were picked up by
Honda and made available to dealerships.
During his storied career in motorcycling, Mr.
Bolger also was a contributing editor for Cycle
World and Cycle Sport magazines.
Read the complete biography of AMA Motor-
cycle Hall of Famer Joe Bolger. CN
Self-taught
designer and
engineer, and
AMA Hall of Fame
member Joe
Bolger passed
away at the age
of 90.
PHOTOGRAPHY
COURTESY AMA
