Cathy Davies & Larry Johnson
Speaking Friday, August 17, 2018, 1:30pm to 3:00pm.
Biography
Riders since the ‘60s, a twist of fate propelled Cathy Davies & Larry Johnson to ride around the world.
Prior to their 1996 meeting while scuba diving in Grand Cayman, each was an accomplished motorcyclist. Larry had purchased a motorcycle in England and toured solo for 4 months through 10 countries, riding 8K miles. Cathy had led groups of women motorcyclists on tours of 49 States and all Canadian Provinces and Territories. Cathy is a 31 year member and served on the Executive Committee of Women On Wheels. Both belong to the Iron Butt Association. Cathy was a finisher in the 2010 Iron Butt 5000 and is training for the 2019 Iron Butt Rally.
While they were planning a post retirement ride from Atlanta to Ushuaia Argentina, Larry’s health turned their world upside down. Seventeen months later, they embarked on the journey of a lifetime: 8 months, 31 countries, 35K miles around the world.
Hear their stories of adventure, adversity and accomplishment.
Jim Shaw
Speaking Friday, August 17, 2018, 4pm to 5pm.
Biography
Jim Shaw is a motorcycle rider, world traveler, and writer living in Hinckley, Ohio. John Ryan and Jim met at a BMW rally in 2003 when someone told John that Jim “knew all about” BMW stuff. Further correspondence led to a growing friendship that lasted until John died in 2013.
Jim has accumulated going on 400,000 miles on motorcycles — mostly on BMWs, but a fair share on Yamahas and Hondas. Jim claims bike travels in 49 States, all Canadian Provinces, much of Mexico, and New Zealand.
“John and I rode together, tested speed laws together, and occasionally slept on adjacent picnic tables with helmets as headrests when I got too weary to go on.
“John Ryan had many good friends. John was my good friend, and perhaps a bit of the son I never had.”
Chuck Schram
Speaking Saturday, August 17, 2018, 6pm to 7pm.
Biography
I have been in the Powersports industry for 25 years, with Zero Motorcycles the last 4 years. Electric transportation is where the industry is going and I am for sure enjoying the ride. I have worked with Polaris; Piaggio, Vespa, Moto Guzzi and Aprila; Vectrix electric maxi-scooters CF Moto; Ural Motorcycles and Zero. I have held responsibilities from district sales manager and dealer development manager of several of the listed companies to North American Director of Sales with Vectrix electric maxi -scooters. I have worked with Powersports dealerships throughout the country helping them expand their business through parts, garment and accessories, sales of ATV’s, snowmobiles, side x sides and motorcycles. Now I just work with Zero dealers helping them to expand their Zero foot print. I also look at major markets where there is not a Zero dealer and work on finding the right dealer for that market to represent Zero.
Rik Olsen
Speaking Saturday, August 18, 2018, 9:30am to 11am.
Biography
I grew up in the woods north of New York City riding my Honda Trail 70. I loved the geography of where I grew up, but there were too many New Yorkers. St Olaf College in Northfield, MN accepted me where I studied Norwegian. I returned to the East to attend New York Medical College and then was back to Minnesota for residency in Family Medicine at United Hospital in St Paul. I earned a fellowship in Wilderness Medicine through the Wilderness Medicine Society and am a member of the International Society for Travel Medicine. My regular job is now clinic work for Allina Health in the south east metro of the Twin Cities doing fill in work wherever needed. I also have a part time job through Refined Skin Medi Spa performing Botox wrinkle treatments and filler injections. One of my favorite things is to travel on motorized vehicles to places so remote that you can’t hear any motors.
Voni & Paul Glaves
Speaking Saturday, August 18, 2018, 11am to 12:30pm.
Biography
Voni and Paul Glaves are avid motorcycle riders who between them have ridden over two million miles. Paul started riding on a 49cc Sears and Roebuck moped when he was 14 years old. Since then he has ridden just over 900,000 miles on a succession of 17 BMWs and a handful of other brands. He is a past President of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America and for 20 years wrote a monthly technical column in the BMW Owners News.
Voni started riding in 1974 on a beat-up old Suzuki dirt bike that belonged to her sister’s kids. When she got her own first bike she rode it over 100 miles before ever leaving the yard around the rented farmhouse and another thousand or so miles on Iowa gravel roads before daring to enter the traffic fray on the nearby rural paved roads. Voni has owned 14 BMW motorcycles. She is the only woman in the world to have been recognized by BMW for having ridden one million one hundred thousand miles on BMW motorcycles.
They have ridden in all fifty states, all of the Canadian provinces, five countries in southern Africa and in New Zealand. Voni is a retired teacher of students with special needs and Paul is a retired city planner. They have been married for 52 years, so for their 50th wedding anniversary they bought each other new BMW G310GS motorcycles.
Paul Pelland
Speaking Saturday, August 18, 2018, 12:30pm to 2pm.
Biography
Long distance rider, writer, inspirational speaker and closet comedian living with Multiple Sclerosis, Paul Pelland (Longhaulpaul) is on a fantastic adventure, documenting a million mile Journey for MS while raising funds, awareness and a bit of hell along the way!
Whether it’s riding the World’s Toughest Motorcycle Competition on the most unreliable motorcycle ever built, setting a World Record or riding a million miles chasing a cure for Multiple Sclerosis, Paul’s story of overcoming monumental challenges with ingenuity and sheer willpower will inspire anyone. Paul will recount his painfully humorous and quite unbelievable 2001 Iron Butt Rally adventure on the Russian Ural.
Jane Gang
Performing Saturday, August 18, 2018, 7pm to 10pm.
Biography
A top flight variety, funk, R&B, Latin jazz, pop music group.
Featuring: Jane Aleckson: bass & vocals. Formed the original Jane Gang in the Twin Cities & has performed extensively on the South Shore of Lake Superior.
Tom Ohara: Guitar & Vocals. Scott Junkert: Keyboards, Vibes, Harmonica. Both Tom & Scott will provide most of the instrumental solos. They have taught decades of Music Education, and have thrilled live audiences with thousands of performances. For this event, the Jane Gang will feature guest artist Jerry Siptroth. Jerry has a background in the Los Angeles studio & live music scene, as a percussionist.