Live coverage of the 2012 Cannonball

[wlwood]

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.

Steve:

Wonderful work by your European Chapter colleague Peter Reeves, who was one of the "perfect 19" this year, completing every mile within the time limit. The large international contingent really added an interesting element to this year's Cannonball.

Bill Wood

[RichO]

One for the books!

Sitting here at the keyboard on Monday morning thinking about the end of the Cannonall ride I witnessed yesterday as part of the offical escort from Fort Baker to Dudley Perkins in south San Francisco. Go to www.occhiolungo.wordpress.com if you want to see some photos that Pete Young posted of the Fort Baker part. Myself and fellow chapter member Mark Loewen rode over a day early on great back roads and camped close to Michael's H-D in Cotati to see them arrive. 45+ years on old bikes and I don't think I ever have felt that thrilled to see them in motion as when they rolled into the parking lot. It was great to see old friends and their machines after such a great ride. I used to ride the wheels off a Super X and it was unbelieveable to see more than a dozen of Schwinn's finishest fours come rolling in. The J model Harleys were well oiled and well ridden but made the grade. One good looking big Chief and a few fine scouts did well too. You really have to give it to those guys on those small British singles though. They were built for winding foggy narrow island roads not the wide hot spaces of the American west. Saturday night we visited the group at their hotel for the addressing of assorted mechanical issues. It looked like the pits at a Nascar event. Some huge rigs fully outfitted to riders with just a van. Their ride through the city went smoothly the next morning thanks to the police in four different jurisdictions and two AMCA chapters and especially the San Francisco m/c club. People were standing for two blocks on both sides of the street to welcome them. Brad's X reminds me of the energizer bunny, it just keeps going and SloJoe and his Harley flatass fly, really! To all you riders a job well done. To Lonnie thanks for reminding those that may have forgotten it's all about the RIDE! P.S. To Sinya, Niimie, and Aye #80 team and their '15 Indian Twin who just wouldn't say die. Thank you.

[exeric]

Congratulations to Brad and the magnificent Excelsior. When this started I said "Go Excelsior". Need I say more; Excelsior Always Makes Good !

[pete @ occhiolungo]

"I'm a loyal member of the Clan Excelsior"

[harleytoprock]

Guys, please help me understand how the Cannonballers are placed. If let say 5 riders, with perfect scores, are all in the same class, and all bikes are the same year, how are they placed?

[c.o.]

Guys, please help me understand how the Cannonballers are placed. If let say 5 riders, with perfect scores, are all in the same class, and all bikes are the same year, how are they placed?

I believe then it's narrowed down by the age of the rider....

[c.o.]

Glad to hear Darryl made it out O.K. after the spill. I'm thinking it was a tense moment going over and another tense one bringing it out!!!

[Tom Lovejoy]

I had no idea that happened, sure hope he was ok and such a beautiful machine. Glad it was not worse!!

[gww]

then if it is a tie do to the same age the riders entry date would come into play.

I believe then it's narrowed down by the age of the rider....

[LouieMCman]

You mean if they were born at the same time on the same day? Wow what a coincidence! Surly one of the riders would be older than the other.

[Skirted]

Being very new (3 weeks maybe) to the antique motorcycle world, you can imagine my amazement when I stumbled across this Cannonball run event in progress. I have spent the past day or two reviewing countless photos and videos of the event I didn't even know existed. Had I known a bit earlier that it was going through northern PA, my wife and I would drove the 3 hours and checked it out it as they were coming through.

I am blown away by the true pioneering spirit and mettle the participants have to attempt such a feat.
Watching some of the video clips and seeing the period wear, facial expressions, scenic backdrops, etc, actually brought tears to my eyes. I've been on several portions of the route in a car and can only imagine what it would be like on an old (or ancient) motorcycle in varying weather conditions.

All I have to say is the folks running TVs History Channel are slacking. They should be all over this event. It would make a killer series. Not just what you see but life stories behind some of the riders.

[D.Mac]

We can only hope the TV people stay away, they ruin everything they get close to. Cannonball reality tv? I hope not.
Doug.

[Tom McBride]

HI ALL!
I consider myself fortunate to just have finished riding across our great nation in this years 2012 Motorcycle Cannonball on my M. Vils prepared 1922 Harley Davidson J and what a trip it has been!
CannonballRoute_1000p.jpg

Tom Mt. Rushmore.jpg
I have made friends all across our great nation and the world for that matter (as there were many who participated from as far away as Italy, South Africa, Germany, France, Poland and other places) and we all have that commonality in having achieved this great feat together and can now call ourselves "friends"

I have been so overwhelmed with things to do post-Cannonball that I have hardly had the time to sit and "catch up" on all the "chatter" post event.
(I don't know where everyone finds the time in a 24 hour day....)

Anyway, I found this thread and felt compelled to post for one reason and one reason only and that reason is TOM LOVEJOY!
AS, you all know from the previous post here in this thread he rode over 800 miles (one way) to meet up with us Cannonballers in Burns, Oregon!!

Now, some of you know Tom some do not. I was one of the latter.
I knew OF HIM, he and I had spoke on the phone several times and attempted to meet for various antique motorcycle events, some he hosted and others were just annual events but we never were able to meet up in the span of a couple of years (give or take)
I had been so busy with all that is involved with building a Cannonball bike that I just never had the time to do so.
But I was ALWAYS on his "call list"

So here I was in Burns, OR. after a long days ride with my head buried in what became my normal ritual of wiping my machine down to look for loose or missing nuts, bolts, parts or abnormalities in the spokes, frame or whatever! Valve adjustments and stuff like that when I hear a voice say, Tom?, Tom McBride?, I look up to see two road weary fellas with beaming smiles standing above me, one of which has his hand extended to shake mine.
I stand up and he says "HI, I'm the man you know of, but never met, TOM LOVEJOY!" And he introduced me to his other friend Tom to me. (three Tom's) hahah
(Why the HELL he chose Burns, OR, I'll never know and really don't care!) haha

NOW you can imagine my suprise, elation and excitement all in one because who would have ever thought I'd meet Tom Lovejoy so far from our homes in Southern California!!!
I was beside myself!
Tom Lovejoy and me in Burns OR.jpg

We exchanged, salutations, greetings, stories and updates and I offered to give them a beer(s) and take them to dinner or even a place to stay but they would not have any of it because you see, they had arrived 800 plus miles that day from SO Cal only to turn around and make the same trip home as they had to be back to work the next day!!
And before I knew it, the man I had only JUST met whom I only knew of, had to scoot back to So Cal to get back to work!!

Tom, it seems was so excited about the Cannonball and people he was following (via internet) and all of that, he just had to come up and see, smell and hear these machines and meet the men that were riding them across country and THAT ladies and gentelmen is what THIS is all about! (IMO)

IT's the thought that counts and his enthusiam that is so very much appreciated.
That jesture really did help to make MY Cannonball even greater than it already had been, and will be a story I will tell to anyone who will listen to me for many many years.

It's stories like this (and there are so many) that make this sport so fulfilling and exciting.

Thanks for reading and ANYONE that meets Tom Lovejoy will be a better person because they have, I know I am!

Tom

[Slojo]

Tom M.

You nailed it! We have met people from both Cannonball events who rode or drove so many miles just to say hi, lend a hand, then shake our hand, exchange a few kind words, look around and go back home.

Whenever someone approaches me and tells me they have been along for the ride (Ghost build) on this forum I get electrified to think that I have caught someone's attention in a positive way, and to think they have done the same by coming and meeting all of us on Cannonball is truly special.

We antique motorcyclist are in a proud group of true enthusiast.

Looking forward for those videos.

(Tom Wasn't "The Villan" responsible for your motor only?)

joe

[mijmoto]

Hi Robbie, Thanks for the words of encouragement along the way. Greatly appreciated and encouraging! Knowing that we had folks back home pushing us along made the nights of work more doable and the failure is not an option sentiment got us out of bed each and every early AM to make more miles. My proudest achievement was making at least 200 miles even on the 3 days that we DNF'ed. We were the only class 1 bike to participate each day and that really made a difference on the finish. Thanks to all that followed along on the cannonball as your presence was felt. Jim Crain