2014 Pewter Run

The first Sunday in Oct. was the USCRA Pewter Run, a road rally for bikes nominally pre 1950, this year in a new location: Northfield, Ma.  I say nominally because recently a 1950-60 class was added, which my '53 Airone ran in, though I always thought it qualified as 'like design', Airones being substantially the same from 1947, when they went to an aluminum head with enclosed valve gear, to 1957, the last year they were made.  The day before, I hiked around the woods on some land I own with my siblings in W. Wardsboro, Vt. in the pouring rain, then stayed with some friends in Dummerston, Vt.  They told me about a bike shop in Brattleboro, Vintage Steele, and I stopped there on my way to Northfield.  Josh Steele does some interesting customs, mostly with Japanese bikes of the '80s, but has a very wide spectrum of bikes.

A couple of Moto Guzzi Airones, my '53 in the backround and Mike Peavey's ? in the foreground.

When I showed him the Airone and Zigolo in my van, the fuel tank on the Zigolo rang a bell with him.  After rummaging through a vast number of photos on his phone, he finally found the picture of the Stornello hulk at his house.  One of his friends had informed Josh of the Pewter Run that morning, but he couldn't get away as he was too busy.
The route ran north on the west side of the Connecticut River into Vermont and I realized it ran very close to Steele's shop, so I made a slight diversion to let him know that he could just go a couple of blocks to see the bikes go by.  In Brattleboro, the route crossed the Ct. River and ran south on the east side through Northfield proper, then west back over the river and a short ways north to the start point.  We're supposed to average quite a slow speed (24mph?), but I didn't pay any attention to that and just enjoyed a pleasant ride at an interesting pace and parked up just outside the finish area and smoozed with people until it was my time to clock in.  When the time got close, I suited up and ran through the finish and, but absolute dumb luck, clocked in right on the second, thereby 'winning' my class.  Not that we weren't all winners having a great ride on a gorgeous fall day on some beautiful roads with like minded friends.
I brought my Zigolo along to show Mitch Frazier, who had done some work on it and returned it to me the week before at the Moto Giro.  He thought he had fixed it, but when I had ridden it a couple of days before, it wouldn't start after I turned it off.  I pulled it out of my van and it started immediately and ran fine as we took turns around a field and up and down the road.  But, when I shut it off, it wouldn't start again, despite the fact that it had spark.  After sitting through lunch and awards (maybe an hour and a quarter), it started up.  The mystery continues.

Mark Turkingtons 1914 BSA

Tony Lockwood's 1913 Moto Sacoche 2C7 V-twin.  Tony and his bike won the oldest combined age prize again: 177years I believe.

A '51 plunger frame Norton International

Rich Hosely's '54 featherbed frame Norton International with an Indian four and Matchless G-80 behind it.

a NSU single

A Brace of Brough Superiors, above a OHV SS100 and below Mark Gibson's sidevalve SV680

Carlos Escudero's '28 Indian Scout.

The line up

Capping off a near perfect day, I bought a '68 TC 200 Suzuki on my way home in Bayside, Queens.  I happened to see the bike on Ebay and had looked at it earlier in the week and ridden it around the block.  The odometer says it has 226 miles on it.  I ended up being high bidder, though I didn't make reserve.  The owner and I then split the difference.  I can't help myself.