After last years successful trip to Bonneville, we had high expectations for this year. We reworked and strengthened last year's record-setting 79-inch motor, and completed a second 1650 CC motor to try. Like most going racing, things ended up getting thrashed right down to the wire. Anyway, here's the account of this years trip…
See the first report, click here:
Our vehicle is the J&P Cycles streamliner, the sister bike to the Easyriders streamliner that held the outright world record of 322 MPH until last year. Our body was laid-up by the same fiberglass master, Kent Riches from Air Tech. We currently compete in the S/PG 1350 class (Streamlined/Pushrod Gas with a max displacement of 1350 CC’s). We set a class record of 178.948 last year.
Check The Water-Pump Dyno Tech: Click Here.
We where originally scheduled to leave Thursday August 30th. However, the fellow making the exhaust for our second motor didn't completed his task and was not finished until late in the afternoon. As we didn't have exhaust till then, the first time this motor was started was that afternoon. Seemed like we where behind the 8- ball already. After starting the motor and making sure there were no big noises, we pulled it, and put the 79 inch motor in. (bosses orders). Couple hours later they where changed. We decided to leave Friday and headed home for a good nights rest.
Friday we loaded and left near noon. After an uneventful 12-hr drive we stopped for the night. Saturday, we where off before 10:00 and arrived at Bonneville about 9:00 our time (central). We stayed at the Montego Bay. Still no 'puter hookup. Sunday we rolled out on the track and boy, there where a lot of bikes there. Last year there where about 200 entries. This year there where closer to 350 entries!
After setting up our pits, we presented our streamliner for “Scrutineering” (a fancy word for inspection). We passed with flying colors. By the time this ordeal transpired the day was shot and back to town we went.
We got up Monday and back to the track in time to see the Twin Hayabusa engined (turbocharged) streamliner, the Ack Attack lay down a quick 299.77 down run. A masterful engineering job makes this hot rod a contender for top speed of the meet anywhere it goes. After service, the return run was on tap. This time, unfortunately, going though the measured mile the bike got away from Rocky Robinson (the pilot) and he rolled. His measured time at the Kilo was 278 mph and the crash occurred before the clocks at the mile. Can you imagine getting on your head at almost 300 MPH? Take big brass ones to strap one of these babies on… With all the safety features built in streamliners, Rocky was able to walk away unharmed.
Meanwhile back in our camp we are waiting for our rider, Leo Hess to arrive with another streamliner that he's been constructing. Noon came and went, and finally between 3:00 and 4:00 he showed up. I got him through tech for his rider suit and we got in line. Standing on the Salt in the hot sun is not the most pleasant thing to experience. While we were in line we saw temperatures up to 108 degrees with no shade. Finally it was our turn and we were the last run of the day. We strapped him down, latch the canopy, and hooked up the towrope…. The Starter waves, and we started pulling the liner up to launching speed. 20..30…40…50…60…I gave the signal to release and Leo cuts loose.
The bike didn't sound good as it blasted by… we went back and collected our trailer and battery box, then headed for the end 11 miles away.
We arrived at the other end and saw the liner up on its skids (as it should be) and our recovery crew had the canopy off and Leo stepped out. The speed for this run, a disappointing 151 MPH, slower than the partially streamlined Assalt Weapan by Bikernet's 5-Ball racing team.
Leo described how and what he felt through the run. We loaded the bike up and head for the pits. At this point, we pulled the body and looked for problems. One of Leo’s comments was, “It shook like crazy. The motor was peppy down low, but didn’t want to rev.”
We immediately checked every motor-mount bolt. We found nothing loose and decided to call it a night.
The next morning (Tuesday) we checked compression and found our ft. cylinder with 200 PSI and the rear with 250 PSI. WTF? The front cylinder head was removed, and we check for a leaking valve. Nope, they were sealing fine. We looked at the bores. There were minor scratches on the cylinder walls, but they didn’t look horrible. Believe me, we went over these with a fine tooth comb. Nothing, we found nothing wrong…
Thinking about things, a difference in compression could cause lot of vibration. We went over the rest of the bike, but could find no reason for this discrepancy. We had another bullet (untested engine) on the trailer. The decision was made, change motors.
Along about this time, the weather took a turn for the worse. Winds picked up and faced rain showers. We had two shade canopies covering the majority of the 22 ft long bike. We lifted the bike onto our work stands and went to work. As we pulled the motor the winds howled! A team member hung on every corner for dear life.
In the center, John (the boss) was trying to keep the canopies from flapping and ripping. Every time a gust occured, it looked like the wind would pick everyone up and fling them across the wet salt. We got the one motor out and the other in…. We took advantage of a lull in the weather to strike camp and run for town.
The memory of those guys wrestling with the canopies will be something I’ll remember to the day I die. Isn’t racing fun? As we left the track, we were fearful that the additional rain would ruin the track and make it unusable. At dinner that night, we decide to be on the track before dawn.
We were up and hauling ass early Wednesday. Fortunately the salt was not damaged by the elements. During a meeting of the whole crew we decided which of the three carbs we had to use, and I set up the linkage. We finished hooking up the bigger motor and light things up. Quick startup, Yeah!!! Wait! Oh no, we had lots of oil coming from the pushrod tubes.
We investigated this and determined we were delivering too much oil. We decided to remove the oil pressure switch and setup a metered bypass to remove the excess. An A-N6 fitting was tapped for an S Main jet, and the bypass established. We put things back together and fired it up, much less oil, but not dry. Changed to a bigger jet. Once again, less oil, not dry. Another change. To make a long story short, a total of 5 jet changes had to happen before it met our satisfaction. Tuning, timing, adjustments here and there consumed the rest of the day.
One day left (no pressure).
Up early on Thursday, out to the salt and we warmed up our toy. Things sounded good… We got in line. Down at the Zero mile mark all the Streamliners were gathered. We were 4th or 6th depending on if The Worlds Fastest Motorcycle (the BUB #7) or Max Lamkeys twin-engined Vincent elected to run. The first liner left…about a ½ mile down course we see it wobble violently back and forth and fall to its side.
Tension mounted as we waited for the track for a clear track. We got the starters OK, and the next liner left. Clean pass. Eventually it was our turn. Got Leo suited up, tied in and ready to go. We got the wave and off we go. 20…40…60…RELEASE! Our mighty liner accelerates by…Time to get the trailer and battery cart.
These items collected and off to the other end we screamed. As we arrived, everything seemed in good order, but then we heard the speed, 145 mph… WTF?
We loaded up; headed back to the pits and regrouped. Everyone had an idea (or thought he did). I thought the air duct on the side of the bike was directing air right across the carb throat and disturbing the carb signal. Others believed we didn’t have enough air to the carb. Despite my arguments, another duct was cut in the Carbon Fiber body to enhance air distribution. Button things up again and back to the line. We got the very last run of the meet.
This time we had to start at the 2-mile mark with a stern warning from the tower that they didn’t want a 250 mph run because the long course personnel had left their stations. We made our run and this time it rumbled past the timing gate at 125 mph.
We tore down our pits and loaded up. The banquet was this evening. Track conditions where not great. The Monday run of 299 by the Ack Attack was the top speed of the meet. I’m sure the penny’s he won would go back into his liner, as it was damaged to the point it was unable to make another pass. While disappointing, the worst day racing beats the best day working.
