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Meeting Wes Cooley

viperg

viperg

Forum Mentor
I was fortunate enough to get to meet my childhood hero at Mid-Ohio this year. Wes Cooley inspired and help to form my street bike interests when I was a kid. I was 11 years old when I started reading about Cooley in mags of the day. His racing efforts on that 79 blue & white (also red & white) 1000S Superbike gave me big dreams of going fast on Suzuki liter bikes.

For the event, Dad came in from CA to ride my Cooley while I piloted my 82 Katana for the 450 mile weekend. My son trailered my Buffalo to roll around on so we had 3 generations there on Suzukis. We even passed the Suzuki Factory truck about 100 miles out from Mid-O. The driver nearly broke his neck double taking, giving huge thumbs up and grins.

At 47 years old I was like a kid at Christmas. Wes is a super nice guy. He saw me the with my 1000SN in front of the AMA tent, walked right up from 30 feet away to talk to me about the bike. I asked him if he would sign my 1000SN that was actually at Laguna Seca watching him race in 1979 and he took me by the shoulder and said "well of course I will." We talked for a few minutes and then he said he had to get back on schedule. Wes said, "come down to the race bike display tent in a couple of hours and we can hang out." So we did several times throughout the weekend. What a guy!


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Here is a photo album of the meeting: https://www.flickr.com/photos/105623253@N02/albums/72157668140132944/with/28178931882/
 
Last edited:
Great story on meeting one of the legends of Superbike, viper.

Doing it with 3 generations makes it even more special.
 
Is Wes involved in the motorcycle or racing industry?

Looks like Mitch Boehm in the background of a couple pics.
What was your take on him?
 
steve murdoch said:
Is Wes involved in the motorcycle or racing industry?

Looks like Mitch Boehm in the background of a couple pics.
What was your take on him?
Click to expand...

After leaving racing I believe he actually took up nursing and was working in southern Idaho. Maybe Twin Falls or nearby.
 
Wow, what a story!! Thanks for sharing this and man alive, how the heck are you ever going to wash your bike again???
 
steve murdoch said:
Is Wes involved in the motorcycle or racing industry?

Looks like Mitch Boehm in the background of a couple pics.
What was your take on him?
Click to expand...

Cooley was an inspiring and humble human being. Hearing all his stories of working with Pops Yoshimura in the early days, the differences between riding the 1000S and the Katana and his discussion on his horrific crash in 1985 was an amazing experience. Wes left the cycle industry after a difficult recovery from his 1985 crash in which he broke 27 bones including some vertebrae. He became a male nurse and works in a cardiac unit. One of his reported strengths in the field is understanding of what patients are going through and being empathetic to recovery since he has been through it himself. He is an awesome person on and off the race track, a true role model.

Mitch is indeed in the back ground and was instrumental in pulling the entire 40 years of Superbike celebration event together. We had several discussions at length about motorcycles, racing in the old days and how the event ended up at Mid-Ohio instead of Laguna Seca World Superbike (that falls on the same weekend). MotoAmerica and Laguna apparently drug their feet when it came time for a decision and in the meantime it was offered to Mid-Ohio that jumped at the chance. Mitch said the event was such a success, the largest in years, that they have already begun planning next year with another Superbike hero in the plans.
 
Last edited:
Hmmm... What will the solvent in the fresh laid clear do to the marker ink? I imagine you'll do a test first. Let us know what happens.
 
Cooley always seemed a bit more ... human than so many of the other luminaries. Glad to see that he really is. Hell, if he grew his mustache back, he would still look largely the same. I'm super-thrilled he is still a capable rider and that he still enjoys getting out on the track.
 
viperg said:
I was fortunate enough to get to meet my childhood hero at Mid-Ohio this year. Wes Cooley inspired and help to form my street bike interests when I was a kid. I was 11 years old when I started reading about Cooley in mags of the day. His racing efforts on that 79 blue & white (also red & white) 1000S Superbike gave me big dreams of going fast on Suzuki liter bikes.

For the event, Dad came in from CA to ride my Cooley while I piloted my 82 Katana for the 450 mile weekend. My son trailered my Buffalo to roll around on so we had 3 generations there on Suzukis. We even passed the Suzuki Factory truck about 100 miles out from Mid-O. The driver nearly broke his neck double taking, giving huge thumbs up and grins.

At 47 years old I was like a kid at Christmas. Wes is a super nice guy. He saw me the with my 1000SN in front of the AMA tent, walked right up from 30 feet away to talk to me about the bike. I asked him if he would sign my 1000SN that was actually at Laguna Seca watching him race in 1979 and he took me by the shoulder and said "well of course I will." We talked for a few minutes and then he said he had to get back on schedule. Wes said, "come down to the race bike display tent in a couple of hours and we can hang out." So we did several times throughout the weekend. What a guy!






Here is a photo album of the meeting: https://www.flickr.com/photos/105623253@N02/albums/72157668140132944/with/28178931882/
Click to expand...

He's definitely recognizable from the old days. Too bad he didn't have his 1980s haircut. :p I'd love to get Wes, Wayne Rainey, and Eddie Lawson together for a photo shoot.
 
viperg said:
lol! You should have seen Cooley cane the 1000S on the Saturday track exhibition laps... at 60 years old the man is still fast. Pretty big shoes for Trevor to fill, maybe he is up to it, ]

Just kidding! Glad he's still got the spark. Great pictures.
cg
Click to expand...
 
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