Thursday’s ride was kicked off by a broken and battered Mike Carson manning the flag duties to wave off the enthusiastic racers. It was an incredible day of sunshine, warm temps and even warmer hospitality as riders were treated to lunch at Workman Harley-Davidson, Rock Falls, Illinois where the place was rocking with enthusiastic folks who just wanted to see the old bikes as they made their way through the area before crossing the Mississippi River. The 229 mile route wound through cornfields and backwater towns before delivering riders to the National Motorcycle Museum, Anamosa, Iowa. After dinner at the museum, riders were allowed to trailer their bikes the remaining 25 miles to Cedar Rapids for the night.
The grind of riding and wrenching is starting to wear on the competitors as they work their way towards their one day of rest scheduled for Sturgis, South Dakota on Monday, which is still 882 miles away. Tomorrow will be spent knocking out 274 miles of that with a lunch scheduled at Harley-Davidson of Mason City, Mason City, Iowa before dinner at the only Indian Motorcycle facility visit on the trip. You can visit the riders at the Indian Motorcycle Factory and Experience Center in Spirit Lake, Iowa on Friday afternoon.