Meet The Returning Rider # 803 Shannon Mckinley

The 2022 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge will be my third to enter The first was 2014 after hearing about the event and following for a couple of years I was interested. I had talked it over with a good friend and fellow Club Brother Joe Lacey. Well Joe surprised me on my 40Th Birthday with a envelope that contained his completed entry form and a blank one for me along with a check for both of our entry fees he simply said fill that out and lets do this . We road every mile together and came across the finish line in Alaska together i believe 13th and 14th. ( RIP ) HH802.

That first HHMC was a blast I figured out that i don't need a fresh change of clothes for every day of a trip I think I had 15 days worth and only used maybe 4 changes I actually departed Key West in a white short sleeve shirt Shorts and Crocks most of the others were dressed up in what I now know of as Technical riding gear. Once we reached Montana I realized that heated riding gear was a thing and purchased my first heated jacket liner (after all we are going to Alaska) now it stays in the saddle bag year round. After this ride I gained a ton of confidence in my ability to just strike out on the bike with not much more than a Tent, Sleeping Bag, and one Change of Clothes and Just a Direction in mind.

In 2016 I enlisted a couple of other riders including my Father, Uncle, and Joe ( Who was battling cancer ) Bruce Rimes (Hippie) and Joe's nephew Billy Tucker . We tried to ride the route together for the first several days. I'm glad I got to experience that time with them on the road but looking back was not a good idea. When you keep hearing the Veterans say RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE this is something to consider . I think Hippie was the only one of us that completed the course. I left the challenge after the Second Check Point with a DNF. 2018 I went to Cheer Bruce (Hippie) and several others on at the Finish Line in Medicine Park and in 2020 watched as everyone Departed Panama City wishing I was going with them but Knowing I had to much going on at that time to participate.

I guess most of my friends and family think I'm crazy when i tell them about the HHMC and they may be right. I had just met my Girlfriend (Mariah) a couple months before the start of the 2014 HHMC the Route actually passed within 1/4 mile from where she was employed so i text her to say we are passing your work today on the Natchez Trace but we were unable to meet up. She has been nothing but supportive in this crazy form of entertainment I call Going for a ride.

In conclusion To all the ones I call Family now and all the people I have met through the HHMC I'm so glad that I found this organization it has changed every aspect of my life.

This year i will ride in Memory of my son Shannon “Trevor” Mckinley who we lost August 21,2021 .

I will be raising donations for Pine Ridge Area Chamber of Commerce

 

Meet The New Rider # 1032 James Coyle

 

My name is James Coyle, AKA Road Runner to my brothers of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club. I have lived in New Hampshire for the last 20 years with my wife and our two children (ages 18 and 16). For the past 8 years, we have owned and operated Blackbird Market and Deli in our hometown. If I’m not working or riding, I’m usually trying to raise my two teenagers, who clearly have learned everything in life and are telling me how things are going to be.

I’ve been following the journey of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge since 2016 and have been amazed by the accomplishments of the riders involved in the challenge. I’ve been building my riding experience for the last 10 years and have finally worked up the courage this year to sign up. While I have ridden in all the 48 continental states, I’m looking forward to seeing and riding through places I never could have dream t. Riding for Mile Monsters Inc. and helping kids have a better life just makes this challenge all that more important to me.

My top expectation for the 2022 challenge is to finish the race, somewhere between first and last. To go into this challenge with any expectations of finishing a certain place would be ridiculous. Every person I’ve talked to about their experience in HHMC vary from person to person and they all had different goals and expectations, so I imagine that during this challenge I will start to hate riding a motorcycle for days and days, hate sleeping on the ground, hate myself and wonder why I thought this challenge would be fun. Just kidding. In addition to seeing parts of the country most people can only dream about or see in books, I am hoping the experiences helps me grow and positively change my outlook on life.

I expect that the biggest obstacle for a new rider in HHMC is trying to get out of their own head. This ride will be like a meditation retreat to allow me to unplug from the world. In life, we tend to worry and dwell on things we have never done. We think they will be big hurdles too hard to run over. The only way to overcome these mental obstacles is to just face them head on and do them. I can guess how things are going to work on the road, but until I get out there and try, I must look at these obstacles with a positive attitude. I cannot think about whether I will succeed or fail because whatever the outcome, if I keep an open mind, I will grow and become a better rider and person. I truly look forward to this adventure and can’t wait to make lifelong memories with new friends and ride away with great stories.

Thank you, Road Runner,

HHMC 1032

 

Meet The Returning Rider # 831 Robert Talbett Jr.

This will be my third attempt to complete the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. Just two short weeks prior to the 2020 MOMIS KOMET, my father passed on. Robert “Rainman” Talbett (#832), was my best friend and my Hoka Hey riding partner. Only death would keep us from the starting line of the 2020 Hoka Hey.

  I first attempted the Hoka Hey in 2016 after a chance encounter with a group of Hoka Hey riders as they passed through their check point in Gowanda, NY.  I often wonder if I found the Hoka Hey, or, if the Hoka Hey had found me. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about my father and the Hoka Hey. Memories of previous rides (the scenery, the people, the struggles and the sheer joy) as well as thoughts in preparation for 2022 filter into each and every day.  My mind wanders about the open road, chasing that perfect sunset and the excitement of where “KIKSUYA” where take me.

  While the goal of any challenge is ultimately to cross the finish line, the real prize is found in the personal, spiritual growth and evolution as a rider. The epic memories and experiences along the way are gifts that can never be lost or stolen.  They are the building blocks to becoming not only a better rider, but to becoming a better person. I know without doubt that I am a different person than I was when I departed the starting line at Pala Resort, San Diego in 2016.

  The goal of the Hoka Hey is to “Enrich, Empower, and Unite” [from the Hoka Hey Mission statement]. In 2016, I was honored to be chosen for one of the four major awards reflective of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge core values, “Riding with Respect”. I hold this award close to my heart and will treasure it always.

   Going into the 2022 Challenge, I feel confident. This will be the year that I cross the finish line. I have embraced longer rides, going further and further for an event or to visit a friend or family member.  One of the changes that I have implemented in my riding since riding the Hoka Hey is that I prefer to stay at Hoka Hey hotels while being out on the road for multiple days.  I would much rather spend time sleeping under the stars, my bike beside me.  There’s nothing quit like waking in the morning dew….

  One of the many things that I have learned in my time as a Hoka Hey rider to pass on to new riders is to pack light, “gas and go”, and not to quit (even though you will want to). Two years is a long time between opportunities to ride this epic event. Two years is a long time spent in regret, reflecting on what could have been.  Also, you’ll hear the phrase “expect the unexpected” many times prior to the start and it couldn't be more true. 

  Before his entry into eternity, my father- Rainman 832, handed me his Hoka Hey vest. “Finish it for you….I know you can do it.  I will be there with you the whole way and I’ll be there when you finish.”

  Until we ride together again, you are loved and you are missed. Robert “Rainman” Talbett, Sr. (11/1/1952- 7/17/2020)



This year, I will be riding to raise funds and donations for my friend and colleague, Jamie Billquist, who started a non profit fund “Rosie’s Run” in honor of his unexpectedly and tragically deceased wife Rosemary “Rosie” Billquist.  She was a woman of many passions, Rosie was a marathon runner, triathlete, community volunteer, animal lover and one of the nicest and kindest humans on the planet.  Jamie is carrying on her spirit with love, honor, grace, integrity.  The Rosie’s Run fund has been giving back to the community and helping as many people and families as possible. Through various fund raising events, Jamie and the fund have been able to not only help local families in need its also been able to help the Southern Tier Kidney foundation and the Chautauqua County Humane Society.  Please consider donating to The Rosie’s Run fund because “In a world where you can be anything, Be Kind”

For donations please DM me

See you at the starting line, 

Meet The New Rider # 1018 Andrew Norrie

 

 

Hello everyone, my name is Andy Norrie Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge Rider # 1018 and I live just outside Toronto Canada and have been riding for 42 of my 56 years. I have been a follower and fan of the HHMC for about 8 years.  The timing has aligned for me to take on this epic challenge. 

I retired in the fall of 2018 from a 35 year year career in law enforcement where I was fortunate enough to be involved in police motorcycle operations.  My last year in my policing career was spent embedded with the International Military Coalition in Baghdad Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. 

In the last few years I have embarked on pursuing more adventuresome rides like riding to destinations like Waskaganish on James Bay and Yellowknife in the North West Territories. You will likely pick me out pretty quickly as I will be one of the rare riders not riding a cruiser motorcycle. My ride will be a 2021 H-D Pan America Adventure motorcycle. 

I believe in a personal philosophy of life learning and enrichment through physical, emotional and psychological challenges that push us outside of comfort zone. I have been fortunate to successfully complete a marathon race and summit Mount Kilimanjaro in this life quest.  I have learned a lot about myself and the world in the process. The HHMC is a perfect fit for my next effort. 

My personal values of respect, honour, integrity and compassion align with those of the HHMC. I strive to leave the people and places I encounter in the world a little better than when I found them. 

I feel fortunate to belong to the motorcycle community and honoured to be among those that have risen to take on the HHMC.  I look forward to meeting and bonding with my fellow challengers. 

I have been fortunate to have completed my career in policing but many of my colleagues have made the ultimate sacrifice in the performance of their duty.  For that reason my fundraising charity will be the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation which maintains a Wall of Honour with the names of all known fallen officers inscribed upon it.  I further dedicate my HHMC ride to the 32 police motorcycle officers who’s names are memorialized on the wall. 

See you in South Dakota! Hoka Hey!

 

Meet The New Rider # 1028 Derek Bozica

 

I have been involved with the railroad industry for the last ten years, ranging from a track supervisor with a Class 1 railroad to my current duties as a track inspector with a railroad contractor. The railroad industry has been very rewarding to me, and it takes up much of my life. I often think of the phrase: “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life,” and with my career, truer words have never been spoken. My co-workers joke that if they were to cut me, I would bleed creosote (the preservative used to treat railroad cross-ties).

Outside of railroading, and if I am not riding, you will find me in my garage working on one of my three Harley's or those of my friends. My father was a trained Harley mechanic, and I spent countless hours working with and learning from him in our garage, which created a “self-sufficient” attitude when it comes to fixing my vehicles. By the age of thirteen, I was working in the service department of the local Harley dealership (my mother also worked there), where my love of and passion for the culture continued to grow, along with my technical knowledge. The skills and knowledge gained from working with my father and at the dealership served me well when I got my first Harley, a 1969 Electra Glide, which is still in my “stable.” Today, I primarily ride a 2020 Road Glide Special, which I bought new and turned 20,000 miles within the first year.

I first learned of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge from one of my closest friends, Rick Smoot - Rider № 1016. Hearing his description of what the Challenge entailed intrigued me, and I knew that it would be the ultimate test of my mettle and would further cement my love and passion for riding. I am excited to embark on this Challenge, and I expect to not only have my will/endurance tested to the limit, but I also expect at some point during the ride to become “one” with my machine and to discover my true self along the way. From the Challenge, I expect to be sent on an amazing, challenging ride around the country where I will be able to experience “America” in all her glory alongside the cream of the biker crop.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given about riding in the Challenge is “to ride your own ride.” One needs to find his own pace and stick with it, as no two individuals are identical – what works for one may not work for the other. To me, this “ride your own ride” idea also translates to how one loads his bike for the ride ahead. There is no “cookie cutter” approach to outfitting a motorcycle for long-distance riding, so it’s up to the individual to come up with his own solution. 

 

Meet The Returning Rider # 788 Ed Frank

 

I ride motorcycles, Harley Davidson Motorcycles mainly. I try to ride a lot but life gets in the way sometimes. I have ridden since about 12 and I am now 60. I do consider myself a biker, but not the kind of biker that goes to rallies and parties and then rides. I just ride a lot. I don’t like riding with others really. When I got married, I put my wife on the back, then we had kids so we got a double sidecar. Then they got to big so the wife got a tri-glide now they ride on the back with us.

 

 I rode the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge in 2013. I did it to prove I could I guess. I was challenged to ride it by a fellow police officer, It was a great adventure. The kids were small so I only rode one time. The kids are bigger so it is time to ride it again.

The little community where I live in  Central Texas has a school house from 1907. It needs some interior carpentry and paint to bring it back to usable so I am riding to raise money to restore the Wheelock School House that my wife’s great grandmother attended. We need history!!!! 

 

Meet The New Rider # 1025 Craig Watters

Hi everyone, I am new Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge rider #1025 (Craig Watters) from Chatham, Ontario Canada. When asked the question –


What do you do when you are not riding? Well that is easy, I work, yes,I have a JOB, a 40 hour a week job. When I’m not working or riding, I love to entertain. Hanging out with family and friends is important to me and it is usually, over some great food and drink. Conversations may go into the wee hours of the night talking about past bike trips,looking over old pictures. This is where most of our planning for future outings or vacations become a reality. When not working, riding, or entertaining you can bet that I have my next life experience already planned.

 


 I became aware of the HHMC back in 2015 while working for Harley Davidson. My boss John Ibbitson rider # 640 told me about this challenge he participated in back,in 2011. After listening to his adventure riding from Arizona to the Canadian East Coast and how he did it old school (no GPS, no Hotels) I was hooked.

 

 When the pandemic hit and we were not able to travel outside of the country, I gained a completely new appreciation for riding. I did a couple of rides in Canada, which were great, but I couldn’twait for the borders to open back up and get back down south. As a life long rider, I consider it a privilege to be accepted to ride in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. 

 

I started following the HHMC web page, I would love to read all about how riders would prepare, how the new riders made out and what they would do differently, how riders dealt with weather, breakdowns and accidents.I could not get enough and imagined what I would do in each situation.Every rider seemed to get something different and personal out of this challenge, every rider knew entering the HHMC that it would be mentally and physically demanding. Not only that I am accepted into the HHMC, I am accepted into a new family of riders and I just hope that I won’t be too much of the runt, being Canadian and all.

 
 




 I must remember that:
 -$1.45 Canadian = $1.00 U.S. 
-1.6 kilometer = 1 mile 
-20 Celsius = 70 Fahrenheit 
 -3.79 Litres = 1 Gallon 
 Can’t wait to meet everyone in Rapid City! 
Craig

Meet The Returning Rider # 907 Ken Soft Serv Cowart

 

This will be my 3rd Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.  I was able to finish in 2018 after having an engine blowup and spending 3 days at Taboo Harley Davidson in Alexandria, LA.  I missed the end of the road party by only a few hours. In 2020 I had an accident with fellow Hoka Hey rider Kenneth Andrews.  This was definitely one of the worst experiences of my life.  I relive that moment often and still have not figured out how it happened other than I had a momentary loss of concentration. Thankfully, we both have recovered and are riding again in 2022.  Unfinished business!

The Hoka Hey sends us down some challenging routes and I’ve never been afraid to ride new and challenging roads.  The Hoka Hey just confirmed that I can do anything!  I really think the absolutely best advice for new riders is ride your own ride and know that whatever plan you think you have, it will change on the road and you will change along with it!  For me, it’s funny that now as I’m out on the road, I look at places and think “Hmmm, that would be a good place to sleep for the night”

 

Family and friends have been super supportive, but understandably worried at the same time.  The tracking of Fleet Tracker does ease their worries some.  When stopped for the night, I try to remember to send a text letting them know that I’ll be resting for a few hours.

 

My chosen charity is The Special Olympics in honor of my sister Debbie.  She was a participant for many years until she passed in 2014.  The hardest thing about fundraising for me is finding the time to do events for the fundraising.  Facebook is a great tool to get the word out and I have used their charity donation feature with lots of success.

 

Meet The New Rider # 1013 Andy Dennis

 My name is Andy Dennis, I've been riding two wheels attached to an engine since I was about 7 years old. My dad got me into riding dirt bikes in the field near our house. I continued my love of riding and slowly worked my way up to bigger bikes then finally making the leap to a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic.   I've continued the riding tradition by instilling the love of it with my two sons. We frequently go on lengthy ride through the bush on the snowmobile trails. 

After buying the Ultra I began looking into longer distance rides, Boston, NYC and Chicago to name a few. I found I enjoyed the long stretches of riding and expanded my trips to eventually riding across the country. 

My father and I had planned on doing some long distance riding together and that is how I came across the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. I read everything I could find on it and was very impressed with everything I saw. The plan was to ride together but unfortunately I wasn't meant to be. A cancer diagnosis that eventually took his life ended that possibility. I committed myself to working at riding the Hoka Hey.

Originally, I was going to be riding and raising money for men's cancers however that changed in 2021. I felt with all the attention finally being brought to the survivors of Canada's Residential Schools it was more fitting to focus my efforts on helping First Nations Youth. I am now working with members of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation to do just that. 

I'm looking forward to meeting the riders of Hoka Hey and listening to their stories. 

Meet The Returning Rider # 725 Richard Griffith

 Name is Griff
This will be my 5th HHMC. Looking forward to see my Family. 

Meet The New Rider # 1003 Mark Keating

 

I was born and raised in Canada - and work in the technology sector.  I have been motorcycling since the mid-90s when my father and I took our motorcycle licensing course together.  I have two (mostly) grown sons - both of whom have shown interest in motorcycling, and a partner with whom I spend time when not one the bike (she’s not fond of riding for more than short rides!).  If I’m not riding you’ll find me doing one of two things:  keeping myself in some semblance of shape by cycling and running, or shooting landscape photos.

 

Since I learned about the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge I’ve been super excited by the idea of participating.  The low-tech, old-school format of the challenge is one of the key reasons I’m interested.  By limiting the use of technology, and requiring riders to live rough with their bike, the HHMC ensures the focus of the event is on testing the capabilities and stamina of the rider and his/her bike. The only thing of which I’m sure is that the HHMC will be test of my stamina and capabilities as a rider. 

 

As with all Hoka Hey participants, I have a lot of miles in the saddle.  In spite of that experience, the HHMC is sure to be the most challenging single event that I will have attempted.  The combination of distance, low-tech format, and requirement to sleep rough with the bike will combine to test my (and the other participants) limits. I met a few Hoka Hey finishers at an Iron Butt Association get-together in 2016.  Sharing a few drinks with them, I learned everything I could about the event.  Ever since, I have been fascinated by the event, and planning on riding the challenge.

 

I was originally scheduled to ride the 2020 Challenge - but with border closures due to the pandemic, my entry was deferred to 2022.

 

The HHMC is, even in the sphere of long-distance motorcycling, quite unique.  Even so, the best advice I have received has been a reminder of the most common sense LD motorcycling basics - stay hydrated, eat healthy foods, get sufficient rest to ride safely, and, perhaps most importantly, never pass gas.

 

To date, my biggest challenge is simply prepping myself and my bike for the rigours of the HHMC.   I am undertaking a more rigorous exercise program in anticipation of the test of my physical endurance over 10+ long days in the saddle.  I am, as well, working through the basic and more in-depth maintenance of my bike - inspecting, upgrading or replacing all the major systems. Much of this work is (unfortunately) being repeated since I’ve rolled many miles since doing prep work in anticipation the 2020 challenge!  I couldn’t imagine toeing the line of the Hoka Hey without the support of my local Harley Dealership - Blackbridge Harley Davidson in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.

 

In virtually all areas of our lives, modern comforts and technology have taken the “challenge” out of what we do.  What really attracted me to the Hoka Hey Challenge was the format of the event - the core test of a riders’ stamina and endurance, the limits on modern technology, and the requirement for riders to sleep rough with their bike.  I have, and continue to, try to push my limits.  The HHMC will be the biggest test of my capabilities I will have attempted on a motorcycle.

 

As with most riders, I have committed myself to raising an ambitious $10,000 for a few worthy causes in conjunction with my Hoka Hey participation. 

 

First, I'm personally committed to continued support of the global Charity, Shelterbox. This organization was founded in the United Kingdom, and has a small, dedicated Canadian branch.  I continue to be a Shelterbox Ambassador.  ShelterBox is committed to helping ensure no family is left without shelter after natural disaster or conflict – by going where others can’t, or won’t. They deliver shelters, building materials, cooking equipment and other necessities of life to families in the immediate wake of disasters, helping them to quickly rebuild their physical and emotional worlds. Shelterbox is currently active in multiple natural disaster areas and conflict zones around the world. 

 

Second, the last couple years has really opened the eyes of many Canadians (including me) to the long-standing historical inequities endured by the First Nations people of Canada.  While there is little we can do to right the wrongs of the past, there is much that can be done to change the path we're on - recognizing that we all play a part in the solution.  As such, I have also selected to support True North Aid - whose mandate is to provide practical humanitarian assistance to indigenous communities in northern Canada through initiatives established on eight foundational stones of support. These include self-determination, reconciliation, water, food, health, housing, hope and education. 

 

For simplicity sake, I’ve put together a single fundraising page through which donations can be made to the above charities. Canadahelps.org Riding 10,000-miles and Raising $10,000

 

I would not be able to do this ride without the amazing support of my local Harley Davidson Dealership - BlackBridge HD.  I cannot count the number of hours I've spent consulting with their parts and service teams to get my bike in tip top shape - and to ensure it's dialed in for long distance comfort. 

 

 

 

 

Meet The New Rider # 998 Jason Jenkins

 

 

“There is nothing impossible to they who will try.”
Alexander the Great

 

 

          There was a time in 2011 that I thought I could never participate in such ride as the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. This is when I first heard of the challenge, I was in Las Vegas and one of the local dealerships was participating that year as a check point. I went out and watched the riders in awe as riders came in and then left the dealership. The riders were already starting to show wear at only the first check point, but they swung a leg over their bikes that were fully loaded and rode off into the unknown.

 

          The next year Las Vegas hosted the start of the challenge and I was able to see most of the bikes and riders that were willing to take on the ride of a lifetime. I was still mesmerized by it all and dreamed of just taking to the road one day and just riding.

 

But this wasn’t for me. I’m not that rider and I forgot about the Hoka Hey.

 

As the years passed so did my riding style there was a gradual progression of wanting to ride more miles. At first it was just to get out of town, then there was my first overnight trip to a neighboring state, then a two-night stay. As I kept riding, the miles that I rode got longer which eventually led to numerous Iron Butt Rides and Cross-Country trips.

 

As I eased into long distance riding, I started to hear about the HHMC again. At first; I silently read ride reports from the HHMC blog, I even started following some riders on social media platforms and started to reach out as online friends.

 

          In 2018 I became obsessed with the HHMC and soon after I made up my mind that I wanted to enter. You can say that it called to me and at that point the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge became something that I must do. My first obstacle was to overcome my self-doubt. I needed to believe that I could do it before I even applied to the HHMC.

 

Since 2018 I have been planning and preparing, as best as one can, or at least I thought as best one could. I was entered to ride the 2020 challenge but working in the Health Care industry and with COVID now on the loose, I knew my ride was in jeopardy. There was still hope though until one month prior to the start, then it was obvious that my ride wasn’t going to happen and I had to make the call to Beth.

 

          In the meantime, I rode… and then I rode some more. When I wasn’t riding, my distraction was off-roading in my jeep, video games and working on various projects in the garage. I enjoy working in the garage, it’s a happy place for me. …and of course, I still researched and I created lists and then I planned some more.

          I also attended any event that I could that I could that a Hoka Hey rider attending. I went to the Taco Runs and the 2021 Get Together in Texas or just ambushing riders in the middle of their ride when they were near. It was at one of these moments that I got my best advice, ‘Don’t get so preoccupied in making it back in time for the end of ride celebration that you make a poor decision out on the road. Ride YOUR ride, not someone else’s.’. This advice struck a chord with me and I settled down a bit and to stopped trying to research every detail. I realized that I just need to ride my ride and stop over thinking it, and to embrace the moment and my surroundings.

 

          My chosen charity for many years now, is the Nation of Patriots. They are a 100% volunteer organization that works to support U.S. Veterans and their families. What I really like about them is that ALL money that is raised stays in the area that it was raised in and no money goes to the administration.  I am proud to assist the Nation of Patriots and have also been fortunate to witness first-hand the help these families have received and how it benefits them.

 

-Jason “Dr. Tiki” Jenkins

Blog : www.DrTiki.com

Instagram : @doctiki

Charity : www.NationOfPatriots.com