RatSnake Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Just wanted to pass the word that Ron Barthelme has passed away. I have no other information at this time. I'll pass any information along when I get it. Some of us had been worried about Ron for a while. Today, I went to Ron's home where I found him. 3 Link to comment
Mike Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 This is so sad. Ron was a wonderful man who meant a great deal to those in our BMWST community. 1 Link to comment
TEWKS Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 A BMWST Trooper to the end. Ride in peace Mr. B. Link to comment
ltljohn Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Rest in Peace Ron, you will be missed. Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Terrible news. Shawn and I enjoyed an epic journey to Torrey with him in 2003 (and his presence at numerous BMWST events after that), and for many years Masako and I enjoyed his annual Christmas parties at his home. Will miss seeing him in the future. Here he is with the Chi-Town crew at the first UnRally in Gunninson in 2002: South Haven, 2003: Will look through my photo collection later this week and post some other pics with him. Rest in Peace, Raaaan... 2 1 Link to comment
Marty Hill Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Sad to hear this. I was lucky enough to go to several of his xmas get togethers. 2 Link to comment
Lone_RT_rider Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 There are good people in this world, there are great people in this world and then there are the Ron's of this world..... Ride in peace brother....Tell Gleno we said hello..... :( Mitch, thanks for telling me .... 6 Link to comment
roadscholar Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Sad news, Ron was a great guy. Rest in peace man.. Link to comment
steveknapp Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 29 minutes ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said: Here he is with the Chi-Town crew at the first UnRally in Gunninson in 2002: You have the more polite version of that... Plus some more 2 Link to comment
DaveCinNO Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 I'm in shock. Ron was one of the first people I met when I started riding. Trenton MOA 2002. What a nice guy. Very sad, rest in peace Ron. 3 Link to comment
Bob Palin Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Raaan was a great guy, we had some good times over the years Dennis, thanks for checking on him and I'm sorry you had to find him. 2 Link to comment
Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 I'm so very sad to hear about this. Raaan was a good guy. Link to comment
John Ranalletta Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Whether he rode or drove, one could count on Ron showing up. So sad at this news. 1 Link to comment
KDeline Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Kate and I are heartbroken. He was always a joy to be with and very welcoming. He will be missed. 3 Link to comment
Jake Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 I loved that man. So sorry to see him go. Those damned lights will blind me no more, and I will miss that. 2 Link to comment
Joel Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Ron was one of those people that you could go awhile without seeing, but when you got together again, he would make the lost time melt away instantly with genuine human warmth. I'm so sad that we've lost him as a presence, but I'm relieved that his spirit can now be fully free. 2 Link to comment
gsgar Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 So sorry to hear of Ron's passing. He was one of the good ones. I didn't see him often but I'll still miss him. Ride on my friend. 1 Link to comment
Marty Hill Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Very sad to see this. Ron was one of the very good guys and I am glad to have known him. Marty 1 Link to comment
RandyShields Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Sad news. RIP Ron. Link to comment
realshelby Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Ron was exactly what BMWRT/ST was all about! Sad news indeed. 1 Link to comment
hopz Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 For those of you who frequented the gathering in Torrey, UT as well as other locations... our good friend, rider, and pal, Ron Barthelme passed away in New York. We always called him Rahnnn and he was a hail fellow well met. He enriched our Torrey visits with great conversations and funny stories lately and in the earlier days the rides together. Enjoy the ride Rahnn... R.I.P. 1 Link to comment
beemerboy Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 1 hour ago, realshelby said: Ron was exactly what BMWRT/ST was all about! Sad news indeed. Exactly. Yesterday I read Whip's thread about what's happened to the "ride anywhere for any reason no matter the distance" habit of so many members and Ron was the first person I thought of. Ron always managed to attend our events regardless of his health or other circumstances and was always upbeat and positive. I recall the first time I met him he treated me like an old friend, too. I'll miss him greatly...... 1 Link to comment
tallman Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Always considered him a friend and a gentleman. He is missed. Ride in Peace Raaaaaaaaan... Link to comment
TEWKS Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 I kind of had a Forrest Gump moment with Ron at last year's UN. He came up to the pavilion area and he looked to be in terrible pain. Now, I've talked with him over the years about the glory days of dirt-bike racing (he raced) but the only thing I could come up with was "hi Ron, did you take the Can Am?" I had a feeling...that it was probably going to be his last run. Link to comment
Francois_Dumas Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 We finally met back in 2016, after Ron 'liked' my ride tales for many many years. Such sad news to all of us 'oldtimers' here at BMWST. Ron was a very kind man and always had positive words for everybody. He will be sorely missed from BMWST, from real life and from on-line contacts. RIP Raaaan. Link to comment
marcopolo Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 This is very sad news, indeed. As others have said, Ron went to a great deal of effort - especially in the last few years - to attend the UnRallies, no matter how far away they were from his home. He was a thoughtful man, and I always enjoyed my conversations with him. God speed, Ron. Link to comment
Id's_OK Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Wow, that's sad news indeed. Ron was such a nice guy and a pillar in our far-flung community. Rest in peace, Ron. Link to comment
hopz Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Looks like we have two threads... See mine for a great photos of Rain from the Oregon Raly Link to comment
KTM Doug Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Don't know what to say. I need to go tell the wife as she and I spent a fair amount of time with Raaaan over the years at UN's and a couple other events. Neat guy. RIP . He will be missed by a lot of folks that have known him for years. 3 Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 15 hours ago, gottago said: Indeed. RIP Ron. Link to comment
TEWKS Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Another nice pic of Ron at his happy place. Photo by Dennis A. found here. Thank you for being a friend 3 Link to comment
eddd Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Ron was a good soul through and through. I always enjoyed our visits sitting in front of the Chuckwagon, and he always had that little twinkle in his eyes. Link to comment
Stir Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 I had the pleasure of hanging with Ron at various Torreys and then at Red Lodge. We talked about machining and wrenching. Always fun to talk to him. He'll be missed. M Link to comment
Red Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 This probably belong in The Ride Home section rather than in Motorcycle Talk. Link to comment
lawnchairboy Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 will be missed. share some good ron pics please. Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 If anyone is confused, I've merged three threads together on the topic of Ron's passing. We'll keep the collection here in Motorcycle Talk for a month or so, and then migrate it to The Ride Home after that. 3 3 Link to comment
Jake Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Oh, in case anyone was wondering: Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 21 hours ago, lawnchairboy said: will be missed. share some good ron pics please. Here's a few. One more from 2002 South Haven, with Paperbutt: In spring 2003, Shawn and Raaan met up with me near Denver, and the next day we headed out toward Torrey. We overnighted in Moab, and then took a leisurely cruise through Arches National Park: God damn, we were young... After Arches we headed south toward Blanding, and then took UT95 toward Hanksville. I was leading, but somewhere in the canyon slaloms after the Hite overlook Ron decided I wasn't hauling quite enough ass, so he passed me and picked up the pace by a good bit. Shawn swears he saw Ron catching air in one of the sweepers. Somewhere in the canyon we stopped for a break, and coincidentally were joined by Greg (LimeCreek). Pretty sure he's the one that snapped this shot: Ron continued the fiery pace into Hanksville, where we all stopped for another rest: Ron was also part of our group ride to Bryce Canyon the next day: Here's a dinner shot from the 2003 UnRally in Eureka Springs, Arkansas: Pretty sure that's Paul's twinkling Hungarian eyes peeking into the frame at far right. The 2007 Chi-Town X-mas party at Ron's place in Chicagoland, with me, Masako and Shawn: Raaaaan at the top of the stairs in this 2011 spring Torrey photo (not my photo, anyone know whose it is?): One last pic, from 2012 spring HelenBack: So long, Raaaaaaaaan. Glad to have known you, sad to see you go. 7 Link to comment
StoneTemplePilot Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 I'm Ron"s neighbor, first met him in May of 2004. Some of you may remember my wife and I as the Harley Davidson Riders who attended a few of Ron's Christmas parties. I'll always remember our talks out in his garage (he practically lived there) and the time he was foolish enough to tag along on a ride with some of my friends for lunch at Breitbach's in Balltown Iowa. For the most part it was a mixed group with a few who stopped way too often for way too long....Yeah we were running a little late. I'll never forget the ride back with Ron towards midnight a long way from home during that unseasonably hellaciously cold October evening..Y'all are right about Ron being a gentleman... This picture is of Ron after lunch on the balcony at Breitbach's with Southwestern Wisconsin friend "JB" who we picked up along the way... It was great seeing these two old timers swap stories from the road. 4 Link to comment
Slumgullion Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Rest in peace Ron, a wonderful gentleman, the best of BMWST Link to comment
BrianT Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 So sad to see this. Raaaaaan was the man. I'm gonna miss him. Gotta respect a guy who always showed up for many years, whether it was on two wheels, three wheels or four as his health dictated. Hopefully he's enjoying the ride now, painfree and with those riders who passed on before him. Dennis, I'm sorry you had to be the one to find him because I know that's rough. If it helps, it's better he's found and cared for by a friend than a stranger. Take comfort in knowing that you helped a friend close their final chapter. Love you Ron. 5 1 Link to comment
John Ranalletta Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 I last saw and talked with Ron at the Unrally at Lake George. He was having a lot of trouble just navigating to his room. I think all of us who knew him ached for him. In December of 2017, I bought a 2005 GS with a broken prop shaft from Ron and got to visit with him at his home in Grayslake for a time. Ron was always gracious and cared about others. He is missed. Frontera Restaurant, Chicago, 1999 Link to comment
EffBee Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 My first Torrey, Ron was my Boston Green brother. We became friends and held that ever since. I was so saddened to hear of his passing. It takes a while to come to grips with it, particularly if you shared special connections with someone. Ron was simply a great person and a wonderful friend. Link to comment
Bud Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Sad news indeed. Always had a positive attitude and a smile. RIP Link to comment
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