Ohio Rally pic

I've had some down time due to an injury lately and have been going through some old pics. Had a few from the '04 Ohio Rally, and remembered these. Late night repair of a Commando rear end. I remember thinking it was cool to see everyone pitching in to try to get her back on the road (or keep her on the road as IIRC the rear hadn't completely failed but was ready to go). What I like about Norton people. I also Keep thinking they might be of Hobot's machine, but am not positive (Just have a mental not that the owner was from that region and was trying to get her ready for the run home):

Oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my...
What a fine flash back of epic scale to me and Wesley.

That's Ms Peel and me in worshiping position that sucked over a hand full of the best Nortoneers at once into a diagnostic black hole of 6 faults in a row each producing about the same symptoms, which was either hints of starting or sudden instant red hot open header to its end with back fires till almost mid night when acres and acres of campers in a crescendo-ing chorus began honking horns, starting bikes and reving tow vehicles and loud requests to quit it.

That am I'd put in Greg Fauth's beefed up Boyer trigger wires then licked myself to death all day on broken foot [to save injury to loaded bike fall over from summer time brake lock and rear hub wear out. We'd set timing, start it ok then watched timing light go nutzo over advanced, again and again. Found bad fuse holder draining voltage off, then a interment bad coil, then a bad power connection, then something else, then a fouled spark plug but still weird timing mystery.
Some time about 10 am with nerves frayed and energy failing I mentioned Ozarks triple thumped Doe's Urine moonshine in a jug and a jar, so it got passed around that tight head hung group to lift spirits, lighten gravity, remove body sense of pain and clear the mind and bring courage to face indians with a shovel. Soon after the mind meld Rod Rayborn - staring and staring at the trigger plate, now with sharpened senses notices a vague vibration in it so we removed it again to find I'd put lock nut on inside instead of outside and was enough to touch the coil posts to screw with the black boxes brains. That enough for now but there was 'shine to spare next day but that's another knee slapping tale. oh yeah
Spare sparkplug was a Non R so LED signals became staccato timing lights!

Innocent bystander that survived his own similar weird Boyer show stopper on the way.


We were delayed arrivals but right on time for the reporter there.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1172092 ... 1179EXuvGh


I'm native Miami Floridian so these birds attacked me more than pink flying pigs.

You didn't get a taste did ya or would remember clearer : )
The rear hub bearing was about falling apart discovered the night everyone was packing to leave next am. We dragger to be rescue by DynoDave Comeau who stoke a bearing out one of his bikes. I watched him do the impossible in the dark on the ground - pecked out Peel's bearing cover staked in below surface level. I still shudder at the intensity and determined focus. Alas no one had grease so next day found a welder that had some gear oil and took off. About 250 miles away, in hi heat of summer, after leaving a city a young sports biker had pulled up at light to look and ask what was that? I said a '72 Brit Bike, he cocked his head, the light changes so gave a bit more throttle than usual to instantly wheelie up to 30' and carry the front in the air all the way across the intersection and gave it more when it came down, then hit section of straight hwy of cemment seam patch work, thump thump ... while standing fall up on pegs to cool off, going 90 mph having long lost Westley's light behind so focused on future unfolding ahead which suddenly contained Wesley at like 110 mph pulling me over. We stopped I asked What's up?
He just pointed back down road I looked and double taked at the huge smoke cloud trail like a shoot of airplane, then he point to tire, it was lain hard against the swing arm and fender edge had cut a slice in the tire to the cords!. Axle broke and i could not feel a thing even with just finger tips on the T-140 hi bars.
Peel was long tri-linked by then.

There's a Zenish-Buddish happy un-happy neither of these ending to this axle part of an epic saga. Hehehe HaHaHa, HOHOHO just flashed back on the old fella at camp that asked for a taste of the Doe Urine.

Wes after PU trucked in after dark d/t electrical grimlin of loose charging that made Boyer backfire so bad it spit hot rust and carbon embers in my following face till just wouldn't no more in middle of nowhere.
http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/49653
/2646825970037141179S500x500Q85.jpg

Another many forced stopped d/t Peel throwing here chain d/t wobbley hub.


Greg Fuath and his all alloy beauty.


Frank Snively who rode to Ohio form Colorado and me working instead of riding before the after dark sound and light show.


To bitter end

Wow quite a shot there Steve, you got all the players from Canada in the shot with me. These guys are just 135 miles from me Mike Partridge from Walridge Motors. Ross Thomson, metal wizard and Bruce Chessell of Triton Machining. Buy the way it's Fauth not Fuath.
I had a good ride at that rally and your shine is the best ever Your bike had the most problems ever on any Norton rode into the rally. Bent valve award goes to you for sure. Too bad the roads around the rally were like a roller coaster and with home boys Rich and Ron leading well you could go so fast as to thrill you to the bone. I have gone back to Mid –Ohio trying to repeat it ever since, never have.
This years trip to New York State was hot beyond any seen in years I did at least 80 MPH all the way there and back no one wants to ride with me…

Ugh Ok Greg your a comes before u. Mine should be spelled ShYver instead of Shiver me Timbers. I'm lucky to read and write but improving. That was one heck of a event and my first ever after Wes turned me on too Rallies like Lake of the Pines. I was shocked to see rightshifttrick posting his flash backs on it. I did not ride anywhere but town and back d/t you know what's the whole way there and about 1/3 - 400 miles back when axle ended up putting Ms Peel upside down twice from 5 ft. When Brent Wofle says all alloy is his style its your UFO that flashes to my mind. Frank Snively made it on bike to the NY Empire BBQ melt down event which I did get to ride in Ozark like condition but for poor ice heaved pavement.

Here's the other side of you and yours with blacked on exhaust system.



The only way Ms Peel got away with disturbing the peace so late was the number concentrated caliber of Nortoneers focused on her - who are a main attraction to gather in first place. DynoDave hard at forced worship kneeling before Peel.



That 'shine was a good batch but the makers have died now. Wes and I were the last to leave the grounds d/t Ms Peels ongoing issues mostly rear drive train by then. While packing up, a grounds keeper in his late 70's hobbled up with a stiff limp to tell us the Blue Grass festival was filling up as he savored our ole steeds. I offered him a taste of the Ozarks Oozing's, which I'd only allowed myself 4 gulps the whole evening. This ole fart raised the jug up and Wes and I almost fell over just watching him go > glug-glug, glug-glug, glub-glug, glug-glug, glug-glug before taking a breath and hand back. Then one of the funniest images started, He hooped and hallowed looking up at the sky, then slapped his knees and started a jig dance just as flexible and limber as a teenager looking like the Tarot Card Fool skipping into future w/o looking ahead or a care in the world. Skipping and dancing a jig singing lightly to his own music, he slowly worked his way out of sight. We left to idle out about 20 min later, passing one camp site after another, hearing the exact same melody of Blue Grass in banjo, violin, harmonica, base fiddles, mouth organs, whistling and singing to get near exist to see this fella still skipping and dancing a limber little jig, singing and stopping an instant to let a out nice Heeahaw, HotDAMN, working his way back up grass slope to office 200 yd away, Wes and I glancing at each other knowing the shit was about to hit the fan once he stumbled inside - uncaring happy as a lark.

Warming up a Manx before moving out


Everything here but unseen tent and luggage and tools was packed in on Peel