Coast to Coast, Pre-1929 Endurance Run
On Saturday, September 8th, 2018, 107 riders departed Portland, Maine on motorcycles 1928 & older and attempted to travel 3674 miles across America to end up in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, September 23rd.
Most of the route was on on two-lane back roads.
Learn more about this epic journey by visiting www.motorcyclecannonball.com
Doc & his daughter Kersten both finished the 2018 event with a perfect score. They were the first Father & Daughter team to ever enter a Motorcycle Cannonball. Doc rode his 1916 Harley-Davidson with 1913 wicker sidecar. Kersten rode a 1922 Harley-Davidson. Kersten was one of the first 3 women to finish a Cannonball with a perfect score. Doc is still the only person to complete a Cannonball with a perfect score with a sidecar & passenger. They are both entered to compete in the 2020 Cannonball. Follow their journeys past & future on Facebook at
Doc's Motorcycle Cannonball Journey
Doc's Motorcycle Cannonball 2016 Journey Sept 10-25, 2016
Atlantic City, New Jersey to Carlsbad, California
We are thrilled to announce that Doc & Dawn finished on Sept. 25th with a perfect score! They were one of only 16 teams to accomplish riding every mile & maintaining a perfect score each & every day. Doc placed 10th overall & his 1916 Harley-Davidon, Stewball, was the top finishing 1916 in the entire event. They also achieved being the very first team to complete the entire Cannonball with a sidecar.
View Doc's one-of-a-kind 2016 Cannonball audition video here: Doc's Cannonball 2016 Audition Video
Through preparation makes it's own luck.
The crude beginnings of Stewball! Preparing the frame & fork. If you're going to build a house
to withstand a hurricane, you must have a good
solid foundation!
Now the engine, transmission, clutch, &
springer fork are all rebuilt & setup in
the frame.
Wheels, brakes, rims, & tires are all upgraded, but still retaining the look of the stock original 1916 as much as possible. These upgrades are mainly for safety. It isn't uncommon for the old style "clincher" rims to have the tire come entirely off the rim without warning. The tire can then ball up under the rear fender & lock up the rear wheel. At that point, the bike is also essentially riding on a bare steel rim which is comparable to riding on glare ice.
The brakes are also being updated & modified to more modern parts internally. This will make the them more effective & help minimize brake fade, which was a big problem with the original brakes.
The engine, carburetor, magneto, transmission, & clutch have also had many proprietary changes & upgrades made. We can't share all the details, as this could be detrimental to the outcome of the big race! :)
The old "acetylene gas" headlight & taillight has been updated to more modern LED technology. In 1916, these bikes were built by Harley-Davidson with no charging system or battery of any type.