Bonneville Effort 2007, Chapter 15
By Bandit |
We faced the grim reality of eight days before we rolled toward the historic Bonneville Salt Flats. Berry Wardlaw flew in from Accurate Engineering to assist with the Nitrous wiring, tuning then flew back out to Dotham, Alabama to take care of biz for a week, before returning to the salt. We hoped for a running Assalt Weapan and some Dyno time while he was here.
At this point our crew was pointed in a lot of directions. Nyla was working on our team shirts and ballcaps for the salt, the motorhome/toy hauler rental, supplies, tools, ramps, tents and chairs. The salt is a desolate, unforgiving surface, and there ain’t no trees to huddle under. The wind kicks up every afternoon and there’s a code, “Leave the salt as you found it.” We needed to have tarps under our work surfaces and a lift this year so we wouldn’t crawl around working on the bike and we’d work on the bike constantly. That was guaranteed.
That wasn’t all. We grappled with printing banners to support our sponsors, hats embroidered, stickers made, paint delivered, pinstripers called and the seat delivered.
Fortunately we were able to eliminate some of the wiring and by Friday evening the bike had fired to life. All systems were up and running. The oil tank worked (I was nervous) and we had oil pressure. The Spyke Charging system worked and we had power. The Big Boar battery struggled but started the Accurate Engineering 120-inch Panhead while Berry Wardlaw spoke of Nitrous gods and the Anola Gay, which was built during WWII a mile from the Salt Flats. He’s a master of history, wars, racing and revels in the masterminds who came before him.
As the Assalt Weapan fired we shifted into the checkin’ and adjustment mode. Every aspect of the bike was inspected and reexamined. The clutch, oil line routing, wires, and shifting. We decided to eliminate the Pingel electric shifter and install a manual shifting system, I had previously prepared for. We made a shifter system and I started to cut the panels for the shift rod, then decided to run the rod on the outside to prevent more damage to aero benefits of the panels.
We dropped the Pingel because of our own insecurities and inexperience with the system. Plus the load on the electrical system was a consideration and the vast quagmire of wiring involved. As it turned out, it was a wise decision. I also didn’t like the position of the solenoid acting as a wind block. Over and over during this entire process I was focused on anything we could accomplish to enhance traveling through the wind.
Earlier in the week Junior of Lifestyle Cycles in Anaheim approved our use of his dyno, then he fell in love, got married and ran off. We couldn’t reach him on Saturday. We tried Bartels’ H-D and the Bartels’ family was out of town. I forgot to try Benett’s Performance, Bonneville contenders, on Signal Hill, but we procured positive word from Junior’s love nest and were able to jam to LifeStyle Cycles and make six passes on their dyno with Sparky’s assistance.
We experienced moving the Assalt Weapan for the first time and it wasn’t easy. With less that 2 inches of ground clearance, the oil tank under the frame touched down way too often and ramp loading was difficult without four crew members, but we did it.
Berry has a dyno at his Alabama headquarters and more experience than I at dyno operations. We sported a 40-tooth rear sprocked and should have made our runs in 3rd gear rather than 4th, but it was damn good to hear her run up through the gears, feel the BDL clutch in action and see her fly through the Baker gears.
The graph on the exhaust stained Dyno Jet Computer read a consistent 115-117 horsepower and between 170 and 215 pounds of torque. Berry specifically built this to be a nitrous/torque engine with .700 thick Ross piston tops and ring lands .300 down the piston to handle the nitrous load.
He added two pounds to the flywheels to enhance torque and backed off on the ring pressure to reduce the largest friction element in this engine. Tiny holes in the top of the piston above the rings allowed compression to pressurize the rings during the compression stroke.
Berry studied every aspect of his engine configuration to give us durability and reliability under a Nitrous load. “I could still give this engine another 100 hours of improvements,” Berry said over and over, as if a future threat loomed ahead.
We wrapped up the goods and our dyno runs and headed back to the Bikernet headquarters with our run printouts and list for the next week, the last week before we headed to the great white dyno in Bonneville, Utah. Berry was unhappy with the runs and the skipping tire on the dyno. “We would deflate the tire and pull it down hard against the drum,” Berry said as he explained how he operated his dyno. “Our rear tire was skipping, that’s where the RPM spikes showed up. I would have liked to run this on the dyno all day.”
We did our best within out delicate time frame and pushed onward. I sent Berry a report as progress was accomplished:
Here's my report Colonel Wardlaw, sir,
I contacted George Fleming, the artist. We'll work on some sticker art for Accurate. Rodan, SCTA official, came over and was impressed with the bike. He told me a real Panhead ran 143 at Bonneville in a stock frame. The bike was run in a wind tunnel. We'll have to do that. He inspected the bike. I need to come up with a lever that shuts off the petcock (fuel bikes). He gave me a notion for the horn button and ground. Easy livin'. I'll take care of it.
I'll hit the check list hard tomorrow. Hope you had a comfortable flight. Sure was good to have you here. We'll do it again. You'll have to bring your kid out and take him to Disneyland, Knotts and 6-Flags.
Hell week begins,
–Bandit
August 27th 2007- Monday Bonneville Weather Report–The weather front that came through yesterday really helped the course- though we were worried otherwise! There was very little moisture and a lot of wind. The course has dried considerably, especially the problem spot between the 6 and 7 mile. The 0-2 has also dried- though both areas still need to dry a bit more to be usable. Once again the forecast looks hot for the immediate future. We are still exploring alternative options to get the best course possible.
ACCESS ROAD: the wind was of great benefit to the access road. There is still some standing water however it is shallow enough to see where to go (and where not to).
Time Until BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials 200805 Days, 11 Hours, 17 Minutes, 54 Seconds.
Tuesday passed and we progressed:
Hey Colonel,
I made the nitrous button and ground, changed oil, wrapped the vent (from the fins), started to grind the panel for shift rod, then realized that with a 1-inch extension I could run the shift rod on the outside (whatta fool), and what else? I ordered the sprockets. Bastards still can't drill the holes without an example… Need a few fasteners tomorrow and the lever from the bike shop for the petcock. I'm beginning to pack the tool boxes with tools and supplies.
Over and out,
–Bandit
We chased down and ordered backup nitrous and fuel ferrules. They came in the nick of time. Right up till the last minute I learned about the AIM Sports data acquisitation system. It still needed calibration. The next report contained the following:
I ordered 38, 36, and 34 tooth sprockets today and called about our alarm system. I pay monthly for it. It never works when I need it. The service guy, who told me about the back-ordered battery, said, “Murphy's Law.”
–Bandit
We finally had our gas tank, which added to the project list. We needed to clean all the threads, mount the vent, the gas cap, the petcock, the data acquisation system and mount the goddamn tank. We hit it hard.
Tuesday another report flashed to the east coast:
Hey,
Your ground switch is wired and finished. Duane Ballard is shipping the seat next day tomorrow morning. He spaced. We have ordered some Accurate Stickers with old logo art. They should be ready tomorrow. I've started to load tools. The battery mounts have been drilled and safety wired. I'll try to fix the lift with an extension. Gears are ordered.
The petcock safety, handlebar switch was complete. Pinstriper came today and painted panels and nitrous bottle guard. Would you like me to install a full bottle? I need a roll of duck tape. Two extra primary belts arrived today from BDL. I mounted the outter primary with some spacers under the derby cover to hopefully afford some ventilation.
Rock n roll.
–Bandit
Two Days left before departure and a report came from the other coast:
The dyno information we received was all wrong numbers. That is exactly why I asked the dyno guy about third gear because that is what we use also. Next time.
You've done a very good job. Yes, install the FULL nitrous bottle. We are receiving spare piston set today and then need to machine them. The puke tank is finished and I will bring it with me.
–Berry Wardlaw
THE EVENT IS ON!
August 28th 2007- Tuesday
The salt noticeably dried further today- though we still have that problem spot between 6 and 7. We are working to devise a drain method in the hopes that it will also dry, however we are now grooming the SCTA courses for use of those as our other possibility.
ACCESS ROAD: There is still some standing water at the access road. It is a bit drier than previously.
PLEASE NOTE: We will be in transit tomorrow (Wed 8.29.07) heading out to the salt. There will be no internet weather update for a couple of days while we get set up. We will however be able to call in an update on our voicemail at 530-272-4310. Please call for udates and listen to the daily message. This will be updated once a day before noon (Pacific time). Once we are able to resume internet connection on the salt we will post the information.
–Delvine Manning
Bubs
Some 24 hours before we left a call came in from Bob Parsons, the owner of GoDaddy.com. “I heard you were disappointed that we didn't sponsor your bike,” Bob said.
I wasn't disappointed. We just reach out, and if we get picked up, terrific. It's just a roll of the dice. GoDaddy sponsored Valerie all year long for her Destroyer drag racing efforts and that was very cool. They've taken good care of her. “I'll fedex a check,” Bob said. “Can we get a couple of stickers on the bike?”
“No problem,” I said and hung up. We waited at the gate, before pulling out. It was set to arrive by 10:00, but the truck didn't pulled up until 3:00. Five minutes later we hauled ass to State Line. Many thanks to Bob and Godaddy.com.
Time Until BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials 2008
04 Days, 12 Hours, 11 Minutes, 11 Seconds.
The day we left Jim Waggaman called from Air Stream Studios in Carlsbad, CA, with fairing news. It was done and he was on his way.
We mounted it and discovered that the fairing touched the tank. Fortunately I made adjustable fork stops, and we adjusted. The fairing was fabbed out of an old Hamster fairing from the ‘80s, split and punched forward with a beanie helmet, then fiberglassed by Chris, Jim's assistant, and reshaped. Jim took it to a windshield joint for plexiglass and it turned the Assalt Weapan into a rocket ship. Mighty fine!
Since Jim and his crew were on hand they helped us load our baby for flight. Time was up. The Great White Dyno awaited our arrival and the Chop N Grind team was already in route. Don't miss the next Chapter, from the salt 650 miles away.
Assalt Weapan On The Salt
By Bandit |
Another update… Yesterday was a complete bust. Valerie made a pass on the International track, she did 151, however a major storm blew threw and she was not able to make her back up pass. We hustled to get the tents down, tarps up, tables braced against the motorhome and the bike loaded in to the garage. All this happened in a matter of moments of rain starting, wind blowing and hail pelting us. Ah, the excitement of Bonneville.
The first few miles on the track, the Assalt Weapan was shooting salt about fifteen feet behind it. We're taking that as too much power and not enough traction. Today Keith and Berry decided to add some weight to the bike in the way of tent weights and dumbells duct taped in the rear, under the panels.
Today started out dark and cloudy, but all the local and nationwide weather channels said it would blow off and warm up and it did.
Wed. 2:30 – As I was typing this, Val made a pass that didn't look good, in fact it appears as if the bike died on the track.
More later…
Just a quick update. We arrived on Saturday, but couldn't get down to the salt as the track had been closed. Set up on Sunday and had to do some modifications per the tech inspection. We had to cut a chunk out of the side panel to uncover the rear brake caliper otherwise we were considered full streamline.
Mods done, Valerie took a test ride today, a few more modifications to her specification and as long as the rain and wind stay away, she may get an official pass today.
I'll do another update either tonight or tomorrow, stand by.
Layla
Bonneville Effort 2007, Chapter 14
By Bandit |
Once the engine was in place I needed to make my custom set of D&D pipes in a couple of days, or die trying. The buzz was high for the Bub’s Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials. Dave Rash, the D&D boss, called me with the exhaust formula. He’s a speed and performance nut. D&D dyno tunes every exhaust system they make. “Don’t run 1 ¾ exhaust at all,” Dave started. “Start with 1 7/8-inch pipe for 14 inches and step up to 2-inch until each pipe is exactly 35 inches long.” Then I’m supposed to slip on and weld on a carefully designed and ground collector. Finally an empty, slip-on megaphone needed adapting
This system has been tested to give me maximum hp at 6,500 to 6,800 rpms. “We’ve discovered that the two-into-one systems generate 20 more horses than single exhausts,” said Dave.
Here’s more on performance exhaust systems from Paul Davis:
The Nascar exhaust are stepped, 3 steps for each runner. They are different animal though. For bikes 3 steps, 2 into 1 “Y” merge collector are a real good combination for the street.
You see alot of drag racers use 2 into 1 w/ a “Y' merge colllector. Top Fuel, Pro Stock, Pro Mod, etc. What you'll notice is usually they have 3 steps. 3 different dia. smallest dia. starting from the head. It's really nothing new.
Three steppin' moves the power band up and prevents reversion. Ceramic coating and or header wrap keeps the exh. gases moving good.
Individual pipes are good at WOT. Look at NHRS record setting Buell. They don't use a typical 2 into 1 Buell race pipe. Indivdual runners like what you were talking about using. Your thinking of Aero is right on.
–Paul
I was wrapped as tight as a .45 magnum shell the first day of pipe making. Bonneville was looming like a 10 pound ballpeen hammer over my thumbnail. We were scrambling, making calls, counting our pennies, praying for surf, and yet it was all going reasonably well in our over-heated shop—unless any obstacle jumped in the way or caused unforeseen delays and slowed progress. It was smoking that day as temperatures on the coast glided toward the 90s.
Enough sniveling, I had pipes to build, wiring to figure out and hydraulic lines to make. We were bugged by our first two-into-one attempt and I didn’t like how far they stuck out in the wind. I was burnin’ daylight and grappling with decisions. I like to make a solid plan, after thorough research and go for it. I questioned my plan, called Berry Wardlaw and Dave Rash for info, bobbed and weaved into action again with the best data at my back. We needed the pipes on and the bike plumbed and primed by Thursday when Berry Wardlaw, from Accurate Engineering flew in for tuning and dyno work. Man-oh-man, we were cookin' with hot grease and lots of garlic.
I needed to jump back into the shop. My nerves were shot, my head over-loaded with info and not enough time was pressuring me to the deck.
So much is happening. I wake up some mornings in a cold sweat, nervous, planning, reaching for contacts, phone numbers, answers and components. We built the exhaust system yesterday, Jeremiah and I. We worked for about six hours, stood back and proudly admired our completed, high-tech, D&D supported and designed, stepped megaphone system. Just then, in walked the queen of Bikernet, the gracious Sin Wu. The dog bowed to her then licked her leg as she passed and commented, “What about Valerie’s leg?”
I immediately knew what her highness was referring to. I had that aspect and obstacle to exhaust system planning engrained into my brain. Then, just an hour prior to system completion, I spaced. Dave Rash, the D&D Boss, suggested the lift and the line of the frame called to us, “Aerodynamics.” We lost sight of Valerie’s dainty foot being grilled. We adjusted and straightened out the system to a mere 3-degree lift.
Rick Krost, the boss of U.S. Choppers, drifted into the shop last night, picked up the pipes for precision TIG welding. We just tacked them with our shop MIG. Then this morning as I sat down to fire up the computer I noticed an exhaust sensor wire lead on my desk. “Fuck,” we need to install the sensor bungs into the pipes before they’re Jet hot coated. I need to remember to take them to U.S. Choppers on Monday.
At this point information and data gathering was on overload. In a matter of a half hour I can assembled three completely varied opinions and solutions and each one made perfect sense. Even the oil issue has considerations. Here’s a note from our oil guru and Amsoil sponsor:
I talked with Berry on Friday and he wants to use the 60W Racing oil. It's on it's way from the Las Vegas Amsoil warehouse. As I said the goal for me is to help you set another record and get you the products that you and Berry are most comfortable with.
You guys may want to try both oils (20w50 and straight synthetic 60w) while you are on the dyno to see which one gives you the best performance, since you should have more than enough oil for the event itself. Could be a couple of horsepower difference but the only sure way to know is to test both oils after you have the tuning dialed in. You'll also be able to listen to the engine to hear if there's any difference in the level of mechanical sounds the engine makes under power with each oil too.
–Nick
For All Your High Performance Lubrication Supplies.
http://www.synthetic-oil-tech.com/1124190/
Nick's Performance Accessories
Independent Amsoil Dealer ZO# 1124190
Phone: 502-548-3023
Fax: 509-691-4313
amsoildealer@mac.com
On top of a Bikernet Extreme Deadline, trying to build this monster, tune it and fly out to the Salt Flats, we have weather reports coming at us from the vast salty Utah.
UB Motorcycle Speed Trials Salt Condition Updates
Sunday, 19 August 2007
August 18th 2007
Speedweek is now over and our track prep guy is on the salt. It rained last night and the place is flooded again. There are huge potholes and problems at the access road due to the traffic. We are hoping to repair enough of this so that we have a better passage for access. Our International long course is badly damaged for the first few miles. While is it is still a little early to tell, the forcast is looking positive and we will be checking the salt daily and placing our updates here. We will endeavor to place the updates by 12 noon each day so that you can check in and get the latest information. Our best hope at this point is to get an 8 mile International Course and the 3 mile RWB course, but realistically it is looking more like and 5 International and 3 RWB course.
We’re at a juncture where data sorting is troublesome. I’m getting tons of information and trying to keep all my design aspects in check. I don’t want to bolt a damn thing on the bike that will catch wind, yet from time to time I’m caught in a bind between the air and horsepower. “You’re the Picasso,” Berry Wardlaw told me on the phone. “Stick to your guns.” That’s easier said than done when you’re headed into space on a untested, unproven rocket. But in a sense he’s right.
It was Sunday and it shoulda been Margarita time. We should fire up the barbecue, ride the coast and chase women around the shop. That’s not going to happen, unfortunately. We’re conflicted with a terrible case of Bonnevillittis. We are going to attempt to bleed the rear brakes, continue to mess with the wiring and make a list of nitrous system lines. The pipes need to be jet hot coated, a few more parts need Black Magic powder. Jim Waggoman is finishing the beanie helmet fairing and painting it. Jim Murillo is working on the tank finish and Berry Wardlaw is flying out for tuning on Thursday. No time to lose.
I need to have the bike ready to fired by Thursday afternoon. That’s just the overall list, there’s a myriad of tiny troubles attached to each chapter, but we’ll deal with each one, and attempt to accomplish an extra feat from time to time—if we have time.
One of my benefactors is Kent Weeks the master builder behind Lucky Devil Metal Works in Houston. The bike building workaholic is always close by a phone, when I need a question answered. Recently he mentioned how cool it would be if he was down the block. Here’s my response:“Like you said about being down the block. Man, I wish that was the case, but it's good to know I can call you, if I'm in a jam.
This has been the scramble of a lifetime. Last week I was beginning to feel a tad out of control. Shit wasn't moving fast enough and time was slipping past.
Today, I set up the rear brake and bled the system, dug through old throttle cables and set up a set all adjusted and oiled. Then I cut and fit the spark plug wires. I want the bike to be running by Thursday when Berry arrives.
We made the pipes yesterday. Rick is TIG welding them and I'll take 'em to the Jet Hot joint, Engineering Applications in Vernon, California on Monday. I need to run a bunch of errands tomorrow. I need to wire on Tuesday and pick up the pipes on Wednesday and I'll be ready to rock. Hang on.”
He got right back to me, “Ah yes a fine dance of madness performed to a symphony of calamities,” Kent said. “If it's anything like trying to get something done on a deadline around here that is. Sounds like you are on track for the most part. I will send all the good thoughts and wishes I can afford your way, until you make it home!”
I’ve also grappled with the wheel bearing spacing with some unwarranted concern. These hot American Wheels cut by Renegade are equipped with sealed bearings and center spacers. I had all these crazed notions about spacing, torgues, end-plays, drag, etc. I called Kim Hotinger and he turned me onto Wendell Smith, of Renegade, for the bottom line (714) 936-5222. Unlike Timken bearings, which could be over tightened causing binding, wear and meltdown. Sealed bearings are lined up with spacers and everything is butted together for a simple fit. “You got it,” Wendell said and I was relieved to know all was well at 5-Ball racing.
Time is such a devastating factor for any race effort. I would love to research every miniscule aspect including the wheel bearings. A couple of readers have suggested ceramic bearings. Paul Davis found a connection: Check this website out for Ceramic Brg's Also The list will be long tomorrow, but spark plug wires are made, throttle oiled and cables adjusted. I soldered one set and brazed the other (one set was too short). Rear chain is adjusted and rear wheel tightened. Safety wire holes are drilled. Remind me to ask someone about spark plug wire boots. My helper bailed on me today–no show.I'm down to lots of wiring, oil lines, and gas tank. Pingle said they would send a petcock and I found one today digging for throttle cable ferrules. I knew there was something else. I spaced the caliper over the H-D rotor and bled the brakes with Nyla's assistance. A final note from a reader:It is great thing that you are doing. Bigger than you know, and Valerie is the best choice for a Front person. She is a great woman. She can handle a motorcycle too, I have a lot of respect for her. Keep it up Brother I will be watching. –Nitro Scott
Bonneville Effort 2007, Chapter 13
By Bandit |
I hope the next couple of chapters paint a picture of the variety of emotions we’ve encountered during this week of September (12-18). We’re getting close, but every element must fall into place in a timely manner or… All my adult life I’ve dealt with deadlines. I told harried magazine staff members, crumbling under pressure, “Take it easy, no one’s gonna get shot. Just fix the mistake and don’t let it happen again.” I’ve lived through times in which getting shot was an option.
This is almost a year long deadline, a strident one, fulla emotion, research, alterations, let-downs and highs. This week Berry Wardlaw, of Accurate Engineering is flying out for tuning, then we have one week before we roll toward the salt. The bike is just one element in the massive mix. We have an ever changing and growing team, transport that’s shifted from pickups to trailers and now a motorhome. There’s lodging, packing, salt meal preparations handling, with loving grace, by the Bikernet Queen, Nyla Olsen. We needed team apparel, patches, stickers and bling. We still need our Bonneville Sponsor Banner and Nyla’s daughter Karley is supposed to have the Sponsor check list and make sure I install the right Sponsor stickers in the right places. Where is that girl?
It’s a wild undertaking for a couple of old scooter tramps, and I know every race team in the country is flying through the same scenario and praying for good weather conditions over the salt. I’ll clamber into this report on all fours using quotes and e-mails from experts and contributors. Our first note comes from our esteemed engine builder Barry Wardlaw:
We are waiting on the Yellow freight truck coming from Panama City and it might be as late as 7:00 p.m., but if they don't make it, it will be fine with me, as I am putting as many damn minutes of run time on this thing as I can. The next time we run it, we will be on a dyno. I REALLY want this thing perfect and am having some fun with the new laptop and ignition program. You'll see. So far so good.
My very best engine assembler/painter/polisher/fabricator and friend gave his two week notice today. Of course we are still friends but he had an opportunity and I told him to take it. VERY good money and he deserves it. I'm gonna' miss him.
The front end proposed a problem. Harley-Davidson helped with some ’06 Dyna 49 mm components, but one part was missing, which slowed fender mounting. I need to thank H-D profusely. I planned to use another front end and waited seven months for it to arrive. It never showed. Talk about a set-back. Harley moved quickly, and we had front end parts in a couple of weeks. I had to shift to plan B for the final component and called Larry Petri from Chop N Grind racing, who works at Palm Springs Harley-Davidson. He went into red alert on the missing part and grabbed old Bob T., our arch rival on the salt. They brought me a lower Dyna leg and I hunted down a piece of 49mm tubing, or something close.
We set it up on the chassis and Jeremiah and I began fabricating the front fender. Jeremiah is turning into a master fabricator and we worked well into the middle of the night beating steel and tacking pieces in place. This fender was always a critical component to our teardrop, aerodynamic shape. I fixed spacers to the wheel to allow for salt build-up clearance and did my damnest to align the wheel and the fender perfectly.
With the fender mounted Jeremiah began cutting construction paper panels, then cutting them out of 16-guage sheet metal with our plasma cutter.
The next morning I cut out two sets of wedges for the top, threw one away and started over until the fender was completely tacked and additional mounts were made to secure the front of the fender. I handled the final welding and Jeremiah worked the grinding aspect until the fender was ready for heavy Silver from Worco Powder Coating.
I devoted one solid weekend to the fabrication of the fender and fairing. The fender went as smooth as glass, and we had a chunk of 18-gauge cut for the fairing and bent to match the front fender. That took considerable drive time on Friday finding a joint that would back-door the project quick. A brother in the motorcycle industry stepped up.
We were in uncharted waters, and my esteemed associate didn’t show on Saturday, but the good Dr. Hamster rolled in as I began. He didn’t like my design and suggested that I contact Air Tech, a company known for quality fiberglass fairing manufacturing. Wink’s BDL bike fairing was handled by Air Tech.
I burned through Saturday without accomplishing much and cut into Sunday. I was staring down two-week barrels, before we rolled toward the salt.
The vote in the shop leaned toward Air Tech, but I burned through my fairing manufacturing time and needed to move onto final assembly. I took some time to mount two headlights backwards for some aero support and prepared the brackets for powder. I was frustrated. I still believed in our original wing design fairing and even attempted to find a airplane junkyard in the area. That didn’t pan out, then Jim Waggaman called from Del Mar, California, and I spilled my guts.
He jumped on the case like a true Hamster, cut an old custom bike, Arlen Ness fairing apart and stuck a beanie helmet in the center.
Jim started sending me shots from his cell phone and I coached him until he could make a run north to LA. We configured it once and he returned to his seaside shop and laid on the fiberglass, then returned for mounting efforts.
Jeremiah and I made a set of mock handlebars and House of Stainless bent them with thick wall stainless. I used a set of Custom Cycle Engineering risers turned upside down to give us a secure clip-on position with some steering dampening. Worked perfect and allowed us to move the H-D Dyna glide front end to any position for perfect ride height without interfering with the bars.
Jim and I made brackets for his make-shift fairing and he took it home for final grinding, bondo work and paint. The brackets were finish-welded ground and shipped to the powder man.
Berry paid extra so the engine would arrive on Friday–guaranteed, the 10th, but it didn’t show. On Monday several anxious calls to Yellow freight grilled them for the whereabouts of our Assalt Weapan engine. It was in Gardena, California, 10 miles away, but wouldn’t be delivered until Tuesday afternoon. Fuck that! I drove out Monday morning and picked up the engine and had it in the frame in the afternoon.
The next move was to install the Spyke alternator, carefully mounting the stator plug in place using some lubrication to slip it through the new Accurate Engineering case. It took some delicate time and effort. Then I installed the set screw and had to file some paint off the rotor teeth to slip it over the drive shaft splines.
The next move was to mount the BDL inner primary as a guide to driveline alignment. It’s always a roll of the dice. I start by mounting the rear of the engine with grade 8 fine thread bolts and snug ‘em up. If there was any gap under the front of the engine, I’d find shims. With the .030 shims in place, I loosened the rear of the engine and tighten the tranny plate but loosened the transmission.
Then with anti-seize on the 5/16 Allen fasteners, I attempted to bolt up the inner primary. It pulled the driveline into alignment then I checked the transmission. I needed shims under the front of the engine, then under the front studs of the transmission before the inner primary bolted up easily. It should just bolt up and unbolt without a problem. That's the key.
Each engine and transmission fits any aftermarked frame differently. This, I’ve been told, is the best way to align the engine and trans. I don’t ever want to mount a driveline and have it strain or bind by installing the inner primary. Many problems will ensue.
I started the Allens in the engine pulley insert, then drove in the pins, before tightening them. There’s a slight bevel on one side. That’s where the drive pins were started. Once in place I tightened the Allens and the engine pulley was set.
BDL CORRECTION FROM BOB GALLETTI: THE PICTURE YOU SHOW OF THE INSERT IS A STANDARD INSERT AND YOU INSTALLED IT BACKWARDS, ON THE STANDARD INSERT THE SPLINED SNOUT GOES INTO THE PULLEY FROM THE BACK SIDE AND THE BACK OF THE PULLEY IS FLAT, NO OFFSET. YOU ALSO INSTALLED THE BELT BACKWARDS. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!
–BOB
There’s a trick to slipping both the engine pulley and clutch hub in place, but first I installed the Spyke starter and BDL included all the components for the starter drive gear.
Next, I installed the clutch hub and engine pulley simultaneously and they slipped right into place. This particular BDL system has a much narrower, 2-inch wide Panther belt and seemed to fit on both pulleys without a problem. I needed to start the bike and see how she ran.
This BDL system also runs their new Ball Bearing Lock-up Clutch with 32- 3/8-inch steel balls and a set of seven ERCP-100 clutch steel plates. It’s a breeze to install and the spring tension is self adjusting with shoulder bolts. According to the BDL verbage, the clutch contains a performance Kevlar plates for positive shifting and consistent grab for any size engine. With a variety of covers this unit is available for any Softail, 1990 to 2006.
Just don’t install the beveled spring retainer over the diaphragm spring backwards, like I did the first time—flat side out. Then I tightened the ¾ sockethead shoulder bolts and turned them all the way in until they bottomed out. Then I adjusted the clutch as usual and one item was checked off the list.
5 BALL RACING SPONSORSHIP UPDATE
By Bandit |
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Team 5 Ball Racing just received a Platinum Level sponsorship from super fan and Bikernet reader David Florence. This level of commitment is appreciated and will provide us with a much needed and improved Race Control Center right on the Salt Flats. His contribution also went to gas, lubricants and support vehicle rental.Team 5 Ball still has the throttle pinned and it’s redlined to get the build done. Funds are being emptied like nitro in a Top Fuel dragster. We still need support on the following critical components:
- Paint – $1,500
- Powder coating – $1,500
- Horsepower Tuning – $1,800
The team is flying down master tuner and engine builder Berry Wardlow of Accurate Engineering to dial the engine in. His work in 2006 helped to take the record and we need him on-site to work his magic in the dyno-room.
Valerie Thompson, a professional Harley-Davidson V-Rod Destroyer class drag racer, is our salt pilot. We are modifying the frame and tins to conform to her physic and delivering an aerodynamic platform.
It Takes A Village to Race In Bonneville – Here are the companies and individuals that are behind the effort.
Platinum Level – $5000
* Accurate Engineering
* Custom Chrome
* Baker Transmission
* Departure Bike Works
* Paughco Frames
* David Florence
Gold Level – $1000
* BDL
* True Track
* D&D Performance Enterprises
* Lucky Devil
* Chris Kallas
* Jim's Custom Paint
* Scooter Grubb Photography
* Duane Ballard Seats
* Harley-Davidson
* Pingel
Silver Level – $500
* Renegade Wheels
* LA ChopRod
* Nick's Performance Prod.
* All American Wheels
* S&S
* Spyke Starter
* Avon Tyres
* Ted Tine Motorsports
* Cooler Scooters
* Hank Hill
Bronze Level – $100
* Ray Wheeler – W8Less Rotors
* Expressive Design – Chris Tronolone
* Danny Bogart
* Mike Rowland
* Mike & Sandy Pullin – Stealth Bike Works
* Terry Anderson
* Michele Stevens
* Peter Gray
* Peter Hagen – P.M. Fine Knives
* Bung King
* Steven Diehl
* Ian Macdonald
Rider Level – $50
* Glenn & Kerry Priddle
* Gene Koch
* Christian Reichardt
* James Annand
* Sayles
* Lynn Patterson
Your support will go directly to build and the team. Select one of the following sponsor levels to support the 2007 Bikernet Bonneville Assalt Weapon project.
- $50 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Rider Sponsor
- Name in the racing department
- Bikernet Bonneville certificate for framing
- Signed photo of Valerie
- Name posted on Banner at Bonneville
- Team patch
- Rider Sponsor
- $100 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Bronze Sponsor
- Name in the Bikernet racing department
- Bikernet 2006 Bonneville certificate for framing
- Patch and t-shirt,
- Autographed picture of Valerie.
- Name posted on Banner in Bonneville
- Bronze Sponsor
- $500 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Silver Sponsor
- Mention and Logo in the Bikernet racing department
- Bikernet Bonneville certificate for framing
- T-shirt and patch
- Autograph picture of Valerie
- Logo Posted on Banner at Bonneville
- Silver Sponsor
- $1000 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Gold Sponsor
- Bikernet Bonneville mention and logo in the racing department
- Bikernet Bonneville certificate for framing
- Patches, T-shirts and Ball caps
- Autographed picture of Valerie
- Logos on Banner at Bonneville
- Logo on Bikernet Race truck
- Gold Sponsor
- $5000 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Platinum Sponsor
- Mention and logos in the Bikernet Bonneville racing department
- Bikernet Bonneville certificate for framing
- Patches, T-shirts and Ball caps
- Autographed picture of Valerie
- Logo on banner at Bonneville
- Large Logo on Bikernet Race truck
- Small logo on bike
- Platinum Sponsor
The 2007 Bikernet Bonneville Assalt Weapon is in production and you can follow along with our work at The Bikernet Bonneville 2007 Effort page.
Bonneville Effort 2007, Chapter 12
By Bandit |
With the powder in hand we needed to retrieve the tank for the weekend, make the seat pan and return the tank to the master.
We formed a plan and it worked. We assembled the bike enough to make the seat pan and borrowed the tank back from Mr. Murillo. The kit from MC Advantages was produced by Insta Pan by Stampedeparts.com.
One Standard Insta Pan Seat Pan Kit will cover approximately 450 square inches at 3/8-inch thick, which was roughly a 14 by 32-inch seat. That was just enough for what I had planned. Here’s their number: (515) 369-4357.
I set up a separate table for the job adjacent to my Assalt Weapan lift and I should have covered the whole damn thing with cardboard. They recommend cardboard for toughness. It needed to be taped down as if my life depended on it remaining in place.
Then they recommended covering the frame effected area with blue masking tape first, then duct tape. I carefully covered more than the area I proposed using, but that wasn’t enough. Some folks suggested a plastic wrap, but I’m glad I followed their directions.
While I masked and ducted my seat area and tank, Jeremiah worked on his bobber and asked me questions. “Goddamnit Jeremiah,” I shouted across the room. “We’re trying to build the World’s Fastest Panhead here. Leave me alone, goddamnit.”
He persisted, and I helped him on his project between dealing with this new process. This was the first time out, and I was nervous, but kept progressing. They supply a sheet of acetate and ask that we draw the shape of the seat on it with a felt pen and set it aside. In each case they ask that we oversize it to allow for trimming.
Now came the tough part. Believe me, after you scramble through this process the first time, it will be a breeze, because you’ll understand. Boy, will you get it. The directions called for laying out the cardboard on the work area and taping it down, then the fiberglass sheet they provide and 3/8-inch wood rails to act as guides.
Then they recommend another piece of cardboard for a mixing area. We shoulda made the bastard twice the size. I’ll know next time. Then we needed to squeeze out the black goo and create a crater on the cardboard. They also provided some powdery shit, called Carbon something. It looked like a giant bag of Cocaine and we fucked with it, but it was shipped to us to prevent the sticky aspect of the material from driving us insane.
First the black shit is like cold tar in an old alley. It’s tough as nails, plus they provide cheapy Home Depot paint stir sticks for removal. We needed steel trowels. It’s like trying to dig out frozen Peanut Butter with a plastic knife. It’s tough as nails and sticky as rubber cement. We donned the supplied plastic gloves and immediately Jeremiah had a blow-out and replaced his gloves with heavy duty cleaning versions. Then the treacherous goo tried to eat those gloves and tear them off Jeremiah’s hands.
The directions called for creating the crater, adding half the powder bag and working in the creamy stuff. We were heading toward a major mess, and the directions called for picking the shit up and folding it in your hands like salt water taffy. That wasn’t happening, but it would work with smaller amounts. Since our seat called for a regular seating area plus a pad on the tank, we used the whole enchilada, and fought it like citizens fighting the Monster Goo From The Center of The Earth. Sweat rolled, tools flew and the goo nearly got the best of us.
We had to keep in mind we were working with a hardener or catalyst and it might go off like surfboard resin in the sun. We worked in the hardener until no streaks were visible and our fingers were numb. We laid out the evil goo on the sheet of fiberglass between the rails and put the acetate to work as a guide as we rolled the chunk of PVC pipe over it until it covered the appropriate area.
We were able to move chunks of the black goo to alternate locations as needed, then we yanked the acetate off the surface and ruined a pair of scissors cutting the fiberglass. Incredible, we survived to this point. Next, we actually picked up the damp pancake of goo and flopped it on the bike. That was it for the night.
The next day the directions called for loosening the thick black pans then dropping them back into place for another day. We did, but it almost took a jack to pry them loose.
The following day we popped them loose and cut out forms with a coping saw, then set to grinding, filling the shop with black death dust. I tried to use a mask most of the time.Ultimately Insta Pan works like a charm, but leaves a 3/8-inch thick substance and I wonder what Duane Ballard will think. We shipped them out to him in Ipswich, New Hampshire for priority delivery.
Bonneville Effort 2007, Chapter 11
By Bandit |
I don’t know where to start, but that’s nothing new. We’re down to three weeks and still standing outside waiting for the UPS driver to roll up with our final components. Jim Murillo has the Gard Hollinger modified tank for paint. Yvonne Mecalis is posed to paint the Assalt Weapan girl on the front fender. I’m hoping to assemble it any minute now. Hell, we’re still in discussion on how to spell “Assalt.” Should it be “Asalt”? Hang on.
The Accurate Engineering 120-Inch Outlaw Engine is scheduled to arrive on Friday (3 days from now) and the silver sled should be running by the end of the next week. Here’s a report from Berry Wardlaw, the master of Accurate Engineering:
My red label custom emulsion tube from Zipper's did not show up on Thurs. or Fri. Came today and turned into an air cleaner, although the invoice was correct. My son, Jennings, started school this morning, and his dog was stolen Saturday. I’m sending the engine without the Bonneville carb, as I am waiting for Zippers to correct this problem.
Yellow Freight guarantees engine will arrive Friday. This freakin' engine is AWESOME! Do you still have the same dimensions for the last pipes we made?
We will build the pipes over the weekend, have them jet hot, thermal coated and be ready to rock. My only real concern is the myriad of wiring details waiting patiently to be worked out. The Nitrous system, the Pingel electric shifter and the AIM sports data acquisition system are no problem by themselves, but we’re stacking untested and untried elements. It’s gonna be a photo finish.
Here’s the latest regarding the D&D on the exhaust system: Dave Rash is shipping me a kit of components, chunks of pipes and a design for maximum power between 4,500 and 6,500 rpms. He wants us to run megaphones and told me not to heat wrap the pipes. I'm supposed to thermal coat them. He's sending me a stepped plan. “Heat wrapping is great for turbo systems,” Dave Rash said. He’s the boss of D&D. “The exhaust creates a layer of fumes inside the pipe, which the remaining exhaust slips through, restricting the flow some. The more heat, the thicker the layer. Exhaust wrap prevents exhaust system heat dissipation and that’s not a good thing. Thermal coat will do the opposite, and the pipes will work more efficiently for more power.” The pipes will be between 35 and 38 inches long, with the megs added to the overall length.
This report will deal final welds before powder coating, fork stops, True Track steering damper and powder. In the end we’ll grapple with a taste of final assembly and a handful of performance considerations. We’ll discuss Green metalflake paint from Rollin’ Sixes, the Baker shift drum installation for neutral at the bottom and seat pan construction from MC Advantages (Chapter 12). Hang on, some of the following will blow your mind.
We also had the wheels shaved at Nate's in Long Beach, filled with nitrogen and balanced, for cooler running, larger rear patch area and enhanced traction. According to Bob Bennett of Bennett’s Performance, this one modification will be a considerable enhancement to our success on the salt. I took the wheels to a backyard tire repair and suspension joint on the back streets of Signal Hill called Nate’s.
Signal Hill, on the Eastside of Long Beach, California, was a lump of oil filled dirt peppered with oil wells for 40 years. It was an industrial wasteland, which is now home to high-dollar homes that overlook the vast Long Beach Harbor. There’s still a few old school, backyard repair shops and oil wells trying to maintain a low profile as yuppies plaster the area with textured stucco, manicured lawns and BMWs.
From day to day this is a humbling experience. I always tell folks that life is a roll of the dice, and it is. We try like hell to research, ask good questions, follow directions and learn from experience. At the end of the day we reach for a high percentage of correct decisions over bullshit ones. I learn to roll the bones, stumble and fall, pick my dusty ass up and hit it again. I’ll explain as we roll along quickly heading for the flats.
I yanked the Wil Phillips designed steering damper off the Salt Shaker and prepared to mount it to the Paughco frame and Harley-Davidson Dyna-Glide front end trees. It looked as though it would work.
I carefully drilled and taped the bottom of the cast aluminum factory triple tree for 3/8 coarse threads. We machined a longer arm for the damper system to reach the frame bracket and prepared to mount the bracket.
We machined the slot in the bracket a tad deeper and studied positioning until we were confident the bracket wouldn’t encounter the front end. Ultimately we were forced to shave the locking tab off the bottom tree to clear the damper system. We wanted to shave that lump off anyway.
Without the tank in hand, but some knowledge of its position we made up an adjustable fork stop and welded it to the neck being careful not to over heat the bearing race on the inside.
This was an edgy time. We tore the bike down to ship it off for paint and powder and wondered if we addressed everything. We couldn’t build the pipes without the engine so I had to wing an exhaust pipe tab on the frame and pray for surf. We had to keep moving. Jeremiah and I shared welding duties until all the tabs were welded on all sides completely. We checked and rechecked all the elements. We studied mounting holes and Jeremiah, the master-grinder, checked every edge and curve.
We cleaned and shipped everything off to Worco Powder Coating that’s run by short, 75-year-old, Tony Pisano, who has out-lived a couple of partners, racing efforts and divorce. He’s located in Long Beach north of Signal Hill and is a helluva upbeat guy to work with. Fortunately Tony powders lots of wheels and automotive components, so he knows how to handle parts, what to tape off, etc. Generally, I would suggest masking any surface we don’t want coated and filling holes with masking tape to avoid powder. The shit is thick and a time-wasting pain in the ass to remove. The down side to that rule involves sandblasting. They must remove the masking tape to blast. I suppose the best plan would include handling the blasting yourself and delivering the parts masked and plugged. That’s the way to handle it for max efficiency.
On the other hand, it’s a terrific notion to take a shot of all your parts, keep one copy and take the other. When we decided on a color I wrote the paint manufacturer and the color code on the photocopy and gave it to Tony. I did that for our Magic Black components and the Prismatic Heavy Silver parts.
We’re burnin’ daylight bad, so we didn’t go fancy, but had a couple of notions. Valerie’s hues, the GoDaddy.com colors are green, black and orange. We wanted the bike to have that Weapan, or Bomber theme, so silver worked. I worked closely with Jerry, from Rollin Sixes Choppers, for a color scheme with those parameters and he came up with his bizarre killer flake.
”The flake is on it’s way by camel,” Jerry said. “Wait till you take it outside in the sun and you will know what I am talking about. It will blow you away. The flake needs to completely cover the bass coat so you can hardly see it. Put it on real heavy for the best effect. This bike will blow people away, just sitting there.
”Make sure the chicks gun and the guns on the tank are blazin away (as if shooting down another speed record). I forgot to put a “Kill” symbol on the back fender like the fighter pilot painted on his fuselage. Like If the painter needs to talk with me, feel free to have him call me. This is like having a baby and someone else is teaching it to walk for you. You know how it is.
It’s driving me nuts LOL. Let me know when you get the flake and what you think of it.
— Jerry
Rollin Sixes.
While the powder was baking we pulled the Baker transmission down to replace the standard 5-speed shift drum with a N1 unit that moves neutral to the bottom. Here’s the definition from Baker:
The N1 Shift Drums have a 0-down all-up shifting pattern, and eliminates any possibility of catching neutral on aggressive 1-2 shifts. Neutral is below 1st. The N1 drum is also popular with handshifting bikes where finding neutral without doubt or error is critical to safety or riding and looking smooth.
FOR 5-SPEED: BAKER N1 Shift Drums are available for stock or BAKER transmission applications.
80-97 p/n 2-5R-N1, 98-up p/n 2-5RL-N1
The operation was simple and easy. We pulled the top off the trans, removed the four ¼-inch bolts, lifted the sprung shifting arm out of the way and replaced the whole drum assembly and pillow blocks, making sure the shift forks slipped into their drum grooves.
I retighten the four bolts, made sure the drum was facing the proper direction and tested the shifting. “Don’t forget to get it into 3rd gear and adjust the concentric screw on the outside of the case so the hooks are centered. I did so and tightened the lock nut and checked it a couple more times. Worked like a charm.
We also needed to order wheel sprockets and chains. Again I was recommended by Bennett’s not to run heavy O-ring chains. To reduce drag I ordered ordinary 520 chains. “We need a 40 and a 42-tooth rear sprocket,” Berry Wardlaw, from Accurate configured on his computer, based on RPM, gearing and horsepower curve. “Start with the 42. Sorry it has taken this long but I am the only cat around here right now and you know how busy that can be. The engine is nearly finished. We are cutting the pistons for compression today.” (This e-mail came a week ago.)
I spoke to Bert Baker about running light oils for reduced drag. Nick, from Nick’s Performance told me that serious racers run 30 weight oils, but he didn’t want to go that far and suggested 20/50 Synthetic. Bert agreed, although he felt the lightest transmission Synthetic oil was best.
SIDEBAR:Nick's Performance Accessories is once again offering a $500.00 Contingency Prize for Fastest American V-Twin using Amsoil Synthetic Motorcycle Engine Oil this year at the 4th Annual BUBS Motorcycle Speed Trials. Last year the prize went to N.R.H.S. Racing for their 217 mph Buell. Who's gonna take the prize this year? Looks like N.R.H.S. is the team to beat but at Bonneville anything can happen.
See You on the Salt,
–Nick Roberts
For All Your High Performance Lubrication Supplies.
Nick's Performance Accessories
9608 Tiverton Way
Louisville, Kentucky,40242
Independent Amsoil Dealer ZO# 1124190
Phone: 502-548-3023
Fax: 509-691-4313
Next move was to haul ass to Worco and pick up the powder. They did a helluva job and we hauled ass back to the Bikernet Headquarters. We needed to scramble, build a seat pan and ship it to Duane Ballard for some wild leather work for the salt. We should have handled that aspect before we went to powder, but shit happens. We hauled the tank to Jim’s Custom Paint and that sealed the deal. Jim actually tested the tank again, brazed leaks and sealed the entire tank with aircraft tank sealant.
Chop N Grind Racing Pillage Small Desert Town
By Bandit |
Speed is the rush when the throttle is open and the bike’s just about to take flight. Speed is a fugitive, always a bit faster than the ride and rider in pursuit. Nothing but speed will take the record for a flat-out mile on the Bonneville Salt Flats, and that record is what Larry Petrie is after. Anything less than the record just isn’t fast enough.
Land speed record
Actually, it takes two flat-out miles to get the record. Any difference between the fastest speed recorded for each run is the rider’s official score. Last year Petrie set the record in his class with 148.307 mph, the difference between 146.600 and 150.014. This year he plans to break it.
Land speed records are the big leagues, and the main event for this kind of racing is the BUB International Motorcycle Speed Trials held over five days in September on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. This is where Petrie set his record last year for the Modified Pushrod Gas 1650 cubic centimeter class.
Except for modified steering and foot-peg mounts, his bike looks like it could be just another street bike of the particularly muscular sort, at least to those who don’t know anything about motorcycles. When Petrie and his partner Bob Tronolone get to talking about the machine, though, just about any resemblance it has to the domestic motorcycle vanishes.
This bike is a wild thing, a purely exotic species whose every ventricle, port and shaft has been shaved, shaped and scaled to within thousandths of an inch of breaking so that when it runs, it’ll push right onto the razor-sharp edge of its own self-destruction. Fly or die trying is all this bike does. “There ain’t no mercy on the far side of the speed limit,” is how Petrie and Tronolone see it.
Team Chop N Grind
Petrie got the bug for land-speed record chasing when a former instructor of his from Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix where he went to school took him along to Bonneville one year as a crew member. That bike didn’t even get out of the pits, but Petrie liked what he saw. Here was where the roar and risk of speed had all the freedom it could want, and to make it even better, it took a mechanical finesse of the surgical sort to make those machines go so fast.
Laughing about it now, Petrie says he came home and in two months threw together a turbo-charged bike that had more turbo-chug than charge when he entered his first event. Nevertheless, he was hooked and continued working with that machine until Tronolone came along.
Tronolone had history with land speed motorcycle racing that went back to the 1970s. He knew what it took to succeed in the Bonneville big leagues, and between his experience and Petrie’s mechanics, and Petrie’s passion for riding on the edge, they actually thought they might stand a chance at record-setting together. They added two more members to the team, Danny McPherson and Rob Tronolone Jr., and Chop N Grind Racing was born.
That was four years ago, and since then, this grass-roots team of home-town mechanics has proven that even in the world of big-money, professional racing, a record-breaking motorcycle can still be built at home in the garage by speed-wise motorheads with day jobs. They proved it last year in September, and they plan to prove it again this year.
Hands-on tech
Big-time motor events are big-time money enterprises, and even though a dark horse team like Chop N Grind can come out of nowhere with a serious vehicle paid for on the budget plan, it still isn’t exactly a thrift-hobby.
Chop N Grind’s bike uses a stock, after-market frame, but every angle on it has been reconfigured to increase stability at high speeds. The motor is a hybrid affair, built by Petrie and Tronolone from the parts of two Harley Davidson engines of different vintages. It’s safe to say that every part on the bike has been refined in one way or another, and by the team’s estimate, the whole thing took about $25,000 to build.
Of course, this is only for starters. By Tronolone’s account, it costs about $20,000 a year for the team to make new refinements to the bike, replace any marginal parts, and pay for all the registration and operations costs to compete in the five day BUB Trials. Even the gas to run this bike is specialized, and expensive, although it may not be more expensive than the nitrogen used in the tires to prevent their expansion at high speeds, which can lead to a possible blow-out or tire delamination.
In many ways, the bike is just about as design-tech as any other vehicle in the BUB Trials. Unlike most of those bikes, though, all the work on this one is hands-on and homemade.
Only a few machining procedures require a true specialist’s touch, and fortunately for Chop N Grind, one of motorcycle racing’s premiere specialists lives right here in the neighborhood. Jim Leineweber grinds cams for high performance junkies all over the nation, and the Chop N Grind boys only have to make a short trip to Landers for his services. Hutchins Motor Sports is another important resource that’s local. Over the years, Petrie and company have relied on the place for everything from parts to specifications for aerodynamic modifications.
Making it count
Although the Chop N Grind team’s story may have a little something of the underdog-makes-good subtext to it, the team does have the bike to beat this year. It is the team with the national record, and if it doesn’t have as much money as most other teams, it has the speed. That’s all that counts.
Tronolone has described his partners in a publicity piece as “real deal racers.” At least part of what he means by that was elucidated by him and Petrie in an interview when they talked about the team and its obsession.
“We all came from street racing and have a thing for speed,” said Petrie, but he qualified his comment to stress that, “the best speed of all is the speed you’ve built yourself.”
For Petrie and his team, the obsession is as much about designing, blueprinting and building the vehicle as it is about actually seeing the thing in operation. Naturally, the object of the BUB event is to turn the fastest time in a category of other contestants, and owning the record is important. However, from both Petrie’s and Tronolone’s comments, the motive force behind the “real deal racer’s” obsession is to just build something that will go as fast as it can, and when that’s done, you do it all over again to make it go even faster.
Whereas the street once seemed like a place to go fast, it was just never pure enough, said Petrie. “Too many distractions. Too many unknowns.”
To Support Chop N Grind contact Bob T. at r.tron@verizon.net or call (760) 365-2476.
Bonneville Effort 2007, Chapter 10
By Bandit |
The 2007 Bikernet Bonneville Assalt Weapon is in production. We are shooting for the World's Fastest Panhead record. And we need your help to make our dream come alive.
Last year we took the record by storm. We learned a number of lessons and have developed an entirely new program to cheat the wind and make it hard for anyone to take the record away from the 5-Ball Racing Team.
We have received help from the industry – Our team from last year came together again for 2007 and provided an Accurate Engineering 120-inch Panhead engine and a custom U.S. Choppers, semi-board-track frame. D&D Performance Enterprises is helping with our pipes.
This support got us cooking but we still are behind in getting the program together. So we are asking the Bikernet community to come in and become part of the team and make a donation.
We have the throttle pinned in development but are running short of funds to complete the program. We still need:
- Paint – $1,500
- Powder coating – $1,500
- Bonneville Transportation – $2000
- Horsepower Tuning – $1,800
The sponsorship dollars go directly to the race program and to the trip to the International Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB from September 2 -6.
Valerie Thompson, a professional Harley-Davidson V-Rod Destroyer class drag racer, is our salt pilot. We are modifying the frame and tins to conform to her physic and delivering an aerodynamic platform.
Your support will go directly to build and the team. Select one of the following sponsor levels to support the 2007 Bikernet Bonneville Assalt Weapon project.
- $50 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Rider Sponsor
- Name in the racing department
- Bikernet Bonneville certificate for framing
- Signed photo of Valerie
- Name posted on Banner at Bonneville
- Team patch
- Rider Sponsor
- $100 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Bronze Sponsor
- Name in the Bikernet racing department
- Bikernet 2006 Bonneville certificate for framing
- Patch and t-shirt,
- Autographed picture of Valerie.
- Name posted on Banner in Bonneville
- Bronze Sponsor
- $500 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Silver Sponsor
- Mention and Logo in the Bikernet racing department
- Bikernet Bonneville certificate for framing
- T-shirt and patch
- Autograph picture of Valerie
- Logo Posted on Banner at Bonneville
- Silver Sponsor
- $1000 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Gold Sponsor
- Bikernet Bonneville mention and logo in the racing department
- Bikernet Bonneville certificate for framing
- Patches, T-shirts and Ball caps
- Autographed picture of Valerie
- Logos on Banner at Bonneville
- Logo on Bikernet Race truck
- Gold Sponsor
- $5000 Bikernet 2007 Bonneville Platinum Sponsor
- Mention and logos in the Bikernet Bonneville racing department
- Bikernet Bonneville certificate for framing
- Patches, T-shirts and Ball caps
- Autographed picture of Valerie
- Logo on banner at Bonneville
- Large Logo on Bikernet Race truck
- Small logo on bike
- Platinum Sponsor
The 2007 Bikernet Bonneville Assalt Weapon is in production and you can follow along with our work at The Bikernet Bonneville 2007 Effort page.
Bonneville Effort 2007, Chapter 9
By Bandit |
This will be a heartfelt report as we near and pass deadlines, scramble, dodge and grab the plan B book. We’re getting close, but can’t go to paint without a front end. It never arrived, so I picked up a contact number and reached out. I sent an e-mail to Leo DiOrio and he responded, “Don't panic.” That was a month ago. I spoke to other builders and they were also waiting.
I couldn't wait any longer. Rodan, or SCTA official, rides a new Dyna Glide and it sports the new 49 mm semi-narrow glide. I was impressed, strong, sharp looking forks. I reached out to Harley-Davidson and they responded quickly. We ordered the new 49mm Dyna Glide front end. We were also running super low on funds and couldn’t pick up our AIM data system. We had the Bonneville blues.
I’m standing at the gate right now waiting for UPS, but nothing stops the 5-Ball racing team. I spoke to Kent at Air Tech about a fairing this morning, to Berry Wardlaw about NOS system questions, to Jeremiah about our NOS fittings, to Delvene Manning about our bike class this year and to Custom Chrome who just came on board as a Platnimum sponsor. Made my day, saved our asses.
The lovely Nyla made a mad dash, snatching a homeless credent off the streets, so she could use the carpool lanes. She grabbed the cash and hit it to AIM sports dealer, GT Fabrications in Anaheim, to pick up MyChron3 XG data acquisation system. This afternoon I’ll run it over to Gard’s LA Choprods for final tank assembly. Then the tank could go be delivered to Jim’s Custom Paint.
This weekend we started on the final Nitrous system install—the straps. We are fortunate to live in LA, where the creed is, “You can do or find anything in Los Angeles.” We have three major steel supply yards in a mile radius of the extreme Ivory tower International Bikernet Headquarters. We hit Phillips Steel and asked them to fabricate our straps. They did and had a steel hinge to work with.
I bungied the Nitros bottle in place using the old strap loops and started making measurements. But first I had to split the steel hinge in two and remake the hinge link. Then I slipped the hinge between the frame rail and the bottle.
I tried to fit the hinge so it ran square with the tank and that allowed me enough space to weld it on both sides.
Then I cut the strap. We wrapped the Nitrous bottle with blue masking tape to prevent paint damage while attempting to tack the straps in place. Again, we tried to keep the strap tight to the bottle to hold it square.
We made, no less, than three research missions to various hardware stores to find the proper strap for the bottle. The notion was to build a bottle valve guard to prevent the bottle from becoming a rocket or bomb during an accident. After finally finding the right strap we asked the lovely Ninja goddess, Nyla what she thought. “Why don’t you fasten the guard to the frame?” She said and winked at me. That was the solution. We grabbed a cap off an acetylene bottle and tried to work it in, but that was awkward, if we tried to hook it to the bottle. I’ll get back to our solution in minute.
First I needed to face up to the Pingel electric shifter. This puppy will allow Valerie to shift from the bars, I hope. I had a long conversation with Mr. Pingel and he explained the severe need to prevent any binding since an electric shifter pops through gears with 18 pounds of thrust, whereas Pingel air shifters sports 40-50 pounds of boost. The directions call for the shifter mounted above the foot shift lever on the frame.
The lever off the trans is a couple of inches shorter than common foot shift levers and that concerns me, since it will take more thrust to drive the shorter lever.
The Pingel directions call for a static test of their system before installation so we charged our Big Boar battery with a new Xtreme Charger. It’s cool, tests the battery and gives you tremendous info. After charging over night and watching the LED lights blink from 50 to 100 percent charge on the Xtreme Charger we tested the Pingel electric shifter and it did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Pingel supplies all the wiring, connectors and components to make their system work, including this mounting bracket which I cut, drilled and mounted to the top of the BDL inner primary, by drilling 1 inch holes and taping them with 5/16 coarse threads.
The directions call for the clamp to rest close to ¾ the length of the solenoid cylinder for the best angle on the thrust. We shot for the prescribed deminsion and came up close.
Here’s a major consideration for mounting. First, we wanted the Pingel solenoid to make a direct thrust and not be forced to hit the shifter at an angle. In addition a critical element needed consideration. The thrust of the Pingel unit is 2 ¼ inches, or 1 1/8-inch in each direction. The directions call for avoiding slamming the solenoid to full capacity, but just slightly less. “The strength is at the end of the reach,” Mr. Pingel explained. But I could damage the shifter if it went too far. I had to test the shift lever reach and make sure it would shift within 1 1/8 inches in each gear, confirm it and test the positioning of the shifter.
The positioning looked good from front to back, so I moved on to create something that would extend out from the tranny to reach the Pingel heim joint. Actually I just spoke to Wayne Pingel a couple of minutes ago, “It's all wrong, Ball,” he said. “You need to pivot the clamp 90 degrees. Not the cylinder, just the clamp and move it away from the wiring slightly for shifting ease.”
I'll fix it in the next segment.
I dug around in our metal bins for a chunk of aluminum to make a stand off from the tranny lever to the Pingel shaft and went to work machining it with our new, old Logan lathe we just recently bought from Gard Hollinger’s LA Chop Rods shop. He was moving new equipment around and didn’t need another lathe crowding his shop. I was jazzed to have it.
Working in the shop alone has it’s drawbacks. I machined this piece and it worked like a champ, but there’s always an alternative. I wish I made it so it could be adjusted for a longer throw, if I needed it.
The masterpiece worked well to give the Pingel unit a solid, direct throw. We’ll see if it works. I’ll ask Mr. Pingel to check this article and let me know if I headed in the wrong directions. Whiskey, women and the wrong direction are ingrained in me.
The Pingel directions call for the solenoid to rest in the 80-90 degree relation to the shifter. I think we hit the nail on the head with that requirement.
Remember the U-bolt for holding a NOS valve guard. Well, the lovely Nyla suggested we mount the guard to the frame and I came up with this crazed notion. Since we’re not concerned about weight we cut up a Acetylene bottle guard cap, split it open and went to work.
Jeremiah is a master with a grinder, except when he nearly ground a finger off. He cut the cap a couple of times and ground it to contour the shape of the NOS bottle. We welded tabs to the frame, and that puppy fit securely around the valve. We still needed to pick up the necessary fittings and make sure the hose can escape back to the NOS solenoid.
A reader reminded me to my chagrin, “Just 45 days left before Bonneville.” We’re burnin’ daylight fast, but we’ll make it goddamnit. Fortunately the Harley-Davidson front end parts we're arriving and we scrambled to make the front fender. Then we can finish welding all the tabs, let the master grinder, Jeremiah, have at the frame and send all the shit to powder and paint.
HARLEY PART NUMBERS FOR THE KILLER 49MM DYNA GLIDE FRONT END:
45948-06 left leg
45947-06 right leg
45718-60 stem nut
45717-63 lock washer
45538-06a top crown
46384-06 bottom crown and stem
48198-06 Dust shield
48184-01 top dust shield
48307-06 Bearing adjuster
40928-06 Axle
(4) 4351 fork screws
40936-06 right spacer
40940-06 left spacer
6590HW washer
7068 Lock washer
7956 axle nut
Larry, from the Chop N Grind Team and Palm Springs H-D, helped me scramble through the numbers, so the order would be correct the first time—we hoped.
I ordered the sprockets from Azusa Engineering. I needed to have the handlebars bent by a local guy in Long Beach. Maybe we’ll attempt to bend them ourselves. Then we need to figure out some of this wiring mess and we’re ready to rock. See ya at the next segment. Don’t grind your teeth. I’m crunching enough for all of us.
Jerry from Rollin’ Sixes Choppers sent the following suggestions regarding paint:
It’s been awhile since I last talked with you. I’d like to see it painted in big flake like we use. That bike will look like flashing diamonds going across the flats, but that’s just me. We got one of the best nose art, and pinstripers in the country working with us. So if you need anything just let us know. I want this bike to look like a ghost bike riding out of a mirage in the distance. I want people to see the flashing of the flake thru the heat waves coming off the desert floor before they see the bike. I want them to hear it, then see the flashing of the flake before they can tell it’s a bike. I want it to hyptonize them.
I usually keep this to myself, you will be surprised who doesn't know about it. I like to Cryogenic my motor, trans, etc. I really think this will help you set a new record. I got a 89-inch stroker motor that I have used this on and it eats 124s for lunch. It’s been together for about ten years now with no problems and I ride it hard. It has over 200,000 miles on it. It drastically cuts down friction in the motor. We have a place down here that does it. The motor can be done after it’s together.
–Jerry
Rollin Sixes.
239-770-6024
