Burning Rubber and Family Bonding Across America

Initially, the only goal was to ride together.

But when Danny “Chip” Sarver and his father, Danny Sr., hit enough states on long-distance rides atop their Harley-Davidson motorcycles, seeing all 50 seemed like a logical next step. Chip crossed the final states off his bucket list over the 2016 Labor Day holiday with a 5,700 mile trip to the west coast. Scientists have mapped the human genome, but it’s possible they missed the marker for loving motorcycles somewhere in the double helix.

We sat down for story time when he returned to Mad Genius headquarters.

Just because you can afford a Harley doesn’t mean you deserve a Harley.

The Sarver Rebel Motorcycle Club

So, you just completed riding your motorcycle in all 50 states.
Yeah, with the exception of Hawaii. In Maui I had to rent one, but other than that, all 49.

Who is “we”?
My dad and I traveled most of the states together and my buddy Billy and I finished up the final states.

Dad has always had motorcycles. We were raised around motorcycles, but they were always projects to him. He never owned a Harley. Couldn’t afford a Harley. He would work on fixer-uppers and he built an old BSA from the frame up. My mom drove a motorcycle and my sister and I would ride with them on the weekends. We would sit on the back seat and just travel back roads. That was a family outing.

When I grew older, I owned motorcycles, but I could never afford a Harley until taking a job in sales. I went back and forth whether to buy a Harley or just own a motorcycle fast. You can buy foreign-made motorcycles for a lot less than a Harley Davidson. But I decided, “I just want a Harley.” So I held off. Off and off and off.

I waited and bought the 100th Anniversary Fat Boy edition of the Harley, the 2003. In fact, I bought it in Slidell, and we trailered it back to Mom and Dad’s house on the coast. Frankly, I was too nervous to drive it away from the dealership. We pulled it off the trailer, and I wanted dad to be the first one to take if for a spin. So he drove it first.

How old is your dad?
He’ll be 71 in March.

What does your dad ride?
There was a gentleman who had a Road King for sale in Vicksburg. It was used but basically brand new because it had less than 1,200 miles on it. I called my mom to make sure it was okay to buy him one since they would have to handle the insurance. They always spent money on us and not on themselves.

This is where I get a little emotional. I bought the Harley, drove it down, and handed him the papers and keys. I’ve only seen him tear up twice – when his mom passed away, and when I gave him the Harley. That’s when we started going on the father-son trips.

Has he done all of the states with you?
No, but he did Alaska. That was his last big trip. That took a lot out of both of us. It was over 6,000 miles in two weeks.

Wow!
That was just one way. We shipped our bikes up then flew up to ride around Alaska for a week to look around before riding them home.

We joke about this photo of him when we were in somewhere North Dakota. We were driving through North Dakota heading south towards Sturgis, and stopped to take a break in the middle of nowhere. I’m looking around and I hear this rustling. I turn around, and he’s sitting on the ground, I thought he was having medical problems, so it kind of scared me, but he said,“I’m tired”.

He still rides and can do local rides. When I say “local” I mean we could do Kentucky or whatever, but-

That’s still really far!
It’s far, but it’s not Alaska far. He’s started having a little bit of back issues, but he still rides and gets around great. Better than I do on most days, but would not tell him.

The Importance of Accessorizing: Chrome, Chrome, and More Chrome

Did you special order and customize your motorcycle?
I did special order because I wanted the Fat Boy with the solid front wheel. The Harley is a down payment to everything else you put on it. So, you customize it yourself, and you spend a lot of money on chrome.

What are the special features you added?
Chrome, chrome, and more chrome. That’s just a part of it. Then you get loud pipes and the leathers and everything that goes with it.

Do you and your father have coordinated outfits?
Never. (laughs) Absolutely not. Never.

Not, like, matching jackets?
Never.

Never?
That’s a big no-no.

A no-no?
You’re not in a parade! You’re riding motorcycles.

What do you wear?
Jeans, never shorts. And, you know, t-shirts.

No leather pants?
In the winter, absolutely. Chaps and all that. It’s one of those things you swear you’d never buy before you own a motorcycle, but there’s a reason for it. They’re not for looks. In fact, I passed a guy today and took a picture of him. He was on a Harley on I-55, riding in shorts and flip flops.

(gasp) Flip flops?!
That’s a big no-no, too. So I put a Facebook post up saying, “Sell your Harley. Turn in your Man Card.” Just because you can afford a Harley doesn’t mean you deserve a Harley.

The Fifty States of Chip

How many miles have you gone so far? Have you counted?
This last trip up the west coast was over 5700 miles. Our longest travel day was 746, and in this last trip we did a couple of 650 days.

Did you ship your bikes out to California?
No, started at the house in Brandon. Here’s how a trip works: you know where you want to travel, but you never come back the same way. Really, weather dictates the path you take. The interstate miles are not fun, but they get you there. The fun part is riding back roads, stopping to get gas, and starting conversations with people who walk up to you.

I bet people who have Harleys want to talk to everyone they see with a Harley.
Or motorcycles in general, that’s true. They’ll talk to you about their experiences. They range from younger people, to older people who used to have motorcycles, to the ones who wish they could own one.

There are a lot of things to like about a trip, but when you’re far from home in Alaska, Maine, Washington, or Oregon, and you’re stopped at a gas station, people will walk behind your motorcycle and look at your tag. They stop, stare, and start calculating how far you are from home. That’s the part I really enjoy, because it’s like you punch ‘em. You can see them stop and their minds race about how far you really ride on two wheels.

Did you use SPF?
Yes, I used 70 on this trip.

Have you ever hung out with people you’ve met on the road?
Yeah, and we met great people this last trip. We met two gentlemen at a Harley dealership in Arizona. One of them, Wade, became a Facebook friend. He gave us a great route in California to bypass traffic and see the best scenic routes like Tioga Pass through Yosemite.

Could you share a crazy trip story?
One of the funniest things? My dad, Billy, and I were in a hotel, exhausted at the end of a long day. My dad and I were in one bed, and Billy was in another, and we’re just lying down, watching TV. Then, all of the sudden, the door flies open, and a little elderly lady bursts into our room and stares at us. She has to be in her 80’s and has a little white dog underneath her arm. All three of us kind of just look and stare at her, three guys lying in the bed, you know? Then she walks back out and shuts the door. We just start laughing. Nobody said a word, not a word. (laughs).

Do you have a biker alias?
No.

I think that you do.
(whispers) I do not.

What do you think about when you’re driving?
Nothing.

Nothing?
We don’t listen to music. When Dad and I were in Alaska, we did have headsets and would talk back and forth for a little while. Generally you’re in your own thoughts, just looking around. To me, it’s peaceful.

People ask, “Don’t you get tired?” and yes, you do, but it’s not a stressful tired. It’s relaxing.

What’s one thing that happened on the road that you won’t tell your wife?
HA-HAaaa… nothing.

No, she’s been GREAT. That’s a key component, too. She’s been more than supportive, letting me take these trips. In fact, I told her, “Now that I’m coming to the end of it, it’s kinda sad because I’ve hit all of them. We don’t have any of these big trips left,” and she’s like, “Oh no, just go back to some of them that you haven’t spent a lot of time in.”

Have you joined a biker gang?
No, but I’m part of the HOG group. I’ve been a member since I bought the Harley. It’s a great community. When you go to HOG rallies in places like Sturgis, Daytona, or Myrtle Beach, you are able to enter the Harley area and get a pin and a badge to show you were there. Harley Davidson knows marketing.

What was your absolute favorite day from your trips?
I remember driving back from Alaska and then looking in my rear view mirror and seeing Dad behind me. That’s always been a special moment.

Was Alaska beautiful?
It was incredible, and it was cold in July.

That’s what your chaps were for, right?
Yeah, and I had em.

Do you have matching chaps?
(laughs) NO.