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Free Lunch!!

Here’s the ultimate Gimmee. Nothing like it anywhere else in the entire world of racing. As of this writing, December 2007, according to my exhaustive research, the M/BPG 1000cc and M/BPF 1000cc Class records are OPEN. Those current class records are exactly 0.000 MPH!!!
Let’s break that class down a little (again).
M/BPG 1000cc class is Modified (not stock) (Naked bike, no faring allowed) Blown, Pushrod, Gas, 751 to 1000cc. This Class has no record. It seems that NOBODY ever tried. All that is required to be listed in the Bonneville records is for SOMEBODY to make two passes (a record qualifying pass and a back up run) on a class legal motorcycle. Even if you can barely get your scooter to break 0.000 MPH it will still be a Bonneville Class Record. How sweet is that?? Of course, the guy behind you might have his act together. You better bring your best when you come to Bonneville.
The same with the M/PBF 1000cc “Fuel” Record, OPEN-----nobody-ever-bothered.
Now while some pitiful speed will indeed get your name into the record books, I know that pride won’t let you do less than your best. But it’s still a Gimmie, a Freebie, you know, Free Lunch.

MPS-PG 1000cc 169.209 MPH
M-PF 1000cc 150.150 MPH
M/PBG 1000cc OPEN
M/PBF 1000cc OPEN

MPS-PG 1000cc 169.209 MPH
MPS-PF 1000cc 180.823 MPH
MPS-PBG 1000cc 148.981 MPH
MPS-PBF 1000cc OPEN

Let’s try and put that MPS/PBG 1000cc (Norton) 148.981 MPH record in perspective.
First thing to note is: (The Non supercharged) MPS-PG 1000cc record is 169.209 MPH. That is to say that the NON Supercharged 1000cc Pushrod record is 20 MPH FASTER than the Supercharged 1000cc Pushrod Record. Does that seem right to you?
Also, the Naked bike (no Streamlining) Non-Supercharged, pushrod, gas class record is M-PG 1000 146.675 MPH. Put on the best available smooth, streamline, high tech, wind tunnel developed faring and your choice of supercharging and pick up less than 3 MPH over the non-fared, non-blown bike?
I can’t make this stuff up, nobody would believe it! Yet there it is.

Some more upsidedown records for you to consider.

The Non-supercharged pushrod 1350cc class records are faster than the Supercharged classes!
M-PG 1350cc 167.056 MPH
M-PF 1350cc 166.953 MPH
M-PBG 1350cc 155.897 MPH
M-PBF 1350cc 155.475 MPH

MPS-PG 1350cc 172.479 MPH
MPS-PF 1350cc 190.796 MPH
MPS-PBG 1350cc 166.173 MPH
MPS-PBF 1350cc 169.692 MPH

 

1650 CC Pushrod Class Records

The Non-supercharged pushrod 1650cc class records are faster than the Supercharged classes!
M-PG 1650cc 178.387 MPH
M-PF 1650cc 180.180 MPH
M-PBG 1650cc 142.825 MPH
M-PBF 1650cc OPEN

MPS-PG 1650cc 192.199 MPH
MPS-PF 1650cc 205.642 MPH
MPS-PBG 1650cc 176.125 MPH
MPS-PBF 1650cc 170.264 MPH

 

2000cc Pushrod Class Records

There are no 2000cc Supercharged Pushrod records. Why not??
M-PG 2000cc 171.667 MPH
M-PF 2000cc 168.221 MPH
M/PBG 2000cc OPEN
M/PBF 2000cc OPEN

MPS-PG 2000cc 171.962 MPH
MPS-PF 2000cc 195.988 MPH
MPS/BPG 2000cc OPEN
MPS/BPF 2000cc OPEN

 

My point is that pretty much across the board, the Non Supercharged Pushrod Class records are higher than the Supercharged Pushrod Class Records.

That is just SO wrong!
No Harley bashing intended or implied here, it’s simply a statement of mechanical fact that cries out for American V-Twin Justice. Here’s your chance to right a wrong!!

Now perhaps I am drawing the wrong conclusion? Maybe the idea that the supercharged record speeds are low is wrong thinking? Maybe those current records are indeed an expression of excellence?? Maybe after examining the evidence, we should come to the conclusion: “It must be extremely difficult (impossible) to make a supercharged Harley Davidson run well at Bonneville”. It seems it is not possible to make a blown Harley Davidson even run as well as a normally aspirated bike. That doesn’t seem right, but the numbers seem to support that conclusion. If you think about it, there aren’t many blown Harleys on the street. The big torque normally aspirated big twins make is plenty for street use. Because of that, we don’t have an army of Harley tuners across the land learning how to optimize blown V-Twin setups.
It is pretty obvious from the evidence: It isn’t easy to successfully run a Supercharged Harley at Bonneville. If it was easy, it would already have been done to death. But it hasn’t been done to death, it hasn’t even been brought to life. If this discussion were to provoke thought and maybe cause a few blown Harleys to show up at World of Speed, to give it their best shot, I would feel well rewarded for the time spent drawing attention to this unique situation in the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed records.

“Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet.”
Sarah Louise Delany

Consider this your personal written invitation to run Bonneville. I’ve pointed out the soft records, the USFRA offers free tech advice so you will understand what is required to pass Inspection, you already have the scooter parts, so why not??? Fire it up bud, while you’re still (relatively) young enough to enjoy it!!
If this doesn’t inspire you to start preparing a Harley Davidson for Bonneville action, check your pulse! I can only suggest that you put the DVD of “The Worlds Fastest Indian” in the player and watch it ‘till beer goes out of style.

So ---- The USFRA wants you at World of Speed. The volunteers at WOS are as nice a bunch of people as ever hosted a race anywhere (not so much me personally, I’ve been informed that I’m hardheaded). These fine folks want to see you succeed. We want you to dig Bonneville as much as we do. We want to see you do it as safely as possible, we hold fast to a set of safety requirements that have evolved over many years, and many are the product of “incidents”. Some say the rules are Written in Blood, and there is a grain of truth to that. While I can assure you the USFRA will strictly hold you to the safety requirements, I can provide a long list of racers who will vouch for the fact that the USFRA folks will go out of their way to help you find parts, expert advice, fabricators, Etc. (Even at the salt) to help you make it to the starting line.

I’m here to tell you that YOU can “Live the Bonneville Dream” on a working stiff’s budget. Come and run YOUR bike at Bonneville with the USFRA. Those Blown Pushrod motorcycle records need your help.

In invite your comments
email dan@saltflats.com

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