1949 trip, memories, comment

[solo1]

It was July 1949, a very good year.  I’ve had my 1946 Matchless 500 thumper for one year.  Our little Matchless group of about 5 riders had ridden on  many short rides.  Although my Matchless was a hard tail with a sorta bicycle seat, it still was comfortable for me.   However, it was time to get on the road for a little longer ride.  My buddy ,Vic, had just bought a new Matchless  and it had a big improvement, a springer frame ( full suspension front AND back).  We decided to go south toward Tennessee.
Vic and I loaded up our cardboard suitcases put them on our luggage racks and left Ft. Wayne
on a nice sunny day and headed south. When we stopped at Muncie for lunch, we found part of
the kick starter missing on Vic's brand new Matchless. He had not done the Matchless drill which was to get out the wentworth wrenches and tighten EVERYTHING after EVERY ride. . From then on I had to push him to start it or sometimes he could get his foot just
right to kick start. An auspicious beginning.

We continued on to Mammoth Caves Kentucky the first day. 300 miles on a hard tail. My butt was not
quite as hard (yet).
The second day we started out ok but the weather turned nasty. We stopped at the side of the
road and put on our "rainsuits" They were war surplus big ole one piece suits that looked like
camo duct tape (and just as sticky) and smelled like cosmoline. Ridmg into the wind we looked
like a poor mans version of the Michelin Man. Going through Summer Shade it was pouring
down. Same through Eighty Eight (what a wonderful name for a town). Passing on through we
rode down a really steep curvy hill into Burkesville. I remember that red water was running
lengthwise down the road causing a big puckering on my posterior.

Now, both of us, looking like a wet mass of thrown together duct tape, had to wait for the small
ferry to get us across the river. After crossing we headed for the nearest restaurant to get coffee
(for dipping our hands into, LOL.) After about four cups each we were WIRED! We decided to
keep on going and not stop at Sergeant York’s birthplace, Pall Mall, I think.).
By now the rain had quit. The scenery was great and the Matchlesses took on the hills and curves willingly.. We spent the second night in
Oak Ridge.

On to Gatlinburg. A miserable two lane road filled with what passed for RV's then. Our thumpers
made short work of them! In Gatlinburg, there were enough motels to find a nice one but no
traffic, no Dollywood, no nothin'

We rode through Smoky Mountain National Park about three times and I can only remember two
interesting things about that, except for the outstanding scenery and the rhythm of the road. I
was following Vic and gazing up at Mt. Laconti and ran off the road. I low sided the bike in the
wet grass, no damage to me or the "M". Of course Vic went on his way. He finally came back and
I'm struggling to get the bike back up the hill, he's laughing his a** off. Under a dire threat from
me that I won't repeat here, he finally helped.
The other thing is that I'm probably (maybe) the only rider that rode down from Klingman's Dome
to Gatlinburg with the engine purposely off. All I could hear was the wind and the chain. Neat,
neat, neat! Drum brake front and back! I did have it in 3rd gear with the clutch disengaged
though so I wasn't completely stupid, I thought.

On to the BRP. Beautiful! It hasn't changed except for the traffic. It was a pain though to get off
and on, get off and on, etc, but it was worth it, except, maybe for the time we were off and came
around a curve and there was a long pile of gravel three feet high in the middle of the road that
went on for at least a mile, I ended up on the left oncoming traffic side with Vic on the right
I can't remember much about this BRP ride except that it was beautiful, curvy, vacant, and had a
45 mph speed limit which we ignored. If it had been raining I would've remembered more, you
know what I mean.  We rode a portion of the Shenandoah, if I remember, and we turned back and headed for home
 The remainder of the trip was uneventful and curvy (we are getting a little hohum about the
 curves now).
 One last observation. The view from the top of the Ohio River valley after crossing at Madison,
 Indiana was spectacular on old highway 7. Today, you can't see it because of the growth of trees
 and homes.


As I look back on some of those exquisite memories of riding, I can’t help but think how times have changed.  Us old goats were riding before many were even born.  We had to meet and beat all challenges due to bad maps and roads, vibration and breakdown prone motorcycles, riding gear not made for riding, etc.

Yes, times have changed.  Sometimes our age and experience go for nothing. Sometimes, we are not recognized unless we meet certain criteria. Unfortunately, our physical shape and stamina no longer readily lends itself to ride two wheeled heavy motorcycles. so we are left to watch while other riders younger than us carry on the torch (and rightfully so).

However, watching is ok as the high spot for us old geezer riders now, is that we have nothing left to prove.  We have done it, we recognize what we have done, and in the end, that’s all that’s needed.

We stand, tall,  old riders with limitations, but PROUD!!!!

Wayne, Solo1

[Super Santa]

Thank you, Wayne, for another great read.

I can relate to a few of those memories with you although I am a little younger than you, being only about 69 years young.

I recall my only Matchless ride was on a brand new one about 1961.  It was a 600cc thumper and almost kicked me over the handlebars.  Kick-starting one of those behemoths and not getting the compression release just right is an education.

Loved riding back then, many times without any maps and just going.  Never knowing what was coming up around the next curve.

A totally different life-style.

[R J]

Wayne, that is the reason I trailer to a lot of these events anymore.

Nothing left to prove and I have over a million + miles on a motor or Trike.

So call me a Trailer Queen and I'll ask ya to change it to a Trailer King.

Also, a great read Brother........

Hardtails are great to ride any distance......    LA to Florida, and back as 1 example, over Route 66 as far as I could take it, without going too far North.....Stupid age of 17.........

[Jay]

Outstanding!!!

[JimL]

Good read Wayne....I was shocked to say the least when you mentioned Eight Eight, KY.  Not too many folks would recognize that name....much less be able to say that they have passed through there!

[DIGGER]

Awesome read.......man, you had to be tough to take off on a long trip with a rigid rear end.   Back around 1969 or 1970 I was riding a 71 Kawasaki H1 I think it was the 3 cylinder 2 stroke.   My cousin had a trimph chopper with a hard tail.   We took a ride from Houston to Rusk Texas to his kinfolks and had to ride a lot of pea gravel bumpy roads to get there.   He brought a girl he was dating about 24 or 25 yrs old and she had 2 children already from a previous marriage.   She kept complaining that all that bouncing on that hard tail on those gravel bumpy roads was hurting her in the side area.  When we got home that night she went to the hospital and found that all that rigid frame bouncing had torn some things loose in her insides and she ended up having to get a hysterectomy from it.  Poor girl.   Those rigid frames had a zero tolerance in suspension department. 

[Popeye]

Nice post Wayne, keep the stories coming.

[Serk]

Very cool Wayne! Thanks for the peek into a world I'll never get to see, being born over 20 years after that trip... While I'd definitely like to visit that time, I also hafta admit, having an electric start bike that I'm relatively confident will start for me every time, good rain gear, and a nice plush suspension, a GPS and all the other modern conveniences do make life much nicer... Of course, one could argue, that's part of the problem, we've gotten too used to such niceties and become too soft...

And Digger - Sorry, but just had to point out,

Back around 1969 or 1970 I was riding a 71 Kawasaki H1

Did that Kawasaki have a time machine built in?

[Normandog]

Good read Wayne. Thanks for sharing. It seems to me that a trip like that was far more adventurous back then than it would be today. I wasn't born 'til 1952 so I have to wonder what it was like to ride back then or hear about it from those of you who did. It's a lot more fun to hear about it. 

[Valkernaut]

88 is still there, Wayne. All I have seen of it though is the sign. Must have been on an old portion of the road??

Jim

[Thunderbolt]

When I first started reading I thought it was from a diary until I read duct tape.  I didn't think it was invented then, maybe I misinterpreted that section.  I know that you have posted some pictures in the past of one of those trips on the BRP.  If you run across them again, please post them again or a link to them. 
Keep posting for those of us who were just born in 1947 or so.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Great read Wayne, thanks. Would you mind if I send it to a couple of my riding buds?

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Outstanding read Wayne     Very cool 

[highcountry]

Very well said, Wayne!  I was 2 yrs old when you made your trip and figure that I am good for about 5 more yrs or so on the Valk then might have to move to something smaller.

[solo1]

I'm glad that youall got a kick out of reading it.

Some answers to questions.  Those war surplus rain suits were terrible!  You had a choice between getting wet from the rain or getting wet from sweat. Even though duct tape wasn't around back then, I sure could associate the stickiness with duct tape, having just recently written this little story.

As I remember, Eighty Eight was a spot in the road even back then.  Somewhere around there we filled up the gas tanks at a Mom and Pop station with a canopy and a bench outside.  The gas pump wasn't electric. We grabbed a big handle to pump the gas into a round glass tank that had numbered gallons on it. I believe that it held 10 or 15 gallons.  We then drained the gas from that into our tanks.  I remember at the time I thought "Gosh, I hope that this is good gas and hasn't been setting around too long"  Keep in mind, that everywhere else, the Bowser company from Ft. Wayne had pretty much replaced these old gasoline dispensers with what we know as gas pumps today.

Frye, you're welcome to give copies to your buds. Just mention the old fart.

I few more things that I remember.  On a hard tail, when I would see a bump coming up, I would stand on the foot pegs, made it easier but kept you on your toes (pun).

The 'sweet spot' on both Matchlesses was at 58 mph. That was the smoothest running and also good fuel mileage, about 60mpg.  It took awhile to cover distances.  Top speed flat out, literally sprawled on the tank, was 84 mph.

In some way, those were the "Good ole Days"  Drivers were more attentive, there was less traffic on the roads, Gas was cheap, and most 'tourist traps' weren't yet.  Motels were all park at the door with about a $2.00 rate.  That trip of 1600 miles in 6 days cost me $9.00 for gas and oil (the Matchless did burn some oil due to bad valve guide seals).

Ah yes, the oil problem. I was too dumb to figure it out about the seals at first but the Matchless would foul the standard Champion spark plug and quit running when cruising around town.  I finally found an Aldor spark plug at a Western auto store, installed it, and ran the full 1600 miles with no problem.
The Aldor claimed that it would fire in oil and it did........reliably.   When I got back, I reinstalled a Champion plug which fouled immediately.

The rest of THAT story.  That plug is still being made, Google it.

I digressed

wayne

[Black Dog]

Wayne,

Guys like you had 'The Right Stuff'...  You were trailblazers for the generations to follow.  A ride like that today, on any modern bike, even an HD is so much more 'blah'...  Push a button, and the bike starts, push a button, and the suspension is adjusted, push a button, and a computer tells ya where to turn...  As for the gear, not even close 

Motorcycle riding is still one of the last 'thrills' allowed in the PC society of today, but you were one of the many, that has experienced the thrill of doing many things first...

I tip my hat (helmet) to you 

Black Dog

[solo1]

I'm sitting here with nothing to do at this minute.  All of your comments made me think more about that Matchless.  Of course we tend to remember only the good things about our favorite ( or, in this case, my second favorite motorcycle, the Valk is first).

When i bought that thumper, it was one year old and was sitting in a barn , the owner had died.  Up to that point, all of my friends already had Matchlesses, i didn't, so it was a dream come true that I could afford it.

I lived, breathed, and talked about that bike, my first. I knew it from one end to the other. I knew how to do the start routine, which would be completely foreign today.  I'll describe it.

Put the Burman gear box in nuetral by footshifting up ( toward me) all the way and then down a half notch.  The Burman shifted down to a higher gear. Made a lot more sense when racing someone.
Next, retard the spark control on the handlebars.
Next, close the handlebar activated choke on the Amal carb ( the English manual called this strangleling), then reach down and "tickle" the plunger on the float bowl.
Next, using the kickstart, ease the big piston into the compression stroke. Now, using the compression release, ease the piston halfway through the compression stroke.  Now we're ready.
No throttle, now kick it and it'll start.  Notice I didn't mention ignition.  The Matchless had an impulse magneto which generated the spark, there was no ignition switch.  People were more trustworthy then.

A little side story on the above.
We had a local Harley shop where many HD owners would congregate, backing their bikes up to the curb.  Just for kicks, i would visit and do the same.  Now back then, those Harleys needed a mighty kick to start, the owner had to literally stand on the kickstarter to slam his weight down to start those Vtwins.
I waited until there were a number of HD riders out there and then I would get ready to leave.
I would walk up to my bike, do the routine above with one exception.  Instead of using my foot, i would use my left hand to push the piston through with the resulting 'plunk, plunk, plunk' of my Matchless running.  The secret was the ability to retard the spark and have a compression release AND full faith in what i was doing.  The Matchless never let me down, it always started, and never backfired. 

[DIGGER]

Having problems posting this morning.    I bought the '71 Kawasaki Hi Mach 3 500cc 2 stoke 3 cylinder new in '71.   After watching a ton of "THEN CAME BRONSON" shows on tv I took my first long distance trip on it from Houston to the Grand Canyon.   It did well on the trip.   I look back and I was 21 yrs old and the bike had no windshield, no bags.   All my gear was in a duffle bag sitting on the back of the seat.   here is a googled website that shows the exact same bike and what it sounded like.   great bike in it's time

My 1971 Blue H1 Kawasaki	powered by Aeva

[98 T]

Outstanding story Wayne!!  I haven't been able to ride nearly as much as I wanted this season so far and it's always great reading to follow someone else's adventures.   I wish I was able to make it to the ACDC ride...but I'll be there in spirit.  Please post a lot of pictures.

I agree that you've earned the right to not have to prove anything to anyone.   You have my eternal respect as a true biker even if you ride a golf cart to InZane!!

I learned something from my son's pre-school teacher once... and I think it's true.  I've taken many trips over the years...some short and some long.  The really good ones were great but I don't remember them quite as well as I'd like - they sort of fade into the foggy past -  But as the teacher said, the trips where things went wrong and you had to fight through adversity (rain storms, breakdowns, tornadoes, running out of gas) you remember forever and they change you and make you grow a little.

Please post more stories when you can.

Loth

[solo1]

Outstanding story Wayne!!  I haven't been able to ride nearly as much as I wanted this season so far and it's always great reading to follow someone else's adventures.   I wish I was able to make it to the ACDC ride...but I'll be there in spirit.  Please post a lot of pictures.

I agree that you've earned the right to not have to prove anything to anyone.   You have my eternal respect as a true biker even if you ride a golf cart to InZane!!

I learned something from my son's pre-school teacher once... and I think it's true.  I've taken many trips over the years...some short and some long.  The really good ones were great but I don't remember them quite as well as I'd like - they sort of fade into the foggy past -  But as the teacher said, the trips where things went wrong and you had to fight through adversity (rain storms, breakdowns, tornadoes, running out of gas) you remember forever and they change you and make you grow a little.

Please post more stories when you can.

Loth

Sorry that you can't make it, Loth to the ACDC, I hope that we don't get rained on.  BTW, the golf cart runs much nicer now with the work that I've done to it.

[Big IV]

Cool read