Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge: Meet The New Rider Jon Meadows # 967

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Meet The New Rider Jon Meadows # 967

When I'm not riding I spend most of my time hanging out with my family, watching tv, playing video games or participating with my son in his Boy Scout troop. I enjoy doing research on places to ride to and how to plan for multiple day motorcycle camping trips.

I want to ride the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge because of what it stands for. I love how everyone is close and friendly, a family. I also appreciate the fact that part of joining the HHMC is to raise money for a charity. I enjoy being apart of a group that thinks of others.

The only expectation I have is to make sure I finish the HHMC. Never having done something like this I don't want to put expectations on it. I know that parts will be difficult but I'm hoping that I will become a stronger and better person for having done it.

I've gone to a couple of the HHMC events with past HHMC riders and have had the chance to ask them about what it's like. The best advice I got was to "ride your own ride". I know people ride differently and not everyone will want to ride like me. I tend to ride, not even getting off the bike when I get gas. I don't want to hold others up, or change my way of riding to accommodate others.

Before committing to the ride, I talked to my family to discuss the time I would be away from them. I didn't really have obstacles to overcome to get to ride in the HHMC. Having the support from my family means a lot to me. I know the ride itself will be difficult, so I've been riding long distances the HH way. Sleeping next to my bike, riding 15-20 hour days for several days in a row to get the feel for what the HHMC will be like. Knowing when to stop has been my biggest challenge so far.

I heard about the HHMC through some motorcycle friends that I chat with Facebook. So I started following the HHMC on Facebook and looking into it a little more. When I got to be friends with a HHMC rider and after talking with him about it, I decided that it was something that I wanted to do.

The HHMC attracted me because of the difficulty level and what it stood for. You find out more about yourself when you push to achieve something out of your comfort zone. So finding out more about my self and being helpful to others at the same time is very attractive.

I choose the HOG Indianapolis Chapter No. 1 Payton Manning Children's Hospital for my charity to ride for. I have ridden with the Indianapolis HOG Chapter No. 1 when they have done their annual toy drive for Payton Manning Children's Hospital for a couple years now. I choose them because they are doing what they can to help make a bad situation better for the children. Knowing those children are facing unknown and scary times, wanting to give them something to smile about is a cause worth supporting.