The Ride of His Life

Let me start out by saying this is a complete SURPRISE to Bill.

Many of you know Bill as "Bill Moeller from Bore Tech" or "that guy on the fast, blue wheels Honda." I know him as "the guy who was going to ground me if I tried to sneak in past my curfew" (which may or may not have happened a time or two) or just, "dad."

I work side by side with him every day managing the office at his company, Bore Tech. There are many advantages to working with my dad every day, and one of them is seeing the strong passion he has for what he does. Whether it is an engine rebuild for a new customer, or an engine rebuild for his own bike, he treats them with equal precision. Every job that comes through the doors of Bore Tech leaves with a guarantee that it couldn't have been done better anywhere else. 110% effort was put into it and it can be shown when an engine is fired up.

Over the past ten years, Bill has had a bumpy ride. In feline terms, he's most likely reaching up there to his seventh or eighth life. Despite being health conscious and in shape, Bill was given many challenges in a short period of time.

At the beginning of this ten-year ride, Bill was hospitalized and diagnosed with Guillain"“Barré syndrome, which is a rare autoimmune disorder that can lead to paralysis or even fatality. We were blessed to have an amazing team of doctors. It took a few years to get full use of his hand muscles again, but that didn't stop him from returning to work immediately and back to his passion of everything motorcycle.

A few years passed and he was cruising along, but still never felt 100%. There was a "blockage" in the road. After a visit to the hospital showed seven arteries in his heart were all over 90% blocked, doctors performed an emergency quadruple by-pass open heart surgery. Devastating and scary all at the same time. A day after surgery when tubes were removed and he could talk again, he asked me how Bore Tech was doing and instructed me to bring the job list the next time I visited the hospital so we could go over work that needed to be done (in true motor head fashion).

With the help of friends and family, we were able to keep the shop open while he instructed everyone with what to do. He even came to work to try and run machines just a week after his surgery despite my mother's disapproval and my threats to tell the doctor on him (which never worked).

Finally Bill was healing up and getting some energy back. The doctor's promised he would feel like a new man and life would be grand... even being able to race again! He kept waiting and waiting for that "new" feeling, but he still didn't feel quite himself. Finally he convinced himself that he was always going to feel bad and to just deal with it.

Bill never regained enough strength to be able to road race again, so he set his sights on drag racing. He found a Honda CB350 drag bike that would be perfect to put his spin on. Rarely would he work on it though, because he had an obligation to customers that he always upheld.

After long nights and tired mornings, his drag bike engine was complete enough to put it on the track to get some times. After successful runs, he was bitten by the bug and wanted to build it strong enough to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats. However, that dream was short lived and in the summer of 2013, Bill was finally given answers to why he never felt well after his open heart surgery, Bill had cancer. He was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and started chemotherapy immediately.

Chemo can take a lot out of a person, but when Bill wasn't completely drained and forced to his bed, he was in the shop boring cylinders, completing valve jobs and building motors. I believe it was his form of therapy. Also, as a part of his therapy he started helping friends with a supercharged Honda 350 motorcycle that was Bonneville bound. With their urging and his determination he was able to complete his bike.

In the fall of 2013 with his bike complete he was given some great news; his cancer was in remission! Now with ten years of bad luck in his rear view mirror, he could focus on living life like it's meant to be lived. One thing still on his bucket list is the Bonneville Salt Flats. He has a bike and he finally has his health, but one thing is stopping him. All of those hospital stays, procedures and surgeries weren't free and the mail lady brings a reminder almost daily. When he was out sick, the business got a little further behind each time and there is absolutely no way possible he can afford a trip to the Salt Flats with those things working against him.

With all of his friends and family excited for his bike and more importantly excited that he's going to be around for a little longer, a light bulb went off in my head. Bill has touched many in the motorcycle community and allowed them to enjoy their two wheels the way they are meant to be enjoyed. I thought, maybe, some of those same people also might want to help give Bill the ride of his life, as a token of appreciation.

Again, this isn't a charity but more of a SURPRISE thank you for the past ten years of hard life Bill has encountered but pushed aside to make sure the customer comes first. If you would like to help this ride in August to the Bonneville Salt Flats come true for Bill, you can contact me directly or make a contribution on this page. After all the proceeds are collected, I will reach out to each of you and organize a time to present Bill with this fitting gift. Thank you in advance for your help and discretion!

Proud daughter,

Kelli

Please Note: If you have a business and would like to sponsor, please contact me directly either via e-mail or at [phone redacted].