Visit to Thunderdome

[Stainless1]

Dropped in on Mad Max today to look at the Vincent Liner and see what he was up to.  It seems Max is never satisfied with his work and always working to improve, I guess that is why he is on his 8th Bike Liner.  To see what he is up to you can always look at http://www.vincentstreamliner.com/
The most notable change to his bike liner was the new wheeled kickstand, or maybe I should say sidecar.  It is quite impressive.  As some know last year Max killed his tranny at Bub, but made a short course pass anyway, with high gear only, from a standing start, no push and went through the lights at about 250.  Needless to say, the clutch did not survive.
With all the sidecar talk on this site, Max added a third wheel and a platform for a passenger.... volunteers?..... He has done a nice job, I'll bet he is thinking FIM sidecar record.  But don't despair race fans, it is removable and in about 15 minutes it's a liner again. 
I saw the old tranny pieces, and the new Heavy Duty replacement.  Max is starting to put it all back together, but I will try to get by there with the camera to take a few Pics for y'all. 
Things are coming together, and we all know Max has sorted out a lot of the weak areas, the hard way, over the last few years. I think this could be the year Max and the old Vincent put a Lightning Strike on the Salt. 
300 MPH Sidecar ride anyone.... 

[Sumner]

Dropped in on Mad Max today to look at the Vincent Liner and see what he was up to.  It seems Max is never satisfied with his work and always working to improve, I guess that is why he is on his 8th Bike Liner.  To see what he is up to you can always look at http://www.vincentstreamliner.com/
The most notable change to his bike liner was the new wheeled kickstand, or maybe I should say sidecar.  It is quite impressive.  As some know last year Max killed his tranny at Bub, but made a short course pass anyway, with high gear only, from a standing start, no push and went through the lights at about 250.  Needless to say, the clutch did not survive.
With all the sidecar talk on this site, Max added a third wheel and a platform for a passenger.... volunteers?..... He has done a nice job, I'll bet he is thinking FIM sidecar record.  But don't despair race fans, it is removable and in about 15 minutes it's a liner again. 
I saw the old tranny pieces, and the new Heavy Duty replacement.  Max is starting to put it all back together, but I will try to get by there with the camera to take a few Pics for y'all. 
Things are coming together, and we all know Max has sorted out a lot of the weak areas, the hard way, over the last few years. I think this could be the year Max and the old Vincent put a Lightning Strike on the Salt. 
300 MPH Sidecar ride anyone.... 

Thanks for the up-date Stainless.  I know that he has had his share of problems with the liner, but it has an  unbelievably small frontal area......



........... and knowing how it is forever changing it might even be smaller.  As far as I can tell it has the smallest frontal area of any of the liners.

The two Vincents.....



........ stuffed in there has to be the neatest engine combo of the bunch.  Is he still going to run a Muncie??

I sure hope this is the 300 mph+ year and a run like that with the sidecar.....



......... would have to be the icing on the cake.

The best of luck to Mad Max and the team,

Sum

[Stainless1]

The failed pieces were a M20, the replacements are M21, Max mentioned that one's the Rock Crusher...    The gears are thicker and straighter, not to mention the new one seemed to have all if its teeth. 
If it all holds together, and the salt is good, we will see a 300+ sidecar streamliner run

[isiahstites]

So if the Vincent will run 300 mph with a sidecar what does he suspect it will do without the third wheel.

Scott

[Sumner]

The failed pieces were a M20, the replacements are M21, Max mentioned that one's the Rock Crusher...    The gears are thicker and straighter, not to mention the new one seemed to have all if its teeth. 
If it all holds together, and the salt is good, we will see a 300+ sidecar streamliner run

The close ratio M21 is what we ran until last year.  Held together for us, but I always had my fingers crossed and I'm glad we have the G-Force in the car now,

Sum

[Stainless1]

So if the Vincent will run 300 mph with a sidecar what does he suspect it will do without the third wheel.

Scott

Well, Max has a smaller frontal area than Sam, a lot of grunt from the 2 big Vincents, and thinks he is competitive with the other big boys if nothing breaks.  I'm sure that is what Denis, Ack and Sam also think, both about theirs and Max.  If you read a little on the build, Max will point out the mistakes he made over the years, those just helped him learn what he needed to do.  He is a landspeed racer, and like all of us speculates that there is a possibility the 3-wheeler will go over 300, without the car, right in there with the pack.  I may have to attend Bub to watch, it could be as exciting as it was 2 years ago.  Sure hope Bub worked out their issues, but that is another story.... 

[isiahstites]

So if the Vincent will run 300 mph with a sidecar what does he suspect it will do without the third wheel.

Scott

Sure hope Bub worked out their issues, but that is another story.... 

I have heard from someone who knows Denis' daughter who I believe is a part of the whole operation that they have went to great lengths this year to make the event better after the bad year they had last year.

Scott

[Sumner]

..........................  I may have to attend Bub to watch, it could be as exciting as it was 2 years ago............

Maybe we should look at renting a place in Wendover from August to October.  For me it might be cheaper staying there that the gas driving back and forth maybe 4 times if things go right  .  You're right, if they have a good course and get the other issues worked out at BUB this year it might even be better than 2006,

Sum

[fredvance]

Too bad they didnt moove the meet back a few days instead of up. I am pretty sure I could talk myself, and my crew into sticking around another week or so to possibly see some history made. Too far,1400 mi each way, to come back  2 weeks after Speedweek. So I will be here in my office anxiously awaiting news and results here on this website. Good luck Max.

Fred

[Stainless1]

Dropped in on Max again today, he was painting and starting to put the liner together.
Here is a picture of his transmission, it is a Muncie in a case Max made.  I remember a thread a while back discussing shifting.  Look at this set-up.  It is a single air cylinder that shifts a 4 speed, and an engineering feat I have never seen.  You guys down under need to take a look at this.  And all this time I just thought Max sat around drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes..... who knew he was really thinking.... 
Max will have to show you how it works, but it locks and holds the tranny in gear until the shift signal, see the switch, that is part of the sequence to get to the tranny to the upper gears.
More to follow...

[Stainless1]

Here's a couple pics of the frame, Max was painting... yep that why there seems to be a little dust on everything else, Max has a combination shop, garage, paint booth.  For an old fart painting in his garage, y'all know his stuff always looks professionally finished.

[Stainless1]

I mentioned earlied Max was targeting the streamlined sidecar record, you can read more at
http://www.vincentstreamliner.com/
Here is proof, we popped the chair platform on the frame for a couple of shots.  The big bolts are for the ballast plates, the second shot is the adjustment for the sidecar wheel.
The last is the master at work....  really, he is actually working on his next step toward the sidecar streamliner record... 

[Stainless1]

OK, I hear ya, the sidecar doesn't look very streamlined, well it isn't completely installed either, Max has a lot to do before it gets attached, but we popped it on to give you a preview. 
Here is the streamlined part hung in place, OK several views.

[Stainless1]

Ya know when ya saw Max sitting looking a few pics back, he stood up, walked around the scooter pointed to the fin on the back of the sidecar and said, I might even add a trim tab or two just in case it pulls a little toward the chair, just as well use the air that is making it pull to straighten it out.... 
I'm looking forward to seeing this happen, it should be an exciting Bub if we have salt and weather.

the big 3 and the dark horse, did I mention the chair comes off in 15 minutes...   

If it goes as fast as Max expects we might be viewing an engineering marvel and possibly a sidecar that exceeds Dave's 322 number that took so long to top. 

I'll get by for some more pictures in a couple more weeks, I have work to do on my bike.

[Freud]

Good Post, Stainless.

It's fun to document the progress, isn't it?

It's just difficult to know when to quit.

FREUD