Motorcycle rules meeting

[JohnR]

it certainly didn’t help when your rider took his hand off of the handlebars to wave at the timing trailer during a pass at Bonneville.

Kent, I think somebody was pulling your leg with that one. The Express always ran the short - short course at Bonneville. in fact, the course was created in part due to a request we made prior to the 2006 Speedweek. Our riders have always turned off right at the 2 mile marker, maybe 50 feet past it and proceeded straight to the return road and the waiting push truck (which always beat them there). The timing trailer is between the two courses at the three mile marker, OVER A MILE FURTHER UP THE COURSE. The Express has never ridden past the timing trailer, nor even been within a mile of the timing trailer on any of it's 4 record runs. Either someone in the timing trailer was pulling someones leg or the story grew with each retelling before it got to you

Also, Most (all!) of the grief we have gotten has come from the M/C side, the car guys seem to love it.

And lastly, for everyone else: I was at the last board meeting and Tom, Russ and I discussed the proposed rule change. I told him I supported it and I thought if there was to be a speed minimum then it should be at least 100 MPH. Triple digits. Hell, a cop wont even give you a ticket for doing 70 mph.

The express was built and paid for for the express purpose of having a good time, nothing more or less. We did what every El Mirage champion to date has dome, we open the book and started looking for classes to run in. who'd thunk we would stir up a bees nest by building a bike to an existing class and running near/at the established minimum record speed for the class.

[JohnR]

it is time for me to buy my partners out and campain the bike like it should be, or sell it completely.

/Dr. Evil voice on:

Tom, I would like $1 MILLION for my 25% share! Not only is it a fine example of a vintage motorcycle but it holds 4 Bonneville land speed records. A finer machine can not be found, even without the excellent racing pedigree.

/Dr. Evil voice off

 

[Stainless1]

JR, the stuff you edited out... Welcome to the SCTA the BNI members know...

[JohnR]

JR, the stuff you edited out... Welcome to the SCTA the BNI members know...

I have a newfound respect for your position...

[interested bystander]

Back on the subject - which, by the way is -  MOTORCYCLE RULES MEETING - thank God we can, I hope, with the rule meeting, get off the PARTIALLY STREAMLINED controversy FOREVERRR!

[JohnR]

There was a 2009 rule book seen in Tom Evans pocket at the rules meeting. Apparently he had a visit from someone in the future and didn't like what he saw...



It all makes sense now...

[drylakecosworth]

Tom
I know 3 partners that have not done some stupid stuff. So don't apologize for us 
Frank

[John Noonan]

Tom
I know 3 partners that have not done some stupid stuff. So don't apologize for us 
Frank

.

[John Noonan]

There was a 2009 rule book seen in Tom Evans pocket at the rules meeting. Apparently he had a visit from someone in the future and didn't like what he saw...



It all makes sense now...

John,

First I do not see the Red Car of Jack's (988) running to the points championship in 08 nor do I see a "functioning rear brake on that bike in the picture" however I am old and "blind"

J

[JohnR]

There was a 2009 rule book seen in Tom Evans pocket at the rules meeting. Apparently he had a visit from someone in the future and didn't like what he saw...



It all makes sense now...

John,

First I do not see the Red Car of Jack's (988) running to the points championship in 08 nor do I see a "functioning rear brake on that bike in the picture" however I am old and "blind"

J

Very astute John! I looked for a pic of neb III but didn't have one handy, so neb II it is. I think neb II will still be around but it wont be in Ricks stable anymore. I *think* it will be a Bonneville only vehicle but I am no authority on that.

As to the rear brake on the bike, it's there and functional. It is a rod actuated expanding drum. when the pedals are rotated backwards a one way bushing grabs them and pulls on the rod. High tech stuff and straight out of a 1955 German bicycle factory.



Little Gunter would crapinzie in his pants of he rode our Express. When we first got it even though it ran OK it wouldn't pull more than 24-25 MPH at sea level. Apparently in 1955 they didn't know allot about porting 2 strokes and the importance of the exhaust tuning etc... After modeling the engine in a 2 stroke sim, porting the crap out of it, welding up the head and machining a new combustion chamber, re-timing it, boring out the carb and fabricating a new rear sprocket we got it to almost 10,000 rpm and 44 mph at sea level. That doesn't sound fast but trust me, riding that thing at 44 MPH will make you see God. It has a trailing arm front suspension but no dampers. Rear has none either.

[John Noonan]

John,

The "slow" bike in question is cool as heck however I seem to remember it was called " Land SPEED Racing"

Either way Gunter needs to hop on the sidecar Busa of Mikes or mine..I did see God yesterday when towing the 13'5" tall fifth wheel rig down the 15 and 210 road and passed 3-4 overturned rigs..

J

[JohnR]

John, The "slow" bike in question is cool as heck however I seem to remember it was called " Land SPEED Racing"

Speed is relative. Your 250 mph runs are slow when viewed from the cockpit of a 400 mph liner. A 100 mph banger roadster is slow if your vantage point is the seat of a turbo busa. our bike is slow if viewed from anything that is street legal. But it's ok cuz we laugh and point at the guys walking.   

[desotoman]

it certainly didn’t help when your rider took his hand off of the handlebars to wave at the timing trailer during a pass at Bonneville.....
love ya
kent

Kent,

Since we never passed the Timing Stand on any of our runs could you explain to me how this could happen?

Thanks,

Tom G.

[desotoman]

it certainly didn’t help when your rider took his hand off of the handlebars to wave at the timing trailer during a pass at Bonneville.....
love ya
kent

Kent,

Since we never passed the Timing Stand on any of our runs could you explain to me how this could happen?

Thanks,

Tom G.

John, Mike, & Frank, I apologize to you for my previous post saying you did some stupid things.

Tom G.

[JackD]

If there was a "stupid" part, it would be allowing the supposed actions of an entrant to influence a decision that should be based on technical or appropriate supervision of an event.
Should Street Roadsters be considered for elimination because of the actions of 1 driver ?
Is it going to be the case where supposedly valid classes are eliminated because someone is dumb enough to get in the seemingly shorter line, only to find that multiple entries share the same support vehicle and the line is actually longer ?
Are we inclined to make an entirely new class because 1 entry wants it ?
When you are managing an event, the window of time is not just the run time for the individual entry.
It must include the get ready and get out of the way for the next person time that varies quite a bit from the fastest to the slowest entries.
If you are in the position with a way fast machine that is ready to run, efficiency would dictate it is time to immediately run the slowest machine so that the usual time spent while everybody is patting themselves on the PO PO is not gone to waste.
Procedures that eliminate the fastest and the slowest might indicate that something has been allowed to get too big for it's britches.
Slow down long enough to think about it and you will find your self better able to go faster longer.