New Years Eve 2015

New Years Eve. A time of reflection, and one of anticipation. Its quiet in the shop now, with the lights down low, kind of peaceful. Its nice to kick it in neutral once in a while, because it starts again tomorrow. A new challenge for 2016.

The Motorcycle Cannonball 2016, the Race Of The Century. Only bikes 100 years and older are eligible. The route will run from Atlantic City to San Diego. We will cross the Appalachians and again head into Cape Girardeau on the mighty Mississippi. Following the plains of Kansas, we will enter some of my favorite riding areas in our country. Southwestern Colorado, Four Corners, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, and into San Diego. 16 days. 100 + entrants. Should be spectacular!

The bar is set high this year. The rules state the bikes must be 100 years old, along with most components. Brake and tires can be upgraded for safety, but the core of the bike must be pre 1916. I am lucky to have a complete, 1914 Indian, and my intention is to honor the design by attempting this ride in as close to original condition as possible. Some items will obviously have to be rebuilt, but the original design standard will be closely followed. These designs are part of our early motorized transportation history. A time when engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs were creating something new, and no one knew the "right" answer. A time of trial and error, without computers, that I find fascinating. The following decades would see tremendous advances in technology, but the 1914 Indian on my bench was as good as it got a century ago.