Kitty Hawk, NC

 Today was a low key day. At 0900 Kelsey and Sean came around to write down our vin numbers. To assure we keep the same one, and that it's an appropriate year. As you know these bikes have to be 100+ years old. 

At this time, Jerry was working on his valve. Him and Scott got up early and hit the NAPA store for whatever they need. When I came out, Jerry quickly said "we need Joe, lets go wake him up." I reassured him that Joe wouldn't be far behind me as we just had breakfast. Jerry thanked Joe probably close to 10 times today. I am not 100% sure what they did, but they needed Joe and his fabrication skills. 

Mike told me the things I should do. I checked to make sure I had enough oil in my tranny. Then he thought I should change my chains. You'd think we would have put new chains on right away when we put chains on the bike when we were putting it all together. I guess that is my bad, because we didn't do that. Instead we put the same chains that Mike used on the 2021 Motorcycle Cannonball, where again, it went across the country. So, I learned how to do that. 

If you haven't ever put a chain on an old motorcycle... let me tell you, it is a long process. I kind of thought you'd just put it on and you'd be good to go. BOY was I wrong. First you have to take the primary cover off. But before you do that, you have to detach the clutch link, and then the floor board. THEN after that you can remove the primary cover. I tried to keep all of the washers, pins and nuts in a correct formation so I'd place them in the correct spot when I put it back together - well, it worked slightly, but things still got a little messed up. 

After the primary cover is off, you have to remove the old chains. You have to master the master link. See what I did there? Hardy har har.  We loosened the tranny, because we usually have to adjust that to get the correct "snugness". Then we get the new ones out, and you have to measure them. You can't really explain the exact point of how loose you want it, but how tight you want it. It's a feel. So, we do the best guess of where we want it to be. Then we have to grind down the poker things, then poke out the links. Then we put it on! Writing it, it doesn't seem like it should take that long, but it does. We then adjust it with the tranny and bolt that down again. 

Then it's on to the back chain. Measure it, loosing then wheel and the thingers to move it backward and forward. grind, poke. Once you get the chain at the tightness you want it at, then you make sure that both sides of the wheel are equal so that your tire isn't wheeling weird. In other words, making sure that your back wheel is in proper alinement. Then you tighten everything back up.

I put the primary cover back on. Then connect the foot board, Reconnect the clutch. 

BUT now I have to make sure that I can shift okay. You know that thing that Joe and I worked on the day before? Yea ... we now had to do that again. I have become a professional on this. Mike didn't believe me when I said I knew what I was doing. But I did. We did have to adjust it a little. And then also make sure the brake still works good enough. 

I don't think Larry had to do much to his bike. Nor did Scott or Mike. 

By that time, I needed a break. I needed to hydrate. 

The guys went to do a practice route. They went to Jeannette's pier took some old time pictures. I decided to stay back, practice my stopping to go. I feel slightly more comfortable with that. Then I took a trip to the beach because I hadn't been there yet. I read a little bit, then got distracted by crabs. See video below for some greatness. 

We had the beginning banquet this evening. We headed there. I learned the North Caroline uses waaaaaay more vinegar on their BBQ pork than I have ever known. We got to see some of the people we haven't gotten to see because we are at different hotels. 

Sean told a great story about Avis and Effie Hotchkiss and mother daughter duo who took some water from the ocean and brought it across the United States in 1915. I think they dumped the water in the other side of the ocean when they got there. So, they gave us a small jar and we put ocean water into it. 

I could go on a little bit more about things that happened, maybe I will tomorrow if I have time. You aren't missing too much. But we have to be up EXTREMELY early. Like 430 am to ride. 

"Groupie"

Mike is special, he wears his helmet when he's not riding

xoxo breezy