Indian Tadpole

[Tom from Rubicon]

Hi Steve, It is good to know Arthur is at bay and you are getting perky. Walt has been getting historical rainy weather. Unlike Rick in Indian Territory SE Wisconsin just will not consistently warm up and dry out. I have both wheels off the Flyer and drive train mods in progress, slowly. Too many irons in the fire. Figured out today conclusively that woodchucks dammed the floor drain in my machine shop so that the dehumidifier could not drain out through it.. The only good thing coming from that was acquiring an electric impact and a kit of six point impact sockets with extensions. A pro plumber had great doubts I could open the clean-out. Impact proofed him wrong.
Wind is off Lake Michigan, cool and raw. Hope your chain troubles get resolved.
I expect when you read this, I bid you Happy Father's Day
Tom from Rubicon

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Rick,
Glad the tornadoes have missed you. Hub motor and a two stroke motor combined. Certainly makes sense. Great distance with the two stroke and quiet riding with the electric motor when needed.

What are the chances of two bikes quitting on the same day? The sidecar will happen in it's own time. There are really only so much time in a day and eventually thing will catch up.

Silverbear is waiting patiently but would like to see it together I'm sure. I know I would but at least I can go out and look at the seat and visualize the two tri cars side by side. It's going to be sweet.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Art has laid off me for for a while. I'm sure he is planning the next attack but I'm trying to pack as much bike time as possible in until he's back.

You folks are getting unprecedented rain and here on the Wet Coast we're getting close to drought conditions. We haven't had rain in weeks and record hot temperatures in the 90's. That doesn't happen in August where I live in B.C. Rivers are drying up at a worrying rate and water limits are going to be imposed soon.

I was watching YouTube videos where they pushed a hose into gopher tunnel hooked up to a propane tank, then pulled the hose out and used a wire and a battery to create a spark to set off the propane.

Chain troubles are finished I think. The pedal chain tensioner is on and all I need to do is cut the bolts shorter. I found out what the problem with the photos not loading and when my nephew is off work in a couple of days I get him to fix it and I post what I have done.

Things are set to finally push the bike outside and start it. After that I will have to make some more gas tanks. I make three at a time since the tank sealer I use will seal three of the tanks and it's easier to mix the two cans together rather than guess if I have the correct amount of each one.

I forgot to install a threaded bung into the tank on the last ones I made but I had sealed them anyways and then used J-B Weld to put the bungs on the outside of the tank. Not going to work for long I'm sure so I'll do them over.

Doesn't take long and I take photos of how I did it again. The one I have on the bike needs to be about 3/4" wider at the bottom as well to clear the seat stays. Once that's done I'll make some ramps to get the bike off the table and on to the ground.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Happy Fathers Day.

My son usually calls me at 9pm and the first thing he'll say is, "Did I get you out of bed?"

I'm spending his inheritance on motorbike parts.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

Hi Rick,
Glad the tornadoes have missed you. Hub motor and a two stroke motor combined. Certainly makes sense. Great distance with the two stroke and quiet riding with the electric motor when needed.

What are the chances of two bikes quitting on the same day? The sidecar will happen in it's own time. There are really only so much time in a day and eventually thing will catch up.

Silverbear is waiting patiently but would like to see it together I'm sure. I know I would but at least I can go out and look at the seat and visualize the two tri cars side by side. It's going to be sweet.

Steve.

Health & weather up and down. Rained last night how much is moot point at this stage, wheat harvest in full swing so rain, hail and high wind are for a couple of weeks not our friends. Three years ago we were just coming out of a four y, so year drought so I'm not quite ready to wish for the rains to cease, 'cause they might! More rain in forecast this week as well.

Odds are low, but it's been several years now with no engine problems so I was due & I'm certain both are minor and they decided to quit at home rather than on a ride, so there's that to be thankful for. Electric's do rock! I'm not ready to quit the gas bikes any time soon though.

Sweet it will be when the tri cars roar!

Blowing up gophers sounds great fun, though a tad risky. Sounds like one of my ideas....birds, and trapped and thriving in the astrodome, Houston: my solution was a compressed air powered blowgun propelling 2.5" needle sharp darts, laser dot aiming, crew served weapon-one loading and aiming the other on the trigger valve & carrying the gas canister. Worked well, misses did no damage to the structure, but the lost darts posed a danger to players, employees & patrons alike if sat on, stepped on or otherwise encountered; days, weeks or months later....oops, strategic oversight. Project terminated before lawsuits arose.

Have a great Father's day!

Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

Saw this on the news today.

Steve.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/sadie-grimm-motorcycle-race-history-1.5179708

 

[indian22]

Steve thanks for sharing this great link. These are wonderful stories and uplifting accounts of women's amazing feat's on cycles that solidify the significant roles these and other women played in motorcycling history and others continue playing to this day. This is healthy for our motorcycling future at all levels.

Rick C.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Great share Steve! I imagine her weight and the Indian chain drive were a huge factors to her success.
Tom

 

[fasteddy]

Thank you, Rick. I'm not surprised that her ride was lost to history. Like the young man astride his Indian here in B.C. who's photo I posted a while ago WW1 swept up everything in 1914 and replaced it with the latest war news.

I am surprised that she never mentioned it to her family but perhaps she was wrapped up with moving on with her life. Now she is once again receiving the attention she deserves.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Tom,

Her weight and the chain drive certainly helped I'm sure. My dad was born not too far from there and his description of the roads in those days let alone a wagon track through the swamp was something.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

The pedal chain tensioner is in place after a few attempts. Had it in place and turned the back wheel over and listened to the spokes hitting the bolt heads that the rollers turned on. No amount of adjusting would make it better.

Off it came and I used a short length of 3/4"x1/8" flat bar to eliminate the problem. Drilled two holes in it to match the holes in the mount for the tensioner rollers and made sure the holes lined up. Cut the heads off the bolts and welded the bolts to the flat bar from where the heads would have been using the holes. Reassembled it and bolted everything up. Ended the problem nicely.

Just need to make a mount for a return spring for the throttle since the one I have on it isn't enough.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

Steve it's like cutting trail in the selva just keep swinging the machete without ceasing; though the tenacious tangle of jungle seems to continue forever... thinking there's got to be an end close at hand.

Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

Hope everyone had a Glorious 4th of July.

July 1st is our day here in Canada appropriately called Canada Day. The day Canada became a country 152 years ago. Then I realized that I'd been here for 75 of those years.

Both holidays were spent in or under the camper looking for a short in the wiring. Success at last having traced it to a repair I had done years ago by a local wiring guru. He spent more time telling me what a genius he was than repairing the problem rather poorly.

The bike runs. Tipped some gas into the cylinder through the spark plug hole and turned it over with the drill and a socket. As I suspected there will be no worries of anyone saying they didn't hear me coming. Two strokes tend to do that.

I'm off to get material to build better gas tanks tomorrow and I'll take photos again of what I did take make them. That way I can run gas through the carb and see just what it runs like for a longer period of time.
I can also use the clutch while the rear wheel is in the air and see how that works.

Tom, the Wet Coast weather has returned and it looks like everything is back to normal. All is right with our corner of the world. Whining and complaining about the weather has resumed to a normal and safe level.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

Glorious 1st. of July it runs!!

Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

It does indeed. I Have a couple of neighbours who live across the street next to each other and when the bike looked like a picked over turkey skeleton they would look over on occasion when the garage door was open and I was working on it.

Once I had it outside with the seat on the front of it they suddenly became really interested and every time the garage door is open and they are outside they keep a pretty keen eye on it. Just as it fired up the fella directly across the street was coming out of his garage and when it started he jumped. The echo in his garage must have been something else and that was at idle.

It's going to reminiscent of my brother trying to sneak up the driveway at 2am with his 1969, 396 Chevelle. The next door neighbours lived in fear of that moment I'm sure because you couldn't leave a car on the street.

As soon as I can get the new gas tank on it I'll make a video of it starting up.

Steve.

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

It does indeed. I Have a couple of neighbours who live across the street next to each other and when the bike looked like a picked over turkey skeleton they would look over on occasion when the garage door was open and I was working on it.

Once I had it outside with the seat on the front of it they suddenly became really interested and every time the garage door is open and they are outside they keep a pretty keen eye on it. Just as it fired up the fella directly across the street was coming out of his garage and when it started he jumped. The echo in his garage must have been something else and that was at idle.

It's going to reminiscent of my brother trying to sneak up the driveway at 2am with his 1969, 396 Chevelle. The next door neighbours lived in fear of that moment I'm sure because you couldn't leave a car on the street.

As soon as I can get the new gas tank on it I'll make a video of it starting up.

Steve.

If you do as my brothers did long ago with a small engine, by just using a funnel and a hose to the carb, you might have a hot time. Best to get a tank working. You know what a back fire does when fuel is not well contained!

 

[fasteddy]

One of the first lesson I received was never to look down the carb after tipping some gas into it and someone is starting the car. Also never take the caps of the battery and use a lighter to see how much water is in it.

I had thought about the funnel and hose but I need to make the tank properly and have it installed so I can see any problems if they come up.

Steve.

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

One brother had the other hold the funnel while the other pulled the starter recoil rope. The engine not firmly planted and the funnel spilled on the engine and caught fire. One brother said to the other not to use the garden hose, but that was too late. I saw just the end results. At least no one was hurt and nothing really damaged. You know never listen to your brother is what I heard on Car Talk Radio. Sounds like good advise.

 

[indian22]

Steve the fact that it fired and ran is always a joy and relief, birthing of the mechanized variety.

MT you and Steve seem to recall past events which are quite similar to my own....

Rick C.

 

[Tinsmith]

Rick, I concur! I relive many of the same experiences through you all. Keep it up!

Dan