The Brilliance of Cannonball Baker
By 1917, Erwin Baker had been racing motorcycles and setting records for 13 years. He was an Indian rider from Indianapolis with a valuable reputation. After a quick coast-to-coast ride, he became nationally known by the speedy and marketing-appropriate nickname, “Cannonball.” Long before racing vehicles were covered in corporate sponsorship, Baker earned the support of some of the biggest names in automotive manufacturing. The story of his record-breaking ride at the Cincinnati Speedway board track in 1917 is the kind of stuff his legend is built upon. It’s also a great example of why the Cannonball moniker added a powerfully positive association to motorcycle products of the early 1900s. Read on…
