Clancy Centenary Ride – Around the Globe
Adventurous motorcycle globetrotters are slated to begin the Clancy Centenary Ride Oct. 23, 2012 from Dublin, Ireland. The global circumnavigation is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first around the world motorcycle ride by Carl Stearns Clancy.
After reading the book Motorcycle Adventurer, which recounts the true story of the first global motorcycle ride, two Irish motorcyclists, Feargal O’Neill and his colleague Joe Walsh, came up with the idea of a 100 year celebration to promote their fellow Irish motorcyclist’s incredible accomplishment. Clancy’s ride was described in 1912 as “the longest, most difficult and most perilous motorcycle journey ever attempted.”
Clancy rode a 1912 Henderson motorcycle. The European leg departed from Dublin, Ireland October 23, 1912. His one gear, four cylinder motorcycle tagged Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, arriving back in New York City August 27, 1913. He said of the Henderson at the completion of his global ride, “The most remarkable feature of the whole trip is the surprising endurance of my machine, which now seems to be running as well as ever, in spite of the 18,000 miles it has in its bones.”
Two avid motorcyclists plan to follow the entire Clancy route. They hope to connect with American riders being organized for a departure from San Francisco on June 2, 2013.
Any motorcyclist can join the Clancy Centenary Ride. There is no entry fee and any make or model of motorcycle, old or new, is welcome. They can ride for a mile or 1,000’s of miles.
O’Neill has designed a pennant similar to that used by Clancy which will be passed along the route. The original pair of boots worn by Clancy has surfaced in Australia and plans to carry them with riders on the Centenary Ride are being made and hopefully they will return to their starting point in New York City and eventually end up in a museum display.
The Clancy info page is: http://www.HorizonsUnlimited.com/clancy
The Clancy updates page (HUBB thread) is: http://www.HorizonsUnlimited.com/clancyride
