Rick \

We are sad to report the passing of Rick “Super Hunky” Siemen, the original editor of Dirt Bike magazine, which first hit newsstands in 1971. Siemen was a gonzo-style writer and wordsmith who simply loved off-road motorcycling. One of the most influential journalists the sport has ever known, Siemen mixed humor with hard-hitting honesty. During the magazine’s ascendency in the 1970s and early ’80s Siemen used his bully pulpit and influential column “From the Saddle” to help fight land closures, promote unique events and also keep motorcycle product manufacturers honest. He even appeared on the television program “60 Minutes” to advocate against the closure of huge swaths of the southwest desert to off-highway vehicles because of an endangered tortoise.

Rick was also a firm supporter and regular participant in the Barstow-to-Vegas Desert race, along with his friend and attorney Louis McKey, also known as the Phantom Duck of the Desert, and together they were a thorn in the side of the Bureau of Land Management.