Howdy! Iam Alex if you are looking at this you have found the cannonball!!!! Your life will never be the same….. old motorcycles are more addicting then drugs! Just take a ride kid I won’t tell your mom! Anyhow all jokes aside old motorcycles are my life and my fellow riders and enthusiasts are my family away from my kids, who don’t understand why dad is so crazy about motorcycles! Many thanks to Lonnie for putting the cannonball together and Jason and his wife Lee Ann for keeping it going and all their hard work to make it better. Thank you to all the staff without you we would be lost! Can’t wait to see you in September! If you are not connected with the cannonball yet I encourage you to come out to one of our stops closest to you and visit let’s get you involved or at least a T shirt! Lol

Italian 50 years hold, Harley Davidson collector, married with Chiara, we have 4 children. Medium expert rider, medium expert mechanic. Friend of patina garage Italy

I have been riding motorcycles since 1977. I got my first Harley in 1984 and have never been without one since. I’ve had Panhead’sShovelhead’s, evo’s,twin cams, and m8’s. These old F heads have always fascinated me. I rode in 2016, 2018 and 2021 cannonball, but on my modern bike, for a few states. My first time as a participant and I’m very excited to be a part of this journey.

As a kid, I always loved figuring out how things worked. I would take anything electrical or mechanical apart to try to fix it or repurpose the components. At 9 years old, my parents bought me my first mini bike for Christmas, which I nicknamed my Harley. When I was 11, I remember shopping with my Mom at a local department store. That day, she bought me my very first Harley t-shirt & I was so proud to wear it. I spent most of my youth riding around on the trails in the backwoods of Shawano, Wisconsin where I grew up. By 14, I had acquired a fleet of 7 different bikes that I paid for by washing dishes at a local restaurant. Growing up, I was far from a model student & preferred being in the garage to being in school. In 1989, at 15 years old, the school guidance counselor offered me an opportunity to earn school credits working at the local Harley shop, Doc’s Harley-Davidson. After a few weeks on the job, Steve “Doc” Hopkins offered me the opportunity to work not just for school credit, but for a wage as well. It was a dream come true to be paid to immerse myself in my passion of working on not just any motorcycles, but Harley-Davidson motorcycles. At 16, I built my first Harley, an Ironhead Sportster, from used parts I bought from Doc. One of the major turning points in my youth was Doc giving me the opportunity to attend Harley school in Milwaukee at 16 years old. It was the first time in my life that I enjoyed attending school. In 1998, Doc’s daughter Kersten & I started dating. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect match of a person to share my life with. We were married in 2004 & have 3 boys, Ethan (13), Aksel (10), & Aidan (5). Our shared history & deep understanding of each other makes us a great team in balancing the co-managing of Doc’s Harley-Davidson & our home life. I had my first experience with the Cannonball in 2016 when Kersten & I helped crew for Doc & Dawn. In 2018, I proudly supported Kersten (#53) & her Dad (#52) while they both successfully completed the Cannonball with perfect scores. In 2021, I was able to participate & achieve a perfect score on my 1924 H-D. Over the years, Doc has been an inspirational mentor to me. Riding my 2nd Cannonball will definitely be an experience of a lifetime.

#119 BERT MISKELL Frederick, MD 1913 Harley-Davidson 9B Bert Miskell will be riding his 1913 Harley Davidson in his fourth Motorcycle Cannonball. As a novice antique motorcycle owner and rider in the 2016 Motorcycle Cannonball, he became an obsessed, enthusiast well before the finish line in Carlsbad. When preparing for and riding in 2016, he discovered a community of antique bike enthusiasts across the country from riders and collectors, to vendors and “wrenches”. The adventure, comradery and sheer enjoyment of seeing America up close and personal made running in 2018 and 2021 an irresistible temptation that continues for the 2023 run. Bert owns several modern Harleys and an Indian Chief. He had no intention of buying an antique bike until he read an article in American Iron magazine about the Motorcycle Cannonball. Determined to ride in 2016, he found Trista, had her rebuilt and made race ready by Matt Walksler in less than 10 months. Bert started the run with only a few weeks riding experience on the 1915. After a few mistakes, extreme heat, torrential rain and a ride on the “bus of shame”, #119 made an acceptable showing. Hoping to have the 1913 ready for 2018, Bert scoured the country for necessary parts across the country. Unforeseen events prevented completion of the ’13 so he turned to Trista. With minimal preparation, Bert and Trista finished the race missing only 65 miles due to a flat tire. The motor Matt Walksler built for 2016 went coast to coast twice without a hiccup! In preparation for the 2021 Cannonball, initially set for 2020, Bert continued his search to secure the last few elusive parts. Jake Reed, crew chief and mechanic on the 2016 Cannonball, worked feverishly to get the bike ready. Once more the 1913 wasn’t road ready, the pandemic disrupted the availability of parts and even the ability to get parts fabricated. Once again Trista was pulled out of the garage and with minimal preparation at Retrocycle started her third run across the country. And boy did she run – despite a grueling route, record rains and metal shavings in the oil she made every mile. Bert and Trista won Class 2 with the help of mechanic James Hamersly, fellow riders and their teams, and good folks along the way. More dedicated to the spirit of the Motorcycle Cannonball than ever, Bert and his support team look forward to renewing friendships and facing the challenges of another epic trip. By the way, the 1913 is going to be ready for 2023!