Meet The New Rider Brent Castleberry # 951

A little about me:

I've been in love with Harley-Davidson motorcycles for my entire life.  At about knee high years old I had already become enamored with a shop owner's red American V-Twin (specifications unknown) down the street from our grandma's house.  My adult supervision would drag me away from that thing like Squints being dragged away from Wendy Peppercorn in The Sandlot.  

During high school I picked up a 1978 Super Glide that was a backyard tarp find (not qualified as a genuine barn find).  I patched her up and rode that bike until graduation.  I joined the service a few years after high school, made a career of it and retired as a Technical Sergeant and Afghanistan combat vet.  Over the years I've also owned an Evo and several Twin Cams.  I've ridden to 17 states from my home in DFW.  My longest trip was from DFW to the Pacific Northwest down CA Hwy 1.  All this to say, I love bikes and I love to ride.  Participating in the Hoka Hey is a dream come true. While not riding I spend as much time as possible with my family, affectionately known as the ‘Castlecrew’.  My wife Melissa and I are ardent fans of our son and daughter’s extracurricular high school and junior high school programs:  Football, baseball, track, softball, volleyball and orchestra.  We also vacation together and covet our trips and the life enrichment that adventuring  together brings to our family.

I want to ride the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge because I tend to enjoy adversity, especially the inherent challenges of cross country motorcycling. 

I gravitate to common causes and events that are bigger than oneself and those that benefit others.

My expectations of entering the Hoka Hey is to enjoy the camaraderie, be tenacious and complete the entire course while we all raise funds for worthy causes.

The best advice I’ve been given is to hydrate, sleep well and have a water proof heads up display for the route maps.

The obstacles I’ve overcome to be prepared for such a challenge is having learned road wisdom by getting out there on those highways and back roads rain or shine and going for it year round.  I remain a very enthusiastic student of our sport and make certain to learn from each road adventure.  

I first heard about the Hoka Hey in the parking lot of popular lunch spot in Fort Worth called the Tortilla Factory.  A passerby noticed my bike and struck up a conversation.  When I mentioned being a cross country rider and that I plan to ride to the lower 48 plus Alaska the gentleman immediately mentioned the Hoka Hey.  I was intrigued from the word go and remain just as pumped up today as I was from that very moment.

What I heard about the Hoka Hey that attracted me the most is that it’s grueling and open only to American V-Twin machines.  Also through all of our efforts as riders, organizers and sponsors others may benefit from the cumulative fund raising.

I have chosen to raise funds for Patriot Paws Service Dogs in Rockwall, Texas https://patriotpaws.org/.  The decision to support this local non-profit is a salute to their dedicated team of honorable veterans, veterinarians and trainers that are extraordinary in all that they do.