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The Cannonball Challenge questions

St0mP121

New member
I have a question on this cannonball run. I know they run older vintage bikes wich is great. But is there anything like this for newer bikes? reason why i ask is. the past 2 years i have been wanting to do a cross country trip. My friends thats willing to go every year but always turns out to "i have no money or time to do a trip" and i do understand that. So i try not to push the issue on them. But i really dont want to do this ride solo. and im not sitting another year. I know its already to late in the year to take off this year. But if there is something setup like this cannonball run that i can join with my 99 RT for next year?
 
Depends on where you are.
The national rally is in Oregon, gonna be lots of folks crossing the country for that.
 
I'd suggest updating your profile so people know where you're from. Then maybe posting the possibility in your regional forum and find someone near you who has plans to head to Oregon next year. It would give you nearly a year to meet-n-greet and find someone that you feel good about riding with.
 
I know exactly what you're talking about, and how you're feeling. About 15 years ago, I decided to ride a motorcycle in all the lower 48, but I didn't want to do it alone, so I announced my intentions to all my friends and family, and I continued talking about it to anyone who would listen. Lo and behold, I had one buddy (I didn't even know Dave was interested in motorcycles) ask if he could ride along with me. Several other friends said they would like to go with me, but, just as with your buddies, as the time approached they began to drop out one by one. So Dave and I did it together, two weeks at a time (I was still employed and could only get away from work that much), and in about three years we had ridden in all the lower 48.

Since then I have done it twice more, each time on a different bike and with a different friend, or frequently I ride solo on a long trip. One solo trip was from the KC area to Key West, and one was from the KC area to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Both turned out to be my favorite trips.

I think you will eventually get where you will look forward to riding long distances by yourself. I have done both and I greatly prefer riding alone. Now. But back when I began, I wanted company.
 
I think the Iron Butt Rally will be run next year, you might want to check into that. Be aware that when you send in your entry forms you are required to provide a note from your psychiatrist to verify your insanity...


Larry
 
I followed a couple of ride reports over on ADV from this years Cannonball and thought the same thing.

It really would be fun. Nice that the stops, and hotels were pre arranged and set up all the way across the country too. It's nice to just wander, but on a ride like that it's also nice to have a set destination at the end of the day. I can't believe that those guys did it on those bikes!

Makes me feel like I'm slacking off just touring around the Northeast on my RT! ;)
 
It really WAS fun.

It was also tiring. The stages were planned out in advance down to the last turn, generally a dozen pages of route instructions for a 300 mile day. The instructions were enduro style, so it was difficult to look at them and perceive the overall route.

I found it stressful when they put us on roads with heavy traffic and higher speed limits, which wasn't often, thankfully. I found it pleasant and beautiful when we were on backroads and small towns. I expected it to be nice across the top of Pennsylvania, but I was surprised to find enjoyment riding across north western Ohio, Indiana and Michigan -- areas I hadn't been to before and which seemed to be flat farm land from looking at maps and Google.

Our dawn departure from Sandusky, OH, some on I-90, was gorgeous. I saw egrets, geese and herons flying off from the great lake and various inlets. I wouldn't have expected to enjoy riding on an interstate at 45mph.
 
I think the Iron Butt Rally will be run next year, you might want to check into that. Be aware that when you send in your entry forms you are required to provide a note from your psychiatrist to verify your insanity...


Larry

you can't get into that Iron Butt Rally (the big one, held every 2 years on odd numbered years) without already being an IBA memeber, and having proven yourself adept at smaller, less strenuous long-distance rides.
go to the IBA website- they have plenty info for how to get started, and what types of sancitoned rides exist in your general area.
http://ironbutt.com/about/default.cfm
 
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