Day 13 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “On Fire! Not Literally.” (Day 13)

DAY 13 - We are getting so close to the finish line in Santa Monica, that we can almost smell the ocean air. Finishing is winning in this endurance run.

We were on fire today. No, not literally, well, we could easily have been at one point, but we weren't, let me explain.....

We are so close to the end of the journey. People are getting anxious, teams are stressed and personalities showing - sometimes clashing, bikes are TIRED, bolts aren't staying tight any more. Yet, there's excitement in the air too because we are nearing the end. It's a weird atmosphere right now. And first thing this morning, we faced some of those very issues.

We did all of our necessary daily maintenance last night, but when Pat took a test ride this am, for whatever reason, some of our chain adjustments went south. I happened to check the rear wheel just 15 minutes before takeoff, and it wasn't moving as freely as it should. I called Athena over and sure enough, the chain was too tight, and upon further inspection, the primary chain was way too tight also. No idea why other than it shifted during the test ride, or the adjustment didn't hold, or the extreme temperature change. Who knows? But we couldn't let Cris leave with Effie this way.

As we pulled out the tools, we tried to stay positive and not cause any undue stress. When Cris is ready to leave in the morning, she is very focused and anxious. She tells us that once she gets out on the road she lets her worries get carried away in the wind. But when something goes wrong right before she's supposed to leave, it can cause distress in all of us. Athena and I because we want everything to go well, not have her worry, and of course most importantly we need to make sure we've taken every precaution and checked every bolt so she is safe. Pat of course also puts the safety of his wife first. We had to re-adjust, there was no choice. And we needed to reassure Cris that it was going to be ok.

Ironically enough, Jim Petty, #55, who is now back on the road, had a rear brake issue during his test lap around the parking lot this morning. So, even though a delayed start can really suck, it all worked out. Looked like they could still ride together. We made the adjustments, and made sure we had a calm and assured rider. Everything was going to be fine. We just needed to take deep breathes and STICK TOGETHER because we are a team even when things aren't going as planned. These bikes are just plain tired. Bolts that haven't been taken out or adjusted in many many YEARS are being taken out and adjusted DAILY and sometimes more than once a day. The bolts are starting to wear and adjustments aren't holding as well. Things are bending from the stress of the roads they've traveled. Imagine taking your 95 year old grandmother out of her rocking chair, sprucing her up a bit with maybe some new tennis shoes, and then making her run 200 miles a day for 16 days in a row. Things are going to stop working so well, if you ever got her working like a 30 year old in the first place.

So, maybe an hour delayed, Cris and Effie, and Jim and his Indian named War Eagle headed out. Phew. Please God let the rest of this day go a little better. We were on fire...we went to work and got that repair done and off they went.

We got to gas stop 1, only like 25 miles out, and it looked rather chaotic. Vince Martinico and his crew, and even #44 Jon Szalay, were working on Vince's rear axle, making a new one somehow, because his had snapped completely off. Buzz Kanter was there, Selma was not running at all after a complete motor rebuild yesterday - suspected magneto problem. Cris and Jim were getting gas, and reported things to be ok, but Jim's rear brake was still not working great, and one of Effie's spark plugs had come out, but she got it back in. What the?!?! Come on!

DAY 13 - #53 Vince Martinico snapped the rear axle early in the ride today. This photo was taken at the first gas stop! After the morning we had, seeing this, I thought oh wow this is going to be a tough day. But as always, we all just did what we had to do to keep rolling. Vince got it back together and rolled in late tonight!

Smile. That's all you can do. Encourage the ones that are having way worse issues, and help out. So we loaded Selma into the Team Effie van and Buzz rode with us the rest of the day. We wished Vince well, we smiled and waved at Cris and Jim as they pulled out, and we kept going.

DAY 13 - Buzz Kanters beloved Selma got to ride in the Team Effie van today. Buzz made it about 25 miles after not being able to ride at all yesterday and Selma's magneto stopped working. We tried to cheer them both up. I think we did ok.

Then the next "comedy of errors" as Pat called it happened. Selma was leaking gas, and it was not only stinking up the van, it was making a mess. So we pulled over and decided to drain some gas out of her tank. Pat started the siphon process into another gas can, and thought the gas wasn't flowing out of the siphon hose any more, but it was....and next thing we know we have gas EVERYWHERE! On our luggage, all over the floor. So I flung open the side door and started throwing luggage out onto the side of the road, Pat started trying to dry up all the gas, Buzz and Athena jump out to try to help. We filled a garbage bag full of the gas soaked towels. It was a ridiculous scene. All we needed was a match and the whole thing would have gone up in flames. We put everything back in after the floor of the van was relatively dried up, opened the windows (there are only 2) and headed back out. Then we had to laugh at the situation. What else can you do? I was still tasting gas from breathing it in all day by the time we got to Flagstaff tonight. Athena's suitcase was pretty well soaked, so, guess what our hotel room smells like.
What will be next? Just wait, there's more.

We get to the lunch stop and find Effie and War Eagle parked next to each other just enjoying their break. We all had lunch together and things seemed good. Cris reported that Effie was running really great today! And thankfully there weren't crazy steep hills, so Jim wasn't dealing with the brake issue too bad. The scenery was beautiful. The temperature was comfortable. Nice.

DAY 13 - Effie and Jim Petty's Indian, named "War Eagle" resting together at lunch. They love each other. And Effie wanted the lunch break to last longer so in desperation, she broke her rocker and spit out her pushrod just moments after their rest.

Then apparently Effie had another plan. She was enjoying this relaxation way too much. She started up without too must protesting, but then decided that she would like a longer break. She broke her rocker and spit out her pushrod onto the ground just as Cris was backing her out. We looked at it all in disbelief for a moment...shocked really....and then, got to work. It was a NASCAR style pushrod/rocker replacement. Everyone just focused on the task at hand and we got the job done. We've never taken the tank off before, but we had to loosen it to do this repair, so we learned some things again, and in about an hour, we were back on the road.

DAY 13 - Effie wanted the lunch break to last longer so in desperation, she broke her rocker and spit out her pushrod. Effie, Effie, Effie.

So with cautious anticipation we made our way up to a peak altitude of 7750', through the Coconino National Forest, had a view from the road of Humphrey's Peak, the highest point in Arizona at 12,633', and down into Flagstaff, Arizona. We didn't arrive too awful late...but then how would I know that anyway, because the time changed again and I really am not sure what day it is. I called my dear husband Brian tonight, not realizing its midnight at home, and what would that make it here, 10? Of course he answered worried something was wrong, but really, I was just getting done with dinner. Where am I?

It was nice and cool here tonight, and I love the smell of mountain air. The cool felt good and we cherish it because it's supposed to be HOT as we travel down into Laughlin tomorrow.
Our time today, was kind of, how do I describe it?...Weird. Athena was reflecting on what it must have been like for the settlers back in the covered wagon days to travel across this same wide open space, heading as far as we've traveled on foot, or horse, or wagon, wondering what they would find over the next hill. We didn't have cell phone service most of today...not that that puts us on the same level as the settlers of the old days, but it disconnects you some from the constant emails and knock knock of work and home. Gives you time to do that reflecting. Pat put in the new Doobie Brothers CD, Buzz got a flip video of him singing along with his own songs. The windows were open so we got to have the wind in our hair today too, even though they were open because the van reeked of gas. So while it all seemed a little like the Twilight Zone for a while, it was balanced with peaceful moments too.

We went to dinner with the Ruffians tonight and did a few toasts to this journey. As I clanked my glass of ice tea with theirs I wondered for a minute what it's going to be like next week when I'm not a part of this every day any more.

Good night!
Laura Klock

DAY 13 - After all these days on the road reading these route maps, this is the first time that there was a cow drawing with the word MOOO next to it. I think the organizers were getting as delirious towards the end of their planning journey as we are as we close in on the end of ours. Moo.


DAY 13 - Effie wanted the lunch break to last longer so in desperation, she broke her rocker and spit out her pushrod. Effie, Effie, Effie.So, here we are, in a familiar pose, wrenching roadside. I guess we were in a parking lot today, so that's a little better. Notice the smiles though. What are you going to do? Well, in the Cannonball, you FIX IT and keep going!

Day 12 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “A Ducky Day” (Day 12 - September 22):

DAY 12 - JUST DUCKY! Ducky is our little yellow traveling companion and rides right on the dash of the Team Effie Van. Today Ducky was especially excited because this is his type of weather! The riders didn't agree, but he cherished the rain anyway. Quack

I've never traveled down Historic Route 66, so I was excited about that today as we started out. We are headed from Albuquerque, NM, to Gallup, NM. The weather started out cool, which is positive, but as we traveled, we headed right into rain. Not fun for the riders of really really old bikes that have total loss systems that dump oil onto chains...well, they get oil everywhere actually. Mix that with some rain water, and you're creating a surface much like a skating rink. Please Lord keep everyone safe today.

DAY 12 - We are on the home stretch and still putt putt putting along.

We came up on the Thompson Brothers right away. Magneto trouble. But they had it covered, so we moved on. Next stop, Dieter Eckel, #32, with a completely broken front fork. It snapped on him and he went down. He was ok thank God, but his bike was trailer bound. As we continued on the rain persisted and when we came up on the lunch stop, most of the riders were gathered there. Using the same creativity they use to hold their bikes together, they were fashioning rain gear from garbage bags, and plastic covers for parts that didn't work well with water in them. Determined to carry on.

DAY 12 - Second Team Effie Van sweeper stop of the day. Unfortunately #32, one of the Germans, Dieter Eckel's front forks simply broke. Dieter did go down, but was not hurt. They measured the skid and it was I think I heard 160'? I asked him if he was ok, and he said "just a few bruises". Katrin had to go on without him and she finished her day. Tonight they were searching for material to weld into the forks to get him up and running again. Quit? No way. Not in the vocabulary of the riders here.

The group was waiting to hear about a route change. Seems there was some road construction started that wasn't started when the route was mapped out. Then the re-route ended up being a road that was closed. So, ultimately, the riders had to be routed to the interstate, which is an endurance challenge in and of itself. But everyone made it in safe and sound, trailered or under their own power, all are accounted for.

Effie complained a little about the altitude and the water and did some spitting and sputtering today, but wouldn't you? We cut her some slack, and the team made some changes and adjustments, and prayed for clear skies tomorrow so Effie can get back out there and run like the wind, carrying Cris closer to the finish line. Cris and Effie are holding strong at #22 in the rankings with 2,146 miles officially logged. From the beginning we've stated a finish in Santa Monica is a win, and now that we are getting close to that finish, each day we just hold tight and keep running.

Buzz Kanter didn't get to ride today due to a motor issue, neither did Bill Nugent. When they heard of the road conditions and the rain slick surfaces, I think they felt a little better about not being out there if you can feel better about it. Buddy wasn't running either, but we expect to see all of these riders out there again tomorrow. Jim Petty slipped on a cattle guard and tipped, but picked his bike up and kept going, only to get a flat tire a little further down the road. Cris and Effie were riding with him and I'm sure could feel his pain as Effie had a rear go flat just a few days ago. Not much you can do but get it back to camp and fix it up for the next day. Just glad he was ok!

DAY 12 - Jim Petty #55 head a rear tire blow out today and had to be hauled in. So what do you do when you've worked for 2 full days to get your bike back on the road, and then once you do, your rear tire blows you? If you are a rider in the Motorcycle Cannonball, you FIX IT and get ready to ride again tomorrow!

One of Athena's favorite movies is CARS, so she shared some of that with me as we traveled down Route 66. She's been sure a great team member. Just imagine how well two women have to be able to get along to not have killed each other by now which is the 14th day we've been on the road, together, in the van, sharing rooms. She's truly my sister from another mother and we are both so proud of Cris and honored to just be here. There are no coincidences. I think we've solved most of the problems of the world...so if you have any questions, just let us know. hahahaha kidding.

I did a radio interview today from the somewhere along the road that will be posted on http://www.callingallsportssd.com/ if you're interested. It's always so fun to share the stories of the adventures we've been blessed with.

So, as the end of this journey nears, I'm wondering what it's going to be like to not navigate through my day with the roll chart maps and atlas in hand. I hope my family, friends, and employees will cut me a break when I return as I wonder around aimlessly trying to get re-adjusted to the life I left a few weeks ago. When I wake up in the morning and start to pack my suitcase to move to the next stop, I hope my husband will be gentle and say honey, you're home now you can stay here again tonight. :) I miss home and my husband and family and my pets for sure. Yet, to miss this would be to miss a trip of a lifetime and I think what I bring back with me will only make home even better and more cherished!

DAY 12 - Ok - I'm all for shameless plugs, but I don't think I could have planned this Klock Werks logo placement even if I tried.

DAY 12 - Riders today faced rain, rough roads, closed roads, re-routing because of the closed road, and then re-routing again, to the interstate, yet, you still see this. Sean Brayton #98 and Jeff Decker #21 have faced mechanical difficulties, injuries, tire issues..and they are still smiling, still finding creative ways to have fun..and here, creative ways to stay dry and warm!

DAY 12 - In the rain, towards the end of the day, on a very rough road, we found #36 Pete Young and his 1913 Premiere. If you've read any of my notes of the journey, you know that Pete and the Premiere are on our list of faves. Pete continued to try to get his bike running as the rain began to fall harder. We were last bike and last sweeper out on course. I got a call from Norm and he told me we had to load Pete in the van because they were closing the course for the day due to conditions. Pete looked at me as I told him, and said "let me try one more thing..." We've seen this out here. It's a look of I can't stop trying. It's a look of I know I can figure this out. It's a look of I don't want to fail. But nothing out here is a failure, that's for sure. We had to load Pete up...and we ended up having a nice conversation with him in the van that may not have happened otherwise. Everything is for a reason, and today we were supposed to spend some time with Pete and the Premiere. Athena is saving up money to buy it from him. She's smitten with the Premiere :)

DAY 12 - This was really something special to see today. Wayne Stansfield #3, who's held one the of the top spots throughout the motorcycle cannonball had a helper today. Willa Rodencal, one of Bill's daughters, in eager to help and learn.

DAY 12 - End of a long weird day. Ok for some, not so ok for others. At the end of the day, we all shared the shelter of the hotel entry as we did our maintenance to prepare the bikes for another day!

Day 11 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Determination Continues to Prevail” (Day 11 - September 21)

DAY 11!! - More fingers needed! GO TEAM EFFIE!! We are on the home stretch

Right away this morning we had the pleasure of meeting a young man named Jonathan. Jonathan and his dad came to see the bikes leave. We talked to him and took some pictures of him on the bike, encouraged him, gave him some stickers. That's one of the cool parts about this journey. The people we get to meet along the way, and the chances we have to share the story and inspire the young and old alike. For me, that really started the day with a smile.

DAY 11 - Future Motorcycle Cannonball rider! We met Jonathan in the parking lot before we left for Day 11. He was with his dad and I think they said dad pulled him out of school just to see the bikes take off. Motorcycle Cannonball...inspiring young and old alike all across America!

Clovis, NM, to Albuquerque, NM, is about 234 miles. Which should seem an easy ride compared to the last 2 days. Today Pat is driving the van, and Athena took a stab at navigating, so I thought, cool, I will take this opportunity to use my laptop until the battery goes dead and write day 9 and 10 since I fell a little behind. That went fine until I looked up from the computer from the back seat of the van a couple times, and got a little van-sick. Kind of like being sea sick. Not a good feeling. So, I rushed to finish it, posted, and shut off the computer, but felt sick for most of the rest of the day. Thankfully I didn't have to think too hard or pay too much attention to the directions today, so I stared straight ahead in hopes that I wouldn't have to ask to pull over. Note to self: be the navigator and stay in the front seat, and do the typing on solid ground.

The first bike we rolled up on today was #5, David Thompson on his 1914 Indian. He got it running, but it wasn't too happy, so we stayed behind him with flashers on until the lunch stop. Being a sweeper has helped us really feel a part of the whole experience. At times we are driving at 15-45 mph assisting and blocking for a rider. We truly do know what it's like to travel across the country at 45 mph, just like the riders do!

DAY 11 - #5 David Thompson and his 1914 Indian. He was having some carb issues and the bike was sputtering along ... he tried a few things and we followed him on to the lunch stop just in case he needed assistance.

Cris had texted that they were at Penny's Diner for lunch, so we joined them. What a cool place in Vaughn, NM. Fifties music playing and the whole deal. Cris and the Ruffians looked like they were having a nice day. Cris reported that a nut on the floorboard had come loose so they taped it up. She'd been checking it at gas stops because we'd been having trouble getting it to tighten. We were happy that that was all there was to report! How blessed are we that the worst we hear is that a bolt came loose? Go Team Effie!

DAY 11 - Penny's Diner...where some of us stopped to eat on Day 11. Somewhere in New Mexico. Vaughn, New Mexico I think it is! What day is it? what state am I in? and what time zone?

We traveled on what I believe is called the Salt Mission Trail today. When we went by it so reminded me of the Bonneville Salt Flats that my family and I returned from just a few days before I left home to meet Team Effie in Kitty Hawk, NC back in early September. It was nice to reflect for a moment on how truly blessed we were at the salt this year! What beautiful scenery out here even though you look ahead and the road just goes on and on and on.

Pat gave us a Pat's view on life report today and emphasized the need to "live in the moment". Athena and I listened intently, knowing there's a reason that we are all in the van together, both believing there are no coincidences. You never know where the exact words you need to hear will come from in a day, and today Pat had a captive audience. So much so we missed a turn and went about 20 miles out of the way, but that was probably part of the plan too.

At the end of the course today, we followed Bill Nugent closely and had to get out to push him and his Sears up the hill a couple times, but he made it. Bill is still doing Miles for Matt, and he's logged 632 miles total so far. If you'd like to pledge, let me know.

Team Effie arrived in Albuquerque safe and sound. Cris' brother Mark was there to meet her, along with Chopper Nick, Athena's husband Don's close friend that she hadn't seen in about 6 years. We have some Motor Maids traveling along with the ride right now too. Again we were greeted by a nice crowd of people offering encouragement, kudos and support. We continue to embrace the position we are in to truly inspire other women (and men) to challenge themselves. Cris has the very distinguished honor of representing women in motorcycling in a way that so honors our past, as well as has the opportunity to inspire and reach well into the future. On days when we've had a frustrating time, are tired, greasy, crabby, we are still faced with the opportunities to either be negative and miss the chance to share with someone or even to encourage each other, or be positive and truly inspire. If you can do an interview when you really feel like you can't, or if you can make it that last 10 miles when you feel like you don't have another mile in you, that's what people notice and see and that's what helps them look within and perhaps find hope to continue on with their own challenges in life. People want to live vicariously through you when you have the opportunity to do something really cool. Athena and I pick up those wrenches every night...not sure if the maintenance will be routine or if we will find something we might have to ask for help with, but we look forward to those moments we have to ask, because then we learn something new. And all along the way we get opportunities to share that knowledge and pay it forward. There are times when maybe dropping an f-bomb would temporarily offer a release, but there is a certain responsibility we have when we are given so much opportunity. We CARE about how our team is perceived. So we smile. How blessed are we to be here?!? I remind myself that there's probably someone in the trailer right next to us that is experiencing something so much worse, so, suck it up, and endure during this endurance run. "To whom much is given much is expected."

I'll let the pictures tell you more today. As always, be sure to check out the http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/ website for scores and updates.

DAY 11 - Athena and I with Urban Hirsch. Urban and his crew had 3 bikes here, numbers 71, 72, and 73. They faced challenges the entire time, but kept the spirit of the Cannonball alive...continuing to persevere each day. Today, at the start of Day 11, Urban told us that he was heading out but he would see us along the way. I'm sure we will see him at the finish line...whether it's to greet everyone as they finish, or to ride across it himself.

DAY 11 - Buddy Stubbs #42 and his 1915 Excelsior with sidecar...he's riding today!!! Buddy has been on the trailer off the trailer on the trailer off the trailer.I give him a big hug whenever we have to help load him up Go BUDDY!

Godspeed,
Laura Klock

Day 10 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Putt, Putt, Putting along” (Day 10 - September 20)

We touched 3 states today (Monday, September 20), the longest day of the run at 293 miles. I can only speak for our team, but I know we entered into it with a positive attitude, but also wondering if it was going to be another day like yesterday, which was trying and exhausting. I’m happy to report that for us, it wasn’t. It was really very calm and peaceful. Which was such a blessing. We crossed the plains of Texas which was surprisingly scenic. The sky couldn’t have been more blue, and we were able to ride up into the pack a little further today because there didn’t seem to be as many bikes pulled off to the side. Bonus! I got some great photos of riders we haven’t gotten to see yet and we had a relaxing day. A day to ponder, breathe in the beauty around us, cherish..

DAY 10 - Smiles to start the day even though we didn't know what to expect from 293 miles..the longest day of the journey. Turns out, it wasn't as hot as it was thought it would be, we didn't have any major problems on Team Effie, and as sweepers today, we weren't even doing roadside repairs. For us, the day was....peaceful, ironically enough.

We saw four tarantulas crossing the road today, Athena was excited to see her first tumbleweed, and Pat taught us all about bees after Athena shared that she is allergic. Seems he’s studied them quite extensively. Who knew? I texted my daughters about the tarantulas. They thought that was incredibly gross. EEWWWW. But then Erika said “take a picture of one and text it to me”. Sorry love, I’m NOT getting that close to a tarantula. And the rest of the day when we stopped roadside, I was completely freaked out about walking in the grass.

If you’ve never heard of Gloria Struck, an 85 year old super cool lady who joined the Motor Maids in 1946, you should Google her and read more about her. She’s one of those ladies that you just can’t get enough of. She entrances you with her stories from all her years of riding, and blesses you by sharing what riding has meant in her life. One of her stories is about a TT race that she entered many years ago. She was the only woman and she was on a bigger bike, with the men in the race on “woods bikes” (I had to ask what that was the first time I heard the story, and learned that a woods bike is a dirt bike). There was dirt and mountain roads, ice and snow...and these guys continued to pass her. When she tells the story she explains how she just kept “putt, putt, putting along” not letting any of it bother her – another would pass her, and she’d putt putt putt along and when she turned the corner she’d see them wiped out because they were going too fast. Gloria won the race that day with her perseverance and her putt putt putting along and she tells that that is the most cherished trophy she has.

That story came to mind yesterday because as we rode up further into the group, that’s what I saw and was reminded of. The putt putt putting along. The weather ended up cooler than we expected, the roads were nice except for the first 20 miles or so. And the riders were just putt putt putting along.

We saw Bill Rodencal out there finally, Jeff Decker, Jon Szalay, Bill Nugent was riding doing “Miles for Matt”. The German couple was stopped and we thought “oh no” but when we stopped to assist and asked if they were ok, they said “just taking our daily photo.” And they had chosen a beautiful spot to do so. Urban Hirsch was out there for a while. He eventually ended up on his trailer, but it was good to see him putt putt putting along.

DAY 10 - MILES FOR MATT!!!! #27 Bill Nugent has Matt Olsen's number 85 on his Sears and is asking for people to pledge an amount per mile that he rides, and the money will go to Matt to repair his Sears that he crashed on early in the run. Or for medical bills, etc. Anyone interested? Who knows, money collected might get Matt to Santa Monica to be there on the finish line to greet the Cannonballers! Matt is at home recovering in South Dakota right now.

Cris was riding with the Roughians again today so that in itself gives us a sense of peace. We know she’s in good hands and it eases our minds. We eventually caught up to them in Tulia, Texas, population 4700. They had found a diner called Dorothy’s. We went inside and joined them and they all seemed relaxed and to be enjoying the ride today. So deserved. These riders and crews don’t have the word quit in their vocabulary and to have a nice calm day…you could read on their faces how special it was. We were told that “you haven’t lived until you’ve had fried Okra at Dorothy’s” so of course we had to try it. It was good. I’ve now lived.

It wasn’t long before the local newspaper crew was at Dorothy’s with us wondering what is going on. This was not a hosted lunch today so it was rider’s choice as to where they ate and took a break – so they didn’t know about the Motorcycle Cannonball nor expect these bikes to come through their town. I can just imagine the phone calls going on in town when antique bikes were lined up in front of Dorothy’s. “Mable, something’s going on down at Dorothy’s you better get over there!”

As with all the amazing people we’ve met along these roads, they were very welcoming and so happy that a few from the group stopped in their town. They were extra excited when they learned that Pat Simmons from the Doobie Brothers was one of the people they were talking too. It’s been fun hanging with rock star Pat. Some know right away who he is, some don’t, some just look at him like “I know you from somewhere” but can’t quite pinpoint it. He’s a regular guy and it’s been fun getting to know him. He’s very humble and always willing to stop and talk, sign autographs, take a photo. A gracious man indeed.

We finished at High Plains Harley Davidson where we were welcomed by a crowd once again.
Cris and Effie did great today. It’s so good to see Cris smile. Of course she loves it best when Effie is completely happy, so it’s been a process to come to a point of accepting that Effie needs extra TLC is all. Effie is just old and with these bikes, there’s always some sort of adjusting or tweaking needed, even as you putt putt putt along. As Cris and Effie have bonded, it seems that that is happening. It seems that most of the bikes are running better and better as we go. I could feel that in the crowd today. While we still heard of problems reported – Dale Walksler had his front cylinder seize and walked his bike a mile and ½, Buzz Kanter had a motor problem, but they are all fixed up and back on the road today.

Seems nothing is impossible out here. If something breaks, you fix it. If you need a part you find it. If you can’t find it, you make it. Vince Martinico had to use a spring from a 350 Chevy, Jon Szalay has a rod from a caterpillar fork lift in his motor. It’s story after story after story of amazing spirit, quitting not being an option, and absolute ingenuity.

DAY 10 - Starting out from Oklahoma to Clovis, NM

DAY 10 - #44, Jon Szalay has quite a story. Today, we were absolutely thrilled to see him out on the road! GO JON! He looks happy to be there too. See/read more about Jon on http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/. Buzz Kanter did a cool video about him. This man has a lathe in the back of his van. He's serious.

Godspeed,
Laura Klock

Day 9 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Endurance Run Turned up a Notch” (Day 9 - September 19)

Today was the first of 2 of the longest days of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Day 9, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Lawton, Oklahoma is 276 miles, and it’s hot out. As Cris took off this morning I was just praying that the heat and distance didn’t wear too hard on her and Effie, yet I expected it would. Athena and I looked at each other as she rode away, deep breath, and got into the Team Effie sweeper van with Pat.

DAY 9 - Cris and the "Roughians" (we named them that), Dave Bettencourt, Dave Johnson "Plumber Dave", Steve Huntsinger, Cris, Mike Madden - Cris is riding with them today.

The first person we came up on was actually Carl Olsen and his bike was just loaded on the reaper’s trailer. But no worries. I had no doubt Carl would have it fixed up quick. He just needed a part from his crew at the lunch stop he calmly told us. He was back on the road in just a few hours after getting the part he needed to get rolling again.

The next load up was Buddy Stubbs and his sidecar, again. Buddy is one of the many that inspire me. How can you not be inspired by such pure determination? He keeps going and fixing and going and fixing. That whole “wrench, ride, repeat” saying that is on the back of Bill Rodencal’s teams shirts. So true. We got our ramp out and helped load him up onto the trailer, gave him a hug, and left knowing we would see him out there again, because he does NOT give up.

We did get a text from Cris that Effie had pushrod trouble again, and now a rocker issue. We were a little bit behind them, but headed their way. I texted her back “on the way!”. When we got there we got a nice surprise! By the time we caught them, the “Roughians” – as we have so lovingly named them – Dave Bettencourt, Mike Madden, Steve Huntsinger, Rick McMaken – had it fixed. Dave had a rocker, and we thankfully had an extra pushrod in the saddlebag after learning that an extra pushrod is a saddlebag supply. They were heading out as we pulled up. Phew. The Roughians are rocking the top spots in the competition having completed all their miles, and Steve is the one that rebuilt Effie. Blessings.

About 55 miles out of Ada Oklahoma was the half way point of the trip!

DAY 9 - HALF WAY TO CALIFORNIA!!!! This sign was posted 55 miles from the lunch stop in Ada Oklahoma. Had to be a bit of encouragement for the riders as they rode past it because I know it was for us!

Got to the lunch stop in Ada to see a group of very heat exhausted riders. When they went to take off, all the Roughians, and Effie, started fine, expect for Dave Bettencourt, Roughian #39. He needed to try a push start so I jumped in to help. We tried several times…and note to self, need to exercise. I was sweating from places I didn’t know you could sweat from and gasping for air. To no avail, we didn’t get him started. So, Team Effie van pulled into a shaded section of a gas station parking lot and helped Dave. This is how things work out…it’s a pay it forward type of thing. Dave was the one that was willing to hand over a rocker and pushrod to get Effie going again, and now he needed a magneto, and we had one in the van. I’m not even including a photo (mostly because my camera battery went dead at lunch break dangit!) but it’s a familiar site if you’ve followed the stories at all. Crouched down, wrenching on the bike on the blacktop. Sweating. Getting greasy. Passers by stopping to take a peek. Got the magneto in (ATHENA ROCKS) and off he went.

It is such an amazing feeling when you can help someone. It just fills you with the good stuff when you know that you hadn’t been there, he’d probably be on the trailer and since this had happened to him once already on the trip, cutting off a finger may have felt like a better option to him at the time. When you give, it seems that you receive it all back 10 fold. We stayed back with Dave. We were still 110 miles from the finish line. Dave got off course when he took off ahead of us, so we had to back track to find him and when we did we hung with him…all the way to finish. We arrived just before sunset. JUST before. It was close. But Dave got his miles and that’s something to celebrate. He rode that last 110 without stopping once (he has an auxiliary gas tank which is allowed) – not an easy feat on a 1915 Harley.

Effie blew out a rear tire 12 miles from the finish. Cris was able to hold her up, but we weren’t able to be there to change the tire roadside. She got credit for her miles, minus 12 and was loaded onto Urban Hirsch’s truck. Urban was trying to get his bike started road side so she said it was the longest 12 miles of the trip because she now learned what we see and do as sweepers…waiting, cheering, helping if you can. We arrived following Dave at the finish to a very tired and a little shook up Cris. Endurance and strength tested and today her riding skills were tested too. She rode out a flat like a pro. She said it was the first time she’s had a flat in 33 years of riding. Just a reminder that this is an ENDURANCE run – it tests you mechanically, mentally, physically, spiritually.

We faced a long night after not rolling in until after 8:30. We had a tire to change and lots of adjustments to make after a long grueling day like that. But it didn’t matter. We cheerfully got covered in oil again, and prepared Effie for the next day. We needed to make sure we checked every bolt because Day 10 is 293 miles. The longest of the run. Cris was exhausted and we still had to talk her in to getting some rest. She wanted to help prepare Effie too. Athena and I plugged away with helpers stepping in here and there. It was probably 1:30 am or so when we got to the room, but we still found laughs at how absolutely greasy we get. Many clothes have been ruined on this trip. Small sacrifice to make really.

DAY 9 - Sorry to our husbands...but both Athena and I will need some new clothes when we get home. Old bikes, no matter where you touch them, get OIL on you. And our clothes look like this when we are done with maintenance and adjusting for the night. hehehe.

Today is Sunday, and I thought it appropriate to include some of the church signs we saw along the road today. Athena and I smiled as we noticed the messages from God. And later when we talked about Day 9 we realized those messages were sent in a special way, because in hindsight, it’s part of what kept us sane during a long tiring day that got longer once the finish line was crossed. I’ll share a few with you:

“God makes all things, so He can fix all things”

“Regret can be an awful waste of time”

“Different People…Same God”

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Proverbs 31:29-31”
“It’s your choice – Heaven or Hell”

And here’s a theme for this journey we are on: Hebrews 12:1
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (New Living Translation)
Happy Sunday!

(PS – got to see the German couple riding together today. She drafts behind him. She is poetry in motion when she starts her bike…but THEY are poetry in motion riding together. So amazing.)

Continue to check http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/ for updates on scores and other riders. Felicia is doing a great job updating it. Cris’ riding buddy Jim Petty #55 has been calling all over the country for parts for his Indian. Another one that won’t give up. So we hope to see him out again.

DAY 9 - Pat helping Cris prepare for takeoff on Day 9

DAY 9 - The view from my seat in the Team Effie Van. I am the navigator and try to make sure we are on course. We miss a turn once in a while :) but it's been fun.

Godspeed,
Laura Klock

Day 8 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Cris & Pat’s Anniversary, Ozark National Forest and MILES FOR MATT (Day 8 - September 18)”:

DAY 8 - CRIS AT THE START OF DAY 8

The Motorcycle Cannonball spans 17 days over 3,294 miles and concludes in Santa Monica, CA on September 26 with entrants from all around the world. Today is Day 8 - Hot Springs, Arkansas to Fort Smith, Arkansas…a mere 145 miles or so, which probably seemed like a piece of cake to the riders after averaging close to 200 miles a day previous. Truly what it should be called is “shake down day” after the day of “rest” which involved tweaking, tightening and a whole lot of maintenance to prepare for days 9 and 10, which will be the longest days of the entire trip. While much of the terrain is straight and flat, it will surely bump this test of endurance up to the next level for rider and machine. It’s hot out here, and tomorrow riders face 276 miles that will take them from here in Fort Smith, Arkansas to Lawton, Oklahoma. Day 10 is even longer. From Lawton to Clovis, New Mexico is some 293 miles. Effie and Cris are ready for the challenge, but having never traveled this road before, we really don’t know what the distance and the heat will do to either our rider or bike. The Team Effie Van will be running sweep again tomorrow, so we may be challenged as well.

Today is Cris and Pat’s Anniversary! They started their day with the crowd singing to them! I think it’s safe to say it’s an anniversary that will be in their top 10 of the best anniversaries. One of the most unique anyway right? That probably sounds strange to some, but to be a part of what we are doing, and for them to understand what they are doing together as a couple on this Anniversary, well, I say that’s pretty special and will be hard to duplicate or to ever forget.


DAY 8 - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Cris and Pat

DAY 8 - THE CROWD OUTSIDE THE HOTEL AT THE STARTING LINE OF DAY 8. They sang to Cris and Pat for their Anniversary today

Effie started on the first kick this morning. This had us feeling pretty good right away because she got her new pushrods and primary chain yesterday, along with a whole bunch of TLC and extra care. Cris took off with riding buddy Jim Petty, #55, back with her after finding needed parts for his Indian yesterday. Things were looking real good! And then I got a text. The pushrod had loosened up again. Are we going to have a repeat of day 7?

Off we went. We are sweeper again today and were bringing up the rear, so were allowed to stop. Thankfully, we were able to make the repair roadside! JOE Sparrow (I called him Tom in my last post sorry!) pulled in once again and assisted. I’ll include the roadside photo, but if you’ve been following these notes at all, it looks pretty familiar huh – whether it’s roadside assistance on Effie or another rider’s bike, we’ve sure had some experiences on the sides of the back roads of America.

DAY 8 - Roadside Assistance. A familiar site on the Cannonball. We were able to Effie back up and running!

The adjustment held. Apparently Effie just needed a quick break and one more hug…but she and Cris ran like a pros the rest of the day! Because she had fallen to the back of the pack due to the repair time, we got to ride closer today and admire as she maneuvered that 1915 through some beautiful roads with wide sweeping turns. Unfortunately, Jim had trouble that he wasn’t able to fix on the road today. We sure hope to see him tomorrow. This left Cris riding alone, but she had conquered that fear on Day 6, and now it seemed like it didn’t bother her one bit.

We enjoyed real home cooking for Lunch at the Danville, AR community center, because we made up time and got there in time to eat today! Sure was welcome after being on the road for as long as we have been. Effie and Cris cooled down a bit (it’s hot here again today! 95+) and took off to face going over Mount Magazine. It was funny because one of the locals said the mountain was pretty steep…and the roll chart map said “steep climb for 8 miles, 16 mile descent”…yet Cris had “no problem!” attitude because Effie was running so good. That was so reassuring! They TAMED that mountain – it was hardly a challenge for Effie and Cris at all. Pat was pretty proud of his wife. What special moments to share on their anniversary.

I’ve continued to be the navigator and am happy to say that we didn’t get lost today. Pat drove, giving Athena a much needed break, which she took full advantage of and slept. Since the distance shorter today, and it’s Saturday, there were a lot of bikes out on the road. Sure was cool to be greeted everywhere we went and to see people stopped at the pullouts on Arkansas Scenic Byway 309, taking pictures, waving, honking as the Cannonballers rolled by. Those little moments make me smile and remind me how blessed I am to have the opportunity to be a part of this.

And that warm fuzzy feeling continued as we rolled into Old Fort Harley Davidson. There were several hundred people there, just waiting for them to arrive. An announcer was calling out their names as they passed the finish line that marked the end of Day 8. And Old Fort was kind enough to open up their service area to the riders that needed tools and space to make the more major repairs. This has been a common theme…people helping people reach a goal. It helps them to feel like they are a part of this coast to coast ride. Absolutely they are. I’d even say that for some it wouldn’t be possible WITHOUT the generosity of the people we’ve met along the way sharing their time, tools, talent and service areas.

DAY 8 - Old Fort Harley Davidson opens the service department for the Cannonballers to use to make repairs

Be sure to go to the http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/ site and read Felicia’s Ride Reports. She’s a great writer and it’s a great place for you to see the stats and learn more about the other riders in the event also. Buzz Kanter of American Iron Magazine is one of the riders, but he’s also been doing some reporting. There’s video about #44 Jon Szalay. Jon’s one of those guys in this event that just doesn’t give up. He’s been inspiring to watch. He has a lathe in the back of his van! Watch the video and you’ll know what I mean. I did see #44 bike on the trailer today, but when we saw him at the lunch stop, he knew what he needed to fix, and looked excited to have that information from riding for a bit this morning.. I’m sure we will see him out there tomorrow.

Today, Buzz actually caught Cris for a few words, and he recaps the bikes that completed Day 8.

As we traveled through the Ozark National Forest, which covers 1.2 million acres, mostly in the Ozark Mountains of Northern Arkansas, and over Mount Magazine, which is the tallest mountain in the State of Arkansas, (had to get some trivia in there for you!) I was once again struck with that sense of wanting to take a mental picture and hoping that I will never forget all that I am seeing and experiencing out here on the road. I hope that I can open the big scrapbook of the roads I’ve traveled some day, with my grandchildren or great-grandchildren on my lap, and share the stories in hopes that they too will go out and explore! See the world. Meet people. Challenge themselves. Walk through the doors of opportunity even if it seems impossible to do so at the time or even if they’re afraid. I’ve watched Cris overcome fears on this journey and step out of her comfort zone. I’ve watched Athena grow in confidence in herself, and gain the respect of some of the vintage industries’ greats. I’ve learned a lot about myself, about old bikes, about people in general and it’s so refreshing to see people just encouraging and helping each other. Not feeling bad that they aren’t the rider or the one even making the journey, but just SHARING in it in any way shape or form even if it’s serving lunch, or riding with the group for a few miles, or waving and honking as a rider goes by, or the guy that has spare parts out on his farm that offers them up for free to a team that is broke down, AND lets them use his tools, or reading about it and telling someone else. Or reading about it and looking within, finding inspiration and that little bit of “I can do it!” in them too. Today at lunch Pat spoke with one of the women serving and she said that being a part of this was her husband’s dream, and they started organizing that lunch stop today. He passed away before today came, but she hung in there and continued because it’s something that meant so much to him. She told Pat she was so glad she did!

There’s stories like that everywhere. We just need to share them with each other. Talk about the roads you’ve traveled.

OH – I can’t believe I didn’t write this sooner. Bill Nugent, #27, is riding his 1913 Sears, which is the same year and kind of bike that Matt Olsen, #85, was riding when he crashed. Actually Bill had helped Matt during the build of his Sears. Bill will be running Matt’s number next to his on his Sears for the rest of the event and had the idea of “MILES FOR MATT”. We would like to get people to pledge .25, .50, even 1.00 per mile to a fund that will help Matt get back on his Sears. If you’re interested, please facebook me. Bill asked if I would help get people involved. Of course I will. Matt is a fellow South Dakotan, and very special to all of us. I know personally how much this event meant to him and how hard he worked to get here. His trip wasn’t meant to be this time, but we sure can help him get back on his feet. Who knows…maybe we will see him at the finish line?

More tomorrow. Wish us well for the first really long day…Day 9!
(On a final note…the Merkel made it half way under its own power today!)

DAY 8 - Cris' riding buddy Jim Petty has his Indian back in running condition - looks like it got a bath too.

DAY 8 - Dale Walksler doing a Day 8 recap.

DAY 8 - Tired after a long day. It doesn't matter how many miles it is. It's still a test of endurance.

Godspeed,
Laura Klock

Rest Day - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Rest Day? (Friday, Sept. 17)”

Cris and Effie.

While today, Friday, September 17, was the one and only rest day for the Motorcycle Cannonball riders and crew, I'm not sure how much resting went on. Other than everyone did get the whole day to work on their bikes, do laundry, etc., instead of having to cram all of that same work into a few hours on a regular riding day. So, the resting probably came when we got to sleep in, and move just a little bit slower today. Not at such a frantic pace.

At Hot Springs Arkansas - they allowed the motorcycle cannonball riders and crew to work inside the convention center and leave the bikes there in the secure area.

Effie got some new pushrods along with a new primary chain, and all of her regular maintenance. She was also test ridden by the experts, and told she is SWEET. Athena is really getting a great reputation around here and I'm so proud of her. As the lead mechanic on our crew, I've watched her take her knowledge and combine it with all of the knowledge and advice of the experts around us here to become more and more confident in working on these older machines every day. She's a sponge and she gets SO EXCITED when something clicks for her. She's respectful of the men, listens intently, and learns quickly. What an asset to our team.

Effie HAS NEW PUSHRODS!

Cris got a massage today from Linda - someone that our Motor Maid sisters lined up for us. She also found a new shin guard that we are going to try tomorrow instead of wrapping gloves on her leg each day. Hopefully it will protect her leg from the heat of Effie's rear cylinder. Cris got to wear flip flops for a whole day and is hoping her feet and ankles will be ready for boots again tomorrow.

At Hot Springs Arkansas - they allowed the motorcycle cannonball riders and crew to work inside the convention center and leave the bikes there in the secure area. Team Effie's temporary pit area...getting Effie and Cris all ready to get back on the road tomorrow.

There was a banquet tonight that was put on by the local Antique Motorcycle Club and the city of Hot Springs. They sure welcomed us with open arms and the food was great. We had some fun listening to the Roughians chanting "Motor Maaaaaaiiiiiidddddsssss" since Dave Bettencourt got a new Motor Maids Security shirt to borrow today. It almost brings a tear really to see how accepted and respected we are. These guys have been SO helpful, so patient to answer our questions, and so supportive. That's true motorcycle camaraderie.

Motor Maid Security!

I'm going to share a few photos and sign off. We begin STAGE 8 tomorrow out of 16 total. End of tomorrow we will officially be half way there. Seems like a lot left, but also like the first half has gone real fast. Santa Monica will be here before we know it!

Tomorrows ride is 145 miles. A relatively light day compared to what is to come. The next 2 days after that are 290 and 270 miles. I would imagine we will see some real endurance challenges to come. So for right now, we will head out to Fort Smith, Arkansas where we finish at Old Fort Harley Davidson.

Good night.

Self-explanatory

Getting the valves and push rods set just right for Effie to ride another day.

Carl Olsen and the gang dressed in Carl's Cycle Supply coveralls.

Carl Olsen and Bean're.

Pat and Cris take Effie out for a test ride.

Godspeed,
Laura Klock