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M2MCR
by Gary Charpentier |
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The
first annual Milwaukee to Minneapolis Cafe Race was held on
the Fourth of July this year and, by all accounts, was a
huge success. I had intended to ride this event, but a
family emergency kept me close to home and Abbot
Northwestern Hospital for the entire weekend. This race,
originating at the Fuel Cafe in Milwaukee, ran the course of
some 500-plus miles on non-Interstate roads to finish at
Bob's Java Hut in Minneapolis, where I was present to greet
and interview the first four finishers. The route was kept
secret until all the riders were present and ready to start.
The rules were laid out and checkpoint procedures explained
at a riders meeting, then the race began with a "Le Mans
Start," which means the riders all ran to their bikes,
started them, and roared off to glory! Unless they had a
balky kick start, vintage mount... At the finish
line, a tired rider on a '81 Kawasaki GPZ1100 was the first
to arrive. The bike itself was a well preserved example of
one of the first fuel-injected sport bikes, and this first
place finisher missed the vintage cutoff for the event by
only one year, as 1980 and earlier models were classed in
the vintage category. Rick LeFauve rode up to Milwaukee from
his home in Chicago for this race, and when he arrived at
Bob's Java Hut his total mileage for the day had to be over
600. I bought him a beverage, and after he had time to
settle in, we sat down with some other riders so he could
regale us with tales of the road. The first question
on my mind was, "How many cops?" Rick was the first rider to
pass through the many sleepy burghs along the route, so the
law enforcement presence was minimal. Rick saw two police
units on the entire ride, both of the local force variety.
He was prudent (or lucky) enough to slow down while passing
through their territory. Close on his heels
was Ducati 900SS-mounted (Second place? Shame on you!) Chuck
"Ace" Simonson from Milwaukee. Chuck crossed the finish line
with cords showing on his rear tire. After one off-road
excursion, running out of gas, and going several miles in
the wrong direction after a checkpoint, cops were the least
of his worries. However, after the first two racers stirred
up the hornets nest, the remainder faced a much more alert
constabulary. Steve Giantoli and
Greg Mariani rode together for most of the race. Greg came
all the way from Phoenix, AZ to participate in this unique
event, and he will be taking home a couple of warning
citations as souvenirs of his visit to Wisconsin. At one
point, while riding through Dane, WI, these two were clocked
at a heinous 40 mph in a 30 mph zone (gasp!). Steve pulled
over, Greg did not. The officer lectured Steve on his
dangerous behavior, and then followed him for about eight
miles hoping to catch up with the felonious Greg, so he
could preach the gospel of law and order to these two
misguided youths and save them from themselves. Alas, no
Greg. The officer turned around and went back towards town,
where Greg had been apprehended by an unmarked unit. After a
full search of his clothing and belongings (obviously he
must have been a criminal if he didn't pull over the first
time), Greg was also let go with a warning. Both riders were
pulled over once more each, while they were separated, but
they kept their cool and didn't divulge a word about the
race. However, now the cops were awake, and that couldn't
have been a good thing for the riders who came through
later. Lesson: Ride fast, get there first. Out of 32 riders
who started in Milwaukee, 30 eventually made it to Bob's
Java Hut. The two that didn't had mechanical failures. There
were no crashes en route. Nobody was injured. No arrests
were made. Trackstar Motorsports donated a brand new rear
tire to second place finisher "Ace" Simonson, so he could
have a safe ride back to Milwaukee. As far as I know, no
animals or innocent civilians were harmed or even
inconvenienced in the course of this event. Kudos to the
brothers Johnson, for their brilliant planning and
organization of this adventure. Now, I am really
bummed that I had to miss this event. This is what we need
to keep the Cafe Racer movement alive in the '90s and
beyond. Singular acts of hooliganesque heroism are fine, but
the true spirit of Cafe Racing means competition.
Competition and bragging rights. The increasing technology
being used by law enforcement and the media-driven political
correctness movement both serve as formidable deterrents,
not to mention the increased traffic of weekend tourists.
Keeping this sport alive requires dedication and commitment,
such as that demonstrated by our intrepid band of M2MCR
riders. Although individualistic by nature, we can't
continue to enjoy our favorite pastime without cooperative
efforts such as this put on by the "Total Blur Motorcycle
Club". One by one, we can be rounded up, our licenses taken
away, and our free spirits crushed by a society that no
longer has the fortitude to make the sacrifices necessary to
preserve individual freedom. As one of our rebellious
forefathers once said, "We must all hang together, or we
shall surely hang separately." I look forward to
next year and the second annual M2MCR. Gogo and I will be
there. Look for us up toward the front of the pack busting
the ton and stopping for nothing but gas...well, that or at
one of those little Mexican restaurants that I can never
resist. Hey, it IS called CAFE racing for a reason, you
know. M.M.M.
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