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.
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 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....
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....
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