Johnny Chop- We'll miss you dude.

Yeah, our buddy Johnny Vasko aka Johnny Chop passed away yesterday. He had heart problems. That is all we know. But it doesn't matter how he died, it's how he lived. He was a genuinely sincere and sweet person, as well as being a hell of a bike builder. My first experience with Johhny was at a party in Sturgis 2004. It was one of those little VIP things and I hate those. But I went anyway. I'm standing around bored, ready to leave and I see Johnny. I recognized him from Chica's Biker Builder Off tv show. He walks right up to me and asks me if I'm Crazy Horse, then goes on to tell me how much he loved my work. I took him over to see my chopper which was new at the time. We talked for a while before I left. I was really surprised to find out what a truly nice person he was.
He went on to fame and his own shop. But he never got an atitude and or forgot how to treat people.


Sara just got back from the west coast where she was taking pictures for her Builder and Machine series of photos. She was pretty broke up about it.
The past few years have been pretty tough in our industry. We lost Larry in '04, then we lost a man not many of you know about but who serious chopper builders depended upon. He was Bradley the Polisher and he was also a real good guy. After that it was Gary from Milwaukee Iron that left us. And now we say goodbye to Johnny. I was thinking today as I buzzed around the shop trying to work on the Petty bike, trying to get it done with the deadline pressing down on me. It seems we are always trying to meet some fricking deadline. I don't care who it is. No matter who I talk to, the pressure to get the job for a specific date is always there. NO matter who it, even Hank Young was telling me about some deadline wearing him down, putting in the late hours at his shop. We push, push, push. Then we party hard. It makes for a bad combination. Our bodies and therefore our health as well as our attention to the road while riding get shortchanged. We pay a hard price, then whammo, it's over. We don't truly get to enjoy the incredible gift of life. I have an incredible chopper that sits in my shop. I have a beautiful home, awesome friends. And I don't get to slow down enough to enjoy them.
I made the desision earlier this year, that after I finish book 4, that's it. I'm slowing the pace. Spend some time living the motorcycle life as well as working it.

So all ya out there, this weekend take some time for Johnny, and for Bradley, and Gary and our Larry. Get on that bike and ride. Go to bed early once in a while. Stop stessing over stuff so much. Take better care of yourself. Live your life and remember how very precious it is, even tho sometimes it feels like hell. And never forget our buds that are gone. Don't just look at those old Dave Mann posters, get out there and live it. And if ya see some little old chick on a flamed sportser or chopper on South or North Carolina, you'll know Crazy Horse Paint Shop is closed for the day.