EARLY AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE CLUB Issue 181 Views of correspondents may not necessarily be those of the club June 2016

MarkDaveywithhis1992Springer.Includedinthisissue:

• CommitteeMeetingMinutesandSaddleUp–page3

• RideCalendar–page4

• ArthurGradyEvent–page4

• NationalMotoringHeritageDay–page8

• FeatureArticle–page10

• SafetyArticle–page11

• QandA#40–page12

1 EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

Dedicated to the restoration and use ofAmerican made motorcycles manufacturedbefore1967.

CommitteePatron:WayneElezovichPresident:WayneElezovichVicePresident:RexMcCraeSecretary:GlenMcAdamTreasurer:JeremyBromleyEditor:GlenMcAdamEventsCoordinator:ChrisGeilisScrutineers: BillWalton&WayneElezovichSafetyCoordinator:BrianSmallwoodPropertyOfficer: JimMerkourisWebMaster: MichaelTolj

POBox184,TuartHill,WA6939

FoundationMembersAlanAnderson,AllanEaton,AudreyWood,BillWalton,Bill White, Bob Green, Dave Bunning, DavePearcey, EdBuegge*, George Wood, Graeme Davis,Graham Datson,Ian Fitzgerald, Ivor Wigley, JeremyBromley, John Griffin,Joseph Brajkovich, KenDickman,Linda Forsyth,MatthewPowell,Murray Morell,NormanLewis*,Rod Lewis,RexMcRae,Rod Payze*,Rolf Jorgensen, Stan Butler*, StuartFyfe,SueLeitch,WardAdamson,WayneElezovich.

*Deceased

LifeMembersRodLewis2009,JeremyBromley2010,IvorWigley,2011, Geo Wood 2011, Wayne Elezovich 2012,GlenMcAdam2014,NormLewis2015.

MembershipFeesThesearedueby31December.$35.00perannum. NominationFeeof$20.00.Chequesmadepayable to Early American Motorcycle Club. Preferredmethodiselectronicdirectdepositto:-CommonwealthbankBSB:066100Account:10210659Postaladdressisabove.

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President’s Report

HifolksYes anothermonth has come and gone and I’m prettysurewinterishere.We’vehadacoupleofgoodralliesoverthe lastcoupleofweekswithonlyafewhardysoulsattending.TheArthurGradyrunwasgoodvalue.Glen,Tim,Kevin,Phil, Dave, Rob and Iwere the only starters and to befair theweather lookedpretty crap rightupuntil 8amsoIdon’tblameyouifyouweretuckedupinbed.ItookthenewmarqueeforanairingandbecauseIwasin theute anyway I tookmynew1923 scoutout for afieldtripaswell.Timhasvolunteeredtowritethereportso Iwill leave thedetailsup tohimbut Iwould like toaddthatIhadagoodday.AlsoitwasgoodtoseeRob’sverycool1916HarleyJraceroutfortheday.It’saveryimpressivemachineandcertainlygotsomeattention.MyChitteringridewasprettygoodaswell.WehadhalflatemodelElectraglidesandhalfoldgirls,whichworkedsurprisinglywell. Jim,Rex,BarryandKevin led thewayontheoldtartssotheycouldsetthepacewhichwasaleisurely80 to90kmh. I took the commissionerout forthedayonournew(tous)Ultra.Itwasherfirstclubrideinabout14years(yepthat’showoldAbigailis)andshelovedit.There you have it - a couple of good events to readabout foryoucouchridersandabitmoreontherestoofmy23Scout.Enjoy.HappybirthdayJimmy.Keeptheshinysideup.WayneEAMCPatron,PresidentDAMandmember#2elezresources@bigpond.com EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

Committee Meeting Minutes CommitteeMeetingMinutes:Meetingheldon14June.Venue:Tim’splace.Meetingopened:7.05Attendees:Tim,Wayne,Jeremy,Glen.Apologies:Chris,Brian,Mike,Rob,Barry,Greg,Lyndon.Minutesofpreviousmeeting:MinutesofMaymeetingread.MovedJeremy,SecondedTim.Passed.Businessarisingfromtheminutes.• Chris Green has paid his membership fees and hisapplicationhasbeenprocessed.

CorrespondenceIn:• InformationfromMeanMachineinMorleyadvertisingtheirservices.

• CommBankStatementMay.Correspondenceout:• MagazinepostedtoIvaandNevilleMoved Wayne, seconded Jeremy that thecorrespondencebereceived.Passed.Businessarisingfromthecorrespondence:Suggested that we check out the premises at MeanMachinetoseewhattheyoffer.Treasurer’sReport:• Openingbalance$1845.85CR.• Chequefor$180notpresentedyet.• Current membership list tabled. We have 57 paidmembers.Moved Tim, Seconded Wayne that the Treasurer’sreportbereceived.Passed.BusinessarisingfromtheTreasurer’sreport:NilSafetyOfficer’sReport:Seeelsewhere.RideCoordinator’sReport:• GoodturnoutforthenationalMotoringHeritagedayevent.Seearticleelsewhere.

• The Arthur Grady eventwas successful partly due tothe favourable turn in the weather. See articleelsewhere.

• Wayne’s ride through the Chittering Valleywas goodtoo. Although chilly there were many motoringenthusiastsoutthatdayandtheeateriesdidaroaringtrade.A ride for the“GrannyGlides”aswellasoldermodels. Good to see Chrissie and JJ aswell as LindaElezovich.Articlenextissue.

• General discussion concerning an overnighter forearlymodel bikes.Wayne spokewith Phil Skinner atFreo about EAMC joining inwith the VMCC Beverleyrideon3and4September.SeeSaddleUp.

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• General discussion about a November rideincorporatingtheAlbanyHillclimb.SeeSaddleup.

Checktheclub’sFacebookpageforvideosandupdatesofeventsclubmembershaveattended.https://www.facebook.com/EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClubandalsoTheBikeShedTimeswww.bikeshedtimes.comGeneralBusiness• Discussion concerning the Dept. Transportconcessional licensing of bikes considering theimposition of the road trauma fee. Glen to contactCMCtoseeiftherehasbeenanupdate.

• GlentocheckonaffiliationfeesforCMC.Please note: all club members are invited to attendCommitteemeetings.Meetingclosedat7.36pmNextmeeting:12July7.00pmatMike’splace.27FordhamDrive,SwanView,WA60560408210454

Helloeveryone.Therehavebeensomeinterestingridesrecentlyandthecommitteehasdiscussedsomefutureevents.• OvernighteratBeverley.Members are invited to attend the overnighter atBeverleySat3Septto join inwithVMCCBeverleyre-enactment. Expressions of interest are called for ashotelbookingsneedtobeorganisednow.Pleasedon’tleavethisuntillaterasroomsarealreadyfillingatthehotelsandVMCCneedstobeadvised.PleasecontactWayne0438977741elezresources@bigpond.net.auorTim 0407959692 timc@wbho.com.auto advise if youwillbeattending.ASAPplease.

• Novemberridedownsouth.Discussion concerning a week’s ride down south inNovember coincidingwith the AlbanyHill Climb event.DepartThursday3NovemberandreturningWednesday9November. Suggest trailer bikes down and then useAlbany as a base for rides during the week. Modernbikesarewelcometoo.SuggestionofstayingattheKingRiverchalets.YoucanentertheHillClimbontheSunday6 Nov. or just participate in the Poker Run on theSaturday5Nov.Expressionsofinterestarecalledforasaccommodation will need to be booked asap. PleasecontactWayneasapifyouwillbegoing.Wewould likeasmanymembersaspossibletoattendthiseventas ithasproventobegreatfun.Checktheclub’sFacebookpageforvideosandupdatesofeventsclubmembershaveattended.https://www.facebook.com/EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClubandalsoTheBikeShedTimeswww.bikeshedtimes.comEarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

Ride CalendarJuly–Noscheduledevent.August–Noscheduledevent.3and4September–OvernightertoBeverleyOctober–Noscheduledevent.3to9November.BasedinAlbany.RidesoutfromthereincorporatingtheAlbanyHillclimb.OtherEvents(optional)Any further information will be noted in the ridecalendaraseventsgetcloser.CheckourFacebookpagetoo.https://www.facebook.com/EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

Member Profile Mark Davey #120 IwasbornandraisedinwesternNSWandIworkintheaviationindustry.I’vebeeninPerthforthreeyearsandbeforethisinSydneyfor25years.I’ve riddenandownedbikes sinceayoungkid, startingwith trail bikes and then graduating to road bikes onobtainingadriver’slicense.I’ve two bikes in Perth - 92 Springer and 42WLA andanother five bikes in Sydney - two Honda F1 Supersports,aNortonDominator,aHarleyUandHarleyRoadKing.Ibecomebadlyinfectedwiththebikediseaseatayoung age andwill ride at every opportunity. Love thewholescene.

For Sale or Swap HiAll,IhavejustmadeabatchofIndian741dashpanels.Soifanyoneneedsonegivemeacall.AlsoIhaveturnedupafrontguardforaWLAandalefthandside fuel tank for thesame. Iwouldprefer toswaptheseforparts.CheersShaun0417837759 4

Arthur Grady Event

ArthurGradyDayisamustdointhevintagemotorcycleenthusiastscalendareachyear.In 1924 Fremantle bicyclemakerArthurGradybecamethefirstpersontorideamotorcycle,aDouglas,aroundAustralia. He set off from Fremantle Town Hall andreturned five and a half months later to a rousingreceptionandaplaceintherecordbooks.Readhisstoryviathelinkhttp://www.vmccwa.com/stories/cass.html

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Arthur Grady Day celebrates his achievement withvintage enthusiasts gathering in Kings Square,Fremantle, toshowcase theirownveteran,vintageandclassicmotorcycles.PutonbytheCityofFremantleandtheVMCCtheeventhasgrowntocelebrateallthingsvintage.Personally the Arthur Grady Day was my firstintroduction to the EAMC a number of years back. IattendedaspartoftheVMCConthemaidenoutingformy newly rebuilt 1924 Harley Davidson. I struck up aconversationwithRobVeitchoverhis1916boardtrackreplicaaboutScheblerDLXcarbsandbefore Iknew it IwasinWayne’sshedbuyingaDLXtoreplacemyHXplusalso a Corbin speedo, why not, with an EAMCmembershipapplicationsoonfollowing.Withtheweathermanforecastingrain,weallawoketothe opposite; a crispmorning, blue sky and awarmingsun.

EAMCmembers attending either made their own waythereorpartook ina club sanctioned ridebeginningatHungry Jacks in Kelmscott. The ridewas organised bymyselfastridemy1924HarleyDavidsonF(themagnetomodel, theJ is thegeneratormodel)andattendedalsoby Phil Hopwood on his Indian Scout. We rode off at9am on the dot leaving a very interested Maurigentleman on a modern HD who had ridden by andkeenly doubled back to have a look at our old bikes.RidesafeBro’.TheridetoFreowasleisurelyinmediumtrafficwiththeusual honk of car horns and thumbs up from passingmotoristsshowingtheirappreciationforthesightofoldbikes out and about. “Ride ‘em don’t hide ‘em” theysay.We both arrived at the Town Square in Fremantle justbefore10amtoseeGlenalreadywithhis1942Umodelparked in the EAMC position kindly allocated by thetirelessorganiserof theday’s events,AlexMarshall, oftheCityofFremantle.Wehadagoodlocationbetweenthe Tourist Office and the Fremantle Men’s Shed stallwhichwassellinghotdrinksandbarbequedsausages.

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We were soon joined by Kevin Badby on his 1947Knuckle and Wayne, Linda and Abby Elezovichtransporting in the back of the ute the clubmarqueeandhis recently acquired1924Scout,with that superbpatina that only reaches maturity after 90+ years ofneglect. SeeWayne’s article this issue. If you have notseen it already this new marquee is a greatadvertisementfortheEAMCclubandbrand..

With themarquee erected and the bikes arranged westood back to enjoy the sites that are unique toFremantleandinteractwith interestedpassers-byofallages and demographics. It was interesting seeing andgreetingmembers fromotherclubs,suchasVMCCandIndian Club, as they arrived. Throughout the morningmembersstrolledaroundtoviewthedisplaysandcatchupwithfriends.EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

Itissomewhatamusinglisteningtocommentsfromkidstotheirmums. Forexample,boththeHDsand Indianshavepedalson their kick starts that resemble thoseofbicyclessokidsassumeyouhavetopedalthemtostartthemandsayassuchtotheirmums.Glenrecountedanamusingstatementheoverheardfromachildinalargeflock that a mother was herding through the event“Mumlookatalltheold…..”.Itisassumedthatthechildwasgoingto finishwith“motorbikes”butwasabruptlycut off by the mother who finished the statementbrashlywith“men”!ThechildmusthavebeenreferringtoeithertheVMCCcontingentorthatoftheIndianClubcertainlynottheyouthoftheEAMCmemberspresent.

It is also amusing when the older fraternity state fortheir wives or colleagues what the motorbike beforethemisandgetittotallywrong. Wemaycorrectthemor we may not steel their thunder and just let themcarryonintheirglory.6

TheridearoundFremantlesetoffaround11:30amwiththeMayor of Fremantle being chauffeured in the sidecarofMurrayMorrell’sIndianoutfit.Therewerenotasmanyon this rideas therehadbeen inprevious years.Theridewaslimitedtopre1955machines.Thiswasforsafety reasons and itwas a good idea. The group rodealong the Swan River foreshore past Leeuwin Barracksand returned via the port wharves, South Beach andback to King’s Square.Unfortunately,with traffic lightsthe group was soon separated with some completingthefullrunandotherscompletingtheirowncondensedversionandcomingbackearly.TheEAMCgroupgrewthroughthemorningwithfurtherEAMC members Dave Low, JJ and his wife Chrissieattending minus their bikes. After the ride the groupwas bolstered further with Rob Veitch and hisimmaculate1916HDboardtrackreplica.Seethevideoofthefirststartupridein2012.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7NANHtxggE

When this beauty barks into life it certainly is a greatpromotionoftheDayanditisalsoanotheroftheEAMCbrand. Nothavingrunforanextendedperiodthebarkwas somewhat delayed. As is customary with theseearly total loss oil lubrication machines the crankcaseneeded to be drained of the previous runs oil andwhateverseepagehadalsooccurredwhilststandingandafreshchargeofthecorrectamountinjected.Acoupleof empty coffee cups were collected from within themarqueetoenablethis.TheseweresoonfilledandwithnosignoftheflowstoppingGlenvolunteeredtocollectsome more. Scruffy haired individuals scroungingthough Fremantle’s bins are not uncommon so GlenretrievingusedcoffeecupsfromthenearbyreceptaclesI am sure would not have warranted a second glancefromtheday’spatrons. Afterabout6x full cupsofoilthecrankcasewasdrainedandthecorrectoil levelset.Note the waste oil was decanted into an empty milkbottleforlaterenvironmentallyacceptabledisposal.EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

After numerous kicks and copious doses of ‘Start YaBastard’thebikestillshowednosignsoflife.Plugswereremoved to reveal a dry rear and a flooded frontcylinderandtheuniquearomaofoldfuel.Furtherkicksclearedthefloodingandalsoverifiedsparkwaspresent.With the plugs back in the old girl began to stir andstarted to show signs of a response and soon eruptedintolife.Asshewarmedandtheidlespeedandmixturewere tweaked, and sparkadvanced, shewas roaring inall her glory to the growing crowd showing theirappreciation with phone cameras recording thespectacle. As she was revved tome this 100-year-oldmachinesoundednodifferent to thatmodernmachineacceleratinghardonanysuburbanstreet.Othertreasuredvehicleswerealsodisplayed.Therewasa contingent of various Renaults, Wolsleys and othervintage motor cars alongside buses, machinery, toolsandbelieveitornot,prams.Plus,evenasteamtractionenginerollingupanddownWilliamStreet.

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Ifyoumisseditthisyeardonotletanordinaryweatherforecastphaseyouforyourattendancenextyear.CheersTim.

EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

National Motoring Heritage Day Normallythisisadayforcelebratingallthingsmotoringhistory, but this year our day was overshadowed bycloudyskiesandthearrivalofonebigjet.ItseemsthathalfofPerthcameouttoseetheAntonovAn-225Mriya–theworld'slargestaircraft.Our day started outwith ameet at the BP in Kewdalewhichturnsouttobeagreatcentrallocationformostofourclubmembers.Ithasalltheessentialsthatweneedsuch as fuel, space and coffee. The morning wasovercast and the rain that was forecast to make anappearance in the late afternoon was looming evercloser.

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We had a good turnout of old and new bikes and ofcourse someold andnew faces. Therewereplentyofstories to be told and catch-ups to be done.Whenweweresurethateveryonewaspresentwesaddledupforourfirstsectionrideoutontopartofthenewsectionofthe Gateway Project. This is a billion dollar project toimprovetrafficflowaroundtheairport,Roe,TonkinandLeachHighways-agreatprojectbuttheystillmanagedto leave lights on the Roe Highway interchange.Someone needs to reassess the outcomes…anywaymovingon.

AsweheadedforWelshpoolRoadandtheclimbuptheescarpmenttowardsBickley,theloomingcloudsstartedtodroptheraintheyheld;notmuchtostartwithbutaswegotclosertoourfirststoptheraingotheavier.OncewegottothetopofthehillwewoundourwaythroughtheverybeautifulhamletsofCarmel,BickleyValleyandPiesseBrookpasttheorchardsoffruittrees.Fromtherewe followedMundaringWeir Road up into KalamundaandourmorningteastopatDomeKalamunda.Weparkedourbikes ingroupsaround thecarparkandtheheavensopenedanddown came the rain.Most ofusmanagedtomakeitinsidethoughacouplegotalittlewet.Insideitwasbusy.Itseemedthatwewerenottheonly ones out for morning tea. Coffees were orderedandmost got what they wanted but somemissed outand had to jump the queue to try and get a coffeeordered.ItwasnearingtheadvertisedarrivaloftheBigPlane and several went to the front veranda to see iftheycouldseeit.Othersusedsmartphonestoseethatthe plane was actually running late and was notexpected for another couple of hours. Bad weathersomewhere.EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

Feelingsuitably refreshedweheadedbackoutside intothesunshineas thecloudshad rolledawayandsohadtherain.Bikeswerestartedandjacketszippedreadytogo.OneHarley decided thiswould be a good timenothaveenoughbatterypower,butonlyaftersomeseriouskickinghad takenplace.TheHarleywaspushedup thegentleslopereadyforapushstart.Abigpush,droptheclutchandawayshewent,followedbyallandsundry.Theplanwas toheadacross theescarpmentandheaddownthehill via theZigZagorGooseberryHillRoad–somewentonewayandotherswenttheotherway.Wegot to the bottom andwhilstwaiting for the arrival ofothers the Harley again decided to stop, another pushstartgotitrunningagain.Theriderdecidedtoabandonthe rideandheadedof forhomecomingback tomeetusforlunchlater.We wound down through Helena Valley and out theback of Bushmead to emerge in Guildford near theWoodbridgeHotel.FromtherewerodeoutthrougholdGuildford to theWestSwanRoadandournext stopatWhiteman Park.We arrived at theMotorMuseum forour display to be greeted by ‘Boom Boom’ Hammondandhisbeautifulménageátroisof1918Indians.

Once parked and settled, discussion turned to coffeeandsnacksandofcoursetheBigPlaneagain.AllthewayfromKalamundatoWhitemanParktherewerevehiclesparked up on the side of the roadwith people staringintently into the sky looking for the Big Plane. Newsreports afterwards told stories of people being parkedupsincebeforedawntogetthebestadvantagepoints.It’saBigPlane,yeahIgetit….

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Some members availed themselves of the discountedentry to themotormuseumandhadawander aroundafterall it isaboutNationalMotoringHeritageDayandwhatbetterwaytospendthanhavingalookatthecarsand bikes on display. Our bikes out front drew a fewonlookersandsnappedphotosaswell.

AsweweregettingtoheadoffinsearchoflunchacryrangouttocastoureyesskywardandfeastupontheBigPlane… down the Swan Valley and directly over us itflewandgaveallthosethatwereinterestedagoodlookat itandyes it isaBigPlane.Havingsatisfiedourselveswith seeing what all the hype was about we climbedback on our bikes for the short ride to the IronbarkBreweryandlunch.

Bythisstagewehadwhittleddowntoa fewhard-coremembersthatweren’tputofftheirlunchbythesightofthe Big Plane. Brews andwood-fired pizzas seemed tobe theorderof theday,whilst enjoying themusic anddulcet tones of the entertainment. The Ironbark has agreatselectionofbeersandcidersontap, lotsofgreatfoodonthemenubutitisrealhardtopassonawood-firedpizzaonawinter’sday.Big thanks to all ourmemberswho comeout to enjoyNational Motoring Heritage Day and also a big HappyBirthday to TimwhohadHarley trouble but turnedupforlunchwithhisfamily.Untilnexttime,ridesafely.Toljy.EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

Swamp Monster from Kellerberrin Pt 2 Ok, so last episode we saw my newly acquired andrather nasty 1923 Scout set back on her feet, withconsiderable pain onmypart. The engine and gearboxwhereguttedandcleanedupreadyforrebuildandtheframeisnowstraight.Whereareweatnow?Well, the gearbox is done. I found some good originalbearingsinmyspares.Imadeanoutputsprocketdriversealcarriertostopthebulkofthefutureoilleaks,somenew bushes on the triple gear then reassembled thewhole thing. So despite the serious carnage in thegearboxsheisrepairedandgoodtogo.Next was the engine. The drive and pinion bearinghousingswhereverybadlyrustedsoIranabeadofweldaroundtheinsideofbothandtheydroppedoutonthebench. The cases had been stressed by the buildup ofdebris and rust on the inside so to ensure that theydidn’t leak I took them to my mate Bob’s and he setthem up in his big lathe and we skimmed both faces(where they join together).Theywereprettygood.Weonlyhadtoremoveabout.010’totaltomakethembothperfect. The corrosion on the inside didn’t go throughthe case anywhere so I just blasted them clean andbuffedofftheroughspots.Lookprettygoodhuh?

Next stepwas to clean up the barrel counter bores toget rid of the damage caused by the failure. They toonowlook.Prettyshmick.

Cool.AfterallofthatpainIthinkthecasesandmostofthe bottom end will live again. I contacted my mateZiggy inWashingtonandorderedall theparts Ineeded(ouch) including a set of .060 pistons; that’s as big aspistonsgofortheseoldtartssotheboreswillcleanuptothatandtheywilllikeit.10

Well Iwillmake themwork at that. Currently the rearcylinderis.060andverytidysoahoneandringsanditshould be fine. The front cylinder you may rememberfrom last episodewas very, very ugly, so that wasmynexttask.In thepicturebelowyou can see the little endpinhaswalked out and damaged the bore. It looks quitelocalizedinthisshot(thegoodside)butitreallywasnotasthepinhadcomealmostallofthewaythroughtotheoutsideandhassplittheboreonbothsidestothepointwhereyoucouldseedaylightthroughthecracks(nasty).Luckily the bore is only .030 at the moment so I amhoping (fingers crossed) that afterwelding itwill cleanupto.060

I took both barrels and went and visited Dave (thewelder).DavedidhistimeintheaircraftindustryandisverytalentedsoIthoughtheshouldbeabletosortboththeboreand thebrokenexhaust (Imention thatbit inthelastinstallment).Belowyoucanseetherepairedbore,thegoldcolourismanganese bronzewhich is the filler rodwe chose forthe job. This job took a while because we had to preheatthehelloutofthebarreltogetittoweldingtempand then keep it hot while we welded it. I’ve sincemachined the bore to make it a little easier on theboringbarwhenwebore itoversizeand it looksprettygood.AtleastIcan’tseethroughitanymore,whichhastobegood.

Theotherbarrelwasquitestraightforward. Itonlyhadthe whole exhaust port broken off so just a quick preheat andwewelded on the replacement piece Imade(seebelow).

EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

That’s about it for now. I reassembled the engine andgearbox while I wait for parts and the old girl had anoutingtotheArthurGradyrallyonthebackoftheute.Shelookedfabulous.Sonextstep isatriptoJohn’s foroneofhissandbentexhausts, thenhopefully IwillhavesomepartsarrivingsoonsoIcanbuildtheengineandmakesomenoise.

Tobecontinued.Keeptheshinysideup.RegardsWayneElezovichD.A.M.(Pres#2)

Safety Report ParttwoofatwopartarticleIfoundonthenet.RegardsBrian.Editor’s note: This post was written by Jamie PageDeaton.6:AvoidDistractionWe all know distracted driving is a bad idea but it’sworse when you’re riding a bike. One of the keys tostaying safe on amotorcycle is staying hyper-aware ofeverything that’s going on around you. Remember,motorcycles are tough for drivers to see – especiallydriversinlargecarsorSUVs.Youneedtoseeandavoidthem, rather than bet on them seeing you. If you’refiddlingwithyourphoneoriPod,you’rereactiontimeiscut by several precious seconds, putting you at higherrisk of a collision. And running into a Chevy Suburbanwhilegoing60milesperhour(96.6kilometersperhour)isnoone’sideaofagoodtime.In addition to the riskofdistraction, taking yourhandsoffyourbikelessensyourcontrolmorethantakingyourhands off the wheel of your car. Not only is steeringcompromised but so is braking, accelerating andshifting.It’sjustabadidea.If you’re on a bike, remove all temptation fordistraction.Don’twearheadphonesandputyourphonewhereyoucan’tgettoit.7:RideWithinYourSkillsRiding a motorcycle is a skill, and like all skills, it’ssomethingthatyouneedtodevelop.11

While youmaybe fine to goon an easy cruise aroundtown,ittakestimetogrowtheskillsyouneedtobeanexpert rider. To stay safe, make sure that you alwaysridewithinyourskill level.Your friendswhohavebeenriding longer may be able to go super-fast or controltheir bikes on curvy roads, but that doesn’tmean youshould.Takethetimetobuildyourskillsandonlyrideinsituationswhereyouknowyourskillsareuptothejob.Of course, you should still challenge yourself — that’showyourskillsgrow—butyouneedtodo it inasafe,controlled way. Many motorcycle dealerships offeradvanced riding courses where you can practice moreadvanced manoeuvers. And if you’re interested inmotorcyclesports,it’seasytofindaracingschool.Thoseschools arenotonly funbut theyhelp you safelybuildyourskillssothatyou’resaferontheroad.8:ProtectYourFeetThe right shoes are also important to riding safely. Toshift gears on a bike, you lift up with your toes – soopen-toed shoes can become painful fast. Plus, whenyou’re riding a bike, you’re sitting on the engine andexhaust system which gets hot. It’s easy to burn yourfeet.Notonlydoopen-toedshoes likeflip-flopsexposeyour feet while on a bike they can slip off causing adangeroussituation.Whenridingamotorcycleyouwantstudyshoes.Thoseshoesare theonlyprotectionyour feetwill have. Lookfor something with a rugged sole. Shoes with smoothsoles make it easier for you to slip.When you’re at astopandusingyourfeettobalance,the lastthingsyouwanttodoisslipanddropyourbike.Motorcycleshoesshouldalsohavesturdyankle supportsanda lowheel.You want something that makes it easier for you tobalance. Look for shoesorboots inadurablematerial,likeleather,forbetterprotection.9:GettheRightGearWe’veallseenpeopleonmotorcycles inshortsandflipflops. Those people are not being safe. Since amotorcycleofferslittleprotectioninacrash,whatriderswearispartofthecrashprotectionsystem.Evenifyouaren’t inacrashwithanothervehicleonyourbike,youcouldsimplylosecontrolandlaythebikedown.Inthatsituation, you’ll be sliding along on asphalt. That’s notsomethingyouwanttodoinshorts.There’sareasonalotofbikerswearleather: it’sstrongenoughtoprotecttheirskiniftheyslidealongtheroadsurface. Plus, motorcycle riders are exposed to otherroadhazards, likesmallrocks,bugsandcigarettebutts,thatpeople incarsareprotected from.At60milesperhour (96.6 kilometers per hour), even a small rock cansting.Leathergearcanhelptoprotectyou.Ofcourse,youdon’thavetolooklikearejectfrom“EasyRider” to ride a motorcycle. A lot of companiesspecialize in armouredmotorcycle gear and it’s not allleather. You can get vented motorcycle jackets thatkeepyoucoolwhilekeepingyousafe.Thesejacketsaremade of lightweight, breathable material, but haveheavy-dutyamourpanelsinkeyplaces(alongthespine,torso,shouldersandelbows)toprotectthewearer.EarlyAmericanMotorcycleClub

10:TakeaMotorcycleSafetyCourseInmoststatesifyou’regoingtogetamotorcyclelicenseyou need to take a skills test. Inmany states you alsohave to take amotorcycle safety class – think of it asdriver’s education on two wheels. Even if your statedoesn’trequireyoutotakeamotorcyclesafetycourse,you should. The class will teach you about the trafficsafetylawsthatapplytomotorcyclesinyourstate,howto respond to emergency situations on a motorcycle,and give you a chance to try out your new skills in acontrolled environment. The instructors will also giveyou tips about motorcycle maintenance and how toavoidunsafesituations.Afterall,thetimeto learnhow

torecoverfromaskidonabikeisnotwhenyougointooneforthefirsttime.Takingamotorcyclesafetycourseprepares you to hit the road safely and with moreconfidence.The good news is, most motorcycle dealerships offermotorcyclesafetycoursesandsomeevengivediscountsor other promotional materials to people who havecompletedtheircourse.Ifyou’vegotyourheartsetonaparticularbrandofbike,takingamotorcyclesafetyclassfrom thatdealership is a goodway to get to know thebrandbetterandyoumayevenbeabletotryoutsomeoftheirmodels.

Q&A #41

Engine Noise and

Stuck Gears Hellofolks ThisistheQ&Asectionwithramblingsfromourresidentdumb arse mechanic. All answers given are anuneducated opinion by a semi-literatewog and shouldbetakenonboardatyourdiscretion.Q:HiWog.MyScouthasdevelopedastrangetickingnoiseintheengine.Itcomesandgoesbutitdoesn’tsoundgood.Anythoughts?A:Mate,strangenoisesthatsuddenlydeveloparenever good. It could be a number of things dependinghowlouditisandwhereit’scomingfrom.Haveacloselistentotheenginewithastethoscope(ortheoldscrewdrivetrick)andseeifyoucanidentifywhereit’scomingfrom.Startwiththeeasystuffandgiveitatuneupfirst.A loose valve adjustment can sound like it is comingfrom thewhole right sideof the engine.Or timing canmakeitping(maysoundlikeatick).Moredrasticthingscanbeabrokenpieceofgeartoothfromthecams(I’vecome across this a couple of times now) or a brokenring.Alsoapiececanclimbupto the topof thepiston(seenthatacoupleoftimesaswell).Good luck,butwhateveryoudodon’t let itgo. If it’saloudnoiseyouneedtofinditandquick!Q:Himatemybike(Chief)keepsjumpingoutoffirstandsecond,butitsokintop.MymatereconsIshouldscrewthedetentinabitmoreandshewillbefine.Itriedthatbut it still jumpsoutof firstand it’snowreallyhard toshift.Oneof the other clubmembers said to fit a kingclutch and it would be sorted. It sounded like a goodplanso Iorderedone.While I’mwaitingfordelivery, isthereanythingelseIcandoandwillthatfixit?A: Short answer, no. Your chief runs a crash gear box,whichmeansithasaslidinggearthatmovesinandoutofmeshasyouchangegears.Occasionallythegearscan“clash” if we don’t match the gear speeds properly(giving the engine a slight rev between gears on thedownshift or shifting too fast or without the clutch).Your gear teeth will be rounded off from less thanperfectshiftingsotheonlyansweristorebuildtheboxandfitanew(orbetter)gearset(clusterandslider).12

If you would like advice on any maintenance or clubrelated issue, feel freetodropusa lineorcall thewogorGlen.Seethefrontofthemagforcontactdetails.Keep the maintenance up, the rubber side down andridesafely.RegardsWayneElezovichD.A.M.(dumbarsemechanic)

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