An MTF Tribute to our friend
Jeff Miller (Reartire)

Jeffery Lyle Miller

WAXACHACIE, TEXAS — Jeffery Lyle Miller, 44, died Sunday, Sept. 7, 2003.

Mr. Miller was a lifelong resident of Sulphur. He graduated from Sulphur High School in 1977. After high school, he served his country for four years in the Navy. He was employed as a Senior Maintenance Field Engineer for ABB Alstom.
   

I'm sure there are other's who knew Jeff Miller, (Reartire), better than I but we kinda hit it off on some messages on the MTF forum and when Jo and I scheduled the Bishop's Castle MTF Lunch, August of 2003, we told all the folks if they needed a place to stay, our home was open.

Jeff called me up and asked if he could stay with us the night before the run and he arrived early afternoon. Jeff Miller was a man that you could tell "loved life", his wife and his motorcycle! After getting him settled in our spare room, we had a good BS session and we talked about riding bikes, his work and we all thought it was way cool that both he and his wife and Jo and I were high school sweethearts! He told us of how he wandered around till one day he and his wife got back together, with a gleam in his eye you could just feel the love as he talked.

Jeff, was a Iron Butt rider and him and his "Big Valk" had lot's of future plans of LD rides. We got up the next morning and headed out to Bishop's Castle, poor Jeff, as the Valk was warming up, it just dropped off the side stand! We looked at it and laughed and picked up the bike, nothing seem to faze him. It was a great day of riding with the excellent folks of the MTF, Jeff really enjoyed exploring the heights of Bishops Castle, he was the only one "brave" enough to go to the top of the round tower, even it it swayed 100+ feet in the air!

At the lunch stop, Jeff made the rounds of the MTF folk, we all ate, we laughed and too soon it was over. Jeff headed back to Texas, letting us know if we were ever down his way, there'd be a bunk waiting for us! :) He bought a Concours and we talked about getting to ride together next summer, I was looking forward to it.

The news of his passing, was a jolt beyond words. How can someone so full of life go so quickly, the only thing that made it somehow better was that he was out riding his "Big Valk", when it happen and I'm sure up to the very moment of the accident he had a great big grin! Jeff, my friend, May you have "tailwinds and sunshine" while riding the backroads of forever!

As you can tell from BJ's report and you will be able to tell further as you read the additional comments from Jeff's MTF Friends. He had a profound affect on our life's during the short time that we knew him. Jeff only had 61 visits to the MTF, but he made the most out of those visits and we made a new friend.

A few select comments from Jeff's MTF Fiends:

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• Jeff was a good guy.  I hadn't seen him since our Mason trip, but was thinking about him when I was looking at the Regency Bridge pictures.   He was such an easy going guy and you just naturally liked him.  Doug
      

• Hate to hear this.  Only met him the one time at the Mason lunch.  He was the kind of guy you just naturally took to. Guinn
      

• This sure strikes close to home. Met Jeff in Arkansas this last May. Saw him last at the Bishop Castle RTE. He loved that Valkyrie. George
      

• Jeff was a good, genuine person. I  met him at the PRFH. he asked me to come over and look at his tire because he wanted my opinion. I chastised him for riding on a tire in that condition and told him he needs to rectify that in the morning at the Honda shop in Russellville. When i saw him on the forum with 'reartire' as his username I couldn't help but laugh, nod my head and think to myself that he learned his lesson. I saw him a couple of times after that and considered him a road friend. Jason
     

• I first met Jeff at the PRFH. Jeff had never done a SS1000 before but was really excited about doing his first LD ride. The first morning or the PRFH, he was a bit nervous. I tried to calm him down and told him that if he could set in the saddle he had plenty of time. Off he went to Boles. A bit later here comes Jeff back to the hotel. He had gotten lost trying to get out of Russellville. He said the directions just don't make sense. He wondered why he had to go to Boles instead of just toot'n down the interstate. I told him because this is the Poker Run From Hell. We had to add a little twist. I ask him for his map and assured him that it wasn't that bad. Jeff didn't have a map. I laughed and dug out an Arkansas map. Showed him how to go and off he went. Just another bit later here comes Jeff. He wanted to give up. I told him that he was just frustrated and then led him out of Russellville. I hung around the hotel expecting him to come back again that morning.When he finally came in that night he was smiling ear to ear. He got the name Reartire because his tire was worn down to the cord after his first 1000 miles. So it got it replaced and then did back to back 1000's for as SS2000. So he earned both the SS1000 and SS2000 on that ride. He was so happy and seemed to fit right into our group. Alan
     

• Met Jeff at the PRFH this summer. Talked about his tire problems, his trip from Texas on a bald tire, and what he was to do next. He ended up with a new tire and having a great time at the PRFH. Just seems that there are too many accidents and deaths in the sport now. My kids think riding is far too dangerous are they are sure I'll end life on some backroad someday. But then again, if we haden't ridden, we would never have crossed paths, even for the short time that it was, in Arkansas this summer. Dave
    
• I never had the pleasure of meeting Jeff, but I considered him a friend through reading his posts here. Bob
    
• This is major sad news, Jo and I had the pleasure of Jeff's company in August when he stayed with us overnight before the Bishop's Castle MTF Lunch!! What a neat person, full of life and sprit, this is truely crushing, I was so looking forward to getting to share a bit of road with him in 2004, especially since he bought his Concours. BJ
    
• The name sounded familiar...but when I saw your photo, I got a chill.....I do remember him. Very nice guy and he will be missed at our functions in the future. Greg
    
• How sad is this. He was one heck of a character. We rode pretty much at the PRFH. (after he completed his 2 BIG rides.) He was so friendly and considerate and at the end of the rally I considered him my friend.
  My heart goes out to Betty and her family. I hope time will help them, and God bless them. Jeff is probably directing rides in heaven right now. I will miss you buddy, and thanks for encouraging me to do a SS while I have the time. In sadness,,,,,,Joy
    
  I also met Jeff at the Mason lunch run and had a ball talking to him. I told him I have a second Cousin named Jeff Miller, and my daughter-in-law, went to school in Sulfur. We had a blast talking about this. He sure was impressed with the Connies and I see by his tag line he had bought one. In my judgment he was a stand up guy and very easy to like. John
     
• Jeff and I met up the first day of the PRFH when we were both trying to find our way to the first checkpoint, the Post Office in Boles, AR. We talked when we got there, and he told me he had never done an SS1K. He asked if he could tag along with me. We made the ride out to near Amarillo, then back to Russellville. We had a few adventures, like almost running out of gas with me drafting a truck to make it to a station. We knew heading west that we would hit rain on the way back. At the turnaround, I saw that his rear tire was almost bald. From there on back to Russellville, I expected to see him heading off towards a ditch at any time. He made a wrong turn going through OK City, heading south. I knew better than to try to find him, just hoped he would get back on track soon. I kept my speed down for awhile, but saw no sign of him. I had just finished filling my tank at my next gas stop when Jeff came rolling off I-40. He almost made another wrong turn in Ft. Smith, but made a last minute correction across a divider. When we rolled into the motel in Russellville, the consensus was that he had almost outpaced his Guardian Angel, as threads were showing through on his back tire, and the front was not too far from being in the same status. He replaced both. Dave
    
• I'm new to the MTF and Mason was my first ride to meet some of you guys. I love to read and especially listen to stories and tall tales of MC travel. Jeff had a captive audience, in me, as he told the Bald Rear Tire story on the back porch of Coopers. Great story and I'm sure the stories yet to have come, will be greatly missed. Stephen
   
• I can still see him sitting on my couch when he came and bought my Connie.  Man was he excited.  Talked to him a few days later and he said when he left my house, he stopped in Lafayette, where his dad lives, and played cajun music all night with him.  I remember him from PRFH, saw him ride through town a couple of times trying to find his way.  He was sure happy the next day after he had completed his first 1000k. TB
    
• A very nice person. We talked about Cajun stuff, music and food. I looked forward to seeing him again - that will have to wait for a while. Bob
   

  I met Jeff at the PRFH in Russellville and then again in Colorado City.  There we talked a good bit about our similar paths (Navy and Motorcycles).  We were to ride to the Cajun lunch together in October.  This shows how much life sucks at times. I think the information more than the rain is why I peeled off and didn't ride with Bo's breakfast bunch.  I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a while.  Actually I wish I could have just taken off and ridden for a few days in Jeff's memory. John

Some photos from the MTF Colorado Lunch