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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal is to ride every road in America,\u201d Carlo said.<\/p>\n
A NATIONAL TRAGEDY<\/p>\n
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\u2019s life. His brother was performing triage on injured office workers in the lobby of the South Tower when it collapsed that morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone else from our area that was sent down there died when the Trade Center collapsed,\u201d Carlo said. \u201cI was spared by a simple decision from a dispatcher.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked in the rescue recovery for eight months from start to finish,\u201d Carlo said. \u201cI made sure I was there every day. I was trying my hardest. There was a lot of DNA that was unrecognizable.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was meant to be that way. He said it and I remembered it,\u201d Carlo said. \u201cI believe in keeping the memory alive. It\u2019s my way of remembering my brother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
ON TWO WHEELS<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe salesman said one guy just backed out on the Road King, it\u2019s yours if you want it,\u201d Carlo said. \u201cAt that moment I hear my brother\u2019s voice clear as day, saying, \u2018Hey, Rob, let\u2019s get Harleys\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
After buying the Road King, Carlo joined a motorcycle club for firefighters, and in 2003 decided to participate in the club\u2019s trip to Milwaukee to celebrate Harley\u2019s 100th anniversary. In Milwaukee, he realized he was hooked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI absolutely fell in love with traveling by motorcycle,\u201d Carlo said. \u201cI just think it\u2019s the best way to see the country, meet people.\u201d<\/p>\n
THE OTHER FORTY-NINE STATES<\/p>\n
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\u2019s anniversary celebration. In Milwaukee, Carlo had already started planning a 2024 trip, intending to ride as long as he is able.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery year I\u2019m going to ride in memory of them,\u201d Carlo said. \u201cMy 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. \u00a0The 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just spend time thinking about life. I think about my brother a lot.\u201d Carlo said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0Another dealer, Myers-Duren Harley-Davidson, in Tulsa, Ok., stepped in to provide airfare for Carlo and his wife to travel to Hawaii.\u00a0<\/p>\n
John Lyon, the co-owner and general manager at Wilkins, said it was an easy decision to support Carlo\u2019s mission. When Carlo finished his 2025 ride at the dealership, Lyon surprised him by revealing the trip to Hawaii.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew he hadn\u2019t been to Hawaii. He\u2019s ridden every place you can ride. We literally came up with that on the fly that morning,\u201d Lyon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a very authentic guy. He\u2019s just doing this on his own and not asking for anything but for people to remember 9\/11,\u201d Lyon said. \u201cHe literally asks for nothing, and those are the types of people we want to get behind.\u201d<\/p>\n
At a June event at Lyon\u2019s 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\u2019s offer to stay at his home, opting instead to pitch his tent outside in the dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRob is extremely authentic and extremely humble,\u201d Lyon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2019s remains. Lyon said he is hopeful Carlo can find peace as he travels across America.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRiding a bike allows you to help disconnect from the challenges in your life,\u201d Lyon said. \u201cI think that\u2019s one of the reasons why Rob rides his bike nonstop. He\u2019s carrying on his mission, but it gives him some peace. It has helped jumpstart some other organizations to get behind the mission.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
ON THE ROAD<\/p>\n
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\u2019s odometer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a humbling and really warm feeling to know that people care about what you\u2019re doing and they\u2019re willing to help,\u201d Carlo said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With Carlo\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a credit card, and I\u2019ll pay it off eventually. That\u2019s my attitude towards that,\u201d Carlo said. \u201cThere\u2019s some really amazing dealers out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
A SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION<\/p>\n
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,<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI thought that was crazy. I\u2019m really making that kind of impact,\u201d Carlo said. \u201cI never thought in a million years that would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n THE TOUR OF HONOR<\/p>\n