An 8,000-Mile Journey at Age 85

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

E. Bruce Heilman is a World War II veteran, chancellor of the University of Richmond, and an avid motorcycle rider and Harley-Davidson owner. When he was 82, he took a 7,000-mile trip around the U.S. For his 85th birthday last year, he rode to South Dakota for the motorcycle rally in Sturgis.

Starting tomorrow, he begins an even longer trip. He plans an 8,000-mile excursion that will take him to Florida, California, up the Pacific Coast and then back across the country to Maine. He expects to complete the loop in July, which is when he’ll turn 86.

“I’ve got a motorcycle, and the world’s out there, so I’ll just ride,” Heilman told the “Richmond Times-Dispatch.”

—

Twisted Throttle, the accessories and parts company, plans a huge Open House and 10th anniversary party at its world headquarters in Exeter, RI on Saturday.

BMW stunt-rider Chris “Teach” McNeil, world record-holding rider John Ryan and author Melissa Holbrook Pierson, whose book “The Man WHo Would Stop at Nothing” tells of Ryan, will be there.

So will various vendors and clubs, including the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America and the Concours Owners Group. Tickets are free and you can register here.