Motorcycle trip diary 1916 - Page 14

Stretch67 · 07-09-2007, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrtclMn001

"closed the muffler"

?

Exhaust cutout, perhaps?

http://www.quicktimeperformance.com/QTEC/index.php

20scout · 07-09-2007, 03:30 PM

Hi all!

I'm new to this site but was directed to it by one of my friends about this thread. Fantastic story but only one of many that I know of. Still I get excited at every one I come across. Being that I only ride old Indians, I can appreciate what he was going through. Rode modern bikes for years but got rid of them after I got hooked on "rust".

I have a 1917 and can tell you that he had one heck of an adventure. Like most of you know, no or few road signs, few places to eat or sleep, poor roads (if you could call them that) and few places to get parts. On the other hand, most country people wher happy to lend a hand if you needed it, weather you needed a meal or a place to sleep. The 1916 Indian Powerplus was the top of the line motorcycle of the time and I know of several people who have gone cross country on them recently.

The Antique Motorcycle Club of America does several road runs per year all accross the country. To re-create this run would be a major undertaking, more so with that vintage of a bike. First, you would have to find a bike. They are out there but not cheap! Then you would have to learn how to ride it (ya, right you say...been riding for years!!). Well Indian has LEFT hand throttle, RIGHT had spark advance, RIGHT hand shift, LEFT hand foot clutch and RIGHT foot rear brake. Oh, did I forget to mention that there is NO front brake??? BIG differance from modern sport bikes.

Of course riding is only half of it. Next you have to learn how to fix this old girl. The old saying is "work on it all week long for a 15 minute ride on the weekend" is SO true when dealing with old bikes. If it was a fresh restoration, perhaps not so much as the parts are new and not so tired. The list could go on but I think the ride would be better with more modern bikes at a slower pace as earlier suggested.

Next time you get a chance to view an antique bike, remember that this could be the grandfather to what you are riding today.

Great story!! Please keep up the good work!!!!

20scout · 07-09-2007, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch67

Exhaust cutout, perhaps?

http://www.quicktimeperformance.com/QTEC/index.php

Yes, they had cutouts because some towns had ordinaces against loud motorised vehicals.

Stretch67 · 07-09-2007, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20scout

Yes, they had cutouts because some towns had ordinaces against loud motorised vehicals.

Cool. Thanks.

I'd be happy to participate in a portion of this ride, but I'll be doing it on my old-style 2005 Tiger, thanks.

WaywardSon · 07-09-2007, 04:00 PM

Cannot thank you enough for taking the time to do this! It is really a treat to be able to look back in time like this and only imagine the hardships this rider had to have gone through to make this ride. And at 16 yet!

Thanks so much for sharing.

JJMSP · 07-09-2007, 04:12 PM

Thanks for the story -

Jeffy · 07-09-2007, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crooked roads

I see the family related to him every couple weeks I'll ask . For all I know bike may be in barn. (don't even ask I'll take it

) Family related has passed thier farm down 7 generations, lots of old stuff there.

That would be cool if you could meet his family. Who know they might have the bike hidden someplace but not know it.

Have you considered scanning the actual pages? I'm sure we'd all love to see them also.

PrtclMn001 · 07-09-2007, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20scout

Yes, they had cutouts because some towns had ordinaces against loud motorised vehicals.

interesting.

thanks

Wout67 · 07-09-2007, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrtclMn001

Aw, poor doggie.

and he just kept riding?

Holy schnikes!!

crooked roads · 07-09-2007, 05:32 PM

chance of getting thru or............around it. I would hate like everything to have to go back to Martinville and let those fellow laugh at me and say " I told you so" I found a little foot path that went out into the woods on the left hand side of the road. I figured that maybe this path was use by people walking to, get around the mud hole. I thought well it won't hurt to try it. I got on the motor and started out on the path...........page 45........It zizzaged around in the woods a little and then I was on the road again! I was very pleasantly supprised!I look back and I saw the awful mud hole. Sure enough ,I had gone around it. Aftera few more little things like that I arrived at Rocky Mount,Va.( a town of about 500-1,000people , 28 miles from Roanoke,Va.) I stopped at the town grocery store and made a lot of fuss with my engine. It looked like...........page 46........everybody in town came out to meet me,and they all stood around and looked at me. Just like they would stand when a circus would come to town. One fellow steped up to me and said "where in the hell did you come from!?" I said "oh i just poped up out of the ground". Silence! Then he said "well you look like it." Then more silince! Then another...................

Wout67 · 07-09-2007, 05:39 PM

unbelievable.

Plows into a dog at 45mph, keeps going, blows off the warnings of a couple of guys stuck in the mud, outruns a tornado, sinks to the gastank (pratically) in a mudhole, fires up the bike (while still in the mud), rides out and just blows it off like it's just another day at the office.

Hey, even Obi Wan Kenobi just about gave up in conditions nowhere NEAR this!

This guy's my new hero.

Stretch67 · 07-09-2007, 06:07 PM

The Force is indeed strong with this one.

crooked roads · 07-09-2007, 08:09 PM

Then another..............fellow came up to me and said," I am asking you like a gentleman. Would you be so kind to inform us as to the place you have come from. I said " I will do so with great pleasure, I came from Charlotte N.C. this morning, but I have had the most delightful ride from Martinsville here,the country was beautiful, the seanery was magnificent and there was no dust on the road"..........

Stretch67 · 07-09-2007, 08:12 PM

"No dust"

Truckin_Thumper · 07-09-2007, 08:19 PM

07-09-2007, 04:00 PM	#200
WaywardSon Beastly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2006 Location: Paducah, Kentucky Oddometer: 1,138	Just fantastic Cannot thank you enough for taking the time to do this! It is really a treat to be able to look back in time like this and only imagine the hardships this rider had to have gone through to make this ride. And at 16 yet! Thanks so much for sharing. __________________ '99 K1200 LT '96 R1100 RT- Gone '95 K1100 LT- Gone '83 Yamaha Venture- Gone '78 Suzuki GS 750- Gone

07-09-2007, 04:12 PM	#201
JJMSP Cervicalgia Joined: Feb 2006 Location: on the horns of a dilemma Oddometer: 1,476	Thanks for the story - __________________ JJ V-strom 650k6 Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. ~ T.S. Elliot Save $5 when you join smugmug! use code yvtwmtzwtnSZA

07-09-2007, 05:32 PM	#205
crooked roads ^OP I'm back Joined: May 2007 Location: Crooked road va. Oddometer: 843	Page 44 chance of getting thru or............around it. I would hate like everything to have to go back to Martinville and let those fellow laugh at me and say " I told you so" I found a little foot path that went out into the woods on the left hand side of the road. I figured that maybe this path was use by people walking to, get around the mud hole. I thought well it won't hurt to try it. I got on the motor and started out on the path...........page 45........It zizzaged around in the woods a little and then I was on the road again! I was very pleasantly supprised!I look back and I saw the awful mud hole. Sure enough ,I had gone around it. Aftera few more little things like that I arrived at Rocky Mount,Va.( a town of about 500-1,000people , 28 miles from Roanoke,Va.) I stopped at the town grocery store and made a lot of fuss with my engine. It looked like...........page 46........everybody in town came out to meet me,and they all stood around and looked at me. Just like they would stand when a circus would come to town. One fellow steped up to me and said "where in the hell did you come from!?" I said "oh i just poped up out of the ground". Silence! Then he said "well you look like it." Then more silince! Then another...................

07-09-2007, 05:39 PM	#206
Wout67 Beastly Adventurer Joined: May 2007 Location: Portland, OR Oddometer: 1,380	unbelievable. Plows into a dog at 45mph, keeps going, blows off the warnings of a couple of guys stuck in the mud, outruns a tornado, sinks to the gastank (pratically) in a mudhole, fires up the bike (while still in the mud), rides out and just blows it off like it's just another day at the office. Hey, even Obi Wan Kenobi just about gave up in conditions nowhere NEAR this! This guy's my new hero. __________________ The thing about quotes on the internet is that you can never confirm their validity. - Abraham Lincoln www.iamsecond.com

07-09-2007, 06:07 PM	#207
Stretch67 Mad Scientist Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Bent, but not broken Oddometer: 3,158	The Force is indeed strong with this one. __________________ IBA # 33113 Alaska 2007 Blue Ridge Parkway & Outer Banks 2009 XR400 Thread Index

07-09-2007, 03:30 PM	#197
20scout Adventurer Joined: Jul 2007 Oddometer: 36	Hi all! I'm new to this site but was directed to it by one of my friends about this thread. Fantastic story but only one of many that I know of. Still I get excited at every one I come across. Being that I only ride old Indians, I can appreciate what he was going through. Rode modern bikes for years but got rid of them after I got hooked on "rust". I have a 1917 and can tell you that he had one heck of an adventure. Like most of you know, no or few road signs, few places to eat or sleep, poor roads (if you could call them that) and few places to get parts. On the other hand, most country people wher happy to lend a hand if you needed it, weather you needed a meal or a place to sleep. The 1916 Indian Powerplus was the top of the line motorcycle of the time and I know of several people who have gone cross country on them recently. The Antique Motorcycle Club of America does several road runs per year all accross the country. To re-create this run would be a major undertaking, more so with that vintage of a bike. First, you would have to find a bike. They are out there but not cheap! Then you would have to learn how to ride it (ya, right you say...been riding for years!!). Well Indian has LEFT hand throttle, RIGHT had spark advance, RIGHT hand shift, LEFT hand foot clutch and RIGHT foot rear brake. Oh, did I forget to mention that there is NO front brake??? BIG differance from modern sport bikes. Of course riding is only half of it. Next you have to learn how to fix this old girl. The old saying is "work on it all week long for a 15 minute ride on the weekend" is SO true when dealing with old bikes. If it was a fresh restoration, perhaps not so much as the parts are new and not so tired. The list could go on but I think the ride would be better with more modern bikes at a slower pace as earlier suggested. Next time you get a chance to view an antique bike, remember that this could be the grandfather to what you are riding today. Great story!! Please keep up the good work!!!!

07-09-2007, 08:09 PM	#208
crooked roads ^OP I'm back Joined: May 2007 Location: Crooked road va. Oddometer: 843	page 47 Then another..............fellow came up to me and said," I am asking you like a gentleman. Would you be so kind to inform us as to the place you have come from. I said " I will do so with great pleasure, I came from Charlotte N.C. this morning, but I have had the most delightful ride from Martinsville here,the country was beautiful, the seanery was magnificent and there was no dust on the road"..........

07-09-2007, 08:12 PM	#209
Stretch67 Mad Scientist Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Bent, but not broken Oddometer: 3,158	"No dust" __________________ IBA # 33113 Alaska 2007 Blue Ridge Parkway & Outer Banks 2009 XR400 Thread Index

07-09-2007, 08:19 PM	#210
Truckin_Thumper low profile Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Houston,TX Oddometer: 26,020	__________________ MC MC MC MC P/U MC MC Semi MC MC MC Car MC MC

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