One-hundred antique motorcycle racers will rev their way through the streets of Cape Girardeau next year.
The Motorcycle Cannonball Run will stop in Cape Girardeau on September 9, 2014 for an overnight stay. The 4,100 hundred mile journey stretches from Daytona Beach, Florida to Tacoma, Washington.
Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau public relation director Stacy Dohogne Lane said all the bikes will pre-date 1936.
“The very first event, in 2010, all the bikes had to be 1915 or older. Whenever they did it in 2012, they bumped it up to 1929 or older. Then for for 2014, the bikes are going to have to be manufactured in 1936 or prior to that. So all of these bikes are going to be true vintage motorcycles,” Lane said.
The ride will avoid interstates highways in favor of smaller roads.
“So many of the motorcycle folks that we’ve talked to have just been shocked that these people are going to be riding 4,100 miles on a vintage bike. Back then, bikes were built along much more utilitarian lines. They don’t always have the modern comforts that you see on a lot of newer motorcycles, so it definitely has its own set of challenges.”
Lane said the event is similar to The Great Race, which stopped in Cape Girardeau earlier this year, but will be a little smaller, and she hopes to involve the community in the Motorcycle Cannonball Run stop.