Day 10 - Rest

This was a planned day off, from riding.  Several of the crew and riders went out in the morning to see nearby Mount Rushmore.  A few other souls remained behind in the "garage to work on bikes.   In particular, Bob Reiner and Bernie Nietvelt toiled away all day.  Bob's Vincent was trailered several days back with strange engine noises.  The suspected culprit was the magneto.  But, after replacing the bearings at both ends, retiming and reassembling, the noise was still there.  So that will be it for that Vincent.  It is running, however.  Perhaps we can drop it off the trailer near Ventura so we can have all the Vincents rolling into the International.

Jeff McCoy - Laptop Machinist

Bernie replaced a worn rear tire.  But he loves to fuss over everything and was there all day.  At the start of the day, a lazy start, I road-tested the bike that had dropped its front axle.  Big D had sent up a huge package containing a completely built front wheel with tire, etc.  As soon as I got it up to speed it was obvious that the wheel was badly out of balance.  The rest of my day was about trying to find balance weights.  There were none to be had.  Off I went in the truck with Logistic crew guy Mark Dunn to the hardware store.  For washers and soldering wire.  The washers were not even close to enough weight.  I ended up fashing weights by creating triple-layered coils of soldering wire.  I needed almost all of what we had bough.  It is crude-looking but effective.  This is what the late great Marty Reynolds would have called a "Provincial Field Repair".  See the Mild Ones for that great line.

Deadwood is what most would call a tourist trap.  It is Wild West-themed with street shows.  There are casinos galore and souvenir shops.  It was crowded and noisy on this long weekend.  Greg McBride says that this will be about it for the year.  He has been here in October when almost everything is closed up, even the chain restaurants.  We will be looking forward to moving on to more familiar environs where the support facilities can be set up properly.  Everyone retired early to rest up for another 400-mile day and early start.

Day 9 - Reaching Our Oasis

 This leg of the trip was most pleasant indeed.  The previous day had ended so hot, it was decided we should again get an early start to beat the heat.  Everything was readied by the crew at 6:30 am.  By sunrise, we were rolling. 

I am just going to show a whole slew of pictures I was able to take from the truck.

The Train

Just before Deadwood, we rolled into Sturgis for lunch at the famous Knuckle Saloon.  This was a good long stay to enjoy their fare.  We were in great shape to get to Deadwood early.

We ended up setting up shop in a covered parking area of the Four Points Sheraton hotel.  This is a wild crazy casino and resort place with a crowded Main Street full of souvenir shops. 

There was a flurry of maintenance and repairs on the bikes.  Jeff McCoy, an experienced machinist had picked up a suitable reamer and bushing material on route to repair the damaged axle hole on Ian's Rapide.  The operation was a success.  I will test-ride the result in the morning.  Then there were brakes to adjust, some tuning on Greg McBride's Shadow, and a whole effort to put away the tools for the night.  It was awkward in this hotel.  But, we will do what we can.  The crew wrapped up after 9:00 pm and we joined the party at Mustang Sally's to celebrate one of our most beloved characters, Charley "The Greek".  It was also a chance to bid farewell and thanks to Ryan.  He flies out tomorrow morning and we are on our own. Needless to say, this was a big blowout!

Day 8 - The Grind

 This ride was the longest so far at 400+ miles. From Rochester, Minnesota, to Oacoma, South Dakota, the plan was pretty simple.  We were to get on Highway 14 and stay on it all day.  It was a straight road over flat, barren country for mile after mile.  There were no redeeming qualities at all.  It was made worse by long stretches of bumpy road and strong a wind against us all the way. 

This was just the recipe to bring back my left shoulder and neck pain.  It was no fun.  Each bump shot pain through me.  When big trucks passed in the opposite direction, the buffeting wind blast did likewise.  I decided to tough it out.  But, after 350 miles of this punishment, I became unable to operate the motorcycle safely.  I could not turn my head to do shoulder checks.  Both my hands were slow to get to the clutch and brake.   I had to tap out.  The bike went on the trailer and I did the last 90 minutes of the trip in the truck cab.  

Close to the end, crossing the Missouri River

The only sensible thing to do is rest the next day and try to regain fitness.  I resolved to be there to jump in and resolve any mechanical issues that might arise with the Vincents.  

Our head crewman Ryan Ambrose is about to go back to his regular job at Big D Cycle in Dallas.  He has done an incredible job but Big D could only spare him for half the trip.  At Deadwood he will be flying home.  It is up to me to fully take over the technical reins on all things Vincent.  This is the job for which I was brought onto the trip.  It was never intended that I ride the whole way.

Ryan At Work - often very late into the night.

That evening, I thought all this over while having a good soak in the hotel's hot tub.  Ryan was showing the strain of the long hours.  How could I both ride and take on his repair chores?  I had to accept that it would not be possible and that I must manage myself differently.  I helped the crew with a few things and retired early.

Beating the heat - Richard completes Day 8. 

The above shows the nature of the terrain.

Day 7 Challenges

 Today started out pretty cold.  We all bundled up.  As we traversed the rest of Michigan, a little Wisconsin, and entered Minnesota, the temperature slowly rode to 80+, sunny all the way.

Yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed the Rapide and was bombing along today when mid-day it all went pear-shaped again. The engine died all of a sudden and I had to pull over.  A loose battery tie allows the battery strap to touch the terminals and short circuit burned the wiring to the electronic ignition.  This was not repairable at the side of the road.  I had to do the walk of shame to the chase trailer, load up the Rapide and deploy a TrIumph.  This one turned out to be a major surprise.   It is a heavily modified Triple pumped up to a whopping 1,000cc.  Even better it had updated suspension and a comfy seat.  Triple megaphones complete this awesome beast.

The dynamics of this bike are totally different.  The first thing you notice is torque, not just power.  Even better, the steering and handling are a big step up from the standard T160.  This was a thoroughly enjoyable ride.  Below is part of the lunch lineup

Something significant happened yesterday that I did not find time to mention.  At the start of Day5, we had the full complement of Vincents on the road.  This lasted barely an hour.  The front axle on Ian's Rapide loosened and backed right out.  The wheel collapsed to one side.  Fortunately, very fortunately the mishap occurred at a very low speed.  Ian had slowed right down for a stray dog that appeared just at the right time.  He was able to stop the bike without further carnage to man or machine.  It is not just bikes.  One of the trailers blew out a wheel bearing.  Some of the crew were dispatched to find parts.  That put this trailer, and its essential content (beer), delayed for 6 hours tonight.  

So we are back to being down two Vincents.  The rest is medical and I will not site names out of respect for personal privacy.  One of our men took a day off because he was not feeling well.  Another has a bad leg and was having difficulty starting the Vincent.  So he trailered it in favour of his electric start 850 Norton.  There are many others suffering pain and fatigue.  Make no mistake, this is a grind on all the people, including the crew.  There is a list of things to fix.  Some things can be done now.  Others need parts or time that will be available during our break at Deadwood.  In spite of it all, there is a wonderful esprit de corps that keeps everyone going.

Today ended on a positive note as we were greeted by local Minnesotans. Doug Cooper and his friend Dave.  We are posing with my Rapide.

The Magic Vincent

 The Vincent motorcycle is many things.  We all know its reputation for performance and durability.  The dynamics and feel of the machine may be unique in motorcycling.  It can chew up miles at a relaxed pace with the engine beat legendarily marking off the passage of lampposts.  These qualities make it a calming device for the rider.  Many credit the machine for giving them an "attitude adjustment".  But, actual curative ability?

Yesterday I was complaining mightily about shoulder and neck pain.  The hope was that getting back on the Vincent would be the cure.  Our late-night clutch replacement was a total success and I was able to get back on the machine.  Suffice it to say, it performed superbly.  Even better, I got through a miserable wet ride in total comfort.   I had no butt soreness, and the left shoulder and neck got a break.  

The Soggy Bottom Boys

I will keep it short today.  The group is making adjustments on the fly such as shorter fuel and lunch stops.  We need to keep it moving to avoid late arrivals.  As was my case, that makes fatigue and mechanical problems even worse.  We agree that having one long evening is better than many longish breaks.

Result of a failed motocrossing experiment

Day 5 - Hotel Daze

Where to begin?  Today we headed for West Michigan and followed much of the Lake all the way up to Petosky.  The ride started out boring on Interstates.  Once on HWY 31 North, we ran into traffic, stop lights, and construction.  It was rough.  At lunch, we decided to change to route to HWY 22 on the advice of a couple of loc,.al bikers.  This turned out to be a very good move.  One section of 22 north of Traverse City was one of those fantastic motorcycling roads - so nice it even has a T-shirt.  

Unfortunately, we were so far behind that we arrived very late at 7:30 p.m.  The crew, taking a direct route, had arrived at noon.  I was scheduled to install the V3 clutch but was so tired I could hardly see.  Yes, it had arrived due to the heroic interventions of Greg McBride.  Ryan, the head support guy tried to do his thing at reception by checking us all in.  The management was miserable and that was a nada.  He then asked for the V3 clutch to have it ready for me.  They refused to acknowledge that it had even arrived, never mind handing it over.  This was a sign of more, worse things to come.  But, back at the field hospital, work began.

The old standard clutch was extracted and the new V3 dry was installed.  Alas, it was missing a few very minor things that were fetched at a local auto parts store.  We had no installation instructions but there were enough kibitzers to form a panel of advisors.  The trick was trimming a push rod to the exact, perfect length.  When all was done, Ryan gave it a riding test and pronounced it very acceptable.  We made a few final adjustments and packed up for the night at 11:00 p.m.  But, the Rapide will put our Vincent count back up to full complement.   Thanks go to Richard for staying up for all of this and to Ian for his hands-on participation and good humour.  The whole crew stayed up late too to keep the canopy and bike stand up for us.  Thanks also go to V3 (Neal Vindian) for an incredibly good product that is a true bolt-on.

Scooter, a support crew stalwart, offers us a breakfast of champions, sugar donuts.  

If there was ever a time when I needed the comforts of a great hotel, this was it.  Alas, this place was still blaming COVID-19 for appalling facilities and service.  This was a place that looked great from the outside.  They have a huge bar and restaurant neither of which was open.  They had no food or drink service at all.  We had to order our own dinner from outside. There is nothing wrong with that by the way.  I enjoy our outdoor meals under the canopies.  It is just not what people wanted this time.  

I am in huge physical pain.  The Triumph is a lovely machine.  It served me well and I am grateful it was available.  But, it really strains the shoulders and neck.  The handlebars make you like a sail in the wind at high speed.  You have to hold on tight.  The clutch has a relatively hard pull.  I woke up in the middle of the night in screaming agony.  Any attempt to raise my head or change position was agonizing.  My cure has been a soak in steaming hot water.  So, I got up to do that.  The bathtub plug failed to hold water.  I covered the drain with a face cloth and a shower mat.  It worked.  Ahhhh, blessed relief.  

I am looking forward to being back on the Vincent.  For my money, it offers the most comfortable perch for sport-touring ever devised.  That is a strong statement, but absolutely true.  The seat is perfect, the handlebars perfect, and the footrests ditto.   Plus, it has the lightest clutch pull in the business.  Hopefully, the Vincent's comforting charms will nurse me back to health.

Thankfully we have a shorter ride coming up, only 240 miles.  I will collect some pictures from others and add them to this post later.  Tomorrow I am officially going on strike.  No more work!  I need to get back to partying, something this group also does so well.

Fan Appreciation Day

 We are ticking off the states one by one and will be in Michigan for all of today. This tour is getting a lot of attention on Social Media, in a good way.  People have been riding out to meet us en route or at our hotels.  The Norton Owners Club is following us like hawks.  Of course, Richard Asprey is president of that club's North Texas chapter and well known for Cannonball Run exploits.  We had a Cannonball vet with us for dinner last evening and a lovely couple caught up for us at lunch in Blissville, Mi. Then there are the inevitable random folks we meet along the route wondering what this is all about.  Most are left in disbelief that we are actually going to California on 70-year-old motorcycles.

We have been getting better about staying together on the road, a real challenge with 10 motorcycles.  Technology is is a huge enabler.

Meet our Road Captain, David Belleville, of Los Angeles California.  His helmet and bike, a K75 BMW, are festooned with communications gadgets.  There is a cell phone and a GPS, of course.  He talks to both with a Sena helmet device.  Several others have similar setups including Greg McBride, and Richard.  They can all phone each other and act accordingly if riders at the back get held up or have problems.  Everyone is also responsible for pulling over if the rider following disappears in the rearview mirror.  That works its way to the front and things get sorted out quickly.  We have not lost anyone yet!

Near the end of our ride yesterday, a secret side trip was made to the country home of Suzi Haines, "President For Life" of the International Norton Owners Club.  What a character she is.  

Suzi poses with her 97,000-mile Norton Interstate.  Yes, she put all those miles on herself  She is holding a Triumph Racers in America Book that she asked me to sign.  In the book is a complete photo essay on the 1967 Triumph works racer that I campaigned in 1983 to the Canadian Vintage Road Racing Championship.  Suzi owns the ex-Buddy Elmore 1966 Daytona winner.  There was an excited discussion about all that only hard-core motorcyclists can have.  The following scenes are around Suzi's place.  Check out the details.  

With her first motorcycle, BSA Bantam.

1. A storied garage and shop, much larger than the house, as befits a true enthusiast.
2. Some of the group went straight for the shady porch.  
3. Bob Reimer, Ventura, California, a Norton expert, closely inspects Suzi's Norton.  

So, how are we doing on the mechanical front?  The Rapide that Ian was riding had shifting problems right from the start that progressed into unrideable status.  That meant that we were down 2 Vincents.  A second backup bike was brought into play, another hotted-up Triumph T160.  Last night I fixed that with the help of Bob Reimer.  Meanwhile, a new clutch has been ordered for my Rapide.  It should be waiting for me to install it at the hotel tonight.  That will put the Texas contingent back up to full compliment.  Bob Reimer has decided to wait for the 1-day rest stop (Deadwood, SD) to deal with his Vincent (sheered Magneto pinion).  It is a long job that cannot be handled in one evening.  

This brings up an interesting point.  Our schedule is so packed, that we really only have 2 or 3 hours each night to deal with anything serious.   The crew only gives what a friend of mine calls "a spa treatment".  They top off all fluids, wipe down the bikes, and check for anything about to fall off.  Anyway, if it cannot be done in a couple of hours, out comes a backup bike.  The show must go on ....

Day 2 and 3

Hello, Followers.

I had intended, and tried hard, to post daily.  I am beginning to wonder if I am the best one to do this. I ride all day and work on the bikes as soon as we arrive at our hotel.  Then there is partying on top of that (great parties by the way)   This is leaving me exhausted.  This morning it was all I could do to have a coffee, grab a shower, pack up and get to the starting line.

Let me just summarize the hard news.  We started with 8 Vincents.  During Day 2, two went down including my ride with a blown clutch.  The other casualty was a California guy, Bob Reimer, whose magneto died.  The California group (profile pending) has their own backup bikes.  The Texas-based group, my guys, have backup bikes too.  We both went down at lunchtime on Day 2.  I ended up on a lovely Triumph T160 triple.  My California friend ended up on his own Norton 750 Commando.

The show went on.  Last night I stripped the bike.  We need parts and/or a new clutch.  Today, a new V3 multi-plate, bolt-on replacement was the way to go.  One of the guys happened to have a brand new V3 back at home.  It will be delivered to us on Monday.  Once installed, I will be back on a great Vincent.  We are doing everything we can to keep the ride on schedule and "Vincent".  The resourcefulness of this group is without equal.  

The territory we covered was amazing.  It is all mountainous, green and gorgeous.  A fantastic video has been put on Greg McBride's Facebook page.  Look him up.  It will give you a real view of how wonderful this event is.  As a newbie to this sort of thing, I am blown away.  How about coming back from your all-day ride to an air-conditioned shop trailer?  How about an outdoor Chinese buffet in the parking lot under the lights?  We are having the time of our lives, mechanical issues be damned.

The following is some eye candy,

From my hotel room, an early morning shot of the parking lot.  The white California truck and trailer, and the Norton mother home, etc. are all there.  Al the vehicles shown are part of Vincents Across America,  There are as many support people as riders.  As I said, this a major production. 

Gas stop.

My kind of selfie

Vincents Across America Launched

 The start of Day 1.  The crew had all 8 Vincents lined up and ready.  

After a brief riders meeting we were underway.  From Maine we were soon in New Hampshire on beautiful, newly paved twisty roads through White Mountains.  We stopped in New Boston, close to Alex Noftsger's old stomping grounds.  

In Massachusetts, the roads were much the same through the Berkshires.  The weather changed to decidedly chilly with clouds threatening rain.  All the bikes reached the destination, Pittsfield, Ma.  Richard and I got separated and had done s different ride than the main group.  We arrived 40 minutes ahead of them to find the crew was already set up with tents tables, and bike stands.  They descended on my Rapide while Richard and I opened a bottle of wine to celebrate this first victory.   

The rain finally arrived just as the main group pulled in.  Ryan had already checked us all into the Holiday Inn and placed our bags in the hotel.  Incredible.  Everything was laid out for us.  After a freshening up in the rooms, the party began in earnest.

Me, a helpful barmaid, Greg McBride, Ian Blake, and Helen Jones (Ian and Helen proudly from Wales).  We were all seated at a table for 20 and enjoyed great food and company.

.

Test Day

Today we had a visit from Carleton Palmer.  Then, 6 Vincents rode from Portland south to Porpoise Cove a favorite seafood eatery.  Sounds simple?  Just 30 miles, right?  Alas the route along US#1 had big traffic and was littered with stop lights.  This would be a challenge for any Vincent, never mind a group.  We kept getting separated and lost.  We found a better way home along faster open roads with beautiful Maine seaside scenery.  Lunch was open-air, clam cakes, lobster roles, delicious.  

The bikes and riders were certainly tested.  Two of the six were Richard's friends from the UK who were both completely new to Vincents.  We had to go through starting procedures and all the Vincent quirks that have become normal for the rest of us.  Having not ridden for a year, I had to exercise muscles that had sadly fallen into disuse.  I see a long soak in hot water tonight.  Everyone passed with flying colours.  There were smiles all around.

Once back at the ranch, the crew had set up 4 stands.  All the bikes were put on the stands and thoroughly inspected for loose nuts and bolts, leaks, etc.  They even interviewed each rider to search for any running faults.  These went on a clipboard and were added to the work.  Pedals and controls were adjusted and problems were fixed.  It was minor today.  All 6 bikes took a real pounding but brought their riders home.  This degree of professionalism was a shock to me and more so to our UK guests. 

This will happen after every day.  All the bikes will be fettled and readied for the next day.  Everything is there, power, lights, music, shelter, and food.  It is a rolling party, but with discipline, procedures, and rules.  The biggest rule is to have fun.