Brian “SIG” Signal #1185 & Brandi “Mermaid” Signal #1186
This will be our second time riding the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. We both rode — and finished — the 2024 challenge.
I’m Brian “SIG” and been riding Harleys for 27 years. I’m retired Air Force, retired ER nurse (somehow more stressful than the military), originally from Washington State, now living in Louisiana, and currently building a home in Arkansas just outside Hot Springs. During my time stationed in Germany, I brought my Harley with me and made the most of it. I rode to the tip of Norway — about 600 miles north of the Arctic Circle to Nordkapp — and made it as far west as Ireland and as far south as Northern Africa after ferrying the bike from the Rock of Gibraltar. My farthest east was the Russian border. I also spent about 10 years as an MSF instructor, which came in handy when I taught Brandi to ride about a decade ago. We’ve been riding together ever since.
I’m Brandi “Mermaid” and originally from Bakersfield, CA, and always wanted to learn to ride. We spent our 10‑year anniversary somewhere in the Yukon during the ’24 Hoka Hey — not everyone can say that. I bartend full‑time while working toward my real estate license. When I’m not working, I’m traveling — and my favorite trips are always on my bike. I grew up around motorcycles, but always on the back seat. I started riding my own about 12 years ago, and I was hooked from the very first ride. When my husband told me about Hoka Hey and asked if I wanted to ride with him, I told him no — because I wanted to ride my own bike. I’m always chasing adventure and any excuse to ride. I’ve done several long‑distance trips, but the 2024 Hoka Hey was by far my longest and most challenging. And I’m back for more — hopefully a little better prepared this time.
About the 2024 Ride. Well… it was wet. It took us a few days to really get the directions figured out, and we missed more than a few turns. My bike’s hydraulic clutch needed to be bled every morning, and Brandi ended up buying a new bike at the first checkpoint at Pig Trail Harley‑Davidson after dropping hers at the seaweed pop‑up party in Key West. Between all that, we ran a little slower than planned. For 2026, the goal is to shave at least a day off our time — no breaking in a new bike, no babying a clutch, just riding.
Why We Ride, I’ve been a Shriner for over 20 years, and we’ll be raising funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children. The very first Shriners Hospital opened in 1922 in Shreveport, Louisiana, and today there are 15 hospitals helping children every day.
www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/ways-to-give
With our motto, “We Ride So Kids Can Walk,” I can’t think of a better way to take on the Hoka Hey.
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