Cannonball Run...........Continued

Logistically speaking The Scooter Cannonball Run is going to cost us a lot of money. For example, shipping scoots both ways, to Orlando to be near the start and home again from Seattle. Some basic research and that is gonna ballpark close to $2000, and we have to get the scoots to Boston to ship.

Then there is airfare, another $1000, by the time we convert it into Canadian pesos. So before we even do anything I'm in the hole $3K. Hell, I don't even have a scoot yet.

So my mind turns to just riding the Guzzi from Vancouver to home, but that is gonna be a couple of grand in airfare and shipping, and as fun as that maybe, it's not a race.

I then stumbled upon The Real Scooter Cannonball Run. It's a cross-continent scooter race held on the old fashioned Cannonball premise. Fastest one wins. San Diego to Madawaska, any route you want to take.

Now this sounds a little more doable since the finish is only 3hrs from home. Oh, and it's in October, which is easier for time off.

So I sent a message to my friend Jim, better known as Pudge to the rest of the world, "wanna race scooters from San Diego to Madtown?" Pudge is from Madawaska, so I thought it might stir something in him. The response was "I'm in" Whoa, didn't expect that. He was fired up, and ready to roll.

Then another text to Pete, this would not be a hard sell at all. He was in, and started looking on Kijiji for a vehicle right away.

So the team was put together.

Yours truly, who is usually in over his head 

James, Pudge Pelletier, the man from Madawaska, the one who will be given a heroes welcome at the finish line.

and of course my usual partner in crime Peter Oxley, who is up for just about any idea for adventure I have, even if it means cooking his nuts off with bear spray.

  The only problem now was to get past the stupid waiver for the race application. They want previous racing experience or completion of one of their other events. That's not gonna happen since it's not in the budget or time off schedule.

I can beg and plead our case. I mean Pete and I are no stranger to doing a long ride, plus an endurance event where you sit on a scooter can't be physically harder than an Ironman triathlon, ultra marathon or rowing across the Bay of Fundy.

Pudge doesn't even have a bike licence, but he's raced the 24hr of Adrenaline, a big mountain bike race, ridden a few centuries, 100 mile bicycle rides, and can keep up with the best of them. I know he won't have an issue with this.

Plus, the documentary thingy might sway them, and the fact that two and half Canadians (Pudge is from the USA, but has been living in Canada most of his life) will turn this into an international event.

Logistics. We just have to get the scoots to San Diego, and home from Madawaska, which won't be hard. I am hoping we can find some kind of sponsorship to get the bikes out to Cali.

So basically our costs now are finding scooters over 125cc (minimum for the race), shipping, and then airfare. Hotels......I'm hoping we can Marriott it on points the entire way, and maybe VISA point the airfare.

Since this is a bit of an oddball race, and I'm going to film it to make a small documentary, I think it would be prudent to go in search of sponsors. I doubt we could get scooters given to us, but I'll try, and see what happens. I spoke to Kevin Rhea from Olympia Motosports when I was at the AIMExpo and he was willing to help out again in any new project.

Then in no particular order, a couple of the smaller scooter helmet manufacturers, Garmin, Tom Tom, Sena (helmet comm system is awesome, plus they're new camera), Wolfman luggage, Marriott Hotels, Holiday Inn, Midland Courier, Sunbury Trucking, etc. It will be busy letter writing campaign. Hopefully Two Wheels Thru the Bigland and Riding The Trans Labrador Highway will get us some sponsors for the next adventure. I'm sure Canada Moto Guide will jump onboard, they are always up for something like this.




Team meeting is planned for Monday morning. Then we have to break the news to our lovely spouses, and get their blessings.

Stay tuned for more.