Ralph Weinstein was born 1918, in a shake shack on a homestead on top of Sumas Mountain. He moved to New Westminster in 1928 where he got his education.

In 1937 while working in a sawmill in Surrey, he got his first motorcycle - a 1926 Harley. Others soon followed, all Harleys. It was at this time Ralph joined the American Motorcycle Association AMA) (membership # 9244), later he became a charter life member.

In1938 Ralph and friends formed the Royal City Rockets Motorcycle Club (Rockets). In the same year, he was a charter member and organizer of the Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Association serving on the executive in various roles. In 1947 Ralph was a charter member of the BC chapter of the Canadian Motorcycle Association (CMA).

In l939, Ralph bought a lot on Edinburgh St. in New Westminster for $49 and for $300 built a small clubhouse for the Rockets

Ralph joined the Canadian Army in January 1942, and spent 3 years in the Medical Corps in Winnipeg. He had his BSA shipped there and he joined the Winnipeg Roughriders Motorcycle Club. Many of the club members were away in the army and Ralph was

RALPH WEINSTEIN - Inducted 2006

Pioneer - Motorcycling

Ralph Weinstein

By Ralph Weinstein, edited by Tom Johnston, 2006

Ralph Weinstein, 1940

instrumental in keeping the club together until he too was sent overseas in 1945. When he left, the club presented him with an Honourary Life Membership.

The Army discovered that Ralph was an experienced motorcyclist so they transferred him to a Provost unit as an instructor. Later, he served a couple months as a dispatch rider, and then as a test rider in maintenance, finally ending up as a point rider on convoys transporting troops..

Returned home in January of 1946, the first thing he did was arrange to get his BSA shipped back from Winnipeg.

After the war competition resumed and Ralph won his share of events.

In the post-war period, Ralph again served on the executive of the Rockets, first as president and then as treasurer (a role he still holds to this day). Ralph organized competitions at many locations: outdoors at the Chilliwack horse track and the road races at Abbotsford Airport; and indoors at the short track races at the Agrodome.

In 1982, the Rockets were in decline and didn’t have enough money to pay the taxes on the clubhouse that Ralph had built for them and they were forced to sell. Ralph came up with the idea to put the proceeds of the sale in a term deposit and use the interest to hold two free banquets a year for dues paying club members. The first banquet was in June, 1982 and the tradition has carried on twice a year to the present with Ralph organizing every one.

When Ralph lived on Scott Road there was rarely a Sunday went by that he didn’t have at least 6 or 8 club members drop in for a beer and supper and quite often would have 3 or 4 come out on Saturday night as well.