Land Speed Racer

[John H]

This is George's (salt-racer) race bike. Super Fly is a land speed racer with a 1970s Yamaha 100cc engine. George will fill you in on our trip to Bonneville Salt Flats soon.

[salt-racer]

Thanks for posting the Pics for me John, it's great ( invaluable) to have a crew member that not only knows his way around motorcycles but cameras TOO!
John and I had a great time attending/participating in Speed Week at the Bonneville salt flats this year. We made several runs (15 total) down the salt course, tuning, adjusting and cleaning salt accumulation before re-entering the line-up to try again. Our best average speed over the mile was 80.589mph and we fell short of the current record of 81.869mph. Yep, 1.3 more mph and we would have qualified...
We found ourselves short on top-end power (common on the salt). Heat, altitude, and wind are an ongoing problem (don't want to mention rain).
I'd love to share our salt experience with all of you at our next meeting if you'd like...it was a blast!

George McMurray, Salt-Racer #476B sponsored by Port Angeles Power

[Dragonknee]

Thats so great, glad that you two had a good time and I can't wait to hear the stories.....

[ClineDesign]

Thank you for sharing photos and story. Looking forward to hearing more at the Sept. meeting.

[John H]

The world of land speed racers lost a fast man today. I can't imagine sitting on a bike at 300+ MPH.
RIP Bill.
http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Fl ... cmpid=hpts

[salt-racer]

Hello Oly-Heads

Tri-Mac Speedsters APS-BG 100cc Land Speed Racer, sponsored by our friends at PA Power and Equipment will be competing at the Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week event August 10th through August 16th. Open to the public (hint-hint).Please feel free to ask John or I any questions about attending Speed Week, it's a blast!

Boy oh boy, where did the last year go? The time is approaching very quickly for another Land Speed record attempt. I'll give you a quick review of last years run.
John H. and I made several runs and something just wasn't 'Quite right' with the motor. It would get FLAT at top-end (when you really need it). We tried everything from carburetor settings to ignition, even swapping out the complete top-end. Rules prohibit any TEST runs. The fastest we could get this scooter to go was 80.58 mph, 1.3 mph shy of the record ( which was set by a Honda in '75 and still holds). Oh, btw, we did find the problem from last year, the internal rotary-valve had self destructed and it's been replaced with a NOS unit from Flea-Bay.

This year we have a SECRET weapon! The portable PIT-Dyno!!! The small dyno will allow us to pre-run @ full load, WOT, through all the gears (gotta remember to bring ear plugs John). We will be 'in-the-know' this year and should Kick some ASS.
John H. has convinced me that we should go for broke with this engine as I plan to move up to the 125cc for 2014 season.
So, if all goes as planned in the gasoline class we will re-class the bike with a new entry number a switch to the 'Blown Fuel Class' & 'Tip the can' (run a little Nitro with methanol fuel).... Yeah Baby!!! This would qualify us for two records Gas &Fuel!

I believe I've got everything in order (on a checklist) to make the change from gas to fuel including:
-Dyno
-4 each cylinder heads of varied compression (mild to wild)
-criteria for new igniton timing settings
-cold to ultra cold racing NGK spark-plugs (recommended by factory rep)
-correct hoses/seals to handle the corrosive alky/nitromethane mix.

So, wish us luck!! And let me know if you see something we missed....

Thanks Guys
George

[ATinkerer]

Good luck George. Hope you have a great speed weeks, and come home with both the gas and fuel records.

Gordon

[salt-racer]

Hi Gordon

Thanks for the nice words of encouragement. Thanks also for your support and helping me in building the portable dyno, I hope to test the hell out of your contributed hydraulic hoses and fittings. This year should be a GOOD one.....

George

[ClineDesign]

All our best to you crazy salt racers. You make us proud!

[salt-racer]

Thanks Jay!
John and I will give it 100%.......
I believe we left some mph's on the salt last year and we're going back to collect, with interest! It's 'our turn' this year.
I hope to see you out on the salt some time, what a place for a photographer... "really Bitchin" and I'm sure very lucrative, too!

George