The night of ghosts and goblins are over and next up is Thanksgiving. We are in the season of giving thanks and appreciation to our many friends and family. Be sure to let them know that they are in your thoughts and prayers during this season of remembrance and sharing.
Fall is a great time of year to ride, it brings cooler weather and colors that are simply amazing. Cozy days, crisp mornings, changing leaves, and plenty to look forward to. Fall is a season full of warmth and renewal. Take a moment to enjoy what this season has to offer with our latest news, updates and ideas.
Being prepared before every motorcycle ride is essential for staying safe and confident on the road. Before riding, check your tires, brakes, lights, mirrors, fluids, and fuel to make sure your motorcycle is in good working condition. Always wear proper protective gear, including a DOT-approved helmet, gloves, a durable jacket, long pants, and sturdy riding boots. Riders should also check weather and road conditions, plan their route, and make sure they have a charged phone and any necessary emergency supplies. Taking a few minutes to prepare before each ride can help prevent accidents, reduce unexpected problems, and make every motorcycle journey safer and more enjoyable.
Another great way to prepare is to take a Motorcycle Rider Course. There are many types of classes taught at various levels, check your local Harley dealers or on line for local law enforcement advanced courses. If it’s been a while since you took a class, you might want to investigate honing your skills before joining the Midway route in May.
Planning for 2027’s Run continues to progress well. I cannot thank our key Leadership enough for quickly coming together and assisting with several recommendations to get the pack safely to DC. Our State Coordinators are hard at work putting the finishing touches on the stops in their respective areas. A big thank you to our State Coordinators for their continued hard work and dedication in making each year better than the last.
Our Leadership teams are shaping up well but we could use a few more volunteers. Staging team, Fuel team, Finance Lead and Promotions Lead are vital positions that we need to fill soon. Each plays a critical role in completing our Mission and Midway needs you to help make this happen. If you have already been on the Run and would like to be considered for one of our open slots then please complete the Volunteer Signup Form Midway Volunteer Signup. Feel free to reach out to me directly if you have questions or want to know where your skills would best fit.
Two months have passed since Registration opened and I am not so happy to say that Midway’s numbers are very low. Midway Route now has just shy of 63 registered riders and participants. This is just one half of those registered at this time last year. This means that if you have not registered yet, please do so as soon as possible. Early registration helps us plan for our fuel, food stops and hotel accommodations and a host of other considerations. Early registration ends on January 31, 2026, and registration costs increase on February 1, 2026. Click here MIDWAY REGISTRATION and get registered today!
Leadership team Leads need to get registered NOW and reach out to others on their teams to do so as well! Lead by example. FNG’s – register now as well. We’re looking forward to meeting you and sharing the Midway experience with each and every one of you.
Valor Route – There have been rumors and talk of Midway being modified to create a valor route. This idea was floated a couple of years back and for obvious reasons and from feedback from the pack this was tabled pending further review. Well, that review has been completed and the valor route is officially DOA. As mentioned by Bugs on the recent Town Hall call the Valor Route is no longer being considered. Midway Route is very important to not only our riders, but also to the folks we greet along the way. However, in order to keep Midway as a viable route moving forward we need riders!!
Now is the time to recruit participants for the 2027 Run. You are all ambassadors and recruiters for the Run. Please get the word out and actively promote the Run. Challenge your friends, join a local riding group and bring them with you. Put your significant other in the number two seat and bring them with you on this adventure.
FNG’S (Friendly new guys/Gals)
Midway leadership is developing many exciting opportunities for our FNG community for 2027. Midway Outreach and Ambassador teams are working at bringing a number of FNG’s to each breakout to overpasses, veteran’s hospitals and homes, schools and many more.
Missing man formation opportunities are being developed and will be announced soon through our Missing Man Coordinator. His name is James “Juice” Brown and he will be reaching out to the FNG’s and the riding community shortly with the limited spaces he will have available to ride in the prestigious position in the missing man formation, in the front of the Midway pack, directly behind the route coordinator.
All these opportunities and more guidance will be announced to you through the midway route FNG coordinator. His name is Roger “Bullseye” Ford and he will be reaching out to each of you shortly. This will be an outstanding adventure for all FNG’s riding in 2027.
GMRS radios are now the standard for communication among your leaders. However, remember that while you all can listen in on the directions on GMRS, silence is golden. Unnecessary communications are disruptive to departure coordination and clog the channel, preventing critical messages from getting through.
If you have purchased a GMRS radio and are unsure about how to set it up, there are tutorials on the RFTW forum under “GMRS radio”. It will give you the opportunity to listen to the leadership of Midway making route decisions as we cross this great country.
There are so many wonderful things about RFTW and specifically the Midway route. The amazing people you meet who quickly accept you and become family you look forward to seeing year after year. The incredible ride across our great nation and the dedicated patriotic supporters that feed us and wave to us from overpasses every year. And of course, the Mission. I can find no way to put into words how powerfully our Mission affects me. I am humbled to be part of such a great cause and to honor and remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country free. Above all else, while you are on the run, please keep our Mission in mind.
RFTW Monthly Gatherings
Phoenix area riders will meet on Nov 14 at Dillons at Western Trails Grill, 7337839 W.Grand Ave, Morristown, AZ All routes are invited. If you have any other meet ups planned in your area let me know and I will get the word out.
RFTW Mission Statement
To promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world.
Let us dedicate ourselves and our efforts and remember to keep our focus on the Mission. It is why we ride!
Say Their Names – Tell Their Stories – Never Forget.
Is it May yet?
Randy “Stinger” Sheets
Midway Route Coordinator 2027
