Mike's Big Ride

About one year ago, Mike Perrett began preparing a 175cc Hodaka for a ride from Rouseville, Pennsylvania to Hodaka Days 2008 in Athena, Oregon. He figured that the overall trip would cover about 2400 miles. Perrett, a seasoned rider, planned to cover an average of 300 miles per day staying on state roads rather than using Interstates.

He kept his plans secret from all but a few until just a couple days before he left Rouseville on Tuesday morning, June 10th.

On June 16th, having traveled over 2500 miles, he rolled into Athena, avoiding any fanfare traps that had been set. That quiet arrival was typical of Mike; he's described by friends as a "man of few words." He made a couple phone calls from the Doubletree Cafe and wended his way to Harry Taylor's where he pitched his tent for the night. He also washed down his bike and joined in some tall tale swapping in Harry's workshop over the next couple days.

Photo Credit: Stu Osborn

Photo Credit: Rick Mott

Photo Credit: Rick Mott

The Actual Trip ...

During the trip, he checked in daily for weather updates with his son back in Pennsylvania and also with Rick Mott, who was driving 1-2 days behind him just in case Mike needed emergency back-up; rick was prepared to go to the rescue. Fortunately, this proved entirely unnecessary! Rick also provided daily updates on Mike's Big Ride to the online Hodaka Owners group on yahoo. Rick reported, for example, that Mike had said, after some days on the road, that if there happened to be any award for someone riding a Hodaka the farthest to Hodaka Days 2008, he "hoped the prize is a pillow." (In this he got his wish, as a package was handed to him at the Saturday banquet.) He also admitted that each time he got off the bike and back on, he wondered if he was "too old for this."

The bike is outfitted with a reserve fuel tank and a windshield. Mike built the engine himself, to Hodaka specs, with advice from Strictly Hodaka’s Paul Stannard located in Rhode Island and award-winning veteran Hodaka rider Harry Taylor of Athena.

The load of gear on the bike weighed between 40 and 50 pounds. Mike did 18 fill-ups on the trip, getting about 70 miles on his primary tank and 60 on the reserve tank. Each fill-up required dismantling his packed gear, and taking off the bike seat in order to access and open the oil cap.

Along the way, Mike made sure his bike saw the sights and was strategically placed for photos! He is now generously sharing these photos of some of his trip's highlights with all of us.

The bike in Mike's Rouseville yard.

First night: Paulding, Ohio at the Woodbridge Campgrounds.

In the Fort Wayne area, Mike's stator plate came loose. His flywheel puller was with Rick Mott 2 days away. A "mayday" went out on Hodaka Owners group but Mike proved pretty self-reliant, as Stu Osborn found when he gave Mike a jingle: "He was able to get some assistance from a gas station and with a hammer, popped the flywheel loose. The screws holding the stator plate had vibrated out and were rubbing against the flywheel but Mike says he cinched them down real tight this time."

The collective sigh of relief at the Hodaka Owners email group could be heard cross-country! Mike covered 449 miles on 2nd day, reaching Mount Pleasant, Iowa.	Nothing like a clean shot down a straight mid-west road! Mike lucked out and missed the worst of onslaught of storms and tornadoes and floods through Iowa.	Mike's bike enjoyed its Hall County campground in Grand Isle, Nebraska the 3rd night; Mike the invisible man? Anybody going to guess? Then Rick reported in: "427 miles from his last stop in Mt Pleasant, Iowa. He witnessed some of the flooding and wind damage on his ride through Iowa. After riding 2 hours in the rain, he broke though to beautiful riding weather."
Quite a job disrobing the bike and adding the oil! Having to remove all his packed gear to add oil made him wish (sort of) that he had used a 250 with a more convenient oil fill.	Mike's 4th day into Cheyenne covered 327 miles using I 80 due to lack of secondary roads and getting beat up by head winds. By Medicine Bow, he was at 8000 foot altitude and had re-jetted a leaner mixture for the altitude.	West of Laramie, Route 130, 10,847 foot elevation.

And on the fifth day ...

Reporter Rick sums up Mike's first legal hassle:

"Mike called from the Super 8 in Green River Wyoming. He did 302 miles today. Mike had a little trouble with the law today. He was stopped for not having his headlight on. He was not aware he needed it on. He asked the officer if he needed a helmet." The reply was, "No." As Rick tells it, "Mike was taken aback ... a headlight law, but no helmet law? This sounded like a paradox. The officer admitted he was right."

Mike, fighting a 30 MPH head wind and barely doing 40 MPH, demurred when the officer wondered if he could ride on the berm. Mike's response was: "Not with all that debris. I might get a flat."

Rick found Mike almost giddy about the incredible mountain views on one of the day 5 phone calls. Mike was checking in when he could, but found he had no cell reception at some altitudes --- as high as 11,000 feet! Rick also reported that in Green River Mike met "some old timer bikers. One told Mike he used to have a Hodaka dealership. Asked Mike if he wanted some NOS parts? Mike and I will be stopping there on the way back to Pennsylvania."

Near Green River, Wyoming.

Somewhere west of Garden City, Mike dropped down to a mere 7800 foot elevation. He found the scenery from Garden City to Logan some of the most spectacular landscape he'd ever seen.

On night six, Mike camped in Glens Ferry, Idaho.

And reading these signs, he knows he's on the final lap. He changes the jetting at Emigrant Springs.

If it's Monday, it must be Athena!