The following people are the current national officers of the VJEMC. These people have an extensive background in new and vintage motorcycles, publishing,
accounting practices, legal and tax issues, printing, website design and maintenance, motorcycle mechanics, and more. Please direct your club related questions
to these people via their e-mails, or to the national VJEMC office
at:
877-853-6210
John DeBeck currently resides just
west of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and has been involved with vintage motorcycles since graduating from high school in 1985.
A certified grade 7-12 social studies teacher, he has not taught in a classroom since 1992 because he is the President and CEO of North American Youth Sports,
a firm that runs youth basketball tournaments in over 100 cities around the country. He has also coached girls basketball for the last 20 years, at all levels
from grade school through the U-19 Team USA women's' national team. As coach of the national squad, his girls won four straight world championships from 1995-1998.
Twenty of his former players have played or currently play professionally in the WNBA, as well as others overseas. Many of his former players have gone on to play
NCAA Division One basketball on scholarship. His ability to build a major national corporation from the ground up as he has done with NAYS, having established
branches around the country, gives him the knowledge to be able to do the same thing as we build the VJEMC branches in larger cities and areas around the country
as well.
John also has extensive knowledge in non-profit law and tax issues, having helped over 20 other groups set up and establish non-profit agencies. He has been the member of many boards of directors and has gained additional knowledge about how to best serve the VJEMC through his participation in these other entities.
In 2002, John founded the Motorcycle and Model Railroad Museum of Wisconsin, which has plans to move into their own facility in the near future. His own collection of vintage motorcycles, along with those of other Wisconsin area vintage motorcycle enthusiasts and guest displays, will be featured as a focal point of the museum, along with a 3,000 square foot HO scale model railroad layout, which is being designed and constructed in cooperation with the staff and enthusiasts at Enginehouse Services in Green Bay, WI. This ongoing project will soon become a focal point of tourism in the metropolitan Green Bay area. A neat aspect of the M & MRM is that all of the motorcycles in the permanent collection will be maintained to run, so as to allow them to be used in parades, shows, fundraisers, and other events.
In 2004, John released his latest book, his autobiography, "Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion," published by Halfcourt Press, which tells of his life working with amateur and professional athletes and some of the joys and pitfalls he encountered as he built NAYS into the largest company in the world that is solely focused on basketball for youth. He has also written two children's books that are no longer in print, and will be releasing a novel in the spring of 2006, "Prayer Shot at the Buzzer." John has also written numerous articles for trade and professional journals, as well as newspapers.
John lists his other interests as travel, dining out at ethnic restaurants, reading, attending high school, college, and pro sporting events; museums and historical things, collecting rare US coins, playing most sports, and outdoor activities when it is warm. Even though he lives in Wisconsin, he hates winter because he can't ride, and because all of the old sports injuries rear their ugly heads in the cold weather!
Scott Blaney - VJEMC Board Member
Motorcycle
interests/knowledge - It probably goes without saying, I love
all motorcycles. My head is on a swivel anytime I hear or see
something with 2 wheels. More than the mechanics and technical
specs, I appreciate the designs. With an education in art, I have
an appreciation for the less ordinary models, I enjoy conversation
about the lines and colors.
Family
information - (i.e.: wife/kids) - I
have a wife (Jean) of 17 years
and 2 kids (Ian 12) and Elle (5).
Educational background - I graduated high school in 1982 from Ashwaubenon High in Green Bay, WI. I Attended UW-Stevens Point to pursue my interest in art. After 2 years at UWSP, I transferred to UW-Milwaukee for a degree in architecture, and also continued on to graduate school at UWM for a masters degree in architecture.
Employment -I worked in Milwaukee for about 7 years after college after which we decided to relocate back closer to home and family in Appleton. Currently I work as an architect at Martin Ganther Group/Ganther Construction in Oshkosh.
Bikes you have in your collection or want list bikes - My bikes seem to come and go more often than most. I tend to buy an sell a lot of bikes! The most interesting project I have currently is a boyhood replica of mine, a 1976 CR125M that I am putting back together for show. I also really enjoy the smaller street bikes, which explains the Ninja 250R I just had to have.
Hobbies outside of motorcycles - I have been the curator of an antique booth for the last several years where I feed my habit of collecting and selling 50's, 60's and 70's furniture and house wares. I have also been known to inhale a lot of lead paint and asbestos from remodeling my old home as well as others.
Anything else interesting that you would like to share! ? - I love swap meets! I have attended Mid-Ohio for about the last 12+ years straight as a vendor, I was going there before it was even held at the new location.
Ways in which you feel you can help improve the VJEMC - I hope to bring a new angle to the club, I just am not certain what that is yet! I love swap meets and hope to get more involved helping to grow Iola. I also have a business plan in my head for a motorcycle related business that needs to blossom. I am excited and will to help with anything and everything related to this club!
Motorcycle interests/knowledge
My love for
motorcycles started when I rode a Honda Dream that belonged to a
friend of mine in the late sixties. Unfortunately for me, my father
was an Allstate Insurance agent and motorcycle ownership was out of
the question (gotta love accident statistics).
Finally in the late eighties (with Dad still admonishing) I bought
my first bike (Honda NT650 Hawk GT). Since then I’ve owned a ’89
Honda GB500, a ’77 Honda CB550 SS a ’93 BMW K75S, ’99 BMW R1100RT
and now a ’79 BMW R100T.
Up until the time of that first purchase I devoured every trade magazine there was and spent many hours hanging out in the local cycle shops or with friends whose fathers were a little more understanding. I also crewed for a short stint while in the Marines for friend who was moto racing a Honda dirt bike on the weekends.
My main interest lies in engines. I love the simplicity of BMW’s early airhead motors. Working for Nick’s BMW I have had the opportunity to do a full ground up restoration on a 1955 R25/3 that started right up after the first kick (very exciting and nerve racking all at the same time). Of my own personal bikes I have done a cosmetic restoration on a 77 CB550 Super Sport and I am presently performing a resto-modification on a 1979 BMW R100T. In addition, I have helped others in restoration or modification of their motorcycles.
I am a ten year member of the BMW MOA club and the AMA.
Family information (ie: wife/kids) Married to Carol Ann (29yrs), No kids; one golden retriever named Tess.
Educational background Bachelors degree in Aviation Maintenance Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a licensed FAA airframe and powerplant mechanic and a Certificated Instructional Designer (training course development).
Employment 15 years with GE Aircraft Engines (Cincinnati, OH) teaching airline mechanics how to work on turbine engines. 4 years with ShopKo, Inc (Green Bay, WI) as an instructional designer. Presently an almost Certified BMW Technician for Nick’s BMW in DePere, WI
Bikes you have in your collection or want list bikes: Right now I just have the BMW R100T (79). Which with my schedule is all I can handle right now.I would like to get my hands on a #4 condition (cheap and restorable) CB450 Black Bomber and make a café racer out of it (Check out Omar’s web site). I like the new trend toward street trackers. An XS650 is one possibility, but I also saw an article where a Scottish fellow turned a Yamaha 250 dirt bike into a wicked street tracker. If I ever see the right one for the right price I’d like to own another CB550 SS. It has all the panache of a 750 and is not that much slower.
Hobbies outside of motorcycles: Researching the Internet for all kinds of things interesting and new (love gadgets), Playing acoustic/electric guitar, yard work (Our home is one acre with trees, can you say LEAVES!!!), perfecting the ultimate workshop/garage (I have a hydraulic motorcycle lift and other neat accoutrements that are needed to maintain, repair and restore motorcycles). Collector of WWII era pin-up and aircraft nose art. Elvgren, Petty, Betty Page, etc.
Anything else interesting that you would like to share! I work with John Eng @ Nick’s BMW. How’s that for interesting and challenging all at the same time?
Ways in which you feel you can help improve the VJEMC: The fact that most of my career has been in training I would love to share my knowledge and experience with people to help them maintain and ride their motorcycles faster, safer, and more efficiently. A lot of the older bikes have the potential to be very inexpensive, reliable, and enjoyable vehicles to own and operate. I hope that I can contribute to helping our membership maintain that experience. I also like getting out to the different venues and explaining the benefits of being a member of the VJEMC. My development and publishing skills used for the production of training and training materials may come in handy in contributing to the production of our club magazine as well as other various publications and tech sessions we produce.
John
is the service manager at Nick's BMW in DePere, WI. He has worked on
literally every sort of vehicle possible, from cars to bikes to
steam engines to everything with wheels. He is a master certified
technician with BMW, and has a technical degree in industrial
maintenance (examples of which would include robot repair,
programming, and heavy industries equipment).
His hobbies outside of motorcycles include snowmobiles, as well as collecting and building models and figures from vintage horror and science fiction movies.
He is divorced with four children, with one currently being "on the way."
He states that he is "always looking for great ways to promote the club." He is very reliant on his technical background. People who know him say that he can fix any machine!
I started riding at age 13 on my buddy's brother's white S90 Honda. I have read this some where else: after my first shift from first to second gear, I knew I would always be a motorcycle rider, and it has been a true statement for me!
I started out working on bikes out of necessity at 15 years old because I could hardly afford a bike to begin with. And after my buddy borrowed and ran my S90 low on oil, it needed a piston and a new rod kit. I split the motor, had the new rod pressed into the crank halves and reassembled it wih a higher dome piston out of a CB160 Honda and a new clutch. I could get the front wheel off the ground in the first three gears. At age 19 I started at Vans Supply and Equipment (the Honda dealer on Ashland Ave in Green Bay). From there I worked at Door County Cycles, a Honda and Yamaha dealer, and for Barrie's Track and Trail, a Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley dealer. I worked on and rode alot of different motorcycles which is probably why I have, acording to my wife's count, 30 of them myself. I am mostly into Triumphs and BSAs. I also have a hand full of 305 Scramblers, Ducaties, Italjet, Ossa, Yamha, Husquvarna, one token 1974 XLCH Harley Sportster and a 650 Yamaha engine in a Champion frame which is a flat track bike, just to mention a few. I love the vintage flat track race scene. And can not wait to run the vintage races at Seymour this next summer. My newest bike is a 1977 Yamaha XS650 and also the only bike I own with an electric starter. The oldest is a 1941 BSA M20 bobber.