When I applied for the 2020 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge , I wasn't the most seasoned motorcycle rider. But I committed to rigorous training, clocking multiple 750-mile runs day after day, navigating twisty backroads with vague handwritten directions. Rain or shine, mostly rain, I practiced, preparing for whatever the universe delivered.
In 2020, my dream of riding the Hoka Hey became reality. Averaging of 840 miles daily, I encountered
trials and triumphs alongside my heroes and ghosts. I got lost and I got found. The experience left an
indelible mark, driving me to continue growing and learning with each subsequent ride, including the
2022 challenge where I rode beside my wife, Ladybug 1064.
Each Hoka Hey teaches you something, in 2022 I learned I need to listen to my wife more. As great a
navigator as I am, she is even better. She brings a different perspective making us both stronger. I
stopped in the dusk and threaded the loop of a flashlight through my helmet chin strap, and she looked
at me quizzically and said ‘why don’t you just use a D-ring?’. Heinz Spielvogel rode in all Hoka Hey
Motorcycle Challenges, and he will still ask any rider: what is your strategy for riding the Hoka Hey?
Experience can come from any source, if you listen. I am excited to discover what the 2024 challenge
will teach me.
On most nights, I still dream of riding in the Hoka Hey. So again in 2024 I set my goal to finish. I set my
goal to be different and to make a difference, to let the minutiae of life pass me by, to make decisions
easily but thoughtfully. I set my goal to walk through this life leaving nothing left unsaid, to walk as a
warrior for the less fortunate. I set my goal to experience life’s pleasures more fully, and weather its
storms more easily. I set my goal to be the person I was meant to be.
Beyond personal growth, my rides serve a greater purpose. In 2024, I'm proud to ride for the Motorcycle
Relief Project (MRP), a nonprofit empowering veterans and first responders with PTSD through
adventure motorcycle relief rides. Learn more and support their cause at motorelief.org/donate.
My experiences haven't gone unnoticed; I've shared my journey on podcasts like the Human Amplified
podcast and the Motorcycle Vagabond Show, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of the Hoka Hey.
Check out MY PODCAST/have-faith-know-love-be-heroic-a-hoka-hey
And MY PODCAST/motorcycle-vagabond-show-1/ep45-the-hoka-hey-motorcycle-
challenge-w-dawn-and-/
As I prepare to ride once more, I'm filled with gratitude and anticipation for the continuing journey.
Thank you,
Steve Davis
954-xxx-BBK
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