The cross-country Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run will include a stop in Colorado Springs this year, and Falcon resident Gary Wright and his restored 1930 Indian Chief motorcycle will be riding with them.More than 110 participants, with 1930 or earlier motorcycles, will ride an average of 300 miles per day from Daytona Beach, Florida, to Tacoma, Washington. Wright and his support team are the only entrants representing Colorado.The Cannonball Run is named after and inspired by Irwin ìCannonballî Baker, the motorcycle test driver who performed crosscountry endurance runs for manufacturers in the 1910s and 1920s.This yearís event is the third running of the race and the second time the Wrights have participated. ìLast time, we entered a 1929 Harley JD Model; and, out of 72 bikes in the race, we came in 17th,î Wright said. ìThere were only 19 that finished.îThe real goal is finishing the race and enjoying the sights as you ride, Wright said. ìItís an endurance race, not speed,î he said. ìEach morning, youíre given the route, which you donít know beforehand. You know your end point, but you get your route that morning and cross the country on back roads and secondary roads. Itís a neat way to see the United States. It makes my soul smile.îKeeping the antique motorcycles running on the lengthy legs is a significant challenge. ìBreakdowns and access to parts that are sometimes not available, and having to make due and keep them running across the U.S. is just part of it,î Wright said. The support teams are not allowed to help the riders with breakdowns during each dayís run. Riders are allowed to repair their bikes with what they carry with them. They can also recruit help from locals along the route. ìYou can go up to a farm house and ask to borrow a tool if you donít have it, but your support team canít help,î Wright said. If race officials determine the bike cannot be fixed in a reasonable amount of time, the motorcycle can be towed to that dayís stop at a significant penalty.Riders are also penalized if they get speeding tickets during the race.Racing is only part of the draw for participants and spectators. Being able to see antique bikes most riders only see in magazines is a main attraction. ìItís pretty phenomenal some of the relics that enter this ó the motorcycles and the people, too,î Wright said. ìThereís the millionaires to the people with the ë64 Ford, with just a craftsman toolbox in the back.îThe race will go through Colorado Springs Sept. 14 with an 11 a.m. stop at the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum on North Nevada Avenue. ìItís a kick in the pants to watch these bikes and visit them at the stops,î Wright said. ìIt sure blows my skirt up.î
