Pic`s from yesterdaze, crossing the "Strynefjellet" mountains!

Those are some great photos I have been allowed to use by the owner, Rasmus. His grandfather also named Rasmus took this motorcycle trip across the mountains in the western parts of Norway in June 1925 with his brother Olaf and their and two sisters  Hanna and Ingeborg as well as a couple of friends whoms names are not known.

They drove from their home at Langeset nearby the small city of Stryn by the Sognefjord. Their trip took them across the Strynefjellet mountain pass to the mountain village of Grotli where they stayed over before returning back to the lowlands by the fjords.

The bikes are an Indian Power Plus with a FLXICar sidecar, and a very well maintained Reading Standard pulling a FLXI Arrow Speedster sidecar. Both sidecars are of the non flexible type that was made by FLXI in addition to their fully flexible model. Here in Norway those FLXI`s was rare sidecars even back then.

Indian to the left with Ingeborg in the sidecar and Rasmus behind the handlebars, to the right in the Reading Standard`s sidecar is Hanna, an unnamed friend is seated on the bike. Both bikes are parked outside of the Grotli Hotel.

From left, Ingeborg, Rasmus with Indian, Hanna and Olaf with Reading Standard. A stop during the mountain crossing. Still ice on the lakes.

Crossing the Strynefjellet mountain passes in June show the snow along the road is still several meters high. Notice the black stuff on the snow, this is not just gravel and dust from the road. Early in the spring, workers on skies followed the path of the road on top of the snow and strewed black dust on the snow to get the sun to melt the snow where the road was. 

Another mountain stop. 

Climbing slowly down from the mountains towards Grotl. The tall poles along the road is those used by the guys on skies strewing black powder, by following those poles they knew where the road was located underneath the snow.

Having crossed the Strynefjelelt on their way down the valley to Grotli, from left Hanna, Olaf, Ingeborg and Rasmus.

Having crossed the mountains getting down in the valley it is time for a stop and a meal next to the road. Not much traffic back then. I like the stones raised every 4 meter along the road to prevent drivers from missing the road.

Food and coffe.

WL bobber, now with stroker motor

Time to update status on my WL bob job that was torn down back in December last year to get a "new" motor, Flanders handlebars and some other modifications.

Working with the Handlebars from Tom Faber (via Ronald), Stelling & Helling risers from Throttle Masters, grips and internals from Clements Trading, switches & wiring from W&W and Beck grips from IronWigwam. Here one grip is shortened, the other is still stock length. Yellow beck grips was later swapped to red ones, a bit more discret in color.

Special tools made for engine and gearbox overhaul I

Special tools made for engine and gearbox overhaul II

Special tools made for engine and gearbox overhaul III

Got the Hanson sports shield back on, had to re-fab. the two arms securing the shield in upper position as the extended sheild was way to high (looking ugly) now with a higher mount.

Another view of handlebars etc.

Stroker engine is ignited by a Fairbanks Morse magneto that once ran a XLCH? New top lid and internal wiring etc. make a hot spark!

The control of the bike when going fast is drastically improved with the new handlebar set up!!

Old motor looking sad and useless.

Breaking in the engine is giving me a HARD TIME, I want to go fast all the time with this new motor.

Pics from Yesterdaze

Back in the days this OHV Pope twin was used for daily transportation in a village not far from where I live.

Amazing to know just in my neighbourhoods I have counted for four of those great machines, wished I had had one survivor now.

This is the closest I ever have come to one of the local Pope`s, found this engine at a farm where it had served as an air compressor for years and years. Its since long gone now.

Garden Gnomes

Many of us love our gardens.
Some people add garden gnome`s to make the right atmosphere, ouch, I rather go for two old Halrey carcasses.
Nothing like a beer and a bonfire next to two old Harley`s.

Knuckle progress

Its time to post a few pics from the ongoing repair of various issues I find when I wrench on my 39 Knuckle.
I was supposed to replace tires only, it have become quite a bit more extensive, sigh! I should not be surprised, this bike have after all been used for years and years and served its previous owner for a great number of miles/km`s.

Here are some pics as a starter, will add text to them later.

Shimming the rear sprocket to get it centered to the wheel center, IMPORTANT!!

The old rear wheel sprocket was welded to the drum, hmm, and its the hardest piece of metal I have ever on my work bench, one can just wonder what Rockwell this have! 

Rear sprocket riveting tool.

Drum and sprocket in the tool.

Oops, this pic should have been presented before the last one. Make sure the four centering rivets get their heads shaved enough to ensure all other rivets are laying firm on the riveting tool.

A variation of riveting punches.

Removing worn front fork rockers.

Front fork rockers and new parts.

Changed all bushings in the front brake, four of them.

Having removed the tires I found rims to be pretty rusted. Had to remove all rust with a rotating wire brush, a shit job.

Lets hope the spoke nipples can take some more years of action.

Rust killer.

Horn was located in two home made brackets. After removing the horn I understood why. The rear part is from a VL, its not a 9 bolt one as supposed to be to fit the original fasteners.

 OK, this need some attention.

A box of spare Delco horns (from cars) is a must for every home.

Horn bracket mess.

Phew, horn is now a 9 bolt and original brackets are on.

Horn as it was meant to be.

When I removed the two rear screws for the inner primary cover I soon realized it was cracked in the front. OK, then I needed a clutch hub puller. Very hard to measure the TPI in the clutch hub, and several attempts with google gave no other answer than Jeff aka "Hollywoods" excellent description of how to remove a 39 Knuckle clutch. OK, I contacted Jeff trough facebook (oops I forgot the time difference) and he was kind enough to measure his HD tool, 18 TPI. Off to the lathe and let the chip`s fly, voila soon I had a clutch hub puller.

Welding!

Ready for some grinding action. Will use a reinforcement plate from W&W when I build this back together.

Feels like the poor ol Knuckle is coming more and more apart, rather than getting fixed!!

Second edition of "Gravel Endurance run", now a three day event! Stay tuned for more info!

Where will this event take place?

Inside the red circle:

How far do we ride?

Roughly 250km`s.

That aint far!!

Well, with vintage bikes on vintage roads, and at vintage speed it is far enough!

Check out some of last years roads here; Gravel Endurance run 2015.

Pic`s from Yesterdaze

Good people, audience of this blog.
Meet Trygve and his Indian Power Plus.
Trygve, born in 1895 traveled to the US in his younger years, he lived in Chicago and worked as a carpenter.
Maybe he got influenced by motorcycle addiction whilst he stayed in the US? I think so because motorcicles where rare in Norway in those early years when he departed for the US.
Trygve returned back to Norway just in time before the WWI broke loose. He settled his new home in Lillestrøm, and started to work with Strømmen wood-outlet. We can assume that Trygve did well, as he after the first great war had ended contacted Sontum & co. in Christiania to order a brand new Indian Power Plus.
Trygve was a true motorcycle enthusiast and rode near and far on this Indian for years.
I found those pictures by coincidence in an archive on the www, where they had no information, just a name of the rider. I was lucky enough to get hold of Trygve`s grandson Vidar, a keen motorcycle rider himself (it might be in the blood?). He have been kind enough to give us the information to follow the pictures when presented here.

A cool detail is Vidar had not seen any of those pictures except from one before, and they amused him as much as they did me.

Mr. cool!