Neil Fergus: 2015 Trailblazers Hall of Fame Inductee

Preparations continue for the 71^st annual Trailblazers banquet. As expected, the banquet is now sold out, although the club encourages emails to get into the waiting list in the event of cancellations – which we do always get. To get on the list, send a note to: mctrailblazers01@gmail.com.

Continuing with our previews of this year’s honorees at the banquet, here is a profile on off-road legend Neil Fergus.

Neil Fergus was born in San Francisco, California in 1931. His family soon moved to Sierra Madre, California and it was there that Neil began his love of motorcycling.

Neil bought his first motorcycle at age 16. He rode mostly off road in any vacant lot he could find. Soon he was taking the bike out to the Mojave Desert to ride, and began entering desert races.

Neil was drafted into the Army in the early 50’s. Since he was an accomplished motorcycle rider, he became a motorcycle “MP” in charge of Convoy Escorts. He loved this type of duty because it gave him the opportunity to ride every day.

Upon his discharge, he took a job as a Pasadena motorcycle police officer. Although he rode a motorcycle five days a week, he still wanted more saddle time. So every weekend he went to the Mojave Desert and raced his beautifully prepped 200cc Dot in District 37 desert races and Enduros.

In 1960, Neil partnered with Jack Gray to open Honda of Pasadena. This was an era when “Made in Japan” meant the product was probably junk. Neil began to race a Honda 250cc scrambler in desert races to help prove the quality of the motorcycles he was selling. To improve his chances, Neil continually modified the Honda.  It took some time, but he made it a winner in the desert.

In 1963, he earned the #2 plate in AMA District 37. Then in 1964, Neil was the first person in AMA District 37 history to win "High Point Man of the Year" on a 250cc bike and was awarded the #1 plate.

In 1965 Neil partnered with Gary Griffin to open the Fergus & Griffin Motorcycle Service Center in Monrovia. Neil continued to race, defending his #1 plate riding a Bultaco. He was becoming legendary as not only a rider, but also a tuner, frame and suspension expert.

In 1967 Yamaha asked Neil to help create a street legal dirt bike, the concept we now know as Enduro or Dual Sport. The first prototypes were brought to Neil because he was known as a guy who could make a bike work off road. The bike Neil helped create was the Yamaha DT-1.

In 1968 Neil offered a fast young rider named Larry Bergquist a Bultaco sponsorship. Bergquist promptly went out and grabbed the District 37 desert 250cc #1 plate. This began a collaboration between Neil and Larry that would last for several more years. With Fergus as the builder/tuner and Bergquist as the rider, the team had many wins in District 37 desert racing as well as major events like Baja and the Mint 400.

In the early 1970’s Neil secured a position as head of R & D with Mike Harper’s Victor Products. Neil’s job was to develop new accessories for Yamahas just before they were introduced. If you had a Yamaha in the 70’s, and purchased any Genuine Yamaha Accessories such as a compression release, fork brace, high mount front fender, skid plate, or GYT kit, chances are that Neil designed and developed it.

Neil retired from the motorcycle industry in 1980, but still rides and travels 20,000-30,000 miles annually on two wheels. He maintains a fleet of street and dirt bikes, and can usually be found out in the garage getting an old Matchless or Panther ready for a vintage road rally.

The Trailblazers proudly welcomes Neil Fergus to the 2015 Hall of Fame!