Stage 12 Update

[Buzz Kanter]

Well it was a tough call to make but glad I did. Due to engine issues including severe knocking and los of power I decided not to ride Selma, my 1915 Harley on the Motorcycle Cannonball yesterday. Instead we put her in the trailer and got to the next hotel as quickly as we could and then tore down the engine to figure out what was wrong.

Turns out I had build up massive carbon deposits on the crowns of both pistons. two rings were stuck and the piston skirts were badly scratched up. It took Dale Walksler and Myron working with Tyler Greenblatt of American Iron Magazine staff a few hours to clean and rebuild the engine without the oil rings. Then around 9 pm we got Selma running well again.

This morning I need to check it all over with a better rested (barely) mind and see how she runs on at more than parking lot speeds.

I just checked the official rankings and discovered, by taking the one day off, my rank had dropped from #7 to #19 with 2348 miles out of a possible 2541. So that tells you how tight the competition is here.

About 750 miles still left on our cross country ride from Kitty Hawk, NC to Santa Monica, CA on our pre 1916 motorcycles.

Wish us luck and look forward to seeing more old and new friends along the way.

[Jim Abbott]

Buzz: I wish you all more than luck; I wish you success beyond your wildest dreams.

p.s. Thanks again for the videos. They have just the right balance of amateurism and professionalism.

Jim A. Tucson, AZ