JOHN Parham, the founder of J&P Cycles, has been named as an inductee into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame; the annual ceremony will take place in October at AIMExpo.
Making the announcement, Ken Ford, a member of the AMA and American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation boards of directors, said: "John Parham created one of the most successful motorcycle accessory businesses and went on to become one of the greatest benefactors of motorcycling's heritage."
John Parham opened his first shop 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 ‘90s, J&P Cycles had grown into one of the largest motorcycle accessory mail order companies in the world.
Parham stayed on board to run J&P Cycles after selling it to the Motorsports Aftermarket Group in 2001. At that time he also focused additional energy and resources on preserving motorcycling history. In 2001, Parham relocated the National Motorcycle Museum to Anamosa, where it has continued to thrive and grow. "His contribution to the world of motorcycling has been substantial; it is one that will endure", said Ford.
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