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/697689
VOL. 53 ISSUE 25 JUNE 28, 2016 P117 merman.com Brad was a good friend to me and seemed generous to all who crossed his path. I last saw him at our Old SoCal Pro Re- union and he looked great. We spoke for a while and compared laundry lists of our failing body parts. He talked about need- ing a rotator cuff repaired and I gave him Dr. Heinen's contact info, since he had fixed both of mine. Ironically, we discussed how sad it was that four people in attendance last year were now on the list of names that I read aloud and raised a glass to each year at our party. We lightheart- edly agreed that every day spent not pushing up daisies is a good day, indeed. I learned more things about Brad during this past week, mostly from those closest to him. Brad was one of six Zim- merman siblings, three boys and three girls. Scott Zimmer- man, three years Brad's junior, lives in Nevada and took some time to talk to me about his brother. "To me, he was an immortal…a bigger-than-life super god and the greatest big brother any kid would ever dream of having. I'd come home from school and there would usually be at least 12 new test bikes in the garage and I got to ride any one I wanted," Scott said, his voice sounding young- er with every word, "Brad would say, 'Let's go ride!' Those were some of the best times of my life." I wish that my typed words could somehow convey the joyful tone and pride I heard in Scott's voice as he talked about the brother whose life changed instantly when he bought a sacked out 1969 Honda SL90 from a kid in their Granada Hills neighborhood. Brad was hooked, they both were. Scott saved up for a bike of his own and soon the brothers were racing motocross two or three times a week. When Brad started covering the events for a local dirt rag, Cycle Scene, he soon realized that as much as he loved riding, writing was to be his forte. It didn't take long for others to notice his way with words. Did I mention that Brad went to Catholic school, grades 1-12? Imagine yourself as 17-year-old Brad. This is your 12th year be- ing told what to wear every day, getting your hands smacked by nuns with rulers. You lust for mo- torcycles 24/7 because the bug has bitten you hard. The phone rings. Oh, it's only Popular Cycling magazine, offering you a job, writing about the thing you love most. Wow. Credit to his parents, Scott said they would not allow him to take the job until he finished high school and credit to Brad for not running away and joining the circus, which he eventually did. Bill Berroth owns Motonation, the U.S. distributor for Sidi boots. "I brought Brad aboard shortly after starting the com- pany in 1999 and gave him free reign to market the products however he saw fit. The only restriction I put on him was no F-word and no C-word. Brad in- vented Tony, our company mas- cot and brought him to life over the years with some of the most whacky and politically incorrect sagas there ever were." I could go on and on about Brad; how he was eclectic, brilliant, even-keeled, sarcastic, unique, intuitive, understated and pragmatic, with a twisted sense of humor. How he was an expert kite-flyer, or how much he still loved riding his BMW R1100. I could talk for hours about how he helped us out with our Won- der Warthog Racing privateer programs, or how he built and maintained www.martymoates.com after Marty passed. Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes a life well lived. For some it's how much wealth you accumulate, for others it could be, "He who dies with the most toys, wins." I believe the measure of a man is how the people that knew him best think of him when he's gone. There will be a memorial cele- bration for Brad Zimmerman at 3 pm, August 14, 2016 at Oceans- ide Beach in California. CN