Live coverage of the 2012 Cannonball

[Jim]

Sure looks like a LOT of fun!! But exhausting too.

Jim

[ricmoran]

Thanks for the answer where in San Francisco. Those that have posted images and links thank you a ton for taking the time to do that for those like me less fortunate and at a distance have that issue not allowing us to be there in person.

[redfred84]

Please note; The Dudley Perkins HD Dealership is no longer in the City limits of San Francisco, but slightly south of the City, in South San Francisco, off of 101. (sorta close to the Airport).
RF.

[Tom Lovejoy]

Tom Hart and I rode out to see em at Burns, did 860 miles - 3:30am to 10m the day before. It was great fun, got some not to good but fun pic's and had a blast talking to and meeting a bunch of the Cannonballers. Just got home today, 2,400 miles later and I am beat. The Cannonballers all seemed good and having fun, their support teams too, though some looked tired! I was real impressed though, go Cannonballers!!!

[c.o.]

I'd say it's likely that most of us are a little grey Chuck.....

Good to hear you made it home safe and sound Tom! Sounds like your a good kind of tired!!!

[fillibuster]

Thanks for the info, Doc-sprock! and thx for chipping in. Is Bill leaning on anybody in particular for his updates?

[wlwood]

The 2012 Cannonball ride wound up tonight in San Francisco, and Brad Wilmarth has become a two-time Cannonball winner aboard his 1913 Excelsior. Here's the story: http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/ind...t01returnid=97

Bill Wood

[LouieMCman]

Top six places, five different makes, Excelsior, Harley , Indian (X2), BMW, and Henderson, how cool is that! Congrats to all.
I've been following Chris Knoops adventure with interest, he's not finished every leg but he made it to the start and made miles each day. To me his effort is the spirit of the cannonball. Today I got my VL out and rode around a bit thinking all the time about the cannonball riders and wishing I was with them. Again congrats to all and thanks for making my day the last few weeks.

[Rubone]

I have to congratulate my pal Jim Crain and his wife Sylvia. They rode two up for the event on a '27 500cc BSA. No other riders did a two up run, and he finished with a minamal loss of points, far exceeding many of the bigger and allegedly tougher machines.
Way to go Jim and Sylvia!!
Robbie

[Tom Lovejoy]

Yep, hats off to them all!! Thanks for letting us go along for the fun, via computers :-) I am with you Louie, also really admire Shinya Kimura and team who dispite serious and mutiple failures. Just never gave up trying, battling and making alot of those miles. How about Brad on that X, two time perfect scores - awesome!! He rode by us, think he was cruising at about 35 - 40mph. Just looked like a easy weekend morning ride, very impressive! Can't wait for the next, if there is one.

[c.o.]

Definitely hats off to everyone involved! I followed along every moment I could from behind the computer screen. What an adventure!!! I do hope there is another one at some point and will try to at least make the sidelines somewhere along the line the next time around.

[Steve Slocombe]

Well done to all the competitors and supporters, and thanks to Bill for the reports which I've followed every morning with interest. I've been breaking in newly restored VLs while the Cannonball has been on, and 50 odd miles a day is enough for me. Congratulations to everyone for persevering, and what a tribute to the quality engineering of the old bikes we love.

[frichie68]

Each one of those riders has a great story that has kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat for the duration. Many that weren't able to complete every mile were just as interesting, like Doug Wothke who rode his '28 Indian 1200 miles from his home to the START in NY. Then, with no back-up team or support vehicle, Doug managed to finish 43rd even though he had some problems along the way. I think "winning" was not as important as just being a part of this fantastic experience.

[wlwood]

Top six places, five different makes, Excelsior, Harley , Indian (X2), BMW, and Henderson, how cool is that! Congrats to all.
I've been following Chris Knoops adventure with interest, he's not finished every leg but he made it to the start and made miles each day. To me his effort is the spirit of the cannonball. Today I got my VL out and rode around a bit thinking all the time about the cannonball riders and wishing I was with them. Again congrats to all and thanks for making my day the last few weeks.

Louie:

Chris Knoop was indeed one of the interesting stories of this year's event. He showed up with his J.A.P.-powered, Aussie-made Invincible with a replica wicker sidecar attached. He rode the first several days with his wife, Christina, in the car, and we got used to picking them up with the sweep truck at the 40- to 50-mile mark each day as the clutch would invariably fail.

Eventually, Chris made the decision to convert the machine to a two-wheeler and ride it solo the rest of the way. By that point, be was dealing with a broken rear brake (which he fixed) and a clutch basket that had two chunks taken out of it. When I had to leave the Cannonball, Chris was in the initial stages of carving a new clutch basket out of aluminum stock. That was going to be a long-term project, and I'm not sure if he completed it. But I do know that he nursed that bike along, day after day, being careful to run at speeds that wouldn't damage it further.

The results show that he was perfect in nine of the final 11 stages--on a bike that was pretty badly crippled. Just one of several very impressive rides this year.

Bill Wood

[wlwood]

Yep, hats off to them all!! Thanks for letting us go along for the fun, via computers :-) I am with you Louie, also really admire Shinya Kimura and team who dispite serious and mutiple failures. Just never gave up trying, battling and making alot of those miles. How about Brad on that X, two time perfect scores - awesome!! He rode by us, think he was cruising at about 35 - 40mph. Just looked like a easy weekend morning ride, very impressive! Can't wait for the next, if there is one.

Tom:

Shinya was amazing this year, just as he was in the original Cannonball. My favorite Shinya story this year is from the rest day, which I spent in Lonnie Isam's shop in Sturgis. There were several engines being rebuilt, and every workspace was taken, when Shinya walked in with a tray full of broken parts from his '15 Indian. So he settled on the floor with an arc welder and started putting pieces back together.

One of the parts required a wrench with a strange bend, so Shinya cut up a perfectly good 1/2-inch drive ratchet and welded it back together with a bend in the middle.

He had already lost miles on several days, and had to keep rebuilding the bike all the way across the country. But that didn't stop him from continuing to fix it each night so he could at least start the next morning.

Bill Wood