Ten years ago, one man set out to become the first person to take a group of like-minded antique motorcycle riders across the United States on machines that were often only seen in museums and private collections. In 2010, Lonnie Isam Jr’s dream and bold sense of adventure took him and his friends from one ocean to the other, forever setting the standard of endurance for man and machine. Since 2010, history has been made and continues to be made; machines are coming out of the woodwork, they are being ridden, they are being enjoyed, and they are being put to the Motorcycle Cannonball test.
On September 8, 2018, one hundred or so Motorcycle Cannonball riders began a two-week journey across the United States on motorcycles built before 1929. The route started on the east coast in Portland, Maine, and will end on the west coast in Portland, Oregon with a rest day halfway through in Historic Sturgis, SD.
This northern route will certainly include all types of weather; from tropical storms and 90-degree temperatures in the East to freezing temperatures and snow in the mountains of the North. With 12 hours of daylight, riders will average around 250 miles per day, culminating in approximately 3,750 miles. All bikes will run the same route in an allotted time schedule. Motorcycles will need to maintain at least 43-50 mph on straight, flat roads. It is estimated that less than 10 miles will be run on interstate highways, and less than 1 of those miles on urban interstates.
The competition involves correctly navigating the route using each day’s Course Instructions. The winner for each class will be the motorcycle and its rider that covers the most on-route mileage over the 16-day run, within each day’s specified time schedule and in compliance with the Event Regulations. The run is scheduled to be completed on September 23.
You can follow their journey on-line at http://motorcyclecannonball.com.
