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Not a bad way to go out . . .Edited


Indy Dave

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Sounds like a successful life lived well and unsheltered from the kinds of adventure many of us dream about. 78 years old and out on a personal African Motorcycle tour.

 

78 year old fatally injured while touring Africa on his Motorcycle

 

30 more years of riding then......Boom. I could go for that. I don't mean for that to be insensitive - I certainly don't take his loss or anyone's passing lightly.

 

Edited: Found these comments the deceased made about his love of riding:

 

Lacy wrote about his 2015 trip from the Baltics to Hong Kong on the Motorcycle Superstore website:

 

Like many my age, my parents would not tolerate my interest in motorcycles even a Cushman scooter at age 13. When I was 50, we bought Tucker Rocky from Bob Nickell, one of the best entrepreneurial business leaders I've known, and I was liberated to immediately buy by my first motorcycle. Rick Dorfmeyer helped buy my first bike as well as telling me about the training classes to take to become good – always a life goal. I took a number of A.B.A.T.E safe rider courses. The rest is history with my becoming an avid motorcyclists with a group of close friends that took rides every year east of the Mississippi. There is not an iconic destination east of the Mississippi that I have not experienced. I learned to off road and always wished I were better at doing that, most specifically when on a Malcolm Smith ride in Vancouver. I own two BMWs (a 650 GS that I took round-trip to north of the Alaskan Arctic Circle and a R 1200 GS Adventurer that I'm riding on the Epic Journey) and soon an R nine T that Roland Sands is customizing. I also own a 1980 Harley Softail and a 1946 Indian Chief. Julia, my bride of 52 years, “bought on to biking” also taking the A.B.A.T.E. course riding her own bike for years and ultimately on the back of my bike. We enjoyed many trips with the good friends we've made in motorcycle. I have ridden in Morocco, the Pyrenees Mountains, South America, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, New Zealand, and now the Moscow to Hong Kong Epic Journey. I enjoy high adventure and thus have been a long standing pilot, a snowmobiler, mountain climber (Mt. Kilimanjaro), scuba diver, bareboat charter sailor to list a few. My fellow business associates in Indianapolis and throughout the nation are not intimately aware of my exploits

Edited by workin' them angels
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here's a link to the quote I found (on my phone) and also his travel log. Oddly, it starts near the bottom of the page. Lacy was chairman of the board of Motorcycle Superstore's parent company.

 

Baltics to Hong Hong

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John Ranalletta

 

lacy.JPG

 

Tasker Day shared Sean Hallett's post.

14 hrs ·

Image may contain: 6 people, people smiling, people standing and outdoor

 

Sean Hallett

December 2 at 6:44am ·

 

Two days ago, I witnessed my friend Andre B. Lacy pass away after a tragic motorcycle accident. I have remained mostly silent on the issue out of respect to both his family and

Andre himself as this isn't about me but about Andre's last moments with us here on earth. Many of you continue to inquire about my well-being and I feel that now is the time to say something.

I was travelling alone with Andre when the accident happened as we were at the tail end of the group and was the only one with him when he passed away. I have shared intimate details of

what occurred with his family and insist on many of those details remaining private. However, I do feel that there is a story to be told and not sharing anything at all leaves too much to be imagined.

 

Andre was riding slightly ahead of me when the accident occurred, so I did witness what happened. When I went to check on him, I do believe he was aware of my presence and together we

said a prayer. I asked God to come down and comfort him; to either give him the strength to pull through or allow him to die peacefully. Moments later there was a great gust of wind and I believe

it was at that moment that Andre went on to be with our Creator. I think we should all take comfort that Andre died quickly and peacefully. It is also comforting to know that our Lord would not allow

a great man to die in pain and suffering.

 

There are some people who may question someone of Andre's age doing what he was doing. I'd like to clarify that Andre didn't die because he was 78 years old but because he hit an animal. All of

us who ride motorcycles are well aware of the dangers of both wild and domestic animals on the road. On that particular day, it just so happens that an animal decided to dash out in front of the

oldest member of our riding group. It could have very well of happened to any one of us.

 

If there was ever a testament to Andre's strength and vitality, let it be the videos I shared of us whitewater rafting on the Zambeze River. On the one occasion Andre went overboard (as we all did),

he appeared more concerned about saving his prescription sunglasses than saving himself. To all of our amazement, he managed to go underwater to retrieve them and do both!

 

Two weeks ago, I attended a breakfast where Andre was bestowed the highest civic honor the City of Indianapolis has to offer. Andre bragged to me that he got to spend last week with his grandchildren

in West Palm Beach for Thanksgiving. And now, he has passed away quickly and peacefully doing what he loved to do in a far away and exotic place. To me, this is a happy ending.

 

I have travelled to Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana, with Andre's remains and am working closely with the Lacy family and the U.S. Embassy to accompany him home. I know that both the

Lacy family and I are amazed at how supportive the U.S. Embassy has been and would like to echo what good hands U.S. Citizens are in when travelling abroad. Although the process is being expedited,

it still takes several days and has been slightly delayed by the fact that we arrived at the beginning of a weekend. Please don't worry about me as I am fine. Your thoughts and prayers should be directed

toward the Lacy family.

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