The Scooter Cannonball Run

[Lazybones]

I know many of us here have other hobbies/ interests. So' I thought i would share what I've been doing for the last two and a half months. Also what I will be doing next week.
I will be riding across country on my modified 1946 Salsbury scooter.

You can learn more at http://www.thescootercannonball.com. You can also follow in real time my progress at http://www.followride.com. I am rider #15
You may have to register. I'm not sure.?

The ride starts Sunday April 22nd. I am flying out from SFO Friday morning to meet my scooter in Savanah Georgia and will have one day to get prepaired for a 2800 mile ride to San Diego.

I want to thank those that have backed my adventure!
Our very own Doug Kraft
Tupelo Sue & Nutmeg Joe
Heidenau Tires
Revolution Moto Santa rose CA
Valley Forge & Welding
The Willits Shifters Car Club
Ruthanne Parks
Barbara & Lanny Mitchell
John Hopkins - NTH

I'm so lucky to have such great friends!

Here are some pictures of my build using 1946 Salsbury, 2004 Kawasaki Ninja 250, 2001 Ninja 500, 1986 Yamaha YSR, 2004 Vespa ET4, 2009 Vespa lX150,1952 Chevrolet, 2007 Chevrolet, & 1958 Austin Heally Bugey Sprite parts.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Lee


I did some mock up with bricks and blocks of wood. If you look close you will see the 2009 Vespa front suspension already installed. Now I have disc brakes.



I started by removed the rusted out Salsbury suspension and motor mounts. Then boxed the frame for strength. Made motor and shock mounts. I then mated the YSR swing arm to the Ninja swing are pin.



After the motor was mounted it was time for shifting linkage.




New floor boards were made and welded in.



I then cut the gas tank and expanded it from 4.5 to 7.25 gallons.




Here it is. Along with the radiator, overflow, etc..


She is hanging around after a two into one exhaust being built out of Kawasaki & Honda pipes ending with a 1958 Bugeye Sprite Muffler.


I made this aluminum scoop in hope of giving the radiator good air flow.


Then the dash and handle bar tube covers. The second picture shows them painted and mounted with the Ninja cluster with a vespa speeometer moumted in it. if you look close you will see a round crome knob. This is cruise control.



After 99% of the frabrication was done I took the scooter to LAAM Custom Motorcycle Seats in Redding. Seth built me an awesome seat!


Here she is 99% done.

[asianflava]

Looks awesome Lee! Good luck with the race.

[campmaster-k]

Very cool Lee. Good luck.

[Woodbutcher]

Looks like a fun event. You have certainly made a great looking scooter. But just one question. It does not look like there could be much movement in the front wheel. What is the turning radius? Good luck on the run! Please post a follow up after the run is over. Would love to see some pics!

[canned o minimum]

OH MY !! Yer a scooter HOARDER ! ( hey Kirk.. we gotta git this guy into Coleman collectin,, He's an easy mark ) And now yer gonna ride a "scooter" across the country !!??? Yup.. yer one of us fer SURE ! ( Yer CRAZY !)

In pic #2(or #3) there is a small car(yellow)?? What izzit ?

I've always ben jealous of you "welders"/fabricators. Nice work !

Be safe on yer race and have FUN !

[Maureenm]

Good luck,Lee! Keep yourself in one piece!
Maureen

[dmb90260]

Good thing the scooter did not have to be standard issue. When you put your mind to it you can compete with Doug Hodder in the build it from scratch category, teardrop or scooter. Great work, Lee. Have a wonderful ride, Do you have one of those helmet cams to share the views with us?

[doug hodder]

That really looks great Lee! I spent a fair amount of time on the phone last night with Lee and he tells me that he's the only one that has done a scratch build like this. The next older scooter is from the late 50's. It may not be the prettiest, but I'm betting that no one knows their scoot as well as you do or was as creative. Good luck on the trip. Looking forward to following the trip. Doug

PS...that car is an Austin Healy Bug Eye Sprite.

[canned o minimum]

Love,love,LOVE them "little" cars ( I have a 65 VW bug ) The Sprite is a gorgeous car ! I bet it's FUN to drive. The garage is FULL of "small" treasures !

Sum people jus dream bout doin "stuff'.. YOU seem to have yer priorities straight ! Jus DO yer dreams ! The right time to do em may never come...

Ya see.. we never plan to fail.. we jus fail to plan !

[Lazybones]

Thanks for the good luck wishes!

I am really looking forward to getting on the road this Sunday.

Like doug said. I scratch built the scooter so know it inside out. If I do have a problem, I should be able to fix it on the road.

I will try to answer all of your question in this one reply.

I am a Coleman collector already. I should say gas pressure lantern collector, as I have more "orphan" make than coleman.

The scooter is almost eight feet long so the turning radius is fairly large. But; I can get around just fine.

the yellow car is a 1958 Bugeye Sprite like Doug said.

I have a helmet camera that I have never been able to work right. I plan to try it and will post up if I can.

I will probably post up in this thread along the way if I can.

Lee

[canned o minimum]

Yer LIVIN THE DREAM ! Have fun ..

[CliffinGA]

Lee thats cool, how fast will you be going and how long will it take you to get to point c or d on your 1st day? Might see if the wife wants to take a ride down Sunday! Bring you wet gear also as its supposed to be a rainy weekend.

Cliff

[Shadow Catcher]

I hope there will be
Looks like a lot of fun!

[cherokeegeorge]

Dig the scooter Good luck Lee and enjoy the adventure

[DragonFire]

Looks like Lee beat me to posting all this...They ride out on Sunday. He's out there in GA now. You have no idea what these people do when they ride Cannonball. It's not just "hop on the highway and hit the checkpoints and do it fastest."..heck no. Strange routes, odd roads, cow pastures, mud (and stuff)...you name it. And 350+ miles a day in the saddle. Scooters aren't like Harleys with highway pegs, folks. Its not a comfy ride.

I have several friends doing Cannonball...but without Lee's help and guidance I wouldn't have a teardrop, a truck, and be getting ready to live the dream I've had for almost 10 years....hitting the road in a vintage trailer. Lee is an awesome guy. and he has sacrificed a great deal to go on this ride...like Doug said, he's the only one who has basically built a scoot from scratch..and now he's going to scoot his butt across the country on it...100's of miles where he is the only one out there that he can see. He has a support vehicle, but I'm not sure how closely they will be able to follow. He doesn't have cannonball experience like most of the other riders, but he knows his bike to the last bolt. He's resourceful, a great mechanic, and a very good, experienced rider. He owns 2 Salsbury scooters already and knows how to ride one (yes, the turning radius is wide on them..but he knows how to work it..trust me..I've even seen him bowl while riding a Salsbury!)

I 'sponsored' Lee on his ride..anyone going to the Dam he plans on being there. He's going to be beat, but full of great campfire stories. Lend him a helping hand..pass him some spare mantles if he needs them..whatever. This guy is good people..he deserves our support, whether it's moral support, a helping hand setting up, whatever. He is undertaking something that has never been done before..and it takes a lot of endurance and skill to complete it.

And yeah, he's a scooter hoarder. And a pressurized gas hoarder. But so what. That's the kind of folks we like around here!!

Good luck Lazybones...ride safe and see you at the Dam...I know you will show them how it's really done!!