Pickerington, Ohio—AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame member John Parham, who founded J&P Cycles and the National Motorcycle Museum, passed away on April 20 after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was 62.
“The American Motorcyclist Association offers its condolences to the Parham family and to the many friends John made over the years,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Beyond his success as a businessman, John dedicated his energy and resources to preserving the history of motorcycling. It was an honor to know him. He will be greatly missed by the motorcycling community.”
Mr. Parham was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2015.
He opened his first shop with a partner in 1975 in his hometown of Anamosa, Iowa. Four years later, he branched out with his wife Jill, starting J. Parham Enterprises. This company came to be known as J&P Cycles.
By the 1990s, J&P Cycles had grown into one of the largest motorcycle accessory mail order companies in the world.
Mr. Parham stayed on board to run J&P Cycles after selling it to Motorsports Action Group in 2001.
In 2001, Parham relocated the National Motorcycle Museum to Anamosa, where it has continued to thrive and grow into one of the world’s foremost motorcycle museums.
The Parham family is planning a celebration of his life for some time in May. Details, as they become available, will be posted to the National Motorcycle Museum website (www.nationalmcmuseum.org).
Click here to see Mr. Parham’s AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame page.
