Motorcycle Cannonball Update

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

So, how’s Ed Zalonski and his 1910 Flying Merkel doing in the Motorcycle Cannonball endurance run from Kitty Hawk, N.C. to Santa Monica, Calif.?  The answer appears to be not very well and fantastic. I’ve been meaning to call Zalonski (on the right in picture) on the road to get a progress update, but haven’t had the chance, so I’ve been checking the daily updates on the event’s website to see how the 70-year-old East Haven man is progressing. 

Zalonski had only ridden the bike, which he built from the ground up, about three and one-half miles before heading off to North Carolina to participate in the 3,300 cross-country run. After seeing a short-lived test ride of the Flying Merkel in Torrington, I was convinced that Zalonski might not even make it across the starting line. That was apparently the case as he logged zero miles on day one of the run. Day two he did 10 miles, followed by seven miles on day three, 33 on day four and 63 on day five. He then had two days where he went nowhere followed by 48 miles on day eight.

As of Friday, Zalonski had ridden a total of 161 miles, while 12 other riders had completed all 1,545 miles. Zalonski sits in 43rd place out of 45 riders. Meanwhile, Buzz Kanter, the publisher and editor of Stamford-based “RoadBike” and “American Iron” magazines, is in eighth place having done every mile on his 1915 Harley-Davidson.

I really need to call Zalonski. He’s got to be having a blast…