2012 Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run

This year, participants to the coast to coast Cannonball Endurance Run are going to prove the capabilities of pre-1930s motorcycles that laid silent for decades. They are going to re-affirm the pioneering spirit of America by traveling across the country as they did nearly a century ago. The endurance run will begin September 7 in Newburgh, New York and end in San Francisco, California. 75 riders from 12 different countries make up this ride and travel almost 300 miles every day.

The Antique Motorcycle Foundation, Inc. (AMF) has signed on as one of several sponsors of the “Bon Voyage” breakfast for the Motorcycle Cannonball Ride that will depart from the Motorcyclepedia Museum in Newburgh, New York on the morning of September 7, 2012. In conjunction with the Cannonball departure, the Antique Motorcycle Foundation will host a reception and a grand opening of its new Kaizen Exhibit at Motorcyclepedia on the evening of September 6, 2012. Named for the Japanese industrial practice of constant, ongoing incremental improvement in manufacturing and product development, Kaizen will be the first exhibit at a major motorcycle museum dedicated entirely to the Japanese motorcycles that revolutionized the American motorcycle industry from 1960 through the mid-1980s.

Participants the second run of the Cannonball will ride vintage iron as they navigate the difficult 3,954-miles route. A week into travel, riders will have a day of rest, repairs, and some scheduled festivities in the well-known motorcycle town of Sturgis, SD on September 14. The ride is slated to conclude on Sunday, September 23 in San Francisco, California after the San Francisco Police Department’s Motor Division escorts the triumphant riders through the city after crossing the iconic Golden Gate Bridge for a Grand Finish at the Dudley Perkins Harley-Davidson dealership. The San Francisco Motorcycle Club, one of the oldest clubs in the nation, will escort the group.

A complete schedule of meeting locations can be viewed at the Motorcycle Cannonball’s website

GRAND START
Motorcyclepedia Motorcycle Museum

Friday, September 7-GRAND START
Motorcyclepedia Motorcycle Museum
Newburgh, New York
7:00-9:00 a.m.

Sunday, September 9
Riders arrive at 6:30 p.m.
Harley-Davidson Museum
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Monday, September 10
12:30 Lunch break
Kutter Harley-Davidson
Monroe, Wisconsin

Monday, September 10
Riders arrive at 4:45
National Motorcycle Museum
Anamosa, Iowa

Tuesday, September 11
12:15 Lunch break
Harley-Davidson of Mason City
Mason City, Iowa
Riders arrive at 5:00 p.m.
Indian Motorcycles
The Inn at Okoboji
Spirit Lake, Iowa

Wednesday, September 12
Riders arrive at 5:00
Pioneer Auto Show
Murdo, South Dakota

Thursday, September 13
4:30-6:00 p.m.
Finish at Sturgis, S.D.
BBQ dinner at Glencoe Camp Resort

Friday, September 14
Day of rest
4:30 p.m.-Group photo on Main Street
6:00 p.m. Banquet hosted by City of Sturgis

Saturday, September 15
11:45 Lunch at Deluxe H-D
Gillette, Wyoming

Sunday, September 16
12:45 Lunch
Irma Hotel
Cody, Wyoming

Monday, September 17
Lunch at Old Faithful
Yellowstone, Wyoming

Wednesday, September 19
Riders arrive at 5:00 p.m.
Dinner hosted by city of Burns, Oregon
Best Western of Hines, Oregon

Saturday, September 22
Riders arrive at 5:00 p.m.
Michael’s H-D dinner
Cotati, California

Sunday, September 23
2:00 p.m. GRAND FINISH
Dudley Perkins H-D
San Francisco, California

13 Responses to “2012 Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run”


  1. 1 Rodent Aug 28th, 2012 at 9:10 am

    There is no such place as Dudley Perkins HD, in San Francisco CA. Use to be years ago.

  2. 2 Vintage Twin Aug 28th, 2012 at 10:14 am

    Yeah…. I reckon just being “out there” is about 90% of the fun. 🙂

  3. 3 Bill Aug 28th, 2012 at 11:06 am

    Rodent, You have been underground for far too long. Dudley Perkins is alive and well. Learn how to use google

  4. 4 Rodent Aug 28th, 2012 at 11:28 am

    BIll
    Read the words again, There was aDudley Perkins HD in San Francisco years ago. Now iniSOUTH SAN FRANCISCO a different city.

  5. 5 Rodent Aug 28th, 2012 at 11:35 am

    FYI
    San Francisco is in The County of San Francisco, South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States
    Once again Dudley Perkins is in South San Francisco! THE CANONNBALL ends in South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States

  6. 6 Harley Night-Rod Aug 28th, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    South City is no SF…..San Francisco is The Most Beautiful City in United States…. South City is not

  7. 7 Vintage Twin Aug 28th, 2012 at 1:30 pm

    No way would I ride a Cannonball without weed. Whaddaynutz?

  8. 8 CafeSportyTC Aug 28th, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    I think the majority of the people in SF easily make it the ugliest city (more based on mental attitude of the city)

  9. 9 a 1 cycles Aug 28th, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    maybe harley davidson should send some engineers to the kaizen opening..juss saying..nah pushrods and air cooling rules!!!

  10. 10 burnout Aug 28th, 2012 at 4:11 pm

    This past Friday I saw Dale Walksler’s entry from last year. Super cool and very basic! His museum (Wheels Through Time) is a must see in Maggie Valley NC. peace

  11. 11 Pat Simmons Aug 29th, 2012 at 10:10 am

    Doesn’t matter really where the ride ends. It’s about the journey. Actually, as one who lived his whole life in the San Francisco Bay Area, South San Francisco is only about 10-15 minutes from the City itself. And of course very close to SAN FRANCISCO Airport. Anyplace can be beautiful, if a person can open their eyes, and see the enjoyment life has to offer. To serious motorcyclists the Dudley Perkins dealership is a fabulous place to visit. The people who run the shop are great folks, and deserve our appreciation for what they do for us. The rich history of the Perkins family, and their impact on motorcycling in the Bay Area is on display at the shop. I spent a couple of hours recently walking around viewing the incredible exibits, and bikes in their beautiful new building. And unlike the old shop in downtown SF, there are actually places to park, for free! I have to work, and can’t be there for the end of the Cannonball, but I envy those of you who can. This will be a once in a lifetime experience seeing all these historic machines as they come puttin’ into the oldest dealership in America. Talk about beauty in motion…

  12. 12 Rodent Aug 29th, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    I’ve got to agree with most of what Pat says. Having first arrived in San Francisco during the “Summer of Love” with my old lady and a Norton Dunstall and acquiring a stock metal bodied Servi-car for town riding, we became slumlords catering to the flower children who were coming to the Haight-Ashbury. We managed the Jeffery Haight Hotel at 1665 Haight, apartments at 1667 Haight and 1480 Waller.
    The Norton dealer at that time was Munroe Motors on Valencia, now the oldest dealer in the City since Dudley Perkins moved to South San Francisco.
    I use to go to Dudley Perkins on Page near Market many times and I’ll agree with Pat, parking sucked at best, and Dudley Sr. was not a lover of hippies riding Harley’s.
    Years later I visited the Page St shop and met old Dudley’s descendant Tom Perkins and his dog, nice guy not at all like his grandpa, and Tom told me of his plans to move out of the City.
    I’m not disputing how great his new shop is, just the fact that the Cannonball Run is ending in South San Francisco not as advertised in San Francisco.
    FYI the only real Harley shop in the City of San Francisco is California Choppers on the corner of Folsom & 11th in the SOMA district.

  13. 13 Dale Sep 1st, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    I’ll be in Newburgh, NY on the 7th to see the start. Can’t wait to see all of the old iron.

Comments are currently closed.
Cyril Huze