Special Guests: Joe Gardella, two-time Motorcycle Cannonball rider, vintage motorcycle enthusiast and collector

 

Old motorcycle fans who are active in the vintage bike world may not know this week’s guest personally, but “Slow Joe” Gardella’s list of accomplishments with old motorcycles is very long and very well known.  Hailing from Michigan, Joe is a long time lover of antique machines and is a very skilled craftsman when it comes to restoring and repairing them. While his collection of old motorcycles consists of varied years, Joe is well known for his love affair with pre-1920 Harley Davidson Motorcycles. In 2010, Gardella rode his 1914 Harley twin from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to Santa Monica, California, placing 12th overall in the first rendition of the Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run. He reprised his entry in 2012 by riding the same machine from Newburgh, New York to San Francisco, California, and took 2nd place overall in the second coast-to-coast race. Joe and his early machines can also be found on the track too; Gardella has entered and on several occasions won the famous “Race of the Century” held every year on the famous Barber Motorsports Race Track during the annual Vintage Festival in October. Joe has entered and ridden incredible pieces of motorcycle history such as a 1907 Curtiss, 1909 Harley single, 1911 Harley Belt Drive, and 1912 Harley twin.