Sturgis, S.D., Dec. 18—Most of you know that 10 years ago, one man set out to become the first person to take a group of like-minded antique motorcycle riders across the United States on machines that were only often seen in museums and private collections. In 2010, Lonnie Isam Jr.’s dream and bold sense of adventure took him and his friends from one ocean to the other, forever setting the standard of endurance for man and machine. Since 2010, history has been made and continues to be made; machines are coming out of the woodwork, they are being ridden, they are being enjoyed, and they are being put to the Motorcycle Cannonball test.
Now it is time to announce the next adventure… the next epic journey… the next ride… it will be nothing to take lightly. This next experience will be different from what we have done in the past. It will be again a test of true endurance. It will pit “Man vs. Machine” on some of the best two-lane back roads that our beautiful country has to offer!
The Motorcycle Cannonball has now successfully navigated across the United States five times, with the latest run in 2018 in which we managed to take over 100 90-year-old and older machines from coast to coast going from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon. Now, in September of 2020, we plan to write a whole new chapter in history with the 6th Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run.
Qualifying bikes for this event will feature motorcycles manufactured before 1930, including motorcycles manufactured in 1929 and older.
This time we will be changing it up a bit; instead of the traditional East Coast to West Coast, we will be starting in the north in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, located on the Canadian border and in the heart of the Great Lakes which is considered the 4th coast and making our way to the east coast landing in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, for a 10-year Motorcycle Cannonball Anniversary Reunion. After our day off in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we will navigate our way through the deep south eventually making our way to the southern most point of Texas touching the Mexican Border near Brownsville, Texas, and having our grand finale on the island of South Padre Island, Texas.
We will start accepting applications for the 2020 Motorcycle Cannonball starting on December 18, 2018. Stay tuned to social media and the website for further instructions and information.
—Press release
