It has been an interesting eight years since I worked my last day for Primedia's American Motorcycle Group as the Managing Editor of HOT BIKE. I remember how excited I was on my last day, cleaning out my office because I had accepted a position as Editor of one of our sister publications in the Truck Group. I can remember a certain sadness as well, because I was going to miss the friends I had worked with on a daily basis. But as they say, that's life. And for the years after that, I moved around in the custom truck industry, but I still managed to keep in touch with a lot of my friends on the V-Twin side of the fence.
So when my phone rang with the opportunity to step back into the motorcycle industry in the position of Editor here at STREET CHOPPER, I jumped on it. Not only does it mean that I get to work with the best group of people in the industry, it also means that I am being given the opportunity to carry on the STREET CHOPPER legacy that was started back in 1969. A legacy that was carried on over the decades by people who I respect for their contributions to this hobby that eventually grew into an industry. It is a long list, and it all starts with Tom McMullen and his then wife Rose McMullen and they are followed closely by Jim Clark, Steve Stillwell, Robert K. Smith, Dain Gingerelli, Paul W. Walker, Jerry Slattery, and Bob Clark. Then there are the guys who worked on the magazine after STREET CHOPPER became an integral part of HOT BIKE, like Buck Lovell and Howard Kelly. And eventually a few guys here at Primedia decided to push for the re-launch of STREET CHOPPER, and after much struggle, the powers that be approved the re-launch of STREET CHOPPER as a one-shot to see what kind of reception it would get.
To the surprise of the management, the first issue of STREET CHOPPER in the modern era was a hit-just as the editorial staff that had worked so hard predicted. So they decided to bring it back as a monthly publication, and it has become a staple for the chopper enthusiast. I am just the next lucky guy who has been selected to replace the last lucky guy who held this position-Greg Friend. I was here when he was cleaning out his personal items and talking about the new opportunities that lay in front of him and how he would miss his friends. Oddly enough, it sounded very much like a conversation I had with Mike Reynolds and Howard Kelly when I left here back in 1998. I couldn't be happier to be back in the saddle again, and we here at STREET CHOPPER wish Greg all of the luck in the world with his new venture.