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You can call him an Iron Butt rider, a college professor, a husband and father, or a cancer survivor . . . but most of us just call him Alan. When we decided to write a series of articles about MTF members, Alan Leduc seemed to be the obvious choice for the first article. After all, Alan is the founder of the MTF and a near-constant presence on the forum.
Like many members of the MTF, Alan started riding as a youngster. In his case, the bike in question was a 1968 Triumph Bonneville. "Wish I had it now," Alan laughed, "but I quit when the kids came along." I guess that old "responsibility" thing comes along occasionally to spoil our fun. When I asked what had brought Alan back into motorcycling, I was surprised to learn that a traumatic event had changed Alan's life. "I had kidney cancer when I was 42," Alan informed me. Alan is a professor of Manufacturing Engineering Technology at Ball State University and the news that he had cancer caught him in the middle of his tenure process. "I really didn't have time to deal with it," Alan explained, "After I obtained tenure and had time to relax a bit, my focus was on removing stress and trying to find balance in my life." Alan thought back fondly on his times on that old Triumph and finally decided to take action. "I called Brenda [Alan's wife] from work and told her I was going to buy a motorcycle," Alan recalls. She said, "You are?" Alan responded, "Yep!" Three days later he was riding.
Alan's riding style isn't what you would call "flower sniffing." "I don't know how to flower sniff by flower sniffing standards," Alan quipped. He explained, "I have 13 or so certificates on the wall so I guess you could say I enjoy long-distance riding." Some of Alan's fondest memories are from those long-distance rides. Alan recalls the joy of smacking Jason's hand near the beginning of the 2003 Iron Butt Rally. Of course, at the time neither of them suspected that a scant few hours later Jason would be relaying his GPS coordinates to the flight crew of the Care Flight helicopter that would airlift Alan away from his crash site on the Jungo Road outside of Gerlach, Nevada. (But, I'll let you read the details of that story on Alan's website.) Recalling a somewhat more successful journey, Alan describes his TransCanadian/UCC trip as being one of his most satisfying. "I rode from Indiana to Halifax to Vancouver and back home on my Gold Wing doing the Iron Butt Association's TransCanada ride. A few hours later, I was on my way to Key West on a KLR 650 to ride to Deadhorse [Alaska] and then back home. I met [MTF member] Bob Moore in Dawson City and we spent the next 16 days together." Alan's riding, however, isn't limited to cross-continental treks. He commutes to work by motorcycle year-round - in Indiana! Alan explains, "When I ride, I'm satisfied. I love to defy nature by hooking up my electrics and commuting the 25 miles to work at below zero. It is a chance to be one with yourself."
I asked Alan about the genesis of the MTF. He explained that he had enjoyed participating in the Shadow Riders Forum, but he wanted to find a non-bike-specific forum dedicated to touring. When he found none, Alan started the Motorcycle Tourer's Forum. The rest, as they say, is history. "The next thing you know Wheeldog, Yogi, Kent Ailes, Jason, [and] UJ came along," Alan explained. His primary goal was to establish a friendly culture. He succeeded! "The people on the MTF are my friends and I consider many of them closer than my extended family," Alan confided. Also, Alan noted that the MTF owes a great deal to others besides himself. "I get way too much credit for the MTF. I feel that all I have done is play a part in developing and maintaining a culture. There are so many people who have given up so much. If you ask for help with something - there's always somebody offering." "The most creative ideas have not been mine," Alan confessed. "The Charter Members developed the folders - Jason is responsible for the lunches - Yogi got us started with the Poker Run From Hell - Jules got the chat room going - and, most recently, it was Roger's idea to start a private folder for members who have lost a loved one. It is embarrassing when people think the MTF is me. How we could have gathered such a terrific bunch of creative and deep-hearted folks in one spot is beyond me." Of course, Alan is correct that many fine people have made the MTF what it is today. But, as to why such a terrific bunch of people is gathered in one spot . . . well, I think Alan can take a lot of credit for that.
As Alan signs off "Love ya, Man," he is quick to point out "for the ladies, I'd say the same thing."
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