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/815139
VOL. 54 ISSUE 16 APRIL 25, 2017 P33 JOHN PARHAM, 1954-2017 T eam members at Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG) and J&P Cycles mourn the death of J&P Cycles founder John Parham, who lost his battle with pulmonary fibrosis on Thursday, April 20, 2017. John was a biker's biker, a successful business owner and passionate promoter of motor- cycling. He left a legacy that ben- efits every rider in America and around the world. "John was a very special person," said Andy Graves, President and CEO at MAG. "So many people knew John as a retailer, an event promoter, a custom bike aficionado, a vin- tage bike fan or the driving force behind the National Motorcycle Museum. Few people have ac- complished so much for so many riders in their lifetime." John founded the company that became J&P Cycles in 1979. He grew both his retail stores and his mail order business while expanding his efforts to promot- ing races and vintage motorcycle events throughout the country. He led the industry by adding the J&P Cycles catalog of over 100,000 parts and accessories onto the internet resulting in Dealernews maga- zine naming J&P Cycles the "World's Largest Aftermarket Retailer." With over 300 team members, the suc- cess and growth of J&P Cycles also strengthened communi- ties including: Anamosa, Iowa, Ormond Beach, Florida and Sturgis, South Dakota. John's passion for motorcy- cling and motorcyclists led to amassing one of the world's largest and most comprehensive collections of motorcycles, in excess of 300 bikes. Moving the National Motorcycle Museum to Anamosa, Iowa enabled John to share his passion with riders from all over the world. John was inducted into both the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame (2015) and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame (2009). "John built J&P Cycles out of his passion, and that passion has spurred so many others to love motorcycling just like he did," said Kevin Strawbridge, Presi- dent of MAG Retail Group. "We'll work hard to continue his legacy by making motorcycling a special experience for generations to come." He is survived by his wife Jill, son Zach, daughter-in-law Bree and two grandchildren. Zach is the General Manager and Vice- President of Merchandising at J&P Cycles. A celebration of John's life and legacy is being planned. An- ticipating what would be John's choice, friends are encouraged to sign up for and support the organ donation program in their community and continue their support of the National Motor- cycle Museum. CN J&P Cycles and the National Motorcycle Museum founder John Parham passed away after a long illness. ROCZEN UPDATE T eam Honda HRC's Ken Roczen returned to Vail, Colorado's Steadman Clinic for the 11th and final surgery on his left arm, which was injured in a crash at Anaheim II on January 21. Over the course of several hours, Dr. Randall Viola inserted cadaver cartilage into Roczen's elbow, a proce- dure that is expected to ultimately give his arm full range of motion. During the operation, Viola also PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY AMA spent time cleaning out scar tissue from the affect- ed area. It's estimated that Roczen's arm should be able to bear weight within six to eight weeks. "I'm really happy to have this last surgery out of the way," Roczen said. "They got the cadaver piece earlier than expected, which is awesome because that was the last piece of the puzzle. Now I can really focus on recovery without having to worry about any other surgery. Other than that, things are going well." CN