Free Departments

By Spitfire The last day of the Biannual Motorcycle Cannonball was everything but easy. With only 102 miles to travel the riders started leaving at 7:45 am with the first challenge being a 20 mile , 5000 ft climb to the top of the San Bernadino mountain pass. Dubbed the “Palms to Pines” Highway, this

By Spitfire Only two more days. Feeling are mixed and I see more hugs this morning. Will it really all be over soon? Tired, battered, worn out and happy. People are talking about looking forward to going home to their families while others, like #20, Dennis Sharon said “When we get to Carlsbad, can we

By Spitfire The grind of the Cannonball is apparent as the riders lined up to head out for yet another day. Only 4 days left and today they look forward to a 2-1/2 hour break at the Grand Canyon for lunch and sight seeing. After several 260+ days, the prospect of a 195 mile day

By Spitfire Up early and at the starting line was class 1 competitor, #13, Dean Bordigioni. Dean suffered a devastating one-point penalty for a ½ mile tow on Stage 10. That tow cost him the #1 spot on the leader board. There is much controversy over the penalty assessment and the mood this morning is

By Spitfire I slept right through my alarm clock. The days have been long and the nights short. It’s beginning to wear on the entire crew. We woke to steady rain, not a welcome sight. Riders began donning garbage bags and goggles, taking last sips of warm coffee but not wanting to have to stop

Sturgis this year was a blur of neon, activities, and traffic. According to the experts, numbers were significantly down from last year as expected, but it was still a flurry of activities, events, entertainment, new model launches, girls, bands, you name it. Sturgis became the biker’s Disneyland–the showcase of the V-Twin industry and the focal

By Spitfire There was a different energy in the air this morning. The day before had been long hot and grueling. Today we will be traveling 264 miles and will reach an elevation f nearly 11,000 feet as we cross Wolf Creek Pass in the Rocky Mountains. The person in 1st place, #13, Dean Bordigiori

By Spitfire After a day of rest, people were ready to get back on the road. During the “rest” day, competitors and crew worked hard on the bikes to get them read for the seven days that remain. For some it was stressful. So much to do in so little time! Engines were rebuilt, chains

By Spitfire The stress seems less this morning as the riders headed out on a mostly flat course of only 184 miles from Wichita, KS to Dodge City, KS. 67 riders got a later than usual start (9:00) which gave people a chance to eat breakfast, take showers and dry some of their clothes out.

By Spitfire A cloud of blue smoke arose from the parking lot outside of the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, MO. Rumors were that we were going to see more rain today. I climbed up on a rock wall to watch the riders as they gathered for their scheduled departure time. Crew members and family

By Spitfire Many riders were up before dawn. Last minute preparations were being made on bikes for the 247 mile ride from Bloomington, Indiana to Cape Girardeau, MO. The sun was shining and many locals were starting to arrive to look at the bikes and cheer the riders on. The riders were eager to get

By Spitfire Things seem to be settling down and people were looking forward to a day with fewer mountain grades. We started in Chillicothe, OH with a 224 mile course ending in Bloomington, IN. Maximum elevation is 1300 feet, a far cry from the 3000 ft elevation we had a couple days ago. The dew

By Spitfire The morning air was cool and foggy as the riders headed out into the narrow winding West Virginia back roads. Today we only got 8 pages of typed driving instructions instead of the 12 pages we got on day one and the 13 pages for day two. It looks like the hills won’t

by Spitfire Today began with a flurry of activity, riders lined up by classes. Class 1 is the oldest machines with the smallest engines. They are allowed to leave first, Class 2 leaves 30 minutes later and class 3 leaves 60 minutes after class 1. Even with that advantage, the “newer” motorcycles will likely pass

I doubt anyone got much sleep. They were up early, thoughtfully dressed in their best 1st day attire and most were ready for the challenges the day might bring. The first day of this historic adventure began in Atlantic City on the Boardwalk outside of Harry’s Oyster Bar. Motorized vehicles are not typically allowed on