"Grady's Long Ride............."

This forum is to share stories that are meaningful, or entertaining. The posts can be original stories, stories passed down in a family or a region, they could be based on a person's experience, childhood, or basically on anything. They could even be fictional, or humorous, so long as they are stories.
Post Reply
knife7knut
Posts: 10061
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: Tecumseh,Michigan

"Grady's Long Ride............."

Post by knife7knut »

This story begins with a call from a gentleman named Art Farley who wants me to letter and stripe a vintage motorcycle for him. Art owns a small motorcycle repair shop close by and is also the caretaker of a rather large antique motorcycle collection owned by another gentleman.
The motorcycle in question is a 1928 Harley-Davidson Model JD. In addition to the lettering there is a series of pinstripes on the machine that consist of a 1/2 inch wide red stripe that is bordered on either side by a 1/8th inch black stripe and running down the middle of the red is a 1/8th inch gold stripe. The stripes match the lettering on the tank.
The motorcycle is fully assembled so it will be a bit harder to do than if the pieces were on the bench but it isn't impossible. We set up a date and I go over to his shop and after drooling over some of the great bikes there do the JD. In the course of our conversation Art informs me that he will be competing in the Motorcycle Cannonball that year.
This is an event I haven't heard about before and he explains it. It was patterned after the infamous Cannonball Run of the 1980's where people raced across the country from New York City to Los Angeles California. They even made a movie or two about it. The Motorcycle Cannonball is a bit different in that the entries are all motorcycles that were made before 1930!
It isn't a speed contest but rather a casual jaunt across the country(this one ran from Newberg NY to San Francisco)that was scheduled to take about 17 days.Somewhat longer than the 33 hours that was the record for the Cannonball in the 1980's. The contestants can carry some spare parts with them and have a chase vehicle in case they break down but if they do break down they are penalized.
Art's plan was to have his good friend and mentor Grady drive the chase vehicle for him as Grady was retired and could take the time off required. As an aside I never did get to meet Grady but Art told me that he was one of the best motorcycle mechanics ever. He also smoked Camel cigarettes constantly and used an old Zippo lighter to ignite them.He had a habit of snapping the lighter open with his two fingers and running the wheel across the leg of his jeans to light it.Hard to explain but a lot of older guys did that.
I told Art that I would be headed out to Massachusetts in September and might stop in Newberg on the way home as my cousin lived there.I had told him about the run and he said he would look for Art's bike.
Fast forward a bit and we are out in Massachusetts and Art calls and asks if I am going to be back in Michigan before he leaves for the race. He says he has some more to be added to the bike. I told him I would and would call as soon as I got back.
We get together at Art's house this time as he was doing some final stuff to the bike before loading it in the van to leave. He then explains what he wants added to the bike.
He informs me that Grady won't be driving the van as he passed away a couple weeks before from the complications of lung cancer. He wants me to paint Grady's name on the front fender in his honor which I am happy to do. He then pulls out Grady's old Zippo lighter from his pocket.As you can see from the picture the chrome is worn off from flicking it it open for years.He then says that Grady will indeed be going on the run with him. They had taken the interior of the Zippo out and put some of Grady's ashes inside and sealed it up. The lighter will be riding in Art's pocket for the whole trip!
Art completed the run and finished eleventh overall out of seventy-one entries.The winning motorcycle was a 1912 Henderson 4 which was exactly one hundred years old on that run!This was in 2012 and I believe they still have video up on the website if anyone is interested. Google Motorcycle Cannonball to find it.
I haven't heard from Art recently and the last I heard he was battling lung cancer too.
#1 Grady himself.
#2 Overview of the 1928 Model JD
#3 close up of the tank.
#4 The number Art was assigned.
#5 Rear view of the pack sticker.Very apropos.If you have ever rode a hardtail you know what it means.
#6 & #7 Closeup of the paintwork.
#8Closeup of the added lettering and Grady's lighter.
#9 Art Farley somewhere between New York and California.
Attachments
GradyHimself.jpg
GradyLeftSide1.jpg
GradyLeftSide2.jpg
GradyNumber.jpg
GradyRear.jpg
GradyRightSide1.jpg
GradyRightSideTank1.jpg
GradysAshes3.jpg
48-Art-Farley_6584.jpg
Adventure BEFORE Dementia!
User avatar
Paladin
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 11409
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:20 am
Location: Near Austin, Texas, between a Rock and a Weird Place
Contact:

Re: "Grady's Long Ride............."

Post by Paladin »

Ray,
Another great story. You have had an adventurous and interesting voyage thus far in this life and you have a real gift of expression.

Ray
Paladin

God Bless the USA
Please visit my store SWEETWATER KNIVES
"Buy more ammo" - Johnnie Fain
"I'm glad I ain't scared to be lazy." Augustus McCrae
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: "Grady's Long Ride............."

Post by kootenay joe »

Great read ! Ray you sure have had many interesting unique friends and adventures. This old Harley looks very sharp with your pin striping work.
Thank you for starting my day with a good read.
kj
User avatar
tongueriver
Posts: 6834
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:01 pm

Re: "Grady's Long Ride............."

Post by tongueriver »

Great story, Ray! Thank you! I miss my Harley.
User avatar
1967redrider
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 16103
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:23 pm
Location: Alexandria, VA
Contact:

Re: "Grady's Long Ride............."

Post by 1967redrider »

Great story and excellent work on the striping and lettering, Ray. ::tu:: ::tu:: Gorgeous cycle.
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!

You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
User avatar
Ripster
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 4068
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:37 pm
Location: Eau Claire ,wi.USA

Re: "Grady's Long Ride............."

Post by Ripster »

Heck of a story!
Beautiful old 28 JD ::tu:: ::tu::
Thanks Ray !!
JP
User avatar
herbva
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 1865
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:18 pm
Location: The Old Dominion

Re: "Grady's Long Ride............."

Post by herbva »

Ray, thanks for another terrific story! From what I can see of your paint work, you are are a very talented artist. I still can't imagine riding all the way across the country, in a short period of time, on one of those vintage bikes. ::tu:: ::tu::
"Better to do something imperfectly, than to do nothing flawlessly." ~ Robert H. Schuller

Herb
knife7knut
Posts: 10061
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: Tecumseh,Michigan

Re: "Grady's Long Ride............."

Post by knife7knut »

Thanks for all the kind words.It was a pleasure and an honor to contribute to a great event. For those interested,if you Google,"Motorcycle Cannonball",their website has numerous videos of the events.They are held every two years and always in a different location and route.
Adventure BEFORE Dementia!
Post Reply

Return to “Mostly True Stories”