ben's block party +
memorial benefit backstory
written by Pamela Belyea, Ben's Mom
Baby Ben Biker
Perhaps this saga begins in 1999, when 3-year-old Ben hopped onto an Italian scooter at Dale Chihuly’s Christmas party. I’m not sure, but Ben sure looks focused and comfortable on a mini-motorcycle! Had Ben caught the bike bug?
After Ben died in 2020, I was baffled to find boxes filled with rusty, carefully-labelled motorcycle parts under our back deck. Unbeknownst to me, Ben had gone to Yakima in 2015 and bought a ’75 Yamaha RD250 to restore with his buddy, Larry. They got as far as rebuilding the engine before they changed course and rebuilt the mechanical systems of a Yamaha Fazer 700cc in preparation for Ben riding to New Mexico for a summer job.
It was the summer of 2017. Off sped Ben on his Yamaha Fazer for an 8-day road trip -- the adventure of his lifetime.
Ben’s RD250 project was now sidelined and, upon his return, he surreptitiously stashed the dismembered bike parts under our deck.
Fast forward to Spring 2020. What does a mourning Mom do with a mystery “Bike in a Box?” I photographed the many parts, put a notice on the Facebook page of the Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts (VME) club, and an amazing biker couple from Tacoma – Nikki & RB Six Brecheen – accepted Ben’s DIY project after making a generous donation in support of Ben’s music fund.
I offered to close our street and throw a block party IF Nikki and Six returned for a drive-by with Ben’s bike fully restored.
Uh Oh. Don’t kid around with the Brecheens! These folks know bikes—they already had 14 in their garage! Over the past two years, in spite of a spat with Covid, work and other issues, Six and Nikki restored every inch of Ben’s bike utilizing 98% of the seemingly random parts they had hauled away. In addition, biker friends James at NoCamResto did the paint job and Charles Amner finished up the detailing; their grandson helped clean and polish the wheels. Their amazing group effort resulted in Ben’s bike, now nicknamed “BeeBee,” returning to its original powerful and gleaming self.
Nikki said it best, “We are truly honored and blessed to enjoy this beautiful bike.“
Yes! Please come admire BeeBee!
To celebrate the return of BeeBee on Ben's birthday, you are invited to enjoy live music, Mexican food, birthday cake and your friends at the BEN MUSIC FEST (party details HERE) on Sunday evening, May 1 --
If you wish to support Ben's Music Fund and make a difference in the lives of young musicians, please GIVE HERE.
