Electra Glide In Blue

My earliest memories of this day go back with my Grandparents…. Decoration Day is what this day was called. We would load up their 57 Chevy with fresh garden flowers and head out to the cemetery on the 29th, the day before Memorial Day. Back then Memorial Day or Decoration Day as my Grandma always called it, was always observed on May 30th.

At the cemetery we would place the freshly cut flowers on the graves of my Grandparents father’s, both Civil War veterans, members of the Grand Army of the Republic.

My Grandfathers Dad was with Company G, 12th Indiana Volunteer Cavalry, which is all the Civil War history I have on him. He is in the photo below, bottom row standing 5th one on the right.

My Grandmothers Dad served three years in Company E, 50th Illinois Inf. According to his obituary dated 1909, he was in all the great battles about Chattanooga, and the Atlanta campaign, where he was under fire for a hundred days. He was also on Sherman’s great raid through Georgia and North and South Carolina. He was at Altoona Pass on the October day when Gen. Sherman signaled his famous order to Gen. Corse, to “Hold The Fort, For I Am Coming”. He then marched with his regiment from Goldsboro, NC, through Richmond, and Virginia, then marched on to Washington City, and took part in the Grand Review on the 24th of May, 1865. He is in the photo below, holding the Flag.

This picture was taken around 1906 of the Civil War veterans from the Morocco, Indiana area.

Standing, back row from left- Sam Thomas, Capt. Dan Graves, John Brown, Jonathan Bell, Niel Shue, Finley Shafer, Jacob Hosier, Fred Bartholomew, George Clark, George Weber, William Handley, F. Flemming, James Shafer.
Bottom row, standing- John Don, Andrew Flowers, Rev.George Musson, Rev. Greenway, Fred Mashino, Sitting- Henry G. Sayler, Andrew Ellis, John Vayette, John Grant, Frank Roadruck, George Baker, Cal Sarver, Cyrus Brunton, George Benjamin, David Dexter, John Garrard.

However you celebrate Memorial Day this year, however solemn or happy the occasion, spare a thought and a moment of silence in memory of all those who paid for your freedom with their lives, and of all those who defend it still.

Rocky Mountain National Park that is, and timing is everything. We missed the opening of Trail Ridge Road by one day. I think we could have made it to Rainbow Curve, about 14 miles up the road, but the weather was changing, with rain moving in, and 14 miles up the road that could be snow. So we were limited to just riding the loop, I needed to get a new park pass anyway, the yearly park pass has increased $5 from last year to a total a cost of $40 bucks. The seven day pass is still $10 for a solo motorcycle and $10 extra for a passenger.

Here is a shot in Estes heading west on 36 towards the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station.

The old 68 FLH starts running funny when you get it up over 8000ft, so stopping and starting when taking some pictures is a little hard on her. I did notice she was blowing some smoke, I think its time to take a look at the top end again.

After a ride through the park, quince your thirst at Nagl’s World Famous Wheel Bar downtown Estes Park.

The ride map from Loveland and back.

View Estes and Back in a larger map

I can’t tune a piano, but I can true a motorcycle wheel. Special tools needed, spoke wrench, dial indicator, truing stand. If you don’t have these tools I highly recommend you take your wheel to a motorcycle shop for truing.
We left the last post with the wheel laced up, and the spokes only finger tight. The hub should have a little side to side play. We now need to true the hub, (center it) to the rim.
With the wheel installed in to the truing stand, secure a straight edge up to the hub flange.

Start at the valve hole and tighten the nipple three full turns, then do the same to the next four spokes. I tape the spokes and number them and note the space between the rim and the straight edge, top and bottom. Roll the wheel half way around and do this same thing, checking the straight edge. Now roll the wheel a quarter and do the same, then roll the wheel half way and do the same. At this point in time you should have sixteen spokes tightened roughly three turns, at four equal areas on the wheel. Flip the straight edge to the other side of the hub. You want the exact same distance from the straight edge, top and bottom to the rim, on both sides of the hub. Now you will have to mount up your dial indicator to read side runout, and secure the straight edge up to the hub flange then tighten the remaining spokes to finish centering the rim sideways with the hub and truing the rim sideways, as this must be done as one operation.
Start by slowly turning the rim to the farthest side runout on the dial indicator. Loosen the spokes on the indicator side and tighten on the opposite side. Repeat this procedure until the rim runs true. After each loosening and tightening of the spokes always check the straight edge for hub being center to the rim. Rim should be trued to two, onehunderedths (2/100″) of an inch, sideways runout. Takr your time and go slow.

After the rim has been centered with the hub, trued running sideways, we can now check the radial runout or concentricity of the wheel. Adjust the dial indicator so it runs on the rim tire bead seat. Slowly turn the wheel to find the high point of the rim. Mark this spoke with tape and tighten it up a little watching the dial indicator, then tighten three or four spokes to the right (forward) and left (backward) of the taped one. Repeating this procedure until the rim has a radial runout of two, onehunderedths (2/100″) of an inch or less.
Now check and double check your sideways run and radial run. With all readings within 2/100 of a inch, start at the valve hole and tighten every spoke equally all the way around the rim, all the while keeping the sideways run and radial run within the limits of 2/100 of a inch.

After all spokes have been tightened and the wheel is true, or almost true, remove the wheel from the stand. Seat each spoke head in to the hub with a sharp blow, using a flat nose punch and hammer. Reinstall the wheel in to the truing stand, start at the valve hole and tighten every spoke equally all the way around the rim, all the while keeping the sideways run and radial run true. This method allows the spokes to be drawn up tighter and prevents the possibility of spokes coming loose, due to spoke heads seating into the flange, after the wheel has been put into service.

Do not tighten spokes to the point of drawing the nipples through the rim or distorting the hub flange. If your spokes are left to loose they will continue to loosen when put into service.
Grind off any spoke ends protruding through the nipples to protect the tube from puncture when mounting the tire.
The key to truing motorcycle wheels is to go at it slow and easy. Every adjustment you make, affects another part of the wheel, and you only have two wheels, so do it right.
Ride Safe.

Front and rear motorcycle wheels are spoked identically. If you are respoking a wheel, It may help to take pictures before you dismantle your wheel.
In this example I am using a Harley hub and an aftermarket 21in rim. Spoke holes in hub flanges are in two rows around the flange. On a 40 spoke hub, there are ten inner row holes and ten outer row holes in each flange.
All spokes must be inserted from the inside of the flange.

1. Place the hub with the brake end of the hub facing up.
2. Insert the spokes in the ten inner holes of the brake side flange.
3. Swing the loose end of the spokes counterclockwise as far as the hub will allow without turning the hub.
Place the rim over the hub and spokes.

Note: If you have a hub with a grease fitting, position rim with the valve hole 90 to 180 degrees from the grease fitting.
If you are using a 16in rim that has a side valve hole, place it opposite of the brake side of the hub, if the rim has a center valve hole don’t worry a bout it unless you have a grease fitting hub.
4. Insert the spokes in the upper row of rim holes that angle in the same direction as the spokes.
5. Just start the nipples on the spokes as you insert them in the rim.
6. After all ten are attached, start inserting the spokes in the outer holes of the flange and swing them clockwise.
7. Select any outer spoke, make sure it crosses over four inner spokes and insert it in the nearest upper rim hole and start a nipple.

8. Follow this same application with the remaining nine spokes, starting a nipple as you go.

9. Turn the hub and rim over and repeat, only this time the inner spokes will flow clockwise and the outer spokes flow counterclockwise.
When you have spoked up your wheel, the inner spokes on both sides of the hub are flowing in the same direction and the outer spokes are flowing in the same direction, opposite the inner spokes.
Turn each nipple on just far enough to cover the spoke threads.

Now wasn’t that easy!

You are now ready to true the hub to the rim.
If you don’t have a truing stand you will have to take it to someone who can center the hub and true the wheel.
I will cover centering the hub and truing the wheel in my next post, stay tuned and ride safe.