I met Greg Henderson of Unofficial Use Only years ago at the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab. He is a builder, manufacturer, a Jeeper, and a vehicle recovery expert. I ran into him at the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and said, “So what’s new?” Little did I expect him to tell me he and a buddy rode Honda Ruckus scooters from Michigan to Vegas. It started as a joke. Then it turned into a charity ride, albeit a wild one. I paused and said, “wait, what? A Ruckus?” This would become what was known as The Unofficial Road To SEMA.
A Crazy Idea Turns Into a Wild Charity Ride
What started as a joke turned into reality. Greg and his buddy, Roger Modrow rode two Honda Ruckus mopeds from Michigan to Las Vegas to make the 2024 SEMA Show. Additionally, the Ruckus riders would donate 100% of the proceeds raised from this cross-country adventure to SEMA Cares, the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s charity wing.
Amazingly, Greg and Roger rode around 2,400 miles (in some cold and wet weather). But, hey, this was for a good cause so they bundled up and kept riding.
Greg and Roger had a small support crew and stopped at some interesting places along the way, such as Rodz & Bodz Movie Car Museum & Rentals in Colorado. They even got a pics of the Ruckuses with the Mutt Cutts van from Dumb and Dumber.
The team took backroads as they weren’t about to hop on Interstates on stock 49cc mopeds. They did have the “WEIRD LOAD” chase truck with them as well as … a hotdog costume. And, the more people would donate to the SEMA Cares charity, the longer they’d wear it while riding. Who doesn’t love paid humiliation?
I had to ask: how the heck did they get over the Rocky Mountains on Ruckuses? Thankfully, the two scooters fit in the bed of the support truck. And no, they didn’t camp along the way. Riding a Ruckus halfway across the country was difficult enough. From difficult weather to long riding days, this was a challenge, to say the least.
At The SEMA Show
To make a long story short, the Unofficial Use Only crew successfully completed their journey. The two mildly modified Honda mopeds were put on display in the SEMA Members Lounge at the show for people to see, too.
This brief recap here on Crankshaft Culture doesn’t begin to capture this journey. For more videos, check out the Unofficial Use Only Facebook or Unofficial Use Only Instagram pages for the Reels.
While the QR code on the board no longer lets you donate, there are a variety of ways to continue to still contribute. Here are ways to donate to SEMA Cares.
So while this was The Unofficial Road to SEMA, it was a heck of a journey and one that went to a good cause, too.
Photos courtesy of Greg Henderson