A Man to be Remembered...
"Since the early 1970's, Bill Saltzman was a a true, loyal and respected member of the desert racing community - a fellowship, if you will. While it frustrated many who came to the finish line at District 37 events to find that Bill finished before them - when they were absolutely sure they had beaten him - the fact remains that Bill Saltzman was one of the most unselfish human beings to ever walk this Earth. If you had a problem with your European bike; Bill would painstakingly try to fix your scoot so you could make the start of the race. I know; I saw him help people time-after-time. Moreover, if he knew someone was stuck somewhere out there in the desert, he would often go out and fetch the hapless rider and bring him (or her) in safely..."
"Bill will be missed by us all. I will remember him as the one who took me under his wing at the age of sixteen (16) and allowed me to partner with him in the 1976 SCORE Baja 500. We finished 7th Overall, and for a young man, his confidence and enthusiasm was contagious. It made me want to emulate such character in my daily life. Thank you Bill Saltzman for your devotion to the sport of desert racing, and for your loyalty to your friends and competitors! May you forever rest in peace..."
"When I was a very young boy my mom use to drive me down to his motorcycle dealer in Baldwin Park, CA. so I could buy Hodaka parts for my super rat. Bill was the most helpful guy I have ever come across in the motorcycle world. He taught me how to work on the bike by letting me watch him do repairs in his garage. Every time I had a problem with my bike, I would call up Bill and ask him. I call him a lot and he was always happy to help me. What a guy. Late on I purchase a Husky and a lot of Husky parts from him. In the finally days of his dealership days, I would go down there to buy a part and end up staying there for about 4 hours. He would tell me all about the motorcycle industry and what was the latest thing coming up. I even saw the photo album that he created when he visited the Husqvarna factory for a week in Sweden in the mid 1970's. I still have a garage full of parts that I purchase from Bill. He gave me his phone number when he moved up north, but I never kept in touch with him. Wish I had..."
--Bill Fuentes