R.I.P. - JIM "CHAINSAW" JOHNSON

[Rat Rod]

From the Freakbiker Unite FB Group...

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have to say that we lost a great friend today. Jim "Chainsaw" Johnson was and is a very important and integral part of the Freakbike community. He was a founding member of the Freakbike Militia, The FreakBike Nation and Freakbikers UNITE!! I cannot thank him enough for helping this group get off the ground and become what it is today. I love you so much, Jim. We love you so much, Jim. I'm happy you are no longer in pain, my Brother. Rest in peace, Chainy."

Jim (aka Chainsaw) was an active member on the RRB forum from 2010 through 2017. Some of you old timers here may remember him and his humorous posts. Sad to hear that he's no longer with us.

 

[kingfish254]

Ride in Peace Chainsaw!

 

[Pookie42]

Really sad news. We used to ride every year before the Ann Arbor swap. First time I met Chainsaw he said “we have a spot inside one of the buildings just put your stuff with us”. Really great guy to ride with and always willing to help a fellow biker. Funny story when I introduced him to my wife I said his name was “ porkchop” and he just smiled and let me call him that until my wife corrected me a few days later but by that time he was porkchop to me. Lol R.I.P. brother

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rat Rod]

That's a great story....love the photos too!

 

[Skipton]

Such a wonderful guy! Jim will be missed! RIDE IN PEACE.

 

[Bigcam59]

I never had the chance to meet him but he sounds like my kind of guy. Ride on, Brother.

 

[Rustinkerer]

He had an awesome sense of humor, and built some sick freak bikes! RIP Chainy!
-Adam

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Never got the chance to interact with him, but many I know did and he seemed like quite the Guy!
Always sad to hear this stuff, I know he spent quite a bit of time in hospital a while back, but it did seem he was getting over the issues.

 

[schwinnmesa]

Wow, this is so sad. I've met up with Chainy a few times at bike shows and a Freak Bike Militia ride and he was hilarious -- great sense of humor. I'll never forget his laugh, and he was super generous. One time at the Grand Rapids Autorama he gave me a Stingray II frame/fork that I built up into a nice riding bike that I rode with him a couple years later.

I first joined this forum when I was 14 and in high school (2007), and I remember Chainy was super active on here back then so when I first saw him in person at the Ann Arbor Bike Show for the first time, I was starstruck and didn't say anything to him, haha. Getting to know him in the years after that, he was nothing but a great guy to be around -- super likable and cool -- I'm going to really miss him.