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From YourSITE.com Miscellaneous Features
A blonde-haired, fair-skinned Finn may be the last person you’d expect to grind out a grueling cross-country trip on a tricked out custom-built chopper, but American LeMans Series (ALMS) Champion JJ Lehto did just that. He even brought along fellow cycle fiend and racer, Frank Biela. By day, the two drive Champion Racing Audi R8 LMP1 cars; by night, they’re rabid motorcycle fanatics. And to prove it, the duo boarded their low-slung choppers and hit the road following the New England Grand Prix, held at Lime Rock Park raceway in Lakeville, Connecticut, which, coincidently was won by none other than JJ Lehto and his No. 1 Champion Racing Audi R8. Biela’s Audi finished a close second.
Their destination? Sonoma, California’s infamous Infineon Raceway, some 3,500 miles away. Good thing they budgeted eight days for the trip. That’s right – just eight days to cover 3,500 miles by chopper. Ambitious? Certainly. Impossible? Not if you’re a die-hard biker. Which is exactly what Lehto and Biela are. Lehto has been involved with motorcycles, “For a long time,” and is a partner in Voodoo Cycles, a shop that builds custom choppers back in his native Finland. Somewhat surprisingly he doesn’t currently drive an extremely modified bike. As Lehto told us via an interview earlier this month, “I have two bikes, both of them Harleys. The one that I rode from Lime Rock to Infineon is a bike I’ve had for a number of years. It’s got some modifications that were done at my shop, and was a pleasure to ride.” Part of that pleasure may be a result of a problem-free trip, a rarity in the world of cross-country motorcycle journeys. “We gave it a good once-over, complete with maintenance and some double checking prior to the trip, and we made it trouble-free. All we did was stop for gas, so it was a really enjoyable time.” Lehto especially enjoyed the solidarity that the open road provided, naming Nebraska (of all places) his favorite segment of the journey. “We got off the interstate in Nebraska and took [smaller] highways. We’d go hours without seeing anyone or anything, and that was just great,” said Lehto.
“We would stop at gas stations and truck stops, and it was fun to meet and talk with every one. People wanted to know where we were from, and where we were going. I think only one person recognized me as a race car driver,” said Lehto. “Otherwise, we were just bikers, out on the road.” And despite having to hump it at an incredible pace – Lehto and Biela would often average 600-plus miles a day – the two Champion drivers still had time to alter their route and take in some sights that might have otherwise gone unseen. “We took back roads as much as possible, and adjusted our route a few times,” said Lehto. Biela added, “Being on the bike and going through America was a nice feeling. We took pictures everywhere.” The marathon road trip was Lehto’s idea, and he originally planned to go it alone. “It’s a trip I always dreamed of doing,” said Lehto, “Having Frank come along made it even more enjoyable and I’m glad he joined me.” Neither Lehto nor Biela had ever attempted such a big trip before. Lehto admitted to having taken shorter trips by motorcycle through Europe, but said the 3,500-mile journey across America was by far his longest road trip by motorcycle. Both Lehto and Biela apparently enjoyed the journey, and they’re already talking about a west-to-east trip in the near future. When asked if they received any speeding tickets along the way, Lehto laughed and said, “Nope, no tickets.” Obviously the duo didn’t experience enough of our infamous speed-trap villages that masquerade as “quaint, sleepy little towns.” Ultimately, Lehto and Biela would arrive at Infineon with a job to do, and true to form, they did it well. Lehto and partner Marco Werner piloted their Champion Audi R8 LMP1 car to a solid third place finish (the result of contact with the No. 5 Pacific Motorsports Corvette C5-R), while Biela and his teammate Emanuele Pirro would snag a victory in their No. 4 Champion Audi R8. ALMS rolls into Portland, Oregon this weekend, and both Lehto and Biela will likely take advantage of air transportation rather than their cycles. As Lehto summed it up, "The real country for biking is definitely America. You meet people when you start to refuel and you start talking to them about where you're going and where we are coming from. You don't feel alone. Whenever you stop and talk to each other, that's something you can find only here.”
Lehto added, “The motorcycle scene is growing in Europe, but it’s nothing like it is here,” and went on to make a reference about how he enjoys the biker shows that air on the Discovery Channel. Perhaps we could pitch the network on a biker show about a world champion racecar driver from Finland who builds custom motorcycles? Nah, JJ doesn’t have the handlebar mustache, enough tank tops, or a cocky young son who’s due for a “size 12 injection,” so we’ll be happy to watch him and the Champion Racing Audi R8 continue to clean-up in ALMS, and we’ll look forward to talking to him after his next cross-country motorcycle adventure. Fourtitude Bike Week Links Bike Week Main Page Part I: A 2 Wheeled History of the 4 Rings Part II: Audi Moto Concept Part III: Bicycles from quattro GmbH Part IV: Unfair Advantage, the Sequel by Christini J.J. Lehto, Choppers and Cross-Country Cruising with Frank Biela
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