Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1537729
WIND IN THE P32 Powersports Entrepreneur Passes C urt Leaverton—who co- founded Hot Rods, Pivot Works, Hot Cams, Cylinder Works and Wrench Rabbit and founded VintCo—passed away on July 12. He was 61. Leaverton died from injuries sustained while riding his bicycle near his home in Iowa. He was struck by a tree that had fallen across the trail. Graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from Drake University, Leaverton was deeply passion - ate about motorcycles. His first venture was designing and reproducing a connecting rod to rebuild his beloved OSSA motorcycle, which had worn out over the years. With his wife's help, they found a factory in Taiwan capable of producing exactly what he needed. Leaver - ton soon realized the motorcycle industry lacked an aftermarket source for connecting rods to rebuild worn engines, leading to the birth of the Hot Rods brand in 1993. With his keen sense for the evolving dirt bike market, Hot Rods expanded into brands like Pivot Works, Hot Cams, Cylinder Works and eventually Wrench Rabbit. The well-known Italian piston brand Vertex was also added to the rapidly growing catalog of repair, performance and maintenance products for powersport enthusiasts world - wide under the C&L Companies umbrella. After selling the C&L brands, he became restless and launched VintCo to serve the vin - tage dirt bike market, ultimately returning to his roots. One of Leaverton's core values was building relationships with those he interacted with. Over the years, Leaverton developed a wide network of relationships that stretched around the globe, with many considering him like family. While motorcycles were his first passion, he was also an avid car racer and guitarist. He was a mentor and influence to many around him, and it brought him absolute joy to spend time with his two granddaughters. Services in Iowa will be an - nounced soon. The VintCo team plans to continue working hard to keep those vintage bikes on track as Curt would like to see. CN Curt Leaverton, the co-founder of Hot Rods, Pivot Works, Hot Cams, Cylinder Works and Wrench Rabbit and founder of VintCo, passed away on July 12.