Joe Godsall Retires

Long-serving president of the Canadian Motorcycle Association, Joe Godsall of White Rock, BC. has retired.

Joe became the BC board member for the CMA in 1983 and later also served as national CMA Vice President and then as President for 28 years, from 1989 to 1997 and from 2001 to 2019, as well as serving on many CMA National Committees. All of Joe’s service to Canadian motorcycling was as an unpaid volunteer.

In a special announcement at the CMA Annual General Meeting on Nov. 20, 2021 president Hugh Lim appointed Joe a CMA Honourary President and thanked him for his long service to Canadian motorcycling.

Joe was born in Formby, a village in Lancashire, UK. At age 15 he got his first motorcycle, an Ariel 500, and then bought several motorcycles, including a Royal Enfield 350, Sunbeam S7, BSA 175 Bantam, Triumph Thunderbird, Triumph Bonneville and BSA Goldstar. He currently owns a Suzuki 550ES and a Honda CR250. When Joe was young he road raced in the UK until he and Vera moved to Canada in 1965. His home track was Oulton Park, where he raced his 500 Goldstar.

When he and his wife Vera moved to BC Joe began racing motocross, and won the 1981 CMA Vet Junior National Championship.

When the Agassiz Motocross Club track was in danger of closing, Joe and Vera renewed the lease for the CMA, and although they live over 100 km away in White Rock, have worked preparing the track prior to event day and working at all the races, practice events and motocross schools for hundreds of weekends over the last 30 years.

Joe is a Life Member of the CMA, a CMA National Referee and has FIM official’s credentials in Environment and Trials.

Joe, along with his wife Vera, were inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2018.

Joe has been a strong supporter of the CMA for nearly 60 years, and says even though he has retired he’ll continue to proudly support a great organization.

Cheers Joe… all the best!