It was sometime in the earlier 90s while camped in a parking lot at the Daytona Rally with a slew of other tightwads who favored this place because it was free, that I first met a tall, blond, white dude named Bean’re—which seemed kind of odd to me. But, he was one of the guys and fate had brought us together. His was a brand new, white Road King police bike and we bombed around Daytona eventually ending up at the drag races. To my surprise Bean’re entered that cop bike in the “run what you brung” class. In the years to come I’d note that this cat has a competitive nature and natural love of playing in any bike games.
Back then the road bug had only dug its baby teeth into this destined-to-be gypsy biker, for Bean’re still maintained his home and landscaping business in Miami. It would not be until the year 1997 that he’d ultimately give in to his passion, leave everything behind, and join us as a full time rider upon the lonely highways of endless freedom. I began to see him at rallies everywhere.
In those early years I believe Bean’re’s carpentry skills supported his travels. However, and although this guy utilizes the same manner of packed up bike, willingness to camp, and ability at adaptation, etc. as the rest of us, there is one particular quality to which he seems uncommonly proficient.
I sometimes wonder if it enters the minds of those who dare to dream of just how often the drifter arrives in new places. Anyone who’s ever moved to a new town knows what this feels like. You know no one there and it takes time to make new friends. And for us, the time is usually short. For the drifter this is a very real problem; especially when traveling alone, and it becomes of paramount importance that one learns to make friends fast. It’s for this reason that all of the nomadic motorcyclists I’ve know have been forced to hone their social skills to the very best of personal ability.
Yet, it’s given to Bean’re’s uncommon natural ability in this arena that his notoriety began to grow across the country and even abroad. Add to this fact that the “Mayor of Fun” (a name coined him by famous motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter) is outrageous, funny, entertaining, always standing center field at any event or social gathering, and an extreme publicity hound (show me a camera and Bean’re will likely be standing in front of it) and it’s easy to understand why Bean’re has made so many connections. During the heyday of famous bike-builders he worked with close friend Billy Lane. Bean’re has also taken employment among most of the other bike builders at one time or another, if only for short periods.
And although he’s bounced around over the years, Bean’re now works part time at motorcycle rallies in places like the Buffalo Chip (Sturgis) as MC, and basic entertainment artist. This kind of work takes him to motorcycle events both nationally and abroad. Bean’re is high energy and a real go-getter. He now maintains a column in Cycle Source Magazine, has a book on the market, and may someday even have his own television show.
So it’s easy to see that, although most of the drifter types enjoy a certain solitary edge, Bean’re’s is a life lived far more in the limelight.
As to the maintenance and rebuilds of his motorcycle, and like the rest of us, Bean’re does his own work and modifications too. Over time I saw that stock cop-bike morph into the weird-ass purple chopper that, for many years, was Bean’re’s trade mark steed. But with the increasing pressure of his busy schedule Bean’re simply has no time left for the repairs that the now 300,000 mile police bike required. Knowing from bitter experience that in our world virtually all mechanical breakdowns occur somewhere along the lonely highway and must be attended to by the rider himself, Bean’re set out to build a new bike.
He started with an engine that he hoped would, when completed, be both modern and simple—a daunting task in the present day of onboard computers, sensors, fuel pumps, spaghetti wiring, fly by wire throttles, and other state of the art nightmares. Bean’re started with a set of 2013 cases then worked his way out while purposely eliminating every major money saving shortcut (weakness) the HD corporation now builds into their engines (there are three). Then he threw the ECU away, installed an older and far simpler evo ignition, and hung a carburetor on the sucker. He now has a 103 inch twin cam engine that should offer all the simplicity and longevity of the standard 80 inch evolution engine.
So continues the endless journey of yet another True Gypsy Biker.
Part Three coming next…..
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