Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Build Diaries => Topic started by: peglegcraig on August 24, 2007, 01:07:05 PM
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I saw the "Flying Kiwi" over in New Zealand and thought that it had heaps of untapped potential. Then I started talking with the team principals who had decided to sell. I had it shipped over last August and ran at BUB in Sept. Got bit hard by the bug and am hip deep into a rebuild to improve the vehicle and make it safe, oh and make it go faster!
I have had the good fortune to meet the right people at the right time who offered help and encouragement. In particular Kent Ritches and Bob Bakker. I started talking with Kent about the improvements I had in mind and after he had a looksee, we made a plan. I hoped to have it back in shape by BUB 07, but that was a bit ambitious. The work that it takes build a vehicle is often under estimated I've been told, now I believe! I've restored bikes and cars but you have most of the vehicle as a starting point. This is uncharted waters for me, I'm learning alot and enjoying the journey.
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Craig,
Hope to see you go real fast with that.
Take care,
John
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Craig,
Glad to see you finally put something up about your project. It has been fun to see it transform from the old to the new. I am real curious to see how it is now since I have not seen it the last few months. I hope to see you at Elmo in September. Good luck and keep us posted.
Scott
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Ok, I got the first post out and the pictures loaded easily. Thank you John, I'll send you some of my refund entry $ to keep this site going, you are doing a great job for all of us.
Those guys in NZ were smart, and successful, 272kph for a new FIM record. The team effort was fantastic. I went back to visit them after BUB last year and met the guys and gals who were involved. The welcome they gave my wife and I was really great, and what a party! I include a couple shots of the boys in the shed and at the wind tunnel. Trevor Peirce who built the engine and Greame Harris who built the exhaust and ran countless wind tunnel tests. Actually 27 prototypes and 65 tunnel tests.
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I've been wanting to post again on my rebuild of the "KIWI". So here we go. The new chassis is finished. We put the bike in Randy's shop (MDR) and Dusty went to town on the "old" chassis. Only the chair, the swingarm and the front suspension/steering were left to be reused. Our goal was to have the rider in a reclining position to allow a canopy to be fitted to the bodywork. Which was in the original design but couldn't be sourced and fitted in time for the South Island record attempt.
The addition of fire suppresion,fuel cell, parachute system,seat, belts and a proper roll hoop along with improving the cooling system were on the list of improvements. It all had to fit inside a pre-existing body shell, just to make it interesting. Thanks to Kent's vast experence and Dusty's skill in metalworking a pencil sketch was brought to a rolling chassis in a couple months. We had to work on weekends mostly as Kent has a business to run and Dusty is part of the scene. I sure am glad that we could have the space to work on the bike, Thank You Randy!!!
At last I ran down to MDR and picked up the chassis and drug it back up "the hill". I got set up in my old garage and started scratching my head, where to start??
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Craig,
Sounds like you are well on your way, think you wil be ready for Bubs?
J
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Ok back to it. The next El Mirage meet was Sept. so I drug the chassis down to have the Tech crew give the new chassis a once over. I had a couple good observations offered and loaded back up knowing I was on the right track, only a diagonal tube to be added to the roll hoop.
The exhaust system came from S&S and that's where I started, cutting and welding the S bend to get it out of the bodywork, Kent suggested a reverse cone meg, so I ordered the parts and welded it up. Next I started on the fuel cell and plumbing to the engine. Our first thought was to reuse the stock Suzuki pump, Wrong. Didn't fit, mounted properly it would leave a gallon of fuel un-usable. So I bought a Walbro pump and an Aeromotive regulator, 10ft of 1/2 alu tube and a whole bunch of AN fittings from Earls. I wrecked several feet of tube learning to bend shapes. Of course I came up with fittings that I didn't plan on needing and a few extras of others. So while I waited for the next round of bits I started thinking on the cooling system. Kent turned me on to a dirt car shop out east "Hyper racing" I found a nice big alloy raidiator, took it over to a good Alu welder here in town and plugged the filler neck hole. I decided to mount the cooler in the wing section of the chair and use the undertay's low pressure to draw air through the cooler. I went to the hardware store and took a beating for a few lousy pieces of steel to start on the frame to support the cooler. I'll be stocking up on steel next trip down the hill. I will try to get some photo's up next week. As far as Bub goes John, I will be ready,(I hope). Talking with Kent up at Vegas last week, It sounds like he's getting big busy on a new project. So If I can get the chassis ready for the bodywork to be fitted with the canopy and release system without jamming him up time and spacewise.........I will keep going and see where we get, when we get there. I'll go to BUB no matter what, I've got lot's to learn.
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Craig,
Great news I can't wait to see it run! Look forward to seeing you again.
Scott
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Craig, trying to put a face with the name. Did we talk at the June El Mirage sitting by John N's motor-home and by Bob Moreland's stuff??
Sum
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Yeah me too Scott, can't wait to twist the throttle again!!
Sum, yep, you got it right. It was good to meet you and we had a good talk. I tend to be noticed and remembered by my great legs, though they are kinda skinny.
Hope to see you fly'in on the salt this year. You have helped me keep going on my project with your build reports, good luck to you!!
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Yeah me too Scott, can't wait to twist the throttle again!!
Sum, yep, you got it right. It was good to meet you and we had a good talk. I tend to be noticed and remembered by my great legs, though they are kinda skinny.
Hope to see you fly'in on the salt this year. You have helped me keep going on my project with your build reports, good luck to you!!
Look forward to another good talk, c ya on the salt or at El M,
Sum
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craig
dont make me start baggin on ya like i do to Sum...ok i cant resist... craig get off the porn site, opps i mean landracing site and get out in the shop and get to work....i think we have 20somethin weeks till bub so if ya dedicated 2 full days a week thats 40 days... ca ya get it done in 40days?... shoot i should talk ... lets see ive got 3 new projects and oh yeh i'm gonn make a run for the elmo championship with my sidecar this year
kent
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craig
dont make me start baggin on ya like i do to Sum...ok i cant resist... craig get off the porn site, opps i mean landracing site and get out in the shop and get to work....i think we have 20somethin weeks till bub so if ya dedicated 2 full days a week thats 40 days... ca ya get it done in 40days?... shoot i should talk ... lets see ive got 3 new projects and oh yeh i'm gonn make a run for the elmo championship with my sidecar this year
kent
This will be good..... :evil:
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craig
dont make me start baggin on ya like i do to Sum...ok i cant resist.................kent
Oh good I have company it was hard taking all the crap by myself,
Sum
p.s. SSS forget the comments about "hard" 8-)
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Kent, you mean your solo bike....with a wheel on a stick??????????????
O.K......O.K. let's not go there again............................
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Craig I saw you on Nationial Geographic this evening with the sidecar in it's old configuration. It was pretty cool!
Scott
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Scott, Our first trip to the salt was very lucky, to have such great conditions made things a bit easy for us. It was very cool to run the bike and be so very close to the W/R. It really got me going in this direction and since "Kent said he would help" ......I didn't realise I had so much to learn, let alone do, but it's really good. I really like the shop time, as it's a place that I have control of my world, about the only place!! I will get there, I will go faster.
Meeting the guys from the Vincent streamliner group gave me the understanding of perseverance in this particular motorsport. My hat will always be off to Max, one day baby!!
Kent, you can bust my chops much as you like, it's a great motivator! (and if it takes some heat from Sum.... you'll have to turn up the heat!!!, if you have the time and energy!!) Good luck with your new project(s)!!
Thank you, Kent and Dusty for all your help, John N. for your interest and Scott for for your prodding, you really got er done buddy! I'll be in touch soon.
Craig
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Scott, Our first trip to the salt was very lucky, to have such great conditions made things a bit easy for us. It was very cool to run the bike and be so very close to the W/R. It really got me going in this direction and since "Kent said he would help" ......I didn't realise I had so much to learn, let alone do, but it's really good. I really like the shop time, as it's a place that I have control of my world, about the only place!! I will get there, I will go faster.
Meeting the guys from the Vincent streamliner group gave me the understanding of perseverance in this particular motorsport. My hat will always be off to Max, one day baby!!
Kent, you can bust my chops much as you like, it's a great motivator! (and if it takes some heat from Sum.... you'll have to turn up the heat!!!, if you have the time and energy!!) Good luck with your new project(s)!!
Thank you, Kent and Dusty for all your help, John N. for your interest and Scott for for your prodding, you really got er done buddy! I'll be in touch soon.
Craig
Craig,
With your drive and the goals you have I am sure your plan will come together.
250 Plus for you I hope!!
J
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250.?...please.!... with a turbo busa, that thing has 300 potential...and craig has da sack ta do it...if he ever works on it.....
kent
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You have a cheek Kent talking about work...it is 1820 over here in the UK, which means it must be about 0900 where you are, and you are playing with the computer! No wonder you end up working late!!!
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250.?...please.!... with a turbo busa, that thing has 300 potential...and craig has da sack ta do it...if he ever works on it.....
kent
Kent,
I can say with certainty that he will hit 250 mph before he hits 300 plus...
John