About the Rider
Joe Neys was a motorcycle mechanic who lived and worked in the Portland/Beaverton area, and he was also a Multnomah County Sheriff.
Joe was also a member of the Rose City Motorcycle Club and a stunt team that originated from there. There were women on the original team....some of the wives and girlfriends. One of Joe’s teammates and friends was the late Emil Kreofsky who performed the daring “ring of fire jump.” A later group was formed for the Sheriff's Department.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Motorcycle Drill Team performed several daring motorcycle stunt shows each year using these same bikes. According to Joe’s late wife, Helen, it was a very exclusive group and several were made reserve just so they could be on the team. Joe Neys was usually the one “on top,” probably because of his light weight and gymnastic-style balance, not to mention his love of a good challenge.
Although recreational activities were prohibited during World War II in order to conserve fuel, Joe was also a highly skilled hill climber using Harleys modified for that special task. He was prominently featured on the front page of the then popular Cycle Magazine when his picture was taken as part of a photo contest during a “hill climb gone bad” that Joe was attempting.
Eventually Joe settled in Condon, OR with his wife and seven children. He quit the team just before his middle son Dave was born. He felt he could not spare the time to go to practice in Portland every week (from Condon) and that it was not fair to the other team members. Joe died in 1980.
