Ride To Remember
Ride to Remember
Superhawks across America
It’s entirely appropriate that Ed Abdo and Mike Krzemien should cap their cross-county odyssey aboard 1960s CB77 Honda Superhawks at the Cycle World Rolling Concours. It was our own Peter Egan, see, who provided the inspiration for their trip.
Reading Leanings, a book of Peter’s collected columns and feature stories, many featuring oddball quests on Hondas-Wisconsin to New Orleans on a CB400F for a can of coffee in “The French Quarter Connection,’’ for instance-struck a chord with Abdo, assistant manager for service and training at American Honda in Torrance, California. He called up longtime pal Krzemien (“Pronounce it Krazyman, that’s close enough,’’ jokes Ed), another Honda devotee, still living near Buffalo, New York, Abdo’s hometown.
“Hey, ship your 1964 Superhawk out to California, I’ll buy another one, and we ll ride ’em coast-to-coast next summer,’’ Abdo (that’s him on the right) enthused over the phone.
Which is just what they did, dipping the rear wheels of their 305cc Twins in the waters of the Pacific at Palos Verdes, then riding 3787 miles in 22 days to roll their front tires into the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach. Along the way, they had no chase van-whatever they needed had to be carried in the soft luggage that dwarfed the little bikes. In Arizona, 108-degree heat fried their rear tires and later both drive chains needed replacing-otherwise, the 40-year-old bikes ran like...well, Hondas.
Probably out of force of habit, Ed and Mike saddled up once more and motored down to the Hoot in time for our Rolling Concours. They were a shoo-in for the Longest Distance award.
David Edwards
