Our plan was to go to the Vintage show at Moon Motorsports. I got to mom and Mikes around 9 am, and we waited for Larry until about noon. Off to a good start.
While we waited we were making sure the bikes were working right. We started the Indian up - running great. Mike started his Harley - and all of a sudden gas was pooling out. All over. So we cut off the line to the gas and turn if off - obviously. But then of course Mike wants to start it up again - to figure out where exactly the gas is coming from. This makes sense - would else would we (okay he) figure out where the gas was coming from to fix the issue. But the kicker here is...did he think to put anything to collect the extra gas that was going everywhere? Nope. So quickly Mom of course, made that happen. Often when things like this happen - I just take a step back and giggle to myself by how truly funny this is. How Mom will anticipate what he will do and then come to the rescue. Don't get me wrong - it works both ways.
So we (okay -- Mike, I was just there and holding some tools and trying to help) found that it was coming from the top of the float bowl. (I had to do some research to figure out what this was call - who would have thought it was named something so simple?) To be fair... I did know it was connected to the carburetor because..well, we did have to to loosen that up. So AS MUCH as mom and Mike think I'm not paying attention - I am. Anywho... thinking there may have been dirt in there Mike cleaned it out, put it back together and so on. We turned it on and it still was overflowing. So Mike decided to just start the bike up without the gas turned on (he had some left in the bowl) and drove it ...hoping that would just cause it to dislodge and work. BY GOLLY it worked!
Larry got to the house, I do feel like something was going on with his bike. Unfortunately, I just can't remember what it was. Tinkering for sure.
So we are getting ready to leave and here I am trying to kick start the Indian. I swear I am trying everything in my power to kick it. But nothing - I am already running out of strength from doing it. Needless to say I need to learn the exact timing of this. I would also like to point out I am not a weak person. I also have been watching YouTube videos. Laugh all you want.
So we start off and get a few blocks away and I can't shift! I realize the connection between the pedal for the clutch and the actual clutch got disconnected, so I don't know enough that I'm just shit out of luck. Anyway, I stop and at least I KNOW whats wrong. Thats a step in the right direction. But then Mike comes up and tells me to jump on his bike and drive back to the house. Seems simple right? WRONG! His Harley is opposite of the Indian. The clutch is on the same foot - but it's opposite - so to engage it's the opposite way than on the Indian. And then I had just learned to drive with the throttle on the left hand - so had to quickly adjust to the right. And the shifter is on the left versus the right. So I was very focused on how the Indian works that it was extremely tough to adjust.
Anyway- - Mike fixed that quickly and we were off. Only it took us a million years to get there because I kept killing the motorcycle. And I couldn't start it by myself because I couldn't kick start it. ( did get it like twice in a row - I was very impressed with myself ). I would like to point out that my first ride not in neighborhood was right through some construction. NO BIG DEAL!!!!!! Oh and traffic and then to top it off some gravel. Lets just throw everything at Brianna right away when she's just trying to learn to not kill the motorcycle.
I did however, catch the mirror of the motorcycle when it fell out in the midst of the drive. So ultimately that was a huge success.
We finally got to the place, I didn't kill anyone riding into the show area. Mike and I did lose Larry and Tony just briefly, this time.
We saw some cool bikes and spent some time talking with people. People did think our bikes were cool - because they are. haha.
Anyway... we are on our way back to the house and actually it was going super great. I felt like I knew what was going on - except for one time when I didn't get it quite in the right gear. From the sounds of it, the bikes sounded good. I didn't kill the motorcycle NEARLY as much. Partly because I got better and not fully stopping at stop signs... shhhhh. ( I did hear from others this is the way to go ).
Anytime I would kill the motorcycle it would typically take me forever because I would need help getting it started or it would be at like a stop light. Some often Larry or Mike would be in front and they would have turned around by then because they noticed I wasn't behind them (they are so nice and patient) and then we'd see each other as I was so nicely riding by after they had turned around. Whoops!
Toward the end of the ride - it was Mike, me, then Larry and Tony. Ultimately, I knew we had lost Larry and Tony A LOT sooner than Mike noticed. I mean I feel like it was at least 7 minutes if not more. I had absolutely no way of signaling to Mike that we had lost them. He finally notices and we pull over. The lady in the house across the street asks if we are okay - that was nice of her. We wait 3 or more minutes and decide that they likely took a different route or missed the turn. We head back to the house.
I was happy I made it. I just laid on the grass like a sack of potatoes. Mike jumped on the BMW to find Larry and Tony. It turns out that Larry ran out of GAS!!!! Mind you - we filled up on our way there, and we had maybe gone 30 miles.
We eventually all made it safe. I do hope we have better luck in days to come. We worked on the bikes some more. I was sore from head to toe the next day and had bruises all over my legs.
Apparently, this will be how the Cannonball goes. Mike will be leading the pack but not paying attention to if we are following. Larry can't see his Garmin or the route chart and I will be just too preoccupied with driving that I won't be paying attention to directions or the Garmin. Team Butts for the win!
xoxo breezy
