...the Cannonball Race arrives in Dodge City [mostly photographs]

[Daniel Kalal]

 

It's the Motorcycle Cannonball “Race of the Century.”  They're running  coast-to-coast on motorcycles at least a hundred years old.
 

 
This was their stop in Dodge City.
 
Kansas
 
The riders started the day in Wichita and ended here on Front Street in Dodge City.  Some looked and ran as if they were brand new; some looked and ran every bit their one-hundred years.
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ratguzzi]

didn't realize you were there. It would have been cool to say hello. I left Dodge at 4am this morning. I have a couple hundred pics from a curve about 25 miles east of Dodge but it will take me a few hours to sort them out. And............... they won't be to your quality level!!!
JB

[Daniel Kalal]

JB,
Do you know the route they're taking from Pueblo to Alamosa?  (Poncha Springs vs Walsenburg)

[azguzzirep]

O.k. that is one group ride I'd love to be in👍👍

Nice pics, thanks!

Tom

[ratguzzi]

JB,
Do you know the route they're taking from Pueblo to Alamosa?  (Poncha Springs vs Walsenburg)

Sorry but no. For Saturday, I only heard one word, Windhurst. I find only a church there but Jewell road seemed logical. I sat at a corner and finally, I saw a bike coming down a road to Jewell, after a few bikes went by, I worked my way south, pull over a few times as another bike went by until I found a nice corner to sit in. 25 miles away from Dodge and have my corner and a guy on a BMW pulls over and decides to use the outside of the turn to take pictures! So I had to move because I didn't want him in the background of every shot!

And Tom, not a group ride by any means! There was close to a two hour spread at the point of where I was at!!
JB

[chuck peterson]

Thanks for the great photos...this event seems to be gaining a lot of attention, great for the sport, just looks so cool

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

The Hendersons are impressive machines, seemingly years ahead of others in the event.

[Daniel Kalal]

The Hendersons are impressive machines, seemingly years ahead of others in the event.

I agree.

It would appear that somebody at Henderson gave a lot of attention to air induction and exhaust, whereas some of these others didn't seem to understand that it makes a difference.  But, all of these pre-1917 engines are still running exposed valve gear with not much lubrication evident and there are still a few models running belt drive.  Technology was really moving fast.  This was quite an innovative time for new ideas.  It's all the more amazing that these bike survived, considering that in a few years they were all hopelessly obsolete.

By the way, that red flywheel is on a Douglas (if anybody was thinking Guzzi wasn't around in 1916).