Elvington: 265.4 on a Busa today

[Malcolm UK]

Just so these conventional bike guys running under IOPD know where the bar is.  

When setting an ACU accepted record off the run in of 0.825 to a timing distance that was 1320 feet long, the Gillette Mach3 Challenger gave a peak speed of 265 mph with change too.

Now does the shorter course and longer speed trap win? (LOL).

Jack - you may not wish to see me fight in this scrap - I use words like ACU and FIM.  

Hey guys its all meant to be fun - with a capital F.  Just don't copy waht folk have already done.  get out there and beat it!

[JackD]

"Next week we have to get organized."

[Lorcan]

Malcolm, Trevor (Duckworth) tried for a very long time to work with the ACU. One of the things he wanted (apart from ANY records meeting at all) was to have the maximum run up in both directions as we only have relatively short courses to work with. But the ACU would not agree to not having the traps in the middle of the course so he ran his own event under the IOPD (daft name, I know, blame Steve Murty). On a rocket bike it may not be so important but the streetbikes need as much run up as possible as I'm sure you know. It will indeed be interesting to see which records gain prominence in racer's eyes but with the ACU records being in such a shambles it was only a matter of time before they were challenged.

So don't be P****D off - I'm sure the Mach3 Challenger would be welcome at the next IOPD event  

[Malcolm UK]

Translating the postings between Lorcan and myself for those who run SCTA/USFRA/ECTA.

The IOPD & Straighliners organisations are challenging the Auto Cycle Union (ACU) - the custodian so far of the British Land Speed Records and the FIM representative body in the UK.  They (Straighliners and IOPD) are running in opposition to the organising group for bike sprinting too, the National Sprint Association (NSA).

The offsetting of the timing traps so that records are not set on the same piece of tarmac (whether it is one or two runs to count) was indeed never going to be adopted by the ACU and is an import from the USA.  All it means is that the UK will be achieving the higher figures when compared with elsewhere.  All over the same relative 80 feet!

Now I understand 66 feet, 132 feet, 1320 feet long timing distances but why 80?

[JackD]

It is said "The bigger the feet, the smaller the brain."
El Mirage is 1.3 miles long to a 132" trap because that is how long the wire was they stole from the military that was formerly a reel of communication connection for a field phone.
 The 132' was taken from 1/40th of a mile that made the math easier.
Before the days if the instant results from a calculator they had a preprinted chart that only registered times to the nearest .001 second.
All the times were not expressed between that until the 80s when the degree of accuracy was increased and the MPH automated by Daryl Smith.
The speeds at the "Muroc Reunion" were recorded at the distance of 1.5 miles from the starting line because the surface offered less traction and they wanted the speeds to be the same if not higher to WOW the crowd.

GAME ON
"It is easier to swallow if you know all the rules but Ya gotta keep up with the changes.
It like you already know the English don't speak American and both hate translating from French."

[Sumner]

If you want to compare apples to apples I can see where you want to have a standard length track and timing trap, but if I had a car to run I would want to take maximum advantage of the track available to me.

Let's say the day comes when one of the really long runways becomes available would you just want to run a mile and then thru a trap??

The drag race guys have a standard and everything is compared to that standard and they race heads up.  I thought we were interested in the top speed of a vehicle and would want to take advantage of all the track length we can get.

5 miles at B'ville is probably going to get that done for 95% of the cars/bikes that run there, but if there is more track available for the really fast cars I say give it to them.  If you run FIA/FIM I don't believe there is any restrictions on the length of the course, just that you have to set your record over the same physical piece of ground and within one hour.  

If you don't care or can't afford to run FIA/FIM then I believe the track being used should be setup to provide the opportunity for the highest possible speeds.

If you want to compare apples to apples two sets of lights could be used, say one trap at the one mile that would be used as a standard around the world (if the metric guys would go for it) and a second trap at the maximum safe distance for the particular track being used so you could try and run as fast as possible.

c ya, Sum

[PorkPie]

Sum, if you run FIA or FIM at Bonneville - so as uring the World Final, they us the international course which is longer than theSCTA/BNI course.

This course is normally 11 miles, which means that the center mile is  the 6th mile as measured mile - for the return run inside of 1 hour (FIA) or 2 hour (FIM).

They would use a longer course, also for safety, if they could - but this is simple with the current salt condition not possible.

[Lorcan]

Malcolm it's not quite true that IOPD/Straightliners is running in opposition to the NSA, in fact the Northern NSA and Straightliners run hand in hand joint meetings, at any Northern meeting you go to you can enter on the day with either sanction, and you can drag race, sprint or do top speed runs at Elvington all on the same day.

[JackD]

Malcolm it's not quite true that IOPD/Straightliners is running in opposition to the NSA, in fact the Northern NSA and Straightliners run hand in hand joint meetings, at any Northern meeting you go to you can enter on the day with either sanction, and you can drag race, sprint or do top speed runs at Elvington all on the same day.

I think MK said ACU (Auto Cycle Union).
 It would seem that "Tradition unhampered by progress" has prevailed over the land and that is part of the reason for the British Empire influence that it has today.

[Sumner]

Now I understand 66 feet, 132 feet, 1320 feet long timing distances but why 80?

66 feet is 1/80th of a mile and 80 feet is 1/66th of a mile.  Maybe they liked the 1/"66" as it is almost the   's number or maybe since it reminds them of Route 66   .

c ya, Sum

[Lorcan]

They (Straighliners and IOPD) are running in opposition to the organising group for bike sprinting too, the National Sprint Association (NSA).

This is the bit I was referring to, sorry for any confusion.

[Malcolm UK]

Glad to know that the NSA and Straightliners are collaborating with theior different disciplines - just that none of the websites makes it clear.  My mistake.

The NSA used to operate the 'records weekend' for ACU & FIM attempts for bikers (and some MSA & FIA runs for cars too) that ended some years ago.

[KeithTurk]

Malcolm to answer your original quesiton in My opinion...  It has HUGE merit... the man is currently the fastest conventional sit on motorcycle that has actually been timed by an organization of any kind , in the world... with a Big Period...  Rich Yancy's bike held that title... until this... so does it have Merit... YES... absolutely... who cares how or who... it's a simple fact... he went 265... every one else went slower... while interesting... they still haven't been faster yet.  He's the guy to beat.

While John Noonan's GPS is interesting.. it has No Merit... he should have a time slip... and it could even be an exit speed out the back of the 5 mile at Bville.... the question is who has the fastest sit on Motorcycle...

The Gilette thing was interesting... but it was a freaking Rocket on two wheels...... not a Motorcycle...   Yancy's bike and Noonan's were heads up comparisons...  not propelled by some secret sauce out a tail pipe...

K

[John Noonan]

Malcolm to answer your original quesiton in My opinion...  It has HUGE merit... the man is currently the fastest conventional sit on motorcycle that has actually been timed by an organization of any kind , in the world... with a Big Period...  Rich Yancy's bike held that title... until this... so does it have Merit... YES... absolutely... who cares how or who... it's a simple fact... he went 265... every one else went slower... while interesting... they still haven't been faster yet.  He's the guy to beat.

While John Noonan's GPS is interesting.. it has No Merit... he should have a time slip... and it could even be an exit speed out the back of the 5 mile at Bville.... the question is who has the fastest sit on Motorcycle...

The Gilette thing was interesting... but it was a freaking Rocket on two wheels...... not a Motorcycle...   Yancy's bike and Noonan's were heads up comparisons...  not propelled by some secret sauce out a tail pipe...

K

Keith,

I totally agree, could you imagine what a bike could run like my old bike (it should be sold) if it were run at a venue like Texas or England with a drag race back ground I still feel with a real rider like Lee Shierts the Yancy bike would have also been 265+  with a great track and conditions!

J

[Malcolm UK]

Would I be right Keith that, if by using the extra acceleration distance, another driver in a Mod Sports went faster than you have in the Berkely you would not mind?

Sorry to leap over to cars here folks but I am following through a thought that LSR cars and bikes should remain using the same tracks, not allowing the two disciplines of two and four wheels to move to different courses.

As for the Gillette bike - you sound more like Bub Manning on this subject than ever before.  The FIM called it a motorcycle.  Just to remain on good terms with everyone, it was at the time on Bonneville (1999) the worlds fastest two wheeler.