Background
John Gerber was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the oldest of 5 children born to John and Millie Gerber.
John Gerber was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the oldest of 5 children born to John and Millie Gerber.
Gerber earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Minnesota, a Doctor of Philosophy in history from the University of Wisconsin, and an Master of Library Science from Simmons College.
John Gerber had a passion for European motorscooters, such as Vespas, Lambretta, and Heinkels, owning dozens of various scooters, putting over 412,000 miles riding his bikes on 5 continents, and according to the Boston Globe was "the world"s foremost historian on the development, manufacture and spread of motor scooters as a practical means of everyday and leisure transportation." Gerber rode his first bike at age 14 and by 21 he had ridden almost 40,000 miles traveling around the United States of America and Canada. In 1966 he embarked on the first of his epic rides going 11,000 mi (18,000 km) from Minnesota to Panama and back on a Vespa GS 160. In 1971, he completed a 25,000 mi (40,000 km) solo trip on his Vespa motor scooter from Wisconsin down the east coast of South America to the Tierra del Fuego.
He returned up the west coast and was on his way to Alaska when the trip was cut short by a car totaling his scooter in Hayward, California.
In the late 1970s Gerber shipped a Vespa Rally from London to Singapore so he could ride the bike back the 20,000 mi (32,000 km) to London. Gerber died on June 10, 2010 after losing a fight with pancreatic cancer.