Finish

 

What a day! Perfect summation to a 2 year quest. 24 bikes in the 2014 Cannonball finished with perfect scores, and I was proud to be one of them. That had been the goal. 4000 miles on a 1929 Indian Motocycle.

 

 

 

Another large crowd gathered at the finish. I guess the biggest surprise was the amount of people that came out to see these old bikes at each stop.

 

Stage 16 : Tacoma

Cool, clear skies met us Sunday morning for the final leg of the journey. All the riders were gathered at the start, watching each class leave and wishing everyone well. A mixture of emotions, but I think everyone was ready to get to Tacoma.

The ride stated with some nice 2 lanes, then headed up into the mountains. Everyone stopped together at the 1st gas, warming up, laughing, and taking pictures. Then headed to Mt Rainer.

The road up the pass by Rainer was spectacular, and as we crested the pass, people were lined a bridge over the road cheering. Beautiful scene with Mt Rainer towering in the background. The road down was just as beautiful, and now the pressure seemed to lift as we rode on into Tacoma. I caught Hans about 10 miles out, and we rode In together. It was kind of fitting, fore we had first met almost a year ago by chance at George Yarocki's trying to build these two bikes for the Cannonball. So we rode in together, both bikes with perfect scores.

We assembled again for the last time, and rode by class to the grand finish at 2:00. Riding up the hill and thru the banners brought a lot emotions, memories, and relief from this 2 year quest. A special moment.

The challenge of taking a wore out 84 year old motorcycle and restoring / rebuilding it for a 4000 mile rally is enormous, but so are the rewards. Thru hard work, perseverance, and a little luck, you can get amazing results.

Stage 15

Stage 15 ride across SW Washington started with a run up a canyon to the high desert. Then we entered huge farms of apples, pears, onions, and grapes. The farm rides were laid out on 1 mile squares, and they ran us around these roads like a maze. If you got your mileage off, it was tough to get back on course. And for the first time, they had a secret check in this maze.

Got thru all the miles with no penalties, and still a perfect score. Tomorrow is the final day of this adventure, and should be a beautiful RNA by Mt Rainer.

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Stage 14

Best day of riding yet. Absolutely beautiful scenery, roads, and conditions. Early morning canyons, to the high plateau, then along the salmon river down into Hells Canyon. 300 miles of some of the best riding I have ever done.

The bike is really running well. Seems to have settled in, and is still on a perfect score. 2 stages remain, with some 400 miles. Fingers crossed for Tacoma.

Stage 13

Crossed into Idaho this morning and had a beautiful ride along the high plain. Then a long decent thru another canyon to the snake river.

Bike did not the short storm, heavy rain with hail, and almost drowned the mag. Fortunately, it didn't last long and we were on our way. It really ran well with yesterday's adjustments. No major adjustments for tomorrow.

I just can stop thinking how lucky I am riding this old Indian thru this country, it is something special.

Headed northwest.

Stage 12

Long, hot day today covering 300 miles. Trying to maintain about 48 mph, so it adds up to a long day. Bike was missing this afternoon, so I cleaned carb again and added a filter, set points and valves, and changed plugs. Oil consumption is still consistent, although using a little more on interstate. A lot of interstate these last 2 days.

Stopped at Bonneville salt flats. Pretty interesting place for sure. Salt bed is long, flat, and very hard. I've heard it's pretty fast to. Took group photo of all the bikes

Utah

Headed to Utah along Colorado river. Beautiful canyon run down to Moab. Then northwest to Springville. Hot and long days are taking till on these old bikes. They are also running us on more highways and interstates, which makes you push these motors to much.

Another good day, and got the bike serviced and prepped for tomorrow. Looking forward to the Bonneville Salt Flats!

Colorado

Made a successful pass thru Colorado. Leaving Golden, we immediately started climbing. The cold air definatley helped keep the bikes cool, and after about 6500 ft of climbing, we crested Loveland Pass. Very special moment for me.

We continued to a lunch stop in Leadville, and on to Junction City. 280 miles on probably the toughest day.

Bike is still running well, with only small areas of concern. Still on perfect score, and pushing west.

Loveland Pass

Stage 9

Burlington to Golden. First half a steady climb with a strong headwind, but all went well. After lunch in Colorado Springs, we headed up into the mountains. Did 2 8500 ft passes, and rode some beautiful canyons. The bike is definitely feeling the altitude, and tomorrow will be interesting. 3 passes over 10,000 ft. Spot malfunction has been cured.

Dinner at David Uhls studio, and we each got a signed print. Again, it seemed the whole town turned out.

Tomorrow we are headed up.



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Burlington Colorado

Crossed into Colorado after a long cold day in Kansas. Temps were 37 degrees when we pulled out sat morning. Heavy, wet fog also hung around till about 9, making it difficult to see.

Bike is still running well with no known issues. Fuel quality remains a problem for everyone. Still listening close to each new noise and following maintenance procedure. The next couple of days in the Rockies will tell the tale. Monday we do Loveland Pass at 12,000 ft, on top of an almost 300 mile day.

The crowds at the stops are unbelievable. It seems the whole town turns out. And all along the route people are parked watching us go by, and turn out to see the bikes.

Today our destination Golden Co. Headed West.

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Kansas

Stage 6

Tuff day today for me. It was scheduled as the longest so far still 300 miles, and right off the bat Erik Bahl and myself miss a turn and add about 30 miles to our day. Worse was the 45 minutes we lost, that put us in the back, to close to the chase truck. We ran hard for about an hour and made up some time, then the rain started. And rain it did.

About 15 minutes into the rain, I am sitting on the side of the road, trying to dry a magneto. In the pouring rain. I decided I was only making it worse, put everything back together, and it still would not run. I got it firing, then dumped the float bowl looking for water. Just before the truck came along, I got it started.

The next 30 miles the rain continued, and the bike was barley running. I finally stopped for gas, and it would not start again. Then I noticed fuel leaking from my rear aux tank, and when I tried to tighten the peacock, it broke off, pouring gas everywhere. After siphoning the fresh 2.5 gallons on the ground I rigged a shutoff and got the bike started. It ran about 1 mile, then died.
I finally figured out the line was air locked from the missing rear tank, and after venting the line, I got going again. Again just in time.

The bike made it on in to Sedalia Mo. without any penalties. Still running a perfect score. The weather made it rough on everyone, with both chase trailers full and people still on the road.

We went over the bike pretty well, and are ready to try again tomorrow.

Headed west.

Stage 6 AM

Getting ready for a long day across Missouri. 300 miles will be the longest day so far, but everything is going well so far. To much rain though.

Yesterday was a great ride thru Land Between the Lakes region, then on the Great River Road. Crossed the Mississippi River at the Cape. Bike still good, with carburetor starting to misbehave. Will figure that out today.

Headed West.

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Photos Stage 5

Stage 4

A long rainy night in the field by Coker Tire. Nothing major to my bike, just maintenance. All motor mounts about to fall out, and gas cap leaks were fixed. Valve tappet gaps are the same as Daytona, which is good news. Other riders having bigger problems, so we tried to help where we could. Monday morning started by riding over Signal Mt and into Red Boiling Springs. Then into Clarksville. Good ride thru some beautiful country, at 48 mph on a 29 Indian. Pretty cool. Another big turnout at Clarksville Harley Davidson for evening reception and dinner. Heading west tomorrow. Days starting to run together.

Day 3 : Columbus to Chattanooga

Rolling into Chattanooga. Huge turnout of local support, and really appreciated by all the riders. Another good day for #96, with only small issues. Rear aux gas cap leaking, but a new gasket was made and hopefully will solve problem. Felt good riding thru familiar territory. 2 states down and heading north.

Day 2 continues

After a delayed wet start, in Albany, we got headed to Columbus. Bikes were hauled out of the storms, and on the road around 12:00.

Yesterday my crankcase vent was stuck, and I was blowing oil everywhere. I kept turning up the oil pump trying to keep some in the sump. After fixing my stuck disc, things were much better today! Stopped thru Plains, but didn't see Jimmy. Rode on thru some beautiful South Georgia back roads to arrive in Columbus on time. All miles complete so far.

Day 2 AM

Day 1

Day 1 complete and in the book. Short day of only 140 miles, but good to get it done. Big start on the beach at Daytona, with lots of people. Coming off the beach thru a line of people was pretty cool!

Hot, then rain set the stage for the ride. Bike is good, with only a few issues. All minor and handled. 250 miles tomorrow to Columbus.

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Final Touches

Final touches (I hope) happening before Daytona. New chain, sprockets, rear tire, brake linings, and of course a couple of new head gaskets. Final test on 2.5 gallon spare tank is happening this afternoon.

Kick Start Classic

I was needing a good final test for the Scout before the September start, so I decided to enter the American Iron Magazine's annual Kick Start Classic ride. The ride started at the Wheels Thru Time museum in Maggie Valley NC, and offered 2 days of riding thru the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Being pretty close to home, I was all in. I called my buddy Roy, and he and is '46 Chief were in.

Over 100 bikes lined up for the start Friday morning. There were a few Indians, a couple of BMWs, a few Brit bikes, and a sea of Harleys. Not official, but I think I was on the oldest bike there. They announced they would be filming the event for the TV show "What's in the Barn", and when everything was set, we headed out towards Chattanooga. The first climb from Maggie Valley up to the Blue Ridge Parkway was a good one. The Scout pulled along nicely, and we slowly made our way along the parkway.

The Cherohala Skyway took us to Tellico Plains for lunch

Then beautiful runs along the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers led us to Coker Tire in Chattanooga. They opened there shop area for everyone, and most riders took advantage of the space to work on their bikes.

I really felt good about the Scout, and had had a trouble free day thru some pretty tough climbs. The bike handled and ran really well, so I adjusted a tuff acting the throttle cable (that had refused to shut off a few times), changed the oil in the crankcase, checked a few bolts, and we were ready for Saturday. Saturdays ride took us from Chattanooga to Red Boiling Springs Tn, to Cyclemos Museum. The riding was similar to Friday, with good curves, lots of scenery, and like minded people. Again, no major problems, and we pulled into Red Boiling Springs feeling pretty good.

500 Miles

121 days and counting down. It seemed like September 2014 was a distant date in the future when this project commenced. Lets take a completely wore out, broken, assembly of pieces and ride it across this great country. Sounded like a plan.............

Now its May 2014, and this bike is really starting to run well. I am getting encouraged with each ride, and things seem to be getting sorted out. It is nice to have the magnitude of the problems shrinking, with efforts now concentrating on tuning and getting to know the bike and the motor. Listening and the feel of the motor tell you a lot when riding, and keeping it in the sweet spot will help get to Tacoma.

The first rides were kind of nerve racking. Left hand throttle, where's the clutch, and what happened to the brakes. But you quickly settle into the ride, and the discovery process begins. Riding along about 40, back the main needle out until it blubbers, then lean it back out. Man it starts running good, then the head temperature starts climbing. Richen it up and it cools back down. Don't want to seize the motor, got to find the sweet spot. There are some pretty good climbs here, shorter than the Rockies, but just as steep. Retarding the timing under these higher loads and the bike seems happier. You become your own CPU, always adjusting the MAP, with the seat of your pants as the sensor.

It is truly a pleasure riding this bike. Easing along a county 2 lane on a 1929 motorcycle is a special feeling. Folks who enjoy a blend of nostalgia, history, and mechanical movement understand what I'm talking about. What an experience this is going to be!

New Valves

The valves being so far recessed into the cylinder and sitting on Zero margin has worried me since I put the top end together. Through the years, each time a valve job was done the seats were cut deeper and deeper into the cylinder. Liberal use of a 70 degree cutter and a lot of valve grinding left me with intakes that were about to fall thru the seat...........

Man has it been cold in Georgia this winter. We are not use to this treatment from mother nature, so one cold Saturday morning I decided to tear into the motor again. I am starting to worry that I may wear the threads off the head bolts, but am definitely learning the best sequence of operations to disassemble this motor.

Recessed valves with 0 margin

 

 

Searching the SI valve catalog, I found a big block Chevy valve with a 1 7/8" head and 11/32" stem. Measuring my valve pit, that should raise the valve seat back up and provide a good margin on top of the valve. I decided to try this and see how they turned out before trying to fit new valve seats in the cylinders. So I ordered some valve blanks to play with.

 

Upon arrival the first order of business was to grind the valve to the Indian spec of 35 degrees, if for no other reason, just to be different. With the help of a protractor, the valve grinder was set.

 



Grinding to 35 Degrees

 

After reaming the guides and some trial and error, I got happy with the seat and position in the cylinder.

 

 

 

With the valve raised back up, I marked the correct length and groove location, and moved to the lathe. It was slow going turning this stainless!

 

 

The Finished Product

 

And all loaded up

 

Compared to the first picture, I think this exercise was a success. There is a lot of meat on the new valves, and no seats to bang loose. I think it'll make it!







The Electrics

The electrical requirements on a 1929 vehicle were very different than modern vehicles. No power was required for heated seats, mirrors, power windows, radios, heated gear, gps units, Bluetooth signals, or any of the other essentials we have become dependent on in the 21 century. Life was a little simpler 85 years ago.

This Indian did come with modern electric lights. Earlier versions had used gas, but by 29 Splitdorf was producing a 6 volt DC generator, the DU-7, that was capable of just enough current to burn a headlight and single filament taillight.  The DU-7 on my bike had been replaced along the way with a later Autolite unit off a Chief, which has a higher output, but can also put a lot of strain on the drive gear. With all of 15 HP at my disposal, extra drag is to be avoided!

Looking for alternatives, you have to consider a 12 volt system. Bulbs are easier to find, especially along the road, and current draws are reduced. Also, the pickings on 6 volt generators or alternators is slim. So I finally decided to use a small permanent magnet 12v alternator from a Kubota tractor. It is significantly smaller than the generator, and will produce enough current for my lights.

 

New 12v Alternator vs Autolite 6v Generator

 

 

I built the mounting brackets to fit the original bolt locations, and use the stock belt length. The solid state voltage regulator kind of looks out of place on an antique, but it will get the job done!

 

 



 

and

 

I had to modify the guard a little, and cuss a little, and adjust a little, but everything turned out pretty slick.

Wiring the bike came next. I had a piece of a reproduction wiring harness for a starter kit, and added additional wires for the brake light and new alternator. I mounted a traditional brake light switch,

 and routed the wires to the taillight thru some copper tubing, just like the originals.

With the help of a dremel, I was able to get the single element socket out of the original taillight housing. A trip to AutoZone yielded a 12v dual element LED bulb and matching socket, and with a little solder the taillight was ready to go. A 12 volt bulb was substituted in the headlight, and all systems are go.

STOP

 

Goodbye 2013

Late December, 2013.

I went down to the shop Christmas Eve to check on the Indian. It has been a full year rebuilding this bike, and to be so simple it has presented a lot of challenges. The forks, frame, fuel tank, wheels, motor, magneto, and the list goes on. They have all been addressed, and hopefully will be up for the 4000 mile test. I feel like I know this bike pretty well now, and will be ready for September.

It is really special for me when I think of all the other people who have ridden and worked on this bike through the years. It rolled out of Springfield into the possession of a new owner in 1929. I would have loved to have seen it that day! I wonder how it faired the great depression, and then the second world war? Who all learned to ride on this bike, and where all has it been? What kind of people have owned it, who hurried home from school to sneak it out, who broke the mag case, and who pushed it into the corner of a barn? People were tough, and life was a little simpler. They made things that lasted. Man if this thing could talk, what stories I would hear.

So I finally bid goodnight and Merry Christmas to the 101. It has been restored very close to what an original 1929 101 Scout was like. Its a beautiful machine. Charles Franklin should be proud.

Now its time to start getting it ready for the Cannonball.