Richo wins big

[Graeme M]

Ric Richardson (Richo) is an Aussie inventor who has invented all sorts of stuff it seems. He has just won a $500 million payout from Microsoft for an infringement of a patent he had registered. Now what is interesting about this guy is that he seems to have some interest in dirtbikes and even has a whole section about Geoff Eldridge on his website. Curious! I've never heard of the guy before, but nice to see that someone with such an eclectic mind is into dirtbikes. Check out his Eldridge memories here (takes a while to load and you need to scroll down). By the way, his website is well worth browsing - he has some amazing, weird and whacky ideas.

http://ricrichardson.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=50

[NSR]

I love the web site and all the GE stuff, but ya think he invent a faster web site.
Noel   

[RicRicho]

Hi, its Ric here... sorry bout the site... some of the pics are a bit big... all that stuff about Geoff I salvaged because I saw the new ADB site starting to lose the pages and Geoff was a good friend of mine... Im not such a great rider but always seemed to ride twice as fast whenever the ADB crew went out to the "rock at the top of the world" as his mate Wayne Brady said... I felt real privileged to be included in the group that would ride up there once or twice a week... Id always be last and thus maintained the role as comic relief for the guys... I sat with most of the ADB team dumbfounded when Vicki rang us with the news... Ill never forget it.. I had to dig my heart out from under 10 foot of dirt before I could go home.

When Vicki got home and after the funeral she wanted Geoffs backup bike for the Cessnock International 6 day to go to someone close rather than someone in the paper so I put my hand up and rode his tricked out white 250 ktm for the next few years... the last time I was with the crew was after the funeral when we had our own little ceremony at the rock... it was really sad but somehow positive since everyone had something cheeky or touching or deap and meaningful to comment... we haven't got back together since then, shows what glue he was... but also all it would do is remind us that he's not there...

[VMX247]

Fantastic Memories-Fantastically preserved   
thanks
Alison

[Oggy Doggy]

It's interesting to be reminded of just what a good bloke GE was. When GE and Firko got this whole vintage thing moving in OZ in 1988 who would have guessed that it would have grown to what it is today. GE was a good bloke, a loyal friend to many and true lover of the bikes and personalities that forged our sport and it's a shame that as the years since his death (slight correction Richo, Geoff was killed in the 1992 Nevada Rally, not 1987) roll on ADB has distanced itself further and further from his huge contribution. That's understandable I guess, the mag has a new life now and needs to move on from the GE days. It's still sad though.

It's interesting to see where the GE bikes ended up. The DT1 is the very bike that Firko restored for Yamaha Australias 50th birthday celebrations and Firko and another regular contributor (or good old boy!) co own the PE400Z. I think GE's best mate Wayne Brady owns the Cessnock 6 day KTM. I was interested in the Rick Doughty built CZ400 at the time but I guess it ended up in WA.

[AjayVMX]

I have GE's KX250....

[Graeme M]

Well blow me down! Who'd have thunk I'd post a little note about Ric and the next thing he's joined us. Welcome Ric, hope you like what you see. We've got quite a few of the old school on here these days.

Good to hear some of the old stories about GE - I never knew him but ADB and the crew were very influential in my life. I have almost every ADB from issue #1 and to me the greatest were those from the GE/Honest Muz days. But I still love to browse the early issues - the mag was just so good in comparison to a lot of the competition. Which isn't to say I didn't dig the competition - I did and have a lot of those mags still.

It's nice to see too that some of GE's old bikes are still around. Like most, I find the modern ADB a far cry from the old and to be honest I consider them separate entities. ADB of old is in the past, just like my youth, and in some ways that's how it should be.

I reckon GE and Ray Ryan (who I am fortunate to have met on a few occasions) must be looking down at the vintage scene in Australia, and at VMX magazine, and thinking that she's a good thing!

And good for you re the Microsoft thing Ric. You gotta be happy with that.

PS Ajay, you make me so envious! Amongst my favouritest ever bikes are the KX250, RH250 and HL500.... sigh.

[AjayVMX]

Sorry about that Graeme 

And GE's 1992 ISDE KTM was in my garage for a while until Wayne Brady came to pick it up....



It was keeping GE's KX250 and Ray's HL500 company on the trip over from Perth...

[firko]

Check out Ric Richardson on Australia Story on the ABC tonight at 8pm. He was a mate of Geoff Eldridges that sued Microsoft and won big time. Check out his blog (see avove post from Graeme)

[Hoony]

Great Story, good to see he stuck it to those evil blue screen poltergeist Microsoft forkers

[Nathan S]

Yeah, good watch.

And I didn't twig before, but Ric was in a few issues of ADB - had an old air-cooled KDX250, and may have even written an article about going riding on the cheap or similar.

The KDX might have even been the one that GE had been playing around with for a while?

[motomaniac]

This is amazing!
What stories! and what a story! Thanks for posting and thanks Ric I saved your site in my Favs.

[mx250]

I didn't see the program (we really need a second TV - actually it would be the third ). Is Richo the brains/patent behind the Micro Bee and the early type of Windows? I've got a Micro Bee - my first PC - I've been thinking of putting onto FleaBay.

[All Things 414]

Well bugger me. I cheered all through the program. My wife noted Ric riding around on the suped-upped postie bikes and I thought his ending shot of 'Smoke on the water' was a blow-away.
Turn the computer onto my favorite brawling room and the guy is here as well. 

Well fug me!

[Mick22]

Well done Ric, good to see someone have a win against MS. The story first caught my interest a while back because of the van

I'm a big fan of the "Dickmobile" concept. I've had my own version for the past 15 years, nothing better than finding a nice spot pulling up and having a bit of a "think".... helps that it can carry the bikes around too