Team Doc's Motorcycle Cannonball




Motorcycle Cannonball 2023
Sept. 7-25, 2023
This year, about 100 Pre-1933 antique motorcycles will travel 3,800+ miles from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Oceanside, CA in 18 days.  
Team Doc's has entered five motorcycles into this year's race!

Check out the coverage from the road on Facebook at:
DOC'S MOTORCYCLE CANNONBALL JOURNEY

Join us Friday Oct. 6th 5pm-8pm for the Team Doc's Cannonball Homecoming Celebration!

Team Doc's 2023 Riders Include: 
Doc (#52) will be riding in his 4th Cannonball on "Stewball," his 1916 Harley-Davidson J Model Harley-Davidson with 1913 wicker sidecar. Click here to visit the Cannonball page & read his bio. Joining Doc in the sidecar will be his lovely girlfriend Joy.

Kersten Heling (#53) (Doc's daughter) is riding in her 3rd Cannonball on "Granny," her 1922 Harley-Davidson J Model . Click here to visit the Cannonball page & read her bio.

Shannon Heling (#117) (Kersten's husband) is riding in his 2nd Cannonball on his 1924 Harley-Davidson J Model. Click here to visit the Cannnonball page & read his bio.

Steve (#131) (Doc's son) is riding in his 1st Cannonball on his 1919 Harley-Davidson J Model.

 Rick Erdman (#133) will be riding in his 1st Cannonball on Doc's 1923 Harley-Davidson J Model. Click here to visit the Cannonball page & read his bio

Motorcycle Cannonball 2021
Sept. 9-26, 2021
Antique motorcycles 1929 & older started in Sault St. Marie, Michigan & ended in South Padre Island, Texas with a stop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina along the way.  Shannon Heling (#117) (Kersten's husband) rode his 1924 Harley-Davidson J Model. Click here to visit the Cannnonball page & read his bio.
Kersten Heling (#53) (Doc's daughter) rode in her 2nd Cannonball on "Granny," the 1922 Harley-Davidson J Model she also rode in the 2018 Cannonball. Click here to visit the Cannonball page & read her bio. Doc (#52) rode in his 3rd Cannonball on "Stewball," his 1916 Harley-Davidson J Model Harley-Davidson with 1913 wicker sidecar. Click here to visit the Cannonball page & read his bio. Joining Doc in the sidecar was Jamie Lee, Shawano News host & Crazy Heart Yoga Teacher. She helped Kersten with documenting the Cannonball while spreading love & joy along the way. All 3 of our bikes completed every mile of the 2021 Cannonball & finished with a perfect score! Doc placed 8th overall & 2nd in Class 3. Shannon placed 18th overall. Kersten placed 16th overall & won her class for the 2nd Cannonball in a row.
Check out the coverage from the road on Facebook at:
Doc's Motorcycle Cannonball Journey

Motorcycle Cannonball 2018
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. Riders navigated a northernly course that included rain, hot temperatures in the plains of South Dakota, cold temperatures and snow in the mountains of Montana, along with extreme winds in the Dalles of Oregon added to the everyday challenges of running an ancient machine through the country. Most of the route was on on two-lane back roads.  Learn more about the Cannonball 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. Follow their journeys past & future on Facebook at
Doc's Motorcycle Cannonball Journey
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Motorcycle Cannonball 2016
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.