Ginger is ready to go! Steve called and talked me through this morning's start of Day 9 headed over the Big Horn Mountains and ending up at Lake Yellowstone. Steve and Josh talked about taking the Rockies at a nice slow, steady pace while waiting on the signal for their class to start. Steve said it's mass confusion as each group starts and it takes about 45 minutes to an hour each day for everyone to get sorted out and paired up with the crew they plan on riding with for the day. So, it's kinda like a shuffle or better yet, musical chairs first thing every morning.
Today, Ian, Josh and Steve plan on riding together and Dick is joining them on the Indian Drifter. Jazzy Jeff and Brett Johnson are paired up together. Doug is up and running today as well and Marcin hopes to have his bike completed today to ride tomorrow. As they start and the sorting begins to take place about 5 miles into the run, he sees Jazzy Jeff and Brett off on the side of the road and sees that they are working on Jazzy's electronic odometer, so it must need adjusting. He says that the 101's are in Class II and Class III is always breathing down their neck and comes at them like a stampede, so you don't try to stop unless you absolutely have too and you definitely don't want to stop to check on the other guys. They'll catch up. As he says this, he tells me that Josh has now pulled off the road, but he continues the slow, steady pace he must maintain to take on the Big Horn! Josh will catch up!
Steve says that he will have to go easy on Ginger's clutches as he can tell it wouldn't take much for them to let go. He has the spare motor in, so it's a learning process again today to coax her to respond like he wants. As he starts up the first incline, he says she jumps out of second, so he's got to hold her in gear with his knee. Also, the shifter is in a different position on this power plant than the original, so he's got to adjust.
He says there are all kinds of turkeys along the road today and comments that he's seen 3 roadkill coyotes the last couple days. He thought about getting a coyote tail off one of them, but decided it was not worth becoming roadkill himself! I reminded him not to hit a buffalo in Yellowstone!
As they climb to the higher altitudes, the motors get more gas than air, so the 101's have to work on keeping just the right blend for their bikes to perform.
I got a text from Steve saying that he arrived in Cody for the hosted lunch at Hotel Irma, named after Buffalo Bill Cody's daughter and said that it was really great. They left there about 1:15 this afternoon and headed to Lake Yellowstone, in Yellowstone National Park. I am envious of them, as no matter how many times I've been there, it is always changing and you always have a different experience each time you go to the park. We went through last May on our way to participate in The Great Race in California and had snow drifts higher than the side mirrors on the motorhome and we got to see a grizzly bear near the lake.
I tried Steve later this afternoon and then remembered that there is virtually no cell phone service in the interior of the park, so I haven't gotten to talk with him tonight either. Tomorrow they will ride through the park and come out the south entrance through Grand Teton National Park and on to Jackson, Wyoming for their next overnight stop. They will only travel 160 miles tomorrow compared to the 229 miles today, but it will be a slower pace in the park with speed limits due to the abundance of wildlife and tourists, plus the awesome views and breathtaking scenery they will take in.
Currently, Jazzy Jeff is holding 6th position and Josh is right behind him in 7th. Both men have ridden every day for the full mileage, so they are doing GREAT! Steve is ranked 43rd due to his partial Day 2 ride when he blew a head gasket and for not riding at all yesterday. Doug holds 54th, Ian is 56th and Marcin ranks 69th. The 101 Scouts are hanging together and the Tribal Council is holding strong and steady for the Cannonball!
Let's hope that Yellowstone is kind to all of them and that they can fully enjoy the beauty of that pristine wilderness. A full 101 report will follow when they come back into the modern age of technology.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Repair, Tear Down, Repair, Tear Down.....
Well, the scheduled day of rest in Sturgis did not go at all as planned. All the 101 bikes underwent major repairs and only three (Josh, Jeff, and Ian) of the six made it out of the starting block today headed to Sheridan, Wyoming. Also today, Dick Jones rode the Indian drifter and Marcin left riding Tim's BMW to enjoy the beautiful weather in Wyoming. Buck and Steve were racing in the excursion to Sheridan to begin the work to replace the engine in Steve's 101 as they couldn't get the original one to run because of the carbon buildup that apparently is hidden on the valves somewhere.
Yesterday, Steve's repairs consisted of 2 blown head gaskets and the mag seal which had went out two days ago, plus a carbureator to tear down and rebuild. After completing this work, the bike wouldn't fire and run, so he traded mags and still....it wouldn't run. George Yarocki and Tim even helped him go through everything.... 6 times, yes 6..... and still the bike wouldn't fire and run, so at 10:30 pm they called it a night and made the decision to take off for Sheridan first thing this morning (Sat) and just replace the whole engine with the spare Steve took with them. Steve, George and Tim have determined that there is a chunk of carbon stuck to the valve train somewhere that they can't see. All the 101's are experiencing a great deal of carbon buildup that they are cleaning off on the valve stems or the valve seats. Just talked with him this evening and as of 8:30 pm this evening, the work is completed and the bike is running.... ready to take on the Big Horn Mountains on the way to Cody, Wyoming. WhooHoo! Keep your fingers crossed for the start of a great second half of the Cannonball for Ginger!
Josh's bike repairs consisted of a new float bowl for carbureator which Steve built him. He installed new gas lines and he also had a great deal of carbon buildup to clean up. His bike is running better and better each day as they are repairing and fixing all the problems that he accumulates throughout the day's rides. Josh made it into Sheridan, WY after a successful day. Way to go! Also, I just watched the video they posted of today on www.motorcyclecannonball.com and watched Josh's shorts go up in smoke. Great interview, Josh!
Ian replaced his neck bearings and races. He had the whole front end off and apart and also rebuilt the front wheel. It was up and running and he completed the 242 mile run today. I'm sure Ian was glad to be on the road again!
Jeff's bike had 5 hours of service which included cleaning the carbon off his heads. Tim has been working extensively each night until 2-3 am on the Beast to keep her going for Jeff. Jeff completed Stage 8 just as he has completed all of the others. George and Tim are doing an awesome job keeping The Beast going.
Marcin got his new piston and after tearing down his motor and during assembly he discovered that the rod didn't fit the piston, so at 8 pm last night he was headed back to the machine shop to get his head milled out to fit. He realized that his has chief rods in his bike. So, his bike didn't get completed and today he rode Tim's BMW.
Doug worked until 4:30 am. He got his new cylinders from New Zealand and when he went to install them, he found out that it wouldn't clear the toadstools in motor and he is going to have to cut out the side of cylinder to clear the guides. He also had to make valve spring retainers by hand filing. He didn't make it on today's ride either.
As of today the 101 crew is out of head gaskets AGAIN!
Steve hopes to work on the original motor during the evenings and have it for a spare. He says they are working until they are too tired to continue, but are having a great time. He said the ride is starting to take a toll on all the bikes, not just the 101's.
Tomorrow's ride will take them through the Big Horn Mountains, which is gorgeous as I have been through there many times, but it's tough and they will climb close to 10,000 feet. The coolness should help the bikes as they will be working hard during the ascent. They will lunch at the famous Irma Hotel in Cody, Wyoming before they head on into Yellowstone National Park to the Lake Lodge for the night.
Hang Tough Tribal Council!
Yesterday, Steve's repairs consisted of 2 blown head gaskets and the mag seal which had went out two days ago, plus a carbureator to tear down and rebuild. After completing this work, the bike wouldn't fire and run, so he traded mags and still....it wouldn't run. George Yarocki and Tim even helped him go through everything.... 6 times, yes 6..... and still the bike wouldn't fire and run, so at 10:30 pm they called it a night and made the decision to take off for Sheridan first thing this morning (Sat) and just replace the whole engine with the spare Steve took with them. Steve, George and Tim have determined that there is a chunk of carbon stuck to the valve train somewhere that they can't see. All the 101's are experiencing a great deal of carbon buildup that they are cleaning off on the valve stems or the valve seats. Just talked with him this evening and as of 8:30 pm this evening, the work is completed and the bike is running.... ready to take on the Big Horn Mountains on the way to Cody, Wyoming. WhooHoo! Keep your fingers crossed for the start of a great second half of the Cannonball for Ginger!
Josh's bike repairs consisted of a new float bowl for carbureator which Steve built him. He installed new gas lines and he also had a great deal of carbon buildup to clean up. His bike is running better and better each day as they are repairing and fixing all the problems that he accumulates throughout the day's rides. Josh made it into Sheridan, WY after a successful day. Way to go! Also, I just watched the video they posted of today on www.motorcyclecannonball.com and watched Josh's shorts go up in smoke. Great interview, Josh!
Ian replaced his neck bearings and races. He had the whole front end off and apart and also rebuilt the front wheel. It was up and running and he completed the 242 mile run today. I'm sure Ian was glad to be on the road again!
Jeff's bike had 5 hours of service which included cleaning the carbon off his heads. Tim has been working extensively each night until 2-3 am on the Beast to keep her going for Jeff. Jeff completed Stage 8 just as he has completed all of the others. George and Tim are doing an awesome job keeping The Beast going.
Marcin got his new piston and after tearing down his motor and during assembly he discovered that the rod didn't fit the piston, so at 8 pm last night he was headed back to the machine shop to get his head milled out to fit. He realized that his has chief rods in his bike. So, his bike didn't get completed and today he rode Tim's BMW.
Doug worked until 4:30 am. He got his new cylinders from New Zealand and when he went to install them, he found out that it wouldn't clear the toadstools in motor and he is going to have to cut out the side of cylinder to clear the guides. He also had to make valve spring retainers by hand filing. He didn't make it on today's ride either.
As of today the 101 crew is out of head gaskets AGAIN!
Steve hopes to work on the original motor during the evenings and have it for a spare. He says they are working until they are too tired to continue, but are having a great time. He said the ride is starting to take a toll on all the bikes, not just the 101's.
Tomorrow's ride will take them through the Big Horn Mountains, which is gorgeous as I have been through there many times, but it's tough and they will climb close to 10,000 feet. The coolness should help the bikes as they will be working hard during the ascent. They will lunch at the famous Irma Hotel in Cody, Wyoming before they head on into Yellowstone National Park to the Lake Lodge for the night.
Hang Tough Tribal Council!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
All Smiles
Here's a picture that I found on Facebook today that someone took in the parking lot in Murdo, South Dakota last night of Steve and his dad, Buck during the evening service ritual.
The Tribal Council
.....that's what the 3 remaining 101's are calling themselves.... The Tribal Council.
The race started with 70 overall cannonball racers and 6 of them were the Indian 101 riders - Steve Rinker #7 of WV, Josh Wilson #89 of VA, Jeff Alperin #101 of FL, Ian Patton #22 from England, Marcin Grela #98 from Poland, and Doug Wothe #88 of Alabama. Now, as of their arrival in Sturgis, they are down to just three. Hopefully, after the rest day (aka Work Your Ass Off Day) in Sturgis, they will be back up to the starting 6. Steve says they did allow Brent Johnson to ride his HD with them today only because he races Indians outside of the Cannonball.
I'm told they are all missing the smell of a home-cooked meal as whenever you walk into a hosted meal or especially at the hotel breakfast in the mornings, the only smell you recognize is bengay. Someone should have taken stock out in it before the race began from the amount that's being used by these guys!!!! Must be working or else the strong smell makes them think it is. :)
Today's ride through the badlands was pretty cool. Steve and Jazzy Jeff (as Steve has now nicknamed him) left Josh along the route working on his carbureator. They took pictures of each other and their bikes while they enjoyed the scenic overlooks and beauty of the badlands (and I'm sure if you look hard enough at the pictures when they get back, you will find Josh off in the distance laying on the ground working on his carb!) Needless to say, Josh caught up with them by early afternoon, and they rode into Sturgis with smiles on their faces!
They skipped the scenic Mt. Rushmore as they had all seen it before, except for Marcin and he wasn't too concerned to miss seeing the US Presidents since he hails from Poland. I think they got him a postcard at one of the gas stops. Ha!
Steve says at this point the bike is riding him as his neck and back are starting to wear out and yes, he's being coated in bengay as well. During the gas stops today they decided to start putting high octane in their tanks in prep for the mountain riding. I'm told that the higher octane creates a slower burn allowing their engines to run cooler which they'll need for the long uphill grades they are about to take on over the next few days.
The guys must be getting lonely at this point for female company as they are talking about how the film crew in high heels ride backwards on bikes when they go by them filming. Either there are women filming, or else they are starting to hallucinate.
Sturgis Day of Rest Schedule of Events is as follows:
Steve - Has to replace the seal behind the mag as it's blowing oil on the back of the front fender and all over his leg. He will have to pull the cam cover and everything to do this. He's also going to replace the head gaskets on his bike with new ones that were made especially for this group of 101 riders by Tom Fickow when they stopped in Milwaukee. (hopefully, I correctly spelled his last name, if not I apologize) Tom showed up in Milwaukee and after talking to the 101 riders and pit crews he learned of their head gaskets troubles. He then went home and stamped out 8 sets of head gaskets and brought them back at midnight, left them at George Yarocki's trailer and on Steve's bike, and then was worried whether or not they would still be there in the morning. So, he handstamped more and came back the next morning to make sure they had them with the second batch. AWESOME TOM!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Josh - Has to rebuild his carbureator and general overall maintenance.
Ian - Started tonight as his neck bearing were in Sturgis when he arrived and should be done by tomorrow evening.
Marcin - His piston was also in Sturgis and he is at a machine shop honing the front cylinder and hopes to install the piston tonight depending on how much he tore up the cylinder. There's a good chance that he no longer will be a "Indian drifter" rider but a 101 rider by the time they leave Sturgis! Yay!
Doug - His pistons came in but I don't know anything about his cylinders, so I'm assuming he is still waiting on parts and won't leave until they come in and he gets repaired.
Jeff - Well, Jeff just rides, and then tells Tim (his mechanic) and George what he thinks is wrong at the end of the day. Tim takes it for a test ride and then starts repairing Jeff's bike no matter if it takes all night, all while Jeff is showering, eating and sleeping. Steve did say that George and Tim are talking about doing a complete top end overhaul tomorrow as well.
So, hopefully after a good night's rest and a big breakfast in the morning, they will set about accomplishing all of the above. Good Luck!
The race started with 70 overall cannonball racers and 6 of them were the Indian 101 riders - Steve Rinker #7 of WV, Josh Wilson #89 of VA, Jeff Alperin #101 of FL, Ian Patton #22 from England, Marcin Grela #98 from Poland, and Doug Wothe #88 of Alabama. Now, as of their arrival in Sturgis, they are down to just three. Hopefully, after the rest day (aka Work Your Ass Off Day) in Sturgis, they will be back up to the starting 6. Steve says they did allow Brent Johnson to ride his HD with them today only because he races Indians outside of the Cannonball.
I'm told they are all missing the smell of a home-cooked meal as whenever you walk into a hosted meal or especially at the hotel breakfast in the mornings, the only smell you recognize is bengay. Someone should have taken stock out in it before the race began from the amount that's being used by these guys!!!! Must be working or else the strong smell makes them think it is. :)
Today's ride through the badlands was pretty cool. Steve and Jazzy Jeff (as Steve has now nicknamed him) left Josh along the route working on his carbureator. They took pictures of each other and their bikes while they enjoyed the scenic overlooks and beauty of the badlands (and I'm sure if you look hard enough at the pictures when they get back, you will find Josh off in the distance laying on the ground working on his carb!) Needless to say, Josh caught up with them by early afternoon, and they rode into Sturgis with smiles on their faces!
They skipped the scenic Mt. Rushmore as they had all seen it before, except for Marcin and he wasn't too concerned to miss seeing the US Presidents since he hails from Poland. I think they got him a postcard at one of the gas stops. Ha!
Steve says at this point the bike is riding him as his neck and back are starting to wear out and yes, he's being coated in bengay as well. During the gas stops today they decided to start putting high octane in their tanks in prep for the mountain riding. I'm told that the higher octane creates a slower burn allowing their engines to run cooler which they'll need for the long uphill grades they are about to take on over the next few days.
The guys must be getting lonely at this point for female company as they are talking about how the film crew in high heels ride backwards on bikes when they go by them filming. Either there are women filming, or else they are starting to hallucinate.
Sturgis Day of Rest Schedule of Events is as follows:
Steve - Has to replace the seal behind the mag as it's blowing oil on the back of the front fender and all over his leg. He will have to pull the cam cover and everything to do this. He's also going to replace the head gaskets on his bike with new ones that were made especially for this group of 101 riders by Tom Fickow when they stopped in Milwaukee. (hopefully, I correctly spelled his last name, if not I apologize) Tom showed up in Milwaukee and after talking to the 101 riders and pit crews he learned of their head gaskets troubles. He then went home and stamped out 8 sets of head gaskets and brought them back at midnight, left them at George Yarocki's trailer and on Steve's bike, and then was worried whether or not they would still be there in the morning. So, he handstamped more and came back the next morning to make sure they had them with the second batch. AWESOME TOM!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Josh - Has to rebuild his carbureator and general overall maintenance.
Ian - Started tonight as his neck bearing were in Sturgis when he arrived and should be done by tomorrow evening.
Marcin - His piston was also in Sturgis and he is at a machine shop honing the front cylinder and hopes to install the piston tonight depending on how much he tore up the cylinder. There's a good chance that he no longer will be a "Indian drifter" rider but a 101 rider by the time they leave Sturgis! Yay!
Doug - His pistons came in but I don't know anything about his cylinders, so I'm assuming he is still waiting on parts and won't leave until they come in and he gets repaired.
Jeff - Well, Jeff just rides, and then tells Tim (his mechanic) and George what he thinks is wrong at the end of the day. Tim takes it for a test ride and then starts repairing Jeff's bike no matter if it takes all night, all while Jeff is showering, eating and sleeping. Steve did say that George and Tim are talking about doing a complete top end overhaul tomorrow as well.
So, hopefully after a good night's rest and a big breakfast in the morning, they will set about accomplishing all of the above. Good Luck!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Keeping The Tribe Together
Rain, rain, rain, hot chocolate and more RAIN. For about the first 6 hours of today's run, the riders took on water, lots of water! The temperature at lunch was 57 degrees and with all the rain, they were chilled to the bone when the sun finally came out for the last leg of the trip into Murdo, South Dakota. They ran 326 miles today, the longest of the event and about 200 of it was in the pouring down rain. They drank plenty of hot chocolate, but were wishing for some brandy to take the chill out!
Steve thanked me for the neoprene fishing gloves I made him take as his hands stayed DRY today. He has orders for more out of the gun shop. (Every now and then I do come up with a brilliant idea.) He described Josh to me as looking like a "wet poodle" today. He only has a half helmet and wasn't wearing waterproof boots, so his wet mustache curled up and his feet and hands were soaking wet. Steve gave him a pair of his extra leather gloves. Steve's only complaint was that the rain ran down the back his helmet and down his neck, so he apparently needs a duck tail on the back of his helmet. :)
Steve was also thankful for the curtains I sewed him to snap onto his crash bars. He snapped them on and they helped keep his magneto dry and the wet road grime from the front tire from splashing up onto his legs and feet and the motor. (Score 2 for Dee today)
The 101 tribe had a new game plan for today. George Yarocki & Tim (haven't caught his last name yet) - which are Jeff Alperin's pit crew told Jeff he was running too hard at 50-55 mph and they feared the bike wouldn't hold up for the whole race, so he stepped it down to ride with the rest of the 101 crew. Josh was made to step it up at pit stops today. Steve says when they're stopped he can always find Josh flat out on the ground tinkering with his bike. So, in summary, calm Jeff down, speed Josh up! Actually, today it was Marcin's job. He's still in charge of pace the 101 crew and keeping them moving. Steve said when they would stop for gas, you could always hear Marcin telling them "Hurry, we must hurry" or "We've got to go, we've got to go now." Marcin is still riding the "Indian drifter." He hopes his parts will be in Sturgis that will work.
I felt like I was in charge of making a grocery list today when talking with Steve - actually it was a list of parts that he needed to remember to get when in the trailer tonight for Josh - a pitcock, a bolt for his fender, and a bolt for his exhaust. He's actually needed these items for the last two days, so I was to send a text this evening reminding them to get them out.
Ian didn't run yesterday as his steering was too unsafe to run and they hadn't seen him as of 2 pm today so they're assuming that he's not on the road again today. Like I said yesterday, they've got neck bearings and races coming to Sturgis to fix his front end steering problem.
Doug found the a set of cylinders and pistons from Kent Thompson in New Hampshire and Kent is shipping them to Sturgis. Way to go, Kent!
The pace today was between 45-47 mph during the rain, but they had to slow it down a little for the last third of the ride when the rain stopped due to being too hard on the bikes with the heat.
They were to enjoy a dinner hosted by the Pioneer Auto Show in Murdo, South Dakota this evening with a Parc Ferme' until 7 pm. I called Steve at 9 pm EST so it was just 8 pm out there and he couldn't talk as they were servicing bikes. But, I do know that Steve, Jeff, Josh & Marcin finished out the last 100 miles today with no problems. I'm sure that magneto cleaning and drying out was at the top of the service list tonight!
Tomorrow's ride will finish in Sturgis, South Dakota after a run through the Badlands, a visit to Mt. Rushmore and a ride through the famous pioneer town of Deadwood for a total of 278 miles. They will finish the day with a barbeque at Glencoe Campground followed by a day of much needed rest in Sturgis, SD. However, with all the parts being sent to Sturgis, it will be a day of repairs. Steve's talking about taking his heads off and replacing head gaskets and checking everything out before they start into the mountains for the last half of the trip. We will see!
Go Indians!
Steve thanked me for the neoprene fishing gloves I made him take as his hands stayed DRY today. He has orders for more out of the gun shop. (Every now and then I do come up with a brilliant idea.) He described Josh to me as looking like a "wet poodle" today. He only has a half helmet and wasn't wearing waterproof boots, so his wet mustache curled up and his feet and hands were soaking wet. Steve gave him a pair of his extra leather gloves. Steve's only complaint was that the rain ran down the back his helmet and down his neck, so he apparently needs a duck tail on the back of his helmet. :)
Steve was also thankful for the curtains I sewed him to snap onto his crash bars. He snapped them on and they helped keep his magneto dry and the wet road grime from the front tire from splashing up onto his legs and feet and the motor. (Score 2 for Dee today)
The 101 tribe had a new game plan for today. George Yarocki & Tim (haven't caught his last name yet) - which are Jeff Alperin's pit crew told Jeff he was running too hard at 50-55 mph and they feared the bike wouldn't hold up for the whole race, so he stepped it down to ride with the rest of the 101 crew. Josh was made to step it up at pit stops today. Steve says when they're stopped he can always find Josh flat out on the ground tinkering with his bike. So, in summary, calm Jeff down, speed Josh up! Actually, today it was Marcin's job. He's still in charge of pace the 101 crew and keeping them moving. Steve said when they would stop for gas, you could always hear Marcin telling them "Hurry, we must hurry" or "We've got to go, we've got to go now." Marcin is still riding the "Indian drifter." He hopes his parts will be in Sturgis that will work.
I felt like I was in charge of making a grocery list today when talking with Steve - actually it was a list of parts that he needed to remember to get when in the trailer tonight for Josh - a pitcock, a bolt for his fender, and a bolt for his exhaust. He's actually needed these items for the last two days, so I was to send a text this evening reminding them to get them out.
Ian didn't run yesterday as his steering was too unsafe to run and they hadn't seen him as of 2 pm today so they're assuming that he's not on the road again today. Like I said yesterday, they've got neck bearings and races coming to Sturgis to fix his front end steering problem.
Doug found the a set of cylinders and pistons from Kent Thompson in New Hampshire and Kent is shipping them to Sturgis. Way to go, Kent!
The pace today was between 45-47 mph during the rain, but they had to slow it down a little for the last third of the ride when the rain stopped due to being too hard on the bikes with the heat.
They were to enjoy a dinner hosted by the Pioneer Auto Show in Murdo, South Dakota this evening with a Parc Ferme' until 7 pm. I called Steve at 9 pm EST so it was just 8 pm out there and he couldn't talk as they were servicing bikes. But, I do know that Steve, Jeff, Josh & Marcin finished out the last 100 miles today with no problems. I'm sure that magneto cleaning and drying out was at the top of the service list tonight!
Tomorrow's ride will finish in Sturgis, South Dakota after a run through the Badlands, a visit to Mt. Rushmore and a ride through the famous pioneer town of Deadwood for a total of 278 miles. They will finish the day with a barbeque at Glencoe Campground followed by a day of much needed rest in Sturgis, SD. However, with all the parts being sent to Sturgis, it will be a day of repairs. Steve's talking about taking his heads off and replacing head gaskets and checking everything out before they start into the mountains for the last half of the trip. We will see!
Go Indians!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Conquering the Wind
Today's ride was lesson in control...controlling the bikes in the wind gusts which ranged anywhere from 20-40 mph. Steve said it was a challenge in this flat country with no wind breaks to ride the wind and hang on, keeping it in the road.
The bike is running well between 45-50 mph, but it is pushing them to make times and Steve is thinking of changing up his sprockets. I told him not to ruin a good thing as it would soon no longer be flat country and those Big Horn Mountains are looming and he would just have to change sprockets again. We'll see if "he leaves well enough alone" or not.
A shout out to the Kutter HD in Monroe, Wisconsin for a great hosted lunch and to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamose, Iowa for a wonderful dinner and reception. Today's hosted lunch at the HD of Monroe City found him meeting up with Lee & Kathy Strawn, my brother and sister in law. They were on hand to see them arrive and show their support. The dinner hosted by the new Indian Motorcyle Company was very nice this evening and included a live band during the evenings festivities.
Last night, Carl Temple, who races one of our 101's in the antique hand shift race circuit, came up from Davenport to deliver a blown motor to Steve in case there were parts that could be used.
Steve sounds like he may finally be winning in the battle of the cold. Yay!
Today's 101 repairs included a rear fender on Josh Wilson's 101. It was hanging with 1 bolt left when they stopped for gas and 30-40 minutes later when they were through, they had to run hard to make up the 20 minutes they lost to get to the hosted lunch on time in case it was one of the scored checkpoints on today's routes. As a side note, it was Josh's 101 that got the hillbilly beer can repair, not Ian's.
Ian's bike apparently has been like riding a see saw as it has steering problems. They stop to tighten up the front end and then stop to loosen it when he can't steer. Neck bearings and races have been ordered from Randy Walker and are being shipped to Sturgis where Steve hopes to replace them on their rest day.
Doug is looking for a rear cylinder as the wrist pin buttons came loose and tore it up today. He lost the front cylinder on his way to the Cannonball from Alabama and came to our shop on Sunday night before the start where Steve tore it apart, machined out the gouges in the cylinder and replaced with a new piston to get him on his way to make it to Newburg in time.
Marcin smiled for the first time today as Steve put him on the Kawasaki Drifter that he had brought along for his dad, Buck or Dick Jones to take turns riding with him. They decided since Marcin's bike had bit the dust the first day to have him ride the Drifter which Steve had dressed up to look like an Indian (It is black and silver and has a black Indian headress tank decal and the front Indian headlamp installed and a luggage rack.) The 101 riders have made Marcin the official timekeeper for their gas and break stops to keep them on pace. Their bikes would really love to run out at 40-45 mph, but the event is set up to make their pace 50-55 mph, so they're afraid that it may take a toll on their bikes as the ride goes on.
I learned that Steve was not the only one to lose a saddlebag. Apparently, on the first day when Steve had the "extinguisher" mishap he should have been riding more closely with Josh, as his one saddle bag burnt up with his all his clothes. They could have helped one another out with their problems. Ha!
According to Buck, it seems the 101's have been congregating together in the motel parking lots and it looks like they are "on the reservation" when looking at them all together in a corner away from the rest of the riders.
The Cannonballers are having the experience of a life time and after talking with Steve this evening, I can postively say he went to bed with a smile on his face and was looking forward to making South Dakota by tomorrow evening. Tomorrow's ride will put them in Murdo, South Dakota after a 326 mile day. This will be the last over 300 mile day of the race, so I wish them luck in not having to push them to hard.
Remember, the old sales slogan --- "You can't wear out an Indian Scout!" :)
The bike is running well between 45-50 mph, but it is pushing them to make times and Steve is thinking of changing up his sprockets. I told him not to ruin a good thing as it would soon no longer be flat country and those Big Horn Mountains are looming and he would just have to change sprockets again. We'll see if "he leaves well enough alone" or not.
A shout out to the Kutter HD in Monroe, Wisconsin for a great hosted lunch and to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamose, Iowa for a wonderful dinner and reception. Today's hosted lunch at the HD of Monroe City found him meeting up with Lee & Kathy Strawn, my brother and sister in law. They were on hand to see them arrive and show their support. The dinner hosted by the new Indian Motorcyle Company was very nice this evening and included a live band during the evenings festivities.
Last night, Carl Temple, who races one of our 101's in the antique hand shift race circuit, came up from Davenport to deliver a blown motor to Steve in case there were parts that could be used.
Steve sounds like he may finally be winning in the battle of the cold. Yay!
Today's 101 repairs included a rear fender on Josh Wilson's 101. It was hanging with 1 bolt left when they stopped for gas and 30-40 minutes later when they were through, they had to run hard to make up the 20 minutes they lost to get to the hosted lunch on time in case it was one of the scored checkpoints on today's routes. As a side note, it was Josh's 101 that got the hillbilly beer can repair, not Ian's.
Ian's bike apparently has been like riding a see saw as it has steering problems. They stop to tighten up the front end and then stop to loosen it when he can't steer. Neck bearings and races have been ordered from Randy Walker and are being shipped to Sturgis where Steve hopes to replace them on their rest day.
Doug is looking for a rear cylinder as the wrist pin buttons came loose and tore it up today. He lost the front cylinder on his way to the Cannonball from Alabama and came to our shop on Sunday night before the start where Steve tore it apart, machined out the gouges in the cylinder and replaced with a new piston to get him on his way to make it to Newburg in time.
Marcin smiled for the first time today as Steve put him on the Kawasaki Drifter that he had brought along for his dad, Buck or Dick Jones to take turns riding with him. They decided since Marcin's bike had bit the dust the first day to have him ride the Drifter which Steve had dressed up to look like an Indian (It is black and silver and has a black Indian headress tank decal and the front Indian headlamp installed and a luggage rack.) The 101 riders have made Marcin the official timekeeper for their gas and break stops to keep them on pace. Their bikes would really love to run out at 40-45 mph, but the event is set up to make their pace 50-55 mph, so they're afraid that it may take a toll on their bikes as the ride goes on.
I learned that Steve was not the only one to lose a saddlebag. Apparently, on the first day when Steve had the "extinguisher" mishap he should have been riding more closely with Josh, as his one saddle bag burnt up with his all his clothes. They could have helped one another out with their problems. Ha!
According to Buck, it seems the 101's have been congregating together in the motel parking lots and it looks like they are "on the reservation" when looking at them all together in a corner away from the rest of the riders.
The Cannonballers are having the experience of a life time and after talking with Steve this evening, I can postively say he went to bed with a smile on his face and was looking forward to making South Dakota by tomorrow evening. Tomorrow's ride will put them in Murdo, South Dakota after a 326 mile day. This will be the last over 300 mile day of the race, so I wish them luck in not having to push them to hard.
Remember, the old sales slogan --- "You can't wear out an Indian Scout!" :)
Monday, September 10, 2012
A Dose of Bad Gas
Talked with Steve this morning and was relieved to hear that it WAS NOT another blown head gasket. Several others experienced loss of power and trouble to keep their bikes going, but they feel it was a dose of bad gas at one of the pit stops they made. Thank goodness!!!
Since it's a relatively short day (214 miles) they were able to start late 9:00 a.m. instead of the normal 7:00 a.m. and with the time difference of an hour that gave the riders even more rest. Steve said his cold is about to "kick his ass" but I told him to continue taking cold medicine and hang in there. It's turned out to be another beautiful day and they should be at their lunch stop at Kutter Harley-Davidson in Monroe, Wisconsin.
Steve said last night's experience was great - even if it was at the Harley-Davidson Museum, and Willie G forgot to mention anything about an Indian in his welcome. The ferry arrived at Milwaukee and they were greeted by the Milwaukee Police Motorcycle Motorcade and escorted through town to the museum. It was like a parade all through town. He said there were at least 5000 people waiting to see them at the museum and Willie G was on hand to welcome them and they were treated to a first class dinner and reception. Their bikes were on display in the Parc Ferme' and it turned out to be relaxing evening.
As far as an update on the Indian 101 riders - Steve & Jeff's bikes are doing well. Ian from England's bike was treated to some hillbilly repairs by Steve which involved a beer can, but hey--it worked. Doug from Alabama didn't dry out his magneto from the rain and has had trouble - I think that he cleaned and dried it out last night as it is going today. Josh from Virginia is running but is in need of a few repairs which Steve says he hopes to work on this evening at the motel. Marcin from Poland has been riding with Buck & Dick since Day 1 and Steve hopes to work on his to see what size piston they're gonna need shipped to Sturgis where they hope to get him running on their rest day. He dropped a piston at the start of Day 1.
It's flat country now so the bikes should run well the next fews day without any stress or strain. Let's keep our fingers crossed. :)
Since it's a relatively short day (214 miles) they were able to start late 9:00 a.m. instead of the normal 7:00 a.m. and with the time difference of an hour that gave the riders even more rest. Steve said his cold is about to "kick his ass" but I told him to continue taking cold medicine and hang in there. It's turned out to be another beautiful day and they should be at their lunch stop at Kutter Harley-Davidson in Monroe, Wisconsin.
Steve said last night's experience was great - even if it was at the Harley-Davidson Museum, and Willie G forgot to mention anything about an Indian in his welcome. The ferry arrived at Milwaukee and they were greeted by the Milwaukee Police Motorcycle Motorcade and escorted through town to the museum. It was like a parade all through town. He said there were at least 5000 people waiting to see them at the museum and Willie G was on hand to welcome them and they were treated to a first class dinner and reception. Their bikes were on display in the Parc Ferme' and it turned out to be relaxing evening.
As far as an update on the Indian 101 riders - Steve & Jeff's bikes are doing well. Ian from England's bike was treated to some hillbilly repairs by Steve which involved a beer can, but hey--it worked. Doug from Alabama didn't dry out his magneto from the rain and has had trouble - I think that he cleaned and dried it out last night as it is going today. Josh from Virginia is running but is in need of a few repairs which Steve says he hopes to work on this evening at the motel. Marcin from Poland has been riding with Buck & Dick since Day 1 and Steve hopes to work on his to see what size piston they're gonna need shipped to Sturgis where they hope to get him running on their rest day. He dropped a piston at the start of Day 1.
It's flat country now so the bikes should run well the next fews day without any stress or strain. Let's keep our fingers crossed. :)
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