Disabled vet to begin cross-country trip on motorcycle

http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_15093086 Disabled vet to begin cross-country trip on motorcycle Wendy Leung, Staff Writer Created: 05/15/2010 07:06:55 AM PDT
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - If you happen to be near Victoria Gardens Wednesday morning, you'll probably hear hundreds of motorcycles rev in unison as a group of veterans begin their journey across the country. That thunderous roar is like an aria to motorcycle aficionados, a sound that defines speed, open views and freedom.
Michael Donahue, 55, one of the cross-country riders for Run For The Wall, is familiar with that sound. Donahue started riding motorcycles when he was 16. But 30 years ago, while on duty as a military policeman in Virginia Beach, Donahue was accidentally shot. The injury left him paralyzed from the waist down.
He was certain he would never enjoy a motorcycle ride again.
But last year, those
Michael Donahue is shown with his Mobility Conquest motorcycle, a trike made for riders with disabilities, outside his Rancho Cucamonga home Tuesday. He will ride it this week to Washington, along with other vets, to raise awareness for veteran and POW-MIA issues. (Khai Le/Correspondent)open views and freedom returned. Donahue bought a Mobility Conquest, a motorcycle trike designed in England that allows wheelchair users to ride a motorcycle. Donahue found Mobility Works, the Ohio-based company that distributes the vehicles, while surfing the web one day. "I've been browsing for 27 years," Donahue said.
On Wednesday, Donahue of Rancho Cucamonga, will take his new wheels to Washington D.C., as part of the annual cross-country motorcycle ride that raises awareness of veterans and those who are missing in action. Veterans and their supporters will leave Rancho Cucamonga and collect more riders on their way to the East Coast.
Donahue will return to Virginia Beach on this trip to "see the old haunts."
"I'm going to put as many miles as I can," he said. "I'm going to put her to the test."
The Mobility Conquest motorcycle is a sight to see. Donahue's is a shiny black machine, sleek in the front and imposing in the back.
"Everybody calls it a Batmobile," said Donahue, who hasn't yet settled on a permanent name. "Temporarily, she's my freedom chariot."
When Donahue rides on the freeway, strangers take pictures of him. When he took it to the DMV, the employees didn't know how to register it.
There are 29 such motorcycles sold in this country, and Donahue was the first in California to buy one. Last year, 100 were sold in Europe. The trikes cost around $57,000.
"It cost as much as a car but I already have a car," Donahue said. "I wanted that feeling again."
Mark Allen Roberts, president of Mobility Works, said many customers tell him that when they became disabled, they never thought it was possible to ride a motorcycle again.
"It's hard to explain what it's like watching people's faces change when you give them new hope," Roberts said.
Roberts said his goal is to sell 200 to 300 such motorcycles every year.
Riders get on the bike from the back, where a ramp lowers to ground level. The gears are hand-operated and the trike can go in reverse by the push of a button.
"It feels like being on a bike," Donahue said.
Donahue entered the Army in 1973 and later joined the military police. He served in Korea prior to being stationed in Virginia Beach.
"I still like the Army, I still believe in it," Donahue said. "I wish I can serve again."
This week, Donahue will be one of three veterans riding to the capital on a Mobility Conquest. Two other owners of the specialized vehicles are joining Donahue in the ride in Ohio.
It's a journey that Donahue has been waiting for ever since he found out about Run For the Wall more than a year ago. One week before the start of the ride, Donahue was already packed.
"People keep telling me it's an experience that can't be explained, that it's something you have to just wait and see," Donahue said. "I'm tired of waiting. I want to see."