2021 Scooter Cannonball Will Roll Across America This July

It’s the beginning of July, 2021, and scooter riders across the U.S. are currently poised to descend on the town of Bar Harbor, Maine for the 2021 Scooter Cannonball. The event kicks off on July 12, and will see riders and their scoots traverse the U.S. for a total of ten days. The grand finale will wrap on July 21, 2021 in Eureka, California. Estimated total ride length will be 4,350 miles.  

What is the Scooter Cannonball? You may already be familiar with the concept of a cannonball from the Motorcycle Cannonball or the various automotive ones (and the movies they’ve inspired). The Scooter Cannonball is a similar concept, but it of course has rules and regulations of its own to consider.  

The Scooter Cannonball is a biennial event that’s been held every two years since 2004—with 2020 being an obvious exception. The 2021 Scooter Cannonball is a rescheduling of the 2020 event, since that one was unable to proceed due to the strong grip the pandemic had on America at that time. The endurance challenge is “a time/distance/regularity rally where points are awarded based on miles completed and the ability to maintain the standard pace,” according to the event’s official registration page.  

Scooter model eligibility for the 2021 event is restricted to scoots with engine displacement under 280cc. Qualifying scooters must also satisfy at least three of the following five conditions: 

• Unit construction of engine, transmission, and rear swingarm 
• Wheel size cannot exceed 10 inches 
• Originally equipped with a step-through frame 
• Originally equipped with running boards or a leg shield 
• Single-cylinder engine 

Those are the only scooter restrictions to participate, and riders are not limited to a particular age range of scooter. Scanning the 2021 entries list, while a good number of scoots are post-2000 models, there are also participating Vespas dating back to the 1960s. 

Organizers use a handicap system to determine scoring, which takes into account age and displacement of your scoot. The 2021 rules say that the Honda Trail 125 ABS, Cushman II Eagle, Cushman II Highlander, and Cushman II Step-Thru “will be permitted on an exception basis with a to-be-determined handicap factor for the 2021 Scooter Cannonball.” 

Registration for the current Scooter Cannonball ended on June 6, 2021, but you can follow the event on social media to find out when registration for the next Scooter Cannonball will open if you’re interested. You can also follow along as the event unfurls, either via the official website or its social media channels.