Third HeeJun Kim Memorial Ride

For new readers, we lost our dear friend HeeJun Kim in a motorcycle accident on Highway 181 on August 9, 2008.  He left behind a wife, sister, parents, and countless friends.  A month after HeeJun’s passing, a lot of Charlotte area motorcycle riders gathered to honor his memory with a ride to the accident site.  Since then, we’ve had these annual memorial rides and this year, his widow Erica held a memorial fundraiser event and collected over $1500 for HeeJun’s favorite charity: Campus Outreach.

Photos from First Memorial Ride (2008)
Photos from Second Memorial Ride (2009)
Photos from First Memorial Event (2010)
Results from First Memorial Event (2010)

Jason is up bright and early to get the pace car ready.  Don’t mind the Frankenstein bike in the foreground.

I go to meet the girls.  Notice Claudia’s gangsta lean.

Sharing a gas pump is true love.

Jason and Brittany are setting the pace.

Kevin gets a lot of compliments (as always) on his white with blue frame Triumph Daytona 675.

Fran poses with her Suzuki GS500.

Claudia is pretty in pink with her Honda CBR 600RR.

Perry is taking care of his bottom on the Suzuki DRZ 400 SM.

I can’t tell you how many times people ask me what happened to the front end of my bike.  Here’s the answer:  nothing.  Nothing is wrong with the front of my bike.  This is how it actually looks!

Courtney and Alle roll up on the new 2up friendly ride – Yamaha FJR.  The rare copper colored SV 1000 has left the building.

Golf arrives on his OWN bike!  He is no longer holding his brother Robert’s bike hostage.

The bikes meet up at the Moores Chapel gas station to take back roads to the main stop.

Girls: Claudia, Fran, me, and Brittany

This is our usual gas station stop.

Derek, James, Lee, and my twin Mike (Ducati Mike… I mean Aprillia Mike)

Perry, Claudia, Fran, Brittany, Chad, and Angela get cozy at the gas station.

Joe (Mr. Buell), Shawn, and Jason the kid

Dave, Golf, Doug, and Jason

Shawn, Danielle, and Greg

Mike, Kevin, and me.  I thought Mike and I would show off our matching leathers but I forget I took my jacket off.

Ben, Nick, Courtney, Alle, and Andy

Sisters Brittany and Erica on their inaugural ride

Erica is grateful to Derek for being such an awesome guy!

We have the girls and the boys.

Here is the whole group at the gas station except James and Lee.  They have run off for some camera runs.

Jason does the safety speech and Shawn reminds of the reason for the ride: to memorialize HeeJun.  HeeJun would have wanted us to be safe.

Brittany and Jason

We used to call him Ducati Mike but now we have to call him Aprillia Mike.

Doug and Angela

Lots of socializing

Darcie is along for the ride.

Our sweeper is DRAGNEEZ.

Brownies version 2.0.  Thank goodness we passed on version 1.0.  Perry looks content.

We pick up some more friends at a second gas station.

Chad is obviously staring at something on the ground… or maybe at me hula hooping without the hoop (SLAP!).

Doug, Nick, and Dan

Jason the Kid’s shirt: Internet was down so thought I’d come outside today.  Whoa.

Thanks to Brittany for this cute pic of reindeer Fran and C.

Brittany is showing off some mad photo skills while I am showing off my not mad riding skills : )

Claudia is actually rolling up on her purty ride.

Nick, Dan, and Mark: Put your hands on your hips and shake it all around.

Angela suggests we tell our favorite HeeJun stories and Doug shines up the cross.

Lee and James reunite with the group at Mile Marker 22: the spot.

Doug discusses something with Mike.

Mark is showing off his post wreck t-shirt.  Hmm…

Chad is chilling with his girls: Erica and Brittany

Moorea joins the crew.  She gets a lot of attention.

The stainless steel cross is holding up well.  Kerry did an excellent job putting this together.

As you can see me in the photo, I didn’t take them.  Unfortunately, both versions on my camera had people cut off both ends and a tiny appendage in the corner which turns out really large when it shows up on the lens.  Oopsie!

I’m going to borrow Boomer’s version of the photo as his is better.  The right side of the group is instructed by Erica to give a thumbs up.  Only a few are compliant.

Back row: Jason, Jessie, Dave, Kevin, Andy, Perry, Fran, Brittany, Jason, Tim, Claudia, Danielle, Courtney, Alle, Mark, Doug, Erica, and Chad
Front row: Greg, Ben, Nick, Golf, Joe, me, Angela, and Mike
Not pictured: Shawn AKA Boomer (photographer), James, Lee, Derek

Look at those hippies hanging out in the grass.

Mark says Tommy would do it!

After visiting the spot, everyone gets ready to roll.

The photo below is courtesy of Chad – the other half of the Antirider C team.

Remember that Frankenstein bike from the first picture?  This is what my bike is SUPPOSED to look like.  Amazing!

We stop for eats at the local Italian restaurant.

We enjoy the nice hot sweaty weather and sit outside.

Sexy!  You never know what you’ll see at the local restaurant.

Mark and Kevin are about to gnaw off their arm before the gigantic calzones arrive.  Fortunately the ham and cheese calzones are worth the wait.

Everyone gets home safely and we all know what this is what HeeJun would have wanted.  Thank you for smiling down on us on this special day with the beautiful weather.  We all know you are enjoying your lemonade.