Lakeland, Fl., June 20, 2014 – Dottie Mattern, one of only four female contestants in the 2014 Motorcycle Cannonball, has taken delivery of her 1936 Indian Scout, the motorcycle on which she will contest the grueling 17-day, 4150-mile competition scheduled to begin later this year.
Rules for the 2014 Motorcycle Cannonball require riders to compete on motorcycles built prior to 1937. Dottie’s ’36 Scout, which she has owned since 1986, is an ideal mount for the event, but it was in an uncompetitive state. Dottie explains, “The front forks were bent from an earlier confrontation with a big pothole, the wheels and rims were not sound, brakes were largely non-existent, and the internals of the engine and gear box were badly worn.” She laughs and adds, “Other than the fact that it looked good, this motorcycle was in sad shape.”
Dottie’s Indian has been returned to like-new condition by a team of Antique Motorcycle Club of America members who are dedicated to seeing her successfully complete the Cannonball while raising money for charitable causes. The team was headed by former Antique Motorcycle Foundation President Dennis Craig, who stripped the motorcycle to its last nut and bolt to conduct a complete rebuild. Craig states, “We went through every piece, and now the wheels and most of the internals and power train are all new. We kept the paint as it came to us except for touching up some of the front end where we had to straighten the forks.”
Craig was assisted in his task by Bob Courboin, who rebuilt two generators and the lower end of the engine; Bruce Linsday, who supplied a restored speedometer cable; Randy Zorn, who supplied a rare and proper carburetor; and Ken Kelly, who supplied a spare generator. Some parts and all labor were donated by the team. While on the ride, the Indian will be maintained by vintage motorcycle racer Scott Olofson.
Upon taking delivery of the motorcycle from Craig’s home in Lakeland, Florida, Mattern trucked it to Asheville, North Carolina where she plans to ride about a thousand miles in the mountains to assure that it will be in top broken-in condition at the start of the Cannonball. The event will begin in Daytona Beach, Florida on September 5 and end in Yakima, Washington on September 21, 2014.
In addition to being one of only a handful of women who have contested the Motorcycle Cannonball, Mattern is the oldest, turning 70 this year. And her ride is not just to prove she can do it. Mattern is a Colon Cancer survivor and will be using her Cannonball experience to raise funds for the Colon Cancer Alliance, Inc. and the Antique Motorcycle Foundation, Inc. All donations to Dottie’s ride will be divided 50/50 between the two non-profit charitable organizations. None of the donations will go to the cost of Dottie’s ride. These are coming out of Mattern’s pocket and from commercial sponsors.
For more information about Dottie Mattern and the Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Ride, go to http://www.ridedottieride.org/. Read her blog to share her experience as she rides this historic cross-country event. Click on the DONATE button on the website to make a donation and help her charitable fund-raising effort.
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