It's almost May, well, tomorrow it will be. So, time to start building my next ride. I have had a 36 Chief for a long time just sitting on the workbench collecting more dust than parts. When we went to the New Smyrna AMCA meet in March, I bought some lights for the bike, and then started thinking about building it. At the AMCA meet in Oley, Pa last weekend, Lonnie Jr. reminded me that there were only 132 days left until we ride out of Daytona.
Okay.....let's get going then!
List of To Do Items:
1. Take frame, forks and other do-dads to have them painted!
2. Get wheels relaced!
3. Clean engine cases and start on fly wheels... .. Wait did I just say clean.... Well, let's get dad (Buck) to get in the cabinet. I hate to glass bead parts, it takes too long AND I can't hear the radio.
4. Build the Bike!
Oh yeah, I have to reassemble the 101 that I took apart for spare parts from the last cannonball. It's in front of glass bead cabinet.
Ok, next, clean off work bench for fresh start. I can do that tomorrow, its too cold out there today...
HOWEVER, I do have a paint scheme picked out, and we made some t-shirts to sell.
So what's next? I remember..... finish up a 1967 Citabria airplane that we restored last year. We had a couple of issues last fall and have been waiting on it to warm up in the hangar to put it back together.
Then I can start on my cannonball bike. I will try and do more pics this year during the rebuild.
And so it begins........
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Pacific Coast
Ginger took Steve to the Pacific Coast and then just couldn't go anymore. She held together long enough for him to finish Day 14 and start Day 15 for a total of 61 miles before Steve decided to stop and not tear her completely to pieces. He values the 101's too highly to intentionally tear one up. With two motors with burnt valves, it made no sense to deliberately punish them even more.
So, the guys loaded Ginger up and headed for West Virginia.
You will see in the final results, that Jeff and The Beast finished 4th while Josh finished 5th, Doug 43rd, Steve in 51st, Ian in 59th and Marcin in 66th. When Steve gets to talk to Josh, he'll give you a race wrap up next week.
Buck, Dick and Steve are headed back to West Virginia worn out, but already planning the 2014 Cannonball Endurance Race!
Friday, September 21, 2012
"Just putting down miles"
That was what I was told when I asked how everyone was getting along today....."Just putting down miles!"
Steve, Josh, Jeff and Doug - the Tribal Council, along with Brett continued down Oregon's coast today and into California. WhooHoo! Way to go guys - 2 more days to go!
Today's ride took them through Redwood Drive in California where they saw the giant sequoia trees and then along the pacific coastline right next to the beach which was loaded with parasailers today. It was an awesome 285 mile day.
Jeff and Brett are riding together again and were ahead of Josh and Steve, while Doug is getting along fine.
Ian will pull his rear cylinder off today and figure out what is wrong and try to get it running. As a side note, they forgot to tell me that Ian's magneto fell off the day before yesterday when all the bolts backed out on it. So, he's got a few issues to resolve. Marcin, on the other hand, discovered that the reason his motor had seized up was that he had a hydraulic lock on oil as it had all drained down into the bottom of his engine. He had solved this problem and got it running. Then this morning he was ready to go when the inside of his tank broke and he got oil in his gas and gas in his oil. So, he's out. Steve couldn't even loan him his spare set of tanks as with Marcin's highly modified engine, he has special fittings on his gas tank and nothing would match up or hook up with a loaner set.
The altitude changes kept the guys in a constant battle of adjusting their carbureators. They were in the mountains this morning and all the way down to just 10 feet above sea level this evening. It kept them on their toes keeping the bikes adjusted. This morning Steve could only go 41 mph wide open and was thinking he would have to change out carbureators this evening, but by this afternoon it was running better and he was just aggrevated! He also says that he thinks his carb is sucking air.
Josh and Steve are also adding two stroke oil to their gas because of the ethanol which helps keep the carbon buildup cut back, but they've not ever measured it, they've just been adding it, so the way their bikes run constantly changes after each gas stop depending on how much was added. (Never thought to send a measuring cup, but sounds like they could have used one! HA!) It may have saved some aggrevation.
The bungee cords are stretching, so they're now full of extra knots to shorten them up to hold Steve's bike in gear. (I can only imagine the mangled mess)
Steve says that Josh may be developing an issue with his front brake. When they were coming down out of the canyon into a series of "S" turns, he was having some trouble. When he lets off or uses it, it seems to grab. Steve thinks it may be a broken or weak spring inside the brake drum. They're gonna have to check it out during service this evening when they get in. They've been keeping an eye on it and are being extra careful.
Laying down 4000 miles in two weeks, going 10 mph above the "ideal" speed for these 101's day in and day out is really hammering the motors. They will all need rebuilt after this torture!
Tomorrow's ride will take them from Fortuna, California to Cotati, California after a 240 mile ride continuing down the California coastline. They will enjoy a hosted dinner provided by Michael's HD in Cotati.
Let's keep putting down those miles guys!
Steve, Josh, Jeff and Doug - the Tribal Council, along with Brett continued down Oregon's coast today and into California. WhooHoo! Way to go guys - 2 more days to go!
Today's ride took them through Redwood Drive in California where they saw the giant sequoia trees and then along the pacific coastline right next to the beach which was loaded with parasailers today. It was an awesome 285 mile day.
Jeff and Brett are riding together again and were ahead of Josh and Steve, while Doug is getting along fine.
Ian will pull his rear cylinder off today and figure out what is wrong and try to get it running. As a side note, they forgot to tell me that Ian's magneto fell off the day before yesterday when all the bolts backed out on it. So, he's got a few issues to resolve. Marcin, on the other hand, discovered that the reason his motor had seized up was that he had a hydraulic lock on oil as it had all drained down into the bottom of his engine. He had solved this problem and got it running. Then this morning he was ready to go when the inside of his tank broke and he got oil in his gas and gas in his oil. So, he's out. Steve couldn't even loan him his spare set of tanks as with Marcin's highly modified engine, he has special fittings on his gas tank and nothing would match up or hook up with a loaner set.
The altitude changes kept the guys in a constant battle of adjusting their carbureators. They were in the mountains this morning and all the way down to just 10 feet above sea level this evening. It kept them on their toes keeping the bikes adjusted. This morning Steve could only go 41 mph wide open and was thinking he would have to change out carbureators this evening, but by this afternoon it was running better and he was just aggrevated! He also says that he thinks his carb is sucking air.
Josh and Steve are also adding two stroke oil to their gas because of the ethanol which helps keep the carbon buildup cut back, but they've not ever measured it, they've just been adding it, so the way their bikes run constantly changes after each gas stop depending on how much was added. (Never thought to send a measuring cup, but sounds like they could have used one! HA!) It may have saved some aggrevation.
The bungee cords are stretching, so they're now full of extra knots to shorten them up to hold Steve's bike in gear. (I can only imagine the mangled mess)
Steve says that Josh may be developing an issue with his front brake. When they were coming down out of the canyon into a series of "S" turns, he was having some trouble. When he lets off or uses it, it seems to grab. Steve thinks it may be a broken or weak spring inside the brake drum. They're gonna have to check it out during service this evening when they get in. They've been keeping an eye on it and are being extra careful.
Laying down 4000 miles in two weeks, going 10 mph above the "ideal" speed for these 101's day in and day out is really hammering the motors. They will all need rebuilt after this torture!
Tomorrow's ride will take them from Fortuna, California to Cotati, California after a 240 mile ride continuing down the California coastline. They will enjoy a hosted dinner provided by Michael's HD in Cotati.
Let's keep putting down those miles guys!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Oregon, Oregon, Oregon.....Will We Ever See California
Sorry for the down time yesterday, but with time difference now being 3 hours and the Wednesday night class I'm taking, Steve & I didn't connect in time for a blog report yesterday. So, here goes for two days, starting with Wednesday...
The guys started out the day with Jeff and Josh running strong, Steve thinking that he may have to change out to the original motor tonight, Doug still running and doing his own thing, Marcin's bike up and running again and Ian back to riding the Indian Drifter.
Now to explain, Steve's bike started cracking and popping before lunch, but he continued to fool with it and thought it was running better, but said he might have to change out the motor that evening since he feels that a valve stuck open which could present a problem. However, after lunch Ginger had straightened up and was running ok. So, he's going to stick with it.
Doug kinda does his own thing throughout the day, exploring and enjoying his ride, trading up partners and taking side roads when the notion strikes. For those of you who don't know, Doug holds the world record for riding an Indian around the world (and if I remember correctly, 3 times on a Chief). Check out his website!
Onto Marcin....while he got his bike running after his early dropout the day before, the engine continues to make a noise, lose power and then shuts off. He doesn't know what it is and can't explain it to the guys in order for any of them to understand what it may be, so they're dealing with it.
Ian is back on the Indian Drifter as he thinks that his pistons are hitting the bottom of the engine cases.
Thank heavens that Steve brought the Drifter. It was originally intended for his dad, Buck and Dick Jones, who are his support crew, to take turns riding, but I think that Marcin and Ian are having a blast on it! With Marcin from Poland and Ian from England, it's great that they get to ride and experience the run, even if it's not always on their own Indians.
Brett Johnson, who's been riding with the guys, recovered from a primary chain problem yesterday and continues to ride with the crew as well. At the end of Wednesday's ride, which took them 251 miles to Burns, Oregon - Steve, Josh, Marcin, Doug, Brett and Jeff all secured a perfect 251 score for Wednesday.
Steve said that he thinks they discovered the problem with his original motor, it had a burnt exhaust valve and they have lapped the valves out and are putting it back together as time allows to have for a backup if the race motor goes down.
Today's ride - Thursday, which went from Burns, Oregon to Klamath Falls, Oregon for a total of 230 miles took the guys across the high desert country all the way to the Cascades, a forest of huge, reach to the sky pines. The first part of today's ride was hot, dry and pretty boring, but ended with the awesome ride through the Cascades and the winding, mountainous roads. Steve said it was some gorgeous country.
This ride also stretched the 101's to their limits....of fuel. The longest distance of 115 miles between fuel stops had the guys carrying extra, extra fuel with them. Doug, Steve and Josh had 2 gallons extra with each of them. I know from the practice rides that Steve and I took before he left that he runs slap out of gas at 90 miles. Steve said that Doug and Josh couldn't stretch their bikes that far, so they stopped and made sure that none of them ran out of gas. Jeff and Brett rode together today.
Marcin and Ian didn't get to experience the ride today. Last night during service and bike repair, when trying to figure out the knocking sound in Ian's bike they discovered that the front rod is loose and there is alot of play in the flywheels. Tim had taken the front cylinder off to check the wrist pin and they discovered these other issues. Ian has made the decision not to run it and tear it up completely. Marcin, too, was out today as his bike this morning was locked up and seized tight. One of his main issues is that he has a stoker motor in his 101 with chief flywheels and rods and Honda pistons and two different type of rings. So, he's out as of today unless they can figure out and solve his issues, since it's not just a 101 "normal" motor.
Steve says that he and Josh continue to ride together. Josh's bike is still smoking just as bad as the first day, but they are assuming that it's a good thing since he continues to ride every day. They are not going to worry or work on that. However, Josh's taillight broke off two days ago and they have wire tied the light and his license plate to the wooden box he is carrying with stuff on his luggage rack. Steve's bike is running better this afternoon, but this morning they had to stop and goop the back cylinder with silicone along the road since it was sucking air. I can only imagine what these two bikes look like with all the wired on, gooped up, burnt and fire extinguished parts, pieces and whipped riders aboard. Are we having fun yet? A BIG RESOUNDING, HELL YES!
Steve, Josh, Jeff, Doug and Brett made it in this evening, a total of 230 miles. Tomorrow's ride will take them from Klamath Falls, Oregon down to Fortuna, Oregon for a total of 285 miles. They are on the home stretch now! :)
Good Luck Guys! Let's take the 101's all the way in to San Francisco!
The guys started out the day with Jeff and Josh running strong, Steve thinking that he may have to change out to the original motor tonight, Doug still running and doing his own thing, Marcin's bike up and running again and Ian back to riding the Indian Drifter.
Now to explain, Steve's bike started cracking and popping before lunch, but he continued to fool with it and thought it was running better, but said he might have to change out the motor that evening since he feels that a valve stuck open which could present a problem. However, after lunch Ginger had straightened up and was running ok. So, he's going to stick with it.
Doug kinda does his own thing throughout the day, exploring and enjoying his ride, trading up partners and taking side roads when the notion strikes. For those of you who don't know, Doug holds the world record for riding an Indian around the world (and if I remember correctly, 3 times on a Chief). Check out his website!
Onto Marcin....while he got his bike running after his early dropout the day before, the engine continues to make a noise, lose power and then shuts off. He doesn't know what it is and can't explain it to the guys in order for any of them to understand what it may be, so they're dealing with it.
Ian is back on the Indian Drifter as he thinks that his pistons are hitting the bottom of the engine cases.
Thank heavens that Steve brought the Drifter. It was originally intended for his dad, Buck and Dick Jones, who are his support crew, to take turns riding, but I think that Marcin and Ian are having a blast on it! With Marcin from Poland and Ian from England, it's great that they get to ride and experience the run, even if it's not always on their own Indians.
Brett Johnson, who's been riding with the guys, recovered from a primary chain problem yesterday and continues to ride with the crew as well. At the end of Wednesday's ride, which took them 251 miles to Burns, Oregon - Steve, Josh, Marcin, Doug, Brett and Jeff all secured a perfect 251 score for Wednesday.
Steve said that he thinks they discovered the problem with his original motor, it had a burnt exhaust valve and they have lapped the valves out and are putting it back together as time allows to have for a backup if the race motor goes down.
Today's ride - Thursday, which went from Burns, Oregon to Klamath Falls, Oregon for a total of 230 miles took the guys across the high desert country all the way to the Cascades, a forest of huge, reach to the sky pines. The first part of today's ride was hot, dry and pretty boring, but ended with the awesome ride through the Cascades and the winding, mountainous roads. Steve said it was some gorgeous country.
This ride also stretched the 101's to their limits....of fuel. The longest distance of 115 miles between fuel stops had the guys carrying extra, extra fuel with them. Doug, Steve and Josh had 2 gallons extra with each of them. I know from the practice rides that Steve and I took before he left that he runs slap out of gas at 90 miles. Steve said that Doug and Josh couldn't stretch their bikes that far, so they stopped and made sure that none of them ran out of gas. Jeff and Brett rode together today.
Marcin and Ian didn't get to experience the ride today. Last night during service and bike repair, when trying to figure out the knocking sound in Ian's bike they discovered that the front rod is loose and there is alot of play in the flywheels. Tim had taken the front cylinder off to check the wrist pin and they discovered these other issues. Ian has made the decision not to run it and tear it up completely. Marcin, too, was out today as his bike this morning was locked up and seized tight. One of his main issues is that he has a stoker motor in his 101 with chief flywheels and rods and Honda pistons and two different type of rings. So, he's out as of today unless they can figure out and solve his issues, since it's not just a 101 "normal" motor.
Steve says that he and Josh continue to ride together. Josh's bike is still smoking just as bad as the first day, but they are assuming that it's a good thing since he continues to ride every day. They are not going to worry or work on that. However, Josh's taillight broke off two days ago and they have wire tied the light and his license plate to the wooden box he is carrying with stuff on his luggage rack. Steve's bike is running better this afternoon, but this morning they had to stop and goop the back cylinder with silicone along the road since it was sucking air. I can only imagine what these two bikes look like with all the wired on, gooped up, burnt and fire extinguished parts, pieces and whipped riders aboard. Are we having fun yet? A BIG RESOUNDING, HELL YES!
Steve, Josh, Jeff, Doug and Brett made it in this evening, a total of 230 miles. Tomorrow's ride will take them from Klamath Falls, Oregon down to Fortuna, Oregon for a total of 285 miles. They are on the home stretch now! :)
Good Luck Guys! Let's take the 101's all the way in to San Francisco!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Patience Josh, Slow and Steady
While I haven't heard from Steve yet this evening, I can only assume that they are still busy servicing and repairing the 101's this evening. While all 6 101's started out this morning, luck was not on Marcin's side. About 4 miles into the ride at a stoplight, Marcin was seen pulling over to the side of the road and they haven't seen him as of lunch today when I last spoke with Steve. He reported that they were 170 miles into today's run at that point and only had 129 more miles to go.
However......Jeff, Ian and Brett Johnson had been riding together, while Steve and Josh were keeping pace just behind them, when they stopped for gas and Brett's bike was found to be making a real bad knocking sound. Brett elected to stay behind to check out his bike and the others took off for the next stop up in Pute (I hope that's right). Jazzy Jeff took off at 50 mph with Ian and Josh following him. Steve elected to keep his 45-46 mph pace as he knows from experience and doing the mechanic work on his Indians that the 101 was never designed to run at those speeds, let alone day in and day out. He also knows that George Yarocki and Tim have been working hard every night on Jeff's bike to have it in tip top shape and they are the best 101 mechanics to be found anywhere. They too, have been cautioning the guys on their speed. Anyway, Steve said Josh soon realized that he wasn't keeping up with them and dropped back to ride with Steve at his slow and steady pace. Steve cautioned Josh that riding as fast as Jeff would take them out as their bikes would not withstand that pace. Apparently then, when they arrived in Pute for their next gas stop they discovered that Ian had broke a lifter in his motor and would be out for the day, if not longer. Upon finding that out, knowing Steve like I do, I know he told Josh, "patience Josh, slow and steady" and that would be the mantra for the remainder of the day and, probably during the final days of the race!
Steve said that this morning Jeff's front tire had only 10 lbs of air in it and his carb had to be re-adjusted, even though it had been serviced the night before. There are those that feel the Indians are being tampered with. That being said, Ginger is holding her own and hanging in there. Steve now has 2 bungee cords on his bike, one to hold it in second (instead of his knee) and one to hold it in third. The screw keeps backing out of Josh's oil pump, so they had to stop and safety wire it on today. Doug seems to be running ok and came over this morning to make sure that Steve got his bike started, which he did since it was actually 32 degrees this morning. A little warmer than yesterday. :) Steve said that the back side of the Tetons coming out of Jackson Hole into Idaho was absolutely breathtaking! However, the further into Idaho he went, it was hazy and the only thing that they had seen was a lone crow, except for the one antelope while I was talking to him.
I'm assuming that Jeff, Josh, Doug and Steve completed today's ride. Looking at the standings that are posted as of yesterday's ride Jeff has moved into 5th place and Josh is in 6th. SUPER - Slow and Steady Guys! Steve is in 45th and you will note that on Day 9 he only has 29 miles instead of the 229 miles he completed for the day. He was penalized 200 points for changing out motors. He's okay with that as at least he was honest and upfront with everyone about it. Ian shows spot 53 and Doug 54.
Tomorrow's ride will take them 251 miles from Mountain Home, Idaho to Burns, Oregon. I only wish that the guys could have ridden up to Crater Lake, as it is an awesome place with some spectacular views and water as blue as can be.
The Tribe is truly having the experience of a lifetime. I know that Steve has met some great guys and has gained a greater appreciation of the 101 Indian!
However......Jeff, Ian and Brett Johnson had been riding together, while Steve and Josh were keeping pace just behind them, when they stopped for gas and Brett's bike was found to be making a real bad knocking sound. Brett elected to stay behind to check out his bike and the others took off for the next stop up in Pute (I hope that's right). Jazzy Jeff took off at 50 mph with Ian and Josh following him. Steve elected to keep his 45-46 mph pace as he knows from experience and doing the mechanic work on his Indians that the 101 was never designed to run at those speeds, let alone day in and day out. He also knows that George Yarocki and Tim have been working hard every night on Jeff's bike to have it in tip top shape and they are the best 101 mechanics to be found anywhere. They too, have been cautioning the guys on their speed. Anyway, Steve said Josh soon realized that he wasn't keeping up with them and dropped back to ride with Steve at his slow and steady pace. Steve cautioned Josh that riding as fast as Jeff would take them out as their bikes would not withstand that pace. Apparently then, when they arrived in Pute for their next gas stop they discovered that Ian had broke a lifter in his motor and would be out for the day, if not longer. Upon finding that out, knowing Steve like I do, I know he told Josh, "patience Josh, slow and steady" and that would be the mantra for the remainder of the day and, probably during the final days of the race!
Steve said that this morning Jeff's front tire had only 10 lbs of air in it and his carb had to be re-adjusted, even though it had been serviced the night before. There are those that feel the Indians are being tampered with. That being said, Ginger is holding her own and hanging in there. Steve now has 2 bungee cords on his bike, one to hold it in second (instead of his knee) and one to hold it in third. The screw keeps backing out of Josh's oil pump, so they had to stop and safety wire it on today. Doug seems to be running ok and came over this morning to make sure that Steve got his bike started, which he did since it was actually 32 degrees this morning. A little warmer than yesterday. :) Steve said that the back side of the Tetons coming out of Jackson Hole into Idaho was absolutely breathtaking! However, the further into Idaho he went, it was hazy and the only thing that they had seen was a lone crow, except for the one antelope while I was talking to him.
I'm assuming that Jeff, Josh, Doug and Steve completed today's ride. Looking at the standings that are posted as of yesterday's ride Jeff has moved into 5th place and Josh is in 6th. SUPER - Slow and Steady Guys! Steve is in 45th and you will note that on Day 9 he only has 29 miles instead of the 229 miles he completed for the day. He was penalized 200 points for changing out motors. He's okay with that as at least he was honest and upfront with everyone about it. Ian shows spot 53 and Doug 54.
Tomorrow's ride will take them 251 miles from Mountain Home, Idaho to Burns, Oregon. I only wish that the guys could have ridden up to Crater Lake, as it is an awesome place with some spectacular views and water as blue as can be.
The Tribe is truly having the experience of a lifetime. I know that Steve has met some great guys and has gained a greater appreciation of the 101 Indian!
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Super Six Are All Up and Running
Today was the first day since Day 1 that ALL 6 of the 101's ran all day. While they all have their share of issues, all are working to stay in it for the long haul. All the bikes are now serviced this evening, put to bed and ready for tomorrow's 299 mile run from Jackson, Wyoming to Mountain Home, Idaho. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they all arrive in Mountain Home running......
Steve says the backup motor doesn't have much power as it came out of one of our race bikes, so it's been run hard and has seen better days. He's got a bungee on it to hold it in 3rd gear and his knee is holding it in second. Josh is doing okay. If Marcin can make it on tomorrow's 299 mile ride, he should be good for the remainder of the run. Jeff, Doug and Ian are running fine.
The dew and mist from Lake Yellowstone today kept them covered in frost, so the pictures should be pretty cool of today's ride in more ways than one. They had 5 hours of time to spend sightseeing along the way and stopped at Ole Faithful for a group photo - can't wait to see it. They kept the sales of hot chocolate in the park on overload today to try to warm up from the inside out to defrost.
Steve said the riders got a letter that said if any of the pit crew or non-participant riders were caught with the participating riders that the rider would receive a warning and penalty points the first time, a higher number of penalty points the second time and the third time they would be disqualified. Steve said this has been going on since Day 1 among some of the top placed riders and the tolerance level due to the tiredness level is starting to take its toll among the group. Steve just hopes that his bike makes it the whole way.
Onward to Idaho!
Steve says the backup motor doesn't have much power as it came out of one of our race bikes, so it's been run hard and has seen better days. He's got a bungee on it to hold it in 3rd gear and his knee is holding it in second. Josh is doing okay. If Marcin can make it on tomorrow's 299 mile ride, he should be good for the remainder of the run. Jeff, Doug and Ian are running fine.
The dew and mist from Lake Yellowstone today kept them covered in frost, so the pictures should be pretty cool of today's ride in more ways than one. They had 5 hours of time to spend sightseeing along the way and stopped at Ole Faithful for a group photo - can't wait to see it. They kept the sales of hot chocolate in the park on overload today to try to warm up from the inside out to defrost.
Steve said the riders got a letter that said if any of the pit crew or non-participant riders were caught with the participating riders that the rider would receive a warning and penalty points the first time, a higher number of penalty points the second time and the third time they would be disqualified. Steve said this has been going on since Day 1 among some of the top placed riders and the tolerance level due to the tiredness level is starting to take its toll among the group. Steve just hopes that his bike makes it the whole way.
Onward to Idaho!
And This Is Why They Call It "The Cannonball Endurance Race"
Just happened to catch Steve at the one spot along Lake Yellowstone where there IS cell phone service this morning. He had just pulled over to de-ice, yes I said ICE. It is 28 degrees with a heavy dew this morning and the visor on his helmet had iced over so he flipped it up and then his glasses iced over. So, he had to stop and thaw out. He snapped on the curtains on the crash bars to help hold in some of the heat on the motor. Josh thought it was funny that Steve was starting to look like an icicle.
He said he would talk as long as service held which was long enough to say that they all made it in yesterday and that he and Josh were riding together this morning. He hasn't seen Ian. Doug is riding with some HD guys and Jazzy Jeff is put out with them for leaving him yesterday after the lunch stop in Cody. Apparently, he was tinkering and they were ready and left without him thinking he would catch up. Lonnie and the promoters have now stopped all extra bikes from riding with the participants and things are starting to unravel as there are those who are resorting to underhand means to stay in the race, make times, etc. So, the last half could be interesting.
Steve said he just about threw in the towel this morning when he couldn't get his bike to start in the cold, damp weather. The compression is weak on this power plant and he couldn't get it started. After kicking til he was whipped, Doug stepped in and got it running for him. Buck & Dick told him to get on and ride. Today's ride is 160 miles on the loop road in Yellowstone, so they will head back out the east entrance (the way they came in yesterday) until they hit the loop road which will head them north and all around the loop road and then finally out the south entrance through the Grand Tetons and then to Jackson. The support crews are just heading on to the south entrance from Lake Yellowstone Lodge, so they only will travel about 40 miles and then will wait on the riders to make it in this evening.
So, it sounds like endurance is now starting to come into play with the riders, bikes, weather, attitudes, tempers and fair play we can only hope that all will abide by. It's starting to get interesting......
He said he would talk as long as service held which was long enough to say that they all made it in yesterday and that he and Josh were riding together this morning. He hasn't seen Ian. Doug is riding with some HD guys and Jazzy Jeff is put out with them for leaving him yesterday after the lunch stop in Cody. Apparently, he was tinkering and they were ready and left without him thinking he would catch up. Lonnie and the promoters have now stopped all extra bikes from riding with the participants and things are starting to unravel as there are those who are resorting to underhand means to stay in the race, make times, etc. So, the last half could be interesting.
Steve said he just about threw in the towel this morning when he couldn't get his bike to start in the cold, damp weather. The compression is weak on this power plant and he couldn't get it started. After kicking til he was whipped, Doug stepped in and got it running for him. Buck & Dick told him to get on and ride. Today's ride is 160 miles on the loop road in Yellowstone, so they will head back out the east entrance (the way they came in yesterday) until they hit the loop road which will head them north and all around the loop road and then finally out the south entrance through the Grand Tetons and then to Jackson. The support crews are just heading on to the south entrance from Lake Yellowstone Lodge, so they only will travel about 40 miles and then will wait on the riders to make it in this evening.
So, it sounds like endurance is now starting to come into play with the riders, bikes, weather, attitudes, tempers and fair play we can only hope that all will abide by. It's starting to get interesting......
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