Tragedy in Oakland law enforcement officers from across the country and around the world gathered by the thousands on Friday, March 27, to attend a memorial service for the four Oakland Police Department officers shot to death in the line of duty March 21, 2009. The crowd of over 21,000 mourners overflowed the service at oakland’s Oracle Arena, requiring some 3500 attendees to watch the emotional three-hour tribute on large screens next door at the oakland coliseum. Mourners crossed all races and religions; family, officers, political dignitaries, guests and spectators gathered at the sports arena parking areas from 6am onward, to obtain indoor seating which began at 9am, with the service at 11am. The parking lots were full of vehicles and motorcycles, with plates from everywhere. Bikes had been ridden and shipped to Oakland all week long from all over the world so that motorcycle cops could participate in the memorial processions; coming from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Washington State, Boston, New York, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, UK, New Haven, Minnesota, Baltimore, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Atlanta and many other places, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Many members of law enforcement paid their own ways to come out for their brothers, some rode and drove all the way from Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Minnesota. City, county, state and federal law enforcement were represented (as well as organized civilian groups): Police Departments, Sheriffs Offices, Highway Patrols, Fire Departments, U.S. Coast Guard, Life Flight Helicoptor Pilots, Guardian Angels, Patriot Guard Riders, to name just a few. Each realized that “there but for the grace of God” and the memorial was just another reminder that as a law enforcement officer, your life is on the line every day that you get up to go to work. The freeways to the East Bay were jammed, beginning very early morning, March 27, as thousands of cars and motorcycles headed to the East Bay in caravans from surrounding cities, indeed, from cities and counties all over the state of California. Fresno sent 70 officers “to show Oakland that they’re not in this alone.” Each fallen officer had his own long procession from his hometown to I-880 to Oakland’s Oracle Arena: 50 motorcycles paired to lead Sgt. Dunakin’s hearse from Tracy where he lived with his wife and three children; Sgt. Romans came from Danville, Sgt. Sakai from Castro Valley, and Officer Hege from Concord. Patrol car and fire engine crews saluted from overpasses, motorists pulled over to the sides of the freeway to wave, while those from the other direction flashed headlights or waved from open windows. Residents of Oakland and the surrounding Bay Area arrived at the Arena to pay their respects and show support. They filled the seats in the Arena’s second tier or sat at the Coliseum. All 815 members of the OPD stood together for hours outside the North end of the Arena, then solemnly filed in, the last to be seated, on the arena’s floor, behind family. (The city streets of Oakland protected by officers from surrounding city agencies that day.) This memorial brought citizens and officers of Oakland as close as they probably ever have been. In an outstanding display of support and solidarity, brotherhood and sisterhood, thousands upon thousands of law enforcement professionals stood shoulder to shoulder, in their dress uniforms; seas of blue, green, black, tan, even red, huge swaths of color patchwork filling the parking lots, the hours-long lines flowing into the stadiums, the seated sections in both auditoriums. All wore a black ribbon of mourning across their badges. All held a long, crisp salute as bagpipes mournfully played while each of the four flag-covered caskets were slowly, ceremoniously wheeled on stage to their positions, one at a time. The group emotion was powerful and profound. Two pairs of tall black motorcycle boots stood next to the caskets of Oakland Traffic Department motorcycle patrolmen, Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40, and Officer John Hege, 41, along with their beloved OPD motorcycles. They were the first two officers shot and killed by parolee Lovelle Mixon, 26, of Oakland, during a routine traffic stop at 74th Avenue and MacArthur Blvd on March 21. By all accounts, the officers weren’t aware that Mixon was wanted for a no-bail warrant for a parole violation since his release from prison in November for assault with a deadly weapon. Or that Mixon was the prime suspect in the rape of a 12-year old girl in February and that a DNA match had been made just the previous day. Mixon used a gun in his car to shoot and kill Sgt. Dunakin and Officer Hege, who was left on the street, brain dead. Mixon then fled on foot to his sister’s house where he hid out. Later that afternoon, the Oakland SWAT team rushed the house, and the first two members, Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35, were killed with a semi-automatic weapon wielded by Mixon, who was then killed by SWAT. Four officers killed in one day, the biggest loss of life for U.S. law enforcement since Sept 11, 2001, and not seen in California for almost 40 years. Two motorcycle cops, two members of SWAT, all men had served Oakland long and well, all had warm, personal lives, families and friends. On stage were city and state officials, who each spoke to honor the four officers. Police Chaplain Jayson Landeza read a letter from President Barack Obama and first-lady Michelle Obama. State Attorney General Jerry Brown, former mayor of Oakland, delivered a short, effective speech, followed by California Senator Barbara Boxer, U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein and California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. OPD Captain Edward Tracey, Lt. Anthony Banks of Traffic, retired Police Captain Yee, and family members and friends contributed tributes to each fallen officer. Lt. Anthony Banks, of the Oakland Traffic Office, spoke emotionally about Sgt. Mark Dunakin (Dunny), an 18-year veteran of the Oakland Police Traffic Division and a member of the motorcycle drill team. “Mark became my left hand man. Why left hand? Because that’s where he rode.” Here, the Lt. broke down. “Mark always rode…on my left side.” Perhaps the most poignant and eloquent in a day of moving speeches, was OPD Captain Edward Tracey who spoke directly from his heart to the hearts of all, particularly to “his men.” It wasn’t easy, but it was real. “Good morning. My name is Ed Tracey. I’m the proud commander of the Support Operations Division of OPD. The SWAT team, as well as the traffic section, are under my command. These are my men.” Captain Tracey expressed a sentiment heard a few times that day, “A senseless act of violence against one of us is truly a senseless act of violence against every one of us.” He spoke of lives and careers that emphasized the positive traits of commitment, contribution, selflessness… “Please know that these officers died doing what they absolutely loved, being Oakland police officers, riding motors, kicking in doors, serving on SWAT.” “To my traffic team, well, we call them leather gods...Mark and John, thank you for all the great memories. They will miss all of our jokes, pranks and laughs, with their motor buddies. They were proud to be a part of OPD Motors and the ‘Rolling Thunder’. Physically they will not be here to ride with us in formation, but know that they will be watching us, mile after mile. Whether we’re performing as a drill team or just coasting down the road in formation, let’s keep it tight, look good, always be cool...for Dunny and Johnny. I love you guys.” The memorial service concluded with the flags being folded and handed to family, an impressive 21-gun salute from four classic WWII Howitzer canons, and four helicopter missing man formation fly-overs led by 20 helicopter pilots. It was a profound day for all who attended. To Sergeants Mark Dunakin, Ervin Romans, Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege, Godspeed.

Written by: Leslie Kaye Photos: Glen Coddington Date: Jun.25.2009

SF rod custom and motorcycle show Toyota Trucks Presents San Francisco Rod Custom and Motorcycle Show February 20, 21, 22 Cow Palace. Whew, RP (Rick Perry) Productions made it happen here in 09. A couple halls eliminated from down in the back, but it still shined with quality entries in the center and two side halls. For five years now at San Francisco, before that it was in Oakland. A town that had a long history with a custom show is without one, shame. Hoping the current show can continue in SF, have to love the name Cow Palace. In the Center Ring dominated by custom cars (including one built for James Hetfield of Metallica) a couple Ness Creations made the cars share the spotlight. Quite the other direction was an OCC creation for Icee, just the bike, none of the crew. Most of the bikes were in one side hall, but one that deserved better placement was found in the hallway (at least for photographs) - the Dotson Design bike. You could look at this one a while and still keep finding cool design features. Another bike to look for clever engineering is the Kraus Motor Co. The satin finish is different, I liked it (red hubs, though?) Usual gripe; need more diversity...some more race bikes, stuntbikes, exotic euro, dirtbikes, ratbikes...a mix. You guys and gals with sweet rides tell the organizers you want in for 2010.

Written by: Glen Coddington Date: Jun.25.2009

Irish motorbike and scooter show Every other year, bikers find Nirvana at the Irish Motorbike & Scooter Show in Dublin, Ireland. Everything that has anything to do with bikes can be found under one roof, with plenty of non-stop outdoor action and entertainment — from Speedway racing demos, madcap antics of Isle of Man riders, the Purple Helmets, Ireland’s top stunter Mattie Griffin (5th in the World Freestyle Stunt Championship), to an extreme stunt display by International Trials rider Steve ‘Showtime’ Colley, who incredibly manages to strut his stuff whilst giving the audience a ‘wired for sound’ running commentary at the same time! Why was I there? Ace Cafe London sponsored awards for a loosely based Mods n’ Rockers competition, and Mark Wilsmore (my other half) was invited to help judge the custom bike section of the show of machines especially built for the Irish qualifier of the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building, to be held at the annual Sturgis rally in August. The AMD winner was Don Cronin for ‘Medaza 500’ (Medaza being Cork slang for something really cool), but you’ll have to go to Sturgis to see it! As the show was so well-attended, and overwhelmed by people jostling for space, it was impossible to gain ‘pole position’ to photograph everything mentioned above, so I concentrated on the ‘Ace’ element, the winners, who will be guests at the cafe for this year’s Ace Cafe Reunion in September, including accommodation and meals. John Kerr of Sun Custom Leathers won for his customised Triumph Bonneville, and recalled buying the bike 15 years ago from a collector, saying that in those days one’s only chance of finding a rarer bike was to continuously read the Belfast Telegraph as soon as it hit the streets. John related, “She was complete but pretty clapped out, quirky and different from the usual USA tank/high bar Bonnies that some of my friends owned. I don’t think the bike had received any new parts since it had left the factory 16K miles ago, only some very basic DIY repairs. I loved the wide flat tracker bars, the low round tank and twin drum brakes. It was lanky and shoddy, but I could see its potential.” “Being a single man at the time, I began to strip it down inside the house and restored her to be a practical all-weather bike with stainless pipes, bullet silencers, rims, spokes and fasteners. The engine was stripped and rebuilt by Alistair Henry, builder of many of the Triumph classic road racers, the ones that always raced last at the Irish road races so that Joey Dunlop and the ‘fast boys’ wouldn’t have to worry about oil on the road.” “I fitted an electric ignition and a set of Mikuni carbs with belmouths, a belt drive and rear Fournales gas shocks, which I have since rebuilt after 100,000 miles and a few hard winters wear and tear. She lasted through four winters, managing the icy and snowy roads as well as any light and torquey bike could, and we both became a familiar sight locally since there were so few Triumph Bonnevilles in daily use, but eventually the frame got tatty and the engine was showing its stretch and strain.” “By chance I came across an advert for a complete ‘basket case’ cafe racer with a set of brand new Nourish 8-valve head, one-piece crank, 850cc barrels & pistons and low-down lift road cams. Knowing that if I managed to sell a rolling chassis and parts, the Nourish parts would be fairly good value for me, and I bought it.” “I took the Bonnie off the road, and whilst the unit engine was being rebuilt as an 8-valve 850cc, the frame, tank, guard and side panels were taken for painting to Maxport Painting. The bike was originally ‘Tiger Gold,’ and I was delighted to find the brilliance of ‘Candy Gold’ in their range. We discussed the way I wanted the black striping and I left them to it. They put down a few nice coats of Candy Gold and Candy Black and many layers of lacquer, and I was thrilled with the result.” “Timing the new cams proved tricky, as the crankcases had to be widened to allow the new barrels to fit. The standard back brake switch was always a weakness on rear-drum brake Triumphs, so a more robust one was sourced and an alloy plate was profiled on to it. A stronger, longer and wider reaching brake lever bar and robust rod holder and rod were all made special in stainless. Spacers were made to align the rear wheel in the custom made swingarm and a 3.50 alloy rear rim was fitted with a 130.70 Michelin tyre. The timing case was adapted for a pressure feed remote oil filter. The oil pipe work coming from the timing case, go to a stainless steel micronic oil filter underneath the battery.” “I never liked the single bar kick on the Triumph, so a bicycle pedal style one was fitted instead and the rubbers replaced by turned brass bars. The broader pedal is easier to swing with my leg. I think my right leg is twice the size, thanks to years of the old-fashioned kick-start!” “The seat was handmade by myself, using top grain cowhide, with the two tan stripes shaped to flow along the same lines as the black/gold on the tank. I also realised, that to get the best from riding with such a powerful motor, I’d need something more sufficient than the original drum brake and skinny forks of the 1971 T120, so I hunted down some modern looking USDs. The gold Ohlins that were readily available matched perfectly. By chance, I also found a nearly complete front end from a modern Aprilia RSV. The yokes were skimmed and fitted with a steering stem to fit the Bonnie. The yokes and bottom of the forks were sprayed black and to complete the street-tracker look, I made a front number plate from leather, choosing the No.7 as a tribute to my first hero, Barry Sheene.” “Although I’ve relaxed somewhat to a big cruiser for long distance travel purposes, British roadster bikes were always my scene, and I grew up being inspired by the Rocker forbearers and the real beginning of customised machines.” With the ‘Ace’ stand ably ‘manned’ by members of both the Vespa Club of Ireland and the Lambretta Club of Ireland, the prize for the ‘Best Scooter’ went to Marie Walsh for ‘Nurse Barbie.’ Keith Daniels, General Secretary of LCI said, “The club was formed in 1952, but that early formation came to an end in 1976 and lay idle until 1992, when some of the previous committee worked hard to get it up and running again.” Marie, a 33-year old ward sister at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin’s win was doubly well received, as the Ace Cafe Reunion weekend also happens to be her birthday, and she was still recovering from a recent stroke. Marie first got into Vespas about 10 years ago. She was doing a post-graduate course and needed transport, but she got a lot more than she bargained for! Marie said, “I got an auto Vespa and it was through this bike that I met my boyfriend Lee, who was running a scooter shop at the time. Basically, I took a wrong turn, saw this shop and thought I’d try it as I needed to get some work done on the scooter…I got a lot more than a service!” “Lee had long been customising Vespas and showed me that anything was possible. I really wanted an ‘old style’ scooter, the round shape of the panels is what really attracts me to 60s styling, so I went on a mission to locate an old one to restore. A friend found one for me on a farm in Italy. I was imagining a box of parts, but it actually looked like a scooter, the only thing was that when we turned it upside-down, a load of bones fell out! We could only think that an animal had crawled into the engine for shelter and had died there. Because of this the floor had rotted through, but apart from that most of the basic bits were there. I also found an old tax disc dated 1960-1969, so there’s a possibility that it had been off the road since then.” “Now came the restoration bit. My job was internet shopping for all the bits, which was a bit hit and miss with what arrived. Getting the floor replaced was a big challenge, the metal was so fragile than no welder wanted to touch it in case they damaged it, so eventually my brother who works in a chocolate factory discovered that one of his colleagues who is originally from the Philippines worked on old scooters, so ‘Nurse Barbie’ and the chocolate factory (sounds like a great name for a movie!) became well acquainted! The Nurse Barbie theme was obvious once I had chosen the Bubblegum Pink colour. I also did some research and discovered that in 1969 there was a nurse Barbie. The restoration took a year to complete, but as with all jobs like this, you just have to take as long as it takes.” “Whilst it’s not really the thing to love inanimate objects, I do love this little scooter. The first summer that it came together, we headed off to a rally in Holland. Everyone was apprehensive about me taking Barbie, but out of all the scooters that went, I experienced no problems, and the achievement I felt at getting there was amazing.” “The scooter is a Sportique 150cc, it starts first kick 99% of the time and has a top speed of 70 mph, and will keep up that speed all day. The eight-inch wheels leave it so close to the ground that I totally realise that it looks like a toy when heading on the motorway, but it’s one of those things that make people smile – whether they are laughing at me or with me, I don’t mind. The real Barbie is 50 this year, but Nurse Barbie will be 50 next year, so I hope to ride her to Italy so that she can get home one more time.”

Written by: Linda Wilsmore Date: Jun.25.2009

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