Area couple helps biker with transcontinental trip

As part of his two-year journey of riding his motorcycle across two continents, Canadian Daren LaBranche had planned on reaching the East Coast by now.

But a plane crash transporting his motorcycle from Colombia to the United States brought LaBranche to Cape Girardeau for a reunion with longtime friends Herb and Reno Anderson.

Since Sept. 25, 2006, LaBranche has ridden his 2006 Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom motorcycle throughout Central and South America, with a goal of reaching Alaska exactly two years later. LaBranche loaded his motorcycle July 4 at a warehouse in preparation for its planned plane ride from Bogota, Colombia to Miami.

Three days later, the 747 cargo plane with eight crew members on board crashed shortly after takeoff, leaving the Edmonton, Alberta, resident with a damaged motorcycle and without his personal belongings. The plane crashed into a home in a rural area just outside of Bogota and scattered debris throughout the field.

That's when LaBranche turned to the Andersons, owners of Grassroots BMW at 28 S. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau. The couple and LaBranche were members of the same motorcycle club for 15 years when they lived in Canada.

"We hadn't seen him since our visit to his home in Edmonton two years ago, so receiving his e-mail asking for assistance was a surprise," Reno Anderson said. "But it was great to see him once again and hear his stories of life on the road."

Without hesitation, the couple offered LaBranche a temporary home and garage to build the same model that was damaged in the plane crash. He spends up to 16 hours a day on the project, using parts and accessories shipped to Cape Girardeau from locations worldwide. Once complete, the motorcycle will feature parts from Carson City, Nev., Seattle, Boise, Idaho, as well as Colombia, England and Belgium.

He hopes to finish building the bike by Friday so he can complete his journey by his birthday, exactly two years after he first embarked on the mission.

"Not only have I been extremely lucky that Reno and Herb provided not only this place to work but also a place to rest my head at night," LaBranche said. "Without them, I wouldn't be able to do this."

While the plane crash for a time threatened his goal of reaching Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, by Sept. 25, LaBranche is thankful for the people and memories that have resulted from his visit to Cape Girardeau.

"This is one of the most beautiful places I've visited," said LaBranche, who heads to Orlando, Fla., next. "While this doesn't have the beaches, oceans or mountains that other places I've visited had, the people are friendly and this is a clean city. This is just right."

He said none of the places he's visited stands above the other as his favorite. While he has enjoyed living in Canada, he said that could change when he returns in late September.

"I've experienced kindness and friendship I've never expected," said LaBranche, who saved money for three and a half years to finance the trip. "I now have a better outlook on life than I had before embarking on this journey."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137