The road to Cannonball 2025

With the start of the new year the Wrecking Crew is embarking on a new project: The Cannonball 2025. A motorcycle endurance race across the continental USA, coast to coast, 3.500 miles in length. On vintage motorcycles, some of them up to a hundred years old.

Our Harley-Davidson J model, named "The Flying Turtle",

which we will be racing in 2025 hasn’t cracked the 100 years yet, but it isn’t far off either with its 1928 vintage.

The history of this particular J model is hidden in the murky depths of the last century, but we know that it entered the W&W fleet of V-twins by way of a couple of trade ins from Switzerland. It has been in use on and off ever since, and without giving any trouble. Which is all the more surprising ’cos none of us ever bothered to have a look see inside her innards.

But, with the extreme long distance on the horizon,

comprising mountain ranges, desert roads and miles of solitude that will have to be conquered in the three weeks and 3.500 miles to come we decided to tear down "The Flying Turtle" down to her last period correct washer, inspect everything and rebuild her just like Milwaukee intended her to be.

An epic quest, you could say, but our Wrecking Crew team are just the guys to handle it:

Paul "The Cyclery" Jung has done it before,

riding the "Cannonball of the Century" in 2016. He’ll be chief mechanic this time, in the headquarters' workshop during the 2024 run up and on the track in 2025, driving the support truck (help is only legal before the start and after the finish line of each stage). His experience as a senior AMCA judge might come in handy here.

Chris Sapper will be riding "The Flying Turtle".

He has plenty of Harley miles under his belt, and loads of wrenching know how in his muscle memory. So that he has the complete picture of what is going on inside his ride, and to know what to do if anything goes awry, he will be wrenching on the restoration project under Paul’s supervision from day one.

It’s still a few days until the starter’s flag drops.

We’re now busy dismantling, evaluating and measuring all the parts – and we’re filming whenever the Wrecking Crew is working on "The Flying Turtle". Every Wednesday there’ll be a short video update under the motto ’Wednesday is Wrenching Day’!

Click here for our YouTube channel (don’t forget to subscribe to get a notification when a new video is up.)

Short cut to the videos:

Episode 1: GET LIFTED: Wrecking Crew's Harley Davidson Model J 1928

E2: THE PLAN: a vintage Harley for the Motorcycle Cannonball 2025

E3: SPEEDO TO GO: Wrecking Crew starts dismantling of 1928 Harley J Model with Corbin speedo

E4: BYE BYE, TWIN TANKS! Wrecking Crew removes tanks of 1928 Harley Model J

E5: CHAIN REACTION: uncovering the primary of 1928 Harley Model J

E6: SCHEBLER BEAUTY Schebler DLX carburetor, perfect condition, rare

E7: MOTOR REMOVAL Wrecking Crew lifts 61 cu. in. heart of 1928 Harley

E8: GEARBOX removed by Wrecking Crew

E9: GEARBOX CHECK a deeper look inside

E10: THE TOOLBOX MYSTERY Is it just a metal can?