Montreal’s motorcycling community was dealt a blow this week with the news of the death of Duc Dufour, president of Harley-Davidson Montreal.
Dufour founded the city’s HOG chapter, as well as the Show Harley, a combination motorcycle presentation and rock show held in Montreal every February. He also conceived the Lowboy in 1983, an in-house custom motorcycle that influenced Harley-Davidson to design the Fat Boy in 1990.
The fatal accident occurred in Labrador on Wednesday morning and according to sources, Dufour was riding his motorcycle when he collided with a bicyclist in visibility obscured by dust thrown up by a passing truck. The accident took place at the 170-km mile marker of the Trans-Labrador Highway, according to the Telegram.
I am so very sorry to hear of Duc’s accident. Coincidentally Amy, a friend here in Brunswick, ME, was telling us that she had met Duc and Pete in western Massachusetts at a campground and knowing us and our BMW connections, she was very comfortable having met Duc and Pete. They had been at a campground together there after the BMWMOA rally, and they had all ridden out together to see fireworks and she was delighted to tell us of the great time she had with them. I was so very proud that my friend (an unescorted woman) would know that Duc and Pete were such worthy gentlemen and that she had such a splendid time with them. I am distraught to hear of the accident, and that I will not be able to tell Duc how grateful I am that he was so gracious to my friend.
iRene
All Duc’s friends in the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Vermont Club will miss Duc and are very saddened by his untimely passing. He was doing what he loved. I am so sorry for everyone’s loss. He was a joy to be around, always smiling. It was even more of a shock as I had just seen him in Pennsylvania.Â
Muriel Farrington
President
My condolences to his family, friends and co-workers … Rob Wadman-Scanlan, Mount Pearl, NewfoundlandÂ
Duc was a true motorcyclist, and a great friend, I had the honour to supply him with Harley-Davidson/Buell motorcycles for 10 years, work at Moto International for almost two and saw him at all events, sharing best practices in a way that no other would, with such attention to every detail, we rode trials a few times in Ormstown with the Gref family…..what a loss, reading this tore a strip off me … I learned so much from him, and we always had great dealings, such an integral part of the world of motorcycling, helped HD sell those FXSTC Softails….and Willie ”G” created the 1990 Fat-Boy with Duc’s idea … we always waited for the yearly creation, B5, etc…. This guy had such a special energy, and was in such shape, he used his hands for kayac, riding, and for some of you who had the chance to give him a  hand shake … well it will always be remembered, RIP buddy, I will never forget you man !!! TO all his family, my most sincere condoleances… Alain Mongenot
IÂ was working for Harley Davidson Montreal in 1981 thats when i first met Duc, he was a great guy.Deepest sypathies to Duc’s family and friends and Ray Gref.Still can’t believe Duc’s gone.R.I.P. Duc.
Un homme respectueux des gens, amoureux de son sport et des voyages. Je suis tellement triste pour ceux et celles qu’il laissent dans l’attente de leur prochaine rencontre dans d’autres lieux….! La route nous a encore pris un bon homme mais nous garderons son souvenir bien vivant en roulant encore plus prudemment !
Condolences from Newfoundland. Very sad indeed.Â
Duc was a friend, a mentor. I learned a lot from Duc while working at H-D Montreal, when I was just beginning wrenching bikes, and we remained friends ever since.
It was always a high point of my visits there to catch up with Duc and exchange riding stories, of which he had many. As passionate about motorcycling as anyone I know, a classy guy all around, and a hell of a good rider.
My sincerest condolences go to everybody at Moto Internationale, especially the Gref family, who were in essence Duc’s family, and his girlfriend Natacha.
Â
R.I.P. Duc
Costa
I lost my adventure buddy… we just came back from from a weak ride in Penn. I was’nt there with him in Lab. as usual as my wife and I were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and the day after my 64th… I was hoping he could delay the ride but he also had plans… So, I said to him: Be careful my Bro. shit…
God speed my dear friend
Pete
Mes sincères condoléances à ses proches. J’ai eu la chance de cotoyer Duc, il y a de cela des lunes mais mon souvenir en est toujours précieux. Un homme qui m’impressionnait beaucoup… Bonne route Monsieur. (Salut Pete !!!) Sylvie Adams
Wow c’est un choc. Je ne le connaissais pas personnellement mais je voyais sa photo regulierement chez Moto Inter et je me disais qu’il etait surement un des plus experimentes sur la route. Je peux comprendre le risque de Trans Labrador puisque je l’ai complete il y a 3 semaines.
Balthazard
Hi Pete I am an old friend of Duc’s ;he got his start at my uncles motorcycle shop in PEI he visited with them a couple of years ago ;he used to call me his’LITTLE FEMALE MECHANIC ‘tore alot of bikes apart and put them back together ;I don’t know if he ever told you we were stopped one day we were on an old harley with a suicide shift and had to release the gears with a rock ;I was young and didn’t like the way the mountie was talking to us ,so I said my peace respectfully and he finally left and Duc told everyone afterwards he thought we were going to end up in jail ! haha I’M glad he had a friend like you ,he always loved to travel .I live in Kingston ont. Is it hard to find the funeral home ?my condolences to his girlfriend and also to you and family my E-MAIL is mjohnston@cogeco.ca .bye for now marion johnston
@cogeco:disqusÂ
Ditto to what Ronnie said. I guess I met Duc near Manic 5 on Tuesday, when he was headed up towards Fermont. I didn’t get his name, but we chatted for a while and he said he owned a shop (or at least referred to “our shop”), and that picture certainly looks like him, minus all the gear. He said he had ten days free and nothing to do, so he was going to run to Blanc-Sablon and back. He was a really friendly guy, I’m very sorry to hear about this. My condolences to his family and friends.
Thanks Chris and Rotten. I work with Duc at Moto Internationale / Harley-Davidson Montreal and it is an horrible tragedy. All the staff here are shocked. It’s a big loss for the world of motorcycling cause Duc was known from coast to coast. A gentlemen like you don’t met often. So I’m glad that you speak with him on his last moment.
Chantal Cournoyer
I just sat down at the computer after a three week trip across the TLH, Newfoundland and return, and I can well appreciate the difficulties the rider faced. It is a horrible tragedy and the family and friends have my condolences, as does the cyclist who will live with this forever.
RIP RiderÂ