The Indian vs Harley (pre 1965) rivalry is going to be the focus of a race this week near Yosemite Park, California

This group consists of a pair of Indian Twins, three Excelsior Ace Fours, and at least one Harley Davidson, all ready for some real road racing on a public road.

For eighteen years Harley & Indian enthusiasts in Australia have been recreating the rivalry that was so much a part of motorcycling in the Twenties, Thirties, and Forties of the last century. In 2011 we are bringing that Rivalry home to America where the bikes were built! The Great Indian V Harley Race of 2011 will be based in Oakhurst California, right on the doorstep to Yosemite.

During the ride we will have checkpoints, timed mileage sections and other challenges. At each checkpoint the rider will be earning points for his brand of motorcycle. At the end of our event we will gather for a banquet feast and crown the race victor and who will receive bragging rights for the next year, as the winner of the great race.

Event Registration fee: $185.00

All bikes must be 1965 & older, and older bikes will now receive an incentive!

1940-1965 Models - No Bonus Points
1930-1939 Models - 10% Bonus added to your point total
1920-1929 Models - 20% Bonus added to your point total
1900-1919 Models - 30% Bonus added to your point total

So far we have several bikes from the teens, twenties and thirties entered, including a 1915 HD Ghost Model!

Day one: Oakhurst to Mammoth Pool
Day two: Oakhurst to Yosemite Park
Day three: Oakhurst to Mariposa

Read all about it: http://www.indianvharley.com/

the oldest wheels in California, a look at how the first wheels were designed

Above is design, below is what remains of a round piece of wood 205 years after it was installed on an ox cart, consider that the log it was cut from may have been 100 years old to get this big around and it's possible that the wood is over 300 years old.

In the stagecoach museum in Old Town San Diego

The San Diego Firehouse Museum

They pull the trucks out for events that rent the location for a party, and put them back in with tow trucks... but notice this old engine has WOOD rims, and enormous tires. But those wood rims are still solid. Any guess at how old they must be? 80 years old is my guess

For the comparison between this horse drawn model and the front wheel drive model that replaced the horses: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/1913-christie-front-drive-steam-pumper.html and

Notice on the wall is a catch hoop.

Above and below are the same building, but the times are before and after telephone poles. Maybe before and after city electric was run?

Odd looking fire engines, the one to the left in the above image is the 1913 Christie Front Drive Steam Pumper, for a couple of galleries of what they look like when restored, and in color: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/1913-christie-front-drive-steam-pumper.html

and http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/1913-christie-front-drive-steam-pumper.html

I've posted about the passing of the horse drawn fire apparatus before, it's a significant milestone in the change of civilization to motorized vehicles and there are only two photos I've ever seen that herald this change of era's. This one, and the other I posted a couple years ago

A fire bucket, for the bucket brigade... I think the below painting is cool, very civil war era

A bit of Americana history here, these plaques were the soprt of thing that would be mounted on homes and businesses in big cities in the East, like Boston, Philidelphia, etc etc. They signified the fire insurance company that had been paid to reimburse the fire department if they had to extinguish a blaze. If the building on fire didn't have a plaque, maybe the fire department wasn't going to get piad fopr the work, I don't know, just speculation. Anyway, these two plaques are from dozens that have been collected and are displayed at the firehouse museum, they were labeled 1850, Cincinnatti

Among the many collections on display at the museum are patches, pins, hats, helmets, parade attire from the 1800's, black and white photos of the late 1800's and early 1900's, badges, fire plugs, fire hose nozzels, and news clippings... plus the McCurdy models in the next post