Team Profile

"Southern Cross" AUSTRALIAN 1925 INVINCIBLE JAP  TEAM We are Confirmed Cannonball Enrty No 16 Team Name is "Southern Cross" TEAM AND CREW INFO Chris Knoop (Team Leader / Main rider)  Christina Hemphill (Sidecar passenger / Moral Support) Ian Lihou (Head Mechanic / Back up rider / Support) Vacancy (Support / Backup drive) who has not yet been appointed. This could be you. Do you  happen to own a van in America and want to be part of the Journey ! Chris Knoop I am an avid antique motorcycle enthusiast and enjoy restoring maintaining , and riding motorcycles. I have several sidecars, and tend to prefer touring in an outfit. I have completed many interstate rallies within Australia on my 1944 Indian Military Chief Outfit and have several other Indians which are my preferred marque. I was lucky to be part of the 2010 Cannonball and offered support to many along the route. It was always the intention to enter the 2012 Cannonball. Our choice of bike "1925 Invincible Jap"  was chosen to highlight a locally made, historically significant Australian Motorcycle combination and showcase the engineering Melbourne Australia  had to offer in the 1920's. Attached to the motorcycle will be a suitable period Goulding Sidecar also made in Melbourne Australia from the same year. This sidecar will be fitted with a period Wicker Body that will trimmed to my partners level of comfort. We are the only Australian team and hope to compete, to have fun and experience the journey. We hope that if you choose to follow us or meet up with us along the route, please say G'day. Fair Dinkum Mate. Christina Hemphill Being the partner of someone addicted to motorcycles i have grown to appreciate the mode of transport. I am extremely comfortable in a sidecar and have toured within Australia in various rallies. I am particularly looking forward to meeting people and seeing the sights that America has to offer and committed to the adventure once I heard that it was going through many national parks. I love to travel and have been lucky enough to see much of the world, but haven't seen much of America to date. Let the sun shine and be kind to us cannonballer's. Ian Lihou I became involved with the Cannonball after accidentally finding the 2010 event on the web. I contacted Lonnie and expressed interest in supporting this event. Lonnie  passed on my details to Chris as we lived in the same country  and Chris was looking for support.  It turned out we live about 5 minutes apart in neighbouring suburbs. I have been riding bikes for nearly 40 years but have very little experience with bikes of Cannonball era. My current ride is a Laverda which I really enjoy.  I am desperately trying to learn as much as I can about the Invincible Jap and luckily it is a fairly simple machine, I only feel slightly out of my depth. The good thing about the Invincible is the more I get my hands dirty the more I learn and hopefully I will have learnt everything necessary this side of the start line and I won’t have to take any crash courses half way up the side of a mountain in Wyoming. This could be the adventure of a lifetime and is shaping up to be exactly that. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines and if yours is suffering from an on-set of “personality” give me a yell and I will be happy to give you a push. Looking forward to seeing everyone in New York and San Francisco and in-between. Ian SUPPORT VEHICLE CREW - Currently Position Vacant Pre-requisite, must own van and be able to cook and clean.