A lucky find at a vintage toy and hobby shop in Oregon City: the April 1964 issue of Cycle World with an article by Gordon Jennings titled "Bonneville Anyone?". This is the exact issue/article that started my desire to run the Salt, a dream that started that Spring of my Senior year (delayed 5 more years for a little war in Southeast Asia.). The article was written to inform and promote MC participation at Speed Week.
It is a very complete explanation of the classes, rules, useful tips, and contact person (with address.)
A short summary:
- engine sizes were 50, 100, 125, 175, 200, 250, 350, 500, 600, 650, 700, 750, 883, 1000, 1200, and 3000
- as discussed earlier, A engines were unlimited mods on a motorcycle manufacturers engine. No other engines allowed (just like we did up until two years ago....oops...was that out loud?). A engines had classes for fuel, gas, blown fuel, blown gas.
- C engine were stock cases, head casting, and cylinder casting. Allowed replacement parts (except those castings) were supposed to "closely resemble" original parts. You could change cams, valves, pistons, etc but the stroke must remain stock. Any type/size carb could be used (but that "resemble" issue left me hanging with my CV carbs for obvious reasons).
- C class note: Anything over 250cc was limited to 4-speeds; below that were allowed 5-speeds (which was over with by '69). Because I began my build to those rules, during yearly leaves from the Army, my bike was 4-speed for the '69 event. When I rebuilt the bike for our 2007 Speed Week, I used 5-speed bottom end with an even closer ratio trans from a different model (click here to see a short video of this bike leaving the line on a Time Only run in '07).
http://home.earthlink.net/~leinfam/id2.html- Also, sub-250 C engines were allowed to change bore AND stroke within the displacement class entered IF the manufacturer or distributor registered that bore and stroke with AMA. (Give that one a moments thought
). C engines were 100 octane gas only, and no blown classes.
- C frames could have plates or struts added for safety reasons (but my welded in swing arm pivot supports put me in A).
- C frames had to be based on production street bikes. A stock Norton Manx was an A bike, for example.
- Footpeg rules were very similar to our current standard, while Partial Streamlining was front fairing only. Front wheel had to be fully visible, of course.
- If you were not a licensed racer, you were required to include a resume of your competition experience along with your entry. (A copy of my 500cc Junior level AAMRR road race license satisfied Earl Flanders.)
- Tires....some things never change! If you planned/hoped to run fast (150 or better) you needed road race tires. In 1964 that was Avon or Dunlop; by the time I ran in '69 Goodyears were also approved (purchased from Carrol Shelby ONLY back then.)
Hope this was fun reading...I was sure happy to find that old magazine today!
JimL
