2023 Scooter Cannonball: Expect pain, fatigue, camaraderie, 2021 riders tell incoming rookies

A total of 269 scooter riders, most of them first-timers, rushed to sign up for the 2023 Scooter Cannonball, a competition – not a race – in which they'll pilot scooters of 24 horsepower or less across the southern U.S., hunched over handlebars for eight exhausting, heat-scorched, sleep-deprived days.

Some have already withdrawn and while all the remaining riders probably won't be at the starting line, that's the highest number of registrations the rally has seen since it started in 2004.

Riders want to participate in spite of, or because of, what happened in 2021: crashes, broken bones, heavy rain from Tropical Storm Elsa, downed trees, and roads with bathtub-sized potholes.

• Riders get personal: Moments that three 2021 competitors won't forget.
• Cannonball basics: Route and participants in 2021 Scooter Cannonball.
• Go to the source: Scooter Cannonball.com has registration, rider info.

Some call the Cannonball a crazy ride. But despite the physical hardship, "2023 is attracting a higher number of people than ever before," says Dave Bednarski, 39, a Cannonball organizer and veteran participant.

Riders in 2021 endured fatigue and discomfort. Some even broke bones. They also found extraordinary moments of kindness, camaraderie and breathtaking beauty.

It's not a race – remember that, Cannonball organizers say. This year's scooter touring rally will start June 18 in San Clemente, California, and end June 25 in Hilton Head, South Carolina, 3,170 miles later. It's the 10th in the biennial Cannonball series.

Instead of speed, participants ride a prescribed route and record arrivals atcheckpoints. Rally points are awarded based on documented miles and maintaining a standard pace, "a test of endurance and navigational skills," the event's website says. There's no cash prize or big award.

Cannonball veterans say it's highly unlikely that all registrants will compete. "It'll be amazing if we get half of that," one experienced rider says.

But more registrations force organizers to add more staff to accommodate riders and scoring. That has restricted sign-ups and increased fees.

"We're capping general public registration at 250 riders," Bednarski says. After that, riders will be accepted on a case-by-case basis only for returning riders and those with serious interest.

A total of 250 signed up, with 121 riders registering on the first day alone. Then some riders withdrew, and others signed up, hoping to get the open positions, Bednarski said.

There were 247 participants as of Feb. 17. With the 250-rider cap, three spots remain available.

"We've gradually increased the registration fee to filter out impulse shoppers," Bednarski says.

One hundred and eighty-five riders registered in the year leading up to the 2021 Cannonball and 269 so far in 2023, many in the first months of registration. Cause of the surge is a combination of factors:

• Increased awareness of the event, through social media, online forums and news coverage.
• More interest among long-distance and adventure riders.
• A greater appreciation of scooters as adventure vehicles.

And, perhaps most notably, stories of camaraderie and community.

USA TODAY talked again with 10 of the Cannonball riders we interviewed last year. We asked about their best and worst days, and whether they plan to try again.

Here's a look ahead at 2023 and what riders remember about 2021.

— 2021 was Danielle Tarner's first Cannonball. She withdrew from the event on Day 5.

The 2021 Cannonball “was an incredibly intense experience, getting up well before light, trying to get on the road when it's still a little dark, not getting in until nighttime, still amped up on adrenaline and finding it hard to sleep,” Tarner says.

“The early morning, when we would start out, was just so calm. There was quiet beauty in those early hours, especially as we rode west. There were a million little moments like that."

A fellow rider and his wife gave Tarner "this amazing sandwich hoagie in Vermont after that day's ride. It was the best-tasting thing, the only thing I'd eaten that day, because there's no time to eat."

Riding was just "getting gas, water, bathrooms, throw a few nuts in your mouth, and get going. So sitting down with a cold beer and this hoagie was just phenomenal.

"I rode out a tremendous storm in Pennsylvania, trees and power lines were down and we were soaked to the bone. 

"But my shortest day was 12 hours, others more like 14. It was just brutal, which is why I didn't make it. I did a number on my knees just sitting there in that vibration for that many hours, day after day.

"I mentioned that to (event organizer) Dave Bednarski when I broke off. I said: 'I didn't do it this morning. I'm done. I'm calling it quits.'

"The ride ended and I was pretty beat up. When I got back, I sold the Super Cub. At one point, I thought I was going have to have some knee surgeries, but I've been able to postpone them through months and months of physical therapy."

Will she compete again?

"At this point, my answer is no," Tarner says. "But it's hard. It's hard to say no; a big part of me wants to.

"In 2023, I’d be more than happy to volunteer, to lend a hand in some way because it was such a cool experience. It’s such an amazing group of people that it just bums me to think about not being part of it."

Tarner says she won't be riding in 2023. "I'm three weeks out from knee surgery to revise a portion of my total joint replacement," Tarner said in February. "I honestly don't want to risk an accident that would further hurt either of my knees."

She is considering following up on volunteering.

— 2021 was Kim Estler's first Cannonball.

Like Danielle Tarner, downed trees in Pennsylvania delayed Kim Estler. "I got stuck in a forest because of a big storm," Estler says. "Trees were down. Other riders came up behind me, and we were asking, 'What do we do now?'

"Luckily, a fellow and his girlfriend arrived in a pickup truck. He and some riders hooked up trees to the truck and he pulled branches out of the way so we could get by."

Estler has registered for 2023.

"I was thinking yes," Estler says. "When I got home from the 2021 ride, a friend said, ‘Are you going to do this again?’ And I said, ‘No.’”

But then "they came up with the 2023 and they’re making it a little bit easier. It’s starting to become a more attractive option to ride, with fewer days and less miles. There’s just going to be a lot of heat.”

Estler had a few punishing days because of bad roads, including Day 7 in Wyoming, where she and four or five other riders bypassed 60 miles of unpaved roads and took highways instead. Fellow Cannonball rider Linda Hurley fell and broke three ribs here. Estler had fallen on the previous day and considered the detour the prudent thing to do.

But Day 10 was the worst, Estler says.

"We ended up on a supposedly paved service road up a hill and back down again," she told USA TODAY. It was a remote road with "potholes, fallen rocks and broken pavement. Some folks later described it as a meteorite field.

"I actually made it up and down without falling but I was scared to death," Estler says. "I made it down the hill, approaching a stop sign to get on Highway 299. I stopped and leaned too far to the left, and that’s where I went down. 

“Somebody helped me get the scooter up and I started riding, but at that point I could tell mentally I wasn’t all there. It felt like I was leaning to the left. I stopped for gas and said to myself, ‘That’s it.’

She stopped riding at that point.

"Part of me feels bad about it, and part of me thinks safety and mentally it was the right thing to do," she says. The support truck arrived and she and her scooter were taken to the end. "They say yes, I finished it," Estler says. "But I did not ride the last 50 miles."

“Starting off was fantastic," Estler says. "There's 70-some scooters on this pier at the start. And you take off and there's a vibe. And everybody’s into it."

During the rally, “people met us at checkpoints, people who weren’t riding. They’d ask questions and cheer us on and ask questions. At one stop a dad and a little girl wearing tutus were cheering us on. People were having fun.

"In Minnesota, a whole scooter group showed up. I think they were called the No-Name Scooter Club. They came as a group and we were like, 'Wow, this was really nice of you guys.' "

Estler has kept in contact with some competitors and has planned some rides. "Some people, they make best friends for life. I think I was just trying to finish and go to bed.

"But I've met people I'll probably know for the rest of my life. There's definitely a camaraderie in that we've all done this now."

"I would say: research, research, research," Estler says. "I knew what I thought was going to happen by being a member on modernvespa.com. I read years of threads and noted what parts people ended up replacing along the way. So I brought tons of different parts.

"Definitely know your route. Know your scooter. Make sure you have it in good condition before you start. Have backup parts and whatever else you’ll need ready."

And finally: Use a two-piece rain suit. “A woman should not wear a one-piece suit while getting in and out of the bathroom.”

"I’ve recently decided not to participate in the 2023 Scooter Cannonball," Estler told USA TODAY in February.

"I had registered for it, but realized my heart wasn’t into it," she says. "I let my support truck team – which included Pam March – know.

"If I did ride, I would have used the same scooter, my 2013 Vespa 300 GTS. It did wonderfully in 2021 and already has the dents from that ride. So, I wasn’t going to hurt anything," Estler says.

— 2021 was Brook Dain’s second Cannonball.

Kim Estler – and Brook Dain – were impressed by folks who came out to cheer on Cannonball riders. “Previously, the Cannonball’s been kind of an underground event," Dain says. "People had no idea.

"But this one people knew about, and they said: ‘Hey, that's coming through my town. I'm gonna hang out by this road and wave and make a sign and cheer them on,’" he says.

Other riders said they were also moved by fans showing up.

Dain has registered. “I’m going to try something new,” he says. “In 2023, they’re reinstituting engine size classes (more points awarded for smaller engines). So about six months back, I bought a derelict 2004 Vespa GT 200.

“It had been laying on its side in the mud in somebody's backyard for two years and the guy promised me it would never run again. And it is in rough shape.

“But I have it running and I’ve commuted to work a couple of times on it. That scooter will be completely torn apart and fixed for the Cannonball."

Riding with a friend on Day 3, “I heard a loud boom on my scooter,” Dain says. “I had blown off the back end of my exhaust. So all of a sudden I was riding something louder than the most obnoxious Harley ever."

There was no way to fix it, and a new exhaust wasn't immediately available.

“We still probably had 300 miles to go, and it was the worst, like riding a motorcycle without a muffler,” he says. “I made quite a few tourists angry as we rode through the Black Hills of South Dakota and through the Mount Rushmore area on a beautiful day.

"People were pulling over and stopping, shaking their fists," Dain says. “Yeah, they hated me.”

“I would probably say the people,” Dain says. “We had a lot of fans come out and wait by the side of the road or at checkpoints.

“I thought it was great because scooter clubs from these small towns would come out and treat us like rock stars."

But since Dain and fellow Cannonballers needed to make time, “I felt like I had to apologize to all of them. I’d talk to them for a couple of minutes and take some selfies and say, ‘I'm sorry, but I gotta go. We're on the clock. But I really appreciate you coming out.’”

“I would say the biggest, scariest thing that takes people out of Cannonball is mechanical,” Dain says. “Know basic maintenance, how to change a belt and your oil.

“You don't have to be the best mechanic in the world, and you don't have to know how to rebuild your scooter,” he says. “If you've got a serious problem, there's plenty of parking lot camaraderie and people are more than willing to help.

“Maybe if you know the basics, you can help somebody who didn't come as prepared.”

Finally, "get physically fit. You don't have to be a superstar athlete," Dain says, but get yourself in shape.

"Yes, I’m still planning on riding this summer," Dain told USA TODAY in February.

"I will be riding a 2006 Vespa GT200 that I am currently building. The engine is on the bench and disassembled for a complete rebuild.

"The scooter is now orange and I have named him Beaker, as in the muppet," Dain says. "It has an air of panic and desperation."

— 2021 was Timothy Jackson's first Cannonball.

Brook Dain's Vespa lost its muffler, but Timothy Jackson lost more – his Vespa was severely damaged in a crash. He ended up buying a replacement Vespa in Cleveland and riding to the finish, but because he used a different scooter, he was disqualified.

"Absolutely," Jackson says. He and a few riders will band together in 2023 in a group that will be called Team Gone Baby. A fellow rider gave him the name: "he told me that every time I passed him, he'd say, 'You gone, baby.'"

For Jackson, it was Day 1, the day he crashed his Vespa.

"Someone slammed on their brakes in a hairpin turn," Jackson says. "To avoid them, I went off-road and dumped the bike." The result was bent handlebars and rear brakes that didn't work.

Fortunately, Jackson wasn't hurt. "The helmet and equipment did their job of protecting me," he says but his Vespa couldn't be fixed. He ended up buying a second Vespa in Cleveland and finishing the rally on it.

Cannonball rules say riders must use only one scooter for the rally. The loss of his original Vespa meant Jackson couldn't accumulate more points though he could ride his replacement scooter and finish the event.

Continuing after the accident, Jackson met people "at a lot of checkpoints and I took time to say hello and take photos." Some told him they'd been following his Cannonball videos online.

"It was really nice to kind of sit back and actually enjoy the event for what it was, instead of trying to hustle and get through it as quickly as I could," he says.

"I never visited most of the U.S. that we went through," Jackson says. "Riding through places like Wyoming was just amazing. All the beautiful landscapes and being out on the open road and I took the time to take it all in.

"So it was a blessing in disguise that my first bike went down," he says. In 2023, "I'll definitely ride hard, but I'll have a different outlook."

Take care in what you take, Jackson says. "I brought and packed so much stuff and I ended up using about 5 percent of it. I even took too many clothes."

In 2023, "I'll bring a couple of parts that might break down and things like that. And usually when you get into someplace, if you really need tools, you can find them.

"Pack light and come with no expectations," Jackson says. "Just come for the sheer experience."

Jackson says he'll be riding in June. "My wife and I will both be there," Jackson said in February.

His wife Serena will be driving his support vehicle again, "and I'll be riding Sunshine," the orange Vespa he bought in Cleveland as a replacement during last year's event.

— 2021 was Cletha Vaillancourt's first Cannonball.

Tim Jackson's crash was among a few that Cletha Vaillancourt remembers. "One other person had three crashes," Vaillancourt says. "We know of another who crashed very badly on the first day."

At one point, Vaillancourt and her husband, Eric, found a rider sprawled in gravel. "Fortunately, we were right there and Eric got her bike picked up and got her sorted out. Her bike was OK. We stayed until she was calm enough to continue."

"You bet," Vaillancourt says.

She and Eric, who finished 27th, will use the same Honda ADV 150 scooters they rode in 2021.

Cletha's Adventures: cletha-adventures.blogspot.com 

"That's our plan, unless something better comes along," Vaillancourt says. "Our little Hondas performed flawlessly. And Eric picked the right tires for all kinds of terrain and the distance. I still have the same tires on my scooter."

"I think the hardest days for me were two back-to-back 500-mile days. Both included some torrential rain," Vaillancourt says. "I think one of those days it took us like 12 or 14 hours to do the 500 miles."

"On the second day we're riding along and see this big black wall of cloud coming at us, just scary dark. And I said to Eric, 'shall we pull over now and put our rain gear on? Or shall we wait until we're already wet?'

"As soon as we pulled over, the rain started and we tucked under a little awning at a farm equipment place. Then it just let loose – sideways and howling winds and torrential rain. I'm so glad we didn't ride in that."

"There were a lot, but probably my biggest highlight was crossing the Mackinac Bridge," she says. "I'd never been over it. And I was so excited because the rain quit just before we got on the bridge.

"Of course, there was construction on the paved lane so we had to ride the (metal) grate side for a while. But that little scooter is so freaking cool. You just point it and it goes. So I didn't get scared at all. I was really thrilled with crossing the Mac."

Overall, "It was such good, silly fun and sometimes we couldn't help but laugh out loud," Vaillancourt says.

"We had several situations where people came out to greet us. Near the end, a group of people at a gas station had free drinks for us, water and sodas. They just wanted to participate in a small way. That was a lot of fun."

"Get a lot of miles under your butt," Vaillancourt says. "Be able to handle it. That's what we did on our scooters. We'd do 100 miles and the next time we'd do 150. And we'd keep at it and just kept bumping it until 350 to 400 miles per day was not a big deal," she says.

"The other thing I would say is wear appropriate motorcycle attire.

"And don't crash."

Cletha Vaillancourt and her husband Eric still plan to compete.

"We both plan on riding the 2023 Scooter Cannonball Run and we'll both be on our 2021 Honda ADV 150 scooters, thesame ones we used in 2021," Vaillancourt said in February.

"This year we'll be starting on the west coast so we have some logistics to work out, but we're getting it done."

— 2021 was Eric Semple's first Cannonball.

Like Cletha Vaillancourt, Eric Semple remembers crossing the Mackinac Bridge. However, "I had a come-to-Jesus moment," he says. "There's concrete and a metal grate. Twelve-inch scooter tires on the grid don't work." The grate reduces tire grip and a scooter or motorcycle can feel unstable.

"We crossed in the wind and I felt totally vulnerable. It was terrifying and exhilarating."

"Absolutely," Semple says. "I had to negotiate with my wife. She's kind of resigned to the fact that I'm going to ride again."

“For me, it was getting to the starting line,” Semple says. COVID-19 restrictions and traveling from Canada complicated his arrival. A delay with the shipping company was resolved when a truck driver made a special trip and got Semple’s Vespa to him in Massachusetts.

“So this guy showed up and we unloaded the bike in the midst of this unbelievable pouring rain,” Semple says. “I hugged it. I had a tear in my eye and I was hugging my bike going, ‘This is awesome.’”

"Moment may not be the best way to explain it, but the best thing was the community," Semple says. "The Scooter Cannonball community is absolutely spectacular and super friendly. And everybody helps everybody.

"There were a lot of funny and inspirational moments," Semple says. "It's amazing when you're riding all by yourself over the Great Divide, 10,000 or 11,000 feet high and you park the bike on the side of the road and stand there, looking at the sights."

The oddest moment may have been in a trading post/gas station outside of Traverse City, Michigan. After riding in heavy rain, Semple went inside, dripping wet, to pay for gas.

"This guy walks up to me. He was with his wife, and it turns out he's a pastor from a big evangelical church in South Florida," Semple says. "They have a summer home in Michigan. He asks me what I'm doing and I tell him about riding a scooter in the Cannonball.

"He grabs my hand, says, 'Mother?' and his wife takes my other hand and then they join hands. I'm now in the middle of a pastor's prayer circle.

"He says, 'What's your name, young man?' and I tell him. He starts praying over me in the middle of this trading post, asking for 'a blessing on this adventure' and he finishes and they say goodbye to me and the woman behind the counter. They walk out, leaving me standing there with my hands open.

"The counter woman says to me, 'You're not overly religious, are you?'"

"I think mental preparation is important," Semple says. "Read the forums and talk to the people in the community so you can anticipate what will happen.

"Be prepared, but don't be over-prepared, be measured. I took too much stuff. And I wasn't the only one. I saw people on their second ride who still had way too much."

Semple says he'll be at the starting line in June. "I'm eager and ready to ride in the 2023 Scooter Cannonball."

But while "many repeat riders are exploring riding lighter, smaller displacement scooters, in hopes of gaining competitive advantage, I'll stick with my 2012 Vespa GTV 300, the same scooter I rode in 2021," he said in February.

"I'm too emotionally attached to my Vespa GTV."

"I've been doing the preparatory maintenance over the winter months, mapping the route and pulling together spare parts, tools, and supplies required for the event," Semple says.

— 2021 was Linda Hurley's first Cannonball.

Eric Semple was surprised to find himself in an impromptu prayer circle in Michigan, but Linda Hurley was astonished to meet two of her brothers at a Cannonball checkpoint in Fryeburg, Maine.

"They're twins," Hurley says. "I pulled in to get gas and they're like, 'Hey, Linda!'"

She has already signed up but has changed her rider name to Goldengirl. "I'm going to use the same scooter, a Yamaha SMAX," Hurley says. "I'm going to use the same number, 24. It needs a lot of repairs because, I had a few wipeouts and I beat it up pretty bad."

Broken ribs.

On a stretch of bad road on Day 7 in Wyoming, "I wiped out in deep sand a few times and ended up breaking three ribs," Hurley says.

It was her third fall of the rally. 

In one fall, "my front tire went down, I went off the high side, and the bike fell on my left leg. It was stuck under the bike. It's like 95 degrees, there's no one around, and I couldn't get my leg out from under it.

"I had to unzip my boot and wiggle my foot out. Luckily, some guys came along and helped me lift up the bike. For a while I thought I was going to be buzzard food," Hurley says.

In the last fall, "I'm thinking, 'Oh, I did some damage.' I was pretty sure I did break my ribs – you know, when you can't catch your breath, and you have that amount of pain when you breathe in. 

"My attitude sort of went downhill at that point," she says. "I was in pain and I'm like, 'What did I get myself into?' I didn't know it was going to be this bad."

The pain was bad but she kept riding, because "I didn't have much of a choice. I suppose I could've shipped the bike home but I just pushed on."

She later realized her Yamaha was overloaded, which contribute to the scooter's instability.

"In hindsight, I would have done a lot better on the dirt but I was carrying way too much weight on my bike," Hurley says.

"I had a gallon-and-a-half container of gas, plus two 30-ounce containers, plus a very heavy top case in the back," she says. "I never did weigh it, but I guess I was carrying 100 extra pounds, very high up on the back of my bike."

For her ribs, "I had some prescription anti-inflammatories with me, which really helped a lot," Hurley says. "I don't think I took them until like Day 9, though. I just rode."

She finished the rally and then rode another 700 miles home. "So I guess I probably did over 2,000 miles with the broken ribs," she says. The fractures weren't detected until she got a CAT scan a few days later, which found what the X-ray missed.

"Finishing was the best moment," Hurley says, but another highlight was unexpectedly meeting her two brothers at a checkpoint in Maine.

"I didn't know they'd be there," she says. "They came all that way, one from Massachusetts, the other from Virginia. I hadn't seen one of them in nine years."

One of Hurley's brothers has signed up for the 2023 Cannonball. (His rider name is Goldenboy.) Although they'd like to ride together, "we haven't really worked out the details," Hurley says. "Our riding styles are different."

"Pack light," Hurley says. "Check your tire pressure every day. Study the route – a lot."

She's suffered some severe injuries but, "I’m still planning on riding in the SCBR in June 2023," Hurley said in February. Her rider name will be Goldengirl but her number will still be 24.

"Despite my setback of the broken hip and hip replacement six months ago, I think I’ve finally turned the corner and can envision being able to make it across the country without too much drama," she says.

"I plan on avoiding dirt tracks on day 2,3, and 4 but still hitting all the checkpoints and bonus locations."

"I’ll be riding the same scooter as in 2021, a 2018 Yamaha SMAX with some minor modifications, which are mainly for weight reduction – no top case and fuel mounted low, with minimal luggage for clothes," Hurley says.

"Only the necessities."

— 2021 was Seth Hershey's first Cannonball.

Linda Hurley got an unexpected visit from two brothers, but Seth Hershey found he really missed his family while riding.

"I want to compete in 2023," Hershey told USA TODAY. "I have a lot to sort out personally before I can commit, though." He's a certified Vespa mechanic and the owner of Metro Scooter in Cincinnati.

"I'll definitely be using a different scooter," Hershey says. "That's part of the adventure for me."

"Two things come to mind," Hershey says:

• First, I missed my family. I wanted them to be experiencing what I got to see and smell.
• Second, that's a lot of time in the saddle. That was less a problem about sore anatomy, more a general fatigue.

"The more challenging the road, the better the going was. Boring miles are tiring miles; 'butt-ache straights' are what I called them."

"My favorite part was the "quiet time" inside my helmet," Hershey says. "I did a lot of talking with God there."

"If you want to compete, keep in mind that this is not a team sport," he says. "If you don't feel like you can be out there alone, it's probably not for you.

"However, if you want to experience an organized cross country trip with other scooterists, it might be perfect. The evenings are great fun with plenty of socializing to make up for the solo journey each day."

"Yes, I am planning to participate, on a Genuine Buddy Kick 125," Hershey said in February.

"The Buddy Kick is pretty tiny," Hershey told USA TODAY. "It probably makes between 10 and 12 hp.

"It's also a much shorter wheel base and tire size then most competitors, but the suspension is really nice so it's softer than it deserves to be for it's small size.

"I prefer the smaller bike for the better handicap and fuel mileage," Hershey says.

— 2021 was Pamela March's second Cannonball.

Seth Hershey enjoyed quiet meditation in his helmet during long days in the saddle, but Pam March wishes she could have kept a cooler head during stressful moments of her Cannonball ride.

"Yes! I’m eager to register and to start planning my route," March told USA TODAY. "I’m also eagerly hoping for a “third time's the charm” for my next rider performance."

"My behavior, at times," March says. Her Vespa GT 200 had a series of mechanical difficulties, and "I was completely physically and mentally exhausted. I had a few meltdowns like Donald Duck having cursing quack attacks. I’m sorry to those who were around me during those fits. I aim to keep a cool head next time."

"The camaraderie of the entire scooter community," she says. "This includes the organizers, the riders, the support truck drivers, and my support truck team, 'Not Fast, Just Furious,' with driver Steve and teammates: Cheryl, Kimbered, and GotMojo. And the friends, family, and enthusiasts who followed the event.

"I still get choked up, thinking about everyone coming together to help keep gopam going," she says.

"Research and prepare," March says. "Make sure your scooter is in tip-top condition. Carry spare parts. Scooter parts are not easily found in remote towns along the route. 

"The hardest part is getting to the starting line. If you need to ship your scooter and fly to the start, I highly recommend MotoShippers.com."

Finally, "consider getting there multiple days before the start. In 2021, Mother Nature’s Hurricane Elsa almost kept me from riding the Cannonball."

"Yes, I’m competing again in 2023," March said in February.

A fellow rider, GotMojo, "is helping rebuild the 2007 Vespa GT200 so I’ll be cannonballing on the GT200 for the third time! Third time’s the charm!"

— 2021 was Dave Bednarski’s sixth Cannonball.

Pam March's Vespa had persistent electrical difficulties during the Cannonball, but Dave Bednarski says navigational problems were the most exasperating part of his ride.

"I'm registered to ride in 2023," Bednarski says. "I'll likely ride my 2021 scooter, a Vespa HPE SuperTech, again."

However, "I've started an ambitious rebuild of my 2007 Vespa GTS that I've completed four of my six Cannonballs on. It would be exciting to get a 5th finish on that bike."

"Navigation was, hands down, my stumbling point in 2021," Bednarski says. "My ride was well planned but riddled with unforced errors."

Checkpoint and bonus locations, combined with high-mileage days, "required a level of focus that I could not maintain to have that 'perfect' 10-day ride."

"By Day 7, I was feeling mentally and physically worn down and ready to wrap it up," he says.

"The morning's route took us down a lengthy desolate and challenging dirt road, and in its final miles, we crested its last hill. Ahead was a vast western sky, as far as you could see in any direction, and not a single sign of life.

"It was terrifying, but it reminded me why I continue doing this event," he says. "I've been chasing that flavor of terror since my first Cannonball — 24 years old, alone in the Nevada desert, crossing the country on a scooter."  

"You're responsible for your own safety," Bednarski says. "Even among the most seasoned riders, there's adrenaline and excitement during these events.

"It's important to have a heightened awareness of your skills and abilities to ride within your means."

"Yes, I am still planning on competing," Bednarski said in February. "I'll ride a Vespa HPE SuperTech, the same scooter I rode in 2021."

This will be his seventh Cannonball.

________

SOURCE USA TODAY research; scootercannonball.com