Wednesday, September 12, 2018

FDNY 343 and the 1979 Honda (thanks CJ!)


In the August of 2001, Dominican Republic native Gerard Baptiste, FDNY firefighter, Ladder 9, purchased a $100 fixer-upper 1979 Honda CB750, despite the advice of his fellow Ladder 9 firefighters/motorcycle enthusiasts, for his first bike and brought it to his East Village Engine 33/Ladder 9 firehouse where he intended to work on its restoration for use as his first motorcycle.

The bike sat in the firehouse and its beat-up condition became a running joke among Baptiste’s fellow firefighters, who nicknamed him Biscuits for his habit of carrying dog treats as an overture to meet local dog walkers.

Gerald Baptiste served with the U.S. Army National Guard and FDNY Ladder Company 9, one of three firefighters from his firehouse to die at Ground Zero, was last seen evacuating people from the north tower of the World Trade Center.

After Baptiste’s death on 9/11, the surviving members of his company took on the project of restoring the bike. With support from enthusiasts across the country, the 1979 Honda was transformed into a memorial motorcycle now known as the "Dream Bike."

According to the book “Motorcycle Dream Garages” by Lee Klancher, a pair of reporters from Backroads magazine attended a fundraiser at the firehouse in October 2001 and noticed the bike behind a pile of donations. When asked about it, veteran firefighter Michael Wernick called it “garbage” and said he planned to throw it out. Backroads’ Jeff Kurtzman wrote a column about the forgotten motorcycle, and the response from readers was so overwhelming that Kurtzman’s Backroads colleague Brian Rathjen reached out to Honda and Progressive Insurance, who agreed to help. Spearheaded by the late Stephen Lovas, owner of a New Jersey motorcycle shop, and with the assistance of grieving firefighters, the Dream Bike project began.


A 2004 documentary, ''F.D.N.Y. Dream Bike,'' by filmmakers John Allison and Tim O’Grady recounted the rehabilitation effort. https://www.firebooks.com/products/fdny-dream-bike-in-honor-of-gerard-baptiste-fdny-ladder-9



Following his line of duty death during the 9/11 tragedy, a Ladder 9 member decided to restore the bike in Gerard’s memory. What followed is truly an amazing story - over the course of 15 months with the support of his fellow FDNY members, motorcycle enthusiasts, Backroads Magazine, American Honda, a motorcycle restoration shop in New Jersey and financial support from corporations, the bike which was in deplorable condition was completely restored to the pristine condition shown above.

It didn’t have a permanent home for several years. It resided in Werwick’s garage for a while before he and his wife decided to auction it off and donate the proceeds to an educational fund established for the children of firefighters killed in the attacks. When the bike didn’t reach the reserve price, they raffled it instead. The winner was a woman in California, who gave the bike to a fireman who lost a brother on 9/11. That firefighter gave it back to the Werwicks, who donated it to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which was in the planning stages at the time.

This truly unique bike is shown on display in the FASNY Museum of Firefighting in Hudson, New York.

The top of the gas tank includes an ornate cross surrounded by 10 roses, 2 helmets (one with 33 and the other with 9) symbolizing the Engine 33 and Ladder 9 house.


https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2016/09/09/fallen-firefighters-motorcycle-15-years-after-9-11
http://collection.911memorial.org/Detail/objects/89801
https://www.911memorial.org/blog/curator-tells-story-behind-fdny-%E2%80%98dream-bike%E2%80%99-memorial
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2168306080101462&set=a.1686602991605109&type=3
https://www.firehouse.com/home/news/10499714/just-before-911-anniversary-funeral-for-another-firefighter
http://www.unyquefiretrucks.com/9_11_-_FDNY_Dream_Bike.html
https://motorbikewriter.com/911-honda-cb750-honours-fdny/

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