1933 Harley-Davidson VLD

Some of you involved in the Motorcycle Cannonball know me as the Grim Sweeper and although I am not all that Grim I did help keep running and sometimes had to pick up dead motorcycles on the 2016, 2018 Cannonball. I first got involved in the 2014 Cannonball helping team 95 Vinnie Grasser. While I have always had motorcycles it was 2014 where I got hooked on antique bikes and I consider every event after as going to Antique Motorcycle College.

I met Jason Sims in 2014 and we became instant friends. My daughter after seeing his name on my facebook page reminded me that I use to haul her and LeeAnn Sims to dance class while we both lived in Evanston Wyoming. LeeAnn once said she liked knowing when Jason and I hung out together because she felt like he at least had some adult supervision. It was a tag I didn’t really relish but have for the most part tried to honor although I may have slipped up a few times at the Las Vegas Auction, most motorcycle events and anytime Jason and I are together where our wives are not.

I semi retired in 2014 and went crazy finding, restoring and working on Antique motorcycles. In 2018 I fully retired from my previous career in Energy Construction and starting spending 12 to 14 hour days in my shop working on old bikes. I started helping friends with their bikes, not realizing how many friends I had and soon it was nothing to have half a dozen friends’ bikes in my shop all the time. Something very rewarding about watching a friend start and ride an old bike they have had sitting for the last 20 years and I do it all for the love of the hobby.

Now 2021 and I realize my best friends, the ones I talk to almost every week were all met through either the Las Vegas Auction the Motorcycle Cannonball or the major swap meets. After 2020 I decided to not plan shit but plan to do a whole lot of shit. Here in 2021 comes the Mini Chase, it is in a part of the country I really like to ride in, it allows me to ride my favorite model the VL and gives me a reason to just go ride with some friends and have a good time. Still haven’t decided which bike I will ride but most likely between a 36VLH and a 33 VLD, really just depends on which one I have the time to get ready.