So who is riding on the Cannonball?

[sirhrmechanic]

A recent flight to Daytona...

Cheers,

Sirhr

[wlwood]

You can find our first Cannonball post on the ground from Daytona Beach in the News section of the AMCA website. We'll get a full count of riders at the official start this morning, but at this point it looks as though the number of pre-’37 bikes attempting the 4,000-mile route to Tacoma, Washington, may be in the high 90s. For purposes of comparison, when the first Cannonball ran in 2010, there were 44 bikes that started the ride on the first day.

Bill Wood

[Hollywood]

The start of the Cannonball...sent to me by Scott Wages...running Carl's '36

Cannonball Start...Scott Pic.jpg

[wlwood]

You can check out the latest entry of our live Cannonball coverage here, but here's the short version: Rain!

It poured in Lake City, Florida, where we spent Friday night. Actually, that's an understatement. Apparently, the National Weather Service is saying that the weather system that developed over Lake City yesterday and then just sat there for what is now about a day and a half actually has a chance to turn into a Tropical Depression!

As you'll see from the photos, the hotel parking lot turned into a river, and the organizers had to cancel the morning route and tell everybody they could have their crews haul them and their bikes to the lunch stop. A few riders decided to go for it anyway (Tom McBride, in response to your question, the only person I can confirm is Matt Olsen, who I saw just as we got out of the downpour, but I'll see if I can get more names.)

Right now, we're in Columbus, Georgia, and it's dry. But there's about a 60% chance of rain here today, and about a 30% chance in Chattanooga, TN, where we're headed tonight.

Bill Wood

[sirhrmechanic]

Bill:

I've been checking the blog daily and your entries are wonderfully-written! Great job.

I've wanted to do the Cannonball for years. As I live vicariously through a couple of friends on the trip... I am seriously tempted to enter in 2016 (busy preparing for a speed record attempt next summer...)

Cheers and thanks, Bill, for your wonderful coverage!

Sirhr

[Tom McBride]

Bill,
I'll speak for us all lurking from the comfort of our homes; we appreciate ALL the details you tirelessly provide to our voracious appetites in all things Cannonball.
Much appreciated SIR!
Tom McBride

[Tom McBride]

As you'll see from the photos, the hotel parking lot turned into a river, and the organizers had to cancel the morning route and tell everybody they could have their crews haul them and their bikes to the lunch stop. A few riders decided to go for it anyway (Tom McBride, in response to your question, the only person I can confirm is Matt Olsen, who I saw just as we got out of the downpour, but I'll see if I can get more names.)
Bill Wood

Thanks Bill~ that doesn't surprise me at all!
Great work on ALL info-Thanks!

[36 knuck man]

I am wondering which is the best blog to follow for current up to date info, thanks for all your help, Larry

[bill hakanson]

This is probably the best coverage site for the motorcycle Cannonball this year: http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/ind...t01returnid=97

[Tom McBride]

I am wondering which is the best blog to follow for current up to date info, thanks for all your help, Larry

I've never been a Facebook fan and find that I am too busy a person to "Lurk" BUT for the Cannonball, (I have found that I am in the minority).
There are TONS of people posting and good information too capturing and sharing these incredible memories for all to enjoy!
I cannot believe I am saying this but you should check out Facebook.....(Makes my skin crawl) Hahahah

[Steve Slocombe]

Wow, eighteen VLs doing the Cannonball and some of them blowing head gaskets. Hope they're not using those blue teflon ones. The secret is to start with flat surfaces, clean out the cylinder threads with a 7/16" x 16 tpi tap, grease the gaskets, pull down to 65 pound feet torque, then tighten down again by hand right after the engine gets hot for the first time. Good luck to all our riders.

[wlwood]

Steve:

I can definitely report seeing blowing blue teflon gaskets coming out of some engines. In one case, I've seen the blown gasket replaced with JB Weld on the side of the road. In another case, high-temp RTV was used. Both of those seemed to work better than the blue gasket.

Bill

[Steve Slocombe]

Thanks Bill and by the way it's usually the front cylinder that runs hot on the VL, as the rear is cooled by the oil thrown up by the flywheels, which rotate clockwise seen from the right hand side.

[fillibuster]

Thanks Bill and by the way it's usually the front cylinder that runs hot on the VL, as the rear is cooled by the oil thrown up by the flywheels, which rotate clockwise seen from the right hand side.

Bill, much thanks for "looking under the hood" in your reports. Racing and endurance tests have historically brought out the weak points in machinery, and we like to follow up with analyses to help avert similar problems. Recall inn Cannonball I it seemed to be those ancient magneto's (and tires!), C-II i can't remember....

Steve, it seems to me that our best "wrench" guys always declare that the front cylinder works harder ("nature of the beast", the front cylinder has more interval between power strokes), and would normally be cylinder that incurs the higher temps. This is with the V-twins, of course; 4-cyls say the vulnerable cylinder is #-3. ....
If the rear gets hotter, would it be a timing error? or valve? ... Also, the copper head gaskets seem to be good so long as heads and cylinder surfaces are "flat", free of warp, ... any comments there?

[Tom Lovejoy]

Bill, thanks for your up dates - great reading :-)