Cannonball 500 / 1000

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled on an event called the Cannonball 500 and 1000. It's a purely Canadian event designed for motorcyclists that like to ride and not hide. Basically it's a 500 mile (800ish km) and 1000 mile (1600ish km) rides being held in each province on the weekend of June 11-12.

Each province has a pre-determined route for the 500 and 1000 starting at a local dealer(s). There is no fee for the event, just register, show up, sign in and ride. Oh and be back within the cutoff time. You also have to stop in at other dealerships along the route to prove you rode the route. You have twelve hours to complete the 500, and 36hrs for the 1000.

Click on the photo for more info

Sadly, the maritimes were missing from this cross Canada event. So being the two-wheeled aficionado  that I am, I emailed the event organizer, Dave, Purdyman, Purdy and offered my assistance. He had some pretty good routes already made, I just helped tweak them a bit. The big need was finding dealers to be start/finish hosts throughout the provinces.

Right away I knew my friend Tim Hovey at Motosport Plus in Saint John would be up for this, and sure enough he signed on. Now to continue working on other dealers to get this going.

This is not only a great event for all kinds of riders (Harley, sport bikers, ADVriders, cruisers, scooterists) but also a great opportunity for the dealers involved. Look at all the riders you are getting coming through your doors. If I were a dealer, I'd jump on this right away. For the start, offer free coffee, donuts, muffins, etc, and for the finish, a BBQ, make it a party. Show everyone that your not just a store that sells bikes, but a part of a two-wheeled community.

Stay tuned for more on the Cannonball 500 and 1000 as we get more dealers on board.

Oh and yes the Scooter Cannonball Canadian style is in the works, for now at least.