Surviving the Cannonball: How BAD&G Gear Handled 8,000 Miles of Coast-to-Coast Abuse
There are road trips, and then there is the Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run.
Imagine riding a pre-1930 motorcycle from coast to coast. No rear suspension. No modern highways. Just two weeks of grueling backroads, heat, rain, and vibration. Now imagine doing it without a support truck.
That is exactly what legendary rider Doug Wothke (Rider #88) did—twice. And both times, he trusted BAD&G Customs to build the seat and saddlebags that would carry him to the finish line.
2012: The Indian 101 Scout (Newburgh, NY to San Francisco, CA)
In 2012, Doug entered his 1928 Indian 101 Scout. Unlike most competitors who trailered their bikes to the start, Doug rode his Scout from Alabama to New York, raced 3,956 miles to San Francisco, and carried every tool and spare part he needed in our custom bags.
We built him a set of heavy-duty Steerhide Saddlebags designed to hug the rigid Indian frame. They had to be massive enough to hold a mobile garage, but tight enough not to foul the chain.
The Result: A perfect score. Every mile completed. The gear held up flawlessly.
2014: The Harley-Davidson JD (Daytona, FL to Tacoma, WA)
Two years later, Doug was back. This time, he built a 1929 Harley-Davidson JD to tackle the route from the humidity of Florida to the cold coast of Washington.
The bike was different, but the gear choice was the same. We patterned a new Custom Seat and Saddlebag Set specifically for the JD's geometry. The seat needed to be an "Iron Butt" special—hand-shaped high-density foam to isolate him from the rigid frame's punishment.
The Result: Another 4,000 miles in the books. Rain, shine, and mountain passes—the leather laughed at it all.
Why It Matters for Your Bike
You might not be riding a 1929 Harley across the continent, but you still need gear that lasts. The same leather, the same thread, and the same craftsmanship that survived the Cannonball goes into every single bag we make.
If our Universal Saddlebags can handle a rigid frame on a dirt road for 16 days straight, they can handle your daily commute.
Own a piece of history.
We can replicate Doug's setup for your vintage Indian or Harley. Contact us to start your custom endurance build.
