New members to be inducted this December at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is pleased to
announce the final member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2009: motorcycle
accessory innovator and apparel pioneer Robert Bates. Bates is among nine motorcycling
heroes who will be honored at the 2009 induction ceremony at the Hard Rock Hotel
& Casino in Las Vegas this Dec. 5.
"In many ways, motorcycling attracts individuals, and that individualism often manifests
itself in how we customize our motorcycles," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman.
"This social phenomenon was not lost on Robert Bates, who developed a broad range
of products that connected with motorcyclists, from aftermarket pillion seats to
leather jackets. As one of the first businessmen to leverage this affinity for
personalization, Bates helped establish an aftermarket industry that is thriving
today."
Added Don Rosene, chairman of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Committee:
"After I bought my first real motorcycle, a Triumph Bonneville, the next thing I
needed was a Bates leather jacket. I thought as much of that jacket as I did my
new motorcycle. I know Robert Bates made many other motorcycle accessories, but
I'll never forget my Bates leather jacket."
Bates started Bates Manufacturing Inc., in Los Angeles in 1939 to service and overhaul
motor scooters and sell accessories. Almost immediately, he began designing and
building scooter windshields. When the metal for his windshield rims was no longer
available during WWII, he developed a plastic rim that he later patented. In the
late 1940s, the company began publishing a popular catalog that featured motorcycle
accessories and leather apparel.
According to Bob Rudolph, who purchased Bates Manufacturing from Bates in the late
1950s and renamed the company Bates Industries, Bates' early innovation and business
relationships established the foundation that helped the firm thrive when it began
manufacturing the popular Bates colored-racing leathers that most people remember
it for today.
"Robert Bates founded the company in a 600 square-foot garage, and from there it
grew into a business that had a reputation for quality jackets, pants, aftermarket
seats, a popular headlight, windshield, fairings and saddlebags," Rudolph remembered.
"He also had a strong rapport with the dealers, and he stayed with the firm to help
manage our dealer network after I purchased the company. Bates was a true pioneer
in the motorcycle accessory industry."
Bates is the ninth and final member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of
2009. He joins off-road racer Randy Hawkins, suspension pioneer Gilles Vaillancourt,
off-highway rights activist Mona Ehnes, industry entrepreneurs and technological
trailblazers Geoff and Bob Fox, longtime motorcycle safety proponent David Hough,
noted race team manager Gary Mathers, and successful dirt-track racer and tuner
Chuck Palmgren.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame class of 2009 will officially be inducted this Dec.
5 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. Impressive even by Las Vegas standards,
with an 84-foot guitar marking the entrance and all the glitz and memorabilia that
fans have come to expect at Hard Rock Café locations around the world, the Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino has been recently renovated with new rooms, a new convention
space and a new concert venue. Ticket information will be announced shortly on the
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum website at MotorcycleMuseum.org
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, located on the bucolic campus of the AMA
in Pickerington, Ohio, honors individuals who have made lasting contributions to
protecting and promoting the motorcycle lifestyle. Its members include those who
have excelled in racing, road- and off-road riding; pushed the envelope in motorcycle
design, engineering and safety; and championed the rights of riders in both the
halls of government and the court of public opinion.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Committee includes 11 members in addition
to the chairman. There are 10 committees, each representing a different aspect of
motorcycling. Five represent various racing disciplines, and five represent non-racing
interests.
More information about the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame can be found at MotorcycleMuseum.org