Membership
Director
Membership
Director
Name: Lonny Johnson
Email: omra.membership@gmail.com or LDJohnson@omraoffroad.com
Message Board Username: oregonsage
About me: I
grew up in Eastern and Central Oregon (no, they aren't the same place!!) in a
family of construction workers and truck drivers, and spent my formative years
in those endeavors before meandering my way through Central Oregon Community
College and the University of Oregon. My brother Mark "Greased Lightning"
Johnson and I were inducted into the dirt bike rider's 'club' at an early age
when a horde of CT70s and Trail 90s started to sprout up along out roadway just
outside of Tumalo. In those days we could ride for miles in open land and dirt
roads and disturb nary a soul. My best friend and neighbor, Rod Kentner, even
managed to go to Carlsbad and win the 4 Stroke National Championship on a
Powroll Yamaha in 1978. Needless to say I learned how to eat dust at an early
age. We all learned how to ride, developed mechanical skills, help each other
out and generally had a great time.
After college I did a lot of finance work that involved
living in many different cities and travelling to many more. For a short while I
had a Yamaha SRX600, but otherwise did no riding. Later in life I got sucked
into IT work in education while teaching high school, and eventually moved on to
the University of Idaho where I picked up a M.Ed degree while managing the
student computing lab system. Now I'm an old guy who helps manage a software
company in Eugene and looks forward to the weekends when I can go riding with my
fellow OMRA and ETRA members or my brother Mark and friends, take the motorhome
out with my wife Nancy, or maybe a short jaunt on the street bike with a few ADV
stalwarts.
My favorite riding area:
East Fort Rock/China Hat or
anyplace without mud.
My first bike/ATV: My
parents bought a CL90 (bored out!) circa 1970, which I quickly followed with my
very own SL100 Honda bought with paperboy and irrigation pipe moving
money....and then I rode the SL100 illegally 10 miles to change pipes twice a
day. That was followed by a string of MX bikes: the first TM 125 Suzuki, then a
couple RM125s and then I stepped up to a Bultaco Pursang 250, following in the
footsteps of Northwest Legend Jim Pomeroy. The Pursang sheared the crank in half
mid-moto and I waited weeks for a replacement in the middle of the season. Back
to Suzuki for an RM370 after that; yes I did survive the beast, and then I
retired for 20 years. Dabbled with a couple of CRF450X Hondas, then I found this
neat bike shop in Salem, Bills Motorcycles Plus and I've been riding Husqvarnas
ever since.
When I first started riding:
I started riding at the ripe age of 12 back in the
1960s and I rode non-stop from then until I started working full time 6 years
later. We picked up pop cans beside the road to buy gas for our bikes. If there
was daylight, we were riding or wrenching. ......When I got a bit older I
started working at Bend Honda and Suzuki part time assembling bikes, working
parts and spending every dime I earned on motorcycles, parts and
accessories......And then I took a long hiatus until my brother Mark took me to
a GP race at Eddieville in 2005, and I have been riding again ever since;
although grown up things get in the way more now, and my body complains more,
too.
My favorite riding experience:
My background is primarily central
Oregon (read, the trees are far apart) off road and MX racing. I do some street
riding, currently on a Buell XB12X occasionally and try to hit as many GP and
dualsport events that I can on my TXC511 and TE250 Husqvarnas.
My favorite saying:
"You
are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts." Followed by," I'm
only half as mean as I look".
Why I became an OMRA Officer:
From an early age I was taught that
things get done because people in the community show up to help each other out.
I have reached a point in life where I have enough time and resources to help
out the dirt riding community via OMRA.
I'd also like to say: Have fun
and take care of each other.