The Mother Road Ride/Rally® NEWS

We crossed over 30 days of 100 last week and six weeks without a speck of rain. I see a few bikes out early in the morning, but after lunch we're all looking for shade and/or air conditioning. Rain? Gosh, we might take a little of Hurricane Bert (600 miles south of here) to get a little wet stuff. I don't want it to rain for me. Its for my grandchildren. They've never seen it rain. (Sorry, old Texas jokes die hard.)

Very Early Birds

Back in June and early July we got three registrations for next year's run. Joe Miller, Bill Mikesell and Don Herrin have put the Millennium Run, the 6^th Annual Mother Road Ride/Rally®, June 10-17, 2000, on their calendars. All three get the coveted Repeat Offenders pin as well. (They have registered for this event in the past). They have - as we have - been waiting patiently for the ride pin which we got in last week. Complete information on the run is on line at: www.hhjm.com/rally. You can register there or on the back of this newsletter.

Boom Times for Bikes

Motorcycle sales are up 25% for the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year and last year was the 7^th in a row that new motorcycle sales increased. (From: Discover Today's Motorcycling)

This is double digit growth . . . can 1999 be the 8^th in a row? The industry is attracting new riders, including women, in record numbers. Nearly one out of every 12 motorcycle owners in the USA is a woman. That's about 8% of all owners. Back in 1960 it was only 1%. A survey taken in 1998 reported that the average rider is 38 years old, has attended college and is a well established family man. He earns $44,250 vs the national average of $36,250.

In August, Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson was on his 5^th annual motorcycle tour of the U.S. and Canada. His trip took him and some 300 other riders through Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Ontario, Canada and northeast Minnesota. Thompson said the event is a good way to see Wisconsin on a motorcycle. (To say nothing of the delightful cool weather one would have in that part of the country in August!).

Route 66 Preservation

Each time we make the run down Route 66 we notice that things are missing. That's the reason David Knudson of the National Historic Route 66 Federation has pointed that organization towards getting Federal assistance for preserving the national treasure that is Route 66. Their efforts have born fruit. Ten million dollars has been designated for preservation efforts. The major catch is that these will be matching funds . . . to match funds raised locally for preservation efforts. Still it is a big step forward. David - a very good friend of the Mother Road Ride/Rally® (the August issue of their magazine has an article on the 1999 run) will welcome your interest in what lies ahead to be done. Reach him at: 818-352-7232 or on the Internet at: www.national66.com.

Motorcycles As Collector's Items

The auction house, Sotheby's, has set an auction of motorcycles for September 13^th in Chicago. These are the folks that get bids in the millions for items. Definitely not a swap meet event. What really interested me was their announcement of Exhibition. Might they be showing the bikes they plan to sell in the week prior to the actual auction? Info: 312-396-9500, Sale: CH7361.

More Newsletters
Home