Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame

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  Posted by RevBigJohn August 9, 2023 - Filed in Motorcycle News - 474 views
  

  The Motorcycle Riders Foundation would like to congratulate board member Russell Radke as he is inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame today.

  The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame had this to say about Russell “Russell Radke was born in 1960. His father was a serviceman, so the family moved often. The family settled in Henderson, Nevada after his father retired.

  Russell was a Cub Scout, until the scout leader (his mom), kicked him out of the group. He began riding minibikes. Then to a 305 Honda Dream and a 650 Triumph. It was a hardtail and had a raked-out springer front end and z bars. It took all four lanes to make a U-turn on that bike, but he sure looked cool doing it!
  

  

  After high school, Russell partied, worked, partied, got married, partied, got divorced, partied. He found himself raising two children after his divorce. In a chance meeting, he met his third child at Wal-Mart. 

  By age thirty-five, he had failed two programs to get clean from a twenty-year addiction. July 7, 1995, Russell’s life change when he accepted Jesus. Three days later, God delivered him from drugs, and he’s 28 years sober. He also discovered his love of food, going from 185 pounds after high school to 220 when he got clean, and then to 305.

  In December 1999, he joined the Soldiers for Jesus MC and later, became chairman of the Las Vegas Confederation of Clubs. Politics entered his life. Russ said, “for so many years of rolling dirty, I put on a patch and am getting pulled over like crazy! I kept thinking to myself, can’t they read “JESUS” on the patch?!” 

  He had great mentors in his foray into politics, Fred Harrell and Deb Buttita. Deb introduced him to Still Ray and Maggot Mike. Russell became the state representative for the MRF in the late 90’s. After Still Ray’s motorcycle accident in 2014, Russell stepped in with the MRF as Club Rep to the Board.

  After the shooting in Waco in 2015, two projects launched. The Motorcycle Profiling Project (MPP) and a rapid-response organization made up of motorcycle club members, the National Council of Clubs (NCOC). Russell is a member of these organizations. 

  Three of their accomplishments at the federal level are

  • SR154 passed by unanimous consent 12/11/2018 made pulling over and detaining motorcyclists on pretextual stops illegal.
  • Omnibus Bill HR2617 passed 12/23/2022 – called NHSTA to give an official position paper on their stance on states dealing with motorcycle profiling.
  • HR366 passed 12/23/2022 mirrored version of Senate resolution.

  This legislation at the federal level shows state lawmakers the need for anti-profiling legislation. The MPP survey results show increases in motorcycle rider profiling where there are no anti-profiling laws.

  Russell says that this success is a result of SMRO’s, the NCOC, the MRF, and dedicated members uniting for motorcyclists’ rights. Russell is proud of his 25 years in the Soldiers for Jesus and the MRF. He thanks his wife Stephany for her support. He’s very humbled and grateful for this recognition.”

  Job well done, Russell!

  

  

  All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction permitted with attribution. Motorcycle Riders Foundation. All rights reserved.