I am bummed they started in N.C. , and are now heading west. There have been a few vintage car events that have ended in Key West. Always worth going to see. This event only allows 1915 and earlier motorcycles. I wish I was on the route and could check it out. The closest a vintage machine fan can go without a Delorean and a flux capacitor.
Anyway, if you are into old bikes, check to see if the cannonball is coming your way.
Gotta love you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciMpPD7LOZU&feature=player_embedded#!
I didn’t have to miss it completely. I watched a guy who started a 1917 Indian once. It’s was like watching my grandma dance the Charleston. Only rustier. When I asked why such a valuable old motorcycle had not been restored, (seriously, 1/4 of the tank paint had rusted off), people gasped. A gentleman took me aside, (we were at Mid Ohio vintage show), and told me that that was what happened to all the other 1917 Indians that could run. Who wouldn’t ? Bad paint, a wire brush, repaint. After this very polite chastisement, I went back to look at the only 1917 Indian running on earth at that time. And quite possibly the only one with original factory paint, that will ever run again.
The “leave original deterioration or restore” question can invoke strong feelings in some people. Obviously the ideal is for things to be original and in good condition, but if things are to be used then that situation can’t last forever - eventually something wears out or breaks or corrodes or gets damaged. Personally I’d rather see a restored (or even modified) machine in use than something falling apart and treated like a museum piece for the sake of utter originality. But I can also see the point of wanting to preserve originality in very rare machines.
Nice line-up, although I’m really more into cars than (motor)bikes.
The bike nearest the camera looks to have a modern bicycle disc brake on the front wheel…
Rob
Everybody felt the same as you. That’s why there are so few originals left. I think we all agree that the over restored vintage bikes look the best to a normal eye. But if you repaint the tank of an original 1917 Indian, you destroy a lot of $ value, to serious collectors. Just as having a super rare coin means a lot more $ than just it’s gold content, if you own one of the last 3 Flying Merkels (one of the best motorcycle names ever), on earth with factory paint, millionaires will bid generously for it. If it is one of the several 100 decent restored Merkels, they will still pay plenty, but not pee on themselves with excitement to do so.
The bikes in the Cannonball are encouraged to run modern brakes for safety reasons. I suspect that riders who had a bike with an original tank, left it on a shelf at home and used a much cheaper repainted tank. Or even a replica tank. I would suspect the supply of OEM parts for 1915 Harleys etc. didn’t last much past WW1. They are quite loose in their race rules about allowing reproduction parts.
I just wanted to post it here on the off chance anyone was on the route and was interested. Only a few days left before they get to CA.
Seeing ancient engines run is always kinda fun for me. The valve gear is all exposed (I think for better cooling of their primitive metallurgy springs). Lot’s of moving parts, noises and puffs of smoke from the valve guides. Half circus, 1/4 motor, 1/4 bicycle.
Free Coker tires !
While, I guess there may be more cross over between sports than I would have guessed by reading this thread.
As I write this, the Cannonball rally is at Coker tires in TN. The owner of Coker is giving out free tires !
Read to the third paragraph in this link.
I was off by 6 days
They stayed at Coker tire last week. This links to the vid, last at the bottom.
I only saw 3 36 inch tires, but it was a vid about something else.
Note a short part where a blonde woman rides by on a 1915 Harley. The wife of Doobie Brothers lead vocalist, she is in the Race. He is part of her support crew. With their first new album in 10 years coming out soon (a fact promoted on the cannonball site), it makes me wonder where the background music from this clip is from ?
Anyway, enjoy a tour of the Coker works. It is not a far stretch to imagine that the love of ancient machines evident in the facility, lead to a business dedicated to making small lots of tires unique machines needed. Leading to the first modern production air tired 36 uni. In with the old, then out with the new.
Someday you should try to get to the Old Car Show at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. I don’t know if they still do it they way they used to, but on Saturday they would have vehicles up to 1925, and Sunday would be 1926 and later. All must drive in and drive out, and there would be some fun driving events, such as a run across the field with a passenger trying to pop balloons with a nail on a stick while they drive by. This would usually end up in some reversing if they missed one. You never know which ancient vehicle would be the winner!
Most of the motorized vehicles in the museum are supposed to be in running condition, or close to it. Also, that Old Car Show event used to include a bicycle element as well, with the Wheelmen on every type of hundred-year-old human powered conveyance you could think of, some beautifully restored (and some all original and beat-looking). 
1896 steam bike
The oldest thing I’ve seen yet. Actually, a modern reproduction. I wonder if something like a steam bike might sell in the future, if fuel oil prices rise high enough ? In many low income rural areas, homemade charcoal might seem much more attractive than expensive gas. Fuel costs may change, but people will find a way to keep riding after we run out of gasoline. Maybe a way like they used before there was gasoline ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t93QlgBu4Is&feature=player_embedded#!
Well, the race is over
A tight finish it was. 10 bikes had perfect scores, 1 point for every mile they didn’t ride in the chase van. The tie breaker ? The overall victory went to a 1913 Excelsior (for you young ones, that was from before they merged with Henderson). In a tie, the oldest bike wins, and the 1913 Excelsior was the oldest bike with a perfect score.
In the multi cylinder, 3 speed class, things were also a bit murkier. 6 bikes had perfect scores. All were 1915’s. The tie breaker ? The rule in this case was to give the class victory to the oldest rider.
I’m really getting to like vintage racing. I always wanted to win a motorcycle race, but I worried I was getting to old. Now, it looks like all I need to do is get an old bike, wait until we are both really old = victory ! I have a workable plan !