January Northwoods Motorcycling Fun!

[HarleyCreation]

25) This shot gives you an idea of how deep the snow was. Not really THAT deep, but without chains I wouldn't be going anywhere. Probably why in old photos you see guys who have chains on the back and a ski out front. That would help some. I wasn't joking when I said a Big Twin Servi-Car with more oomph would be nice for winter riding. The old 45-inch flathead is a good little motor but I wouldn't want to ride this Servi-Car to Mexico, esp. since it BADLY needs a new rear chain. Plus of course no highway capability.

[HarleyCreation]

Since it's the last day of March I'd better post the last of my winter pix before the April Violets appear.

26) Here's old Mr. Servi-Car stopped alongside the road by a local lake. Wish I could get out there and do a little buzzing around. Nothing more fun than sliding across a wide expanse of smooth ice. Gosh, lakes are gonna open any time now. Good old global warming!

[HarleyCreation]

27) Sometimes when you're out winter riding you'll find some side-trail to go down you've never explored before. Nobody much is around like in the summer and who knows, you might find that pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow. Kind of looks like it might be down this way!

[HarleyCreation]

28) Your bike or trike will get all snowy too. Pretty well caked on snow sometimes. But that's okay. That's the way Harley-Davidson wanted you to use your machine back when they built motorcycles and not "rolling sculptures."

[HarleyCreation]

29) Here's the last one that I'll post. At least for this winter! Shows black ratty trike by a nice white and red pine plantation with a healthy understory of younger pines. But don't think you've escaped yet, because in a couple weeks I should have some photos of Servi-Car put to a use that Harley-Davidson NEVER EVER DREAMED OF!

[petri]

I'm impressed; riding in all of that snow. Down here in south central Indiana today it has hit 76 deg. I did maintenance on my 78 BMW R100/7 and rode it around a bit. Nothing noteworthy about that compared to your adventures thoughI did have to battle 25 mph winds.
But what I'm really wondering is, what are you hauling around in the cans on the back of the trike?

Howard

[c.o.]

Hey petri.....maybe he has a still back in the woods!!!/// lol///

Seriously though Herb thanks for keeping us posted!!!

[petri]

Well CO as soon as I sent the last message my brain went to work, I think he may have those cans filled with water for ballast to hold that rear end down. On the other hand, I guess any liquid would make good ballast.

Howard

[INLINE4NUT]

HC, your one of a kind!!! You got me thinkin.........If an old HD can do what youve had it do I guess next winter an old Indian better give it a try !!! Lookin forward to next winter! Thanks you made this one shorter!!!

[HarleyCreation]

Petrie:

1978 R100/7 is a nice bike. I know because I really like my 1976 R75/6. I now have an opportunity to get a 1985 K100, altho I am not excited by liquid-cooling.

Might as well do a couple more....

30) Nope: not an official FedEx Servi-Car, but my own 42WLA-powered unit picking a couple of packages. I'm sure you guys will appreciate the fact that bouncing home the packages all came sliding out from under the single bungee cord and I had to balance them on my lap for the rest of the trip home. I've gotten pretty good at that over the years.

[HarleyCreation]

Inline4Nut:

Thanks. It's fun! Can you tell us more about your Indian ice racer? It is a 3rd-wheel job? Year? Hope you are out there next winter. Maybe we can start of movement!

That Chief-powered Indian trike from the late 1930s was really an awesome machine. One is pictured in the Youngblood Indian book. I wonder how many of those were built?

Petrie & CO:

Those "cans" you see is actually an wooden army ammo crate nailed (yes) to the wooden rear box. It is for carrying the tire chains and anything else. Rear end does need weight. With a passenger it goes much better in the snow. Solo I spend a lot of time with the wheels spinning trying to get traction, but that is part of the nutty thrill of winter riding.

31) Poor little 45 trike looks lonely and lost out in snowy forest. But it really enjoys such outings if only its thoughtless owner (me) would buy it a new rear chain which it badly needs. Next winter little G/WL/WLA hybrid I promise! (Sure, just like you promised me rear fenders about ten years ago!)

[petri]

Yes the BMW is a very nice bike and it's almost bullet proof. While it's only 7 years off the mark to be able to participate in AMCA events, somehow I just can't look at it like it's an old antique motorcycle. The bikes I saw when I was a kid are what appeal to me, and that's bikes from the 30's and 40's and 50's. In the meantime I ride the 78 BMW and am happy to have it.

I see from your last picture that the cans are not cans but wooden boxes. I'm trying to remember if the Chicago police used their three wheelers during the winter but I'm not sure. Maybe when there was no snow on the ground.

Thanks for the entertainment this winter.

Howard

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by petri
Yes the BMW is a very nice bike and it's almost bullet proof. While it's only 7 years off the mark to be able to participate in AMCA events, somehow I just can't look at it like it's an old antique motorcycle. The bikes I saw when I was a kid are what appeal to me, and that's bikes from the 30's and 40's and 50's. In the meantime I ride the 78 BMW and am happy to have it.

I see from your last picture that the cans are not cans but wooden boxes. I'm trying to remember if the Chicago police used their three wheelers during the winter but I'm not sure. Maybe when there was no snow on the ground.

Thanks for the entertainment this winter.

Howard

I know what you mean about da Beemers. In some ways my '76 still seems like a "new" bike.

I have no clue how many miles are on mine. The odometer was messed up when I bought it in 1986 or so and the bike had been repainted. After a tranny bearing went out around 1992, my brother wryly commented on the mileage: "Probably more than you want to know."

The tranny bearing is the only trouble it has given me and that I fixed myself. I also installed the Boyer-Branston (sic) electronic ignition and that was a good update. Came with Luftmeister faring and Lester mag wheels, plastic bags and box so it is very road worthy.

How is yours set up?

What do you think of the K100?

PS: I think the Chicago P.D. did use Servi-Cars all winter. Thanks for the interest in the winter pix. It was fun.

[petri]

Came with Luftmeister faring and Lester mag wheels, plastic bags and box so it is very road worthy.

Hi Herb;

Well it sounds like we have very similar setups. I have the Lester Mags and the Luftmeister fairing as well along with the luggage and trunk box. I am the second owner and bought it in 2000. It was immaculately kept by the previous owner but wasn't being ridden much. There was only 25K miles on it.

There were a lot of aftermarket accessories that came with it. New Corbin seat I don't use, a bates ride off stand that broke and I removed, Fagema tank pad and bag some of which I do use. There were S&W air shocks on the back that gave up so I reinstalled the original shocks. There was an air fork conversion that I also removed from the front. I want to get the thing back to original. He had bent the bars narrow for some reason so I bought a set of R100RT touring bars and some bar backs rather than the standard bars. There is a headlight modulator, gauges, and even a new oil cooler that was never installed. I have all the original paperwork and many magazine articles he collected on the 78-79 BMW.

As I said and you know, you can go anywhere on these bikes but they don't stir the soul like the Indians, Harleys, Excelsiors, Crockers, etc from before the war.

I don't know a thing about the BMW fours and have never ridden one. I like the twin because it's at least a venerable old design that evolved right up into modern times.

Howard

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by petri


Hi Herb;

Well it sounds like we have very similar setups. I have the Lester Mags and the Luftmeister fairing as well along with the luggage and trunk box. I am the second owner and bought it in 2000. It was immaculately kept by the previous owner but wasn't being ridden much. There was only 25K miles on it.

There were a lot of aftermarket accessories that came with it. New Corbin seat I don't use, a bates ride off stand that broke and I removed, Fagema tank pad and bag some of which I do use. There were S&W air shocks on the back that gave up so I reinstalled the original shocks. There was an air fork conversion that I also removed from the front. I want to get the thing back to original. He had bent the bars narrow for some reason so I bought a set of R100RT touring bars and some bar backs rather than the standard bars. There is a headlight modulator, gauges, and even a new oil cooler that was never installed. I have all the original paperwork and many magazine articles he collected on the 78-79 BMW.

As I said and you know, you can go anywhere on these bikes but they don't stir the soul like the Indians, Harleys, Excelsiors, Crockers, etc from before the war.

I don't know a thing about the BMW fours and have never ridden one. I like the twin because it's at least a venerable old design that evolved right up into modern times.

Howard

Yeah, our BMWs do sound similar. Mine also has an aftermarket seat (don't know the brand but it is a "bucket" style which I don't really like). Mine also has a ride-off stand, but I don't think it's Bates, rather I want to say Reynolds (sic) if they made one. Cruise control too which is nice coming off from dead throttle bikes, which really was better.

I feel the same way about BMW vs. the "real" motorcycles you named. The BMW is a wonderfully engineered machine in many respects, but after riding loud vibrating oil-leaking v-twins it has almost ZERO personality by compariosn -- but in a good way. Frankly I like its quietness. Easier to sneak around, escape being noticed, find stealth campsites, and generally avoiding "the man."

I would not have much interest in a K100 except that a friend is ill and wants to give me a good deal. Like your bike he has all the literature and all the paperwork since new. What I'll do is take it out for an entire day and ride far into the countryside up NW of Milw. to see if it is a "good fit" as Bill Davidson said. I'll put it "over the hurdles" as Bill Harley once instructed Squibby, Dan, and Frank to do. I'll visit some of my old haunts on it and try to pick up some vibes, and generally try to get a "feel" for it. I did want one more "new" bike in my life and a 1985 model BMW with 33,000 miles is certainly new by our standards.