Two Weeks

Steve was telling me a story as we stood in the hot sun at a Shell station in the middle of Texas. “Lonnie used to say…don’t talk to me about the Cannonball until you have been riding on day 14”. This is true. By day 14, if you are still riding, you have figured out your bike and made it work. Your body has adapted to the early morning daily ride and physical abuse of an antique motorcycle on bumpy back roads. Your brain has figured out how to keep adding and subtracting decimals. And every night, you get to solve mechanical problems. Yep, day 14 is a good indicator of Cannonball status. As such, the standings are here: https://motorcyclecannonball.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/MC2021-Stage14Scores.pdf#zoom=100

You will notice towards the top of the list, one Victor Boocock on his single-speed 1914 Harley Davidson 10E. This British man is one of my most respected fellow riders. He rides with impeccable style on an ancient HD. The bike runs beautifully. He has done many Cannonball events. He is 79 years old.

Riding across Texas is not the same as doing the twisties in the mountains., Smooth roads? Yes. Curves? No. Long, straight, fast and boring. At least it wasn’t raining! Even the two-lane blacktops we were on often had 70-75 mph speed limits with passing zones every few miles. The dual Chevy and Ford pickups were barreling along at 8o mph and found the 40-60 mph motorcycles annoying to say the least. I did have time to contemplate the “spring extension containment system” some more. What is it you ask? Hi-tech wizardry:

If you look carefully above the critical large transmission nut, you can see the pounding the case took from the spring. It could have unlocked the nut or cracked the case, either a very bad result. The bungee limits extension.

Off to McAllen, Texas today…one and one-half days left to South Padre Island. I will treat Lydian well today (not like yesterday when we road with the bad boys of Team White Trash).