Remembering Twowheelnut, Tim Bates

[dcarver]

On this day....

[wheatonFJR]

On this day....

Don, for some reason the photos are not showing up for me...but never mind that.

Tim Bates/TwoWheelNut was an original. When I signed on to the FJROwnersAssociation website in 2004...TWN, Rad, and others were the reigning clown judges of the website-later the Blue Room, banter ruled amidst all those that already were lucky enough to own a beautiful silver (or blue) FJR...and those WAITING to own one...because their ship had not yet come in. As I sat behind my big cludgy computer wondering who these jokers were, I read ride reports from Andrew about places I had never been, met locally with others in the midwest region, discovered that not all the clowns lived in Kali, and not all great roads resided along the Pacific (I'm thinking Hooterville/Smitty and the SE Ohio Ramble/mcarp)...though I was determined to get out there and eventually did.

All this to say that in it's early heyday of FJRness, Tim/TwoWheelNut was the Big Guy/ the Big Jester and I pedaled mighty hard to keep up with the banter...but he almost always won. I finally met Tim/TWN for a minute or two at the sign-in table in July of 2008 at a little shindig in Golden, CO. He had gone out of his way to overwatch for my Dad and Step Mom that summer as the wildfires raged near Santa Barbara/Goleta where they lived. I had never met the man, but he did that for me...and as I shook his hand across the table in thanks, I anticipated riding out west and riding with him sometime. About a month later, he was gone.

All of my longer trips, to Colorado that year, to Canada, to the Northwest, to the Pacific, to the Northeast have been a struggle to get time off for...or other things have come up to try to nix the trip. I have always said, damn the torpedoes-full speed ahead. I am glad that I have always listened to my less responsible self and gone, no matter what. In 2008, to thankfully shake Tim's hand...and all the other years as well.

Don, I know you miss your buddy.

You are not alone.

[SkooterG]

I still miss that silly bastard! He left a big hole, that's for sure.

[wheatonFJR]

I was looking at the other board and saw a past post by our Jwilly in a thread where he was looking for photos of TWN. It was dated August 23, 2008. You can go over there if you like and read it, but the text below in quotes is from Jason Williams.

TWN and Jwilly - two major league clowns

In February of this year Tim contacted me on the forum and was asking me a bunch of questions about my website. After exchanging several messages I told Tim to shoot me his number and I would call him and we could chat about it. My typing sucks and he was usually about 4 questions ahead of my responses. I gave Tim a call and we talked for over an hour and I laughed about as hard as I have in my life. All of this is taking place at about 1am EST.

During our conversation something took place that is now a complete shock to me. In the course of our conversation I told Tim that he should create a website where he could post ride reports, pictures and such. He said well I have thought about it but have never acted on it. Sitting in front of the computer while talking I looked and discovered, twowheelnut.com is available. Tim you want me to register it for you, I can do it in 2 clicks. He said no, if I put up a site it will be majorasshole.com or something appropriate like that. We laughed and then he said, go ahead and register it. When I leave this place you can put up a site in my memory and then maybe someday turn it into a forum for all riders.

I said well, I’ll register it and if you change your mind I will transfer it to you. I had no idea this day would come so soon. Although I never met Tim in person I will miss him like a friend that I see every day. His posts we’re witty and kept me laughing and his PM’s would leave you gasping for your next breath. One of the funniest messages Tim ever sent me was right after someone posted a message of me taking a leak out the door of the cabin in Eastern Kentucky. He put a link to the post and his message said: Brother, we have got to party together soon. Are you on the way?

My thoughts and prayers are with Tim’s family in these dark days.

Please go to: TwoWheelNut.com and sign the guest book so we can share the site with his family.

Best Regards,

JW

[Auburn]

I still miss that silly bastard! He left a big hole, that's for sure.

Never met Tim in person. Feel the same way.

[Panman]

I did get to meet Tim at the 2008 NAFO event in Golden CO, he was one of the first to welcome me! We also spent time in the parking lot kicking tires, Didn't know him but he sure made me feel welcome.
Might as well say that's where I meet FJRay there also, we spent the night watching bikes and telling stories.

[SkooterG]

I still miss that silly bastard! He left a big hole, that's for sure.

Never met Tim in person. Feel the same way.

I was lucky. On several occasions I got some alone time with him. As well as sharing him with everybody else at events. His passing at age 50, and him being one of those guys that EVERYBODY loved was one of the major factors in some of my own life decisions a short time later. Carpe Diem folks.

I think my favorite TWN story - and I have lots of good one's, is from the Reno WFO. A bunch of us were sitting around the bar late one night. TWN, Orangevale, I think Carver, and a few others. At some point some hottie sat next to me and started up some small talk. I was kind of like, WTF? Hotties don't come talk to me but I am sure the copious amount of alcohol that f@$king TWN kept putting in my hand had me thinking, 'Yeah, I'm all that!' (I am not a big drinker.)

Well, eventually Tim casually cozies up to me and totally deadpans, "You DO realize that is a f@$king hooker." f@$k me. They way he said it and looked at me had me feeling like a complete idiot, yet laughing my f@$king ass off. Of course he made sure to tell that story to everyone around the bar that night. Bastard. I still wonder if he put her up to it.

One of my few regrets in life was declining his invitation to ride to Hyder, Alaska with him and Joseph immediately after NAFO. I'm not sure why I declined, or what I had going on, but I sure wish I could take that one back.

I will never forget the phone call I got from Fairlaner informing me of Tim's death. Mack f@$king truck.

Impossible to fill those shoes, yet I am so very grateful for the time I had with him.

[Auburn]

TWN had a special way of dealing with a$$hats. Everyone would hold back and let TWN post his words of wisdom and then the dogpile started. His words of wisdom were priceless and kept me laughing all day.

[wheatonFJR]

Don, the first time I ever saw that sign was in that photo. Being from northern Illinois, I couldn't even conceive of that many miles in a row of twisty roads.

I knew I had to ride that road someday. Less than three years after Timmy's death I got to ride it...with a bunch of other clowns. Some with us...and some not. Absolutely a highlight of a trip filled with highlights.

Thanks Don for the photo(s).

[bigjohnsd]

TWN was gone long before I arrived on the scene in 2014.
I've heard guys talk about him and I'm certain I would have enjoyed knowing him.
RIP TWN

[wheatonFJR]

TWN had a special way of dealing with a$$hats. Everyone would hold back and let TWN post his words of wisdom and then the dogpile started. His words of wisdom were priceless and kept me laughing all day.

ABSOLUTELY! Lol

[dcarver]

I still miss that silly bastard! He left a big hole, that's for sure.

Never met Tim in person. Feel the same way.

I was lucky. On several occasions I got some alone time with him. As well as sharing him with everybody else at events. His passing at age 50, and him being one of those guys that EVERYBODY loved was one of the major factors in some of my own life decisions a short time later. Carpe Diem folks.

I think my favorite TWN story - and I have lots of good one's, is from the Reno WFO. A bunch of us were sitting around the bar late one night. TWN, Orangevale, I think Carver, and a few others. At some point some hottie sat next to me and started up some small talk. I was kind of like, WTF? Hotties don't come talk to me but I am sure the copious amount of alcohol that f@$king TWN kept putting in my hand had me thinking, 'Yeah, I'm all that!' (I am not a big drinker.)

Well, eventually Tim casually cozies up to me and totally deadpans, "You DO realize that is a f@$king hooker." f@$k me. They way he said it and looked at me had me feeling like a complete idiot, yet laughing my f@$king ass off. Of course he made sure to tell that story to everyone around the bar that night. Bastard. I still wonder if he put her up to it.

One of my few regrets in life was declining his invitation to ride to Hyder, Alaska with him and Joseph immediately after NAFO. I'm not sure why I declined, or what I had going on, but I sure wish I could take that one back.

I will never forget the phone call I got from Fairlaner informing me of Tim's death. Mack f@$king truck.

Impossible to fill those shoes, yet I am so very grateful for the time I had with him.

Yep. I was there. And Tim had pre-paid!

[BikerGeek]

TWN had a special way of dealing with a$$hats. Everyone would hold back and let TWN post his words of wisdom and then the dogpile started. His words of wisdom were priceless and kept me laughing all day.

Ah, yes. Dogpile Fridays were such elegance in motion.

Don, the first time I ever saw that sign was in that photo.

Somewhere on that sign, Sooze and I made our mark. That sign was at EOM 2008. I think EOM was the first stop as it made the rounds to other regional gatherings.

Here is that sign being presented at the EOM 2008 banquet.


I never got to meet Tim in person. The closest I got to him was sharing a seat.

Last weekend at Tech Day, toasts were made to our fallen friends. Tim was one of 'em we toasted.