Putting the Cannonball aside for a week

Will be putting the mind and thoughts of the Cannonball Run on the back burner for a week as Sonja and I head to the Smokie Mountains for a week of Late model motorcycle riding. We leave for Townsend Tn tomorrow with friends.

"The Roaring Twenties"

        "The Roaring Twenties" 

 

 In 2010 the brave riders of the Cannonball proved that antique motorcycles could indeed pass the ultimate test. A test that would pit rider and machine against the North American continent. Reviving a tradition as old as the motorcycles themselves, they took a ride into history. Not only proving the capabilities of the machines, but also confirming the pioneering spirit that this great country was built upon.

 

 We would like to invite you to join us for an epic adventure of man and machine. On the 7th of September 2012, 50 Cannonball riders will start a two week journey across the United States on motorcycles built before 1930. Like the first run, your Cannonball will be coast to coast. This time we will take the more scenic route to the north. New York to San Francisco.  While planning a relatively direct route, we also made sure to take in some of the best scenery our country has to offer. A quick look at the new route includes a dozen national parks and forests, the Great Lakes, the Missisippi River, the plains, the Black Hills, Rushmore, Devils Tower, Yellowstone, the Rockies, the High Desert, Shasta, the Avenue of the Giants, Pacific Coast Highway ,and the Golden Gate Bridge to name a few. An ambitous ride to say the least, averaging 300 miles per day, this will be a true endurance run.

 

 We will start the run in Newburgh, New York at the newly opened Motorcyclepedia Museum. After crossing thru the Allegheny region of northern Pennsylvania we run down the coast of Lake Erie. Making our way to Muskegon Michigan, where we will take the high speed ferry across Lake Michigan to a hosted reception in Milwaukee at the Harley Davidson Museum. Then a short trip along the Mississippi River will bring us into Anamosa, for a hosted reception at the National Motorcycle Museum. A days ride thru the corn fields will bring us to Spirit Lake, Iowa for a factory tour and hosted reception at the new Indian Motorcycles plant. Making our way across South Dakota we will go thru the Badlands and the Black Hills to the half way point in Sturgis, South Dakota. We will have a day off in Sturgis and a hosted reception at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. After our rest day we will head thru Wyoming towards the front range and Yellowstone National Park. Crossing thru the Rocky Mountains in Idaho we will end up in the high desert region of southern Oregon. Dropping down into northern California at Alturas,we will cross thru the Mount Shasta area,and travel down the Avenue of the Giants Towards the coast. The last day will be over 150 miles of Pacific Coast Highway, taking us across the Golden Gate Bridge and into the city where we hope to have a farewell banquet after the ride.

 

 Our preliminary schedule will be 15 days ,with 14 days on the road.  It is possible that another day may be added out west depending on the difficulty levels in the mountains. The event will start on friday September 7th, with registration, and vehicle inspection on the 5th and 6th. The day off will be on September 14th, a friday when shops are open. The grand finish will be in San Francisco on friday September 21st.

 

 The more northerly route will provide cooler temperatures. With 12 hours of daylight, we will average around 300 miles per day. Culminating in approximatly 3800 miles total. All bikes will run the same route with the same time schedule. Motorcycles will need to be able to maintain at least 50 MPH on straight flat roads. We estimate less than 100 miles will be run on interstate highways.

 

 The 2012 Cannonball will be a competition. The winner will be chosen based on miles traveled within an established time schedule.

 

 

Cannonball Run Website

Details about the Cannonball Run are found at http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/

The realization of what I am committing to?

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Pre-event	TBD	TBD
Pre-event	TBD	Registration, TBD
Stage 1	Fr Sept. 7	Newburgh, NY to Wellsboro, PA	209 Miles
Stage 2	Sa Sept. 8	Wellsboro, PA to Sandusky, OH	330 Miles
Stage 3	Su Sept. 9	Sandusky, OH to Milwaukee, WI	310 Miles
Stage 4	Mo Sept. 10	Milwaukee, WI. to Anamosa, IA	210 Miles
Stage 5	Tu Sept. 11	Anamosa, IA to Spirit Lake, IA	280 Miles
Stage 6	We Sept. 12	Spirit Lake, IA to Murdo, SD	280 Miles
Stage 7	Th Sept. 13	Murdo, SD to Sturgis, SD	300 Miles
Rest Day	Fr Sept. 14	Rest Day; Sturgis, SD
Stage 8	Sa Sept. 15	Sturgis, SD to Sheridan, WY	250 Miles
Stage 9	Su Sept. 16	Sheridan, WY. to Jackson Hole, WY	320 Miles
Stage 10	Mo Sept. 17	Jackson Hole, WY. to Mountain Home, ID	300 Miles
Stage 11	Tu Sept. 18	Mountain Home, ID to Burns, OR	275 Miles
Stage 12	We Sept. 19	Burns, OR to Alturas, CA	250 Miles
Stage 13	Th Sept. 20	Alturas, CA to Redway, CA	330 Miles
Stage 14	Fr Sept. 21	Redway, CA to San Francisco, CA	230 Miles
			Total

My attempt to Blog

I have the Awesome opportunity to be part of the 2012 Cannonball Run. A coast to coast endurance race for antique motorcycles pre 1929. I am rider #44 of 50 entries that will begin on September 7, 2012 from New York and finish in San Francisco 15 days later. I will be riding a 1919 Harley Davidson F model motorcycle. This will be a trip of a life time. I have 1 year to prepare my machine and body to participate in the ride of a Lifetime!! This is a new blog to document and journal the event from start to finish.