Feature
Occasionally the Jolly Rogers like to feature an item of interest. Check back often as new Feature items are posted on this page. See previous Feature articles:
Classic Thunder Motorcycles | Last Ride
The Great Seymour
Life Time Member of the Jolly Rogers
Motorcycle Club
"legendary..."
Preceding
his involvement with the Jolly Rogers Motorcycle Club, the Great
Seymour’s racing career started in ‘58 with his new BSA Goldstar
scrambler. “In my 1st race, I had just enough time to sign up and start.
Before I fell for the 6th time, the 1st place guy was trying to lap me.
Losing his lead prompted him to speak harshly to me.” In ‘59 his racing
career subsided for 11 years when he married CJ.
Buying a couple of 501 Maico motocross bikes allowed him to race in the
Open class at the Jolly Rogers track against 650 British bikes and iron
barrel Sportsters. The Maico was a good 100 pounds lighter and did well,
securing for him the NMA Open class Championship for 1974. (See a number
of old Super 8 movies of the
Great Seymour and others racing at the famous Jolly Rogers Motorcycle
Club race track in Kent, WA). Seymour used
to break into the Jolly Rogers grounds to practice but finally joined to
obtain legitimate access. He became Secretary and finally Treasurer
until the members sold the grounds to a surrounding developer.
In the late 60’s and early 70’s, the membership was down to a handful of
people and the Treasury was depleted. Because of the value of its
history and fame, Seymour and CJ decided to bring the Jolly Rogers
Motorcycle Club back to life, investing one thousand dollars of their
own money toward that end for shirts, membership certificates, etc. The
Great Seymour also understood the value of the internet and attempted to
create the first iteration of the Jolly Rogers Motorcycle Club website.
At that time Lets-Ride.com was offering free website space to motorcycle
clubs to hang their sites. Seymour not being a web developer enlisted
longtime acquaintance Fingers DeHan to perform the deed in exchange for
free membership to the Jollies for the service. After a little less than
a year Seymour and Fingers decided that the Jollies web presence should
grow and in 2003 the domain name jollyrogersmotorcycleclub.com was
purchased and a new website developed. The current site at
www.jollyrogersmotorcycleclub.com is still the original, official
website of the Jolly Rogers Motorcycle Club with over 40,000 hits.
With
the help of the famous
Carmen Tom they slowly brought in new members and
repaid the investment. At that time there were no dues and the club
activities consisted of going to other’s events flashing our colors.
After 40 years of past membership and 73 years old, Seymour is bent by
arthritis and rarely rides. With his son Dave’s help, his spare time is
spent trying to keep up with the work in his back yard machine shop
serving motorcycles and their riders.