AMA - 3000-A-AF - Dual-Engine FJ1200

[FreakhouseCustoms]

I've always said that I've got more ambition than brains, so -after a few small successes (and many, MANY failures) - I'm going to build a bike to chase the AMA 3000-A-AF record, set by Tom Elrod back in 1977 at 188.006mph.   In all honestly, for me, it's more about building this monstrosity than anything else, so just getting the bike to The Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials and running up and down the Salt will be a check in the Success Column for me.

I'll be starting with a pair of Yamaha FJ1200's, the biggest reason for choosing them is that I was able to find TWO of them, and they were both cheap!   



The first episode debuts on Monday, January 4th 2021.

I'll be building a complete frame/chassis - using as many stock components as possible (with a few upgrades were needed) - and I'll fabricate the pieces needed to couple the two motors together at the transmission output shafts as I *think* they've worked themselves out in my head. 

I have built & run a dual-engine bike at BMST for 2018 & 2019, so while this isn't my first rodeo, I am still learning new things & new approaches to old ideas every day.  I'll try to update this build thread as often as I can, but I'm also video-documenting the entire build on my YouTube channel:

Freakhouse Customs Channel

Or click the picture below:





-Fran

[FreakhouseCustoms]

A little history of Fran:

Back in 2016, I wanted to take a shot at an AMA record.  As a complete newb to land speed racing, my greatest fear was that I'd go all the way out there an then fail Scrutineering, so I decided I would build a completely stock bike and make a run at the 1350 Production Classic record. Now, being a Chopper Guy at heart, I didn't actually own many stock parts. Two of the hardest parts to find were the airbox and full exhaust, the 2 things guys chuck almost immediately and replace with performance parts. I searched far and wide and finally found a stock bike out in Bakersfield, CA - this all coincided with the David Mann Chopperfest that I had already planned to attend, so I worked it all into one trip.

Got that bike home, actually got it running, but eventually decided that the 80,000 mile engine I had been running for the last 5 years would be more reliable, so I yanked that engine out of the chopper and installed it into the Production frame. What a pain in the ass that was, I remembered why I started building chops in the first place, because it's way easier to work on without all the extra/stock stuff in the way.

Made it out to Bonneville in 2016 and, long story even longer - I made 2 horrible passes with the carburetors dumping too much gas into the engine and when I went to try to fix it, I somehow tossed a screw down through the carb, started the bike, hammered the screw and bent a valve, ending my race week.

[FreakhouseCustoms]

So, I'm dejected because I blew up my bike on the 2nd pass. The good news is that I was going for an open record, so 2 runs was enough for me to claim the AMA 1350-P-PC record at a super soft 104mph. I was sitting in the garage, looking over the carnage and trying to figure out my next step(s) when my phone rings and a buddy of mine says he's got the answers to my problems... "You've GOT to come get it", he says, "It's got your NAME on it!" 



So now, with an entirely different (but complete) motorcycle, I assemble "Sparkle Panties" to run in AMA 1350-A-CF in 2017




2017 would prove to be one of the small successes I had mentioned before.  Even with a bunch of problems, the bike ran all week, it got faster almost every run and I ended up setting the record at 128.437mph. 

[FreakhouseCustoms]

Just a few more photos, mostly because I love them. 

[FreakhouseCustoms]

So... you can see where this is going, right?  I've still got the 2016 Production bike, along with the 2017 A/Special Construction bike... so what's a boy to do?  Splice 'em both together and make a couple runs in the 3000-A-CF class. 

BMST 2018 had more downs than ups, but I did get the bike running for the event and even managed a couple passes (albeit on only one engine).  But at least I got some nice photos. 

[FreakhouseCustoms]

2019 - With a year of "refinement", I came back with some shiny paint and a positive attitude. 



As usual, I had a BLAST on the Salt




As far as my actual racing?  LOL - well, let's just say that the bike came out EXACTLY as I designed it.  It ran very well (as long as foreign materials stayed OUTSIDE of my cylinder walls) and few actual "gremlins" reared their heads.  But she was an ill-handling b!tch the moment I went above 124mph (GPS-verified).  Too much rear gear.  Too heavy.  Too much weight up front. Possibly too much rake.  Too much frontal surface area... the list goes on and on.  Everything that I thought I knew, turned out to be wrong. 

So. Now. Hopefully taking into account everything I did wrong, I'm going to attempt to learn from those mistakes and take that into this next build. 

Here's a quick sketch I did, just to get some ideas out of my head.

[Peter Jack]

We're looking forward to it Fran and have fun with the build. 

Pete

[FreakhouseCustoms]

Thank you, Peter Jack! 

For me, it's ALL about the fun!   

[wobblywalrus]

Those photos are great.  Especially the one with you guys jumping in the air.

Tonight I was looking at the double engine bike and I have some ideas based on experience.  My bike is an air cooled Triumph twin.  Work started on it in 2006 and it uses the standard frame.  Hardly anything on the bike is standard, now, except the frame.  It is hard for me to dump the obsolete engine 'cause nothing else fits in the frame.  Starting over again with a new motor would mean building a whole new bike.

A better idea would be this.  Top quality front wheel, forks, suspension, tank, seat, electrics, and rear fender would be an assembly on a frame with a strong single top tube or box.  The swingarm, engine, rear suspension and rear wheel would bolt together around the lower cradle tubes as a separate assembly.   Both would be aligned and bolted together to make the complete bike.  That is how a lot of modern bikes are put together on the assembly line.

The cradle would be made big and the engine held in by plates and spacers.  Sorta like a Norton featherbed frame.  People put car engines, Harley motors, and all sorts of things in those.  They simply change the plates and spacers.  The frame would be three pieces, the top and the right and left cradle.  Any changes could be done to one without disturbing the others.

My Triumph frame is this way, except it tightly fits only one engine.  One advantage is that it can be held in the correct alignment before the bolts are tightened.  This is a bit more work, but the bike handles primo after it is done.   

[FreakhouseCustoms]

YES SIR! 
I am pretty sure, on Google, my most searched phrase is: "Brit Drag Bikes".   
I simply love the look of bikes like Mr. Hobbs' "Olympus"



Definitely going engine plates on this build, to a) make bench aligning the engines easier, b ) make installing the engines eaiser and c ) increase the structural rigidity.

"Stage Fright" is a perfect example of this as well.  My hard drive is filled with photos I've collected over the years while this build has been brewing in my brain.

[FreakhouseCustoms]

Starting over again with a new motor would mean building a whole new bike.

LOL - like I said at the start of this post, I legitimately have more ambition than I do brains.  While most (smarter-er) people build a bike and tweak and tune it every year to get faster and faster, I've built a whole new bike almost every year because - like a crazy person - I have these ideas literally burning in my brain that I have to get out into the real world.  What I'm starting now is the culmination of a plan set into motion 3 years ago, when I picked up that SECOND Suzuki...  "Other guys have built dual-engine bikes... why not me?"     #moreAmbitionThanBrains

If you could see the stacks and stacks of sketches and drawings, I'm like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters.  Here's one that shows my idea for the "Cradle"



Once I get to that point, I may have 2 separate cradles that bolt together... still figuring out if I will ever have the need to drop just one engine individually, or if I just keep them as one until.

[wobblywalrus]

Tonight I took another look at the Triumph cause I am trying to find room for a blower.  That changed my opinion of a single backbone frame.  That danged backbone box tube is in the path of progress.  A generic and roomy perimeter upper frame might work better.  There needs to be lots of room above and around the top and back of the engine(s) for performance enhancing goodies.  Thanx for posting that dragster photo.  That gives me an idea about blower location. 

[FreakhouseCustoms]

Like Jimmy Durante... "I've gotta million of 'em!"





Once I get over my "double-engine" phase, I've got plans to chase some Classic Blown records as well. 

[donpearsall]

Way to go Fran! This looks like it will be a great build. I will be watching here and subscribing to your YouTube channel too. In addition to your bike building talents, you also have skills in photo and video which is alway a great thing to document your build.

I am building a custom bike for BMST 2021 too, but alas, it only has one engine.

Don

[FreakhouseCustoms]

I am building a custom bike for BMST 2021 too, but alas, it only has one engine.

Haha!  "Only" - the "only" thing running two engines gets you is twice the headache, twice the heartache and double your trouble! 

I can't wait to see what you build and I can't wait to get back to the Salt for BMST 2021!
Here's to a rewarding build season and an even better race season!