Much progress has been made on the two machines that Wayne Stanfield and I will be riding in the Cannonball Run this coming September 2010. For those of you who haven't heard yet, the Cannonball Run, which was set up by my good friend Lonnie Isam, Jr. of Sturgis, SD, is a coast-to-coast motorcycle run for machine made before 1916. So far over 50 riders are entered, and for the last several months, everyone has been working hard to get their machines into tip-top running shape.

The Cannonball will be no easy race to win. As a matter of fact, it will be extremely difficult to even finish. Approximately 3400 miles on a nearly 100 year old machine.....

The route has been set, as Lonnie got the help of world famous rally organizer, John Classen. The route, which stretches east to west, from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to Santa Monica, CA was chosen for several reasons, including mileage, road condition/type, weather trend, etc. Keep in mind that the machines we're riding, most of which were never meant to sustain speeds over 35 or 40 mph, are not meant for any road. The route had to be carefully chosen, and John did a great job of putting it all together.

Over the past few months, Matt and I have been working hard to get the machines that Wayne and I will be running back into roadworthy shape. Both are 1915 Harleys, one restored, and one original. The first step for both machines was an engine rebuilt. Although I had been into one of the engines before, it never hurts to take everything down and have another fresh start. So that's what we did. I've been comparing several different components from similar years, including pistons, cylinders, cams, valve pockets, etc, in an effort to find a great combination that will produce enough power, but not too much. The idea here is endurance, and often, the lower compression, detuned motors have the ability to stay together longer than, say, a hot rod stroker. Sure, the stroker would be faster, but I hold the belief that Harley-Davidson knew how to get the most out of their machines back then. Their main goal in those days was durability and reliability, and that's exactly what the Cannonball Run is all about.

We've also been brainstorming as to what chassis adjustments we should make to try to gain an extra advantage. For example, we're changing the handlebars to be more accommodating to long distance riding. The original style handlebars are very hard on the wrists, and offer much less control than later style bars. Aiming to get our hands in front of us, as opposed to underneath us, we decided on a set of Duo-glide buckhorn style bars. With a more forward set of foot controls, the riding position would be revolutionized--comfortable, with plenty of control.

We also decided to run a set of smaller wheels. The early teens bikes have such a higher center of gravity. By running 26" tires instead of 28"s, we can drop the machine down a bit, and make it much more road friendly. Combine that with interchangable gearing on the rear hub, and these machines will be ready to go anywhere.

We'll be continuing to work on these machines for several more months, so stay tuned for whats next.