A Man, A Machine and a Dream Unfulfilled

By Jeffry L’H. Tank

In late May I had the opportunity to visit an independent motorcycle dealer that recently opened up in Woodbridge Va. that my significant other had informed me about. My original intention was to do a write up about the shop as I am always interested in the smaller impendent shops in our area, shops that have for the most part disappeared in favor of the larger shops that often lack that personal one on one experience that I had known during the 70’s. After spending some time talking with the proprietor, Ed Harris, he suggested that I might perhaps do an article about a machine that one of his mechanics was currently restoring in honor of his friend who had given his life in Iraq in late December 2004. After he related the story behind this effort I agreed that indeed it would make an excellent article, especially in light of the up coming event that takes place on the Memorial Day weekend to pay honor to our Military veterans who have died in service to our country. While I had hoped to complete this article and have it appear in the June issue, time restraints due to work, relocation and other events I had already planned on attending or hosting prevented my doing so. None the less, since I feel it is still a story worthy of being told I would like to relate it to you now. Perhaps, in some ways, this an even more appropriate time since we should all be mindful of the sacrifice made by our fallen soldiers each and every day of the year, not just over the Memorial Day weekend.

The Man

Sgt. David A. Ruhren, of Stafford, Va. Was 20 years of age when he and 12 of his fellow soldiers were killed in Iraq by a suicide attack on a U.S. base near Mosul on Dec. 21 2004 while he and the others were sitting down to lunch. He was a member of the Virginia National Guard's Fredericksburg-based 229th Engineer Battalion which was attached to the Richmond-based 276th Engineer Battalion at the Forward Operating Base Marez in northern Iraq. At the time that the story appeared in the local paper it was listed as the single deadliest attack in the war to date.

Besides his love of country that was so readily apparent by his willingness to serve in its armed forces, David also had a passion for motorcycles which he hoped to fulfill upon his return to the US. In that regards he spent some time while stationed in Iraq searching motorcycle for sale ads on the internet. In his search he came across an ad for hard-tail HD placed by Dave Grant, a mechanic who now works for Ed Harris, owner of EHPCI. After seeing the ad, David contacted his Mother and asked her verify that the machine was as described. She contacted Dave Grant and through her a down payment was made along with a deal for the payment of the remaining funds so that when David returned from his tour of duty the machine would paid for and he could take delivery. He even had a chance to take it for a ride while on leave back to the US during the Thanksgiving holiday, but decided the temptation to just ride off into the sunset would simply be to great and knowing where his duty lay he decided it would be best not to temp fate! Through their emails Dave and David developed a friendship even though they had yet to meet face to face, an occurrence not uncommon in the community of bikers who share the passion of riding and have access to the internet

The Machine

Originally a 74 inch 1948 Harley Davidson pan head it had been bored out to 80 Cubic Inches by Dave Grant. I first saw it in Ed Harris’s shop while it was being detailed for its memorial Run To The Wall over Memorial Day. It is a beautiful machine with simple lines accented by its bright red hard tail frame and a straight forward design uncluttered by many of the more modern “conveniences” such as computerized electronics, fuel injection, etc. Power delivery to the 4 speed is via a belt driven exposed primary, the transmission being equipped, as any “real” machines should be (in the opinion of this writer anyway) with a kick starter. After David’s death his mother requested that the machine be prepared and detailed so that it could be ridden in Rolling Thunder as a tribute to her son. The mechanic from whom David had purchased it stripped the machine down to its frame, restored, cleaned and polished it and sent the tank out for a special paint job which includes emblems from David’s unit along with a airbrush image of the man himself, Sgt. David A. Ruhren. Dave Grant, the mechanic and original owner, even used some of his own funds to rebuild the engine when he discovered that the rear cylinder was smoking due to oil blow-by. With this years event now over David’s mother will take possession of the machine so that can be ridden in future events commemorating our fallen soldiers.

A Dream Unfulfilled

The event has now come and gone and the machine was indeed ridden in Rolling Thunder by David’s C.O., but least we forget David and all those that made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country I relate this tale of One Man, One Machine and a Dream Unfulfilled. Before it is taken to its new home, it is David’s Mother’s wish that it be ridden to David’s final resting place at the Quantico Marine Base Cemetery so David can have one final look at his machine. Then the machine will sit silent as it awaits the coming years for someone to give it life each Memorial Day so it may once more roar down the road with all the other machines in a tribute to our fallen heroes. Yet unlike the machine, which will sit silently and mostly forgotten save by a few, it will not be so for the man who owned it. While David never had the pleasure of knowing the wind in his face astride this machine nor the exhilaration its’ 80 solid inches of thumping power while racing over concrete and asphalt with the freedom and abandonment that only two wheels can give; it is within each of us to keep his memory alive. Whether or not those of us still living knew him, he can now ride free, carried within each one of us, for we now know his story, we know of his honor and his sacrifice and thus can we pay tribute to his memory each time we ride.

Jeffry L’H. Tank

Author’s note:

I’d like to thank Ed Harris and his team for their time and effort in relating this story to me, providing pictures, giving me the background material to write this article and for allowing me access to the shop to take some pictures of my own and also for all the hard work and time they so generously donated in preparing the machine for its memorial ride in this years Rolling Thunder.

Ed Harris’ shop known as Ed Harris Performance Cycles Inc., or simply EHPCI is located at the corner of Occoquan Rd and Rt. 1 in Woodbridge, Va. I would encourage everyone who reads this article to stop by and visit and thank Ed and his team for the effort they made to restore the machine in David’s honor and prepare it for participation in this years Run To The Wall, I’m sure they would appreciate it.

(from left to right) Ed Harris, Moose, Dave and Dave Grant

© Jeffry L’H. Tank

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