A tribute to AMA, NETRA, and Rhody Rovers Member, Bill Hass, on his ride in the many sections of his life

By Peter Ruggiero

In the late 1960’s Bill Haas rode with the RI Trials Club and, along with others such as Ralph Razee and Libby Reuter, revived the then-dormant Rhody Rovers MC. The Club revival occurred in Ralph Razee’s living room. And Bill, in his commitment to the effort, offered to serve as its new President. Bill is known for taking the bull by the horns when things need doing!

 

 

From 1973 to 1978 Bill was the national service manager for Bultaco motorcycles, USA operations. In this role, Bill served as liaison to the dealer network on the east coast and beyond and helped to grow Bultaco’s popularity and establishment of the brand as on off road riding and racing success in the 1970s. As part of his assignment, Bill took special interest and was instrumental in the design, production, and servicing of Jim Pomeroy’s 250 Bultaco Pursang motocross motorcycle. In 1973, Jim won the Spanish Motocross Grand Prix (becoming the first American to do so!) while riding on Bill’s craftmanship. Their success helped to put U.S. riders on the map in the international sport of motocross and they formed a lifelong friendship.

In 1978 Bill founded a motocross track at the Pine Top Ski area in Escoheag, Rhode Island. The track was used for practice riding, training, motorcycle rental, and hosted an AMA National Motocross event that year.

During the 1980s and 1990s Bill served as a District representative for the New England region to the AMA Congress. Bill served and worked on dirt track and off-road competition rule committees in those years. Bill offered many instrumental modifications to competition event rules to help competitors and spectators better enjoy the sport and events. He was driven by the desire to enhance competition among riders, while growing the sport’s overall popularity amongst the non-motorcycling public. Bill went on to serve as a dirt track referee for two decades. He has also attended more than a dozen Isle of Mann TT and Manx Vintage Grand Prix races, frequently serving as a Course Marshall on the fabled 37-mile road course.

 

 

Later in the 1990s, Bill served as the National Sales Manager for Gas Gas motorcycles in the USA. He avidly promoted the product line and helped support several riders at the national level in cross country and enduro competition on Gas Gas motorcycles.

In addition to his work and service in the motorcycle industry, Bill always made time to ride, organize events, and compete. Bill was an avid participant in many forms of motorcycle competition. Bill built competition flat track motorcycles for a multitude of successful racers in the 1970s and 1980s, along with off road bikes for himself and his children. Bill’s love of flat track racing led him to design and build several custom sidecar motorcycles for dirt track and ice racing. Bill was always searching to find another hapless soul to serve as his sidecar monkey. During his many adventures on the sidecar, Bill developed a reputation for aggressive riding styles and ran through a good number of monkeys in the process. He even subjected two of his sons into the sidecar – Mike and Paul. It was never dull to watch Bill ride or compete. He rode in many legendary and storied events including the Colorado 500. He sponsored, supported, and mentored many enthusiast riders to achieve the best version of themselves. After all, Bill was trained as a teacher and eventually retired as a respected Technical Education teacher at Plainfield (CT) High School.

 

 

Bill sponsored and assisted the Rhody Rovers to host many National Enduros and Hare Scrambles. He also trained, persuaded, cajoled, and intimidated Rhody Rover members to be trail bosses for turkey runs, club rides, enduros, hare scrambles, trail cutting, trail clearing and pretty much any social or recreational activity involving motorcycles.

Bill is now in his 80s and his love, support, passion, and commitment to motorcycles is unparalleled. Bill’s life model is simple and enviable – do what brings you joy. Bill’s joy has always been motorcycle centric, in which he immerses himself. Anyone who knows Bill or has ridden with him understands his joy because it is infectious.