Connecticut Contingent Departs on Cannonball

Buzz Kanter, left, with Jeff Alperin and Dan Emerson

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

Newburgh, N.Y. – There were cheers and shouts of encouragement from the sizable crowd of spectators outside of the Motorcyclepedia museum this morning as more than 70 motorcyclists set off on the Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run. The cross-country event that ends in San Francisco is only open to bikes from the 1929 model year or older, and three of the participants have Connecticut ties – Buzz Kanter, Jeff Alperin and Dan Emerson.

Kanter is publisher of Stamford-based “American Iron” and “RoadBike” magazines and he’s riding a 1929 Harley-Davidson JDH. Having ridden in the previous Motorcycle

Cannonball in 2010, he knows what’s required to finish. “It’s not the fastest bike that makes it across the finish. It’s the best prepped rider and bike,” he said.

Kanter, who is seen departing on the run at left, had high hopes for his Harley. “I probably have the fastest bike in the race this year. I’m not going to show anyone how fast it is until we get to San Francisco,” he said. He managed to complete the 210-mile first leg of the run from Newburgh to Wellsboro, PA but in a Facebook post reported that the engine seized along the way and he had to do some roadside repairs.

Jeff Alperin (above), who is riding a 1929 Indian 101 Scout, currently lives in Florida but grew up and lived in West Hartford and Farmington, and his crew chief is Indian expert George Yarocki of Torrington, so he qualifies as being a member of the Connecticut contingent. An hour or so before departing, Alperin said he felt, “Excellent. The parts of me that are broken are not bothering me at the moment.” He’s suffering from a broken wrist and broken ankle sustained in road testing of his bike.

The 101 Scout, which Alerpoin has dubbed “The Beast,” did not leave without incident. An attempt to check on the gas in the tank revealed a vacuum lock that made it difficult to unscrew the gas cap. Alperin and two bystanders tried and were unable to budge it, forcing Alperin to pull out a pair of adjustable pliers from his saddle bag to free up the balky cap.

Dan Emerson (above) of Woodstock, riding a 1925 Henderson DeLuxe, approached the Motorcycle Cannonball with optimism. “I have quite high expectations. The machine is in good shape,” he said. “”It’ll be interesting to see who falls out on the first day. I have a feeling a lot of guys are going to make it (to San Francisco).”

An inspection of the Henderson revealed some add-on parts, including a hard top box and a backrest. “The backrest is out of my office, off of my office chair,” he said. Emerson completed day one without incident and reported being the second to finish.

Perhaps the most interesting entry is a 1925 Rudge-Whitworth owned and ridden by Ken Ashton (left) of the U.K.. He pulled out expecting the run to include “a of hard work,  a lot of fun and a lot of panic.”

The Motorcycle Cannonball will take more than two weeks to compete and will end at the Golden Gate Bridge on Sept. 23.