Winsted Couple Complete Hoka Hey Challenge

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

Matt Klebe and Kelley Babbin of Winsted were pooped but pleased after having successfully competed in the 3rd annual Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge earlier this month. It’s an endurance event that this year had riders going from Las Vegas to Gowanda, N.Y., mostly on secondary roads. They covered nearly 5,900 miles in a week-plus, and 10,200 miles total having ridden from Connecticut to the start line, with a side trip to the Grand Canyon.

“I have still not gotten my body back on a normal sleep schedule. You don’t sleep that much,” said Klebe, three days after finishing. Babbin, who was a passenger on Klebe’s 2011 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, likewise mentioned the fatigue. “It was fun. People were so friendly, so helpful. It was a nice challenge. It was nice to do something different and out of your comfort zone,” she said.
Hoka Hey riders left Las Vegas on Aug. 5. “We left Vegas at 5 a.m. and we did over 980 miles in Nevada the first day,” said Klebe, recalling that the cross-country route took them into Utah, Colorado and Nebraska, then down to the Ozarks of Arkansas and east to Louisiana with “everybody riding the same roads.” Said Klebe, “I was blown away by just how beautiful Arkansas was. Louisiana had worst roads.”

Prior to the event, organizers had a rider cover the prescribed route and establish what they considered to be an acceptable amount of time to cover it of 184½ hours. Riders competing for prizes had to finish within a 14-hour window – from 177.5 hours to 191.5 hours. Klebe and Babbin finished within the window, coming in with 13 minutes to spare. Klebe was the 31st “contender” to arrive; a contender being required to complete the route without deviation and within the allotted time.

Another rule was that participants had to sleep near their bikes, which ruled out bedding down in hotels. Grabbing naps along the road was routine. “Obviously, you’re packing light – a bed roll and an air mattress. I’m the only one who did it with a passenger and finished within the window,” said Klebe.

What impressed Babbin was the kindness of strangers. One night in the Ozarks, nearly out of gas and with the closest station 45 minutes away, she recalled a guy volunteering, “I’ve got gas out back” and helped them out. He also owned a café and offering to cook up some grub. “He couldn’t do enough,” she said.

Other tales of kindness included the state trooper in Bakersville, N.C., who also happened to be the local fire chief. He let the couple shower at the firehouse. There was also the sheriff in Nebraska who directed them to a town park to get some shuteye and a pastor down South who let them nap in his church. “It was not something I encounter very often,” said Klebe of the generosity.

Being an endurance run, there wasn’t time for sightseeing. “With the deadline, you’re doing a lot of riding at night,” Klebe said. Babbin added, “I wish we didn’t see some of the national parks in the dark.”

Long periods in the saddle were potentially dangerous. “There were a couple of times I just zoned right out,” Klebe said. The solution? “You pull over.”

However, the experience was worth it. “At the end of the week, I was looking for a straight road. I would definitely do it again. It was a challenge, but it was definitely a good time,” Klebe said. Babbin agreed that it was a “great opportunity to see that part of the country. It was all two lanes. Why wouldn’t you?”

(Originally published in “The Republican-American” on August 18, 2012.)