T.R.O.G. 2013 Freaky Photo

I was at the Neshaminy Chapter winter dinner back in January and by chance I was introduced to one of he the members wives just before I left. She said she was at The Race of Gentlemen in Wildwood. After talking for a few minutes she asked what my number was. When I told her 33 she couldn't believe it, she dug through her phone and showed me this picture. Apparently she had  just gotten the phone and didn't know how to use it and the end result was this crazy photo...She told me that she didn't know who 33 was and had been waiting to find him so she could give him the pic...and finally I got it in email the yesterday...
That's the story...cool pic!

Rick's Place...David Carlo Photos

"Photographer Extraordinaire" David Carlo was up at Rick Petko's place the day we were filming and took a ton of great black and white photos. Here are a couple I hijacked by taking a pick of my screen...

David took fantastic photos of the T.R.O.G. last year and will be back at it again this year...

More from Rick's Place...

"Don't get mud on your helmet"...Oops...

A few more after farm racing in the hay field last Saturday with Rick, Josh and Mel...soiled again....

Wet and Wild!

Had a wet, wild and generally filthy time up at Rick Petko's place doing some filming this morning...

Beat the piss outta four Flatheads! Me, Mel, Josh, Rick and...oh yeah...Joe Oz (Indian Spectator)

Flat Track Knucklehead Motor Transplant...Successful!

The unsuspecting donor...

First the tanks...

Exhaust, etc., etc.

Popped the sprocket and left the clutch and inner on...

Broken free form the primary!

Ouch!

I'll bet she feels like she just woke up 

in a bathtub full of ice in Bangkok...

Poor girl...

No cooler needed for transport...just a back brace...

In she goes...

Oh yeah...motivation time!

Knucklehead Morris Magneto Install

Pulling out the timer...

Goodbye...

Bent a 7/16 wrench to reach the rear timer bolt...

Timer, Relay, Relay Bracket gone...

Magneto base with hex drive installed with spacer...

Checking for fit with e special plate that

Desh (Dave) from Morris Magneto gave me...

No grinding of case or smashing of fins...

Full range of motion...nice!

Timing...

Plug wires next...

The front "hard" wire boot required 

grinding to fit under the tank...

All set...

Started first kick!

I'm yankin' the 41 FL motor outta the Hydra Bob (I'm building another to replace it) to use in my Flat Track Knuckle. I'm using an old Morris magneto and Desh hooked me up with a plate that has the studs in a different position so there is no messing with fins or engine case needed. It popped right in! I tested this on a mock up motor a few posts ago but it was time for the real thing. I figured I would install it, time it and start it prior to swapping the motor. I learned a couple things about magnetos in the process which a lot of you probably know already...
Timing the Mag
When I time a bike with a timer (not a magneto) I hook my VOM to ground and to the points and set it on "Tone" I have the bike up on the rear stand and in gear. I get the timing mark where it needs to be by pulling the plugs and pressing my thumb over the front plug hole and kicking it over until I feel compression in the front cylinder. I then tap the back wheel to turn the engine in the direction it runs until the mark appears. I set the timer to where the points just begin to open by listening for the VOM tone to stop when the circuit is broken (points opening)...
Anyway I learned that the coil in the mag has continuity to ground when static and therefore the tone will not detect the points opening...simple fix...I disconnected the coil wire from the points and performed the above procedure as if it were a timer...after it was timed I removed the mag head and reattached the wire without disturbing the timing position.
In doing this I realized that if a mag ever died (on the road) you could remove the coil wire from the points and connect an external stock H-D coil (connected to your battery) and plug wires and use the Mag as a timer...
Well the Knuckle started on the first kick and ran like a charm...now to de-install the motor and re-install it into my Flat Track frame!!!

Brookfield 2014...Adventures in Motorcycling

Getting ready to head out...

Met up with Stan, Eric and Bolt-On...

...along the Delaware River...

First gas at Delaware Water Gap...all seemed fine...

My '47 at the pumps...loaded for Bear..

Stan's '46 caught fire...bad! Flames were up over the windshield!

Needed to hit it with an extinguisher!

Washed it down with bottled water...

...and off we went...

2 miles later the carb came apart...

Milling around on the side of the road in Marshall's Creek

We can fix it!

This photo was modified to protect the innocent...

Adjusting Stan's carb...

We made it to Hawley PA for a much needed stop...Lager

From the doorway of Pat's Pub in Hawley PA

Still outside Pat's in Hawley...

Eric starting his '48...

Met up with Sam and co. at the Crosstown Tavern...

just below Hancock NY...Great burgers!

...at the Crosstown...

The Uni-Bomber's Shovelhead...

Sam's trusty and well loaded UL...

Hey, it was a loaner...

this is what happens when you forget your helmet...

Looking good....

Must have been laying around since the 80's...

The Rockdale Hotel, Rockdale NY Route 8

Lounging on the porch at the Rockdale...

46,47,47,48

A group shot at the Rockdale...

1946 and 1947 Knuckles, 1947 Flathead, 

1948 Panhead, a Shovelhead an EVO and a Twin Cam...

Something for everyone...

Kelly taking care of the Photo Ops...

Kelly at the Brookfield General Store...

Loading the '47 with Lager...

Bill and Chiclet provided an incredible feast!

The smoker was...

Smokin'!

Eric's re-purposed tour pack...

Stan...living the dream that is Brookfield!

Live entertainment!!!

Dawn...

Tent's eye view....

Stan and Eric's MC camping...

My Knuckle with platform....

Cool stuff

Kenny's Sportster he just picked up...

Seidell's

and again...

Here's one for the ladies...or not...

Frameage...

Amen Savior? shocks grafted to Pan frame...

Cool...

Pan For Sale

39 ULH For Sale

Hey another set...Amen Savior Frame

Original 77 Shovel for $4,000...ran great!

Lady's Night...

Ski patrol...

The weight of my gear combined with a major bump

in Route 402 equals bent fender braces!!!

Yeah it was rubbing the tire all the way up ...

unbeknownst to me...

OK let's get to work fellas....

Got it!

This Knuckle had a Great Rack!

Nice...

Dinner at the Beaver Den Diner in Brookfield

1919

Pat riding the 1919

Sweeeeet!

On the ride home...

Bolt-On checks his pre-modern Navigation system...

Lake Swollenballsack PA

Re-distributing the weight...

as my fender braces quiver with delight

Made it home...

So it was Brookfield time again...one of my favorite rides...just below Utica NY about a 500 mile round trip. This year Kelly was able to attend for the first time. I dug out the "Super Soft" Buddy Seat and set to work on making a suitable luggage carrier for the '47 Knuckle...plywood, tour pack brackets and eye hooks...check. Damn, this thing could carry a house I thought...Wednesday I got everything together, a bigger tent, sleeping bags, tools, etc. I filled the saddlebags and  piled everything else into a GIANT waterproof Cabella's bag and was ready to go! 

The plan this year was to meet Eric, Stan and Mike "Bolt-On" along Rt 611 on the Delaware River, ride north through the Delaware Water Gap and hook up with Sam, either in Hawley PA or below Hancock NY, at one of our favorite watering holes. 

Thursday morning was absolutely beautiful, cool and sunny, perfect riding weather. Kelly and I headed out toward the river, The boys were waiting for us at the meeting spot and all was right with the world.
We stopped for gas at the Delaware Water Gap. We were starting up the bikes getting ready to head north when I heard someone yell Fire! I turned around to see Stan's Knuckle ablaze. Eric was frantically attempting to blow out the flames but it was no use. The flames were as high as the wind shield! I thought it was all over, Stan grabbed a fire extinguisher that was beside the pumps and dosed it! Holy Shit! was the phrase of the morning....he cleaned off the powder with bottled water and started it back up... although it wasn't running quite right...he decided to go for it and we hit the road.

A few miles down the road Stan's bike started running worse. We pulled off the road to check the plugs and ended up replacing them and dropping the bowl on the Linkert to see what the overflow problem was.  We cleaned some shit outta the bowl, checked the float, put it all back together and adjusted the carb...running much better now and not leaking.
We swung onto route 402 outta Marshall's Creek heading for Lake Swollenballsack. That road has several miles of nasty dips that sneak up on you. I hit one so hard that my rear stand came loose and started dragging and at the same time I lost a bungee cord and my tool box lid opened relieving me of my plug wrench, plugs and adjustable! We gathered up my stuff, re-secured my rear stand and headed back out on the road.

We arrived at Pat's Pub in Hawley PA around 11:30 and there was no sign of Sam. The bar tender said he hadn't been there.We enjoyed a couple of brunch lagers and headed toward Hancock NY. The ride up 191 is gorgeous as it winds it's way along the West Branch of the Delaware River. We made it to The Crosstown Tavern about 1:30 or so and there was Sam's 1947 UL outside with a couple other bikes. They had been running late as well. We hung out and scarfed down the best friggin' cheese burgers on the planet.
The rest of the ride up 17 to route 8 was terrific with no incidents other than stopping at the Rockdale Hotel for lagers and photo ops...we pulled into the Madison County Fair Grounds about 5 PM, set up camp and enjoyed the festivities...
The next day I was showing Motorcycle Mike my cool luggage rack when we noticed my rear fender didn't look quite right...I removed the saddlebags and much to my chagrin the fender braces were bent in rubbing the tire and the side of the fender was tweaked out! That bump on 402 combined with all the weight on the rack squashed the fuckin' fender!
Well we put our heads together (almost literally at some point) and using a street sign pole, a strap, wood, hammers, etc. along with Mike's 40 years as a body and fender man and we got that baby back into shape...
I lightened up the load for the ride home with the help of Kenny the Kid and Mike Bolt-On...and it all worked out perfectly.
We continued to enjoy the meet, the people the bikes and Brookfield.
I have to say that the folks that run this (all free) Empire Chapter Meet are the best!!!
Check out the pics...
The ride home was equally as enjoyable as the ride up there and the weather... perfecto mucho....I love this meet!

In retrospect I shoulda broke this up into several posts, but what the fuck, I was onna roll....