In the August of 2001, Dominican Republic native Gerard Baptiste, FDNY firefighter, Ladder 9, purchased a $100 fixer-upper 1979 Honda C...
In the August of 2001, Dominican Republic native Gerard Baptiste, FDNY firefighter, Ladder 9, purchased a $100 fixer-upper 1979 Honda CB750, despite the advice of his beau Ladder ix firefighters/motorcycle enthusiasts, for his commencement wheel in addition to brought it to his East Village Engine 33/Ladder ix firehouse where he intended to piece of job on its restoration for operate every bit his commencement motorcycle.
The wheel sat inward the firehouse in addition to its beat-up status became a running joke alongside Baptiste’s beau firefighters, who nicknamed him Biscuits for his habit of carrying Canis familiaris treats every bit an overture to run across local Canis familiaris walkers.
Gerald Baptiste served with the the U.S. Army National Guard in addition to FDNY Ladder Company 9, 1 of 3 firefighters from his firehouse to expire at Ground Zero, was final seen evacuating people from the due north tower of the World Trade Center.
After Baptiste’s decease on 9/11, the surviving members of his society took on the projection of restoring the bike. With back upward from enthusiasts across the country, the 1979 Honda was transformed into a memorial motorbike straight off known every bit the "Dream Bike."
According to the mass “Motorcycle Dream Garages” past times Lee Klancher, a twain of reporters from Backroads magazine attended a fundraiser at the firehouse inward Oct 2001 in addition to noticed the wheel behind a pile of donations. When asked nearly it, veteran fire-eater Michael Wernick called it “garbage” in addition to said he planned to throw it out. Backroads’ Jeff Kurtzman wrote a column nearly the forgotten motorcycle, in addition to the reply from readers was in addition to so overwhelming that Kurtzman’s Backroads colleague Brian Rathjen reached out to Honda in addition to Progressive Insurance, who agreed to help. Spearheaded past times the belatedly Stephen Lovas, possessor of a New Bailiwick of Jersey motorbike shop, in addition to with the assistance of grieving firefighters, the Dream Bike projection began.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 2004 documentary, ''F.D.N.Y. Dream Bike,'' past times filmmakers John Allison in addition to Tim O’Grady recounted the rehabilitation effort. https://www.firebooks.com/products/fdny-dream-bike-in-honor-of-gerard-baptiste-fdny-ladder-9
Following his business of duty decease during the 9/11 tragedy, a Ladder ix fellow member decided to restore the wheel inward Gerard’s memory. What followed is genuinely an amazing storey - over the course of instruction of xv months with the back upward of his beau FDNY members, motorbike enthusiasts, Backroads Magazine, American Honda, a motorbike restoration store inward New Bailiwick of Jersey in addition to fiscal back upward from corporations, the wheel which was inward lamentable status was completely restored to the pristine status shown above.
It didn’t bring a permanent abode for several years. It resided inward Werwick’s garage for a piece earlier he in addition to his married adult woman decided to auction it off in addition to donate the proceeds to an educational fund established for the children of firefighters killed inward the attacks. When the wheel didn’t attain the reserve price, they raffled it instead. The winner was a adult woman inward California, who gave the wheel to a fireman who lost a blood brother on 9/11. That fire-eater gave it dorsum to the Werwicks, who donated it to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which was inward the planning stages at the time.
This genuinely unique wheel is shown on display inward the FASNY Museum of Firefighting inward Hudson, New York.
The occur of the gas tank includes an ornate cross surrounded past times 10 roses, two helmets (one with 33 in addition to the other with 9) symbolizing the Engine 33 in addition to Ladder ix house.
http://www.unyquefiretrucks.com/9_11_-_FDNY_Dream_Bike.html
https://motorbikewriter.com/911-honda-cb750-honours-fdny/
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