2016 Motorcycle Cannonball Run makes stop in Durango
Mike Bell from Texas joined friends Tuesday evening at Durango Harley-Davidson on his 1916 model J Harley Davidson during the Cannonball Motorcycle run.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Motorcyclists on their machines made in 1917 and earlier gathered at Durango Harley-Davidson on Tuesday evening during an overnight stop of the Cannonball Motorcycle run.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Mike Bell from Texas rides into the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership Tuesday evening on his 1916 model J Harley-Davidson during the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Pre-1916 motorcycles were at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership Tuesday evening during an overnight stop of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. The motorcyclists will spend 16 days on the road and one rest day during the coast-to-coast ride. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Pre-1916 motorcycles were at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership on Tuesday evening during an overnight stop of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Pre-1916 motorcycles stopped Tuesday evening at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership during an overnight stop of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Pre-1916 motorcycles stopped for the night Tuesday during the coast-to-coast Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Vern Acres rolls in at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership Tuesday evening during an overnight stop of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A motorcycle with a wicker sidecar rolls in Tuesday at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership for an overnight stop of the coast-to-coast Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Pre-1916 motorcycles stopped Tuesday at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership during an overnight stop of the fourth Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Mike Bell from Texas comes riding into the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership on Tuesday evening on his 1916 model J Harley-Davidson during the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
An Excelsior Auto Cycle with chain drive is participating in the Motorcycle Cannonball Run, which stopped for the night Tuesday at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Pre-1916 motorcycles stopped at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership Tuesday for an overnight stop of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A large crowd showed up to see the pre-1916 motorcycles at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership Tuesday evening as they made an overnight stop of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run. The next stop on the coast-to-coast ride is Page, Arizona. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A cross country ride featuring antique motorcycles faced its toughest day Tuesday, having to power over two mountain passes, La Veta and Wolf Creek, on the 265-mile journey from Pueblo to Durango.
The fourth Motorcycle Cannonball run pulled into Durango late Tuesday for a short respite before riders embark on the next stretch of the tour to Page, Arizona. The event was started in 2010, and is held every two years. This was the first time Durango was a stop.
Director of operations Jason Sims said the group started in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and will end in Carlsbad, California. The ride features pre-1917 motorcycles, with the oldest being made in 1904.
“The goal is to get these old motorcycles on the road and see if they can make it coast to coast,” Sims said.
The run started with 95 bikes, but over the course of the ride, about 10 dropped out because of mechanical issues, Sims said. He estimated that after Tuesday’s arduous journey, there’s likely to be more added to that list.
“The weather was perfect, but the steep terrain and long inclines are definitely very hard on these bikes,” Sims said. “This is probably the most challenging day of this whole journey.”
Steve Gonzales, a team leader for Thor Losers out of Santa Cruz, had just pulled in with his 1915 Harley Davidson around 5 p.m. at Durango Harley-Davidson. He said he rebuilt the antique model over the past year, and the starting line in Atlantic City was practically the first time he ever rode the bike.
“It’s a whole different feel,” Gonzales said of the differences between the antique and modern motorcycles.
“Wolf Creek was slow, but we chugged over the top of it. I didn’t know if I’d make it, but I thought I’d try. It went OK.”
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