| Author |
Message |
    
Gian4
| | Posted on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 12:12 am: | 
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God Speed Andy
-Gian4 |
Henrik
| | Posted on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 10:01 am: |
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I've had a lot of trouble putting into words how knowing Andy and hearing of his passing has impacted me - so bear with me.
I first met Andy at an open house at Edison. As he used to, Andy quickly spotted me as the "newbie", walked right up and greeted me as a long lost friend. And within minutes we were discussing all things bike and mechanics.
Andy had that way about him; along with his hand he extended the offer of friendship to everyone he came across. Something very rare and valuable in this day and age. I know I can learn a lesson from that myself.
I was sorry to loose touch with him when he went to Alabama, and ecstatic to see his name pop up again on the web and picked up some email conversations with him. Same old Andy - typing up pages of suggestions and helpful information to help out a friend.
I heard of the accident Monday morning after it happened and was devastated. Going through all the emotions of Why? How could this happen to a skilled and careful rider such as him? Anger and frustration! and that empty feeling of helplessness.
I'm happy I had the opportunity to go to Andy's funeral and honored that his family so very graciously invited us all to participate in the Shiva (sp?) The funeral service was hard - it made glaringly clear that Andy was indeed gone. Something that had only existed in my mind until then. The tradition of each individual putting dirt on the casket makes it impossible to be just an observer - it draws you in to the core of it all. The Shiva was good though; getting a chance to talk to Andy's family a bit. Talk,not just about his death, but more so about his life, generosity and accomplishments.
I know I'm a richer man for having known Andy. His kindness and generosity is an example to me for something to strive for.
Thank you Andy and Godspeed. May you now always have blue skies and twisty roads.
Henrik |
Henrik
| | Posted on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 10:05 am: |
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Mikey, it was only little and you're very welcome.
A night out would be good and indeed therapeutic - although possibly hazardous to the surrounding neighborhood 
I hope Andy's daughter *will* stay in touch - although I'd understand why hanging with a bunch of old farts like us could be a drag 
Henrik |
Tedk
| | Posted on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 03:39 pm: |
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Andy we never met, but my heart goes out to you and your family. You were doing what you enjoyed doing and you will be greatly missed. RIDE In Peace...
Ted_K |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Friday, July 16, 2004 - 04:51 pm: |
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Dear Court, Henrik and Mikey P, thank you.
Sean |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 12:34 am: |
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Thanks fellas. Andy reached a long way. It wouldn't be right that his passing went unmentioned from this side of the ocean. What you three did was really very nice for us all. It meant a massive amount.
In recent years BadWeB and its community played a part in what seems to have been a sometimes lonely and turmoiled life Andy followed. Perhaps not lonely in friends - more deep inside. I'm sure whatever that BadWeB offered Andy warmth when the chips were down, and euphoria when they were up.
In all this, I can't help feeling that Andy's return to the BadWeB was someones way of letting him say good bye. He was by all accounts a very spiritual person.
I can't help but feel BadWeB lost some richness last weekend, but as long as we know that....
Sean |
Waveguides
| | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 07:10 am: |
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From where I'm sittin' Andy was the embodiment of passion in his knowledge of Buells; and the fine art of suspension tweaking was HIS realm. I'd read and archive his posts as reference material. Still got 'em... He was quick to respond to e-mail questions - like you'd been buds for years. What zeal...a rare individual and a great loss to this community - foundation material he was...very sad, sobering news. Y'all please be careful out there....Godspeed Andy.... |
Mikeyp
| | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 11:43 am: |
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Rocket,
I feel what your saying.
Just for the record, we weren't the only Buell (or ex-Buell guys) in attendance at Andy's services.
Cecil, Sleeper, Devcat, RevZman, Carlos, SloJoe,and Speedracer made the trip.
It was a very sombering expierence for all of us.
Henrik, you sexy b%tch! You look like a Secret Agent in that pic. |
Snail
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 - 05:41 am: |
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Just returned from three weeks at sea to read about Andy. What a bummer. |
Tripper
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 01:10 am: |
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Lake Mooselookmeguntic, Route 17, Maine.
Nice picture isn't it? Andy is in there, if you look closely. Floating just above the water there, below that fog bank. I know it now, though I didn't see him until I read about his death.
I left for a vacation in Maine on july 11th, S1 in tow. The only opportunity I had to ride it was a week later and I had a delightful time on some twisty and terribly bumpy roads in Northern Maine. I was bent over and the bars were trying to jump out of my hands through a particularly nasty corner as the S1, with no great input from the rider, tracked true and maintained it's line keeping me in my lane and safely through the corner. A few minutes later I took a break at a breathtaking overlook, and marveled at how well the machine could handle that terrible road. I thanked a small company with guts that produced such a machine for me to enjoy, and all of the folks that I have met that help me undersand it's quirks and enable me to enjoy it more. I thought of AndyS and all the knowledge he had shared that enabled me to set up the suspension properly, and realized that this sharing had probably saved my bacon on that corner.
Tonight I return home to discover that Andy had passed a week before my ride through that curve. Another internet blogging Brother who I had never met is lost to me, and I hurt. God Speed Andy. Thank you for being you. Thank you for getting me to Lake Mooselookmeguntic. |
Virginiacreeper
| | Posted on Monday, October 15, 2012 - 12:47 pm: |
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Its almost 2013 & I am thinking of Andy Spiegel. I worked with him at Bell Atlantic Mobile in the 1990s-2000s something(later called Verizon). I had a Suzuki Bandit 1200cc Motorcycle parked in the lot of the building. Andy was asking around whos bike it was & thats how I became friends with him. I rode with Andy a few times (he was hard to keep up with, very fast driver). He taught me some tips & tricks for motorcycle riding. We drove through the Great Swamp in NJ a few times. I remember once he was out of work for months, he crashed his motorcycle into a building & was hurt. When Andy finally returned to work, he advised me he didn't want his last ride to be a wipe out. After that he was back to riding again. I hung out with him at his house in NJ, I remember he used to complain about Christie Todd Whitman and women in general all the time.. lol But I always had a nice time hanging out with him.
I understand he lost his life in a Motorcycle wreck (He was a very fast rider).. I'm glad I knew him, even as many years has passed, I still think about him..(tom) |
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