Meet The New Rider Timothy Bardin # 1021

What do I like to do when not riding? Well there are several things that peak my interests the first is just time with family and friends. Life is short and we need to appreciate those that God has placed in our lives. After that I love to hunt and shoot guns of all types, I particularly am interested in getting into precision rifle shooting. I also love working on our home doing repairs and renovations as time allows. My wife and I also pastor a church and have for 23 years. God is so good!

The reason that I want to ride the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is really a two part answer. Firstly because I love to ride…period! My love for motorcycle riding is stronger than I ever imagined it would be. I dream of someday being able to ride all over the U.S. and Canada and maybe even Mexico. Second, is the reputation of the Hoka Hey. It’s reportedly the mother of all long distance rides in the states. I’ve watched video after video on YouTube about how awesome the experience is and how grueling it is. How it taxes your will and determination to persevere, how its test man and machine alike to the limit and I like a test!!

I really have only one expectation coming into this challenge. That is to simply finish it at all cost! I want to ride the ride with integrity and abide by and adhere to the rules. In other words “Ride it like it was meant to be ridden!” Ride it in a manner that honors the creator of the ride, Jim Red Cloud as well as the other riders who have ridden it before me. And to continue the example of excellence for those that will come after me. Like my Dad would always tell me growing up, “If its worth doing it’s worth doing right!”

And as far as advice I have received for riding the Hoka Hey, I would say that the best I have received came from Junie Rose. Who told me when I asked what should I be doing to prepare for August? Her reply “Get as much saddle time as possible between now and then.” So that’s what I’m trying to do… ride, but not just the usual causal around town kind of riding, I’m talking about hours at a time in the saddle breaking in my motorcycle seat or maybe it’s my backside that I’m breaking in or both? Haha.

As far as over coming obstacles to participate in the Hoka Hey goes, I’m sure that other people like those coming from other countries have had to overcome much more serious obstacles than I could ever imagine. But for me it was the time away from family and work. Family because, unless it’s for work, they have always gone with me. And work because this will eat up allot of my vacation time (but it’s so worth it!) and I’ll have to be back in Kentucky and ready for work right after I finish! (I’m speaking prophetically here about finishing and not taking anything lightly) There is allot that can go wrong on this endeavor, allot that can happen to delay or even take me out! But I still believe that the end will justify the means.

The way I found out about the Hoka Hey was through a co-worker. We became fast friends he and I and have ridden many miles in each other’s company. He is a far superior rider in every way and makes riding that much more pleasurable. He would rail for hours about this ride. “It’s on my bucket list” he would say, and go on and on about how he’d hoped to ride it someday. He talked about a ride he did in 2015 with the alumni of the Hoka Hey and how awesome they were and friendly. All of this peaked my interest greatly. So in 2019 went decided to do the longest ride I’ve done to date and ride to Sturgis. Well needless to say it sealed the deal for me and I applied to ride the Hoka Hey immediately when I returned home. 

The thing that I heard personally about the Hoka Hey that made me what to ride it was I a mentioned earlier, It’s the mother of all long endurance rides! You’ve entered the big leagues when you get to ride this, and no…”you’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy!”  Oh wait yes we are! The reputation alone causes me to pause and weigh everything in the balance. This isn’t going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Hoka Hey!!