Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Flat Trackin' Hand Shift Last Sunday - Part 3, A Few More...and some Verbiage

Making the decision...WLDR or not WLDR...
that was the question....see below for the answer...

Matt and Billy

The Start...Hand Shift Class

Me, Marty and Billy

Me and Billy with Mr. Cool...

Thanks to Marty's wife Lisa for taking these pictures which I stole from FB... 

Last Sunday I brought out my 46 Knuckle and 38 WLDR to race two different classes at Oakland Valley Speedway in NY State. I signed up for the Vintage Heavy (501cc and up) with the WLDR and Hand Shift with the 46 Knuckle. I pitted with the Hand Shift boys and got ready for practice...Vintage Heavy was first.
Upon entering turn two during practice for Vintage Heavy with the WLDR it was evident that my gearing was fucked. 2nd too low and Third too high. I went into the turn and shifted into third as if I was on a 1/2 mile track and just about hit the wall. I then down shifted and got slammed and tangled a bit with a Triumph (I think) neither of us went down but that was enough for me to determine that the WLDR will sit this one out. I didn't feel like getting into a sprocket change (although I brought all my gearing).
I took the Knuckle out for Hand Shift class practice and decided to run it in both classes just to get more track time. That was a good choice in the gearing department...but the Knuckle is just too low and as you can see from my first post on the race "Grinding", It was hell on my primary and frame!
Matt , Me and Billy took first, second and third in that order (in the Hand Shift Class) so the Knuckle did damn good, but next season I'm either gonna build another one special for Flat Track, like these boys did with their Panheads, with plenty of ground clearance or raise up the '46 trans and frame...

I am now hooked on Flat Track racing a Knuckle so it will be one or the other...I just hate to fuck up my all purpose 46 FL....

Oh and by the way... Thanks to Billy for graciously finishing the race in Third...

And thanks to Mr. Cool for putting up the prize money!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Flat Track Hand Shift Oakland Valley Speedway NY - Part 2...The rest of my Pics

Me, Matt and Billy

Part of the Hand shift line up...

Slidin...













This got stripped down and ran...It has a hand shift...

Marty making some adjustments...


Converted Duo Glides...


Yes he ran...saddlebags, buddy seat and all....

Kowalski Custom's 45...in foreground



Matt and his '60 Pan








The rest of my pics from Oakland Valley Speedway this past Sunday....Everybody had a great time and got to beat their bikes!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Flat Trackin' Hand Shift Oakland Valley Speedway NY...Part 1 - Grinding!


My primary is toast...

Right through to the Clutch Basket!



Frame scrapage!!!

Floor board mount...history!

Not only did the track eat my primary, 
clutch basket and floor board mount
 but it did a job on my shoe as well!

Marty cut out a sole from a shelf in his van...

The welder wouldn't work off the generator...

But we had rivets!

Seemed like a good idea...


The Track had other ideas...


Holy shit, did I fuck up my Knuckle primary and frame flat trackin' on Sunday...oh well...time to raise the trans and frame some how. My buddy Dan told me that my back wheel bounced a few inches off the ground at one point from riding the primary! It wanted to put me into the wall... I was on it the whole time... The thing ground right through to the clutch basket...my floor board mount is nearly gone and it started working on the frame!
I leaned my bike over to see how far it had to go to do that and shit I was almost laying on the track...WTF!

More to come....