Every year, a New York man rides thousands of miles across America, visiting all 49 continental and mainland states, and just this past week he made his way through Newton. 

Rob Carlo, a retired New York City firefighter was on duty the day of the terrorist attacks on September 11. His brother, Michael Carlo, also a firefighter, was one of the first firefighters to respond to the World Trade Center. Michael was killed when the South Tower collapsed. Now retired, he rides his Harley-Davidson Road Glide across America, visiting 9/11 memorial sites and working to keep the memory of his brother alive. 

“My goal is to ride every road in America,” Carlo said.

A NATIONAL TRAGEDY

On the morning of 9/11, Carlo was working his regular shift as a firefighter with Ladder 23, based on 139th Street in Manhattan, when the call came in. His brother, a member of Engine Company 230 stationed in Brooklyn, was one of the first fire companies on the scene at the World Trade Center. As they raced towards the site of the attack, Carlo and Ladder 23 were re-directed to Times Square, a decision that likely saved Carlo’s life. His brother was performing triage on injured office workers in the lobby of the South Tower when it collapsed that morning.

“Everyone else from our area that was sent down there died when the Trade Center collapsed,” Carlo said. “I was spared by a simple decision from a dispatcher.”

Michael Carlo was one of 2,753 victims who lost their lives to the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Despite advances in forensic technology, Michael, along with over 1,100 other victims, have yet to be identified. More than 10,000 pieces of evidence were recovered from the site, but many of those samples are too badly damaged to make a conclusive identification. None of the firefighters in Company 230, Michael Carlo’s company, have been identified. The unidentified remains are kept at the memorial site, and Carlo is hopeful investigators will one day be able to identify the remains of his brother.  

“I worked in the rescue recovery for eight months from start to finish,” Carlo said. “I made sure I was there every day. I was trying my hardest. There was a lot of DNA that was unrecognizable.”

Michael Carlo was 35 years old when he died. Unmarried and with no children, his brother Rob was one of his closest friends. The two did everything together.

An avid motorcyclist, Michael often told his brother they should buy Harley-Davidson motorcycles and tour the country. Working in the rental house they co-owned, Carlo remembers the conversation vividly. 

“It was meant to be that way. He said it and I remembered it,” Carlo said. “I believe in keeping the memory alive. It’s my way of remembering my brother.” 

ON TWO WHEELS

Carlo bought his first Harley on a lark. On a Saturday morning in 2002, as he was getting off work at the fire department, two other firemen asked him for a ride to the local dealership where they had ordered two brand new Harley-Davidson Firefighter Road King special editions. Although completely sold out, the dealer told Carlo one customer had backed out of their purchase, and, immediately, Carlo decided to buy the bike, despite not having a motorcycle endorsement.  

“The salesman said one guy just backed out on the Road King, it’s yours if you want it,” Carlo said. “At that moment I hear my brother’s voice clear as day, saying, ‘Hey, Rob, let’s get Harleys’.”

After buying the Road King, Carlo joined a motorcycle club for firefighters, and in 2003 decided to participate in the club’s trip to Milwaukee to celebrate Harley’s 100th anniversary. In Milwaukee, he realized he was hooked.

“I absolutely fell in love with traveling by motorcycle,” Carlo said. “I just think it’s the best way to see the country, meet people.”

THE OTHER FORTY-NINE STATES

In 2011, he bought a second Harley-Davidson, a 2011 Road Glide, and by 2023 he was planning his most ambitious trip yet. Retired from the fire department, Carlo decided he would ride to the other 49 contiguous states, visiting 9/11 memorials and Harley dealerships along the way. Riding all the way to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, Carlo visited countless memorials and 135 dealerships before reaching Milwaukee for Harley’s anniversary celebration. In Milwaukee, Carlo had already started planning a 2024 trip, intending to ride as long as he is able.

“Every year I’m going to ride in memory of them,” Carlo said. “My brother was killed, we were both working. The outpouring of love and support we got after 9/11 was just amazing. So to visit every state and thank people, it gives me a little meaning to my life.”

For the past four years, Carlo has kept racking up the mileage on the Road Glide, which now has over 431,000 miles on the odometer. Stickers cover nearly every inch of the bodywork, including the number 343, which holds a special significance for Carlo. That number represents the 343 NYC firefighters killed on 9/11.  The bike is nearly all stock, even down to the original seat. During his trips, Carlo tries to keep a strict schedule; he likes to have breakfast at the hotel before sunrise and be on the road as dawn is breaking. Once he starts moving, he tries to ride 12 to 13 hours a day, typically only stopping for fuel. Lunch is typically whatever he finds at a gas station, or protein bars. While riding Carlo will sometimes listen to music, but often he rides in silence, thinking about his brother. 

“I just spend time thinking about life. I think about my brother a lot.” Carlo said. 

This year Carlo plans to ride in Hawaii for the first time, fulfilling his goal of riding in all 50 states. Thanks to support from Wilkins Harley-Davidson, a family-owned dealership in Barre, Vt., Carlo will ship his beloved Road Glide across the Pacific Ocean to fulfill a lifelong goal. Another dealer, Myers-Duren Harley-Davidson, in Tulsa, Ok., stepped in to provide airfare for Carlo and his wife to travel to Hawaii. 

John Lyon, the co-owner and general manager at Wilkins, said it was an easy decision to support Carlo’s mission. When Carlo finished his 2025 ride at the dealership, Lyon surprised him by revealing the trip to Hawaii. 

“We knew he hadn’t been to Hawaii. He’s ridden every place you can ride. We literally came up with that on the fly that morning,” Lyon said. 

For Lyon, supporting Carlo is a way to make sure the events of 9/11 are not forgotten. Noting that Carlo does not solicit donations, a distinction that exists between Carlo and many other riders or influencers, Lyon said his staff was enthusiastic to pair with Carlo. 

“He’s a very authentic guy. He’s just doing this on his own and not asking for anything but for people to remember 9/11,” Lyon said. “He literally asks for nothing, and those are the types of people we want to get behind.”

At a June event at Lyon’s dealership, Carlo demonstrated the humility he has become famous for. After spending hours sitting at a picnic table talking to fans who come in just to see him, Carlo declined Lyon’s offer to stay at his home, opting instead to pitch his tent outside in the dark. 

“Rob is extremely authentic and extremely humble,” Lyon said. 

Although Carlo rides to keep the memory of 9/11 alive, Lyon said he also believes riding helps Carlo disconnect from some of the trauma he has experienced. Following the 9/11 attacks, Carlo spent months at ground zero in Manhattan, searching for his brother’s remains. Lyon said he is hopeful Carlo can find peace as he travels across America. 

“Riding a bike allows you to help disconnect from the challenges in your life,” Lyon said. “I think that’s one of the reasons why Rob rides his bike nonstop. He’s carrying on his mission, but it gives him some peace. It has helped jumpstart some other organizations to get behind the mission.” 

ON THE ROAD

With a goal of spending a full day on his motorcycle each day, Carlo said he does not set a mileage goal in the morning. Some days he finds himself on roads like Interstate 80, where he can set a pace of 80 to 85 miles an hour, but he cannot maintain the same speeds while traveling through more remote parts of the country. In Alaska, riding on the gravel roads that lead to the Arctic Circle, some days Carlo is only able to average 450 miles a day, and on one particular day, he only added 150 miles to the Road Glide’s odometer. 

As he has racked up the miles, Carlo has also dealt with his fair share of mechanical breakdowns on the road. On Tuesday, he was in Omaha after the Road Glide lost power in rural Kansas. After crossing Iowa the day before, Carlo was headed to the Road Glide National Rally, or RGNR, in Loveland Colorado. While waiting for a tow, Carlo posted on social media that he had broken down and asked if anyone was nearby and available to help. The response was overwhelming. 

“It’s a humbling and really warm feeling to know that people care about what you’re doing and they’re willing to help,” Carlo said. 

With Carlo’s formidable social media reach, it did not take long before supporters mobilized to rescue the stranded motorcycle. Before the tow truck had even arrived, Carlo was riding in a truck to Dillon Brother’s Harley-Davidson in Omaha. In his travels, Carlo has visited hundreds of Harley dealers across the country, and he is quick to credit the dealers he has met with helping him stay on the road, whether it is supplying a fresh set of tires, or simply making sure he can get back on the bike as quickly as possible. No matter the circumstances, Carlo is committed to his mission. 

“I have a credit card, and I’ll pay it off eventually. That’s my attitude towards that,” Carlo said. “There’s some really amazing dealers out there.”

A SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION

When he first started chronicling his adventures on social media, Carlo said he never realized how many people would be interested in following along with him. On Facebook, Carlo has over 88,000 followers, and last month he had more than 6 million views on the platform. At gas stations, followers often recognize him and ask for selfies, something that still surprises Carlo. 

“I thought that was crazy. I’m really making that kind of impact,” Carlo said. “I never thought in a million years that would happen.”

THE TOUR OF HONOR

Carlo’s impact has extended beyond the reach of social media; a yearly award on the Tour of Honor, an annual motorcycle event where participants ride to and collect photos of memorials; an event where participants visit 9/11 memorials is named after his brother Michael. The Michael Carlo Award is given to recipients who visit at least 50 9/11 memorials. 

Jason McLaren, of Ankeny, is a long-distance rider who has participated in the tour for several years. While McLaren and Carlo have never met, McLaren said he has followed Carlo’s travels on social media for years. 

“He’s a living legend. Anyone who’s in this community knows who he is,” McLaren said. 

For McLaren, a lifelong motorcyclist, riding is a way of life. With over 100,000 miles under his belt, McLaren frequently puts more miles on his Harley than he does on the commuter car he uses for work. 

“In a year that I drove my car a lot, I’ve never put more than 3,000 miles on it,” McLaren said. 

What began as a photography project to visit and photograph each of Iowa’s 99 counties quickly morphed into longer and longer rides for McLaren. A recovering alcoholic, McLaren credits motorcycling with helping him maintain his sobriety. 

“When I got sober the motorcycle became a more important part of my sobriety. That’s when I really started riding seriously,” McLaren said. “I took my first adventure to the Black Hills and I got hooked on long hauling.”

‘I THINK I’LL SEE HIM AGAIN’

Despite the accolades he has received, Carlo is hesitant to call himself an influencer. With a picture of his brother taped to the dashboard of his Harley, he rides to honor his brother and the other men and women who lost their lives on 9/11. 

“I’m not doing this for social media at all. I’m doing this for my brother and 9/11,” Carlo said. “I was doing what I’m doing way before that word even existed.”

Carlo said he often thinks of what his brother would think of the trips, and many times, he feels Michael’s presence while he is on his motorcycle. When the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, killing Michael and the rest of his company, Carlo said he felt his brother’s soul move through his body, an experience he described as electrifying. 

“I think he does see it. I think he’s pretty proud,” Carlo said. “I don’t think he’s shocked. I think I’ll see him again. I often wonder what it’s going to be like.”