Latest news with #ScooterCannonball
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A robotic horse? Motorcycle company continues to turn heads over concept
If self-driving cars feel otherworldly, a leading motorcycle manufacturer is looking to up the game with a futuristic, off-roading mobility vehicle that resembles a mechanical horse. Corleo, a concept introduced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, is a four-legged, all-terrain vehicle. Functioning similar to a motorcycle, Corleo is controlled by a rider's weight shifts. It features slip-resistant rubber hooves, a hydrogen-powered engine, and a digital navigation system. Known for its motorcycles, Kawasaki debuted Corleo in April, during the Japan World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The robot has been brought back to the forefront thanks to this recent June 19 post by @japan, an official account. managed by the Government of Japan , and this June 21 article in Forbes. #EXPO2025: Head to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan and check out the CORLEO from Kawasaki Group. The concept-model robot is ridden like a horse 🐎, powered sustainably by hydrogen fuel, and promises to be the future of transportation!#InnovationJapan — japan (@japan) June 19, 2025 A CGI YouTube video of the vehicle, racing through forests, scaling cliffs and jumping over rock formations, had more than 1.2 million videos, as of June 24. "Forget horses. Forget wheels. This thing walks like a beast," TikTok creator Tech Lab said in a video. "Rocks, stairs, whatever. It doesn't care. Not sci-fi, not a dream. It's Kawasaki and it's real." Intrigued to learn more? Here's what to know about Kawasaki's Corleo concept. 2025 Scooter Cannonball: Who's crazy enough to enter the Scooter Cannonball? These riders may surprise you Per a Kawasaki news release, here's a better look at what makes up Corleo: Power: 150cc hydrogen engine, mounted at the vehicle's rear Legs: Four mechanical legs. The rear and front legs move independently from each other to absorb shocks during walking and running. Hooves: Rubber, slip-resistant hooves that adapt to different terrain Navigation system: Digital system that displays hydrogen levels, route maps, a rider's center of gravity and during night, projection markers on the road's surface to indicate the path ahead In a news release, Kawasaki states that the Corleo concept could be released in 2050. Kawasaki has not indicated how much Corleo would cost upon availability. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kawasaki's robotic horse concept Corleo still turning heads
Forbes
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Scooter Cannonball Run Pushes Riders and Scooters To The Limit
Wide open spaces are not the usual purview of scooters, but the Scooter Cannonball riders will be ... More faced with long runs on very rural roads. Note: The author rides a Vespa GTS 300 but is not competing in this year's event. Check back in 2027, however. Driving from the picturesque coastal town of Seaside, Oregon, to South Padre Island off the coast of Texas is an undertaking no matter how you look at it. Google Maps estimates that the most direct route would take 37 hours of driving time to cover the 2,500 miles, so plan on at least three full days behind the wheel. Covering the same miles on a motorcycle would be more arduous as you're out in the elements, but on a bike like the top-spec $32,000 Indian Roadmaster PowerPlus Limited that I currently have in for review, certainly not too much of a hardship. But Sunday morning, several hundred brave riders will set out to complete the same journey on... motor scooters. Yes, scooters. Welcome to the 2025 Scooter Cannonball. Scooters—think Vespas and such—are designed to be efficient and affordable urban transportation, and they remain effective (and often stylish) tools for navigating crowded cities. Popular in Europe for decades and widely used as primary transportation in many Asian countries, scooters continue to be a somewhat fringe segment in the car-and-truck (and motorcycle) obsessed United States, where they are seen more as urban fun machines rather than dedicated modes of transport. However, this is beginning to change slowly in some American cities as their popularity grows, partly due to their economical operating costs, ease of parking and ability to cut through traffic. Gather a group of wheeled vehicles, and of course, there will be some racing involved. Every other year since 2004, brave riders have been journeying coast to coast (or border to border) in the Scooter Cannonball, a time/speed/distance competition that pits riders and machines against each other, nature, the clock, and a grueling route much longer than what Google Maps suggests, as it follows back roads, county byways, and even dirt paths. The riders have one week to complete the journey, although many won't succeed. The 2025 Scooter Cannonball route follows back roads and rural highways from Oregon to the Texas ... More coast. This map shows the most direct route if driven by car. Inspired by the original 'Cannonball Run' dreamed up by auto journalist Brock Yates in the 1970s, that experiment resulted in a still-entertaining 1981 movie led by Burt Reynolds. Yates named the race in honor of Erwin 'Cannonball' Baker, who repeated the coast-to-coast journey over 100 times by car and motorcycle beginning in the early 1900s, long before highways - or even paved roads - were common. Today, the Scooter Cannonball is made possible by the continued technical refinement of today's more modern machines (and much improved roads), but these small motorbikes are still pushed to the breaking point to complete the journey. The Scooter Cannonball was first run by nine riders in 2004. By 2023, 180 riders participated in the Scooter Cannonball, which took place in late June and spanned over 3,000 miles from San Clemente, California, to Hilton Head, South Carolina. This year, there are more than 250 entrants. Most hail from the United States, but scooterists from Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and even Romania are also entered. And yes, they do have to pay for the privilege of trying to cover around 400 miles per day on machines that typically don't see more than forty miles of riding per day. Or per week. Some of the boost in the event's popularity can likely be attributed to documentaries about the Scooter Cannonball, including The Big Scoot on Amazon Prime and It's Not A Race: The Scooter Cannonball Run (watch below). Scooters must be street legal, have wheels ten inches in size or less and have single-cylinder engines. They must also be 'scooters' with leg shields and step-through frames. Some modifications are allowed but every scooter must undergo technical and safety checks, and displacement is capped at 300cc or the new breed of 'mega' or 'maxi' scooters, such as the Suzuki Burgman 400 and Honda Silverwing, would likely dominate. However, the engine size cap was raised from 278cc to 300 cc this year to allow some popular Yamaha, Honda, and other 300cc-class machines to enter. Scooters as small as 50cc, along with a separate class for the new range of 125cc 'mini motos,' such as the Honda Grom, also compete and are given handicaps. Many riders choose 150cc models since they are a good compromise in terms of speed, comfort, carrying capacity and reliability. Ronald Sarayudej rode this Vespa 150 scooter in the 2023 Scooter Cannonball and managed to finish ... More well in his rookie outing. Modern scooters are robust and technically sophisticated. They feature liquid cooled engines, fuel injection, disc brakes (some with ABS), sophisticated suspension, automatic transmissions, and top speeds approaching 80 miles an hour in the 300cc class. Those capabilities may make it seem like entering such a machine would make the Scooter Cannonball easy to complete, but keep in mind even those models are primarily designed for low-speed, short-duration rides in urban centers, not hours of wide-open throttle on American highways while fully loaded (or overloaded) with gear and extra fuel. Before the race, the riders - who often go by colorful nicknames like 'BootScootinBenny,' 'Zwappy' and so on - are assigned numbers for tracking their progress. Riders must generally adhere to a set route and hit checkpoints within a specified time period, as well as consider riding to optional 'bonus' locations to earn extra points, albeit at the expense of time. While some riders have a support vehicle, most do not and must deal with any mechanical problems on their own. At night, the riders stay in hotels that have been reserved in advance. And yes, entrants can bring a passenger. The small wheels on a scooter make for a highway riding experience that requires full-time concentration, and riders must keep constant tabs on mechanical issues, route directions and the larger vehicles around them. Three riders from the Portland area competed in the Scooter Cannonball in 2023 for the first time and they all finished. For 2025, only one rider of the three, Virginia 'Wild Cherry' Cherry, now living in Alabama, is making a return to the event. She will be riding a 'modern' 250cc Vespa. You can track her progress and all of the other riders on this map. Riders will leave Seaside, Oregon, on a staggered start beginning early Sunday the 22nd. They have a week to arrive at South Padre Island, Texas. Thank you for reading. Subscribing to allows you to leave comments and supports contributors like myself. You can also follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Daily Briefing: 'Do you hear the people sing?'
Daily Briefing: 'Do you hear the people sing?' Good morning!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Who's crazy enough to enter the Scooter Cannonball? It's already Thursday. Here's the news: The president and first lady received mixed reviews at a musical debut. Congress is closer than it's been in a long time to massively reforming college financial aid. Meet the teen golfer taking the U.S. Open. Trump and FLOTUS booed and cheered at the Kennedy Center while attending 'Les Misérables' President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump met a divided crowd as they attended a performance of "Les Misérables" at the Kennedy Center, the performing arts facility he has subjected to a conservative takeover. This was Trump's first time attending a show at the center, where he installed himself as chairman in February after firing many members of the board. Meanwhile, protests against President Trump's immigration raids and in support of demonstrators in Los Angeles have spread from coast-to-coast. and in support of demonstrators in Los Angeles have spread from coast-to-coast. Homeland Security is requesting weapons and drones amid LA's immigration crackdown. But it's unclear what type of weapons Homeland Security officials are seeking for their immigration crackdown in California. Also unclear: who would use them and who they would be used against. But it's unclear what type of weapons Homeland Security officials are seeking for their immigration crackdown in California. Also unclear: who would use them and who they would be used against. Three Democratic governors are set to push back Thursday at a Congressional hearing on "sanctuary" jurisdictions where state and local officials restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. And a Republican governor called in the national guard. Remembering one of the original Beach Boys Brian Wilson, an eclectic genius whose sunny Beach Boys songs helped define a revved-up era of American popular music, has died at age 82. Wilson's epic career arc spanned most of his life and was as defined by prolonged bouts of mental illness as it was by meticulously constructed pop confections. The sublime harmonizing on tunes like "California Girls" defined the Southern California ethos, while the inspired orchestration on the Wilson-produced album "Pet Sounds" caused a bowled-over Beatles to respond with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Despite decades away from the musical mainstream in the 1970s and '80s, when his psychological torments were most aggressive, Wilson's towering impact was never in question. See photos of Brian Wilson's storied career in the Beach Boys and beyond. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. 'No Kings Day' protests planned for Saturday nationwide Protests are planned for 1,800 communities across the country Saturday, the same day President Trump holds a military parade in Washington. The rallies, named "No Kings Day" to oppose what they see as Trump's power grab, are expected to be the largest and most numerous protests since Trump's second term began. Organizers say the march putting American flags and American imagery front and center is "very intentional" because the protesters believe Trump's actions, from attacking universities and political institutions to holding a military parade, are "un-American." About a dozen veteran groups partnered to create the protests. Major student loan changes just came one step closer to becoming law GOP lawmakers in the U.S. Senate this week proposed their version of the higher education section of President Trump's tax and spending megabill. The 71-page portion of the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" would set new caps on student loan borrowing while drastically cutting the number of repayment plans. Like the House bill, the Senate measure proposes cutting the number of student loan repayment plans to just two. The Senate bill would also dramatically curb lending for graduate students and parents (though at lower caps than House Republicans wanted). Here's what big changes would mean for how Americans pay for college. Today's talkers Karen Read trial: Defense rests its case Karen Read's defense team rested its case Wednesday in the Massachusetts woman's second murder trial over the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe, after contentious cross-examination of its final witness. Andrew Rentschler, a biomechanist and accident reconstruction expert, delivered potentially critical testimony about his analysis of O'Keefe's head, brain and body injuries. O'Keefe, he told jurors, didn't appear to have been hit by a car as prosecutors allege. Here's what you missed from the last day of witness testimony. Photo of the day: Just 17 at the US Open The world's top golfers are competing for the prestigious title at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, —and this year they are joined by high school junior Mason Howell. The Georgia teen tees off at 8:46 a.m. Thursday.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who's crazy enough to enter the Scooter Cannonball? These riders may surprise you
Who's crazy enough to enter the Scooter Cannonball? These riders may surprise you More than 250 riders on mildly powered scooters will soon be thundering – quietly, of course – in cold rain and desert heat across thousands of miles, eight states in eight days, in the 2025 Scooter Cannonball rally in June. Veteran and rookie riders have signed up for the 11th Scooter Cannonball, a checkpoint-loaded, point-based event starting June 22 in Seaside, Oregon, and ending June 29 in South Padre Island, Texas. Just who are these people? Why do they do it? 'A big part of it is, you've got something to prove,' says Brook Dain, a seasoned rider. 'You want to prove to yourself you can do it. It's a formidable task to ride a scooter across America." Though the event isn't a race, as organizers remind us, it is a ride of nearly 4,000 miles aboard 10- to 24-horsepower scooters, machines better suited for a quick trip to the market than an exhausting dash across the country. At least 260 participants have confirmed they'll race this year, according to Dave Bednarski, an organizer who's returning for his eighth Cannonball. (More than 300 riders originally signed up.) Through the years, riders have crashed, some of them seriously. Others have dropped out. But most persevere. USA TODAY pestered seven Cannonballers and asked why they do it. Here's what they said. What's the route for the 2025 Scooter Cannonball? Can't see our graphics? Click here to view them. Though route details have not yet been disclosed, this year's ride will total almost 4,000 miles. But "depending on the combination of skips, a rider can bypass a few bonus points and keep all their days under 500 miles," Bednarski says. "They can complete the event as a finisher riding between 3,500 and 3,700 miles total," he says. Age: 71 71 Lives in: Charlestown, New Hampshire Charlestown, New Hampshire Occupation: Semi-retired maintenance worker for the National Park Service Semi-retired maintenance worker for the National Park Service Previous Cannonball? 2023 2023 What's he riding? 2021 Yamaha Xmax (300cc) All riders in the 2025 Scooter Cannonball will endure long, excruciating hours in the saddle, mountain crossings, extreme weather and on-the-fly navigation. Steve Terrien will take on those challenges with some extraordinary personal ones of his own: an artificial limb and a recent diagnosis of prostate cancer. 'I was born with a birth defect,' Terrien says. 'I'm a below-knee amputee. We all have two bones in our lower leg, a tibia and a fibula. I was born without the tibia, so there was a shortage in my deformed leg.' When he was 6 years old, Terrien's right leg was amputated below the knee by doctors at Shriners Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was fitted with a prosthesis, an artificial limb that replaces the missing leg segment, and a carbon fiber ankle that flexes (hence his rider name "Flexfoot"). 'I consider myself enabled, not disabled, even though technically, I am,' Terrien says. 'I would never use a handicap parking spot because there are people out there who really need it. I don't. 'I have my original knee, so I can walk very well,' he says. He has been riding motorcycles since 1969. He pilots motorcycles with care because, on bikes, the right foot controls the pedal for the rear brake. 'I can't really feel the rear brake pedal,' Terrien says. 'But I learned to adapt.' Brakes on scooters, like his Yamaha Xmax, are different. Two levers on the handlebars control front and rear brakes, which makes it easier for Terrien. He has done some long-distance rides, including the Southern California Motorcycling Association's Three Flags Classic. He read about the Scooter Cannonball, thought 'this might be fun' and entered in 2023. He ended up 154th out of 173 riders. 'What surprised me most about the Cannonball was the rider camaraderie,' he says. 'Everybody helps out each other.' This year, he'll be riding with Bill Redington, a friend from Maryland (Rider 198, 'Saltines'), who also has an Xmax. They rode together in 2023. Terrien had already signed up for the 2025 Cannonball when he was diagnosed in July 2024 with Stage 4 prostate cancer. 'I have metastatic prostate cancer, which means the cancer has traveled outside the prostate to other parts of the body,' Terrien says. 'While I'm thankful it's not in my bones or organs, it is in my lymph nodes, which is not the best thing in the world, either. "But we can deal with it.' He was treated in Boston, including intense radiation therapy, and is now stable. He'll be taking 'quite a number of cancer pills' during the Cannonball. More treatments are in the future. That's because the cancer never sleeps. As his wife, Kim, says: 'At some point the cancer will mutate because that's what it does. It will figure out what you're doing and find a path around.' 'Things in life get thrown at you,' Terrien says. 'Attitude is 99.5%. My goal is to die with it, not from it. I've got it really good compared to a lot of people. I don't have to have chemo and I'm in pretty good shape.' Why is he going back to the Cannonball? 'You've got to be strong,' Terrien says. 'I'm not a victim. I need to fight, and I'm moving forward through life. It has to go on. 'My Cannonball goal isn't to be in the top 10,' he says. 'I want to have a good time, meet some new people, and make some good friends and lifetime memories. That's what it's all about.' Age: 54 54 Lives in: Crosby, Texas Crosby, Texas Occupation: Software engineer Software engineer Previous Cannonball? 2023 2023 What's she riding? 2025 Yamaha Xmax (300cc) Candie Solis has been on motorcycles for more than 25 years – she rides a Harley-Davidson V-Rod muscle bike – but she didn't discover the Scooter Cannonball until 2022. 'My husband, Albert, learned about it somewhere, and he began to cram every YouTube video in front of me for months and months,' she says. She wasn't interested at first, but that changed. 'He bought a 125cc Honda Super Cub. His plan was that we would both ride in the event with Super Cubs. He was going to tow a small trailer with one of them.' Her husband ultimately decided against riding in the 2023 Cannonball. But Solis pressed on, even though she didn't like the Cub because of its size. 'I never wanted to ride it anywhere because I hated it, and I also thought it could get me killed.' Albert suggested maybe Candie shouldn't go, 'but in that moment, I felt like if I didn't do this, I wouldn't be a fun person anymore,' she says. 'I felt like I needed an adventure.' She scrambled to get the Cub ready. 'I was ordering anything and everything I could find on the internet to dress my doll for the dance,' she says. What did she find at the 2023 Cannonball? 'The community was so welcoming and encouraging,' she says. 'When I rolled up with that scooter on the truck, there were so many people there to get it off. We probably didn't even need to lower the ramp, we could've all just picked it up." Over the eight days, 'I really got an adventure," Solis says. "Just the fact that I got to go was one win for me. The other was coming home virtually unscathed.' She finished 131st out of 173 riders. This year, she'll be on a new 300cc Yamaha Xmax scooter, larger and more powerful. Though the rally's scoring handicap favors smaller-displacement bikes, which makes it virtually impossible for her to win, Solis is satisfied. 'I'm not going to be in a hurry,' Solis says. 'I want to ride. I want to see the sights. I know we're still going to have long days, but I'll be less stressed. I can keep up if I'm on a roadway where the speed limit is higher, and I'll be safe.' Age: 30 30 Lives in: Orlando, Florida Orlando, Florida Occupation: Software engineer Software engineer Previous Cannonball? No No What's he riding? 2020 Honda PCX 150 (150cc) Vraj Patel will have two things on his mind while riding in his first-ever Scooter Cannonball: [1] keeping his Honda scooter running smoothly and [2] managing his blood sugar level because he has type 2 diabetes. While all Cannonballers will suffer through thousands of miles in the chilly Pacific Northwest and the hot Great Plains of Texas, very few will be managing a chronic condition that can wreak havoc with your body. He was diagnosed about five years ago. Doctors tried to talk Patel out of entering. 'One of them said, 'Have you lost your mind?'' Patel says. But Patel, who missed signing up for the rally in 2023, says he made sure to register for 2025. The diabetes "is something I've been managing for quite some time," he says. "It hasn't affected my ability to ride, but it has taught me to listen to my body more carefully. I always carry what I need − glucose tabs, snacks, water, my meter − and I check in regularly with myself during a ride." He's riding the Cannonball 'because it's the ultimate mix of adventure, endurance and love for riding,' says Patel, who's been on motorcycles for about 15 years. 'The Scooter Cannonball is like a road trip on steroids. It pushes you mentally, physically, and mechanically,' he says. 'It's a chance to disconnect from everyday life and connect with riders who share the same obsession for two wheels and open roads.' Patel's Honda PCX 150 is mechanically ready – he maintains it himself – and he has been preparing physically by 'trying to regulate my body in terms of blood sugar.' 'I wear a sensor that gives me data on my phone,' he says. 'It beeps and says, 'You're kind of dropping below where you should be.' I can pull over, grab a gummy or two that should bring the blood sugar back up. 'I've been doing intermittent fasting because I'll have to go long periods of time without eating, without having a full meal for maybe 12 to 14 hours,' he says. 'I'm trying to retrain my body to get back into normalizing blood sugars for that long a time.' Patel says he plans to ride with a few others, including Aaron Bartlett, known as QuasiMotard, a prolific and respected video chronicler of Cannonballs and other adventure rides. He says the Cannonball is a little intimidating, 'but that's part of the draw. It's not just about the ride for me. It's about proving that you can still chase wild goals even with something like diabetes,' he says. The Cannonball "is in a league of its own," Patel says. "It's part rally, part survival and part pilgrimage.' Age: 47 47 Lives in: Los Angeles Los Angeles Occupation: Music producer Music producer Previous Cannonballs? 2021, 2023 2021, 2023 What's he riding? 2024 Yamaha Xmax (300cc) Tim Jackson has ridden in two Cannonballs, but he missed at least one day in both. The main reason he's back in 2025? 'I want to finish. I want to be able to compete all eight days. I want a full event. 'The second reason is just love for the event itself,' he says. 'I've made some lifelong friends whom I can't wait to see,' Jackson says. 'The thought of getting back on this adventure with my friends and traveling across the country on a machine that's not designed for it is a really big draw.' Mistertiny: Follow Tim Jackson here and here. Jackson is outgoing. 'My father told me I've never met a stranger,' he says. But the Cannonball's camaraderie caught him a little by surprise. On his first day in 2021, he slid off the road and practically wrecked his Vespa. A group of fellow riders 'worked on my bike until almost 3 o'clock in the morning.' He ended up buying a new Vespa in Cleveland to continue. In 2023, he finished 133rd. 'The willingness of people just to hop in and help each other – I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was happy that it was such a welcoming and helpful community,' he says. 'The other thing is this is something that's actually doable on a scooter.' Harley motorcycle riders traveling long distances make sense, but here, 'you're seeing some people on Honda Monkeys and these really small bikes,' he says. 'To think that someone can travel coast to coast on something made for daily commuting is surprising. It's crazy to think you can pull it off.' During Jackson's first Cannonball, 'this much older gentleman approached me and said, 'Aren't you old enough to realize by now that this is something you shouldn't be doing?'' 'My response to him was, 'Aren't you old enough to realize you have a lot of opportunity, you should get out there and be as crazy as you can?'' 'None of us are getting any younger,' Jackson says. 'You have to take these adventures while you can.' As in the 2023 Cannonball, his wife, Serena – and her sister Angela Smith – will be driving his support vehicle. "I somehow convinced her to do it one more year," Jackson says. "It really makes a difference. There's no way I could do this without them." Where are Cannonball riders from – and what will they ride? Age: 32 32 Lives in: Castro Valley, California Castro Valley, California Occupation: Veterinarian Veterinarian Previous Cannonball? No No What's she riding? 2022 Honda ADV150 (150cc) 'I've always liked long-distance riding,' says Mollie Powell, who rode a 2020 Triumph Bonneville T120 during an eight-day cross-country move with her husband, Ernesto, a few years ago. 'It was such a cool way to see the country. We loved it. 'Since then, we've been talking about doing another cross-country ride. We'll do like a long weekend sort of tour, but we haven't been able to get the time to do a big trip.' That changed when a neighbor mentioned the Scooter Cannonball. 'He said, 'Hey, have you ever heard of this? It's something you guys would be interested in,'' she says. 'I started watching videos and reading about it. It sounded cool. So I talked Ernesto into it. And we talked another friend, Jason, into it.' She chose a Honda ADV150 scooter for the Cannonball. 'I looked at what successful Cannonballers had done in the last couple of years,' she says. 'It's the one some of the top finishers use pretty often." She has been learning how to do her own maintenance. 'My husband is more mechanically inclined than me, but I try to learn and do my own stuff as much as possible,' she says. Most riders in 2025 haven't done it before Any worries about the ride? The weather in Texas could be a problem. 'I'm worried about the heat and the temperatures that we're going to be managing there,' she says. She'll bring a Camelbak and a cooling vest and will be careful in the heat. She's also a tad nervous about Cannonball navigation. 'I'm not the greatest navigator,' she says. 'That might be my other big obstacle. I got a Garmin GPS unit and I'll be plugging away at building the route before the start day.' How does she think she'll do in the Cannonball? 'I'm not setting any expectations,' she says. 'I want to try and be competitive. I don't know how well that'll work out, but I'm giving it my best shot.' Age: 69 69 Lives in: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Calgary, Alberta, Canada Occupation: Culinary chef Culinary chef Previous Cannonballs? 2021, 2023 2021, 2023 What's he riding? 2011 Vespa GTV (300cc) 'This will be my third Cannonball,' Eric Semple says. 'The rationale, at least what motivates me, remains the same as the very first one in 2021. It's an adventure. It's the fun of it." He'll be on the same 300cc 2011 Vespa GTV that he rode in 2021. 'I also rode it in 2023, and now I'm going to ride it again,' he says. 'That's why I got it torn down and rebuilt. It's a little rough on the edges from a body-work-and-paint perspective, but otherwise it's very healthy.' The Vespa needed a rebuild when the steering failed in 2023 and Semple went off the road, broke his ankle on Day 2 and had to drop out. He ended 165th of 173. 'There's a ring, a collar, in the steering column that connects to the handlebars,' he says. 'I made a beautiful left-hand carving turn into the S-turn, then tried to go right, but the front wheel was still going left. The collar broke in the column." He found himself going off the road. 'There's no guardrail on the side of that mountain, and I had to drop the bike. And so down I went. I ended up breaking my ankle.' That ended his 2023 ride. He's healthy now, but why is he trying again? What is he doing? ''What am I doing?' – I said that a lot to myself in the 2021 Cannonball," Semple says. 'There were moments in the rain, in the cold, as I was at 10,000 or 11,000 feet in the Rockies, thinking that." While riding, 'I find you spend a long time in your own head," he says. "You're thinking, seeing the sights, remembering things. You see lots of things that trigger memories. You're hungry, cold, tired, and you hurt. But you're living in the moment. 'I think that's a great experience, and I'm super-excited to do it again.' Scooter Cannonball is attracting more riders Age: 55 55 Lives in: Austin, Texas Austin, Texas Occupation: Retired Retired Previous Cannonballs? 2018, 2021, 2023 2018, 2021, 2023 What's he riding? 2007 Vespa GTS 250ie (250cc) Brook Dain intends to be at the starting line in Seaside, Oregon, for the 4,000-mile 2025 Scooter Cannonball – but he'll test his rebuilt Vespa with a grueling 4,000-mile ride of his own on the way there. 'We'll see if the bike makes it to the starting line,' Dain says. If it does, 'then I'm going to start.' Dain will be riding a 2007 Vespa 250, a basket-case scooter he completely rebuilt to use in the 2021 event until a gas line popped and the engine caught fire. He used a different scooter in 2023. He rebuilt the 2007 Vespa again for 2025. 'Like phoenix from the ashes,' he says. That test ride to Seaside? 'I've got a 3,800-mile ride planned. I'm riding up to Portland, Oregon, to Amerivespa 2025, which is the week before the Cannonball starts,' he says. 'Then I'm going to ride around the Pacific Northwest a little and head to the start. That's about 4,000 miles before I get to the starting line. That's my test ride.' How high will Cannonball riders get? About 11,000 feet You'd be hard-pressed to find a more experienced scooter rider (and mechanic) than Brook Dain. He has taken epic scooter rides in Pakistan, India, Egypt and elsewhere. He finished 28th in the 2023 Cannonball. 'I seem to ride better solo,' he says. 'I get more satisfaction, I think, when I'm alone. When I ride with other people, I tend to be like a shepherd, and I'm more worried about what they're doing than what I should be doing.' Why is he here again? 'I don't know why I keep coming back, because I don't have anything to prove, I don't think,' he says. 'Maybe I keep coming back to see old friends and be part of the circus.' For Dain, the Cannonball 'isn't the challenge it once was. I've ridden these distances many times. After the last Cannonball, I swore I wouldn't do it again," he says. "I retired, moved to Texas, and then they put the 2025 Cannonball finish line in Texas. And I said, 'Well, I might as well ride.'' If his rebuilt Vespa holds up, 'I intend, to the best of my ability, to get there this year,' Dain says. 'Though you never know until you cross that starting line.' Want to know more? Check out these films and videos As the increase in rider sign-ups shows, the Scooter Cannonball is growing in popularity beyond the scooter community. Here are some fascinating films and rider videos that help explain the attraction: The Big Scoot documentary film by journalist Corrie Vaus about the 2023 Scooter Cannonball. documentary film by journalist Corrie Vaus about the 2023 Scooter Cannonball. Vroom GoPam , Pamela March's as-it-happens videos (crashes included) take you inside the Cannonball. , Pamela March's as-it-happens videos (crashes included) take you inside the Cannonball. QuasiMotard's World , video blogs and insightful commentary by Aaron Bartlett about the Scooter Cannonball and other rides. , video blogs and insightful commentary by Aaron Bartlett about the Scooter Cannonball and other rides. DaBinChe videos – from Binh Cheung, a master of the Cannonball – show you expert preparation and riding. videos – from Binh Cheung, a master of the Cannonball – show you expert preparation and riding. Nathan Mikoski 's 2023 Cannonball ride features knowledgable commentary and stunning visuals. 's 2023 Cannonball ride features knowledgable commentary and stunning visuals. FloridaManScoots , Chris Haughie's meticulous preparation for, and adventures in, the Cannonball. , Chris Haughie's meticulous preparation for, and adventures in, the Cannonball. RideWithAlex , a YouTube series by Alexandru Barbu of Romania about his participation in the Cannonball. , a YouTube series by Alexandru Barbu of Romania about his participation in the Cannonball. It's Not a Race documentary film by Story Division covers the 2012 Cannonball. documentary film by Story Division covers the 2012 Cannonball. Slow Ride Home documentary film follows riders in the 2016 Cannonball. CONTRIBUTING Janet Loehrke SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research;
