Kiwi Rider January 2022 Vol.2 | Page 26

OBITUARY
He was also a man on a mission when he was working at Kawasaki NZ . After that , he was involved with Gas Gas NZ and did a lot of work to get that brand working here . Then after leaving the motorcycle industry , he was offered the role of developing the Beta brand for Europe Imports . And , like everything he did , he got stuck into it , boots and all . He was always up for a challenge and thrived on it . Perhaps too much . The phone calls at all hours , which lasted for hours , the ‘ What do you think of this idea ?” and “ What about this ...?” were common for a lot of us . Mike was so good at talking the talk and walking the walk , and I am so pleased we did what we did when we could . My thoughts are with Kay , Luke and Rickey . I am looking forward to the Viking ’ s Funeral farewell , which is what Mike wanted . So , have one for me in Valhalla Mike , and I will be there one day . Farewell and fork you . PETE ‘ VEGE ’ MCPHEE

I

have had the pleasure of knowing Mike Ramsey for five decades , over which time there ’ s not much we didn ’ t adventure in together .
We first met in the late 70s , at National Hare Scrambles ( XC now ). Mike rode in a team they called Team Scrotum with his mates Peter Thornton and Lance Kerr . Hare Scrambles was big back then , with hundreds on the start line . Race was close , particularly on the first lap , elbow to elbow ( they call it ‘ rubbing is racing ’ these days ). Well , according to Mike , we rubbed elbows a few times , not that I can recall discourse . Ten years down the track we met up again , I guess you might call it the beginning of the Two Mikes Era . I had become the CEO of Kawasaki NZ , and to expand the sales I needed fresh new dealers . I met with Mike and Kay at their house in Bombay . Kay was pregnant with Ricky and Luke was still in a cot . We had only two meetings . Team Mike and Kay took what most would call a huge gamble ; they sold their car , increased their mortgage and , together with Kawasaki NZ , opened a single franchise Kawasaki shop called Mike Ramsey Motorcycles . Mike believed in my business skills , and I believed in his skill and determination . The rest you can genuinely say is history . He was a Kawasaki dealer for 11 years , and off-road dealer for every year he owned the business . There ’ s so much more I can tell you , the day ’ s not long enough to tell you the half of it . When I think back I wonder where all his energy kept coming from . With Mike , Kawasaki Team Green NZ got a major injection of new ideas . The MR M / Cs Trail Ride Series began - it was the Mike Ramsey Motorcycle Trail Rides
James Scott is one of so many to have benefited from Ramsey ’ s knowledge and passion for tuning two-strokes
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