Sunday, December 1, 2013

Cannonball er! Another local friend

#73 Greg McFarland

I have been involved with motorcycles since I was a teenager when I used to ride dirt bikes along the bayou in Houston, Texas. I have acquired a handful of vintage bikes over the last 10 years and enjoy riding and working on them. I first heard about the Cannonball in 2010 and decided this is something that I wanted to do. The man and machine against the elements appeals me. The challenge of preparing and riding a vintage motorcycle on such trek is the ultimate challenge as a rider and as a mechanic. I acquired a 1926 Harley Davidson J in early 2012 and began rebuilding it to run the Cannonball. When the opportunity to participate in the 2014 Cannonball presented itself I jumped at it. Being a petroleum geologist finding oil is what I do. The sweetest oil I’ve ever found was under my old bike after a long satisfying ride.

Texas

1926 Harley Davidson J

Cannonball er! From our Nieghborhood

Jon Neuman – 2014 Cannonball Bio

Jon Neuman was raised in Texas and began motorcycling as a boy, buying his first one with his own money at age 13. Cycling and building bikes was always part of his life, even as he pursued a career, married and raised kids and started his own business. In 2007, Jon began Sagebrush Cycles with the plan to specialize in antique motorcycle parts supply, specifically the Harley Davidson 1916 to 1936 era. To-date he is the sole full-time employee. Though the era of bikes has remained the same, Sagebrush has not only been responsible for supplying parts, but also for rebuilding, refurbishing and even, when necessary, fabricating them.

From the sidelines, Jon supported several teams and riders of the 2010 and 2012 Motorcycle Cannonballs with verbal technical support by phone, loaned parts and shipped-to-site parts. Jon is eagerly looking forward to riding in the 2014 Cannonball during which he will be on a 1928 Harley Davidson JD, JDs being his un-official specialty. Jon is the third owner of the bike which was purchased 4-5 years ago from the second owner, a South Carolina towing company family. That family owned the bike for 50 years after rescuing it from the scrap heap planned by the original dealer/owner.

Riding in the Cannonball with all of the people, friends both old and new, is like a dream come true for him.