Bonneville 2013!

[Weldangrind]

This was a bucket list item for me, and Spud made it happen! I failed to realize that there was a spot on the lens of my camera, so every pic has a blemish. Sorry.

I spent a lot of time preparing the Lifan for Son of Weldangrind, and I was not able to complete my TW in time. True to his word, Spud offered his trusty Zong, and he rode the mighty XR650L. Since I was only transporting one bike, I carried it on a homemade bike hauler (made by forum member Atomic Wedgie) and Son of Weldangrind and I cannonballed it from Abbotsford to Spudland in about 17 hours. We met up with Bro-in-Law along the way, as he was travelling from Calgary. Bro-in-law drove his awesome Saab 9-3 Viggen, and he volunteered to be our mule. This was on Saturday, August 10.

We grabbed a motel that night and met Spud on Sunday, August 11. We spent the day getting to know each other, procuring supplies and further prepping the Lifan. Spud graciously changed the rear tire for me (in what seemed like seconds!) while I cleaned a clogged petcock (which waited until we arrived in Spudland to present itself). I had jetted the new 30mm Mikuni with a 105 main and a 22.5 slow jet, and it ran very well at around 5000 feet.

Son of Weldangrind, Bro-in-law and I camped at a former KOA in Spudland that night and arrived at Spud's at 9:30 on Monday morning. After fueling up, we headed South en masse towards Wendover, UT, which is very close to the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Lifan made it 30 miles before the China battery died. It wasn't really a big deal, since it would start on the first or second lazy kick, and everything worked. The rear signals made it another 100 miles before they both broke at the neck from vibrations. I intend to buy a set with flexible necks, like Spud's front Zong lights. Some electrical tape had 'em back in place temporarily.

We stopped very close to the Golden Spike on the Transcontinental Railroad, and Son of Weldangrind took that opportunity to ride on the original rail surface. He's a train freak. Here's the location, where we stopped for some water.



I also spotted this old Deuce four door in a field, and had to capture it. I have a real affection for Model A's and Deuces.



Several hours into our ride, we got our first glimpse of the salt.



Not long after that pic, Son of Weldangrind hit a nasty bump and broke five spokes! His front wheel looked like something from a clown car, but he was a
trooper. He rode the remaining 30 miles like that.

We arrived in Wendover that evening, and Bro-in-law had already scouted a campsite for us. Rather than camping at "the bend in the road" (like several racers and spectators), he found a free camp area in Wendover that had some wind protection. Here's the camp area.



See that little speck on top of the rocks? That's Son of Weldangrind.



On Tuesday morning, we headed to the salt. This is where the pavement ends.



We left the disabled Lifan at the campsite, and Bro-in-law wisely left his Saab on the pavement. Spud doubled Bro-in-law, and I doubled Son of Weldangrind for a few miles on the salt, until we reached the spectator area. This is my first (and favourite) pic.



Son of Weldangrind and I set up the canopy, while Spud and Bro-in-law retrieved the cooler.



We then headed to the pits and checked out the various cars and bikes.
























Being a lover of Deuces, Model A's (and old trucks), I snapped this pic. I then
walked around the shelter to get a better pic of the truck and Deuce. I was surprised by what I saw.





The Deuce was a tow vehicle for a bike!













The faithful Zong on the salt.



Brother Spud not practicing ATGATT.



Spud decided to go for a little ride on the salt with the Zong.





Spud doubling Bro-in-law.



Son of Weldangrind.



This amazed me. There is a brine plant nearby, where they collect salt for grooming the track. If you didn't know any better, you'd think this was a shot of a cold day on the Prairies.



Spud and I made the decision to ride back to Spudland on Wednesday, and then I hopped in my van and drove back to Wendover. I needed my van in order to recover the disabled Lifan. That little trip took about 15 hours. While I was away, Son of Weldangrind and Bro-in-law spent part of the day on the salt, and part of the day at the Wendover Airfield. http://www.wendoverairbase.com/museum They learned that Fat Man, Little Boy and the Enola Gay all came from that area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendover_Air_Force_Base