Meet the Rider: Shannon Mc Kinley # 803

Shannon # 803 of Florence, MS rode the 2014 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge with good friend Joe Lacey #802. He had been reading a lot about the different rides but wasn’t able to carve out the time needed to do the ride. He liked the thought of challenging himself. Never expecting one of those challenges to be, dealing with bears up close and personal, while waiting for a pilot car in Canada. Shannon feels he is prepared for anything now.  He heard about the HHMC reading a HOG magazine and followed the unknown riders on the US Fleet Tracking link provided by the HHMC and found himself coming back daily to see how these future friends were doing.

By 2014 Shannon was ready to give the ride a try and found himself riding right past his home. Knowing everyone was now watching him on the tracker was tough not to go home and hug the Grandkids and sleep in his own bed, but he stayed to the task at hand and continued on. One of the places he did find rest was a dugout of a South Dakota baseball field. With the blessing of a police officer working the night shift he and Joe were able to get out of the rain knowing the officer would keep an eye out for them. Throwing some camping gear on the bike and going for a few days ride is how he has discovered he likes to ride and recommends that if you “only have one oil change on your bike,” something isn’t right. “Buy some heated gear,” was some of the best advice SHannon ever received.  “Don’t focus on distance, take the HHMC at your own comfortable pace and enjoy the ride.”