I met a big shot in our community the other day. He is quite proud of the three high end Harley Davidson's in his garage, including a 100th Anniversary CVO. Not too shabby. He told me with great flourish about his adventure a couple of summers ago, a 4000 mile long-ride from Seattle to Las Vegas with five of his buddies. I listened politely as he repeated several times that it was 4000 miles. I smiled as he spoke of the "adventure" as though it was something truly remarkable. While a nice long ride on a well attended and beautiful bike, riding on the remarkable highway system of America (curiously, this fellow is very much anti-government and I wondered to myself just who he thought built those magnificent highways) with cell phones, friends, and a platinum credit card is nice, it must be put into perspective. Let me tell you about some real adventures.
Let's start with C.K. Shepherd, a Brit who, upon concluding his front line military service in the First World War, decided he wanted an adventure - by himself - and in 1919 set out on a motorcycle across America on a Henderson. He left New York and some three months, 4,950 miles, five new cylinders, three pistons, three sets of bearings, two connecting rods, eleven "sparking plugs", and over 142 falls (he quit counting at that point - US roads in 1919 were not exactly moto-friendly) later he arrived in San Francisco.
Then of course there is Jack Newkirk, a nineteen year old kid in 1939 when he set out with one change of clothes and a State Farm Atlas on his 1930 Harley Davidson VL Big Twin to see both the New York Worlds' Fair and the San Francisco Golden Gate Exposition. His route just happened to take him through a little place in South Dakota called Sturgis, and he just happened to meet a fellow who introduced himself as "Pappy," one of the Jackpine Gypsies ... who just happened to be the Clarence "Pappy" Hoel who organized the first Sturgis Rally in 1938. Through rain, sleet, desert, and having to fix his points with a rock, Jack made it across American to San Francisco.
And let's not forget the ladies, like Peggy Iris Thomas, who, along with her airdale in a box on the back, rode a 125 cc BSA Bantam from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, Canada down through the western USA into Mexico, back into the USA and up the Atlantic seaboard to New York City, a journey of some 10,000+ miles. Oh, and she did this in 1952. Or how about another British lass, Lois Pryce, who traveled 20,000 miles through North and South America on a Yamaha XT225 Serow ... yeah, that's right, a friggin' dirt bike!
I love long-rides; every summer I hit the road and have ridden as far as 8,000 miles in one journey. And one has a right to feel some accomplishment in achieving a long ride of any sort ... but such a ride, like so many things in life, needs to be put into perspective. It is nothing to ride such distances today on trustworthy machines, with cell phones, GPS, and hotels and gas stations available every few miles. We ride our rides, and admire folks like Ewen McGregor and Charley Boorman when they make a well-supported trip around the world or across the African continent. But the truly remarkable riders are individuals like C.K. Shepherd, Jack Newkirk, Peggy Thomas, and Lois Pryce who set out alone and unheralded to see the world and to blaze new trails not for glory, but for themselves. That is courage.
Let's start with C.K. Shepherd, a Brit who, upon concluding his front line military service in the First World War, decided he wanted an adventure - by himself - and in 1919 set out on a motorcycle across America on a Henderson. He left New York and some three months, 4,950 miles, five new cylinders, three pistons, three sets of bearings, two connecting rods, eleven "sparking plugs", and over 142 falls (he quit counting at that point - US roads in 1919 were not exactly moto-friendly) later he arrived in San Francisco.
Then of course there is Jack Newkirk, a nineteen year old kid in 1939 when he set out with one change of clothes and a State Farm Atlas on his 1930 Harley Davidson VL Big Twin to see both the New York Worlds' Fair and the San Francisco Golden Gate Exposition. His route just happened to take him through a little place in South Dakota called Sturgis, and he just happened to meet a fellow who introduced himself as "Pappy," one of the Jackpine Gypsies ... who just happened to be the Clarence "Pappy" Hoel who organized the first Sturgis Rally in 1938. Through rain, sleet, desert, and having to fix his points with a rock, Jack made it across American to San Francisco.
And let's not forget the ladies, like Peggy Iris Thomas, who, along with her airdale in a box on the back, rode a 125 cc BSA Bantam from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, Canada down through the western USA into Mexico, back into the USA and up the Atlantic seaboard to New York City, a journey of some 10,000+ miles. Oh, and she did this in 1952. Or how about another British lass, Lois Pryce, who traveled 20,000 miles through North and South America on a Yamaha XT225 Serow ... yeah, that's right, a friggin' dirt bike!
I love long-rides; every summer I hit the road and have ridden as far as 8,000 miles in one journey. And one has a right to feel some accomplishment in achieving a long ride of any sort ... but such a ride, like so many things in life, needs to be put into perspective. It is nothing to ride such distances today on trustworthy machines, with cell phones, GPS, and hotels and gas stations available every few miles. We ride our rides, and admire folks like Ewen McGregor and Charley Boorman when they make a well-supported trip around the world or across the African continent. But the truly remarkable riders are individuals like C.K. Shepherd, Jack Newkirk, Peggy Thomas, and Lois Pryce who set out alone and unheralded to see the world and to blaze new trails not for glory, but for themselves. That is courage.
Glad Mu-shin Riding is back. He used a rock to fix his bike? Do motorcycles even have points anymore? Now that warm weather is back am looking forward to reading about your long ride adventures (might they include a trip to St. Joseph, MO?).
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