5th Annual Smith Mill British Motorcycle Rally

A friend of mine invited me to a gathering of vintage British motorcycle enthusiasts that meet once a year at the site of the historic Smith Mill located in North East Ohio.

The day dawned cool and rainy.  I had to ride about twenty five miles to get to my friend's place where we planned to load up the bikes on a trailer and travel another fifty miles to the mill.  The rain did taper off and quit but after three miles I was soaked from the knees down from road spray. I seriously considered turning around and going home.  With some encouragement from my friend I persevered. After all what is a British motorcycle rally without some British style weather to go with it. 

The mill has a long and interesting history behind it.  An original mill was built on the site in 1820 by Daniel Slaker which operated as the first sawmill in Jackson township. Later the mill functioned as a gristmill and flourmill up through the mid 1800's.  The facility certainly played an important role in the area's commerce as it was just across the road from the Ohio & Erie Canal.

By the late 1800's the mill was converted to a brewery which supplied the nearby town of Massillon, Ohio until about 1910 when the brewery moved closer to town.  Shortly after that the original mill was destroyed by fire. 

In 1925 R.W. Smith constructed the present building using the old stone blocks from the original mill to build the foundation then completing the structure using post and beam construction under a brick exterior.  This is what gives the building a two-tone look with sandstone on the bottom and red brick for the upper stories. From 1925 to 1973 this new and improved Smith Mill produced apple cider with output sometimes reaching up to 200 gallons of cider a day.

The current owner of the property who also happened to be our gracious host for the day's event acquired the mill in the 1980's and has done an outstanding job preserving this unique piece of Ohio history.

After coffee and donuts and much mutual admiration of our fine British machines we saddled up for a relaxed 60 miles round trip tour through the countryside of north east Ohio.  Here's a sampling of a few of the bikes in attendance:

Triumph

BSA

Velocette

Norton

AJS

While not British this Moto Guzzi is a fine example of Italian engineering.

A cool Triumph done up in flat tracker style.

Another non-english bike: BMW

I was so busy immersing myself in the sights, sounds and smells of these vintage machines I almost forgot to take a photo of the Scrambler.  In the background an old iron bridge crossing the Tuscarawas River near the village of Zoar where we stopped for lunch.

In all we had 25 bikes in the group.  For me it was a new experience. I have never participated in a large group ride so I settled in near the back of the group so I could watch the column spread out as we took to the roads. Also from the rear I could best savor the mechanical music of those vintage twins.

Mill history:   http://oldmills.scificincinnati.com/index.html



 

Custom Moto Trike

What I like about riding bicycles is one is never going too fast to spot interesting things along the way.  While I was on my mini-tour of the Little Miami Scenic Trail a few weeks ago there was a few motorcycle rallies going on.  I passed one watering hole along a state route where the bike path crossed over and I saw this.  As a motorcycle fan myself I had to stop and check it out.

Knobby tires all around for those southern Ohio back roads and plenty of space out back for refreshments! 

It reminded me of this song the moment I laid eyes on it.

Cycling Update

Last Tuesday I got some new tires for my road bike.  I've been thinking about trying out 28mm tires but I ended up with these regular 25mm slicks from Vittoria.  I like slicks and the price was right so I decided to give them a try.  I always enjoy new tires and look forward to that first ride.

I mounted the clinchers and went for a spin on my out and back time trial course.  The tires feel fast and comfortable as a 100 psi skinny tire can.

20 Miles for time

Ride Time:  1:06:49

Distance:  20 miles

Average Speed: 17.9 mph

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Here in north central Ohio we've had 5 sunny warm days in the 70's and I could stand it no longer.  I had to get out and ride my mountain bike and I figured the trails at Mohican would be dry enough for my first knobby tired ride of the season. I got an early start and it was pleasant to get out on a Friday during the day to enjoy the solitude that's soon to be gone from the trails and roadways come Saturday.  To my satisfaction the trail was hard and fast but had not totally dried out.  It turned out a great day to be in the woods.

  

Leaves just spouting. Spring time comes to the Clear Fork Gorge.

The Motobecane dual suspension rode perfect. To get an idea of trail conditions look at the following picture.  This shot shows how clean my bike is after over 20 miles of single track.  The wet spots on the trail numbered a half dozen and most of those were just places were the trail was saturated from nearby natural springs.

I spent 5 hours and 40 minutes in the park counting stops for food and photography.  It is possible to ride about 17 miles of single track and then bail out to the pavement to cross the Gorge at the west end of the route but I felt up to it so I decided to ride the full 25 mile single track loop.  I took my time and didn't worry about racing the clock just enjoyed the day and tried to keep moving in a forward direction.  Traveling completely off road by bicycle in hilly country for 25 miles is a huge accomplishment even if it takes all afternoon.  I would estimate my total ride time would be 4 hours with an average speed of 6.25 mph.

Gear shown is 1st. 22T chainring, 36T sprocket.

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Springtime is motorcycle time.  The Road Queen and I met up after work on Thursday for an 80 mile loop through the hills of north central Ohio.  I love to pedal but the warm weather always brings out the urge to twist a throttle and really extend my two-wheel range.    

Scrambler Ride

 

 

I had an appointment Today at the Triumph dealer to get my oil changed.  Sure I could do the work myself but I don't mind having the shop do it.  For one thing if I ever have a major mechanical problem with the bike I know I can trust the guys to fix me up.  I can build up a bicycle from the frame up but when it comes to internal combustion I'd just as well leave it to the pros.  Besides a trip to the shop ensures a nice 100 mile round trip ride through the Ohio countryside.

 

When I left the house at 8:30 am it was pretty chilly around 35 degrees Fahrenheit.  Couple that with 50-60 mph wind chill and it can get a little uncomfortable.  Fortunately after the work was done it had warmed up into the upper forties.  Geared up properly I can ride all day when it's in the 40's or 50's.  Actually I prefer these temperatures for riding motorbikes.  Air cooled engines run great in the crisp air and I don't have to worry about sweating under my jacket and full face helmet.

 

 

On the ride home I toured through Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area.  This was the first time I've been in this area and it is beautiful.

 

I've ridden my Triumph Scrambler for a year now and have just over 2000 miles on the clock.  This bike has more than met my expectations allowing me to explore out of the way places handling with ease anything I put in its path.  A few miles east of the wildlife area the road really got rural so I took some video.  My camera does not handle wind noise at all so I had to dub in some tunes:

 

 

I'm asking Santa for a Go Pro video camera because I've had fun playing around with my Canon point and shoot and it does take decent video but I think I need something more dedicated to video and a way to fix it to my helmet.  It's tough to ride a motorcycle one handed twisting the throttle, shifting, clutching and film at the same time.

 

 

 

Triumph World Record!

 

 

My favorite motorcycle brand blasts into the record books yet again! Below is the accompanying text that came with this awesome photograph. Via: Triumph High Performance Motorcycles Since 1902

 

 

DiSalvo Conquers the Salt Flats

Jason DiSalvo and his Rocket III set new world record at Bonneville.

Latus Motors Racing rider Jason DiSalvo set new AMA and FIM land-speed racing records at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats with a Rocket III Roadster, fielded by the Hot Rod Conspiracy/Carpenter Racing team. He ran in the Modified (normally) Aspirated Fuel (MAF) class for motorcycles up to 3,000cc’s. DiSalvo’s initial run was 175.998mph, and his return run was 172.587mph for an average, world-record-setting speed of 174.276mph (280.470kph) for the flying mile and 174.880mph (281.443kph) for the flying kilometer. What’s amazing is this Rocket is fully streetable, using one of Bob Carpenter’s 240hp over-the-counter performance kits. The records are subject to FIM Ratification and anticipated to be reviewed during their November meeting in Valencia, Spain.



Scrambler Ride

 

 

 

If I point my motorbike north towards Canada I can only get about 75 miles, On dry land anyway.  It was a beautiful fall day so I headed up to the top of Ohio to visit my Dad at Lake Erie.  We had some cold Labatts from the tap and cheeseburgers  at the Beaver House.  I took  a few pictures around Beaver Creek.

  

 

150 miles round trip. About 3 gallons of go juice and I watched the sun go down from the bike on the ride home. Sweet. 



Shop Notes -- Pit Bull Motorcycle Stand

I took a trip to Columbus, Ohio after work to visit my favorite retail establishment "Iron Pony Motorsports" where I picked up this fine American made product.  I've been looking for a way to quickly and easily hoist up the back end of my Triumph Scrambler.

This type of stand is a common fixture in shops and paddock areas used to hold bikes firmly in an upright position.  Ingenious use of the principle of leverage allows a person to singlehandedly raise the rear end of a motorcycle.  While standing off to the side of the bike I use one hand resting on the seat to balance the cycle while the other slides the stand into position with the rubber pads under each swing arm.  Pushing down on the handle creates a fulcrum and the whole unit locks into place once the handle end of the stand touches the floor.  To lower the bike back to the ground just pull up on the handle.  It's amazing how easy it is and how rock steady it holds the bike when engaged.

The pit bull is well made from steel with good looking welds and nice decals.  The company's motto is "This stand will outlast your bike" and I don't doubt it.

Here's the Pitt Bull in action. Triumph recommends lubing the drive chain every 200 miles.  This stand will make it much easier for me to comply with the schedule.

A purchase of $100 or more scores a free T-shirt at the Iron Pony.  The cool part is they periodically change the design on the shirts.  Lately they have been putting out some great looking prints.

http://ironpony.com/

http://www.pit-bull.com/

Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding during his Presidential Campaign, 1920

Last year while on a bicycle ride here in North Central Ohio I passed the birthplace of Warren G. Harding.  For some time I have wanted to add to my blog some more details of  the famous Ohioan and the 29th President of the United States.

Yesterday was a sunny and warm spring day so I decided to use the Triumph to ride 40 minutes to the city of Marion, Ohio to visit the Harding home.  Harding settled in Marion after he graduated from college and began his career as a newspaper man.  

The home and small museum located at the rear of the property were closed during my visit but I still had fun poking around the grounds on my own.  Even though I've lived in the area all my life I've never seen the historic home he built in 1890.

Here is a link to a web page with some pictures of the interior of the house and a brief synopsis of Harding's life and times:

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/warren_harding_home.html

The Harding home is not an extravagant mansion but a handsome Victorian style wood frame reflective of Harding's middle class status at the time.

Warren G. Harding Timeline

1865    Born on November 2 near Blooming Grove, Ohio

1882    Graduated from Ohio Central College, Iberia, Ohio

1884    Purchased the Marion Daily Star

1891    Married Florence Kling De Wolfe, born in 1860 in Marion, Ohio

1899    Elected to Ohio State Senate

1903    Elected Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

1914    Elected United States Senator

1920    Nominated for U.S. President Republican Party

1921    Inaugurated President of the United States

1923    Died at San Francisco, California

1924    Florence Kling Harding died at Marion, Ohio.

 

I love the huge front porch and the view looking out towards Mt Vernon Avenue.  Harding began his bid for the presidency by giving speeches from the top of these steps which became known as the "Front Porch Campaign"

Pretty cool to stand right there where it all went down!

 

In 1978 the Harding house was donated to the State of Ohio and has remained in it's care ever since.  In an interesting side note my wife LeeAnn has an aunt who lived in the house and LeeAnn remembers as a child spending the night on a few occasions there.  The only place she was forbidden to go was the Harding bedroom which was used at the time to store many of the Harding's personal belongings.

Next I hopped back on my motorbike and rode a short mile and a half distance to the President and First Lady's final resting place the Harding Memorial.  It's an awesome place.

 

From a series of informational plaques I gleaned this interesting knowledge:

Prior to state ownership, the properties were owned by a private organization, the Harding Memorial Association.  The HMA was organized soon after President Harding's death in 1923 to raise funds to build a proper gravesite for President Harding. The HMA was comprised of President Calvin Coolidge, members of the Harding cabinet, Marion businessmen, and prominent members of Washington D.C. society.

 

A Sum of $977,821.76 in private money was raised for construction of the tomb.  More than a million people contributed to the project, with funds coming from across the United States, The Philippines and Europe.  More than 200,000 school children also collected pennies for the fund.

 

President Harding had requested a simple burial under a tree and the open sky, and the Harding Memorial Association was determined to incorporate that request in the tomb design.

While I was researching for this post I came across a few quotes from speeches Harding delivered throughout his political career.  This stuff is great and rings as true today as it did 90 years ago.

"In the great fulfillment, we must have a citizenship less concerned about what the government can do for it and more anxious about what it can do for the nation."

-US Senator Harding, Republican National Convention, 1916 

"It is fine to idealize, but it is very practical to make sure our own house is in perfect order, before we attempt the miracle of old-world stabilization.  To safegard America first, to stabilize America first, to prosper America first, to think of America first, to exalt America first, to live for and revere America first."

-US Sen. Harding's view of regaining world balance after World War I, 1920

"America's greatness, her liberty, and her happiness are founded upon intelligence.  They are founded upon that wide dissemination of knowledge which comes only to the many through our educational system."

-US Sen. Harding, 1920

"We need a rigid and yet sane economy, combined with fiscal justice, and it must be attended by individual prudence and thrift, which are so essential to this trying hour and reassuring for the future."

-President Harding, Inaugural Speech, March 4, 1921