Author Topic: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners  (Read 1438298 times)

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Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2070 on: May 29, 2015, 05:26:43 AM »
The prewar brit bike is rare in the US.  There are a few racing here, the Triumph 350cc single shown in an earlier post, a new Imperial, an AJS, and this Rudge Ulster.  The first pix shows Chris Illman, the bike's owner.  Rudge parts are hard to find and he made the piston out of billet aluminum.  The second photo shows the front end.  Note how the girder forks are much more rigid than the typical tubular variety.

Note the pussy pad on the rear fender.  This was typical of race bikes in the old days.  The rider slides back on that pad so they can tuck down.  The little windshield is what they used back then, too. 

The bike was started with rollers.  One one us would hold his place in starting queue ahead of our bike.  Then when we got close to the starter, he would fire up the Rudge and get in front of us in the queue. 

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2071 on: May 29, 2015, 05:39:37 AM »
I got mixed up.  The tiny windshield was on another old bike.

The bike is called an Ulster 'cause the prototype won the Ulster Gran Prix, a prestigious race.  The engine is a single cylinder with four valves and two exhaust pipes.  The valve springs are air cooled.  Spring steel was not what it is now and the springs needed to be out in the air to stay cool.  Otherwise, they would get too hot and lose their temper.

The old girl, built as a 1930 model, runs hard.  Chris is a good builder, tuner,and rider.  It is in Modified Vintage Engine Gas, 500cc class.  Standing Start Kilo at 104.967, Flying Start Quarter Mile at 103.375, and Standing Start Mile at 108.89 mph. 

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2072 on: May 29, 2015, 05:16:22 PM »
One side effect of this trip to Britain is weight gain.  Lots of good food and beer is making me fat.  Corrective measures are taken.  Dinner is eating something remotely healthy with a pint.  Then, I walk five miles, more or less, through London and have another pint somewhere along the way.  Last night I strolled around Fitzrovia where we are staying and then I walked through Mayfair.  Tonight I pottered down through this place called Soho.  Nice looking women would say to me "A lady, sir?"  It took some Einstein type figuring to deduce I was in the red light district.  It is Friday night here.  There are millions living in this place and at least a third are out on the streets having fun and socializing.
       

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2073 on: May 30, 2015, 06:37:44 AM »
There were some bikes at the meet with history.  The long Triumph is Simon Rees' Dangermouse.  It is typical of an old style British drag bike.  The nose fairing was not unusual for sprint bikes when this bike was new.  It ran 112.43 in the standing mile.  The second bike was Al Gunther's Gold Star.  It won or placed at Daytona when the race was run on the beach.  It was raced by John Preston and did 90.378 in the mile.   

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2074 on: June 02, 2015, 09:59:02 AM »
Sprinting what the British call drag racing where two bikes race side by side for short distances.  It also includes the longer races where a single bike is timed.  Airport runways have been used for standing and flying start kilo and mile records.  Pendine Sands offers an opportunity set these types of records in a course with longer run up and shut down distances than a runway.

The looser sand surface will not allow the application of power or provide traction like pavement.  The records set during this event reflect this.  They are sand records.

A flying mile course was considered at this event.  The track layout crew spotted an unexploded bomb partially exposed on the beach where the flying mile course would be.  The MoD disposed of it.  The flying mile course was not set up for our event.

Two typical British sprint bikes are shown.  The Kawasaki belongs to Barry Curtis, it is 1000cc Special Construction Blown Gas class, and it went 131.688 in the standing kilo, 147.192 in the flying quarter, and 148.85 in the standing mile.  The similar flying quarter and standing mile speeds indicate it was running out of power or traction and could not get much acceleration during the last 3/4 of a mile.  Barry and his bike are plenty fast.

The one with the green wheels belongs to PJ Ofurey, a member of this forum and a key organizer from the Pendine LRC club.  He gave me a lot of helpful advice and made my life much easier.   

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2075 on: June 04, 2015, 09:55:41 AM »
This handsome fellow in the first picture is Terry Smith and he set the fastest speeds of the meet at 176.33 in the standing start mile, 172.123 in the flying quarter, and 158.327 in the standing start kilometer.  He owns a small family garage in the English midlands and is not part of any fancy race team.  His bike is a Hayabusa with an engine he and his friends hopped up.  It is naturally aspirated.  The chassis is basically standard.  He ran in the 1650cc Production Modified Engine Gas class.  The 'busa is a very forgiving bike and it is well suited for this, according to Terry.  Both wheels were skating around side to side on the sand, as Terry tells it. 

Looking at mile times, the next fastest were Zef Eisenberg's Production 1650cc Kawasaki ZX14 at 161.390, Mark Griffith's Productuion 1000cc Suzuki GSXR at 159.769, Phil Harris on a Production Modified Engine 1000cc Aprilia SL at 148.008, and Barry Curtis on a Special Construction Blown Gas 1000cc Kawasaki GPZ  at 147.192 mph.  The hot ticket to speed seems to be a slightly modified Jap bike.

The second photo shows a Turbine Wheel Powered jet bike.  It is Zef Eisenberg's entry and it ran 141.892 in the mile.   

Offline tauruck

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2076 on: June 04, 2015, 11:24:16 PM »
Hope you've had a great time?.
I think I'll call you Mr. Ambassador from now on.
Thanks for the pics and all the info.
You're a special guy IMO. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2077 on: June 05, 2015, 09:59:07 AM »
Hi Mike.  It was a nice three weeks and my first venture outside of North America or Hawaii.  I never could afford to travel.  Actually, I could not afford this trip.  The race budget will be sorta small for a couple of years.

The first photo shows me leaving the line on the first run.  The second shows the fourth or fifth.  Note how the track softens up.  It is important to be in line and ready to go before the first racers leave.  There is a short time, an hour at most, during the day when the track is hard and tight and at its best.  A guy or gal needs to be prepared and aggressive in getting their act together pronto.  Unlike at Bonneville, there is no time to goof around in the pits after the racing starts.

The second and third runs were made with me sitting back in the center of the seat and gripping the bike loosely with my knees.  This is a classic desert race posture for sand riding.  The bike wobbled and this limited my speeds to around 100 mph.  Sit like this on your bike and have a friend grab the steering head and pull it from side to side.  It is easy to move the steering head.

The center of pressure is ahead of the center of gravity on this faired bike at speed.  The air pressure tries to twist the bike around.  The front wheel tries to go in a straight line and the steering stem wags from side to side.  This is how you can recognize the problem.  It does not happen on unfaired desert racers cause the CP is closer to the CG and speeds are slower.

The cure is to slide forward on the seat and to grip the tank tight with your upper thighs.  Do this and have the friend push and pull on the steering stem.  It is harder to wag the bike.  This seating position increases the polar moment of inertia and it moves the CG closer to the CP.  This is how I was able to go faster than the ton.           

Offline tauruck

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2078 on: June 06, 2015, 04:26:05 AM »
My feeling is that your experience there just sharpened your skills for Speed Week. I hope you'
re going?.

Not many guys have done the trip you have so my hat's off to you. :cheers:

Nothing's cheap anymore but you did it and that's what counts.
How many guys do you know that took their daughter and the bike on an adventure like that?. :cheers: :wink:

Offline BDR

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2079 on: June 06, 2015, 10:03:19 AM »
Hi Mike.  It was a nice three weeks and my first venture outside of North America or Hawaii.  I never could afford to travel.  Actually, I could not afford this trip.  The race budget will be sorta small for a couple of years.

The first photo shows me leaving the line on the first run.  The second shows the fourth or fifth.  Note how the track softens up.  It is important to be in line and ready to go before the first racers leave.  There is a short time, an hour at most, during the day when the track is hard and tight and at its best.  A guy or gal needs to be prepared and aggressive in getting their act together pronto.  Unlike at Bonneville, there is no time to goof around in the pits after the racing starts.

The second and third runs were made with me sitting back in the center of the seat and gripping the bike loosely with my knees.  This is a classic desert race posture for sand riding.  The bike wobbled and this limited my speeds to around 100 mph.  Sit like this on your bike and have a friend grab the steering head and pull it from side to side.  It is easy to move the steering head.

The center of pressure is ahead of the center of gravity on this faired bike at speed.  The air pressure tries to twist the bike around.  The front wheel tries to go in a straight line and the steering stem wags from side to side.  This is how you can recognize the problem.  It does not happen on unfaired desert racers cause the CP is closer to the CG and speeds are slower.

The cure is to slide forward on the seat and to grip the tank tight with your upper thighs.  Do this and have the friend push and pull on the steering stem.  It is harder to wag the bike.  This seating position increases the polar moment of inertia and it moves the CG closer to the CP.  This is how I was able to go faster than the ton.           

Aup Bo, Becci says hi and she has loads of pic for you. I think she has been inspired and is now looking for a bike for next year (joy) another to build.
As yet we have been pretty stable but its good to be prepared for a little wobble. When I built the bike I made sure everything fitted inside Mr Suzukis std. fairing. I am sending some pics of her bike for you to have a look at as well as a load of you and Gretchin (?) Terry and others.

 Be good....   Mike.

P.S.  So using a pussy seat could help get yer head down ,but induce a wobble ??

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2080 on: June 07, 2015, 02:02:05 AM »
Hi Mike (Tauruck).  The trip cost a lot more than I had saved for it and I borrowed a bunch of money to pay for everything.  No more racing for me this year.  The goal is to run at the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials in 2016 with a full race motor.  The one I ran at Pendine had 865cc with 8.9 to 1 compression.  The new pistons sitting in my parts bin are for the 995cc block with 13.5 to 1 compression.  Those, and some more experimenting with gasoline/nitropropane/toluene should give big speeds for 2016 with minimal financial outlay.

Mike (BDR) This is the setup for the salt as per one of Scooter Grubb's excellent photos www.scootershoots.com/BUBMotorcycleSpeedTrials/2014-Bonneville-Motorcycle-Spe/i-xPgVn9/A

The fairing makes for a center of pressure that is farther forward than a typical unfaired bike.  It is important for me to keep the CG as close at the CP as I can, thus the far forward riding position.  That bike won't be stable with me resting back toward the rear, on the salt as well as on the the sand.

Other bikes might be different.  I do not know.

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2081 on: June 07, 2015, 02:13:58 AM »
The link does not go directly to the pictures.  It is Bike #7497 on Page 42.

The bike is at full speed on the salt for a considerable length of time.  It is possible to move the CP ahead by lowering oneself down behind the fairing and to move it toward the back by sitting up.  Some experimenting with this tells a lot about how to setup the bike.   

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2082 on: June 08, 2015, 09:45:07 AM »
Improvements to Hayabusa aero was discussed after the Triumph club breakfast last Saturday.  The consensus is they are so awesome that the areo they have is better than anything we could design.  Recommendations are to clean up the exterior by removing mirrors, blinkers, styling baubles, etc and to leave it alone.

A fellow who did a lot of wind tunnel work told me the surface roughness on a fairing is a handicap up to around 160 mph.  Beyond those speeds it helps.  He had some stick-on roughness dots on the front part of his fairing to create turbulence on the surface.

The air pressure tends to tip a bike towards the rear at speed.  Sitting forward puts some weight on the front end.  A pussy pad on a 'busa might make the weight distribution too far to the rear at speed and cause big trouble.  Also, tucking in moves the CP toward the front a little bit.  Again, those Suzukis are so fast that I cannot give much help.  My bike is slow in comparison.       

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2083 on: June 09, 2015, 01:04:59 AM »
The next few posts will be about the logistics of the trip.  This was my first overseas journey so there is a lot I will do different next time.  First, insurance.

The Auto Cycle Union (ACU) was the sponsoring organization.  They issued me a clubman's license for the event so I could run for records.  It was upgraded at the event to a national license so I was eligible for British National records.  Otherwise, I would be in the run-watcha-brung class with no records.

An insurance policy was needed so I could get the ACU license.  As per the ACU, it had to have no deductible and cover the expenses of repatriation of my injured or dead body and include basic British medical coverage.  The claims had to be paid by the insurance company.  The ACU did not want to be billed by the doctors or mortician and have to apply for reimbursement by the insurer.  The ACU was extremely fussy about this coverage.  So picky, that the only folks that could write a policy they were happy with was Lockton, their insurers.  I bought their policy so I could race for records.

The ACU/Lockton policy was real porous.  There were all sorts of things it would not pay for like dislocations, long term care, etc.  I needed a second and robust policy to cover Rose and my family from serious losses if I crashed and got hurt or killed.  The policy had to be from an American insurer.  I wanted to keep things simple for Rose and to be covered by our domestic insurance laws.  The policy I bought was written by Peterson Underwriters and I got a lot of valuable help from one of our American insurance agents.  The deductible was sorta high, $2,500.  Ouch.  All included, the cost of insurance for the event was over $2,000 USD.

The ACU was awful to deal with.  What they wanted was reasonable.  They seem OK, personality wise.  Their business skills were non existent.  The event is also sanctioned by the UK Timing Association.  The British racers say they are much easier to work with.  Next time I will use them for insurance.  Also, I set aside about five weeks to figure out the insurance.  Next time, it will be ten weeks before the event, so I can shop around and find a better price.

   

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners
« Reply #2084 on: June 11, 2015, 01:27:57 AM »
Pendine is a small town, a village to be more exact.  Unlike Wendover, there are no casino hotels.  Various accommodations exist.  What we call the "pits" the British say is a paddock.  This latter description fits.  Note the fence, wooden gate, and pasture.   Some racers and their families camp in the paddock in tents, vans, or trailers.  There is a water spigot and toilr ets nearby.

There are also inns with the pubs.  The one in the photo is the Spring Well.  Never stayed there although a few pints of ale disappeared when I was around.