| Author | Message | ||
     Road_thing |
Scott: Make sure the petcock on your tank is above the float bowl inlet! Can't tell for sure from the pictures, but it looks like it might be close... Nice work all the way through on this bike--thanks for posting the pictures! rt | ||
| Blake |
Good call RT. I'd say make sure it is "well" above the float bowl inlet. I'd also be careful about assuming that just moving the bottom of the tank above the cylinder head fins will automatically ensure that airflow will reach those cylinder head fins. Air tends to flow around and away from obstructions rather than sticking closely to boundaries, especially for sharp leading edges. | ||
| Blake |
Is this fun stuff or what? | ||
| Isiahstites |
Blake and RT, Thank you both for your comments and concerns and all around helpful informative attitude, it is very much appreciated! At this point I do not know if I will change the top motor mount right away as it worked fine last year and has been helpful on my choppers in the past with much larger motors in them, however I will research this heavily and come to my own conclusions, again thanks for the info I always welcome any comments. In regards to the petcock and float bowl, I will be running a fuel pump and pressure regulator this year for this very reason. And as to airflow if you look at the fairing I am running there may not be much airflow to the motor to begin with. I will analyze this once the fairings are mounted and in place. At this point I may be adding an oil cooler to try and keep the motor at a moderate temperature. Thanks for the interest guys! Scott | ||
| Jackbequick |
Is the fairing seen in the photos above open in the front? Like to the sides and behind the front wheel? Its hard to visualize what is going on there with just the photo from the side. At any rate, I'd think you'd want some air flow into the fairing and out to the rear for engine cooling, wouldn't you? Also, looking at the front engine mounts in the first few photos, are those rigid mounts? Or are they soft and allow some movement? I guess if the front and rear lower mounts are rigid, the upper mount is sort of triangulating all of that and also supporting some of the weight. Reading about this here got me looking at the upper mount on my somewhat stripped down Dyna today. It is sort of interesting in that the upper mount on that provides a point of rigidity across the frame (centered between the cylinders and restraining left to right movement) but does not appear to be intended to provide much or any fore and aft bracing against the engines "rocking" couple. Of course that is an EVO engine and quite a bit different than the XL. Have you had that running in that frame before? And if so, what was the vibration like? Jack | ||
| Isiahstites |
There will be a small portion that is open on the front of the fairing. Yes I would like some air running through the fairing onto the motor, a bridge I will cross when I get to it. Rigid mounts front and rear. Yes, I had the bike running last year and made about 10-15 dyno passes and one pass on the track, the vibration was fine. Scott | ||
| Isiahstites |
All of the welding on the gas tank is finished and I made brackets to hold the tank on the backbone. I still need to pressure test the tank and I found out that my guesstimation of how much gas the tank would hold was wrong, it holds a gallon and a half.   I finished making the battery box this weekend and still have to make something to hold the bottom of the box to the top.    I am almost all done with all of the fabrication portion of the build so things should start to move quickly in the next couple of weeks. I still need to make fairing brackets to hold and support the body work as well making mounts for the fuel pump and regulator. Scott | ||
| Isiahstites |
Also found out today that the original record of 184 mph that was going to take quite a great pass to beat is incorrect, the record is actually 178.170, still difficult however not as hard as 184. Scott (Message edited by isiahstites on March 30, 2008) | ||
| Jackbequick |
Is this page from SCTA not up to date? http://www.scta-bni.org/SCTA-NewWeb/Bonneville/BNI recs_bikes.htm It shows A-PG 1350 as: A-PG - NRHS VTwin Performance - Buell - 9/07 - 165.370 Jack | ||
| Isiahstites |
That is up to date, Susan Wilson set that record at the last SCTA event of the year. She broke a record that stood for ten years. Scott | ||
| Jackbequick |
There are some amazing names and dates on that page, I see Cal Rayborn still holds a record from 1970. That is a nice memorial for one of the best riders America ever produced. Jack | ||
| Littlefield |
And Bert Munroe still has the record on his Indian. Cool story. | ||
| Isiahstites |
Good news! Even though I bought and expected to use the fuel pump and regulator it turns out I do not need to the bottom of the tank is about an inch higher than the highest point on the float bowl!  I picked up a set of 25 Dzus fasteners, springs and grommets for $16 off of ebay.  I finished the mounting bracket for the battery box to keep the top and bottom together.   I ordered and received my Zero Gravity windshield for my fairing. $99, not bad for a custom windshield.  I cut some material from the from fairing to make it sit down on the bike. Hopefully this weekend I can get the fairing mounted and in there final resting place.  | ||
| Doerman |
I am really enjoying following the build progress. Thanks for sharing with us. Asbjorn | ||
| 46champ |
Scott what happened to the landracing.com website? I guess Jon must have gotten sick and tired of running the zoo, although I thought it was pertty mellow compared to some sites. I am planning on going to the Bub meet and most of the information I have obtained about landspeed racing I obtained their. What do I do now? | ||
| Isiahstites |
I don't know what happened, I am a moderator there and emailed him to see what happened and about potentially purchasing the site and he read my email and did not reply. If I can help let me know. Scott | ||
| 46champ |
Thanks Scott I'll keep it in mind. I think I have most of it figured out, but I'll get to the middle of August and suddenly realize i forgot something importance. I've really enjoyed watching your bike go together twice. Do you ever feel like you should be running rear suspension? I'm going to run the struts I have from the dragbike days we'll see how it words. Dana | ||
| Isiahstites |
No, I don't feel like I need suspension. I have owned and ridden rigid choppers and they don't really bother me none.........there are plenty of bikes that run Bonneville with no suspension and have gone very fast. John Minono is the first to come to mind at 256 mph. Scott | ||
| Rasta_dog |
What is your MPH goal this year this year with the full fairing set up and what class are you racing in? | ||
| Isiahstites |
The front fairing is mounted and the back has been cut on and is close to being mounted.  Frontal area.......looks fast!  Quick releases at all three mounting locations.  Here is what holds the front in position.  Here is what the front tube slides in for the nose of the fairing.  Mounting locations  Side view, the pin is pulled and the fairing comes right off. The whole process takes about 15 seconds to get the fairing off.  I also made them adjustable so I can change the airflow along the side of the fairing, I can push it out or pull it in.  Started to cut the clip-ons so they can be a tighter fit with-in the fairing, they fit now but are really tight so to make sure I am not questioned about them being close I am moving them.  On a side note, I quit using my mig welder because a friend was giving me grief about it since I have a tig I do not use, so I have been practicing my tig skills and they are coming along. All of the mounting brackets I did with the tig, not perfect but strong and functional. | ||
| Isiahstites |
Ok , I got the handlebars cut and re-welded together. I have only been using my tig welder as of late and my skills are starting to improve.  Here is the start of the seat/support for the fairing. It is 16 gauge and since I don't have a break I cut a groove in the places I wanted a bend and then bent it by hand.  Cut to shape.  Welded the seems back up so I would not have any flex in them.  Mounted to the frame.  Here is how the fairing is held on to the newly made seat pan. These are dzus buttons which lock and unlock with a 1/4 turn. These will allow fast removal of the fairing. I will add a couple of these to the sides as well.  Here is the front and rear fairings mounted and un-trimmed.  | ||
| Isiahstites |
Here are the lower rear fairing mounts, just pull the pin on each side and the fairing is off quickly.    I cut the opening for the new windscreen.  Then drilled the holes in both the screen and the fairing.  Here it is installed.  Here is the riders view.  I got the portion for my legs trimmed as well as installed the new front fender and some more trimming on the front fairing so the fender would not hit it while turning.  And a front view.  | ||
| Road_thing |
Sweet. Keep up the good work! rt | ||
| Turnagain |
Damn! Did not expect this when you started this thread. Ever thought of a Rich Oliver rhino type appendage on the fender? Might divert some of the wind... | ||
| Isiahstites |
Yep, I had a great idea to divert some of the wind and then read the rulebook and found out stuff like that is illegal. Scott | ||
| Isiahstites |
After being sick all week I was finally able to get back out into the garage and get some work done today. I got the belly pan fitted and installed.  Here is what is holding it all together.    Here is the bike on the ground.  | ||
| Slaughter |
Been silent too long here myself! Amazing progress... fun to watch it step-by-step. Where's the first pic of you sitting in the seat, bike on the stands, fairings in place? About time, I'd say! Way cool. Looking forward to the continuing saga. (Message edited by slaughter on April 27, 2008) | ||
| Isiahstites |
I didn't like the way the new exhaust I built awhile back turned out as far as fit and finish and I didn't weld it as good as I could have, so I remade the whole thing! I wanted it to be right and it was bugging me..... Here is the new one wrapped and with the 02 bung welded into place. I welded the pipe and bung with my tig this time not my mig, I took my time building this exhaust and am much happier........I will sleep tonight!!   Here is what it looks like with the fairing in place.   | ||
| Rasta_dog |
Looks friggin' sweet! Can you slash cut them so that the tips are flush with the cut out in the bodywork? (Hope my silly suggestions to you're awesome project don't annoy you. Not trying to be an arm chair QB.  ) | ||
| 46champ |
Scott you ran a collector on the exhaust last year. Is this tuning advice from Aaron Wilson? I've noticed that most of his bikes are running straight pipes and they all seem to be the same length. Just wondering? |
