A celebrated motorcycle ride through Riverside and surrounding locations to honor members of the U.S. Armed Services will be held Monday, in a Memorial Day salute featuring a 53-mile trip along two freeways, passing Riverside National Cemetery and ending with a concert at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore.
“West Coast Thunder” is slated roar to life shortly after 9 a.m. Riverside Harley-Davidson always hosts the events, which began in 2000 when the dealership belonged to Skip Fordyce and operated under that banner.
More than 7,500 motorcycle enthusiasts are expected to take part in this year’s ride, according to event coordinator Jackson Dodd.
The ride went forward last May following a three-year hiatus, initially stemming from the COVID lockdowns, then ongoing concerns about exposure risks, which led to cancellations in 2021 and 2022.
This year’s event will get underway in front of the dealership at 7688 Indiana Ave., with motorcyclists bearing American flags and other ensigns starting to assemble at about 6 a.m. They’ll leave the location at 9:11 a.m., proceeding up Alessandro Boulevard to south Riverside, where residents regularly gather on sidewalks to wave and show support.
The ride will then transition to Van Buren Boulevard, where some participants will peel off to Riverside National Cemetery to pay their respects, while others will continue onto Interstate 215.
The ride will run southbound on I-215 into Murrieta, then swing northbound onto I-15, ending at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. A concert featuring country & western singer Chayce Beckham will run most of the afternoon.
A large share of proceeds raised from the rides and musical shows are donated to the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee, which relies on contributions to build monuments and make other improvements at the hallowed grounds, where more than 250,000 U.S. military veterans, police officers, firefighters and others are interred.
More than $1 million has been generated over the past two decades, and even when the rides weren’t held, the West Coast Thunder Foundation continued with donation drives to support the cemetery.
More information is available at westcoastthunder.com/.