[Ducati] Bud Turner

[Veloce916 at aol.com]

In this sad story there is a very nice story that might inspire somebody so  
I'll share it.  I didn't live near Bud so I only saw him at events and in  
passing but one night sitting around a campfire some years ago (it must  have 
been 2002) I was speaking to Bud at a Ducati.net event. While swapping  stories, 
he told me how he had been in the military in Italy and seen the  fantastic 
roads out a train window (this must have been in the 50's -  Bud was about 70 
when he told me this) and how it had been his lifelong dream to  ride the roads 
he had seen but now, living on his retirement pension with this  unexpected 
expense or another, the dream would never come true. So instead  he looked 
forward to my photos and story of the Motogiro each year and dreamed  when he read 
them that he had been there himself. Bud would have NEVER  asked for a favor, 
but I passed this story on to the club folks at  Ducati in Italy, you never 
know, right? Back then there weren't that many  clubs,not like now, and 
sometimes it was possible to get some help if the  situation made sense.  They offered 
me a free bike for the Motogiro  for any Ducati.net member I would like to 
offer it to and of course that was  Bud, who then somehow raised the money for 
the rest of the trip - I can't  remember how it happened exactly, how the costs 
got handled, I just remember it  was important and it came to be.He must have 
called me three times telling me he  couldn't do it but in the end there he 
was in Tuscany with the rest of  us. The bike was the same as the one he had at 
home and he was like the  proverbial Duck in water from the minute he got 
there.  I had a chance to  ride a long mountain pass in his company and it was 
one of those times when it's  just you and your buddy and the mountain and no 
traffic or even people and  everything just flows. His photos were so beautiful 
from the event, really  inspired.  For many reasons Bud was able to say "I did 
it"  instead of "I wished I had" like so many people settle for - that trip, 
a race  weekend with son in Colorado he wrote to me about, Bud was quiet but 
he had a  real "life wish". This was a guy who died unexpectedly, riding a 
Ducati in  his 70's, not hitting the gas instead of the brake parking at the mall. 
Of  course we are sad to lose him but I am very happy I knew him.  
Vicki
 
In a message dated 11/28/2006 9:00:40 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
ajess at mindspring.com writes:

Damn!  The worst thing in the world and something I was not prepared for - 
Bud Turner  is dead. He had a do not resuscitate on his orders and I guess it's 
better  this way rather than what "life" could have held for him in the worst 
case.  Funerals are for the living rather than for the dead and since we're 
still  here I think some of us from Clemson Café will be there. Bummer! He was 
one of  the most gentle and genteel people I ever had the pleasure to know. He 
will be  missed, and missed and missed and missed.