Roadkill hits 100,000 Miles!

Story by: Ken Freund - Rider Report - Friday August 23, 2002

In just over three years of riding his 1999 Victory Motorcycle, Tim Werder of Shawangunk, N.Y., has reached the 100,000 mile mark on the bike, the equivalent of four trips around the world. He is believed to be the first Victory owner to reach the 100k mile mark on the brand introduced in 1999 and produced by a division of Polaris Industries Inc.

Werder, 41, has ridden his V92C Victory (the 2,656th Victory made) from coast to coast. He has gone through seven rear tires and five front tires riding throughout New England, across the plains, through the mountains, and even into Manhattan rush-hour traffic.

An employee of the New York state government, Werder used to make a 190-mile daily round-trip commute between his home and his New York City office. He made the trip daily, year-round, even in the midst of New York’s chilling winters.

Both Werder, 41, and his Victory have nicknames. He’s known to fellow Victory riders across the country as "Roadkill" because "I’ve hit five deer, all while motorcycling, never in a car." His bike is appropriately named "Traveler," and its New York license plate reads "TRAVLR."

When Werder reached the 100,000-mile mark on July 20, 2002, he was riding alone because, well, he simply couldn’t pass up a riding opportunity. He was supposed to reach the mark on a Sunday group ride, but a solo ride on Saturday night proved irresistible.

"I wanted to test the stereo system I'd just installed, so I rode to the crest of the nearby Shawangunk Mountain Range overlooking a vast swath of the Hudson Valley/Catskill region of New York State. It was a perfect setting," he said. "To celebrate, the next day several friends and I took a relaxing ride to the large reservoirs in the Shawangunk and Catskill Mountain Ranges."

Werder obviously takes good care of his Victory.

"Traveler gets regular oil changes and ‘occasional’ baths, but it did get an unscheduled wash for the odometer turnover," Werder reported. "The bike has no major modifications whatsoever. I've added a custom sissy bar, custom saddlebags made by my wife, a windshield setup, a tank bag, a trailer hitch for the camper, and most recently a 300-watt ‘Bag of Tunes’ stereo system."

Werder and his wife Christine have two sons, Tim, Jr., age 16, and Shane, 11. Tim, Jr., shared Traveler’s seat for his dad’s favorite Victory riding experience.

"By far, the most memorable ride was the 10,000-plus-mile ride Tim, Jr., and I took in 1999," Werder said. They enjoyed three summer weeks of riding together through 21 states and two Canadian provinces. "The opportunity to ride to Alaska almost presented itself during our ‘Two Tims’ trip, but we couldn't go. So, we'd like to ride to Alaska someday," Werder said. He is a Corporate Ride Coordinator (CRC) for the Victory Riders Association (VRA). In this role, he organizes group rides for fellow VRA members in the New York area. Traveler is the third motorcycle on which Werder has rolled up more than 100,000 miles. In his 25-year riding career, he has ridden over 466,000 miles—and counting. He doesn’t know how much longer he’ll ride Traveler—"certainly as long as it’s rideable"—and isn’t sure if it will end up in his garage or in a museum.

"I'm unsure that I'd sell it, with the notable exception being if the factory wanted to buy it back," he said. "It'd make a nice museum piece perhaps. Otherwise, the next bike will be a Victory too, so Traveler will have good company in my garage and get exercised regularly if it stays with me."

With Werder approaching the 500,000-mile career mark, he seems well-suited to advising fellow riders on how to achieve and enjoy high-mileage riding.

"Pay attention to the bike's maintenance basics for longevity. Pay attention to your own riding skills for survivability. And then just ride the hell out of it," he said. "Winter, spring, summer, fall. Ride it through the seasons all."