Motorcycle Nation Podcast

So many times we hear people talking about an acquaintance or a loved one and you hear the words, “they died doing what they loved.” Now doing what they loved could mean so many things. It could be jogging in the park, snow skiing down the most challenging slopes, fighting a raging house fire, defending the streets from crime, or thousands of other activities. Mark Garback died due to the injuries he suffered while riding a motorcycle. Now this was not your ordinary, every day motorcycle riding. No, this was riding funeral escort, providing a clear path for the procession to move their loved one to their final resting place.

Mark was a 47 year old military veteran who loved motorcycling. Much of his everyday life involved motorcycling whether riding the funeral escorts, riding for pleasure, or teaching motorcycle safety. Mark was a long time instructor in the ABATE of Indiana Motorcycle Safety Program teaching both the Beginner Rider Course (BRC) and the Experienced Rider Course (ERC). I remember watching my first ERC back in 2002, my rookie year of instructing, where Mark was one of the instructors. In the experienced course the students ride their own motorcycles in the class and the instructors ride their personal motorcycles for the demonstration rides before each range exercise. As I observed this class, I noticed that there was an instructor on a white Fatboy that was showing amazing handling skills. That was Mark. A confident motorcycle rider and a confident person.

And let’s not forget, he was pretty confident with the ladies too!

It is ironic that tomorrow we will have the showing for Mark and on Wednesday the memorial service will allow friends and family to say their final goodbyes. As the motorcycle hearse takes Mark for his final ride, led by his beloved Fatboy, I will choose to remember Mark as he is in the pictures in this post, always smiling, and I am sure that others will choose the same. Goodbye Mark. It was a pleasure knowing you.

UPDATE
The last time that I had the opportunity to speak with Mark was early in the training season around the end of March. When Angie, Derek, and I arrived at the showing last night there was a Yamaha FZ1 parked outside the entrance doors in the grass. Marks boots were on the pegs turned backwards. I inquired about the motorcycle and was shocked to learn that on April 11th, Mark had traded his beloved Fatboy for the FZ1. He had always wanted a sportbike in addition to the HD and had quietly made the trade. So, Mark will be led home today by his newest two wheel love, this Yamaha FZ1.