Get Well Relay

In my experience these things usually flounder if not picked up fast so I'm picking it up, Rick or someone else can remove this if it is unwelcome. I am located in Omaha, Nebraska. About as central US as you can get. From here to Raleigh you need to pass through:

Kansas City
St. Louis
Evansville
Louisville
Lexington
Charleston
Greensboro..then Raleigh.

That is a general, straightest way possible on the interstate route. I can go as far west as Grand Island, Nebraska, and as far east and south as Kansas City. I say we get a card and digital camera as far west as possible and have people sign up to run routes. You sign up for as far as you can go provided someone can meet you at both ends, you can ride single or in groups as long as pictures get taken at trade offs and the card gets signed. This can be something amazingly touching if we let it. Let me know.

 

Hey, ... Summer is for taking a long ride on a Motorcycle!
Speaking for myself ... I endorse the initiative.

Go for it.
Take pictures and share stories.

 

(provided i can get my bike running) i can go as far west as minneapolis and as far east as detroit - although i think we'd pick up more folks going through green bay, wi - down to chicago, and then to detroit. if the route can swing that way.

jon - if you're willing to organize, feel free - otherwise i can do it.

i was thinking the easiest way to organize this would be set a deadline to sign up (maybe saturday morning?)

and have everyone that's interested send an email to the organizer, who can then look at a map and figure out the best route and whether a "straight line" relay is even doable.

 

I'm in Akron Ohio. I can go west to Toledo, east to pittsburgh, or south to marietta or columbus. Oh, I guess north to cleveland too, but I do that every day

 

I am more than willing to organize. If a straight line relay isn't doable we can zigzag, as long as we are headed in the general direction (and someone is at the other end) I don't think it matters how we go. My email is jonmarkosy@gmail.com. Send me an email with where you are located, where you can go. Please include "Relay" in the subject so I don't junk it. I will do my best to string everyone together and will keep updates going on where we have filled in and areas of travel that need to be covered.

 

edit: email sent.

 

i'll take it a few hundred miles any direction

 

anyone think it's a good idea to try to get this on the news or in the papers? might be a cool way to raise awareness about motorcycle safety and attentive driving, and get XJ bikes some PR, too.

 

I can handle anything within 100 mile radius in NC

 

Jon, I think this is an incredible idea!! I tell you what, if we can get some one to go from Denver to North Platte, I'll do the North Platte to Lincoln run and meet you in Lincoln. You can run east from there!

Email sent from alkasmeltzer318@aol.com

 

Bill was one of the first guys to greet me on the forum. I'm very new here, but it saddens me deeply to see that happen to someone so beloved in the community.

I'm based in columbia, mo, and would be willing to carry the torch from kansas city to st louis, even a little farther to meet someone halfway. I'd at least like to sign it if it passes through missouri.

Joseph Decker

edit: email sent

 

I am in Cincinnati, Ohio and am good for 200+ miles in any direction.

Jon, please include me in the route.... I could carry the card from the Michigan crowd down to Tennesse and hand it off to Southern bell who could toss it over to some of the North Carolina riders

email sent!

 

I'm 65 miles NE of Detroit; I could get it from anyone north of here and get it to Toledo; or maybe to Carl's place for the metro Detroit folks before sending it south into Ohio. Count me in.

email sent

 

Yeah, I'll try to participate too. Looks like I'm a natural between bigfitz and grutz. Email being sent.

 

This is a GREAT idea and there are two ways to approach it. On the fly... or organize. For what it's worth here's my 2cents.
#1)We need 1 person to be the central point, who can and is willing to see this thing thru from beginning to end and can organize things. Our Point Man (or woman)
#2) Anyone who wants to be part of the relay, pm or email said person with your city of origin and how far you can travel. Note any restrictions on travel times (i.e. can only ride on weekends / no night driving etc...) PMs or email have to be in by ??/??/09
#3)Here's the tough part...the point man then takes in all the info, maps out a route and schedules riders and posts it in a thread.

This way anyone who wants to join up along any leg can do so. And that would also help insure there are backup riders in case the scheduled carrier can't make it for some reason....This is a great idea, like I said, but I have seen similar things attempted on other forums and they get started ..and fall flat.

If you want the relay going through or near your city..VOLUNTEER.. if you don't volunteer, then don't complain that they ignored your state/city/town/mudhole 8O

So if there's a point man out there, step forward and take this bull by the horns....


but like I said...just my opinion... :wink:


If it gets up in Michigan, just let me know where and when! I'm up in Grand Rapids....

 

That is a great idea! I would love to be involved, but I KNOW my bike won't see the road again until next season at the earliest! TOO MANY PIECES!!!

 

I live near Bill and can help handle things in the Raleigh area.

 

I'm in Cincinnati too.. Maybe a group of us can take it to the next destination... or at least get to gether to sign it....

 

hey philly reporting here im up for a ride in either direction..........hey wesley your bike gonna be up in time for this?

 

I can head up the Portland, OR/Vancouver,WA effort. I work tonight at the hospital but can do this on Friday. Friday evening Vancouver, then Portland, and then I think we have a member in Eugene that I could meet part way.

Let me know guys.

email me at lorenforney@yahoo.com

Thanks,

Loren

 

I'm in baltimore. I can pick it up in Philly and take it to DC or a bit farther south into Virginia.

 

I believe jonmarkos has already stepped up. Let him know what you can cover to him at:

jonmarkosy (at) gmail (dot) com

 

also here in the philly area. i'll keep checking in. even if it isnt bike weather, ive always got my truck and im in for some miles.

 

It's looking to me like we will need several cards/routes.

One down the East Coast.

One from the upper midwest into the Ohio Valley.

One down the West Coast. This one might have to spend some time on a mail truck getting across the Southwest.

One along the gulf coast.

One from the bottom of Floriday up the East Coast (might be the gulf coast one).

 

My bike is in pieces too, but I live here in Raleigh and if I can be of any help please let me know.

 

I'm in KC and would be glad to run the card to anywhere it needs to go.

 

I can handle Western Washington from the Canadian Border to the Oregon Border. Wamaxim, perhaps we can hook up and cover these two areas? I know there's an XJ rider in Battleground.

I hope everyone pinned themselves to the map.

 

i been trying to pin myself but every time i load the map my computer locks

 

There are an awful lot of us; we might not need more than two or maybe three; it might just take a bit longer.

 

Thank you very much to everyone that has emailed me so far. I think we will be able to get one route planned as long as everyone can work together in getting it from A to B. It is looking roughly like it will be heading southeast through Nebraska, into Kansas, across Missouri, up to Michigan, over to Pennsylvania, then down the east coast. So far I have had a great response from the eastern US but really need more people between wamaxim and North Platte, NE so we can get it from the west coast to the midwest. If you know anyone between Oregon and Colorado/Wyoming who might want to help let them know to speak up.

 

This is the first time I've been able to get that map to load for me. I don't know how many of the members on there are active but if we could get it down the west coast then across Arizona, into Texas, then up to Nebraska that would be friggin awesome.

 

I'm located pretty close to the NC line. I could meet ya'll there. Just need a date and time

 

That map is a toughie but I finally did get on it (I think)

If it wouldn't make it too complicated perhaps we could establish some "feeder routes" to meet up with the main route and send along some supplemental cards/pictures/signatures or whatever.

Heartwarming to see this happening.

 

It would be slick to set up a new map and have interested relay parties pin their location on that map. I could probably take a Green Bay - Milwaukee route.

 

Jonmarkos, e-mail sent.

 

email sent as well. I cant pin my location, but I am in KC. I can cover the KC to St. Louis route.

 

Whoever is going to be in charge of the Raliegh, N.C. area send me pm's and keep me posted on the ride.

 

Email sent. I'm in as well.

I did a little research on different route planners. Here is a review of the different ones: http://www.route-planners.com/2006/07/m ... anner.html

I tried out the Via Michelin planner. Very Nice. Would definitely do the trick to plan out the different locations, departures, arrivals.

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/ ... mePage.htm

 

I could probably do some of the south west Michigan side maybe from St. Joe out to Micarl in the metro detroit area. I live right near where I69 and I94 meet about 36 miles from the Indiana border straight north of Ft wayne if it comes up this way.

 

I'm in Wichita and could relay it between Oklahoma City or Tulsa and Kansas City. If the route doesn't take it though that location I would at least like to meet up in Kansas City to sign the card.

 

helmet-

i offered to make the same ride, but i live in columbia, mo 5 days a week. maybe you could bring it to me out here and i could push on to springfield, IL.

 

To all of you organizing or participating in this relay. I have spoken with Bill's daugther about this relay effort and her response can best be described as stunned amazement and appreciation. The latest update I have on bill is here.

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... tml#168423

Post leads with "Update on Bill #3"

Don't let this relay effort faulter guys...just the thought of it has already lifted their spirits.

Artie(RT)

 

I can meet who ever in Southern VA (Marion), and take it as far as Knoxville, Nashville, and over in to North Carolina. As far east as I can go is Hendersonville, NC.
This would be really easy for me because that is where I go on all my routes.
I no longer have my XJ but I have my trusty mommymobile, with the Yamaha stickers on the back!

 

does anyone know anyone in the media so we can try to get this on the news. Make people realize that they need to drive more carefully and be more aware of motorcycles and their surroundings in general. We can really make a statement out of this, not only for bill but the entire motorcycling community.

 

Well, if we can get someone to take it from you in Springfield to somewhere in the Ottawa/Dwight/Morris (IL) zone, I could take it on through the Joliet/Chicago area, maybe even as far as NW Indiana somewhere if there's no one else closer...

 

Jonmarkos, email sent.

You know there are many that would like to participate but their bikes are in various stages of repair or otherwise unridable. However, one way these members could help would be to offer assistance to relay riders who are far from home but in their area. The rider could have phone numbers he could call for assistance with a flat, breakdown etc.

 

Unfortunately, the Media only hops-on a story like this when there is some compelling reason for them to do so.
Like when Billy Joel crashes another car or wipes-out his new bike.
When NFL Star Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger almost checked-out after smashing his mellon flipping his bike it was on TV 24/7, on every News, Sports, Talk and Entertainment Show.

The average Joe doesn't get the Media to tell a tragic story.
The regular guy's heartbreaking tragedy goes untold until we find Barak Obama's Birth Certificate, nail the perp who taped the nude ESPN babe,
remark on the First Lady's new bouffant do and give wall-to-wall coverage on lastest tinsel-town coverage of who's-boppin'-who.

Want to fill Bill's hospital room to overflowing with correspondents, microphones and cameras?

Kidnap Paris Hilton's little poochie, give it a L'oreal dye-job so she can't recognize it, leave it with Bob Barker, then make a call to the Huffington Post that the kidnappers are hiding-out in a Hospital Room and tell them precisely where to find our man Bill.

 

I am willing to go at least 100 miles or more in either direction from Smithfiled N.C. If I have to I will ride until my bike blows up. It is the least I can do. If it were not for Bill I would have seen a time when I had no bike to ride at all.

 

im in se michigan and im willing to be part of this

 

jarred.. I mentioned before, that I am comfortable within 100 mile radius... even further if need be. I am about 50 miles north of Charlotte, NC, and ready to ride as far as need be to get this done for Bill.