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+--- Thread: Victor's pre Cannonball run (/showthread.php?tid=220)
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - 10E - 06-08-2010 02:48 PM
hello
I can't let too much time go without saying another word of thanks.
The ride was made possible by a lot of people who all contributed in their own way. They really did make it lot of fun and enjoyment preparing for the ride, and during the ride.
Dave Kafton from Lodi Ca. is the one who can take alot of the credit in helping the ride be so successful. His ideas and impeccable workmanship in preparing the mechanical side of the bike, specially the engine deserves alot of praise. You Cannonballers will have the pleasure of seeing Dave's work in Sept. when he shows up with his Harley Davidson single.
You are in for a treat. I know it's a plug, but your bike will be in very safe hands with Dave.
Thanks again everbody. Got to go back to work
Victor
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - Iron Dinosaur - 06-10-2010 08:49 PM
Hey guys,
I finally got the videos of Victor uploaded to YouTube. There are 2 links, one of him in action on his way to my house, and another of him after a night's worth of wrenching and getting it dialed in for the last stretch home.
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - cory - 06-10-2010 10:07 PM
Thanks!!!
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - 10E - 06-11-2010 10:12 AM
Hello
My thoughts.
First priority, Large vibrartion free ( or best possible) rear view mirror and the discipline to keep looking in it, remember you are the slowest vehicle on the road, except for the those 3 spedd rocket ships. The mirror is a life saver.
Second priority, A comfortable seat. I ws in the saddle between 8-13 hours a day for 13 days. I used two bicycle gell seats on top of the normal seat, kinda works, i used one in the end, seem to work better, maybe your arse just as to harden up to the seat time.
Someone asked about what carb float I used. As mentioned we all know about the modern gas. I used a float from Compitition Distributing, no problems at all with float. it did stick once but that was a needle problem, I did take a complete set of fuel lines with me because of the potential for problems. I safety wired all crucual parts on the carb, even the LH nut on the carb/manifold, The flapper valve always as a tendency to work loose, and it did. safety wire saved the day. I carried a spare flapper bell unit and had to use it in Eureka, Nevada, about 3000 miles in.
Whilst total copper fuel and oil lines maybe ok I had Dave put rubber lines between each connection as a ploy against vibration problems.
Did not have a problem with broken lines.
Gearing, I had been out in the Ca. Central Valley (very flat) quite abit for two day rides which include a quick trip over the 8300ft Kit Carson Pass to Minden and back.
Very early, learned that 4.07-1 was the right ratio overall, good cruising speed 45/50 and would get up most hills and passes.
I had the nerve to take a 15 tooth engine sprocket on the cross country run thinking it might pull it when going across the plains and make life easy for the motor, forget it, I don't believe it would have pulled another tooth.
My motor is essentially stock, I told Dave in the beginning that reliabilty was priority one, and forget hp. He did just that.
Brakes, Installed the later backing plate that takes a fairly modern HD shoe. One rear brake, that was it, went to quite abit of trouble to make sure it worked well, including arcing the modern lining to the brake drum.
For me, brakes turned out to be a non event. I never had a close call or scary moment. I had installed a kill button, I used that most of the time and the brake for the last bit. I did find that if I wanted to slow down fairly quickly and because brake fade set in very quickly ( brake drum has little capacity to dissapate heat, I had thought of sweating on a alluminum finned piece for this purpose and had tried hooking up water bottle to water cool it, but got dagerously lazy and did neither) you hit the brake hard, back off and on again, and by that time you were down to walking speed.
Still think a back up brake would be a good idea -- just in case your one brake fails.
Tires Always used clincher tires. In the seventies it was rickshaw tires and then to Cocker. Never had a problem with either one. 60psi in front and rear. I knew I would have a problem with tire wear on the rear due to weight. ( I had to carry everything I thought I would need to keep going) A spare was fed-exed to Parsons Kansas. It got there the day before I arrived but I was so tired I said there is another days ride in this tire, Ill change in Dodge.
Changed rear tire, primary chain and a few other things ( always wanted to say this for real ) and got out of Dodge City.
In Green River Utah at 5am I inspected the rear tire and could not believe what I was seeing, I called over two people going to work, and said is that a scew driver they said "yup" A scewdriver had gone in oneside of the side wall and out the other with the plastic hadle having 14 inch radius worn on the handle head where it hit the run. It was not mind, anybody lost a scewdriver between Dodge City and Green Valley Utah. I have it. I have lot of respect for Cocker tires, I carried the "down to the cord showing? first tire all the way to California"
Lots of little things happened like, it was pretty funny.
Hope this is a little insight
Victor
Victor
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - 10E - 06-12-2010 01:52 PM
Hello
Forgot to metion three other important things.
Magneto--Lane Plotner rebuilt the mag prior to the run, plus a back-up one that was left in Ca. just in case. Three cheers for Lane.
There are not many people out there who truly understand Bosch mags like Lane. Thanks again Lane. I know Mark's Mags has a first class reputation and is a great soure for parts. It never missed a beat the whole jorney. People were amazed that it started first kick (when I remembered to get the sequence right. Funny, I had problems with spark plugs, the threaded metal insert coming out of the ceramic that is connected to the HT lead became loose causing a miss and complete loss of spark on that cylinder.
Took me a while to find the problem first time. I have never seen that problem all the time I've been riding. It maybe a production problem or long engine running time or both. I'm going to talk to the supplier see if any other people are having same problem. Might want to change plugs brands if no satisfactory asnwer. Went through 4 plugs on the run.
If you have half the fun I did you are going to have a blast on the Cannonball Run.
Victor
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - Buzz Kanter - 06-13-2010 06:21 PM
Congrats and well done. What an amazing read. And how many of us are sitting in front of our computer screens scratching our heads over all the "upgrades" we have planned for our bikes.
You have accomplished something outstanding that will be difficult to duplicate. I am in awe.
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - 10E - 06-15-2010 04:15 PM
Buzz
Thanks alot for the nice words.
Lookimg at the outward apperance of the bike there was an not too suckle attempt saying "You can take a shaggy dog, and if it's in good health, it will follow you where ever you want to go"
iFor me, it was a great journey.
Victor
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - jurassic - 07-02-2010 09:39 PM
[attachment=336].
RE: Victor's pre Cannonball run - FatDog Racing - 07-02-2010 09:55 PM
(07-02-2010 09:39 PM)jurassic Wrote: .
Beautiful. Period.