Moto-Journalist, Henny Ray Abrams, Found Dead

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

We at Motorcycle.com wish to express our condolences to the friends and family of respected moto-journalist, Henny Ray Abrams, who was found dead at his computer in his New York apartment earlier this week. He was 57 years old.

Abrams was a long-time contributor to Cycle News and Sport Rider magazines, covering virtually every form of motorcycle racing, from motocross to flat track to road racing, for nearly 40 years. The longest serving contributor to Cycle News, Abrams was known for being a dogged journalist, asking the tough questions and providing insight about all things racing. Information most people would never discover otherwise.

According to Cycle News Editor Paul Carruthers, “I hadn’t heard from Henny since Saturday. When you email or call Henny, he gets right back to you. When I didn’t hear back from him, I started to get worried. An email from Michael Scott [Cycle News‘ MotoGP editor] this morning saying that he also hadn’t heard back from him got me even more worried. I contacted Dave Roper, who I know is a good friend of Henny’s and who also lives in the Brooklyn area. Roper went to Henny’s apartment with a friend of theirs who lives in the same building. She had a key and they entered the apartment to find Henny dead at his computer. I’m in complete shock. I’ve known and worked with Henny since I started at Cycle News in 1985. I’m at a loss for words.”

On a personal note I had never met Abrams, though I “edited” his work often during my tenure at Sport Rider magazine, where he was a regular contributor. I say edited in quotations because rarely did his work need anything. And though I didn’t know him personally, I appreciate and respect the work he produced, as I often looked forward to reading his next contribution. As Editor Kevin Duke put it, “If you’ve ever read anything about motorcycle racing, you’ve probably read something from Henny.”

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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