Cannon Ball Baker, on one of his California to New York Record runs. Photo courtesy Don Emde, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
One hundred years ago, Erwin Baker rode into the history books by shattering the existing transcontinental motorcycle speed record, earning the nickname “Cannon Ball” in the process. Now, to mark the event’s centennial, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Don Emde is leading a group ride to retrace the route of Cannon Ball Baker, hoping to match the fabled rider’s time of 11 days, 11 hours and 11 minutes.
Baker’s 1914 route from San Diego, California, to New York City stretched for 3,379 miles, of which a mere four miles were paved and 68 miles were ridden on railroad tracks. His bike of choice was a seven-horsepower Indian, thanks to his sponsorship by the brand, and Baker had hoped to beat the existing record of 20 days by as much as three days. When he arrived in New York just shy of 11 and a half days later, Baker had shattered the motorcycle record and had even broken the automobile record by four days. His achievement prompted a New York reporter to tag him with the nickname “Cannon Ball,” after the Illinois Central Railroad’s seemingly unstoppable mail and passenger train.
Don Emde’s Cannon Ball Project ride was announced in 2011, and the goal behind the effort was to recreate the route traveled by Baker as accurately as possible. The ride will utilize Baker’s written notes, using the same roads, trails and routes wherever possible. Just like Baker, the group will travel through cities and towns like Yuma, Arizona; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Syracuse, Kansas; Lexington, Missouri; and Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Unlike Baker, however, Emde’s group likely won’t encounter “roads that look like newly plowed fields,” as Baker so eloquently described the muddy and rutted paths at the edge of cities like Columbus, Ohio.
Elnora in the sand, somewhere west of Yuma, Arizona. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycles.
Most of Emde’s group will be riding modern dual-purpose motorcycles. Emde himself will be aboard a Yamaha Super Ténére, a mount that offers around 93 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque, along with seven-and-a-half inches of suspension travel, traction control and an anti-lock braking system that can be switched off for riding in loose dirt or sand. Emde’s group will have the benefit of modern GPS navigation as well, something that Canon Ball Baker couldn’t even envision in 1914. On the other hand, Baker’s run was far less complicated by factors like boundary restrictions and federal regulations that prohibit trespassing on railroad tracks.
Robert Pandya at speed on Elnora. Barry Hathaway photo, courtesy of Indian Motorcycle.
Not all of Emde’s group will be aboard such purpose-built motorcycles. As the Cannon Ball Project ride coincides with the relaunch of Indian Motorcycles (now owned by Polaris Industries), the company’s external relations manager, Robert Pandya, will ride a custom-built, retro-themed motorcycle nicknamed “Elnora” in honor of Baker’s wife. Though described by the company as a dual-purpose motorcycle, its sheer mass and apparent lack of suspension travel will mean that Pandya’s ride experience will likely differ from other members of the group.
The Cannon Ball Project team departed San Diego on schedule on Monday, May 3, and is posting daily progress updates to its Facebook page. If all goes as planned, the group will arrive in New York City on Wednesday, May 14. For additional information on the ride or the people behind it, visit CannonBallProject.com.
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