From David Emde’s older brother Don, via e-mail:

DAVID EMDE KILLED SUNDAY IN SPORTBIKE CRASH

David Emde, 45, the 1976 AMA 250cc National Road Racing Champion, was killed Sunday morning in a sportbike crash in the San Diego area.

Following his racing career, David worked in motorcycle dealerships in the San Diego area and enjoyed sportbike riding on the weekends. He reportedly was riding with friends in the mountain roads around the Ramona area of San Diego County when he went off the highway and he died at the scene.

David’s father Floyd won the 1948 Daytona 200 and his family members include his brothers Bob and Don and sisters JoAnn and Nancy. He also had a son, Bryan.

Details about services are pending and updates will be posted on this and other motorcycle websites during the week.

More, from a friend of Emde’s:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I just got home and was floored by a posting that I came across in a local newsgroup, announcing the tragic accident that happened today (Sunday) on a twisty backroad, down in San Diego, that took the life of a friend, and fellow dP Safety School Instructor, Dave Emde.

I’m sure you know of Dave, his 250GP racing accomplishments, and his family (Don Emde) heritage in the world of road racing. The world of motorcycling can be a harsh one at times, and this is another one of those moments.

I’d written a brief posting, of my thoughts on recent times that I has spent with Dave at the track, and posted it on the newsgroup where I first was made aware of the horrible incident. I thought that I’d send the content of this posting on to you, with hopes that you might include it on your website, to pay memory to Dave and celebrate his life:

Dave Emde: The Loss of a Racer

I had just spent the day down at Buttonwillow Raceway, about a week ago, sharing a fun day of riding with Dave, at the dP Safety School trackday…after him having taking over a year off from his role as the senior Instructor on staff at the dP events. It was great to see Dave again, and see that he’d certainly not lost any of the edge on his incredible proficiency in riding motorcycles at speed on track.

Dave was one of the core members of the dP Safety School program, and had been an Instructor on staff for many years, by the time I first came on board as a Newbie Instructor back in 1995. During the 6 years that followed, I had shared instructor duties with Dave at nearly 100 track school dates, and never ceased to be amazed at the speed that he could turn up at will. I always considered it a “good day,” if I was able to keep Dave in sight for more than a few laps, when we were out on a non-working session on the day, just for fun.

At this last track event (a few weeks ago), when Dave had reappeared on the scene, he had sold his GSX-R1000, and was sporting a very well set-up Honda CBR954RR. Dave was obviously very happy with the bike, and was out showing up-and-comer young gun racer Jason Perez, a few secrets in how to get around the Buttonwillow circuit, that day. Dave’s speed and fluid riding style in carving up the track, were something for even an experienced rider/racer to aspire to emulate.

Dave’s life was motorcycling…plain and simple. If he wasn’t on the track racing, he was on the track riding or teaching. If he wasn’t on the track, he was out finding tasty bits of backroad to enjoy the performance motorcycling experience. At this latest trackday, Dave had shared with me the excitement of his plans for potentially putting together a business venture where he’d be providing a program for European sportbike enthusiasts to come over to the USA, for on and off track sportbike riding/instruction…with bike and gear provided. There was a real sparkle in Dave’s eyes, as he laid out the whole plan for this innovative business venture. It’s a real shame that those European sportbiking enthusiasts will now be deprived of the opportunity to reap the riding skill education and sheer enjoyment that I have no doubt Dave’s program would have provided.

I know it’s an old cliche, about if a person has to pass away, it’s better to have it happen doing something they love…but I suspect that from what I knew of Dave’s life, if he’d have been asked if this reflected his personal philosophy on life and riding…he’d have likely responded with a resounding “Yes”.

Dave leaves behind a trail of family and friends who will greatly miss his smiling face, myself being just one on that long list. I’ll remember Dave from all the times we shared together out on track, riding at speed, while enjoying the sport for which we both had a deep and common love. I’ll continue to ride with intensity and passion whenever I take to the track, despite Dave losing his life while mounted atop a motorcycle. I don’t think Dave would wish for any of us that knew him, and rode with him, to proceed in any other way.

Godspeed Dave…hope He can keep up with you in the turns!

Gary Jaehne
dP Safety School Instructor
AFM #13
Scotts Valley, California

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I just read that we lost Dave Emde yesterday. My wife and I made good friends with Dave when we were doing the AMA pro circuit with Johnny Bettencourt in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Dave was always a person you were glad to see. He had a big smile and a happy spirit. Dave loved to race and had a good time doing it, and he made a lot of friends.

Every once in a while I would read about Dave in Roadracing World. I always wanted to look him up again. This week I will put on my Dave Emde San Jose BMW shirt and go see some old friends.

Jerry Wood