Where Are We Right Now?

Where Are We Right Now

Monday, April 28, 2014

Rider Numero Uno: Andy Eberhardt


Introducing, Andy Eberhardt, our first rider of the group:



"I bought my first motorcycle when I was 16 years old and have had one ever since.  I know my parents weren't found of the idea back in 1988 but my dad had a motorcycle since I remembered and whenever I saw him on it, he was smiling. Enough said. Riding is a big part of my life and serves as a critical outlet. Nothing is better than experiencing the thrill of acceleration on two wheels with the slight twist of the wrist.   The turns, the speed, the wind and even the proximity to danger is all part of the experience.  I love it!  I ride to work with every chance, I take my kids around the block often and my wife Nikki loves being a passenger as much as I love driving.

"I've always been up for a good adventure.  I consider myself incredibly spontaneous and even at the ripe age of 42, I often place myself in circumstances today that many would only consider in the immature High School days. I'm not sure I'm proud of that but that's just the way I'm wired.

"Over a year ago I visited my good friend and colleague's dental office. I'll never forget staring at the large map of the lower 48 he had hanging on his wall.  I love looking at maps but this one stood out. Steve had a route he drew that started in Utah and did this sideways horseshoe thing through the south, up the east coast and back across the Midwest to Oregon.  The route was marked with over 100 small flags with more dots than a good treasure map. My interest was piqued to the point of forgetting why I was even in his office. As I grilled him with question after question about this trip, I realized now looking back the seed was planted within my motorcycle soul.  At that point in time, Steve's trip had been put on hold due to several variables that went south.  I saw the disappointment in his face when he told me it was a dream that may not ever happen but his hope was still someday it might.

"Months later Steve told me that he put his foot in the ground and planned to do the 48/10 in the spring.  He expressed his window of time was closing to accomplish this tremendous endeavor and he was going to do it alone if he had to.  He casually invited me to join him but I knew that taking 13 days off from work, leaving my young family and buying the right bike to do this trip, didn't make a whole lot of sense.  The whole idea was extremely romantic but the reality was out of reach.

"Each time I saw Steve, he kept inviting me to join him. After the third and fourth polite "I don't think so", I figured it couldn't hurt to run the idea by my wife.  I love my wife more than anything in this life and when she said "you should do it", without hesitation, my love for her grew even deeper.

"So there you have it....all the right formulas for the 48/10:

1.  A knowledgeable and trusted planner in Steve 2.  A supportive and encouraging wife 3.  A flexible job 4.  The desire to do this thing

"and.....but wait.....you don't have the right motorcycle and the right motorcycle costs a lot of money!?!

"I convinced Nikki that if I bought a used Goldwing, I would sell it the day I returned from roaming around the United States for 10 days and hopefully get my money back. Give and take a few thousand dollars for fuel, tires, clothing, accommodations, food and the right equipment...this may be a cheap trip. :)  Yeah right.  Fortunately the timing was perfect as Nikki just returned home from a two week sabbatical alone in Dubai and she owed me.

"With the help from another business colleague, Jared Hansen, I found the perfect Goldwing in Tooele, Utah.  The owner fanatically took care and maintained this bike and added all the bells and whistles I could imagine.  It was older in years and miles but custom made for a trip like this.  Most importantly, the price was in the wheelhouse. The ironic thing about this find was that Jared, also a motorcycle fan, was the one who consistently reminded me of what a foolish idea the 48/10 was.  "If I were going to take that much time off work riding a motorcycle, I would spend time casually riding around scenic roads without a worry or timeline."  Of course I left out some of the other descriptive words he used like idiot, stupid and crazy.  Did I mention that Jared was the third idiot to join us on the 48/10?  He must be crazy and stupid.  In all seriousness, Jared is custom made for this trip and will be a perfect partner.

"Threes are always hard. Four riders, perfect.  I threw the idea out to a handful of friends after I purchased the Goldwing.  Many gave me the same sentiments that Jared previously shared but I seemed to have planted several seeds that unfortunately shriveled when the formularies for the 48/10 didn't line up.  There was one neighborhood friend that I thought might bite. His name is Marc Menlove. My family and Marc's family are very good friends. We do a lot together and mesh quite well. I spontaneously drove down to his house and privately presented the idea and told him I bought a bike.  I showed him pictures, described the map and planted the seed.

"For those husbands reading this, take note.  If you want to do something fun that normally your wife wouldn't approve of, find one of your spouses closest friends and promote self indulging activities with their husband. This strategy has never failed me and did not fail Marc.  A couple of weeks later Marc called me and said that he believed he got the "green light" from Mary and was in the process of looking for a bike.  Ca-Ching!!

"So there you have it, there's my story of the formation of four idiots who truly believe we are going to travel through 48 States in 10 Days cover over 8500 miles on two wheels.


"Buckle Up!"

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

For Those Who Don't Know...


“In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
-Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values


My gut reaction to the invitation was an emphatic “NO WAY!”. Okay, if we are being honest, there may have been a minor explicative thrown in my response for emphasis. The idea of riding a motorcycle through all 48 states in the continental U.S. in only 10 days sounded about as fun as getting my stomach pumped, binge watching the Twilight series, or listening to an endless playlist of Nickelback. More like the combination of all of those at once.

Secretly though, I was intrigued. I have been riding for years and even restoring old motorcycles, but a trip that long and grueling provided…street cred. To date, only 74 people have finished the 48/10. Yep, it all boiled down to bragging rights. And every man enjoys a little bragging rights.

So 2½ weeks out from the start date, I begin chronicling the prep, the team, the machines, and the journey from start to finish. There will be 4 of us participating in our group; Steve Peacock, Andy Eberhardt, Marc Menlove, and me, Jared Hansen. For those who want to follow our journey, this is the place.