tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85062091167916010072024-03-05T16:00:55.060-08:00344chief's Indian MotorcyclesHalvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-35958303726514573872011-07-04T02:06:00.000-07:002011-07-04T02:07:19.608-07:00"Skogsløpet" 2011 vintage motorcycle rallyBeen too busy working with the house/ garage projects to keep the blog updated.<br />
And, I haven't had much time to go riding either.<br />
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But, I made the Skosløpet this year, although I went alone since neither the K-750 (Dnepr) or the rider(Eva) was ready for the 1100+ kilometer weekend ride. After working overtime and a visit to a customer to sign some papers, I finally left the customer located outside Oslo at 20:00 in the evening.<br />
It rained pretty bad from Jevnaker until Lillehammer, had to follow a trailer to stay on the road.<br />
The riding boot is no longer waterproof, but the gloves did keep the rain out for a long time.<br />
From lillehammer the rain got lighter, and it stopped raining when passing Tretten at midnight. <br />
Since I was already wet, I decided to keep riding. It really doesn't get real dark early in the summer, but there could be more critters (moose etc.) on the road.<br />
Due to the wet pants, going over the Ringebu mountain was painful. The legs got so cold I could feel stings.<br />
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Arrived at the rally site at 02:30. I brought my summer sleeping bag, so it was some really cold 3 nights in the tent (not a trekking/ mountain tent either..)<br />
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But the rally/ meeting was very good despite the rain and cold weather. We stayed clear of the rain on the saturday rideout, and the wet gravel roads were a delight to ride on. Alhough it was a bumpy ride for those riding bikes without a proper rear suspension. The chief's plunger suspension works pretty good.<br />
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Some pictures from the meeting.<br />
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Restored BP gasstation from 1955(?) just outside the rally site, used for rally registration.<br />
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Some of the late model indians present, up in the mountains during saturday's ride:<br />
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1195 metres above sea level, and climbing..<br />
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</div> 1917(?) Excelsior on the gravel roads:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5073/5899837165_b3cfe1dd8f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" i$="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5073/5899837165_b3cfe1dd8f_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-60724486956162512932011-03-28T00:40:00.000-07:002011-03-28T00:40:03.331-07:00Last week's progress on the car garage.about half of the "second floor" was done, and 3 windows installed.<br />
Hope to get the second floor and start installing the drywall in the first part of this week. But need to insulate the roof first I think.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5254/5567392966_b4d9235df1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" r6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5254/5567392966_b4d9235df1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5567392666_e6ff07216f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" r6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5567392666_e6ff07216f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/5566809329_d25a6acce4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/5566809329_d25a6acce4.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-64590918360172181182011-03-24T00:38:00.000-07:002011-03-24T00:38:28.741-07:00March 23, updates on the car garage buildGot the garage man door installed, and 2/3 of the wall insulation is in place.<br />
Also picked up 3 windows to be installed over the next few days, if my time permits.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJhJDVHKR17TWMeVMReLPFCQD2BWApBQXPXnOc4bAX-EpgdVvVEnHs7l1w-1JSLFyGA2GxXmYNtoMLfLoOhHxeq7W5BHBYCO_Sq_qs3u3xXmnH-1V0MRUeU2otcVoNdDYCNIUhbqWEvwx/s1600/IMAG0194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJhJDVHKR17TWMeVMReLPFCQD2BWApBQXPXnOc4bAX-EpgdVvVEnHs7l1w-1JSLFyGA2GxXmYNtoMLfLoOhHxeq7W5BHBYCO_Sq_qs3u3xXmnH-1V0MRUeU2otcVoNdDYCNIUhbqWEvwx/s320/IMAG0194.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-6200222826989907992011-03-19T10:07:00.000-07:002011-03-20T08:32:32.141-07:00First ride of the season!Well, actually I rode in Florida/ California in early February.. but today was the first day riding here in Norway this year.<br />
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The chief ran pretty good, but I think it wants more fuel.. and the foam type airfilter is restricting the intake.<br />
It sounds gorgeous from the saddle..<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5543355570_cef8c8a096_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5543355570_cef8c8a096_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-88248910170085985292011-03-18T11:05:00.000-07:002011-03-18T11:05:04.021-07:00A short video of the chief with the new cams.Opened the motorcycle garage door for the first time in months. To keep the heat inside, the garage door was sealed using screws and ducttape..<br />
The weather is supposed to get warmer next week, so I hope for an early spring. I may ride a short bit this weekend, but since the generator isn't charging I can't go too far with lights on.<br />
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Still need to do some adjustments to the ignition timing, and I will need to check if the jetting is ok. <br />
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<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="240" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=ffb28c29c8&photo_id=5537330397"></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=ffb28c29c8&photo_id=5537330397" height="240" width="400"></embed></object>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-77089023251027528772011-03-16T00:38:00.000-07:002011-03-16T00:38:37.765-07:00Car garage build updates<span style="color: #cccccc;">Some updates on the garage.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Most of the siding is now done, put in quite some hours in the weekend plus 2 evenings.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5531606936_b541b6cf26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" r6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5531606936_b541b6cf26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Front</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5531607226_4382d3df63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5531607226_4382d3df63.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5531607110_df7fc78367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5531607110_df7fc78367.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div align="center"><em>Back</em></div><div align="center"><br />
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</div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-79188986335698248282011-03-14T04:40:00.000-07:002011-03-16T06:03:16.746-07:00Building the car garage ..and workshop.Our house was built around '54 -'55, and then extended 2 times later. <br />
The last extension was in the early 1980's where they also added a single car garage in the basement.<br />
While this garage turned out really nice after a lot of work, there's no room for a car anymore. The garage is now a motorcycle workshop. <br />
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We are going to change the looks of the house over the next 1-2years, and at the same time we (I :) ) decided to add a new double car garage. Available space was limited, so the footprint of the garage was limited. So we decided to build up instead, and install a lift to store the third car.<br />
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Apart from some of the landscaping/ leveling, we will do most of the garage build ourselves with help from family and friends. So we have to do this on evenings and weekends, since we both have daytime jobs.<br />
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But first we had to spend a lot of time making a foundation for the garage, since the backyard is sloped.<br />
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</div>And then we also needed to level the backyard and make a new sloped driveway..<br />
The excess dirt and rocks was pushed into the lower part of the backyard, we will later lift and level the whole backyard.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5026494023_5db71a707d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5026494023_5db71a707d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5027103086_61dfab4ca0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5027103086_61dfab4ca0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The driveway:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5026491249_bb22659cc1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5026491249_bb22659cc1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Then the driveway was was filled with course gravel and then fine gravel, and compacted several times.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5032113631_7cd9496cfe_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5032113631_7cd9496cfe_m.jpg" /></a></div>And luckily, we managed to pour and polish the concrete floor on the absolute last possible day. The frost set in the following day. <br />
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After one and a half months of really cold weather, we got the precut framework/ roof trusses delivered just before Christmas. It was -18 degrees celcius outside, so the crane on the transport truck was causing problems for a while.<br />
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The garage build was started on January 1st , and most of the framework was up within two weeks.<br />
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Quite a bit of snow came in January, so it was a pain to keep the buildsite clear of snow..<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5126/5336917644_fbe7a30d9a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5126/5336917644_fbe7a30d9a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Theres a porsche 911 somewhere under the snow...</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The roof was then built, and the walls covered by windproof/waterproof boards.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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We managed to get the roof covered just days before I went on a 3 week business trip/ vacation to Florida/California..and got the Porsche out of the snow...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5385851922_06ff1a8c55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5385851922_06ff1a8c55.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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4 weeks later we started working on the garage again, preparing for the outside wall siding and the inside drywall/sheetrock.<br />
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We managed to cover 2 1/2 walls last weekend, after some long days of working. The garage doesn't have a very large footprint, but it's tall. The wood boards are primed impregnated "vestlandskledning) horizontal boards.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5525330319_f849b79e91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5525330319_f849b79e91.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Sunday evening at 22:30, nailing the last anglecut board in place...tired after climbing the ladder the whole weekend..</em> </div><br />
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more later...<br />
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</div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-89340042217097567922011-03-10T00:33:00.000-08:002011-03-10T00:43:01.259-08:00New camcover and testing some cams...The camcover which came with the '44 chief was damaged in transport some 12 years ago, as the motor was shipped to a rebuilder. Over time the repair weld has loosened up, causing the steel insert for the rear cam to spin. Loctite (green) worked for several years, but eventually it loosened up again. <br />
Since I already had a later camcase cover available, I installed that instead while searching for a new wraparound type camcover. Apart from being the correct camcover for this model, I also thinks it looks better. But the wraparound type cover also covers parts of the cylinder base, and makes it more difficult to see oilleaks etc.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5511112709_8d17ca2ac0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" q6="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5511112709_8d17ca2ac0_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>New camcover</em></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I will need the later style camcover for the '47 project soon. </div>While the camcover was off, I decided to install some factory(?) racecams I got from ebay some years back.<br />
They are mounted on the earlier type camgears (I'm no expert on the early stuff), and some of the experts think it's somekind of a late 1920's schunk cam. The cams slightly resembles a "hooker" cam. I hope the modern reinforced cam followers won't see too much wear. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2736/4186065156_c74c1a8595_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2736/4186065156_c74c1a8595_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em>A "bit more" duration and different timing with the new cams, but slightly less lift than the Kiwi bonnie cam shown on the right side.</em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Starting the bike was a bit difficult, but as soon as there was gas in the intake the engine fired.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The bike got harder to start after putting in a foam type airfilter, the K&N filter actually shrunk due to the excess gasoline flowing back to the filter when starting the bike. Will put in a new filter.</div><div style="text-align: left;">When there is gas fumes in the cylinders, the bike starts very easy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Since I started the bike in a closed garage, the old garage door being blocked and sealed for the winter cold, the engine sound doesn't sound right with a cellphone microphone. It sounds much better in real life, and I can'te tell any difference in valve train noise. But I need to take it for a ride I think. It sound meaner after installing these cams...and the exhaust push a bit more air..:) Need to glue the wallpaper to the wall again...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" height="240" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=306b14f65a&photo_id=5494454119"></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=306b14f65a&photo_id=5494454119" height="240" width="400"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What do you think ?</div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-16506139970675945662011-03-09T05:50:00.000-08:002011-03-09T05:56:01.689-08:00New projects.. 1947 Skirted fender ChiefIn a "weak" moment I purchased a 1947 chassis off eBay. <br />
But it was a good buy I think..if the good parts are as good as they say. I haven't seen the parts myself yet, but some friends inspected the chassis at Davenport last autumn. Some of the parts have been damaged by fire, so they may not be usable.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VmRFBEbjQMkLfoeNLhvqBkmapc9HWjOV6SbcLwzAfoisETul9M4XU0CmSqqJiSnKeGmW1fdmYKhawvVAieIAIqhSf9RuGzgo4vojAhOodhAmh83WlzPR8_LMEHTyp5fZPHF5OQKPWuWo/s1600/%2521BtT21O%2521%2521Wk%257E%2524%2528KGrHqMOKi0EvN9qwlwVBL7%252CHLPlOw%257E%257E_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VmRFBEbjQMkLfoeNLhvqBkmapc9HWjOV6SbcLwzAfoisETul9M4XU0CmSqqJiSnKeGmW1fdmYKhawvVAieIAIqhSf9RuGzgo4vojAhOodhAmh83WlzPR8_LMEHTyp5fZPHF5OQKPWuWo/s320/%2521BtT21O%2521%2521Wk%257E%2524%2528KGrHqMOKi0EvN9qwlwVBL7%252CHLPlOw%257E%257E_12.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RV-TfDxSPsRqrWVfcBdEua_Bp2LGPHNOACIYLmB2SgHkcmE6WQcslLXfm1FPsZuFU2xzHdx2kgs_L-0KyaqbfVf2-Xr4D1DIf9_wzZk4xo8MXXH85SZF8vl_nO36IEi-R1uaATHAoeO8/s1600/%2521BtT24swCGk%257E%2524%2528KGrHqYOKi4EvPuvufdVBL7%252CHVn%2528Yg%257E%257E_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RV-TfDxSPsRqrWVfcBdEua_Bp2LGPHNOACIYLmB2SgHkcmE6WQcslLXfm1FPsZuFU2xzHdx2kgs_L-0KyaqbfVf2-Xr4D1DIf9_wzZk4xo8MXXH85SZF8vl_nO36IEi-R1uaATHAoeO8/s320/%2521BtT24swCGk%257E%2524%2528KGrHqYOKi4EvPuvufdVBL7%252CHVn%2528Yg%257E%257E_12.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t4sUj8qZb5WWsZ3R7UZLKLnBMCPyeYkz2izddoTKEu3KyvM_7zyrpu0RqbmnSaVPga3ggIJWj9gGpT4b-Ir3Kunorvg518Oh7_gmP1JoiNhT_4h63g9IDB54ECtW0Y2yM-HwEZOplw-q/s1600/%2521BtT3IhgBmk%257E%2524%2528KGrHqIOKjIEvNqjcYH9BL7%252CICgqTQ%257E%257E_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t4sUj8qZb5WWsZ3R7UZLKLnBMCPyeYkz2izddoTKEu3KyvM_7zyrpu0RqbmnSaVPga3ggIJWj9gGpT4b-Ir3Kunorvg518Oh7_gmP1JoiNhT_4h63g9IDB54ECtW0Y2yM-HwEZOplw-q/s320/%2521BtT3IhgBmk%257E%2524%2528KGrHqIOKjIEvNqjcYH9BL7%252CICgqTQ%257E%257E_12.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Luckily I have Chief spares from before, and I picked up some crankcases, plungers etc while travelling in Florida /California. Below are some of the stuff I already have at home. Still waiting for the chassis to arrive here in Norway. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkLAWFPeyZf5cEKVXPZYe_-puKil4Ulj1t3E_tRLbulvF8nqLNTFjESB8arAsykVg5c1UcxZHoajZYCaea89pUAKFEg4SAWHMvXnladWqQ_rDspQ-2OJoZ2zou23iqfsONY45v-Bf-NL_/s1600/IMAG0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="191" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkLAWFPeyZf5cEKVXPZYe_-puKil4Ulj1t3E_tRLbulvF8nqLNTFjESB8arAsykVg5c1UcxZHoajZYCaea89pUAKFEg4SAWHMvXnladWqQ_rDspQ-2OJoZ2zou23iqfsONY45v-Bf-NL_/s320/IMAG0134.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-42269841570255115002011-03-09T05:01:00.000-08:002011-03-09T05:03:49.060-08:00The chief bluesmoke travels far north.. 2008 North Cape ride<div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">In 2007 we (my 1944 indian chief and myself) went to Iceland, and a ride report was posted on the Advrider forum after the trip.<br />
<br />
From a bad start of the riding season, with delays and a troublesome transmission, everything got sorted in early July.<br />
After longing for the open road for months and months, I just loaded up the indian and headed north on tuesday july 8th. <br />
Actually I got the flu the night before, so I waited until 1400 to start my travel. Really I should have stayed at home, not feeling well at all.<br />
But sooo fed up by the small hometown....<br />
I've been to the north of Norway several times, and worked there as an officer for 1,5 year. I love the nature and the friendly people up there.<br />
<br />
Since I left late and was not feeling well, I only rode some 475 kilometers the first night. And stayed at my brother in law's grandmother's house.<br />
She is 90 years old, and still drives a car! She knows lot's of stories from the ww2 and earlier.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/2663339655_81f5e59981_b.jpg" /><br />
<i>At the Aukrust museum in Alvdal. Abroad he's probably best known for the Pinchcliffe Grand Prix</i> movie (</span><a href="http://www.caprino.no/movies/en/flaaklypa.asp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">http://www.caprino.no/movies/en/flaaklypa.asp</span></a><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The next day I first had to ride back to Tynset to replace the front brake cable that broke the night before. <br />
After one hour of ride or so, I reached Røros. One of the Unesco World heritage towns. Røros is known for the copper production, and the buildings and remains of the copper production still stands today.<br />
I spent several hours in the narrow streets and the museum.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/2688438497_4d275a8ed7.jpg" /><br />
<i>Big piles of remains from the copper production</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/2689264568_690a940fa6.jpg" /><br />
<i>The museum with the church behind</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2688450515_87458900a4.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<i>Old houses </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2689262468_77147ab32f.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/2688447833_7bdf2ccf4d.jpg" /><br />
<i>The old pharmacy</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2689265520_c094c2794d.jpg" /> </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7478163"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">..an at 15:00 o'clock I left Røros and headed north.<br />
<br />
On this trip I went high tech and installed a Veypor ( </span><a href="http://www.veypor.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">www.veypor.com</span></a><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"> ).<br />
For this trip, the Veypor's fuel gauge function and the speedometer was in frequent use. <br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/2689252846_a4546cde5d.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After passing Trondheim I noticed there was no charging.<br />
It took some minutes before I saw the generator pulley stop when I revved up the engine. Just before the trip I decided to replace the old pulley with a shiny new one, a custom chrome part. Actually no reason to replace the old one apart from the visual appearance. <br />
For some reason they had managed to machine the pulley too narrow, so the locknut bottomed out in the threads instead of keeping the pulley secured on the tapered drive axle. And the pulley was probably too soft also, so the key on the drive shaft had spun in the pulley.<br />
Only the weak give up by minor problems like this :) ... so I made a shim from a .006 feeler gauge I use for valve adjustment. This was enough to build up the gap between the tapered drive shaft and the pulley.<br />
After securing the locknut with a wide washer underneath, it was back onto the road.<br />
<br />
I noticed the voltage regulator had some issues regulating the charging to the almost drained battery. Had to replace the electronic regulator last year, and have been running a mechanical bosch regulator since.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/2688446985_f670c270d1.jpg" /><br />
<i>Entering Nordnorge (northen norway ) just after midnite, the darkest time of the day</i><br />
<br />
Anyway...the bike ran good.. and with the help of the midnight sun I kept riding until 02:00 in the night. Just found a spot near the road and slept for some hours in the tent.<br />
Distance covered on day 2 was ~590 kilometers. </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7479972"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Day 3:<br />
<br />
Well, I usually don't sleep well the first night in the tent.<br />
So I spent some hours in Mosjøen and had brunch and lot's of coffee before leaving at noon. Bought a package of 10 fuses for the bike, as the regulator now charged too much. After opening the sealed regulator housing I noticed that the points inside were quite worn. Probably best to look for some VW beetles or some old Opels/ Saabs along the road. It takes only a few minutes to replace the regulator if I find a better one.<br />
Since I'm following the E6 road, I should be ok.<br />
<br />
Near Mo I Rana there's a big racetrack called the arctic circle raceway.<br />
They say it's a very good track...but I can imagine the season is short due to the location almost at the arctic circle.<br />
<br />
The following weekend was a classic motorcycle race weekend, so there were some vintage race bikes already present.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2688444841_b7cb81da8b.jpg" /><br />
<i>80's vintage racebikes</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/2689259074_ccbcfba127.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The E6 road goes over the Saltfjellet pass, and halfway over the mountain I pass the arctic circle.<br />
Later on I passed this cool old gas station which had been restored.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/2689257148_7ed477dc05.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
After a stop for dinner i Saltdal, I decided to skip the big motorcycle meeting in Sortland. It's like every other motorcycle meet, beer and mostly modern bikes. Apart for the occasional voltage regulator "adjustments", the bike was running like a champ. So I decided to try ride all the way up to the north cape.. after first attending a vintage motorcycle meeting in Lakselv. Hey, at least I'm halfway up..<br />
<br />
To make the vintage motorcycle meeting in Lakselv, I had to speed up.<br />
Off course I missed the ferry from Bognes to Skarberget by a few minutes.<br />
Saw a big moose eating from the trees just 25 meters away from the parkinglot where I was waiting for the ferry. Entering wilderness...<br />
So I passed the town of Narvik near midnight. <br />
From Narvik I rode to Bjerkvik and then over the mountains to Bardu.<br />
I planned to stay at a 24hour motel (Øse) on the Gratangsfjellet mountain, but managed to ride past it since there were lots of new cabins around.<br />
I've been a lot around in this area, since I spent 1,5 years working in the army up there. <br />
Instead of turning back I just continued over the mountain towards Setermoen.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/2689254564_f7e6d42e0a.jpg" /><br />
<i>It doesn't get much darker than this in the summertime, due to the midnight sun.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2689253778_a390632a32.jpg" /><br />
<i>At 0200 in the morning it's almost daylight</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/2688442013_43b41fe87a.jpg" /><br />
<i>Pitstop at Setermoen...everyone else is asleep.</i><br />
<br />
After passing the camp where I worked as an army officer...I saw no reason to stop yet. So I kept riding through Andselv and had pretty much the road to myself.. and a few foxes and birds... luckily no mooses or raindears.<br />
<br />
At almost 0400 I found a nice spot near the fjords just a bit north of nordkjosbotn. <br />
<br />
Distance traveled on day 3, approx 740 kilometers.<br />
Average speed around 70km/h .<br />
The roads are not highways, just narrow roads with endless number of curves... following the fjords and harsh mountains. </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Day 4:<br />
<br />
It was hard to get up in the morning after riding until 4 in the morning.<br />
But after breakfast (outside the gas station) and a coffe, I was ready to ride to the vintage motorcycle meet in Lakselv.<br />
The "Lyngen" alps and Kvanangen area are among my absolute favourite places. It's so beautiful that pictures really can't capture the beauty.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2689337050_72b1b99577_b.jpg" /><br />
<i>Somewhere along the E6 road ..</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2689338050_a550f47c70.jpg" /><br />
<i>Kvanangen</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/2688526779_0178a39a45.jpg" /><br />
<i>Lyngen</i><br />
<br />
In Alta I phoned the guys from the vintage motorcycle club, and told them I was heading their way. <br />
Also this is raindear country, so one have to be careful not to hit rudolph...<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2688503769_d7e5ed3a61.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The raindears are mostly property of the native "sami" people, they have rights to use the icecold finnmarksvidda desert for their raindears. Still lot's of the sami people live in tents parts of the year. With their snowmobiles parked outside:)<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2689335918_f62f00f814.jpg" /><br />
<i>Riding over Sennalandet, a part of the Finnmarksvidda</i><br />
<br />
After some hours of riding I finally made it to Lakselv and the campsite in the beautiful Stabbursdalen valley. The Stabburselv river is next to the campsite, and several of the tourists caught some big salmons while I was there.<br />
The rest of the night was spent at the campsite checking out the other vintage bikes and drinking beer :) <br />
<br />
Total on day 4: ~440 kilometers <br />
The voltage regulator was troubling several times during the day... </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7495767"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Day 5:<br />
<br />
The day started early with a ride out to the institute for research of the Kven people and the Kven-land.<br />
The Kven people are considered a minority with their own language, descendents of immigrants from what is now Finland (and Sweden). The actual location of Kvenland is unclear, Kvenland is mentioned in 9th century writings. More info here: </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kven_people" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kven_people</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">In the end of the second world war, most of the houses in the northern part of Norway (named Finnmark) was burned down by the nazis to halt the russians from liberating (or invading?) Norway.<br />
So, the old style houses are gone. But the Kven institute have disassembled and moved a similar type of house from Sweden for displaying it for the future.<br />
Lots of ww2 history in Northern Norway...<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/2689334068_ab815260b8.jpg" /><br />
<i>Vintage motorcycles outside the old style house</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2688522707_3a5f69c9b8.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Later we teamed up with the local motorcycle club and did a couple of laps through the town to show the bikes to the public.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/2710488230_6f5888daf3.jpg" /><br />
<i>on display in Lakselv</i><br />
<br />
Since there was a gas station nearby, I borrowed an electric oil pump and changed the oil while I was there. The bike had only consumed 1 litre of oil over some 2400 kilometers, which is quite unusual..:)<br />
But thanks to totalseal pistonrings and teflon valvestem seals it's possible. However I do expect the oil consumption to increase when the rings get worn, however not as rapidly increase as with standard type rings.<br />
Back at the campsite it was time for a cold beer and a quite delicious grilled (marinated in white wine etc..) whale beef.<br />
<br />
oh yes.. I forgot to tell you about the mosquitos....they are everywhere and they love me..<br />
<br />
just some 110 kilometers covered on day 5 of the trip </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7503392"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Day6:<br />
<br />
Most of the guys left at lunchtime this sunday.<br />
Including a 80 year old rider who was going to ride the 2000 something kilometers back home in 3,5 days on his 1970's bike. Quite impressive!<br />
<br />
I loaded all the stuff back onto the bike, and headed further north towards the North Cape. <br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/2689332946_96570b3762.jpg" /><br />
<i>Nice weather at the Porsanger fjord</i><br />
<br />
Before heading up to the North cape I stopped in Honnigsvåg, a small town not far from the cape. <br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/2689330968_89fa0e7623.jpg" /><br />
<i>Cruiseboat leaving Honningsvåg, in extraordinary nice weather. </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2689330202_8263a3f3bf.jpg" /><br />
<i>The Honnigsvåg church</i><br />
<br />
<br />
And then, after some 2400 kilometer of riding I finally got to the turning point at the North Cape. 71° 10' 21" ...pretty far north! The road and mainland ends at the North cape. The only way to get to the northpole is by air or boat.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2669290138_65667baff6_b.jpg" /><br />
<i>The "chief <span class="highlight"><strong>bluesmoke</strong></span>" made it all the way...!</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3285/2688511851_afa17e6820.jpg" /><br />
<i>been there, done that... </i>71° 10' 21"<br />
<br />
<br />
I figured that a fish soup was the proper lunch at the north cape, and the tourist center have misc historic information and a cinema. <br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/2689326230_d18be24ae4.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
The weather on the north cape is not always as nice, I was very lucky to be there on this day. The sea was covered in mist..but we could see for miles. <br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/2688512839_3ca76655c9.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2689328286_70e742f3b1.jpg" /> </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">After some hours on the North cape it was time to get back onto the road, and start riding south again. Especially since the weather forecast said bad weather was coming within the next two days.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2688509599_b94f927099.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3225/2688510291_c34bde56cd.jpg" /><br />
<i>The fog coming in from the west..</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Along the fjords there are small fishing villages and occasionally some raindeers.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2688505893_f6b3cb56e0.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3249/2688504813_7c30ae46f0.jpg" /></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7503482"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Before leaving Lakselv I had talked to a guy who knew someone that perhaps could help me with a new voltage regulator.<br />
But since I had to wait until the next day, I skipped it and kept on riding in the still good weather.<br />
<br />
Along the fjords there were cold fog, and slight rain...<br />
Had to put on some warmer clothes before going over the mountains.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/2688797025_3a504e2ccc.jpg" /><br />
<i>Still snow in the mountains in July</i><br />
<br />
<br />
As I said before, I find Kvanangen to be one of the most beautiful places I have seen... and it didn't disappoint me this time. Even with fog and mist covering the sea.<br />
I wish I brought along a better camera... or even better to be there yourself. It's hard to capture the tone of the northern light and the view over the fjord<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2688795969_bace0766fa_b.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2689607970_f9d79eca08.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2689604696_a4fe44f3df.jpg" /><br />
<br />
From there it was full speed ahead along the fjords to Skibotn, where I arrived at 01:30 (AM).<br />
<br />
Distance traveled on day 6: ~700 kilometers </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Day 7:<br />
<br />
Before I managed to put up the tent after day 6, I had to walk the beach to get some heat back into the feet. In the haze of preparing for the trip I had forgotten the thick socks at home.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2689602568_872021158d.jpg" /><br />
<i>Skibotn</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2688787737_2c0bd17976.jpg" /><br />
<i>Mountains, midnight sun, fog and clouds..</i><br />
<br />
<br />
After some hours of sleep it was time to load the bike up again.<br />
Tried to find a better voltage regulator in Skibotn, but I was out of luck.<br />
Managed to work the points on the regulator using the striking surface on a box of safety matches. <br />
I took a 110 kilometer detour from the route to visit Tromsø, also known as the Nordic Paris. Tromsø is a nice small town with lot's of restaurants and bars. I've been there several times before, but not since 1996 !<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2688784285_ca939755e8.jpg" /><br />
<i>The Tromsø harbour</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2689598338_fcfc343296.jpg" /><br />
<i>The white building in the background is the Arctic Cathedral</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/2689599682_92669b6da5.jpg" /></span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7511750"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">After a very good lunch I rode back to the E6 road and the inland.<br />
When I reached the Bardu area I rode around a bit, just to see what had changed sinced I moved south in 1996.<br />
I think I read that StrikingViking on this forum was born/ have family in Bardu ?<br />
<br />
Anyway.. before 1995-96 the area had lot of military camps and active troops. After several downsizes, it's probably just 1/3 left. Some of the camps are now used for civilian purposes, including a film studio.<br />
Sometimes I miss this period...it was both fun and challenging.. and I was out on excercises in the "bush" some 50 days a year. Quite cold at times..<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2689596358_1a436dafac.jpg" /><br />
<i>Outside the Army Signal batallion camp (still in use) where I spent 1,5 years</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I noticed the front end being a little bit "loose" after passing the Gratangs mountain. And a check of the front wheel showed inconsistent wear and worn bearings. I tried to tighten the front axle to help the situation, but I felt the threads were slipping. <br />
Anyway, since I was in Bjerkvik I just had to eat a "Bjerkviking" hamburger.<br />
I remember the taste from last time I was there in 1996:) I can recommend it to anyone passing through Bjerkvik ( E6 road) !<br />
<br />
I decided to ride easy towards Sortland where I should have a better chance to find new bearings and fix the bike. I would say the bike handled like an old harley at this point, not as tight as a leafspringed indian should be<img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/mwink.gif" title="Wink" /> <br />
On top of this the regulator was switching on and off, and it was raining at times.<br />
<br />
After cruising through Sortland I found a repairshop in the same building as the hotel. So I opted for the hotel and a shower... <br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/2689595104_acfbfd936e.jpg" /><br />
<i>Two of the so called "adventure bikes" ?? :)</i><br />
<br />
<br />
After a warm shower and a cold beer, it was time to sleep a bit.. and the clock wasn't even 00:30<br />
<br />
Total distance on day 7 = ~500 kilometers </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7520500"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">With the help of a friend we actually managed to find new bearings.<br />
But the front axle was bent... after bottoming out the front suspension several times this season. With a borrowed 20ton press I managed to straighten the axle. Had to rethread to M14 threads on one side of the axles, as the threads gave up. I will make a new axle as soon as time permits, maybe thicker. I made the adaptors for my triumph TLS hub some years ago. The problem is that the rockers(leafspring) needs to be modified if I want to use a 20mm axle, so now I'm using a 16mm axle which is stepped down to the original axle size on the left rocker. <br />
Also a new or rebuilt leafspring can help the suspension from bottoming out... or even better if our government spend some of the billions of tax money on road maintenance!!!! <br />
<br />
Anyway... antique bikes needs frequent servicing and misc things can happen. But in 99% of the time I've been able to fix the problems with this particular bike while on the road, either temporary or permanent.<br />
The chief <span class="highlight"><strong>bluesmoke</strong></span> will usually keep running, even when severe wounded!!<br />
If my modern ducati stops I may be stuck for days.. and I don't know that bike enough to do a quick diagnose. I'm not afraid to get oil on my hands, and seldom give up (or start crying) when problems occur. <br />
<br />
So after a lunch with my friend and her sweet friends (girls), I put the bike together and headed towards Melbu.<br />
Since I missed the ferry to Lofoten, I opted for a buffét at the local hotel in Melbu while waiting. <br />
<br />
Since it was already late at night and dark clouds ahead, I opted to ride as far as possible... again. After arriving with the boat in Fiskebøl in the north of Lofoten, I turned right and rode along the western fjords of Lofoten.<br />
Luckily parts of the road were loose gravel... and I really love riding the old indian on gravel. <br />
The sea was calm as mirror, and the fjords and mountains along the route was really spectacular. I tried to catch some of the magic with my compact camera.. but it's quite hard.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/2689586388_8392e06b86.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/2688774657_da0a19b05a.jpg" /><br />
<i>Gravel roads with 80 km/h speedlimit is fun!</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/2689592854_f1f2ea1297.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/2688775519_2cdfb67228.jpg" /><br />
<i>Turbo tourists don't even stop the engine:)</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/2688777489_1ebbe8697a.jpg" /><br />
<i>What's up or down..?</i> </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7520532"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Ran out of battery on the camera while trying to film some of the gravel riding :(<br />
<br />
<embed height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fzjkmlRK31c" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425"> </embed><br />
<br />
After a faboulus ride along the fjords, I had to hit the E10 road.<br />
And then I met the rain.. <br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2689585372_804edd894a.jpg" /><br />
<br />
For some reason I wanted to test if the waterproof lining on my Halvarsson leather pants would work in heavier rain. And it actually works, but the wet pants still make you cold. The rain just got worse and worse and the big puddles made the water spraying over the floorboards get into the so called waterproof boots. So I just kept on riding down the Lofotens and planned to take an early ferry over to Bodø (mainland) the next day.<br />
When I reached the ferry terminal at Moskenes south in Lofoten at 01:30, the winds and rain were so strong it was hard to ride. At the campsite people where trying to secure their tents from falling down.<br />
I just returned to the terminal and found a dry spot just outside the café ... and slept for a few hours there..<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3020/2718646763_7e2e6bf2df.jpg" /> </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7521080"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Total distance on day 8 was = ~220 kilometers<br />
<br />
<br />
Day 9:<br />
After 3 hours trying to sleep, it was time to get up again at 05:00 and wait for the ferry to leave at 06:00<br />
The boat trip takes some hours, so I occupied 3 seats and slept during the trip. <br />
Luckily the rough sea didn't knock over the bike, so I could carry on with my trip:)<br />
The national aircraft museum is located in Bodø, and I spent 4 hours checking out the aircraft history, and the displayed planes and helicopters.<br />
My camera was still out of battery, and my iphone doesn't have a flash...so no quality pictures from inside the museum. <br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3227/2719755442_75f921d9df.jpg" /><br />
<i>Outside the museum</i><br />
<br />
The wet riding gear dried up just a bit while inside the museum, and the pants dried up quite a bit after just 2 hours ride.<br />
I rode over the Saltfjellet mountain again, with occasional stops for beating the voltage regulator. But I was able to keep a good pace.. with my ducati I just can't ride 200 kilometers without stopping.. the old chief is so comfortable to ride, better than any other bikes that I have ridden. <br />
<br />
My target for the day was Trondheim, and I almost made it despite heavy rain and several stops with regulator adjustments (more like punishment at this stage). The front tire was now very worn from total milage and the previous problem with the bent axle. I hoped to find a new tire in trondheim early next day. <br />
But just outside Levanger the front light went out..<br />
Tried to find an open gas station or a place to camp in Levanger, but I ended up camping outside a school near the E6 road.<br />
<br />
Total distance on day 9 = ~ 640 kilometers </span></div><div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></div><div><div id="post_message_7521409"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Day 10:<br />
<br />
Fixing the headlight was easy when the source of the problem was found:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2719756690_a894475178.jpg" /><br />
<i>Modern stuff (H4 connector) also fail, the ground cable came off</i><br />
<br />
<br />
After consulting some of the local Indian riders in Trondheim, I found a shop who had a new front tire for me. At a good price also, but I had to remove/ install the wheel on the bike myself ( which I probably would have to do anyway).<br />
The process took some hours though, so it was going to be a long night ride home. Off course it was raining on/off... and eventually I just locked the regulator in position and kept the rpm in a range where it was not overcharging the battery. German bosch quality %#%@$£@ !!<br />
<img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/kboom.gif" title="Boom" /> <br />
<br />
Anyway, I made it throught the night and rain... and when I reached the highway it was easy to keep a good pace the last 2,5 hours home.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/2719072533_c8b6e8ab97.jpg" /><br />
<i>Old bridge near Tolga</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I arrived at home at 02:45, a day later than expected.<br />
My family was at a cabin near the coast, so I rode the chief there the next day. The day after it was a vintage vehicle run nearby, and I rode that also ... still with a dirty bike. And after the run it was direct to a summer party at a motorcycle club..<br />
I was quite tired the following sunday, after several days with just 5 hours sleep and long days on the bike.<br />
<br />
Total distance on day 10= ~760 kilometers !<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I tried to make this story short.. riding an old indian always makes new friends and meeting interesting people. Sometimes it's hard to get back onto the road after stopping at gas stations etc, people enjoy seeing these old bikes out on the road.... <br />
<br />
I think I managed to put quite a bit of fun(or maybe even call it an adventure, if that term don't require gravel, bush riding or himalaya...:) ) in a short vacation ...:)<br />
<br />
~5200 kilometers (3200 miles) in 9,5 days on a 1944 motorcycle probably isn't too bad either... in a country where the average speed probably is around 60km/h due to the roads (and lots of twisties :))<br />
But it's an Indian! :) </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-88457031461015916862011-03-09T04:23:00.001-08:002011-03-09T05:28:42.477-08:00The 2007 Iceland tour part 5<div id="post_message_5246909"><div id="post_message_5259641"><span style="color: white;"></span></div><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">..but at the time the ferry arrived in bergen, the shops were closed.<br />
<br />
But I rode by the Harley dealership to see if someone was there. But they didn't know anyone which could have a spare voltage regulator.<br />
<br />
I found some people in the Norwegian Antique motorcycle club roster, and started phoning. Well, I stayed at the local motorcycle clubhouse ..but we were unable to find a regulator. Then during the night a rainstorm came in..and the next day I had to ride in some of the worst rain I've ridden through.. Bergen is a very wet place, but even the locals started to worry about this weather. Traffic jams and no lights made it hard to ride around the city looking for a regulator. But I found a bosch regulator, later in the day.. flashed the generator coils as it had changed polarity again. And after a while I got it working. Then I rode out of the city, only to experience the fuses blowing out. Oh no.. the battery is fried.<br />
Back to the shop and in with a new battery.. but it was not charging.<br />
Since it was already evening.. I gave up and found a campsite.. <br />
It was a real pleasure to get my clothes washed and dried... the small things make a bad day better....</span></div><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white;">The high res pictures from this trip, and additional pictures can be found here: </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10527710@N03/"><span style="color: white;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/10527710@N03/</span></a></span><br />
<div id="post_message_5324179"><span style="color: white;">...and I ran into a Dutch couple at the campsite who had two bikes on a trailer behind their camper. They parked the camper on campsite, and rode daytrips on the bikes. Smart idea.. more time to ride instead of packing all the heavy stuff on the bikes everyday..<br />
I borrowed a battery charger from them, and then we spent hours solving world problems around the table in the mobile home.<br />
It wasn't fun returning to a tent full of wet riding gear... and try to sleep in the rain and noise from the nearby truckstop.<br />
The next morning I packed all the stuff back onto the bike, and headed towards a long time bosch serviceshop. At least I could borrow some tools and a voltmeter and with some Mc`Gyver tricks I fixed the mechanical voltage regulator. The dead battery had overloaded the regulator, and it was also charging too hard (wrong regulator). <br />
So.. finally I was able to ride out of the wet Bergen.. and after a while it stopped raining.. for a while.. and then it got worse.. <br />
But.. the ride through beautiful places like Gudvangen and then over the old road (Aurlandsvegen) over the mountain to Lærdal was fantastic..like always. <br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1416/1175388332_d37f0651e6.jpg" /><br />
<i>Aurland ( west in Norway)</i><br />
<br />
I was getting a bit cold up in the cold mountain and the gloves and boots were totally wet.. and it was getting dark outside.. so I stopped in Lærdal and got a nice room in the campsite there. <br />
After a while I got a phone call from the president of the Norwegian Indian club.. and he asked if I would make it to the club's summer meet.<br />
I had planned to be there early the first day of the meet... but I had forgotten which day it was .. so I was supposed to be there the same night... oh, well.. I had some pretty rough nights and long days trying to get the bike fixed... and thought I was one day ahead.<br />
For once, I found it best to not push my luck with riding over the next mountain in the rain and dark..<br />
<br />
So... at 6 am the next day, I felt fresh after a good nights sleep, had reasonably dry clothes, and was ready to do the Sognefjellet mountain pass. I did the private toll road to the Turtagrø mountain hotel, and then over the Sognefjellet mountain to Lom. <br />
Norway is also a beautiful place to see on a motorcycle.. one of the reasons I have done most of my riding here in my home country.. <br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1114/1175409538_ca12fa8372.jpg" /><br />
<i>Snow in august at the Sognefjellet Mountain</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1047/1175430338_5181af25a8.jpg" /><br />
<i>Mountains, snow,water grass and rocks in the mountains of Norway</i><br />
<br />
<br />
So... I finally made it to the Indian motorcycle summermeet.. after 3 weeks on the road. Only to find that i had lost my credit card..and then had to rush to the nearest town to get some cash before they closed.<br />
At friday evening we had some 40 Indian motorcycles there, from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Not to bad considering the other rallies and meetings in that period. <br />
We arrange a "Hill climb" during this meet.. which is a average speed trial up a 3.9 kilometer long gravel road which has a 400 meter climb. Lots of fun with footclutches and handshifters. Well, I have just been arranging this trial up to now, but this year I got the chance to ride it myself.<br />
I took it easy from the start..not sure if I wanted to shoot for the average speed or the "very unofficial" fastest time. But after some sharp and slow curves, I couldn't resist going fast... <br />
<br />
Here are some pics from the starting line..<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1304/1174619351_e9a7ff5165.jpg" /><br />
<i>ready to "fly" up the hill..</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1078/1175449392_8db9d52d74.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
I managed to get the "longest distance" trophy...even though they were questioning both the distance and my navigation capabilities:)<br />
They couldn't understand unless they have experienced <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> on their own.. a whole lot of rough and long distance riding. Not for everyone..<br />
I had 3950 kilometers on the calibrated bicycle computer when I arrived at the meeting. Without the 4,5 days I spent on the ferry.. <br />
<br />
Here are some more pictures from the meeting:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1055/1174645225_e358292841.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1069/1175526552_a99a148622.jpg" /><br />
<i>Nice 1935 indian four....$$$$$$$$$</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Well.. I was really upset that the nice red lavadust had been washed off the bike.. but the bike still had a nice patina when I came home:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1157/1174693537_b652e91ac1.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
I didn't want to clean the bike.. but I had to fix some things before heading to the next Indian meet in Sweden the following weekend.<br />
<br />
The trip to Sweden went pretty well.. now with the 25tooth front sprocket in place, so I could ride at 110km/h ++ at the highways. <br />
Had to replace the generator drive belt though... and I could feel the bike was in need of some new bushings here and there.. but I can fix that in the winter.<br />
Arrived late.. but even with a late departure and horrible traffic, I had kept a pretty good average speed. Sometimes it's better to have the flexibility of a narrow motorcycle in traffic. The other Norwegians started riding the day before, so they were already there.<br />
Visited an amazing private collection of old(mostly american) motorcycles on saturday, and then a motorcycle museum. My waterproof and impact proof camera stopped working...maybe <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> was too rough:)<br />
I ended up getting a trophy for being the "Indian rider of the year".. but as I'm not used to winning anything, I didn't know what to say..:)<br />
it's fun that people are interested in what I do..and enjoy the stories, videos and pictures.<br />
<br />
After returning from the meeting in Sweden, the chief bluesmoke has had lazy days. Have some issues with the gas tanks and some wear and tear to fix this winter. Need to put in some new piston rings.<br />
Actually I took a short ride with the ol` chief bluesmoke tonight.. still runs pretty well and puts a big smile on my face..<br />
<br />
Have been riding the ducati the last weeks... including a trip over the mountain to the west of Norway again. It's lot of fun in the curves..and the ducati (900ssie) has just enough of the torque and power to make the Norwegian roads fun. I don't care about going fast straight ahead.. I like the tight and slow curves where you can feel the torque in 1st and 2nd gear. Quite a number of people got interested in the ducati actually.. even if it's a plastic racer.. must be the name, the frame and the sound:)<br />
<br />
<b>But nothing beats the ol' chief bluesmoke:)</b></span></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-18259643199050954572011-03-09T04:22:00.001-08:002011-03-09T05:29:08.553-08:00The 2007 Iceland tour part 4<div id="post_message_5246909"><div id="post_message_5259641"><div id="post_message_5260216"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">....and after a chilly night in the tent, I woke up to nice weather and this view:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1146/1174159355_1f414947c7.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Then it was time to ride along the south coast back towards Seydisfjordur and the ferry...<br />
<br />
But I had enough time to stop at Jøkulsarlon and take the trip with the WWII amphibous vehicle into the lake full of icebergs. Tried tasting some thousand year old ice.. but I wish I had somthing to go with the ice:)<br />
At least some soda, given the fact that I was the designated rider:)<br />
I ran into the BMW rider from Istanbul again.. he had slowly moved along the coast and did some guided tours and no stress.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1383/1175036230_b4da641a47.jpg" /><br />
<i>Ship...eeh.. truck ahoi!</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1322/1175057400_a84ed9d64e.jpg" /><br />
<i>Splash...</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I was running out of gas (again) but found a gaspump, but it was closed.<br />
An Italian couple who were waiting, said that a boy told them the owner would be back in 20 minutes. Well, the italians had waited there for 1 hour... and then 30 minutes later the owner showed up. Well.. it's a remote country..and people have the time to wait out in the rural areas:)<br />
<br />
Shot a picture of one of the thousands of sheep in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>... some of the breeds differ from the kind we have in Norway.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1225/1174223729_a62ba60ebc.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
At this time... I was starting to get really sad that this was the last full day in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>.. so much more to see and so many people to meet.<br />
<br />
So I started shooting even more pictures..:<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1286/1174242403_d34da4b288.jpg" /><br />
<i>This is along route 1.. gravel road with rocks falling down from the hills above..</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1178/1175122622_f6b6552b35.jpg" /><br />
<i>Fjords near the southeast</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1002/1174292291_8b51d6d88b.jpg" /><br />
<i>Looking back..</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Instead of doing the Eastfjords, I went over the Øxl instead.<br />
This is actually straight up and over the mountain. Struggled to see where I was going in the fog.. but on the other side it cleared up...and i was greated with even more gravel roads:)<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/1175167258_38af5f9aef.jpg" /><br />
<br />
and backwards...<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1211/1175204816_1c7e50e464.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
When I came to Egilstadir I met the italians who helped me when the tailpipe fell of...<br />
<br />
I really, really, really, really didn't want to go home.. but I had to..<br />
And really.. the chief bluesmoke had proven that he could take more of the bumps and dust...<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1305/1174371101_7958a4e3a0.jpg" /><br />
<i>...buhuu...leaving <span class="highlight">iceland</span>..</i><br />
<br />
<br />
In a desperate move to ride even more fun roads, I found a trail leading up to the top of a mountain... and this time I rigged the camera to shoot one of the water crossings:)<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1036/1174387379_7e37ed229f.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
So.. that was <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>.. need to go back there..soon.<br />
Spent the night in the tent down in Seydisfjordur..and ran into some bikers from Scotland, Holland, USA and Ireland. Some had done the main road , but some had done the more hardcore trails. <br />
Maybe I just need one of those KTM adventure bikes.. it will be possible to do the rougher rides and water crossings, while still have a bike capable of everyday riding. Well.. I'll see if my ducati will be traded for an adventure bike instead. BUT ... I doubt any bike can replace the ol' chief bluesmoke.. it has much more to it . and I'm not afraid of really using the bike. But not for everyday riding, and there are some definitive shortcomings (like suspension travel, fuel capacity, water depth etc)..<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Left <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> in the morning heading for the Faroe Islands...</span></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div id="post_message_5283496"><span style="color: white;">.. while waiting for the ferry in the morning (in Seydisfjordur) I shot a picture of the bike..and the bystanders. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1151/1175264106_9a2d0c2312.jpg" /></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">one more night in the ferry between Seydisfjordur and the Faroe islands.. but this time the 6 man cabin was near empty..</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Talked a lot with some other riders, they had lots to tell from their own trips in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>. Like dumping the bike in the water crossings at the Sprengirsandur route etc..and fuel, or the lack of fuel, had been a problem for several.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Early the next morning we arrived in Torshavn in the Faroe Islands, and I joined an american, Brian, on a trip around the Island. He was being relocated to London, and spent some weeks with his KTM 950 adventure in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> and Scotland.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Well, the Faroe Islands is just 115 kilometers from top to bottom.. so even before lunch we had seen a lot of it. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1173/1174428345_e0ea66019c.jpg" /></span><br />
<i><span style="color: white;">The view from Tjørnuvik (north in the Islands)</span></i><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Then we rode over to another island and stopped in Gjøgv (?) </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Lots of sheep in the roads, there are some 80000 of them in the Faroe Island. And some 50000 people living there.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/1174449371_b0e330ff55.jpg" /></span><br />
<i><span style="color: white;">The chief bluesmoke study the landscape.</span></i><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1234/1174469363_6e57d954f2.jpg" /></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Then we rode the tunnel west towards Klaksvik.. but we soon found rain, and eventually a place to eat. Klaksvik was a quiet place. Since the rain was not going to stop, we headed back towards Torshavn.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">The bluesmoke's generator had been acting strange all day long, and just before riding into a dark tunnel I noticed that it was not charging...</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">And just inside the totally dark tunnel...the bike misfired and then just over halfway it stopped. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">There were no lights in the tunnel and no room to push the bike out on the road.. two cars then came through the tunnel at way above the speedlimit.. and since they must have been blind also, I had to lean the bike to the tunnel wall to avoid a crash...</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">and while struggling to find my flashlight...I noticed a big vehicle coming in my lane..</span></div><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><br />
<div id="post_message_5291037"><span style="color: white;">...oh shit.. oh shit it's a bus !</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">I had tried to back the bike out of the tunnel..but the rear tire got stuck in something.. and now the front of the bike was halfway out in the lane.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">And it was not a fullwidth lane either, and meeting traffic..</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">And off course the bus was approaching me at probably 90km/h instead of the allowed 60km/h.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">And off course the bike was in gear, and I couldn't find neutral or reach the clutch pedal on the other side of the bike. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">So.. this is the end!</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">At least for the chief bluesmoke..and I was not in a safe spot either..</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Since the blind #%%#& in the bus didn't show any signs of slowing down, I grabbed the handlebar and lifted the bike as close to the tunnel wall as possible..</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">The bus driver braked just seconds before and managed to miss me and the bike.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Just after, two cars coming in both directions turned on their emergency flashers and slowed down. They had seen me as soon as they entered the tunnel..</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Time to get some new glasses..or slow down in dark tunnels..maybe ??</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">With a car following me, I rolled out the tunnel and into safety.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Then a harley guy stopped, and Brian had turned around to see where I went. We tried to fix the generator, without luck.. but managed to ride through the tunnel with the two bikes in front and back.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Tried to find a battery, regulator or at least a voltmeter in the gas stations.. but they had nothing but soda and hotdogs.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Bought a 12v rechargeable flashlight.. and rode with that battery for a short distance until it was out of power. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">The harley guy left, but gave me a number to the harley dealer in Torshavn, and eventually I had to call him. A friend of him came with a pickup later, and transported the indian the last 20 kilometers to Torshavn.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">This was the second time I have ever needed transportation of the bike..</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Back in Torshavn I parked the bike in the harley workshop, and put the battery on the charger. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">The next day I spent several hours in the workshop, trying to repolarize the generator and fix the regulator.. But the regulator was fried, it was cooking the battery. So I had to ride without lights..and hope to find a regulator when returning to Norway. I need to say thanks the harley guys in Torshavn for all their help!! Now.. this was the 3rd harley dealership where I had to work on my bike on this trip...:)</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">The next days where spent in and around Torshavn.. some beer and partying together with the other bikers. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1205/1175346590_cd68e44c1f.jpg" /></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="color: white;">The harbour in Torshavn. Fresh pilot whale meat, from a whale hunt (Grindadrap) the night before.</span></i><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1034/1203468394_92723346a9.jpg" /></span><br />
<i><span style="color: white;">sosial urine ? it's a newspaper..</span></i><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">After nearly getting killed in the Faroe Island..but still meeting a whole lot of nice people... it was time to get back on the ferry to eat and drink some more... a short stop in Scrabster, Scotland in the evening.. and another night in the torture chamber down in the bottom of the boat.:)</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/1174512249_840ea4b507.jpg" /></span><br />
<i><span style="color: white;">The western coast of Norway</span></i><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Now, it was only a matter of finding a new regulator.. and head for the Norwegian Indian club summermeet... but...</span></div></div></div></div><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<span style="color: white;"></span></span>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-12747719268602151332011-03-09T04:21:00.001-08:002011-03-09T05:29:42.175-08:00The 2007 Iceland tour part 3<div id="post_message_5246909"><div id="post_message_5259641"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">I also tried riding on the beach...but I got stuck in the rocky surface..<br />
The rear tire dig in, even with reduced airpressure in the rear tire..<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1296/1031509539_080dd223e3.jpg" /><br />
<br />
When I left the Bird cliffs at Krysuvik (?), I was planning to follow a gravel road which were supposed to go past the Klefarvatn lake. This road was used in the <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> car rally. <br />
But I couldn't actually find what I was looking for, and the gps was out of batteries. They may have paved a part of this road since the map was made.. Well.. I followed a different route, as it looked like I could intersect the road I was trying to find.<br />
Something tells me I'm in the wrong place when I only meet cars with the real big tires. And they give me the look of me being in the wrong place.<br />
But it was not that bad, just a little bit softer and much more dustier.<br />
The red lavadust was covering both me and the chief bluesmoke.. like a wonderful patina..:)<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1373/1031509815_3f8313aea5.jpg" /><br />
<i>The small "Djupavatn" lake.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I found some trails which probably would lead me over to the other road.<br />
But the trail was just some tire marks up a grassy hill.. so I found it best to stay on the road.. since I wasn't sure where I would end up.<br />
At this point the rear bracket on the right tank had come off... so emergency repairs were needed..<br />
One of the problems riding on these roads were the oil and gas exiting the tank cap vents...as the picture below shows.. :)<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1027/1031510151_141477cfda.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
I didn't find any alternative route out of there...so I just followed the road..<br />
And ended up where I was 1 hour before...<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1359/1031509905_75c1064200.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
This time I just followed the "main" road and eventually ended up near Hafnarfjordur, not far from Reykjavik. The spare gas tank came to the rescue again. Rode down to Reykjavik in the evening to meet the Icelandic bikers again..now with a wonderful patina on the bike:)</span></div></div><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"></span><br />
<div id="post_message_5253538"><div id="post_message_5259970"><span style="color: white;">On tuesday morning I put all my stuff back on the the bike and head for the "golden triangle".. the favourite tourist places.<br />
The ferry was leaving early thursday morning..so I needed to speed up..<br />
<br />
Well.. then I got stuck in front of a computer for too long.. and when riding up to the Harley dealership in Reykjavik to buy some thicker oil.. <br />
I was struggling with an almost empty battery and the clutch pedal was hard to move... and this in heavy traffic.. <br />
This made the clutch to overheat... <br />
But the guys at harley let me work on the bike and charge the battery while I had lunch. The chief bluesmoke got his share of attention here also:)<br />
<br />
So... 5 hours after my original plan for departure, I left Reykjavik heading for Thingvellir. Thingvellir is known for being the original location for the Icelandic parliament (from year 930), and being located near the crack between the european and the american continents(tectonic plates).<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1256/1173946455_5132a233fa.jpg" /><br />
<i>This is the actual crack between the tectonic plates</i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1278/1174825612_cb67ed88f1.jpg" /><br />
<i>Near the Thingvalla lake ( I listen to music while riding, metallica is good for gravel roads:) )</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Then it was time to ride over to the Geysirs...where one is still rather active.. the Strokkur geysir..<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1308/1173986203_5fc98a492e.jpg" /><br />
<i>Strokkur blowing water and steam...</i><br />
<br />
<br />
From there I rode directly to the Gullfoss waterfall...<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1137/1174008073_edb656e24f.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
And from there I found a route via some gravel roads towards route 1.<br />
Saw another crashed car there.. after a blind curve with loose gravel..<br />
<br />
<br />
... you may wonder.. how did they travel around back in the days before the combustion engine?<br />
They used the Icelandic horse.. breed from several Nordic and european breeds. They are small, but extremely tough horses.. well suited for the environment and the cold climate..<br />
There are somewhere around 80000 of them around <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>.. but luckily most of them are behind fences (at least in the south of <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>)..<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1417/1174057979_1c1d75f5e0.jpg" /><br />
<i>Hello horse.. or hestur in Icelandic I think..</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1212/1174096377_df71b80443.jpg" /><br />
<i>moooo.. ?</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Oh.. well.. had to shoot some more pics of the ol' chief bluesmoke on my way south towards route 1<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1050/1174976846_508f0c98ab.jpg" /><br />
<i>344 is also the model number of the 1944 Indian chiefs</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1246/1174893832_b333810215.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
I followed the route 1 down to Skaftefell... where I arrived just before midnight.. after a long day as a Turbo Tourist...</span></div></div><span style="color: white;"></span>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-80446451164402672182011-03-09T04:19:00.001-08:002011-03-09T05:29:59.796-08:00The 2007 Iceland tour part 2<div id="post_message_5246909"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">..but, off course I bring spare chain adjusters..<br />
Have broken a few before...<br />
<br />
The other guys drove the last bit to Landmannalaugar, while I replaced the chain adjuster. <br />
Just before Landmannalaugar there are two water crossings.. but I wasn't sure how deep they were. And since the other guys where waiting for me, I parked my bike next to their car. But I could have ridden over the water crossings after watching a car pass them, they were not too deep.. but then again the water level rises during the day.<br />
I met some German bmw riders I saw on the ferry, they were camping there. They asked where I left the indian.. maybe with a slight undertone that it was not capable of riding all the way out there.. but it was fun to tell them that the bike was parked nearby:) <br />
I almost ran over to bike, just to ride it through the water crossings....<br />
<br />
If one doesn't always have the best available tool for the job... well, you can still get a lot done with lots of commitment and ingenuity:)<br />
<br />
Nowadays.. most people at my age and below seems to have lost alot of the lust for the demanding adventures, and doesn't always have the commitment and stamina to push themselves to fix practical things. It much easier living in front of the tv and their usual environment and just buy new when the old things fail. <br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, we hiked up in the lava-land and the mountains for the whole day.<br />
Every now and then they set up the videocamera to shoot some videoclips.<br />
The band was off course dressed in leather pants etc, so at lot of the tourists were staring:) <br />
It's hard to represent Landmannalaugar in pictures. It's a mix of lava, mountains with lots of colours, water, black rocks, steam rising from behind the rocks etc. If you sit down, the rocks are warm... but one needs to careful, since one run the risk of getting superheated steam up your .. ..well, you understand.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1092/1328024258_73f20386fc.jpg" /><br />
<i>Solstafir and the camera man shot from underwater, with a waterproof camera.</i><br />
<br />
I have later heard some music from the Solstafir rock band, it's probably too dark music for some of you.. but it kind of represents the Icelandic nature. Wild, rough, remote, deadly.. but still very beautiful in it's own way.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1148/1031399891_91b1867da8.jpg" /><br />
<i>Colourful mountains </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1326/1031399945_4788b7a20c.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/1173829419_7919bd2b8b.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1286/1174711880_b5f13f3db3.jpg" /><br />
<i>Lava-land</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After a long day, and then a bath in an hot spring ( Heitur Pottur in Icelandic).. we started on the long way back to Reykjavik.<br />
The guys wanted to try making some video of me and my bike, so they did a lot of filming from the car and by the side of the road. </span><a href="http://www.kristjansson.dk/vlog/indian.mov"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kristjansson.dk/vlog/scrshots/indian.jpg" /></span></a><br />
<i><span style="color: white;">Rightclick (and Save Target as..) the image to download the cool Indian videoclip edited by </span><a href="http://www.kristjansson.dk/"><span style="color: white;">Matt</span></a></i><a href="http://www.kristjansson.dk/"><span style="color: white;">i</span></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1170/1174662396_cfc1b49483.jpg" /><br />
<i>The Chief bluesmoke looks right at place...right ?</i><br />
<br />
At this stage, the fuel line and filter had been clogged by loose bits of tank sealer.<br />
And yeah.. the clutch was slipping when trying to kick that 84" engine over..<br />
So, the bike needed a push every now and then..just to ride for 1 more minute. Back at the gaspump, I was lucky to find a airfiller for tires..so it was very easy cleaning out the debris in the gas lines.<br />
The rest of the trip back to Reykjavik went well, and this time the car had problems following me on the twisty roads:)<br />
The oil consumption.. well, at this point each gas refill was followed by up to filling up with up to a 1/2 litre of oil. The bumpy roads also contributed to the oil consumption, since quite a bit of oil came out of the oil tank vents.<br />
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Back in Reykjavik at 2300 it was just a short shower and then off to a party. Reykjavik is known for it's nightlife, and since I'm single and live in a too small town in Norway.. I'm always ready to see if there are anyone out there for me..:)<br />
Well, this was a weekend where lots of people leave Reykjavik for some festivals etc.. so it was more quiet than usual. And, since the drinks and beer is very expensive in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>.. people sit at home until 0200 (AM) at night..and then they go out and drink until 0600 in the morning.<br />
Well, at 0200 it was way beyond bedtime for me.. so I have to go to Reykjavik another time...</span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"></span><br />
<div id="post_message_5252482"><span style="color: white;">...the following sunday was spent off the bike..<br />
Went swimming in the atlantic sea, on a nice beach outside Reykjavik.<br />
13 degrees celcius in the water, and some 18 degrees air temperature.<br />
Well.. a bit to cold in the for my taste... but refreshing it was!!<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1086/1173906143_9bebf4d1f2.jpg" /><br />
<i>Swimmin' in the atlantic sea.</i><br />
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Since <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> has a giant supply of water in the ground, and natural water heating due to geothermal activity, there are swimmingpools and hottubs in almost every town and city. Must be nice to relax in a hottub outside in the dark and cold winter..<br />
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Had to try the waterproof camera in the water slide...<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1062/1174781886_c7011cf910.jpg" /><br />
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Pulled the clutch apart, and put on some more pressure on the clutch with an additional clutch plate I had brought along. The clutch had been acting funny before I went on this trip, so I brought a spare clutch plate.<br />
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After a dinner with my brother's family inlaw, I rode the chief down to the center of Reykjavik to the place the motorcycle riders meet.<br />
Well, the old chief got a lot of attention there. <br />
It seems that there are some vintage motorcycles in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>, but they are rarely seen on the road. The chief bluesmoke is no longer a perfect museum piece, but the guys I talked to there said that this is the way they like to see the old bikes.. well used, and out on long trips. I couldn't agree more:)<br />
I don't think there have been to many motorcycles in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> during the years. Well, the Reykjavik police rides Harleys (but have added some faster bikes now).. but it seems like the motorcycle population has grown quickly in the last years due to growing economy.<br />
I felt there it was a slight anarchy among the squids and supermoto riders.. riding way too fast in the city and the supermoto guys used the inner city as a playground. You would be caught and put in jail in Norway for doing that. Because of this, not all the people like the motorcyclists.. and there are often accidents.<br />
But.. most of the guys played it safe. And there were several guys who offered me help with my bike if something happened while in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1075/1334122189_478ce33ec4.jpg" /><br />
<i>Downtown Reykjavik</i><br />
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This time I found the way back to the house with less trouble.. way to late again though.. not much sleep so far in this trip...:)</span></div><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"></span><br />
<div id="post_message_5253281"><span style="color: white;">...well, the next day.. monday.. it was time to do the gravel roads in the Reykjanes area. If I remember correct, this is the among the latest (in the year 1100 ?) piece of the mainland to be created by nature and lava. <br />
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Now the clutch didn't slip when the engine was cold, good...:)<br />
Decided to leave as much as possible at the house.. since I was going to have fun on the gravel again. For some reason, I also managed to leave the spare gps batteries and the power cable also.. the bike has a 12 volt output.<br />
Anyway, I rode the main road out to Keflavik where the international airport is located. And took a short look around before heading towards the Blue Lagoon. The blue lagoon is a special hot pool which is saturated with silica mud.. which is good for you skin.<br />
Yeah.. the old indian got a lot of attention when I parked it outside.. the lagoon is one of the most visited tourist attractions in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>.<br />
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I'm not sure if it helped my looks much... but the skin actually got softer from the silica mud:)<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1259/1031400091_60074c6d4e.jpg" /><br />
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After 45 minutes I was ready to get dirty again.. with my riding gear on, off course..<br />
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The lava-land was pretty rough, and there are caves and openings in the ground.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1095/1031399987_f9743c0955.jpg" /><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1435/1031400069_b27e0ceccc.jpg" /><br />
"Chief Bluesmoke says: this is some weird shit.. we're no gonna ride out there.. are we?"</span></div></div><div id="post_message_5253366"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white;">The road following the coast is not bad.. but it has several blind curves and some loose rocks. So it is best to take it easy, at least in the curves. Saw a crashed car there, left to be picked up. <br />
A lot of tourists do end up doing unintentional offroad driving actually.. and I saw some typical rental cars that had rolled over. <br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1298/1031400161_50aab02b08.jpg" /><br />
<i>Just had to post this ...one of my favourite pictures.. </i></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
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<span style="color: white;"></span></span></span><br />
<div id="post_message_5253538"><span style="color: white;">I hooked up the videocamera to shoot some video of some gravel road riding.. but after a while the camera was so full of the red lavadust that it stopped working.. I had sealed most of the camera, but the tiny particles still entered the camera. And off course the watercrossing was not recorded :(<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1246/1174893832_b333810215.jpg" /><br />
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Anyway.. there's a nice cliff full off birds nearby.. so I went down to take a look. And, I remember a hill there from my parent's pictures from when they visited my brother in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>. They got out of the Landrover when he went over that hill. Well.. if he can do it with a landrover... I can do it with an Indian!! <br />
Not such a good idea.. but I got up there...and it wasn't that bad, the bike found the bumpiest route up there.. it was just a matter of holding on to the handlebars:)<br />
I don't have the handclutch and all that suspension travel as you guys with your fancy adventure bikes have...:)<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1304/1202598319_2c20eb31f0.jpg" /><br />
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One thing that I noticed when riding in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> was all the places people had settled and lived along the coast. There were old houses, old caves which had been converted into houses etc.. <br />
Also near the birdcliff there were something resembling old houses..<br />
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Then, I had to go back down again..but that was easy following the smooth route.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1194/1031510249_141d132290.jpg" /><br />
<i>Should be easy from here..</i></span></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-26949370125114758092011-03-09T04:16:00.000-08:002011-03-09T05:30:58.306-08:00The 2007 Iceland tour part 1<b><span style="color: white;">The 2007 Iceland tour!</span></b><i><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white;">This ride report was originally posted at the </span><a href="http://www.advrider.com/"><span style="color: white;">Adventure rider forum</span></a></span><b><br />
</b></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white;">Lots of high res pictures </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10527710@N03/sets/72157603266544685/" target="_blank"><span style="color: white;">here</span></a><span style="color: white;">.</span></span><span style="color: white;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">First of all.. the real star in this story is my old 1944 Indian Chief.. which got the nickname “Chief Bluesmoke” after an incident which included some prematurely failing piston rings and some thick blue smoke.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Why did a 22 year old boy get interested in indians .. ? </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">A short history follows:</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">I read an article about an Indian Chief in a Norwegian magazine, and after 6 months with a poster with a ‘40s Indian Chief above my bed, I made a promise to myself that I would have an Indian Chief on the road within 5 years. Not an easy project for a poor student and no mechanical background, but 5 ½ years later I had my 1944 Indian chief ready restored for the road. The chief was bough as a basketcase, with maybe 50% of the parts included.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">Have had a bit of initial problems, and often troubles with repro parts and failing repairs. And add to that whatever mistakes I have made along the way. But it’s been an interesting learning process, and I can now fix most of the stuff myself. The old chief now sports a 84” (1400cc ) stroker engine, ollie cams, Keihin CV carburetor, 4 speed overdrive transmission and a working front brake from a late ‘60s Triumph. But apart from the carb and the front brake, it’s no visual changes.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/904921482_6874e32f39.jpg" /> <br />
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<i>Some days before the trip, trying to shake things into place..</i> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Anyway, the “Chief Bluesmoke” have seen over 55000 kilometers over the 5 last years. Mostly on Norwegian twisty roads, but also some trips to <country-region w:st="on">Denmark</country-region> and <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Sweden</country-region> </place>. So I have had this Indian for 10 years now in total.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">Usually I end up riding alone, since not too many I know have the time or the guts<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">J</span> to take their old bikes out on longer trips. There’s always something happening at work etc etc.. so it’s hard to get enough days off to do the longer trips in a slow pace. But the old chief is so comfortable that I can ride from morning until late at night without any aches. Strong headwind can be hard on the arms though, no windscreen on this bike. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">I’ve wanted to go to <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>the past two years, but I couldn’t get the timing and the cash to meet at the same time.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">My brother lived in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>for a while, after meeting his Icelandic fiancé . So..I knew a little bit about <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>, and what to expect from the roads and climate.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I started preparing for this trip last winter, however it didn’t look like I was going to make it this year. And then I had to go to an Indian motorcycle meeting in august, since I’m a part of the arrangement committee.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">When June and then July came, I was still desperately trying to complete a project at work. So I couldn’t book the ferry tickets, and my vacation had to be moved 3 times.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">But I was very lucky to get the one of the last available passenger tickets for the ferry. I had to wait for 5 days before getting a green light for the bike.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The trip with the Smyril-line ferry was about $450 (3100 NOK) with a so called couchette cabin.. more on that later.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The ferry stops in <city w:st="on">Bergen</city> in <country-region w:st="on">Norway</country-region>, <city w:st="on">Torshavn</city> in the <placename w:st="on">Faroes</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Island</placetype>, Seydisfjordur in <country-region w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </country-region>, Scrabster in <country-region w:st="on">Scotland</country-region> and Hanstholm in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Denmark</place> </country-region>.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">The route is a little bit intricate, and you will have to stay for 3 nights in the Faroe Islands if returning to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bergen</place> </city>or Scrabster.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/942599974_d34eed5a46.jpg" /> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><i>Waiting for my brother to unlock the gate at the sheep fence near our cabin.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">So, I left my job on Friday the 27<sup>th</sup> and put all the gear on the (t)rusty old Indian chief and headed towards the Telemark province and our cabin.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white;">The bike ran great, and some hours later my brother met me at the locked fence with the new 6x6 Polaris ATV. They had been working on the rough gravel road all day. Every other year we need to fix the road, since the road washes out in the winter. There’s a steep hill on this road, and I decided to ride up there. Last year I almost lost the chief over the edge of the road there, down into the stream some 30 metres below. Well, I discovered that they had tried to smooth out the road this year… and then the chief came to a stop in the loose dirt halfway up the hill…and since I was hovering somewhere above the bike after hitting some rocks just before.. the bike went down on the right crashbar. Not much rear wheel traction when the frame is resting on the dirt, but I managed to push the bike out of the mess by doing some weird goosewalk with the right foot only Need to keep the left foot on the footclutch, you know.. <span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">J</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1082/1319354545_5f31fe1bc0.jpg" /> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Trying to fix the road..</i></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">After one weekend with roadwork and the family at the cabin, I left for <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bergen</place> </city>on Monday July 30<sup>th</sup>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Btw, the Polaris 6x6 is such a great vehicle! It floats over the mud and rocks, and we moved quite a bit of gravel in the back of it.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">I decided to take a chance on the E-134 over the Haukeli mountain, although there was a risk of waiting for up to one hour due to tunnel repairs.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The smaller vehicles were diverted to the old road which goes over the mountain instead of under it in a dark tunnel. On the side of this road is the even older road, dating back to the early 1900s . I stopped for a very short time to shoot some pictures, since there were some 100 cars waiting for the green light in the opposite direction.</span></span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/1027703000_d67a6dbb96.jpg" /> <br />
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<i>The old "Dyrskar road" </i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Since I felt the bike was running a bit lean, I lifted the needle just before I left. But I managed to create a small leak the vacuum diaphragm in the CV carb. And this was now making the carb act funny.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">So after a night in the tent (didn’t sleep much the first night) outside <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bergen</place> </city>, I picked up a spare carb the next day. Replaced the carb piston with the new diaphragm outside the Harley dealership in <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Bergen</city> </place>. The guys there were very helpful, and the spare carb came from one of their mechanics.</span></span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1437/1027703092_0dfd37d8ae.jpg" /> <br />
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<i>Lunch rest in Bergen</i> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">After a nice, but expensive lunch near the fish market in <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bergen</place> </city>, I walked around the town for a while. Usually it’s raining in <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Bergen</city> </place>, but this day it was dry and warmer than usual. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I’ve been to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bergen</place> </city>several times over the last year, and it’s a nice place with a lot of historical buildings and narrow streets built up over centuries of international fish trading. Also, a center for shipping and the oil industry. But it’s raining most of the time, due to the high mountains around the city.</span></span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/1320302606_60b6fc144d.jpg" /> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">After some hours the “Norrøna” ferry finally showed up, and was much larger than I expected. It’s more of a hotel ship than a ocean liner, so I guess the winter trips can be rough.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">The “couchette” cabins were actually 9 or 6 bunks in tiny rooms in the bottom of the ship. I did try to sleep down there the first night, but felt I was suffocating and had problems moving around in the top bunk. The following night I slept outside on the deck, until they started cleaning the outside deck at 5 in the morning. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">BOOK early, and book one of the ordinary cabins. For the July through August trips, you should book as early as in February.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">It’s hard to relax when there are people and noise everywhere, but a good book and cabin can make the trip much shorter.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white;">Apart from sitting in the cafeteria reading the lonely planet guide for <country-region w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </country-region>and the <place w:st="on">Faroe Islands</place>, I did some swimming and sauna down in the gym and did a lot of eating<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">J</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">I met a guy from <city w:st="on">Istanbul</city> who had ridden his BMW GS 1100 (?) to <city w:st="on">Bergen</city>, and was now going to stay in <country-region w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </country-region>for 3 weeks before riding down to <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Turkey</place> </country-region>again. Last year he did the <place w:st="on">North Cape</place> and the Norwegian coast and fjords. And I believe he was going to do <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Finland</place> </country-region>next year. With road tires and a bike with a high center of gravity… he was not going to do the gravel roads in the interior of <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </country-region></place>. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">I met several riders with road bikes heading for <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>, it’s possible to ride ordinary bikes around the island. Just be prepared for some stretches of gravel roads.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">When the ferry finally arrived in Seydisfjordur in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>, I was soo ready to hit the road. But the clutch was slipping…and while trying to kick the engine over the battery ran out of power. Duh.. not a good start for my <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>trip…. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">But with the help of the car deck crew, we managed to get the bike running… </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">The rest of the bikers got stock in the customs.. but the customs/ border control just smiled when I came riding at high rpm (for charging) on the old noisy Indian. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">Then.. it was time to hit the Icelandic road and…</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1287/1027703164_737229c87b.jpg" /></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>After 2 days at sea (with a short stop in the Faroe Island) I arrived <span class="highlight">Iceland</span></i></span></span> </span></span><br />
<div id="post_message_5239623"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">…and follow the long and slow caravan of weird looking offroad cars and trucks… with sparetires, jerry cans and lots of equipment on the roofs.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I think most of them were just on holiday actually…but their vehicles looked like something a volcano rescue team would use..:)</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">And there were lots of mobile homes and ordinary cars also. But not many motorcycles.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Well, no need to ride slow when on a motorcycle.. so I started passing them. Sometimes I wonder what they think when a 63 year old motorcycle do a flyby at wide open throttle..</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Route1%28iceland%29.png" /></span></span> <br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> and the Hringvegur</span></span></i> <br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">Anyway, the next town after Seydisfjordur is Egilstadir ( #5 in the map). The ring road (Route #1) pass this place, and I had already planned to follow this route to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Reykjavik</place> </city>. The ring road is mostly covered, and the gravel section is usually not rough. I would have brought an ordinary car there, but I’m not sure how well the glossy painted plastic fairing on my Ducati 900ssie would do on the gravel roads with a 1940’s standard. But I saw both modern and older roadbikes there, and there were quite a number of Harleys and plastic racers near <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Reykjavik</place> </city>. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">The Hringvegur (Icelandic for Ring road) is a near 1400 kilometers roundtrip of <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </country-region></place>. However it take a shortcut at times, so one will miss some of the fjords and scenic places. I believe most of the tourist choose this route, with detours to the tourist places like the Blue lagoon, Geysir, Thingvellir etc.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">I got out the ferry just before lunch on Thursday the 2<sup>nd</sup>, but my plan was to arrive in <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Reykjavik</place> </city>sometime the next day. Well, with almost 800 kilometers ride to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Reykjavik</place> </city>it was a bit optimistic. Especially on a 1944 model indian with frequent gas refills, and also there were lots of places to stop along the coast.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">But, I started riding, and was ready to adjust the plans as the trip progressed. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">After a while I met an intersection where I could save some hours by riding over the mountain at Øxl, or do the Eastcoasts and the Fagridalur.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Well, the “intersection” actually looked like something you will meet when walking in the mountains.. but this is how it is in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I had finally found what I was looking for… GRAVEL roads.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white;">The steep descend from the Fagridalur (translates into something like Beautiful valley) was interesting to ride, narrow hairpin curves with loose gravel and rocks. And off course nothing to stop you if you start sliding over the edge of the road<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">J</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1136/1027703266_227f2d4aab.jpg" /> <br />
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<i>Fagridalur ( I think..)</i> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Fagridalur was nice, rough terrain mixed with some farmland. I would guess it’s hard to grow things there, with the strong winds.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">When my Viking (I’m from <country-region w:st="on">Norway</country-region>) forefathers settled in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>, they must have had a rough time in the beginning. There were birds and fish there, but the sheep, horses etc had to be transported there by the Viking ships. Actually the first settlers were farmers who fled the mainland just to find peace and new land.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">11 % of <country-region w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </country-region>is covered by glaciers, however some believe they called it <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>to keep people away. Greenland is much more like an “<country-region w:st="on"> <place w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </place></country-region>” actually.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">After riding along the coast for some hours, I was running out of gas...oops.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I must have passed the gaspump along the way. Good thing I brought the 5 liter jerry can, but can I get to the next gaspump with just 5 liters..</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Believe me.. there are long stretches without any people and houses to see in <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on"><span class="highlight">Iceland</span> </country-region></place>..even on the ring road..</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">The gastanks on the chief carries about 12 liters..and the roads and headwind caused an increase in fuel consumption. Plus some gas exited the fuel cap ventilation on some hard bumps. So it was now using more like 8l per 100 kilometers.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">But a short calculation showed that I could make it to the next gas station. So, out on the road again…</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">Just a few seconds later I caught up with two offroad cars with Italian license plates, and passed them at near 100km/h.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Book Antiqua;">Suddenly I heard a very loud roar and in my mirror I could see <span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">something shiny bouncing in the road… I look down behind my right boot.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Oh no…. the whole tailpipe(muffler) fell off… !!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The Italians were very helpful, but the tailpipe was pretty beat up where it attaches to the header tubes.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The two mounting brackets holding the tailpipe was broken straight off, but I must have missed seeing the crack before leaving home.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Not that I had enough time the last weeks before the trip.. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I had to carefully( well, not really ) adjust the tailpipe with a genuine Icelandic rocks..and a bungee cord, bailing wire and the passenger peg was used to keep the tailpipe in place. Two problems before dinner…this will be a loooong trip.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The tailpipe moved around a bit, but it stayed in place. Finally got to the gaspump (no station in the remote places) with about 2 liters of gas left, and also found a closed repair shop. But I thought the tailpipe would stay in place the 400kilometers to the next repair shop in the small town called Vik.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The south coast was very nice, and the weather was perfect..and I really had a great time riding along the coast. When I saw the glacier(s) up in the mountains on the right I knew I was getting closer and closer to the Skaftafell park where I was planning to stop for the night.. however… I still saw the glaciers on the right side 3 hours later, and I still had a long way to go<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">J</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Well…more pictures..less talk..:)</span></span></span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1375/1027703352_d334e96050.jpg" /><br />
<i>somewhere near Høfn in the southeast of <span class="highlight">Iceland</span></i><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1338/1027856168_a7d1be28c3.jpg" /><br />
<i>Sometimes, looking back is a good thing to do..</i><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1299/1027856212_787c84d5c9.jpg" /><br />
<i>South coast.</i><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1414/1027856258_912957de95.jpg" /><br />
<i>yes.. the mountains are actually for real!</i><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1398/1027856290_08afa5468f.jpg" /><br />
<i>the chief bluesmoke rests for two minutes..</i><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1128/1027856452_0ae76cb310.jpg" /><br />
<i>This is Jøkulsarlon, a small lake at the edge of the glacier.. the edge glacier breaks off in big chunks of "icebergs". This is some 2000 year old ice..</i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
<span style="color: white;">When I arrived at the Skaftafell national park, I recieved an SMS from my brother.. "bad weather forecast for tomorrow, 20m/s winds and heavy rain in Reykjavik".<br />
I checked with the locals about the area I was in, and they said I probably shouldn't ride since the bad weather would hit the area pretty bad. So I decided to ride as far as possible that night and hope I'll find a roof somewhere along the way. And btw.. the oil consumption was starting to get me worried at this point.. but I was riding pretty hard with the "offroad" gearing.. The thickest oil I could find was 15W40.. and even in the colder temperature, the engine was running so hard and hot that straight 50w is the only solution (and riding slower off course...:) )<br />
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Rode and rode for some more hours.. and it got darker and darker...<br />
Had to stop for a short.. well I had too much coffee earlier.<br />
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This was a spooky place.. no wonder why quite a large number of people in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> believe in trolls and goblins.. :)<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1273/1027856486_e956f495c1.jpg" /><br />
<i>pyramids and lava landscape</i><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1124/1027066021_3b225e0b98.jpg" /><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1387/1027066307_521e92a160.jpg" /><br />
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Just before midnight I arrived in <b>Vik </b>and was so lucky to find a hotelroom!!<br />
I had just been in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> for one day.. and had already seen a lot, and had met lots of nice people! <br />
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The next day, I went over to the car repair shop and the owner welded the brackets back on to the tailpipe. One thing about Icelanders is that they are pretty good at repairing things. After all, they live on an island far out in the atlantic ocean..with rough weather and long distances.<br />
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Goretex... well, if you want to test your clothes or riding gear. Go to <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>. The wind makes the rain penetrate everything. Even before I got onto the bike, the boots and gloves were wet. And.. off course the clutch was slipping again..and had to push the bike up a hill to do a rolling start.<br />
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I must have ridden some 650 kilometers or more the first day.. so it was just a couple hours ride to Reykjavik. But I had to ride in the rain and the wind, although it had eased off a bit when I started riding. Luckily most people was smart enough to stay inside, so I had the whole width of the road for myself. The wind pushed the bike from one side of the road to the other, while I was struggling to combine riding with wiping out water from the INSIDE of the helmet!... The rain penetrates everything.. ok, the new Spyke jacket held up pretty well. <br />
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But...then suddenly I had escaped the rain:):)<br />
and stopped by Skogafoss to shoot some pictures, and pour out some water from my boots..<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1424/1027066407_7e22541491.jpg" /><br />
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I arrived in Reykjavik at 1500 on friday... and got an overview over the city from the tower of the Hallgrims church.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1016/1027066653_a07c6d6a59.jpg" /><br />
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I had never been to Reykjavik, but I managed to find my brother's soon to be family inlaw where I was going to have the base for the next few days.<br />
The Chief bluesmoke got new offroad shoes for this trip.. and now it was finally time to try them on some rougher gravel roads. <br />
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My brother's brother in law (complicated..) was going to Landmannalaugar early the next morning to shoot some videoclips with an Icelandic rockband.. and asked me to come along. Yes, but only with my bike:)</span></span><span style="color: white;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div id="post_message_5245255"><span style="color: white;">Well.. I got lost in Reykjavik after having dinner at my brother's sister inlaw's house..and rode around in Reykjavik for a while before finding the house where I was staying.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">At 0600 it was time to get up, and put on the riding gear again for the ride to Landmannalaugar.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Matti, my brother's brother in law, picked up the rest of the guys in the rockband Solstafir and we then went out on the road towards Landmannalaugar. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">The chief bluesmoke got a 23tooth front sprocket for this trip, usually I run a 25t. To keep the oil consumption down, I would guess below 100km/h is the proper constant speed. But here we were doing 110-115 km/h..</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">After the first gas stop we had to reduce the speed a bit, since the engine was using oil. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">I have been riding in strong winds before, but nothing like this. And the wind was head on.. for 2-3 hours. It really was a pain for both the engine and myself, at times it was impossible to keep 60mph. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">I longed for a windscreen..</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">After a while we hit the gravel roads, but kept a steady 90-100km/h since it was a rather smooth gravel road.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">The strong winds had increased the fuel consumption to around 1 litre per 10 kilometer. So I was running out of fuel again. Instead of entering Landmannalaugar, I had to continue to the north side where there is a gaspump. The 5litre jerry can saved the day again.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Landmannalaugar was one of the main things I wanted to see in <span class="highlight">Iceland</span>, and I went to <span class="highlight">Iceland</span> to ride gravel roads. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Since I had some kind of backup now, I decided to ride on the limits.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Just to see how much the old Chief bluesmoke would take.. without hurting myself of course.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">These old bikes are tougher than most people think today... they didn't have all the smooth paved roads back then. And my bike is a military issue, and they had a really hard time back then.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">The road into Landmannalaugar had coarse gravel, rocks, potholes everywhere.. so the bike was jumping all over the place while I was trying to focus on the smoothest paths. Fun, fun:):)</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Then I broke the chainadjuster.. and shot some pictures...</span><br />
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<hr /></div>Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506209116791601007.post-48503707408785411872011-03-09T03:38:00.001-08:002011-03-09T03:38:58.939-08:00My first blogg.I'm no longer motivated to keep my html based website(<a href="http://home.online.no/~344chief/">http://home.online.no/~344chief/</a>) up to date, I'm trying to do a blogg instead. more later..Halvor Midtvikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08634665748517215087noreply@blogger.com0