Two brothers are on a motorcycle ultramarathon, riding 10,000 miles in 12 days, rolling mostly along backroads all over the United States in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.
Rick and Mike McLeod, both of Rogers, thundered out of Panama City Beach Fla., on Aug. 9 with about 100 other challenge riders. They'll twist their way across much of the United States on state and county highways in a major test of motorcycle riding endurance and skill.
They're riding hundreds of miles each day, catching 40 winks in the wee hours camping beside their motorcycles, then firing up their bikes again at dark-30 in the morning for another 16 to 20 hours in the saddle, day after day, touring the United States by motorcycle.
All Hoka Hey riders hope to be back in Panama City Beach, where the challenge ends, on or before Thursday with 10,000 more miles on their odometers and memories of a journey they'll never forget.
For Rick McLeod, 50, it's "on the road again" in the 2020 challenge. The Rogers insurance agent finished the 2018 challenge in fine form. That's a major accomplishment right there. Out of more than 100 riders in 2018, only about half finished. McLeod was the 12th rider in. Hoke Hey takes place every other year, always on different routes.
This year, Rick's brother Mike McLeod, 49, owner of an automotive shop in Rogers, is riding his first Hoka Hey. The brothers signed on to this marathon quest for their love of touring the country on two wheels and to raise money for Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter.
As this column is being written on Wednesday, day four of the challenge, Rick was just crossing into Utah near the Four Corners area. Mike was ahead of his brother, riding through northwest Colorado.
"It's not really a race, but there's some friendly competition," Rick McCleod said on Aug. 7 by phone from Panama City Beach. "If you finish in the top 20, you're considered an elite rider."
"Typically I'll ride 850 miles minimum per day," Rick McLeod said. "A thousand is better. I'll leave out at 5 a.m. and might get to sleep around midnight to 2 a.m."
Hoka Hey rules say riders can't use GPS or carry extra fuel. If that's not challenge enough, riders don't know the entire route. They knew the first leg of the route when they left Florida, but that's all. Each time they reach one of three check points -- in New Mexico, Vermont and, this year, Rogers (not in that order) -- they get turn by turn directions for the next leg of the journey, a leg that spans hundreds of miles.
Pig Trail Harley-Davidson in Rogers was the second checkpoint of the 2020 challenge. That made it a homecoming of sorts for the two brothers. Last Wednesday, the staff at Pig Trail expected Hoka Hey riders, including the McLeods, to trickle in Friday through early Saturday. The dealership was staffed 72 hours straight to accommodate the riders.
"These are guys are hard core, some of the best riders in the nation," said Teresa Hurst, marketing and events coordinator at Pig Trail.
The brothers likely didn't get much home time when they rolled into Rogers, with hundreds of miles to go and the clock always ticking. If all went as planned, a bunch of their friends and family hosted a watch party at Hapa's Hawaiian Bar and Grill in downtown Rogers on Friday night, following the brothers' progress.
Each motorcycle carries a tracking device that lets challenge officials or anyone track the riders' progress via internet.
The brothers started the challenge together, but plans took an unexpected turn.
Rick's motorcycle broke down outside of El Paso, Hurst said. Rick was stranded at a truck stop. To buy or not to buy a new motorcycle. That was a question he pondered.
Stuck in Texas, Rick looked through photos and information about Harley-Davidson motorcycles and picked out the one he wanted. Rick's wife, Naomi, signed the paperwork at the Rogers dealership.
In no time the Pig Trail crew had his new motorcycle in a trailer on its way to Texas.
That put Rick about a day behind his brother, said Michelle Tipton, Mike's bride to be.
"But Rick is making up that time," she said Wednesday. "I told Mike he'd better look over his shoulder because Rick might be coming up behind him."
Rick is a big reason Rogers was checkpoint No. 2 of the challenge. The event rolled through 28 states in 2018 , but not Arkansas. Rick lobbied Hoka Hey officials, promoting the scenic highways in the state.
Most riders use the challenge to help a favorite charity. The McLeods are raising money for Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter this year, as Rick did in 2018. As of last week, they'd raised around $3,000.
The final total will include a $1,000 donation to the shelter from Pig Trail Harley-Davidson, Hurst said. By now the brothers may be seeing the light at the end of the challenge. That being sunshine, or maybe moonlight, on the sand at Panama City Beach and the finish of their long ride.
Flip Putthoff can be reached at [email protected]
