The Sarge is a history lesson, a salute to veterans and a family tribute rumbling down the highway on two wheels.
Tim Noble's 1987 Suzuki Intruder 1400 had a facelift this winter and is garnering attention wherever he goes.
Noble lives in Lloydminster, but his roots in the area reach back 100 years. This summer his family will gather at Silver Lake to celebrate family and mark the century that has elapsed since George Noble came to Twin Lakes near Hillmond at the age of 18.
Family lore states he and a brother left just before the Titanic on a ship re-routed 250 miles around the iceberg only to hear of the other ship's fate upon landing in Canada.
George Noble served his neighbours with a post office and in 1914 joined the 32nd Battalion Canadian Overseas Expedition Forces. He fought overseas and was wounded in the throat and hand and sent home in December of 1915. George Noble raised seven sons and two daughters with his wife Blanche and in 1940, three of those sons joined the armed forces.
George Noble returned to the service and conducted training in Dundurn. Sons Harold, Hilton and Henry Alexander (Alex) Noble and their father George all served in Europe, doing their part in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.
Tim Noble's grandfather Alex returned to Canada after the war, a sergeant with a new bride. He worked for the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool at elevators at Brada, Paynton and Maidstone. As a member of the Royal Canadian Legion he signed up his own sons as soon as they were old enough and now Dennis Noble, Alex's son and Tim's father is the president of the branch in Maidstone.
The bike memorializes the service of the men of the Noble family with their names painted on dog tags and a silhouette showing one soldier standing and three laid to rest. All the brothers and their father returned from the war, but only one is still living today.
At first Tim Noble was going to paint the bike green to honour the veterans and then came up with the idea of having a portrait of the four soldiers, taken before they were deployed, painted on the tank. As he worked with the artist, Moldy Munsters of Crazy Ink in Lloydminster, they decided the details would be lost and came up with new plans.
The detailing includes poppies and John McCrae's poem, In Flanders Fields, painted on the tank. "The Sarge" is painted on the rear fender to honour his grandfather and maple leafs celebrate the country.
The signal lights are built into spent 50 calibre shells and a grenade casing decorates the side. Other numbers painted in a military style hide the initials and birth dates of his own wife and children.
The bike will be part of shows but as Tim Noble said, "I built it to ride, I didn't build it to show and I don't think I could sell it now. We'll keep it in the family."
The bike turns heads and opens discussions keeping the memories of the men who served alive.
"Hopefully November 11 will be like it was last year and I'll be able to be on the road with it on Remembrance Day," said Noble, who has been enjoying sharing the story and riding down the highway with his dad and the memory of the men he honours.
To see more photos of The Sarge visit our website photo gallery.
