Cannonball Run / Motorcycle

Motorcycle Cannonball

Coast to Coast · Two Wheels · Solo Rider

Current Record
32:32:00
Ross "Beau" Earnest
2008 Yamaha FJR1300 · 13-gallon fuel cell
April 21, 2024
Solo rider. Left Red Ball Garage Friday 10:00 AM EST, arrived Portofino Inn Sunday 3:32 AM PDT. Southern route through Texas and Arizona to avoid Colorado storms. 5 fuel stops. Bluetooth comms failed near Oaks, Missouri — rode the final stretch without audio.
Ross Beau Earnest with Yamaha FJR1300
The Motorcycle Challenge
Motorcycle Cannonball attempts are uniquely demanding. Riders face constant exposure to elements, physical fatigue from holding riding position for 30+ hours, and the mental challenge of solo focus with no co-driver. Weather hits the rider directly. Yet motorcycles offer tactical advantages: lane splitting where legal, nimble handling through traffic, and the ability to maintain speed through gaps that would stop a car. Earnest's jacket pockets were filled with beef jerky and 40oz bottles of 75% Gatorade / 25% Monster — the entire nutrition plan for 2,800 miles.
32:32
Record Time
86.5
Avg MPH
5
Fuel Stops
~560
Miles/Stop
13
Gal Fuel Cell
2,800+
Miles
Motorcycle Record Progression
Modern Era (2015–Present) ▼
2024
Ross "Beau" Earnest
Yamaha FJR1300 — Current Record
32:32 ▼
Vehicle 2008 Yamaha FJR1300
Engine 1,298cc Inline-4
Fuel System 13-gallon cell
Detection Valentine V1G2 + Adaptiv
Night Vision Nite Ride thermal camera
Seat Russell Day Long custom

NYC→LA. Southern route through Texas and Arizona to avoid Colorado storms. Scout riders running sections ahead provided real-time intel on law enforcement and conditions. Bluetooth comms failed near Oaks, Missouri.

Beau Earnest interview ▶ Interview
2021
Alex Jones
Yamaha FJR1300 — Previous Record
32:52 ▼
Vehicle 2014 Yamaha FJR1300
Fuel System Stock + 7-gal aux cell
Detection Valentine V1 + jammer
Cost Bike: $4,000 (80k mi)

NYC→LA. 7 fuel stops. Bought the FJR1300 used with 80,000 miles for $4,000 — proof the record doesn't require exotic hardware. Used a CamelBak, protein bars, and caffeine pills. Eliminated bathroom breaks with a catheter.

Alex Jones at Red Ball Garage with Yamaha FJR1300 Departure — Red Ball Garage
2019
Calvin Cote
BMW K1600 GTL — 6-Cylinder Touring
35:06 ▼
Vehicle 2012 BMW K1600 GTL
Engine 1,649cc Inline-6
Fuel System 15-gallon aux tank
Avg Speed 89 mph

LA→NYC. 2,772 miles. Radar/lidar absorbing paint on the bodywork. Rear tyre went completely smooth 300 miles from the finish and had to be changed roadside. First attempt in 2018 failed due to a thunderstorm.

Calvin Cote with BMW K1600 GTL Cote — BMW K1600 GTL
2019
Adam Frasca
Yamaha Super Ténéré XT1200Z — Record held 11 days
37:07 ▼

NYC→LA. No support crew. The auxiliary fuel system failed in Pennsylvania, forcing 25 fuel stops on the 6-gallon stock tank — and he still managed 37:07. Hit a blizzard in Utah with near-zero traction at 35 mph for 5 hours. Battled 50 mph crosswinds in Nevada. A fuel mishap destroyed his GPS tracking unit. The run that proves the rider matters more than the machine.

Adam Frasca with Yamaha Super Ténéré Frasca — Yamaha Super Ténéré
2015
Carl Reese
BMW K1600GT — GPS-Verified
38:49 ▼
Vehicle 2015 BMW K1600GT
Engine 1,649cc Inline-6
Avg Speed 72.9 mph
Sleep 50 minutes total

LA→NYC. 2,829 miles. Broke Egloff's record that had stood since 1983 — a 32-year gap. First motorcycle runner to use organized support teams (12 along the route). GPS telemetry with notaries at start and finish. Gave up all stimulants including coffee before the run.

Carl Reese after his BMW K1600GT record run Reese — BMW K1600GT
2014
Axe DeKruif ALT ROUTE
BMW S1000RR — San Diego → Jacksonville (2,408 mi)
33:10 ▼
Vehicle BMW S1000RR
Power 199 hp
Peak Speed 187 mph (Texas Mile)
Route SD→JAX · 2,408 mi

Different route — not the standard NYC→LA / LA→NYC Cannonball. A full sportbike with 199 hp and a riding position that punishes after a few hours. Shows what raw speed can do, but the comfort penalty likely costs more than the power advantage gains over distance.

No Limits — No Regrets documentary ▶ No Limits — No Regrets
Pioneer Era (1959–1983) ▼
1983
George Egloff
U.S. Express — Record stood 32 years
42:00 ▼

Entered both the Cannonball and U.S. Express runs on a motorcycle. Beat Boyajian's 14-year-old mark by just 6 minutes. First rider to have departure, arrival, and awards ceremony captured on film as official verification. This record stood until Carl Reese broke it in 2015 — a 32-year gap where nobody tried.

1969
Fred Boyajian
Beer-Keg Auxiliary Fuel
42:06 ▼

Used a beer keg for auxiliary fuel. A stranger in a bar told him Sarossy's record would be broken someday, "but not by the likes of you." Boyajian proved them wrong. Featured on the Today Show. Verified by Western Union telegrams at NYC and LA.

1968
Tibor Sarossy
BMW R69S — Ohio State Student
45:41 ▼
Vehicle BMW R69S
Avg Speed 58.7 mph
Distance 2,687 miles
Fuel System Jerry cans on luggage rack

22-year-old Ohio State student. Handcrafted auxiliary tanks from jerry cans mounted to the luggage rack. Never slept. Nearly passed out at a produce inspection station near the California border. First rider known to use a catheter system. 4 fuel stops.

Pioneer Tech

No radar detector. No GPS. No thermal camera. No support crew. No comms. Sarossy had a BMW, jerry cans, and the will to not stop. His poster hung in BMW dealerships across the country.

1959
John Penton
BMW R-69 — Broke a 23-year drought
52:11 ▼

Broke a 23-year drought — the motorcycle record had stood since 1936. Only modification was a larger petrol tank. First rider verified by Western Union agents stationed at departure and arrival. BMW used Penton in their US advertising campaigns after the run. Penton later founded his own motorcycle company.