Jim rode for the Indian factory for many years. In 1920, upon arriving in Phoenix to race, it was discovered that he had been suspended for one year. Jim refused to let that stop him. He asked the referee if he would let him ride if he could produce a letter from the Motorcycle and Allied Trade Association (the forerunner of the AMA) in Chicago. The referee agreed. Jim promptly went to the Western Union office, bribed the young girl behind the counter with a box of candy, paid a kid on a bike to deliver the telegram and ended up winning all four events. After Phoenix, Jim quit Indian and went to ride for Harley-Davidson, who got his suspension lifted. Between 1926 and 1938 he rode for either Harley or Indian, whoever would pay him the most. During the span of Jim's career he won 17 National Championships, received 180 medals (90 gold, 50 silver, 40 bronze), raced 1500 races and put on 30,000 miles. When asked about his career as a racer, Jim's comment was always the same, "I wouldn't take anything in the world for the experience I got."
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Sturgis Museum and Hall of Fame - Sturgis, South Dakota