hobot

If you do a Google search using 'Steven Otis Shiver' there are several mentions of his passing, seemingly from different web-sites. Also he had a Facebook account under this name and there is a short homage from a friend on the last entry. He was at some point in life a well-respected chiropractor with a number of his patients thanking him on his page. He used to post intermittently on FB, but it became increasingly difficult to read as he seemed to have some neurological issues going on that led to some kind of extreme dyslexia - much worse than what he previously displayed on this site. He was in a nursing home at some point and had his leg amputated at the knee and the nursing home were reportedly trying to throw him out. This is all a few months ago, I don't know what happened to him recently, but he was clearly on a downward spiral.

Rest in Peace Hobot, old chum, your often crazy contributions to this site were frequently entertaining to say the least.

Rest in Peace Steve

Yes, he indeed passed away. I was 'friends' with him on Facebook. Whatever anyone thinks of him he was a free spirit and a VERY unique person.

I remember first reading his post on the INOAlist before he came here. After getting home from work, I would look for a post from him. Brightened my spirits it did. The anachronism he would use, wow. I got to meet him at the INOA rally in New Hampshire around 2005.
He brought a smile to me. I still remember the test he did to see how much a commando motor moved around. Informative, it was.

A unique personality without a doubt. Talked to him at a couple of the national USNOA events. Enjoyed his Trixie and Drouin stories and theories.
Rest in peace and keep em sideways in the gravel in the great beyond!

ashman said:

I had quite few messages from Steve over the years but its been sometime now since he went quiet from the site, I always enjoyed his threads, some hard to understand at first but he had a way of explaining things and doing things, but I like that in a strange way, I always wondered how he was going, he sort of went off in his own world when he lost his best mate, anyway RIP hobot (Steve).

Ashley

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last checked in here feb this year, 20 yrs on this site & i think highest post count, rip

What a nutter. WHAT a nutter!!! I had the honour to know Steve outside of the forum. He was a sweet man. Completely nuts, but sweet. He did have some delusions of speed sometimes. I never told him otherwise though, because it wouldn't have mattered.

A great Hobot story: I had sheared some teeth off the intermediate gear of my race bike during practice at Barber in 2010, and Steve went running out of the paddock up to the swap meet, wearing his weird hockey helmet (with holes in it, of course), then came back all excited that he'd found a bottom end I could buy. We both ran up to the swap meet and I'd brought my Whitworth wrenches, puller, etc, and he giggled and danced all around and made a ruckus while I put the bottom end on the grass and pulled it apart and removed the gear. He had a crowd gather while I worked. And they cheered when I pulled it out and paid the guy what he wanted - 6.00, for the gear. Hobot thought this was the greatest thing he'd ever seen! He then "assisted" me putting it into my race bike, and I went out and won. The dude lit the paddock on fire. We (NYC Norton and Jamie Waters) had Maria Costello riding for us that year and Steve and Maria jumped up and down all day. It was hilarious.

Photo attached of Steve on RJ Reynolds' bike that we had with us that weekend.

Sadly, last year he reached out to me wanting to sell all his stuff at pennies on the dollar. Some of it was really good stuff - Maney bits, etc. I passed on the offer and not sure where it all ended up.

Sometimes his posts were pure science, and sometimes science fiction, but he was no dummy... perhaps his dreams were even greater than his talents.

RIP Fast Guy

-Kenny

I had a lot of email and telephone conversations with Steve a few year back, but never got to meet him. Definitely a "wild and crazy" guy, but a good soul. I built a Commando engine for him for his last iteration of Ms Peel. He decided to drive out to pick it up and meet me at the Bonneville salt flats, where I was running a Norton in a landspeed event. But his truck died on the way, and he didn't make it. I shipped the engine to him instead, but I don't think he ever finished his mods and got the bike running again. The last time I talked to him he was planning to leave the country, going to Costa Rica, I think. But I don't think that ever happened either. I really enjoyed the discussions I had with him, even his fantastic "sovereign citizen" beliefs. Every thing seemed to go south for him after he chopped off part of his foot with a chain saw. Another marcher to a different drum that died too soon.

Ken

Sad news. Thanks for your help and entertainment.

lcrken said:

I had a lot of email and telephone conversations with Steve a few year back, but never got to meet him. Definitely a "wild and crazy" guy, but a good soul. I built a Commando engine for him for his last iteration of Ms Peel. He decided to drive out to pick it up and meet me at the Bonneville salt flats, where I was running a Norton in a landspeed event. But his truck died on the way, and he didn't make it. I shipped the engine to him instead, but I don't think he ever finished his mods and got the bike running again. The last time I talked to him he was planning to leave the country, going to Costa Rica, I think. But I don't think that ever happened either. I really enjoyed the discussions I had with him, even his fantastic "sovereign citizen" beliefs. Every thing seemed to go south for him after he chopped off part of his foot with a chain saw. Another marcher to a different drum that died too soon.

Ken

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Be cool if you or someone would revive Ms Peel. I’d chip in to see that happen. RIP Hobot

I am sorry Steve has gone. His ghost has probably invaded some poor little baby's body, somewhere - and is just hiding for a while. Life goes on. The main thing is - he actually made a difference. I always read his stuff - good things sometimes come out of insanity.

acotrel said:

I am sorry Steve has gone. His ghost has probably invaded some poor little baby's body, somewhere - and is just hiding for a while. Life goes on. The main thing is - he actually made a difference. I always read his stuff - good things sometimes come out of insanity.

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True words. We learn things from everyone that comes into our lives.