ROUNDTABLE - Wingnuts and Hooligans of 25'

We bring Chris Peloso and Hunter Wray to the Rountable to unpack what it really takes to win the ADV Cannonball Rally when points, planning, and chaos collide. We trade the polished version for the real one: tracker mind games, rule loopholes, hard lessons in the desert, and the thin line between smart strategy and dumb suffering. 

• Planning months ahead and choosing the right bike for the job 
• Packing light as a performance advantage over long days 
• The moment the “not a race” myth ends 
• Winning time in corners through cumulative decisions 
• Points strategy versus first-to-finish pressure 
• The rule change that ends hotel backtracking 
• Using the Public Leaderboard for real-time route decisions 
• Turning the tracker off and the risks of missing checkpoints 
• Where we draw the line when chasing points 
• Heat, dehydration, and close calls at federal land checkpoints 
• Shortcuts gone wrong, including farm fields and railroad tracks 
• Improvised repairs on the road, including sheet metal screws 
• Respecting rivals and helping each other finish 
• Lessons learned for new riders, including training and knowing limits 
• Why Frank becomes the rider everyone watches and roots for 

This episode was total fiction and generated by AI, it's not real. 

Transcript

Roundtable Setup And Guests

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Okay, everybody, welcome again to our second episode of the ADV Cannonball Rally Podcast Roundtable Edition, which is literally supposed to be just the participants. This time around, I decided to kick Aaron out of the conversation. As Rally Master, he had no business being part of this one because uh this one is really about wing nuts, hooligans, and what it takes to win. We've had lots of questions from folks about what that looked like. So when I started thinking about what that podcast would end up being like, there were only two people that I actually wanted to have on this one because it would turn into pure chaos. And oh, by the way, we have Captain Chaos with us today, who is uh Chris Peloso, and we've got Hunter Ray, our ADV vet and winner. I would like to introduce our two guests for today's round table. I've got Hunter Ray and Chris Peloso. Gents, would you like to do some introductions? Chris, why don't we start with you?

SPEAKER_00 1:33

I'm Chris Peloso. I'm from Paris, New York, kind of about an hour and a half north of the city. And I like to ride bikes, obviously.

SPEAKER_07 1:47

Hunter? Hello, my name's Hunter Ray. I live in Virginia Beach. Um yeah, I like to chase Chris on bikes. So that's me.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

And that's exactly what I've got you guys on today. What I really wanted to focus on was what that takes to win. And when I thought about that. So in the last podcast, one of the things that I talked about was that by the end of day two, I'd given up on saying, yeah, I'm gonna win this thing, and focused more on the points, and I focused on my ride. You guys did not. So we were a little more. So one of the this is oh my god, this podcast is gonna get out of control.

SPEAKER_07 2:34

It was a funny romance in the making, Carrie.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

It really was, it really was. When I think about what was going on with you two, we had Captain Chaos, who honestly, dude, I didn't even know your real name until like day four or five. Because you you you were the you were the sleeper. It's like Chris was hanging out, he parked his bike on the other side of the parking lot, he was super focused and intent on what he was doing. He had all this neaky shit that he had going on. You'd show up, and it's like, how the hell did he even get ahead of me? I had no idea what the hell you were doing. Like it was just sheer chaos. It it your name fit perfectly, right? Then we had Hunter. Hunter was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, right? There is yeah, there is there is the hunter that is not competitive, and then there is the hunter that is competitive, two distinctly different dudes, right?

SPEAKER_07 3:40

I would absolutely agree with that. The hunter that's not competitive, to be clear, though, is not the guy on the motorcycle. That is anytime I'm away from the motorcycle.

Pre-Rally Mindset And Planning

SPEAKER_02 3:53

What I wanted to focus in on starting with is what you guys were both thinking was gonna happen before you even showed up in Kitty Hawk. Let's start there. What did it look like for you guys? What had you envisioned? Chris, I know you had a strategy from the get-go. You had been doing things to get ready for this. Why don't we why don't you guys talk about what your mindset was, what your strategy was, and what you were thinking about before it even started. Who wants to go first? Go ahead, Chris.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

I I started thinking and planning months before. I wound up setting up a bike I had completely ready for the cannonball, my Aperliator. And then just after my uh my map studying, I just had a nagging feeling that I was on the wrong bike. And I wound up searching for a GSA after looking the line at the lineup of entirely GSA. And figure I'd better find one quick and get it ready.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

Well the uh the old man the the old man Starbucks mobile got you uh did a great great job for you.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

So yeah, I I love that bike. Uh I did a lot of little stuff to it, the all sorts of electronics, comfort stuff, lots of maintenance, uh radar. I had a uh carpu ride screen for GPS, and I think that was one of my biggest bottlenecks was running Gaia and a Carpu ride. I could be able to afford a DMD this year, but I'm setting up another bike as well. I'm not sure what I want to ride yet.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Yeah, we're gonna do a whole nother episode on navigation. That's actually gonna be the next one after that. And I'm gonna do a deep dive into all the various options for people, but that's we we we'll talk about navigation in a bit. Uh Hunter, how about you? What were you thinking about from a prep perspective?

SPEAKER_07 5:57

So so jumping back, Chris, I didn't realize that you had just bought that GS for the cannonball. You bought it for specifically.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

I yeah, it had maybe six to eight hundred miles on it before showing up at the cannonball with it. Wow, no way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 6:14

Well, I can tell you this, you ride the thing like the wind, so apparently it's a good bike for you.

SPEAKER_02 6:21

The wind had to keep up.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

Well, I I want to take a page out of your book this year, and lighter is better. I just had so much stuff I did not need.

SPEAKER_07 6:31

Yeah, I think that was kind of you're talking about prep carry, and and I did the pre-ride, um, rode out and back on most of the route, and I had my intention was to go camping, fishing, you name it, just enjoy the ride and do some route scouting on the way out. And what I had learned in that trip was I had way too much stuff times 10. So I think that was the big shocker when I showed up to the starting line and I had two tank bags and a 30-liter bag, and that was it. And I think everybody was like, What is this guy doing? What is what does he know that we I had a second helmet?

SPEAKER_00 7:09

Yeah, yeah, you did.

SPEAKER_07 7:12

That JT racing three quarters, pretty awesome, though.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

There were multiple guys that actually shipped stuff home. John took his entire top case and stuffed it full of stuff and sent it home too. So, I mean, yeah, I mean, as far as packing goes, light is definitely right. It's it's one of the reasons I actually switched to my T7 for this year, is you know, as much as I was dumping my bike, I wanted to have something a little bit lighter to pick up. But uh, yeah, I'm running just a 30-liter bag this year, so that's that's my approach.

SPEAKER_07 7:45

Yeah, in in preparation. I mean, I can't really say I didn't prep for the cannonball, I did 7,700 miles cross-country and back, so that's pretty good prep. But the bike itself, I ride a F900 GS Adventure um 2024. I had 3,000 miles on the bike before we started the cannonball or before I did the pre-ride. And um, and it's bone stock. It is literally bone stock. I have not done anything to the bike at all, except for I'd have some really nice sheet metal screws now, thanks to the race.

Day One Speed And The Click

SPEAKER_02 8:17

All right, so let's talk about after day one. So we get through day one, adrenaline is high, everybody's excited to go. I know for a fact that uh when we were coming off over the water on that bridge, I was pushing 120 over that bridge.

SPEAKER_07 8:37

The rival motor bridge coming out of the outer banks?

SPEAKER_02 8:40

Yeah. And I had my roommate and riding buddy right with me. He who shall not be named, because then I'm not gonna get anybody else in trouble. So we get flying over that bridge, and there's a county mounty on the other side of the bridge. But because of the pace that we were clipping at, he couldn't catch us. So he actually pulled over another guy that was behind us and said, Hey, no way, you were speeding too. I've got you. I couldn't catch them, so I'm giving you a ticket on on their behalf. So when you see them later, let them know that this ticket is for all three of you, which I thought was pretty damn funny.

SPEAKER_07 9:25

Now, let's go back. Your number in the race was Carrie. What number?

SPEAKER_02 9:29

I was number 30.

SPEAKER_07 9:29

I was uh 41. 41, um 42, right? So I don't think we even saw the police by the time we left.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

Uh they had lots of paying customers by the time you two hit the road. Lots of paying customers. Yeah, so that first day was a little rough. The uh local Leos were having a field day. Uh, I would recommend that people watch it. So coming out of Plymouth, I think now that it's not the first year of the event and people understand what it is, I have a feeling that the event will be watched a little bit closer than it was last year. And with our route being published publicly, people are going to know exactly where to watch for us as well.

Corners Beat Straight-Line Speed

SPEAKER_07 10:15

So that that being said, you want to you're talking about day one. When did it click? When did it set in? And from jump, no matter how many billions of times Aaron said this is not a race, when the when the green flag drops, there's certain people that just can't help themselves, and I'm one of them. Absolutely. So that Jekyll and Hyde that you were talking about, I'm like, okay, so I'm the nicest guy you could possibly be. Some something happens when the green flag drops, I just start going. And when I recognize that we were in a competitive rally, spirited rally, as it as it so would be said, was at the first major construction zone. Because I pulled up.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

That's where we met up.

SPEAKER_07 11:00

Yeah, exactly. I pulled up, and there's 20 bikes in line and 40 cars, and I was like, oh, absolutely not. Left lane, all the way to the front, and I start chatting with the flagman. And I was like, hey man, we're in a cross-country rally, we just started, we're going all the way to LA. This is it, you know. Well, did you care if I take off and just haul ass as soon as you drop the flag? He was like, get it, son, from North Carolina. I was like, oh my god. And then you guys fell in behind me, and that's when I was like, okay, there's some people that don't realize that this is what it takes. Not break, it's not about breaking the law, it's not about you know breakneck speeds, it's not about you know running red lights or anything like that. But if you don't take advantage of the feet, then you'll never get ahead in the miles. And it's so every race that I've ever won is has been one in the corners, and I'm sure you both could say the same. It's not the straightaways that win it, it's that collective thinking of if this corner and that corner and this corner I can cut off 30 seconds to 60 seconds over an eight or 10 hour day, now you're making up time. So that was the moment that I think the competitive group and the non-competitive groups decided how they were gonna ride the race.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

Chris, how long did it take you to figure out who you were actually competing against?

SPEAKER_00 12:21

That that same exact moment. As soon as Hunter came up uh from behind and rolled past me at that construction zone, I I knew he started from behind me and that I was I was trying to keep a high pace. And then uh that was only confirmed once we made it to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we were riding together there and having a blast.

SPEAKER_07 12:45

Yeah, that was fun. When we first linked up, it was like, all right, here we go.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

Yeah, you got you guys were hilarious. Like the the competition between you two, like the rest of us got to the point where we were just watching it to see what each of you guys were gonna choose. So there was different routes, different approaches, but I think it's important, Hunter. You you started to touch on it a little bit. I think it is important for people to understand who they're gonna be going against if they want that first to finish. It's not just gonna be about how good a rider you are, it's gonna be about what you're willing to do to get those points and get that first to finish.

SPEAKER_07 13:28

So, this year with the new rules in place, it is it is 100% a very different game. For sure. The the loopholes that were exploited or discovered or however you want to say it last year um created just this anarchy, this middle of the night madness that Chris and I both partook in a ton. First to finish to to each day without having the opportunity to do anything else. This year is going to be a lot about strategy. What are you willing to sacrifice? How many times have you run the numbers? What's your preferred method? You know, if you collect X number of checkpoints throughout the day, can you outrun someone point wise? It doesn't matter the motorcycle, it doesn't matter the route, it doesn't matter the navigation. What and what adds up in California at the end of the day are the points. And I think, Chris, we were what, like seven points apart or something? Some really silly. Yeah. So we we weren't even a full checkpoint apart from each other because the strategy played in. And that's where this year it's gonna be a madhouse. You can leave the line as hard as you want to leave it and run as fast as you want to run. But if you don't have a solid strategy going in, it's gonna be anybody's game.

Points Game And Rule Changes

SPEAKER_02 14:44

Yeah, I want to go a little deeper on that for a second. So Hunter, what I think you're specifically talking about is that last year what would happen is people could race all the way to the finish line, collect the first to finish, and then spend hours doubling back the entire length of the day as far as they wanted to to collect those checkpoints. And in some instances, that saved people's butts. So I can think of one in particular, Sean Ross. He he went by the checkpoint, but didn't actually verify that the rally app picked up the checkpoint and and missed it. So he ended up spending, I think it was at least two hours that night. That night in the dark, riding all the way back so that he would not lose those points. So here are the guys all hanging out in the hotel enjoying beers and shit talking, and that poor guy was on his bike the majority of the night before he had to crash.

SPEAKER_07 15:48

But it was that conversation, it was that conversation with Sean, and I was like, What are you doing? And I laid in bed, and I laid in bed, and I was like, by the time I made the commitment, because I had missed checkpoints as well, and I'm like, by the time I made the commitment to myself, it was probably 12:30, 1 o'clock in the morning. And I'm like, if I leave now, I'm just gonna be smoked. But it was that conversation with Sean and that act of him taking off and going back, it was it was questioned, it was determined, and it was decided that this was okay. That's it. The next morning I woke up early, I went and collected mine. The only rule last year was you had to pass through the starting point after your starting time. So I then rode the same four hours that Sean rode the night before out and back, passed through the starting line hours after everybody had already left. And uh then carried on with the day.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

And to be clear for everybody, the difference this year is that Aaron has had his lesson learned. He didn't think anybody would be that flipping stupid to go back in the middle of the night to do that. And I said, dude, you called it a cannonball rally.

SPEAKER_07 17:02

It's a cannonball, baby.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

Who do you think is gonna sign up for this thing? Chris is a nut job, Hunter's a nut job. I sure as hell no, I'm uh I'm self-aware enough to know I'm a nut job. I would go back and ride until four in the morning if I needed to to make sure that I had all those checkpoints. This year it's changed so that if you go to that hotel, you absolutely cannot go back and get the checkpoints you missed.

SPEAKER_07 17:30

Once you check in, you're done.

SPEAKER_02 17:32

You check in, you're done, which I actually think is a great rule change because it forces people to be much more accurate in what they're doing, they don't have that safety net anymore. Um, it takes a little bit of the strategy out of it, like, hey, I'm gonna go get like the first three or four checkpoints, and then I'm gonna race to get the first to finish and then double back to get the other ones, which was became a common tactic. Chris, you pulled that one several times.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

I I did it on the worst day as well. What was it? 670 mile day heading uh New Mexico. I made it to the hotel. I I changed my brake pad because I was metal on metal, and I went out to go do that whole northern backtracking loop and the extreme tech points above it, so I could head out first thing straight to the end in the morning and backtrack. Because that's when we knew that uh the one gentleman was making a beeline for the hotel. But I knew if I if I did the same thing, I could beat him.

Tracker App And Live Decisions

SPEAKER_02 18:36

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, so let's let's talk about that. So, one of the topics that I wanted to talk about was real-time decision making, because this is a real thing. And the tracker app helps with that. It it was awesome to be able to see where everybody was at, what approaches that they we were that they were taking. And in the last podcast, one of the things that Aaron talked about was the fact that he actually pulled the van over. The blue whale got pulled over to the side of the road because he was afraid he was gonna get in a wreck because he was watching the tracker so much. Hunter, do you want to talk about that day? You guys want to talk about what happened there?

SPEAKER_07 19:20

There's a whole army of tracker junkies out there, like in this last race. Really, my wife, Chris's wife, everybody. I mean, there was uh it was definitely a thing to watch that app. And real-time decisions make you like watching that app, you're making real-time decisions all day long. So have a plan. Have three or four plans going into the race, but know that at least one of those days, you are not gonna follow one letter of your plan because if you're riding to win, there's everything's gonna something's gonna change everything that you thought was gonna happen. Chris, what about you?

SPEAKER_00 19:57

Well, it's like on the first day, uh, once we were riding together, you made that last fuel stop and I kept going, but I had to stop for fuel. I I stopped, like I just pulled into the gas station, and you come cruising by. In my head, I was defeated. I was like, I have to fill up this giant tank, like he's already like ahead of me by like three minutes. I just I was upset, and then I was like, you know what, let me stick to the plan. And I was only using the guy's GPS, and I had marked some first time. And at the end of the day, it's being later in the day and school coming out. I thought, let me get this last stretch of highway with probably 10-15 miles of highway that paralleled the route. And I get to the hotel and I'm looking for Hunter everywhere, and he wasn't there. And that was only because I decided to stick with my plan even after I felt defeated because I had to stop for gas and he was already.

SPEAKER_07 21:02

Yeah, that's it. That's exactly it. So everybody and that was my my discovery on day one was when I arrived and you had beaten me, and many people, so I flew by a bunch of guys. And when I arrived at the hotel, they were all there, and I was like, What happened? What how did this work? And I was under the mindset because I had done the pre-ride, which helped me see the route, but it also gave me this false sense of security that I had a plan going into the ride. And everyone else had already discovered this. If you jump, run straight lines between checkpoints away from the route, away from the intended route, then it was much quicker to get where you were going when you needed to be there. So that day we both learned something. Yep, that day we both learned something. I was like, Oh, there he goes, I got him. And then I pulled in, and you were in front of me, and then you know, you pulled in. For gas, I pull in for gas. It was just this hopscotch, but you're you're making real-time decisions at that point to be like, what what am I doing wrong, or what are they doing faster, or who's who's out thinking me at this point? And it was uh it was very interesting.

SPEAKER_02 22:14

Yeah, because when you were doing the pre-ride, you were following the tracks. And the the tracks. Right. So the tracks were great for the guys that are out to enjoy the ride. Like Dave, Dave, our boy Dave. Our boy Dave.

SPEAKER_06 22:34

Go to lunch, Dave.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

Yeah, having fucking tacos, hanging out. I'm like, it's a good thing you were on a Harley, man, because this is like it was the full meal deal. I love that guy. All right. Anyway, yeah, but the the difference there is is that the tracks are not necessarily the most efficient route between the actual checkpoints, which is what we're talking about here. Not the right. No. But you know, Aaron has made some very strategic changes as well to where he's put those checkpoints. He's a he's a sneaky bastard, and I was looking at him. So there's there's a lot of different options. Yeah, he's a total sadist. Um every time I say that we just lowered followers, right? We're the ones that sign up for this again and again. Well, that means, yeah. So it's it's gonna be a a real interesting thing to do because you're gonna have some people that want those first to finish points, and you're gonna have to do the math in your head as to whether those first to finish points are worth it to you on that specific day to make that race. But I swear the best thing to watch as I was being a tracker junkie, having the tracker open on my phone was Hunter, you taking the northern route along where the regular checkpoints were, and then realizing that somebody else was just interstating it the entire way to get to the hotel to beat you for the first of the finish, just basically to collect just to collect that. That's when Aaron actually pulled the uh van over and was looking at it that way. But that was intense.

SPEAKER_06 24:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:18

Like how was that for you in the moment? Had had you felt like you were gonna actually catch them and and make it, or no?

SPEAKER_07 24:25

Once I realized what was going on, um, I it was it was not consciously, I wasn't paying attention to the road, I was more focused on the map. So the the same as everybody else watching the tracker, and I'm and I'm looking at the the checkpoints ahead of me, and I'm adding up in my head how much I've got, how much I need, but this one individual was on a hundred mile an hour beeline for the hotel. And so I've looked ahead, found a cut out of the mountains down to the highway, and I was like, if you know what, I don't really care about the rest of the checkpoints for this day. For this day, I want to win first to finish. And we all know why, and there's no need to bring it up, but there was the there was definitely an agenda there, and so it was funny.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

I was I was watching the map and I kept pinch zooming in and I'm I'm looking at it, and I'm like, all right, he has one opportunity. If he's gonna catch him, he's gonna head south on this road. I was watching the two of you converge on the intersection of where your southbound road and his section of the interstate was, and I didn't even have my own maps open anymore. I was watching the tracker because I'm like, is he gonna catch it? I'm like, is he gonna catch him?

Turning Off The Tracker Trick

SPEAKER_07 25:45

Let's let's go ahead and reveal some secrets here. So that Chris, you might not know this one. You ready? This is gonna be drop a bomb on both of you. So the day that I put the sheet metal screws in my bike, and again, I don't know if this is fair play or not, and who knows if it is, but you can turn your tracker off and it leaves you in your last position. You guys know that?

SPEAKER_00 26:05

I kind of I kind of do remember that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 26:09

So the day the day that I was I I had crashed and was putting sheet metal screws in my bike at Home Depot, I turned my tracker off at Home Depot, and I watched you come across the off-road section, and I was a mile behind you. And waiting, just waiting to turn my tracker back on because I was like, I am not gonna show him where I am right now. But that's when you met up.

SPEAKER_00 26:34

It would have been my own fault because I wasn't even watching the tracker like that. I was more more so focused on my GPX line because the screen's small and I hate trying to follow it. Especially with my shortcuts where I don't have the route going.

SPEAKER_07 26:54

Yeah, there was there was so much trickery in play. Like it was just and I think that was everything was embracing the spirit of the cannonball. Was we we weren't causing any harm, we weren't tearing up property or doing anything wrong, but just playing tricks with each other all day long was just so fun, you know? Yeah, that was that was the part.

SPEAKER_02 27:13

Now, I I gotta warn everybody if you turn your tracker off, you have to be aware that you're not gonna get your checkpoints if you don't turn it back on.

SPEAKER_07 27:24

Don't pass the checkpoint with it off. It does not register.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

Don't pass the checkpoint with it off.

SPEAKER_07 27:29

But it goes to it goes to what you're saying, right? Strategy playing playing into so between you you've got to be aware. If you're if you're riding to win, if you if you want to carry home one of these here, did you guys see this? I know you we know we're not recording video, but there's this big beautiful back piss off to you. Do you see that right? What does that say right there? I think that says 2025 winner almost.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

You know how I'm gonna edit this, is just with big black, beautiful, and then we'll just leave it right there.

SPEAKER_07 27:57

Listen, Aaron Pupal gave me a giant black beautiful shaft, and I love it. So if you're if you're riding, if you're riding to get one of these, then you have got to be paying attention on the bike in the hotel. Like it's it's not there's a there's gonna be a group, the group's bigger the next year, um, or this year. There's a lot of guys, and I love them. Like I said, day one, when I took off, I was riding the route because when I pre-rode the route, it's the most amazing tracks I've ever followed that anybody's ever created. Like the riding every single day was mind-blowing. My hat's off as much as much grief as we give Mr. Puffall, he is one of the most extraordinary route creators I've ever seen. Period.

SPEAKER_02 28:42

Um stop kicking, stop kissing his ass, dude. No, not at all, man.

SPEAKER_07 28:47

Like that because my hat's off to the guy. Like, he is he is he we he's beloved across all the worlds for the idiot that he is, and we love him to death. But that he builds a great route, and there's guys that are gonna ride that route and enjoy the absolute hell out of it. But if you want to come home with the hardware, you gotta be in the game and you gotta be willing to play the game.

Packing Light And Slab Day

SPEAKER_02 29:08

And I'm just I'm gonna make a point of this in pretty much every episode. Ride your own ride. Everybody needs to ride their own ride. Don't don't ride outside of your ability, don't worry about what everybody else is doing, don't let what everybody else is doing ruin your own ride. It's just do your thing and enjoy it for what it is, because you're gonna get some wing nuts, like you two clowns, that some people are just not gonna be willing to do what you guys were were willing to do. Talking about slab day. Oh, good lord. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

That was my work day.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

Hold on, hold on. Are you ready? Hold on, listen. Oh, we were supposed to do this at the beginning. What are you doing? But since I'm uh I'm I okay, so as you know, I own a barber shop with a full bar. And some Gen Zier kid came in and said, Hey Carrie, these seltzers are selling like hotcakes at the bars I've been going to. You really should try and put these in your bar. I'm you know, they're going for 12 bucks a can. I looked it up, they're like$18 for a case. So I picked them up. It's called uh Truly Unruly Seltzers. 8% alcohol. It is the most disgusting garbage. I would be proud. I think I would actually prefer to drink an IPA over this seltzer. It is nasty sweet, but I bought a case. So cheers, gents. What do you what do you got there, Hunt or Hunter? What do you got?

SPEAKER_07 30:57

Today I'll be enjoying a locally brewed three-notch brewing Minuteman IPA with a badass eagle on the front. So cheers to everybody.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

Yeah, you just gave Aaron Wood. Uh Chris, Chris, what are you drinking there, buddy? Come on. Just a ginger ale. Is that a mason jar I'm seeing?

SPEAKER_07 31:15

Yeah, I think it is. Um go ahead and keep calling that. You know what? I bet your ginger ale will run a V8.

SPEAKER_02 31:21

I mean I I I think he's he's lying. That that mason jar is full of go juice.

SPEAKER_07 31:26

Yeah, that's it. Tennessee honey.

Lines You Will Not Cross

SPEAKER_02 31:31

Yeah. So we've we've talked about a bunch of stuff. What were you guys not willing to do to win? Where did you guys draw the line?

SPEAKER_07 31:41

Ooh, Chris, what do you think? I think we have the same answer. Being that we both damn near died on the side of a hill in the in the Arizona sun.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Even before that, the uh the petrified forest, where you got escorted out and I I got asked to leave, and they would they wouldn't even accept my bride to take my phone to the checkpoint.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

You asked them to take your phone? I love you. That is so perfect. That is awesome.

SPEAKER_00 32:09

I offered him 200 bucks.

SPEAKER_07 32:10

Did you really? And he said no.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Yeah. No.

SPEAKER_07 32:14

Was this before or after? You were there before me.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

After you, because he he said uh we got your buddy at the at the entrance. And I was like, that's why I'm on foot. I'm on foot. I'm a UNP.

SPEAKER_07 32:30

Yes, I I think the answer to your question, Carrie, is is there was not anything on the other side of that line. I think Chris and I were both willing to do whatever it was gonna take.

SPEAKER_02 32:39

So Hunter tells the story. Uh go ahead, Chris.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

I was gonna say I probably shouldn't have pushed myself as hard as I did at uh Montezuma's castle. I wound up being underprepared. I I got off the bike, I left it at the gate. I was a little delirious for doing that. But I I saw the checkpoint was maybe two, three hundred yards a straight line from the gate. I was like, oh, let me walk over this.

SPEAKER_07 33:07

Across the desert.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

Across the desert, it's now 89 degrees. I left my jacket on, I left my helmet on. I wound up getting to the edge of the cliff. I can't get the checkpoint. You have to go like another 20, 30 yards, which would be at the base of the castle. So I I go to the side and I climb down the side, not knowing what Montezuma's castle is. As soon as I see it, I know exactly what it is, and I was like, oh my god, I'm about to be in a lot of trouble. I was like, I I should have at least walked on the road and not through the desert, because you're already sensitive enough about the desert. Let alone a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

Am I remembering right that that was the spot where you were almost ready to press the button on your on your garment?

SPEAKER_00 34:02

If I had the garment with me and didn't leave it on the bike, I 100% would have FOS. Yeah, it was hot.

SPEAKER_02 34:09

It was hot and it was steep, too. Wasn't that part of the problem? Was uh how steep it was?

SPEAKER_00 34:14

And it was to go around was like a mile walk, maybe longer than a mile uphill. And I was even afraid to call my wife because I figured if I let her know the situation, that would make it more real. I got I've I've pushed myself to like tunnel vision and dehydration before, but this was like swerving tunnel vision. And uh once I made it to the bike, there was a couple there in a car at the parking lot. They gave me water, and just by the sight of me, the lady was trying to drive me into town for medical attention. I was like, no, I got the water now. I'm gonna I'm gonna get some wind and hopefully survive.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

And all this was because of the government shutdown. So it was it was funny because then we had multiple spots that were on federal land. And Hunter, why don't you tell the story of your interaction with the cops?

SPEAKER_07 35:14

So before this, and this is we've never Chris and I haven't haven't talked since the race, and and this is so leading up to that day, and we go back, this dies it back to watching the tracker. So I was pretty far behind Chris because of the first checkpoint. He had gotten out far far enough out in front of me, and then I just slowed down, given my pleasant conversation with the uh park rangers at that particular location. And um, so I'm watching the tracker, and I'm watching him, I'm watching him, watching him, and his bike stops, his tracker stops, and he's at I can tell he's at the gate, and then I saw his tracker move, and I was like, Are you kidding me? Points wise, I had I knew at that moment, points wise, as long as I was able to get every checkpoint from that point forward, given what I had just accomplished, I knew points wise I had I had the race. At that, that's the moment that I knew. And then Chris's tracker went across the gate. And I was like, You're gonna make me do it again? Are you kidding me? I couldn't believe it.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

That was my only chance. I was grasping at straws.

SPEAKER_07 36:18

That was it. That was that was the only if I hadn't gone in, then then everything goes a different way. And I knew I knew at that particular moment if I don't go in, I'm giving up, and that's where it ends. And so I pulled up and I see your bike sitting at the gate. And I'm like, uh uh, nope, I'm not doing that. No way. And I'm watching your tracker, you're over the hill at this point, and I so I'm like two, three minutes behind you, maybe 10, whatever. But I rode down the road a quarter mile, like Jesse James, and I pull my bike off in the desert and shoved it behind some bushes, like laid it down on the ground, so that it because if you laid it down, I was just not gonna at all I laid it down, so I was I was not gonna have another conversation with law enforcement on that particular day. So I was like, I'm I'm gonna sit here and see what happens. And I went in and you were coming out. We saw each other, you were walking the road, and I was going down that that ski slope. And I got down there, and on the way back out, I was like, There's no way you had already taken off. I saw your tractor, see your dot leave, and I'm out there by myself, and in the same situation, you're in dehydrated, exhausted, and I climbed back up that slope. I was taking two steps and lay down, and then I'd get up and take another two or three steps and lay down.

SPEAKER_00 37:40

Like I'm glad it wasn't just me.

SPEAKER_07 37:44

Yeah, man. I was I was done for, absolutely done for.

SPEAKER_00 37:48

We were at some elevation too. I want to say it was like 8,000 feet. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 37:52

The elevation, the heat, the the dryness in the desert, it was incredible. That was just an incredible moment. And and that's that is the moment. If you're if you really sum up the entire race, that's the moment. I was like, do I go in or do I not? And I knew if I didn't, I knew exactly what happened.

SPEAKER_02 38:11

Well, you two ass clowns ruined it for the rest of us because by the time that we had gotten there, there were three local law enforcement cars sitting in front of those gates watching for everybody and just turning everybody around. They're like, Yeah, we know that you guys are all coming through, so just turn around and get the hell out of here. Because one of yeah, one of the neighbors had actually one of the neighbors had actually called them. And so there was also funny enough, part of that story is, and I don't even know if you guys know this, there was a dispute over who had authority on that land. Really? Local police were there, county police were there, and the feds were there, and they were all just fighting over who had who had jurisdiction over that space. So that was that was funny too.

SPEAKER_07 39:05

Yeah, that was an interesting day.

Farm Fields And Railroad Shortcuts

SPEAKER_02 39:08

Hunter, why don't you tell us a story about the railroad tracks?

SPEAKER_07 39:12

If I want to put that on record. I can tell you a story about driving through some farm fields. Uh, so I had seen an opportunity. Um, there was there was truly, and this is something that would be relevant to people listening to the podcast that are that are competing in this year, there was truly an advantage to being the last person leaving every day. And that and that kind of based this whole conversation seems to be based around that tracker app, and that's what it was. I could see everybody's decisions until I ended up you know out in front of them. So strategically, I would take each day, and Chris, unfortunately, I wish Chris was numbered like eight or nine or something, would have made it a lot easier instead of the number right before me. But I could see what you guys were doing, right? If you take a if you took a left, if you took a shortcut, like I was watching the whole thing, I had a grandstand C to it, and so hearing the the chatter, watching the app, watching what was happening on that, and I was like, There's gotta be a way in, there's gotta be a way in. And I went way too far past the checkpoint and turned in, and I was like, this has got to lead somewhere, and I ended up in big oh wide open farm fields, like riding the roads between the fields that the tractors would use to service them before I turned off into this farm field. Yeah, there was a whole road that went around everywhere I was at, and I crashed my bike five times in that freaking field, man. It was awful getting through there, and it ended up, yeah. I ended up on um I went down once, so I'd got up some pretty good speed. I went down once at about 65 miles an hour in the dirt, and everything, the whole bike exploded. I mean, there was bags and GPSs and phones everywhere, and I was like, oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 41:05

So you had a full-on yard sale.

SPEAKER_07 41:07

A yard sale, like you wouldn't believe, and there was nobody there to witness it. It was pretty sad. So that you know, that led me to the railroad tracks, and the railrocks led me to the checkpoint, and that was uh that was the moment, you know, that it was like, okay, this is this is getting serious. You know, I had a very serious conversation with an incredibly nice man and was able to keep riding my motorcycle for the day.

SPEAKER_02 41:30

Yeah, that's a very generic summarization of a very good story.

SPEAKER_07 41:36

Thanks. If you want to hear the rest of that story in detail, I'll see you at the hotel and we can have a beer.

SPEAKER_02 41:41

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, Chris, what um where did you go? Yeah, I shouldn't have done that. Did you have any of those moments?

SPEAKER_00 41:51

At Montezuma. I had Montezuma.

SPEAKER_07 42:00

There's another moment though that I saw Chris and I was like, I'm so glad he did that. We were coming around the back side of right before it was in California, that long ass highway, right before we turned left and start going up into the to the dam. And Chris rips the biggest wheelie I've ever seen in my life. He turns and it was like the bike was up. And this, I mean, this is probably a 30-degree slope that went straight into the mountains for miles. And this dude rips this wheelie that's gotta be like two and a half, three miles long. And I was like, Yeah, go, dude! It was so good.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

I've always wanted to wheelie into the sunset.

SPEAKER_07 42:36

That was it, man. I was I was wishing I had a camera on you so bad. I was like, that's the ticket. That's the that's the cannonball spirit. Because I mean, that's probably day six or seven. I don't know. It was it was we were pretty far into it. Exhausted, had damn near died of Monazuma's castle and everything else. And here we are, you know, as fast as our bikes will go down this desert highway. There's only one turn in 20, 30 miles, and Chris is like, Yep, opportunity knocks. Yes, my dude. That's funny. It feels good.

SPEAKER_00 43:09

I usually enjoy wheelies a bit more. I just I haven't ridden that bike much, and it was very loaded down.

SPEAKER_07 43:17

Yeah, yeah. They're hard too.

SPEAKER_02 43:19

I I am literally doing a 30-liter dry bag strapped down with rock straps on the back of my bike for this next one. You know, I I had Moscow soft panniers on my tiger last year, and at the speeds that I was traveling, it was giving me death wobble hardcore because the aerodynamics were totally off. Um, so I'm just like, nope, I am not doing that again last year again this year, because 98% of what I brought, I didn't need. No, I didn't need like so. For me this year, all I'm packing is stuff to fix. Tires.

SPEAKER_07 44:01

I'm riding the same bike, but it's not gonna be the same bike.

Crashes Repairs And Sheet Metal Screws

SPEAKER_02 44:04

Let's talk about your bike, Mr. Ray. I would like to discuss your patch job with sheet metal screws. Um what caused that, and how did that end up being your fix?

SPEAKER_07 44:18

So, well known fact or little known fact, I'm not sure, but it it is a true statement that I crashed my motorcycle every day of the cannonball. I crashed every single day. The first day on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I think it was the first that checkpoint before the bridge, and you got the two feet curbs, and I had not really figured out where this thing was gonna register or not. So I'm staring at the park sign, which is on the other side of this sidewalk, and I drove straight into a two-foot granite curb and laid the bike over on its side. That was day one. Like just crashed. And so I I had started convincing myself that I was riding to my absolute limit when I was crashing every single day. So yeah. That crash came from part of the or the sheet metal screws came from part of the uh railroad track story.

SPEAKER_02 45:10

What what day was that? Was that day six, I want to say?

SPEAKER_07 45:15

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 45:15

It was either day four or day six. It wasn't on the big slab day.

SPEAKER_07 45:19

So I had I had my left boot jammed in between my crash bars and my fairing just to keep the plastic together. And I was losing Chris by the mile. He was on it was in Arizona. He was on the the top of the rim coming in the off-road section across, and I had gone in and out and down and around. And that was I was like, I've gotta stop and and figure this out. So I'm at Home Depot, right? And I was like, quick, think, think, like, figure this out. Self-tapping sheet metal screws, that oughta do it. So I bought a box and I bought a drill, and it went bring and this guy in the parking lot was a veteran, he had veteran plates on his truck. And I was like, hey man, you need a drill? And he was like, What? I said I only needed it for this, I'm all set. So I gave him the drill, and the dude wanted to start talking to me. God bless him, and I love him to death. He wanted to start sharing stories and telling war stories and talking about veteran stuff, and I was like, man, I'm in a race. I gotta go.

SPEAKER_02 46:20

Chris, you didn't really have any damage to your bike, did you? I don't remember seeing any any big damage.

SPEAKER_00 46:26

I I went down one good uh Arizona today going into California, I believe. I had gone down on an off-road section in fourth year. And uh I think I lost a mirror, uh like the like just knocked the fog light out of laugh and stuff and broke the uh my yellow lens covers. But that was about it. And one of my side bags is a little uh tweak. For going down at fourth gear in the dirt, man. I could not complain.

Community Help And Rival Respect

SPEAKER_02 47:08

Yeah, we all got pretty lucky. Unlike uh poor Iron Man Mark, who uh That dude's an animal. Are you kidding me? Dude he breaks his leg and then he still finishes riding the entire thing on his own bike. I pushed him out of the hotel one day on one of those luggage trolleys at the hotel. Like every day. And you know, that's one of the beautiful things that I really loved is everybody rallied to help everybody out. Yeah, it's competitive when the gun goes off, but in between, everybody's hanging back, drinking cold cheap shit beer, like swapping stories from the day, and everybody was taking care of each other, right? So every single day Mark had help. And I thought that was really, really cool.

SPEAKER_07 47:57

Yeah, it's it's definitely a bonding.

SPEAKER_02 47:59

Yeah, and I would say you guys are gonna have to watch out for Mark this year because I think he's had enough lessons learned. That that crazy mofo is gonna be all over.

SPEAKER_07 48:07

He's been outriding nonstop, like you follow his socials.

SPEAKER_02 48:11

Oh, yeah, absolutely. He's training and riding every day, and he's posting on the Facebook group, so he's he's actually showing some of the sections he's doing on his transelp right now. And and he's he's even trying to decide which bike he's gonna use, whether he's gonna use his uh his brand new GSA 1300 or whether he's gonna use his transelp.

SPEAKER_07 48:31

I got him. The old F-900's coming in strong this year, fellas.

SPEAKER_02 48:34

Dude, that that is like the perfect size bike. You've got power and you've got the fuel capacity.

SPEAKER_07 48:41

Let's just say that the F-900, I'll be riding the same bike I rode last year. But uh the VIN number's the same. That's about it.

SPEAKER_02 48:50

Until you file it off.

SPEAKER_07 48:51

Nope, it'll stay on there. That's about it. I'm coming, I'm coming for you fellas this year. And there was I came up short, so slab day, I thought for sure. Even even through some some minor wins and successes and some backtracking and craziness, I was like, I'm gonna lose it on slab day. When I passed Sean on slab day, I lost my mind. I was like, how is this little tiny F-900 out in front of everybody else? I was losing my mind, but I know that this year there's people bringing it, and they are gonna bring it hard, and there's some really, really fast bikes and really fast riders coming. So I had to make some changes.

SPEAKER_02 49:33

I'm gonna talk shit about Sean for a second. I think the uh reason that you were able to pass Sean is because he didn't want to spill his latte.

SPEAKER_06 49:41

Oh Mr.

SPEAKER_07 49:43

Number Six is coming for you, buddy. Sean's a badass man. He can ride.

SPEAKER_02 49:51

No, he definitely can ride. He can definitely ride.

Best Memories And Lessons Learned

SPEAKER_07 49:55

I was running with Sean and Jake up that mountain in California, and it was, I mean, we were screaming demons. It was getting with it. Those boys can definitely ride. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:03

Alright, so I'm gonna give you one more big question, and you guys, whoever wants to can talk first, which is if you look back at last year, what's your favorite memory? Period. I don't care if it was by yourself, with other people, whatever it was, and what was your biggest lesson learned?

SPEAKER_07 50:24

Chris, you want to take it? So my my my memory, my best memory was we it was Chris and I. Chris and I had teamed up. Uh God, it was the middle of the night. We were doing dumb shit. Um and I had had waited for him. It was coming into Blyth. It was on on that day. Yep. We were exhausted. Um we had done we'd both done a bunch of dumb shit, and we both knew that we were top one and two. But it was dark, it was late, and we were like, you know what? Regardless, like competition out the window, let's just two brothers looking out for each other. Yeah. So we hung together for the last probably 60 miles of that day and just rode it in together. At that point, I didn't give a shit who who reached first or who had any points. Like it had been we had been in the trenches for 2,000 plus miles, battling it out, and it was two guys just going, you know what, let's just get home safe today. So that was definitely a a huge highlight for me. And then lesson learned? Lesson learned. Don't know what you don't know and um plan for everything.

SPEAKER_02 51:35

You can do better than that.

SPEAKER_07 51:36

What do you mean, lesson learned? Like lessons learned.

SPEAKER_02 51:39

Like, what did you what did you do that you're like, yeah, I'm not doing that again, or oh, I'm changing this.

SPEAKER_07 51:45

Well, I didn't, brother. I'll do it all again. Why? What? This stuff listen, I'm gonna leave it back to the street. This goes back to my Dr. Teller and Mr. Hyde. I'm gonna leave half my tire at the starting line on day one. I can promise you that. I'm gonna ride as many wheelies as I can frickin' ride, and I'm gonna twist that bike until it freaking pops. I'm gonna do it all again. There's no doubt. So what uh let's see, what would I not do again? Um lesson learned. It doesn't have to be a negative thing. I'd be like, I learned a lesson. I'm I'm a freaking idiot, dude. Knuckle dragging throttle twisting just is what it is.

SPEAKER_02 52:21

I feel really bad for your parents.

SPEAKER_07 52:23

Yeah, no, they're super proud, right? They're like, hey, he's still alive.

SPEAKER_02 52:27

Great. He survived. Chris, what about you?

SPEAKER_00 52:31

I got one I couldn't change a little bit. I think there was like three, maybe four times I let off the throttle and I can't be having that. Not at all. Everything counts.

SPEAKER_02 52:45

And then what about what about favorite memories? Like what's one that just makes you smile at the end of the day?

SPEAKER_00 52:51

I the same same one meeting up after going through a long off-road section where I was uncomfortable by myself in the mountains, and then finally made it out. Hunter was there, and now we had double the light. Because I I've had uh a lot of close calls on the ride with wildlife, so more light was very welcome.

SPEAKER_07 53:12

Yeah, that was a good run.

SPEAKER_02 53:13

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_07 53:14

That was a good run.

SPEAKER_02 53:15

Well, that's great, guys. Anything else you want to share? Any words of wisdom you want to give to the guys uh that are showing up to win this thing next year? Because it it's a bigger field. Uh there's gonna be more boys in the hunt. They're gonna have to bring it.

SPEAKER_07 53:33

I think Chris already said it, right? When you're thinking about letting off, don't. It'll cost you. Just don't.

SPEAKER_00 53:42

I I put a buffering zone before letting off. I have to think about it. No just naturally letting off. I have to decide if it's if it's good and then do it.

SPEAKER_07 53:51

Yeah, and that's why so so on that note, I mean, this is in the cannonball spirit, and we gotta do all the, you know, touchy feely shit at this point. And you go ride your own race, like Carrie said. Everybody should know their limits and and ride where they're at. It's it's an incredibly good ride, it's an incredibly good time. You're gonna meet this is the the top of the top of the top level of guys that ride this kind of bike and know how to ride them extremely well. So there's there's fast guys and then there's faster guys, and that's what these groups consist of. So nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, nobody wants to see anybody lose a bike or anything like that. But it is a very spirited ride. And if you're if you've signed up for anything, it's got a cannonball in the name, you should embrace that spirit.

Frank’s Story And Training Advice

SPEAKER_02 54:41

Especially, especially if you're going for first, right? Because there's first, there's stake knives, and then there's everybody else is a loser. But I you to to to your point, Hunter, right? I w I want to talk about real quick Frank. Yeah. So Frank was Frank Dut Tank. Frank Dut Tank. I love Frank. Frank is number one. And he's I wanna say early 70s, 70 years old, right there.

SPEAKER_07 55:09

He's not a spring chicken.

SPEAKER_02 55:11

No, and he was brand new to riding. So he had only had his license for a few years. That dude was a machine.

SPEAKER_07 55:21

Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_02 55:22

It didn't matter whether people were showing up to win or whether people were showing up to just enjoy the ride. Everybody, regardless of whether we were going for first to finish, enjoying the ride, or just trying to make it without dying. Everybody was rooting for Frank. The minute I got into the hotel, I could see everybody on their phones watching the tracker. And my first question to everybody would be, where's Frank?

SPEAKER_07 55:51

Yep. Right there.

SPEAKER_02 55:52

Everybody knew everybody knew where his experience level was, what he was trying to accomplish. And we just wanted to make sure that Frank got to the hotel at the end of the day safe. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_07 56:03

Which in my opinion, that is just as much the cannonball spirit as what Chris and I were doing. Absolutely. And that's so Frank, Frank was like, you know what, I'm gonna challenge myself to the extent of my ability. And by the time anyone gets to the West Coast, that's what they should feel like. You know, whether it's you know, Chris and I doing what we're doing, or or Frank just finishing a 3,000 plus mile ride.

SPEAKER_02 56:26

Like yeah, and what was awesome to see was after the event, he was uh so excited and energized by the ride. He what did he do? He goes out and he buys a T7 and then he starts taking off-roading classes.

SPEAKER_07 56:42

Starts training, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 56:43

Yeah, he starts training for all the off-road sections so that he can get better at it. It's it's amazing. I love it.

SPEAKER_07 56:49

I think that I think that lends to what you're saying though, and that that's what we're talking about here. So know your limits. And if you're not where you want to be, start training now. Get on the bike, take a course, challenge yourself now in a situation where you're not dealing with navigation. What how many riders? 80 plus riders now or something crazy like that. Uh, you know, inclement weather. Uh just just go out and figure out your machine, understand your machine, understand its limits. You know, if you're if you're riding a 1200, they're not made to be on single track. Like it's just just not supposed to be out there unless you're not going to be able to do that. It's all about trade-offs. Yeah, it's all trade-offs. Yeah. So no know your machine, know your limits, and and the the point is that the the everybody wants to say, like, oh let's go have fun. No bullshit. Let's not go have fun. This is a challenging event, right? And it is to challenge everything that you know about yourself against some of the best riders in the country or in the world. So that's that's what it comes down to. That's the way I see it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:56

Chris, any final thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 57:58

Uh I guess just along the rough line of new riders, like my my father and wife are both signed up, they're both newer riders. Uh my father had a Toreg, which would have been perfectly fine for his riding ability. He went out and bought a 1300 GFA. So now he's taking courses trying to learn how to handle it, and uh we'll see how that goes.

SPEAKER_02 58:26

Nice. And what's your wife riding?

SPEAKER_00 58:28

He's not sure yet. She's probably gonna stick to just the pavement. Uh either the Harley Road glide behind me.

SPEAKER_02 58:36

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 58:37

Uh the Aprilia or the BMW if I don't use the BMW.

SPEAKER_02 58:41

Well, we had we had guys on street bikes last year. We had guys on BMW RTs, we had Jay on his Indian. Like those guys did great. And there's there's several sections of dirt that you can get to even on a street bike if you wanted to.

SPEAKER_07 58:56

I came across Jay on a dirt path in freaking Arizona covered mud.

SPEAKER_02 59:00

I was like, dude, do you realize what motorcycle you're on? Love Jay. Like like that guy, that guy is a he's a hoot, man.

SPEAKER_07 59:07

Yeah, man. Like the Chris Wait Chris Chris has alluded several times now to maybe not riding the BMW. You're gonna leak uh leak any information here, buddy? Yeah, it'll be lighter.

SPEAKER_02 59:19

But you are bringing the BMW back.

SPEAKER_00 59:20

I I'm not decided yet. I'm building another bike, but I've I gotta ride it and decide. So it's interesting.

SPEAKER_07 59:30

Bike bike choice, tire choice, gear choice is very interesting because you've got two-thirds of the country that is all pavement and back roads and and very specifically designed for one type of motorcycle, and then you've got the remainder of the course that is extremely different and designed for a very different motorcycle.

SPEAKER_02 59:49

Yeah, tire strategy is one of the other topics we're gonna cover somewhere else.

SPEAKER_07 59:53

But yeah, for sure.

Final Thoughts And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_02 59:54

Yeah, I don't want to I don't want to go into it too far today. But okay. Um all right. So, gentlemen, thank you so much for your time. This was awesome. I think it is important for our newbies that are showing up this year to know what they're going up against, what the expectations are, and to just help get them into a mental mindset of you just need to turn off your self-preservation switch because that's how that's how you're gonna win this thing. If you have a self-preservation switch, you better shut it off.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:30

That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:32

Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:34

Chris, it's good to see you. Carrie, thanks for having us.

unknown 1:00:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:39

Thanks again, guys. I appreciate I appreciate the time. All right. See you guys.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:15

That is five. Algorithm god. Upload.