Don Brown in 2003. (Larry Lawrence photo)

Motorcycling has lost one of its most brilliant minds. We got word from Don Emde that Don Brown passed away last week. Brown was one of those behind-the-scenes movers and shakers of the industry. He knew the motorcycling industry better than anyone of his time. Anytime I had the chance to talk with Don I was blown away by his insights. He had his hand on the pulse of the industry like no other. Don forecasted the cruiser (Harley) boom of the 1990s and was early to recognize other trends in the industry.

While Don was generally acknowledged as the most knowledgeable source of the industry, he was human. When he worked for Triumph’s West Coast importer Johnson Motors in the late 1950s, he famously misread the scope of the coming invasion of the Japanese manufacturers, but that was one of his few miscues.

Don did so many innovate things in the industry it would take a book to cover them all. He started what might have been the first motorcycle radio show, he was an amateur cross country racing champion, he co-authored a popular off-road motorcycling book, he was editor at Cycle Magazine, he sold Steve McQueen his first motorcycle, he helped found the famous Checkers Motorcycle Club, he practically invented motorcycle sales forecasting, and he was instrumental in founding the Motorcycle Industry Council. He had so much enthusiasm for motorcycling and so many great ideas on how to make motorcycling more popular and accepted. Plus he had the drive and the know how to put his ideas into action.

To me Don was easily one of the most influential persons in the first century of motorcycling in America. His contributions to motorcycling helped shape the industry as we know it today.

Here are a couple of excerpts from a 2003 interview I did with Don Brown.

Don talks about getting his first motorcycle while he was in the Army.
Brown clip 1

On the formation of the Checkers Motorcycle Club.
Brown clip 2

On launching the first weekly radio show devoted to motorcycling.
Brown clip 3

On selling Steve McQueen his first motorcycle.
Brown clip 4