The 2012 ANTIQUE MOTORCYCLES - Cannonball Endurance Run

The 2012 Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run II, a Coast to Coast ride on pre-1930 motorcycles of all makes with entrants from all over the world joining in.

The Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run is an event like no other. Both the entrants and their motorcycles are unique unto themselves. The machines are not only very old, but most are very rare. A lot of these early bikes would not be on the road today were it not for new parts and the unfailing enthusiasm of the builders and riders. This year there are 74 entrants that have signed up so far from all over the world riding an array of bikes in a variety of classes, and it promises to be a very exciting ride.

In 2010, the year of the first run, the historical Motorcycle Cannonball ride rolled to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California 16 days and 3,294 miles after departing Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Of the 45 pre-1916 motorcycles in three class ranges that began the journey September 10, only 37 were still running for the completion of the transcontinental journey, motoring out to the city's famed pier where a crowd had gathered to greet the Cannonball riders. This year there are 14 entrants from abroad signed up for the event already, and they’ve extended the years to include all bikes earlier than 1930.

Eligible Machines: This will be a difficult ride, and only the best machines should be considered for it. Much will have to be done to entrant’s machines if they decide to run in the Cannonball. This year there will be three classes as follows: Class I, 500 cc and less; Class II, 500 - 1000 cc, Class III, over 1000 cc. Eligible machines must be powered by an original engine. Many things could be changed on a machine, and updates made for safety’s sake are encouraged, but the core of the machine must be 1929 or earlier.

The Route: The riders will be travelling thru a dozen scenic national parks and national forests. They’ll ride along the coast of Lake Erie and cross Lake Michigan via high-speed ferry, then travel across the plains, through the hills, and into the Rockies, finishing with 150 miles of the Pacific Coast Highway up the California coast. Quite a bit of work has been spent on providing a relatively direct cross-country route while traveling the most scenic routes possible. There is a whole other world out there when you travel cross country and stay off interstate highways, and all told the riders will be on highways for less than 100 miles of the trip.

The Schedule: It’s an approximately two-week schedule starting on a Friday in Newburgh, NY and finishing in San Francisco, CA two weeks later. The route is 15 days total with one full-day rest stop in Sturgis, SD. Most days are 300 miles or less in length. This schedule includes a 45-minute lunch break and three 15-minute refueling breaks each day. Time will also be allotted for viewing scenic and historic sites. So, as you can see, the event is a bit of a challenge on bikes and riders alike when you consider that the average speed of these great old machines is roughly 50 mph. Many of the entrant’s bikes on the 2010 run only attained speeds of 35 to 44 mph, creating a unique set of challenges for them.

For more information on this year’s event and to view pictures, videos, and rider’s blogs, go to www.motorcyclecannonball.com and pass the word along to anyone who might be interested in this incredible ride.

ARTICLE By: Rebecca West

Images from J. Geary Morton