One rider pulled in not too long after I did on a 2016 BMW 1200 that looked like it had been ridden too far to be anyone local. The Virginia license plate confirmed my suspicions, so I spoke with the bike’s owner, Bill May, who indeed turned out to be from McLean, Virginia. He had ridden 2,300 miles, taking the long way to Wisconsin by way of the Mississippi River. Bill has been coming to the Slimey Crud Run for the past four years ever since he read an article by noted local motojournalist Peter Egan, who played a large role in developing the event some 40 years ago. His favorite part about the event, and the reason he keeps coming back, is because of the great group of riders that show up rain or shine and the informal nature. “The people are here for the right reasons,” he says. “Nobody’s selling anything, it’s not commercialized. There are no T-shirts, no vendors, no registration. Just awesome people.”