My dream: 200mph on at Bonneville on a motorcycle

[diechrome]

So I've been riding motorcycles my entire live.  My dad bought me a KX80 in second grade and I've been in love every sense.  Now at 28 I've got three bike; a 2010 Ducati 848, a 2009 KLR650, and a 1983 Honda GL650.  Riding, owning, and working on motorcycles is my passion.  Always has been, always will be.  And now on to my dream.

For as long as I've been riding motorcycles I've dreamed of going 200mph at Bonneville.  I can't tell you what started this obsession of mine but it's here to stay.  And now I'm at the point in my life where this dream can come to fruition. And now for a few general questions.

1) Not really a question but some details about myself.  I'm 6'4" and 185 lbs although that can fluctuate slightly.  And I have been blessed with career that allows me the ability to afford this endeavor, although I definitely have a budget.

2) I'm not trying to break any world records, I just want to go 200mph.  Which event would you recommend for my first attempt? 

3) My plan is to use a turboed Hayabusa, any idea on how much it would cost to build one capable of reaching this speed?  Obviously we are taking about a rough price estimate.  I have no problem buying one with a salvaged title and I can do most of the work myself (except for EFI tuning).  Are there any other recommendations on which is the best bike for the job?

Wish me luck...the dream begins.

-Brandon

[Steve Walters]

Brandon:

That has been my dream for like ever also, except I'm trying to do it with a car that wasn't designed to go 200 MPH.  If it wasn't for the Salt Fever I would have given up four years ago when I sunk 40 grand into it and broke it before I got up to the speed it was capable of stock.

I think you have the best choice of bikes for going over 200, I tech bikes, and 7 out of ten of them are Hyabusa's.  A little shot of nitrous will get you there, but that will not get you into the 200 MPH club, you have to break a record to do that.  There are a lot of very professional Busa record holders that have thier sh..t together, and are past the learning curves of LSR.

But if 200 is your goal you have a good choice. 

Steve   

[fredvance]

Look in the bikes for sale on suzukihayabusa.org. There are several turbo Busa's for sale in the neighborhood of 10,000. any of them would take you over 200mph.

[55chevr]

One of the racers at the Loring fall event, Belinda Melaragno, went 196 mph with a stock 2012 Hayabusa.  Only mod was a Power Commander and a dyno tune.  The bike had 500 miles on it.   If you aren't intereseted in setting a record, just going 200 mph at Bonneville, I would suggest enter Bub's Run What'cha Brung with a worked 'Busa. 


Joe

[John Noonan]

Brandon,


PM sent..

[RCKirby]

Pay very close attention to any advice from John Noonan.  I've witnessed him and others do what you will be trying!

RCKirby

[JimL]

Heyyy Brandon!  I'd give ya' "two steelies and a cat-eye" for that GL650 engine.     (humor - that quote was one of dads favorites...trading marbles when he was a kid)

Thats a GL650 you see in my avatar, but it only goes 160.  Welcome to a great dream.

Regards, JimL

[diechrome]

Brandon:

That has been my dream for like ever also, except I'm trying to do it with a car that wasn't designed to go 200 MPH.  If it wasn't for the Salt Fever I would have given up four years ago when I sunk 40 grand into it and broke it before I got up to the speed it was capable of stock.

I think you have the best choice of bikes for going over 200, I tech bikes, and 7 out of ten of them are Hyabusa's.  A little shot of nitrous will get you there, but that will not get you into the 200 MPH club, you have to break a record to do that.  There are a lot of very professional Busa record holders that have thier sh..t together, and are past the learning curves of LSR.

But if 200 is your goal you have a good choice. 

Steve   

Thanks for the advice, Steve.  Seems like a Hayabusa is the way to go.  And I'm not really interested in the 200 MPH club...maybe that will be for another day.

Heyyy Brandon!  I'd give ya' "two steelies and a cat-eye" for that GL650 engine.     (humor - that quote was one of dads favorites...trading marbles when he was a kid)

Thats a GL650 you see in my avatar, but it only goes 160.  Welcome to a great dream.

Regards, JimL

Sorry JimL but the 650 isn't for sale.  I love that thing too much to get rid of it.  Although I'm very impressed that you got it up to 160 mph.  Mine will hardly go 90.

[diechrome]

Brandon,

I appreciate your obsession for going 200 mph but I wouldn't recommend going at that speed. It's crazy. You can get killed or hurt really badly if anything goes wrong. Still I would tell you to go for BUB Motorcycle event that takes place every year. I have no idea on which date does it occurs. You need to Google few information by yourself.

Ratchet Tie Down Straps

Thanks for your concern but that is a calculated risk that I'm willing to take.  With the proper gear and safety precautions, I feel the overall risk can be mitigated significantly.  And as the youngins are saying these days; "YOLO".

[Peter Jack]

Diechrome, just for your information halldavid328888 is a spambot. Useless piece of trash IMHO.

Pete

[bak189]

Hey, how about a Turbo/Busa sidecar? Give it to John N. and his people for engine work and you got that 200mph.......Will be for sale at the Bonhams auction in Jan. 2013............

[landspeedrich]

Diechrome,I can understand your passion.Rewards without some risk,are they truly rewards?I'm building a bike to run the mile initially (Ohio) I choose to go the less popular route using an old school GS 1100,opening it up to 1327cc.Going with a fully braced frame and up graded late model Suzuki suspension front and rear.I understand it would make more sense to go the current route of late model Busa's,and making additions to it for the 200mph speeds.But I enjoy the fabrication end of it,as well as the challenge to make an old school bike go over 200.
 Im from the Chicago area,and have crewed at Bonneville with a 276 mph belly tank.Just beware,once you've been to the mecca called the Salt Flats,you may be hooked forever   Rich

[wobblywalrus]

Brandon, no matter what bike you ride or how fast it will go, it is good to make slower runs at first and progressively go faster.  You want to have a feel for the salt so that you will do the right thing by instinct rather than thinking about it. 

[AHG]

Brandon, no matter what bike you ride or how fast it will go, it is good to make slower runs at first and progressively go faster.  You want to have a feel for the salt so that you will do the right thing by instinct rather than thinking about it.  

This is the best advise.
At 28 years old you have many years of riding and racing ahead of you.
Follow the learning curve, and it will make you a better equipped rider both mechanically and mentally.

[Jonny Hotnuts]

You are fooling yourself.

Ok, lets say you spend some change, build the bike, make the trip, make a few license runs and run 200, now its over right? After all you accomplished your goal of 'just cracking 200'....pack it all up and go home???

Its funny how your goals can radically change.....

IMO a better goal is to find an obtainable record over 200, build a bike that can do it and at the end of the day go over 200, set a landspeed record and maybe walk away with a red hat.

Good luck

~JH