Expect To See100 Classic Motorcycles Ride Through Palm Desert, Temecula This Month

TEMECULA, CA — The Motorcycle Cannonball 2023 is on its way from Virginia Beach and will be heading through Riverside County later this month as about 100 riders of classic motorcycles make the cross-country challenge.

The coast-to-coast ride— which begins in Virginia Beach and ends in Oceanside —is for motorcycles built in 1933 or earlier, making this the most difficult antique endurance run in the world, according to spokesperson Marjorie Kleinman. Adding to the difficulty, all riders must follow paper maps. No GPS allowed.

"This year's event will see close to 100 riders traversing the back roads of the United States," she said. They expect to cover over 3,800 miles in approximately 17 days of riding.

According to Kleinman, riders and machines can expect fatigue, mental exhaustion, cold, heat, elevations, and all the elements of mother nature. Recent rains may have affected the roadways the motorcyclists plan to travel through Riverside County.

The public is invited to meet the riders and see the bikes as they ride through Palm Desert at Stage 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 23, at the Embassy Suites, 74-700 Highway 111, in Palm Desert.

See them the next day, during Stage 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, September 24, at Doffo Winery at 36083 Summitville Street in Temecula. That same day, riders will pull into Oceanside for the grand finale of the race, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Oceanside Pier.

We will share more of their progress as the riders get closer to Palm Desert and Temecula and the final ride to Oceanside.