The All-Star Motorcycle Circus

Before meeting Eddie I had never heard of "long distance motorcycling". My knowledge of motorcycling was so limited that I never realized that there was any diversity at all related to riding a two-wheeled vehicle.

My, how times have changed. Within a year of meeting this man I was not only riding with him, but I had my own bike and my motorcycle endorsement. Within our first anniversary I had traveled extensively via motorcycle and was in the process of buying a Honda Gold Wing (our first major purchase together) so we could comfortably travel the country. And enter long distance rallies.

A long distance rally is the sport of covering as many miles as necessary within a set time frame to gather the most points to win the rally. It is the art of combining skill, stamina, timing, mathematics, reading comprehension and luck to come out on top. I found myself engaged to one of the best in the country.

A long distance rider takes great pleasure in enduring all of the trials, tribulations, discomfort, excitement, boredom and enormous satisfaction of riding a motorcycle for as long as it takes to get to where ever he or she wants to go.

Remember the movie, "Forrest Gump"? Forrest runs across the country and when he finally reaches the Pacific Ocean, he simply turns around and goes back to Alabama. This is EXACTLY what LD riders do. Just.... because.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of other people like Eddie wandering amongst you. They are young, old, male, female, rich, poor, all races, religions and nationalities. As I've gotten to know this strange group, I have found a couple of common traits - among them, a true sense of adventure and an amazingly resilient spirit. This sport is not for those who need a comfy pillow, clean restrooms and well-prepared food to survive. And if you can't handle the elements - hot, cold, wet, dry - it probably isn't for you either. Oh, and did I mention break downs & tire problems in the most desolate locations you can imagine? And then there is the wildlife (both four & two legged) that just want to jump out at you at the most unexpected times.

I had found my people. Finally.

And while my own riding future is in limbo.. my good friends in this community continue to make me proud to know them.
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Remember Arlene Liska from Niobrara? Well, in the early 60's Arlene & her husband Danny traveled by motorcycle to Tierra Del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. Since then a few of Eddie's friends have done the same thing.

And now it is my friend Lisa's turn. She and her riding partner left southern California for the long journey to Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. She and Dean have endured crooks, excruciatingly long border crossings, language barriers, rain, bad roads, mud slides, leaky clothes, sickness and every other thing that goes with traveling via motorcycle. But they wouldn't have it any other way.

Eddie dreamed of this trip. He talked about it all the time.

So, I asked Lisa to take him with her. She enthusiastically agreed.

Riders: The All-Star Motorcycle Circus
Date: February 1, 2011
Location: Machu Picchu, Peru

http://www.allstarmccircus.com/