Bonneville and Bikes

[106-1194218389]

Well here we go! I might sneak a car in here everyonce in awhile :;): The local newspaper here had an article on a streamline motorcycle. It was an orangish red. Did you see it out there Doug?

John

[106-1194218389]

Well yesterday on the way home this bike pulls up next to me and I had never seen one like it before. I asked the guy "Is that a Ducati" and replies that it was a Hyosung. What in the heck is that I asked. It turns out to be a Korean bike. Doesn't seem too bad. He really liked it. But I guess he had to he bought it. HE HE HE. Here is a small picture of one:

Here is also an article that compares it to a Suzuki that is similar to it Anyone else had any experience with them?
John

[slracer]

John, I tried to post an earlier reply, but something in the ethers "ate" it as all I got was a "There is a problem..." message. The Canadian Arrows team is the only red streamliner I can think of. They broke the 1956 NSU 650 record last year after they crashed in the fifth mile. Someone checked and they were still fast enough in the 4th mile to break the record so used that speed. They were 7-8 (210+) over instead of 28 over, but a record is a record. This year they were trying to get the 500cc record. The new rider wasn't qualified to ride over 200 so he was riding a Suzuki to get his license for over 175 (bike wasn't good enough for 200). He used my leathers and ran a 171+ and then got into the streamliner to license to 225 (or 250). The old Bonneville "cross wind at the notch" bit him and he crashed. No bodily harm (from the accident, ?? from the owner). He's planning on being back next year. The owner is handicapped and has a great little motorcycle based sidecar unit which holds the wheelchair so he completely mobile at the salt. Really nice people! Couldn't find pics of either.

Just learned tonight that one of the better competitors was killed at BUB today. Cliff Gullett ran a super clean motorcycle streamliner from Montana and was increasing his engine size each year, working up to some really fast numbers. He set 2 records in the 500cc class at Speed Week around 226 on gas breaking a 1976 record by Don Vesco with a Yamaha and 230 on fuel breaking a 1958 record by J. Thomas with a Triumph. They ran a really good team and a class act. Godspeed to him! -- Doug

[Moriniman]

Here I am doing a little window shopping a few years ago;



It was a little out of my price range though!

[106-1194218389]

Man those are cool bikes but I can see why you are just window shopping. I see the price tag on one at 27875 Pounds which I converted to $49558.76 USD. ???
out of my league
John

[Moriniman]

What I actually bought that day....



Rarest of all the 3 1/2 Sports; the wire wheel disc braked version. It was much nastier in the metal than the pictures show, but all the right parts were there.

The engine lurked under one of my benches until the engine in a friend's bike died and I dug it out to loan to him. I pulled one head to repair the exhaust port thread and gave it a valve job whilst it was stripped. Then of course I had to do the same for the other head.

It runs amazingly well, even surviving the club track day!

[106-1194218389]

Well I just watched the news for the Salt Lake City, Utah USA area and the ski resorts are open and there is 40" snow at most resorts now, wahhhh! I don't like snow!!! But here is a little teaser to get us excited for racing. This is a video from AMA bike race at Miller Motor Sports Park

John

[slracer]

John, I don't understand what they are doing! Don't they know that all that wandering around those curvy things slows them down? Then they come back and do it again! Slow learners I guess! There is a reason I use "slracer" for my name (and I don't care too much for Mercedes): Straight Line racer!

When I looked through this thread again, I noticed the BiMota front end design Moriniman was admiring. My "Gen 3" bike will be using a simple version of that geometry, using the single sided swing arm from a Ducati (rear) for the hardware. Picked one up on eBay last week, arm only but that is all I could use anyway. Also picked up a Yamaha 250 swing arm for the rear end. Now I can start to finalize the dimensions and cut tubing! :p

We had a strange November rain last week here in NM. Put a dusting of snow on the mountain, but not here at the lower altitudes (6500 down here, 12003 on the top). This is a resort town, all the signs are starting to say "Think Snow"! I think I'll have a cold beer and pretend! -- Doug

[106-1194218389]

tell them they can buy that spray on snow in a can
John

[106-1194218389]

Here is a picture of a 1973 Nova SS I bought new in 1973. A dealer here ordered for a guy who could not afford it so I got it for a real good deal. Sticker was $4200 and I paid $3600. That is a month's wages now days. Back then I think I was making $1.75 an hour or something like that.
John

[slracer]

John, The first NEW car I ever bought was a '73 Nova! The 74's had just come out so I got a pretty good deal too. It was a 307 with auto, and my first wife kept it when we split so I have erased most of those memories. :p My first car was a 54 Ford convert my brother gave me when he joined the Navy. Red oxide primer from the doors forward and Sunliner Yellow aft, faded black top, no hydraulic system for raising the top (unless you count the smell due to the leaking cylinder). The bro sanded the front with a disk sander and 80 grit so there was a lot of work to do before I painted it (first paint job I ever did, didn't know you were supposed to sand the primer! :laugh: ). Redyed the top and cruised main all summer: 3000 miles and never left the city limits. Unless there was a "gas war", gas was about 35 cents a gallon so my buds would chip in and we took the drop top. I DO remember those days! -- Doug

Were they still called Chevy II's in those days?

[106-1194218389]

Thanks for the added memories Doug. I always find it fun to talk about the cars we had growing up and how we would die to have some of those back. My first car was a 1948 Chevy 2 door sedan. When I was 14 I worked all summer helping my Dad's friend did a basement under and existing house and pour cement. We had to pack cement into the basement in 5 gallon cans two at a time. The 1948 was probably my favorite becasue it was my first. It came with a blown up engine. What a kid won't do to have his own car!
John

[106-1194218389]

This discussion has got me thinking. I am going to attach some pictures of the last race car I drove. It was right before I got married and my wife to be wanted to see what I was so excited about. Well this was a friends car, not mine. No roll bar or anything. Was running 12.0's at 110 mph in the quarter. Very ill handling car as you can see by the results. Needless to say my wife has never been to another race. When I go she just says "Don't say anything about what you are going to do, just don't tell me anything!"

John

[bruce]

OUCH!

[slracer]

John, Interesting "chop job"! :p I don't understand your wife's lack of understanding, if I had been in that car that day, I am sure that I would have found it "exciting"! My wife has much the same reaction to me taking long motorcycle trips solo! -- Doug

PS - I hope those pics are of the car in your buddies garage, not in yours after you bought it!