| Author | Message | ||
     Paulinoz |
 Lake Gairdner Speed Trials - 2004 Race dates: 8th - 12th March 2004 Team Members Charles Cheesman, Mornington Vic (1400 km from lake), Transportation Ross Northwood, Ayr Qld (3100 km from lake), Rider Paul Rogers, Adelaide SA (600 km from lake), Owner, Rider Bike Buell 2004 XB12R modifications: nil totally stock. Preparation Required: Steering Damper required on over 125 mph attempts, lanyard kill switch, safety wire front and rear axles and pinch bolts and Racing numbers. Sponsors Team Elves USA http://www.teamelves.com Wilson Signs South Australia Thanks to Ben from Peter Stevens Adelaide The trip started for me Friday 5/3/04 load up the 4WD and trailer that Charles had just driven 800 km from Victoria. Gear including Bike, spare’s, tools, 60 lt of bike fuel (average fuel use of 30 lt per 100 km running on the course), camping gear, barbeque, food, water 100 lt frozen in 2 lt bottles, beer, pit structure, Ross was bringing the 240 volt generator set, solar powered fridges, sat phone, leaf blower, pit vehicle, etc, etc, etc. Drive to Port Augusta 300 km to met up with Ross from Far North Queensland his trip started at 3.30 a.m. Thursday, driving 2800 km in 2 days. Spent the night at Port Augusta Caravan Park in a small cabin, next time it will be the Motel, to small, to hot and to far from the bar. Up early Saturday 6/3/04 morning for breakfast at the a road house only to realize our beer consumption rate on the first night had us running short for the full week, after enquires the earliest we could buy more beer was at 9 a.m. so hurry up and wait for pub to open, this became the catch phrase for the week, hurry up and wait.   Ross is back there in the dust somwhere 10 am we turned left at Iron Knob onto the dirt road and headed towards the salt lake some 180 km up the very dusty, sometimes rutted, crossed by cattle grids and gates track that passes for the main road in these parts of Australia. Good job plan A to put bike in back of lowered Falcon Ute and run both on the salt had been abandoned, the front spoiler and 18” tires wouldn’t have lasted 10 km on these roads. (Very surprised to see the two Victorian’s who rode a Sporty and Buell up to the salt lake, bloody good effort considering the track condition).  Charles 4WD with trailer and half the gear  About 12.30 pm we get our first glimpse of the salt lake still 10 kms away, can you say excited, you bloody bet. Met the local Mount Ive Station workers busy converting a large shed at the lakes edge into a fast food restaurant to feed the spectators and racers who don’t want to be bothered with cooking, good value to from all reports $10.00 for an evening meal with desert. With directions to the racers campsite we backtrack some 11 km to find a small city being constructed in the middle of nowhere. Hot and cold running showers (salty bore water of course) Some teams madly adding to the construction of permanent sleeping quarters all based around old shipping containers. Tents and cooking facilities hastily erected and trailer packed with gear for the pits on the salt the next day we sit down have a beer and (hurry up and wait). The social side of the campsite shows itself and we are soon meeting teams from all over Australia. (This is one thing that does not happen as much at Bonneville USA as after being on the salt the Teams just blend into the tourist scene of Wendover. Sunday 7/3/04 morning up early to get out on the lake drive back down the track to the lake to be stuck in a traffic jam at the lakes edge (hurry up and wait).  Every vehicle must use a leaf blower to remove all the red dust from the tires and bodywork to prevent a red scar of dust running out from the shore to the pit area, and this seemed to work very well. The same feeling as when we first caught a glimpse of the salt yesterday but even better we are now driving out towards the pit area some 3 miles from the entrance to the lake and it is only just visible on the horizon.  Ross was clocked at 62 KPH on this pits special. Hurry out to lake to set up pit area and get bike ready for tech inspection then wait for scrutineering to begin (hurry up and wait). After getting bike checked and certified safe to run. Time to pull air filter and clean out the red dust the bike ingested on the trailer on the way up. Monday 8/3/04 (first day of racing) up early breakfast cooked and eaten before sunup, best way to avoid the flies, apparently this neck of the woods is the breeding ground for the whole of Australia at least it seems that way. Out on the salt early to avoid the rush and wait for drivers meeting at 10.30a.m. After questions and answers on track orientation and safety run off areas it’s into the cars for a drive to start line for procedures and down the track for a slow speed look.  end of part one | ||
| Paulinoz |
Weather up to this point has been hot and wind nil. Start time set at 12.30 pm and then a cross wind starts to blow from the west to strong for bikes to run but some cars started doing some <125 mph test runs. At this time the organization where having some problems with the 5 mile mark timing sensor and listening to the radio conversations it was evident that they had little experience with electronic systems, I volunteered Ross and myself to help and we where taken to the other side of the track to help out. The bottom line after a bit of testing was the in the control wire and the good new section of approx 2 miles that had been laid down would have fixed the problem except that at some stage the wire had been broken and after Ross walked the line he found the break had been repaired by knotting the wire together without striping the ends first, and a section five foot long had no insulation on it, with all the timing sensors now working we where stuck on the far side of the track for a couple of hours at the Timing Van got a good insight to that side of the event. The wind was getting stronger gusting well over 20 mph and each time it did the track was closed, we returned to the pits during one such shut down. On returning to the campsite that evening we discovered that our sleeping tent now had roof ventilation where the broken carbon fiber poles now stuck out. After a beer to contemplate our predicament the inner tent was rigged inside the shade tent and wrapped in blue tarps to keep the gusting wind out.  This survived the increasing, shifting wind throughout the night although a few big gusts threatened to completely destroy it. Eskies, tyres, gas bottles, food storage bins were used to hold it down, also tying it to the vehicles helped. The ground was very sandy and dry, the short tent pegs we had, could easily be pulled out of the ground and would not hold. Tuesday 9/3/04 Wind had gone around to the South (Tail Wind) 15 mph steady track opened for runs but no records counted due to tail wind. My first run on the XB12R was for 125 mph license, this short little unconventional Buell just went up through the gears till I hit 6,200 rpm calculated revs for a 125 mph and did it without any effort at all, looking around I was about to pass the first mile marker still another mile to the timed section start, I had time to look around at the timing hut and the pits and still not into the timed section yet, it’s funny there isn’t much to do at that speed when your not looking everywhere for a radar or an coming car. The time 125.8 mph was the time spot on for a license run. Back to the pits to swap over with Ross for his first run, I had been telling him about my rides on the M2 Buell in Booneville last year one arm wrapped around the front forks to hang on legs out the back and face planted in the tank to try to be streamlined “Forget all that Ross, just ride it like you stole it and you will be alright”. It was so planted in the run it was almost a nonevent. This bloke Erik obviously does know what he is doing in regard to chassis design. Ross ran a 126.8 mph license run, both of us ready to see what we can do tomorrow. In the pits we start talking about the rev limiter I had felt a couple of hiccups during the pass and so had Ross. The Limiter starts a soft limit at 6,200 and comes on hard between 6,800 and 7,000 rpm and chops you back to 6,200 rpm. Tried disconnecting the speed sensor that feeds the computer and Speedo, this appeared to make a difference on the test track but we where limited to 50 mph on the test track so limited to second gear on the limiter runs.  Wednesday 9/3/04 Up very early despite some moans and groans from team members, I was determined to be first run of the day to avoid start line arguments of the previous day, on the start line 7.10 am to watch the sun come up, another hour before anyone else turned up, program start time of 8 am was a miss print (hurry up and wait)   Finally did my second run at 8.43 and took the record at 125.243 mph. Ross got his second run at 10.15 am 124 mph and change. At this point we decided to go back to the pits and have a talk about what to do next. The bike would not run any faster with the current rev limiter setup so a decision was made to call it a day, pack up and head for home. We had achieved the result set out for at the start and pushed the record up by 11 mph (would have liked to go faster but there is always next year). A very uneventful drive to Port Augusta for an overnight stop, a well deserved shower, followed by a meal and drink in the bar. A bloody good time had by all, met some great people, and looked at some interesting machines of both the 2 and 4 wheel variety. Special mention goes to the 5.5 metre long motorcycle,  (for the want of a better word). Constructed by the boy’s from the Silverton Hotel, Home of the Mad Max Movies near Broken Hill. I think this is where they got their basic ideas. Two years of drinking beer every Friday night to come up with the concept, 11 months to build it and a raffle where the loser has to ride it.   Alloy Leyland V8 with a blower on top, coupled to an automatic gearbox, driving a differential with one side locked and the other with a cog with chain drive to the rear wheel. Suspension nil but that 5.5 metre frame had enough flex to soak up a lot of the bumps. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Most excellent report Paul!! Sounds like you hade a great time! More pictures? Brad | ||
| Roc |
Great fun! Nice work gentlemen. | ||
| Peter |
Cool! I'm still not jealous. Ya bastards.... | ||
| Court |
Awesome.....Please give Mssrs. Cheesman and Northwood. Buell is a funny world, eh? Vickie is laughing that the 3 from Oz go racing and I've met them all! The event looked like an incredible adventure....more pictures and more stories of Ross drinking beer whilst waiting...I know there are some great stories there! All the best, Court P.S. - how do you think they'd handle the likes of FMJH Downunder?  | ||
| Blake |
Way cool report Paul. Thanks for sharing. Will be interesting to learn what the deal is with the rev limit. I was under the mistaken impression that it would not hinder top speed runs in 5th gear. | ||
| Henrik |
Awesome report, Paul. Congratulations on the records and on a well planned and well executed event More eski and campsite/team stories please. Henrik | ||
| Court |
Paul: My apologies for my congratulatory phone call...this time difference thing screws me all up. Good morning Mate. Court (next time I'll call Ross) | ||
| Peter |
Don't apologise to him. He wakes me up regularly and thinks it's a great joke. Backfired on him the other day though when I wasn't home and Ingrid had to answer the phone. Hey mate.......  | ||
| Pilot |
Court Mate, international code,country code, 7 , 47835680 .I have a question regarding a certain signed poster from the 20th I like to discuss with you.And no problem with FMJH in Oz we will look after him and any other like minded individuals.A great time was had by all.If you have any stories of Ross drinking beer,I can say that they are all lies,cause if Ross drank beer he would be one sick puppy.Next time I attend this event it will be by aircraft as the driving long distances in short times really takes it out of you.Come on down next year we will look after you.Make plans now. | ||
| Rocketman |
Great stuff Oz Buellers!!! Paul, Leyland? Sounds like Rover (Buick), but how fast did that thing go? Rocket | ||
| Paulinoz |
Paul, Leyland? Sounds like Rover (Buick), but how fast did that thing go? Had only done 2 runs by the time we left both 110 mph. They had a problem with the torque reaction of the motor when they got on the gas the whole thing tipped to the right, and when they got off the gas it would then lean back the other way. Still waiting for the full results and will post more pictures when they arrive. | ||
| Court |
Ross: You poster is packed and ready to go. What else do you need with it? By the way, I am banned from calling Australia until I can sort out the time difference. Ever heard someone mumble "G'Day in their sleep? I have. Congratulations! . . . I'm sure your clients were dying to see how you did! Court | ||
| Firemanjim |
Why,are we going somewhere?I am all for racing Downunder,just have to send me.And I have no problem with waiting and drinking beer. | ||
| Rocketman |
I know that sensation! I had a TVR S1 that did it even at moderate speed. 110 on that thing has got to be some big kahuna's. Great pic's mate. Rocket | ||
| Pilot |
Court Mate,Just the poster Thanks Mate,You can deliver it in person if you so desire.Better still send it with that super model you keep on talking about. | ||
| Pilot |
Court Mate,Just to clear up any confusion,I meant that the supermodel should deliver it in person if you can not make it.Not put the supermodel in with the poster.Just had a bad mental picture of being hauled off to customs and being charged with people smuggling. You know what I mean. | ||
| Court |
The "Supermodel" is Choptop's gal. The reference I'd made was to Bryce's girlfriend Jocyelyn,who was the Sak's lingerie model. She spent a month in South Africa and a month in Italy having pictures taken of her .... well "bountiful" self. No, I don't have any. What I DO have is the comfort that I raised a couple smart kids. My favorite quote from Bryce "when the words 36DD and "perky" appear in the same sentence, it's a gift of youth". Kids . . . I think I'll ground him. Poster will leave next Saturday. Court | ||
| Pilot |
Court Mate,Thanks for the info. | ||
| Paulinoz |
Phill a bloke from Broken Hill (same town as the long bike and home of Mad Max One) with his left leg removed from the knee down rode this Rat Harley to over 152 mph on nitrous.   edited by PaulinOz on March 18, 2004 | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Hey Paul, I am curious, I know you were busy riding and all, but any idea what your speedo was registering on your runs when you topped out? I was doing some number crunching and came up with what may be a 12-15% error in the speedo, I have had mine pegged at 140 on a few occasions when the risk was very low. Using that number a 125 actual is a 15% error...Just curious if yours worked out the same. | ||
| Pilot |
Ross here Mate,When I did the 125 run the speedo was registering 210kmh.100kmh =63 mph.Yes I feel that there is some wheel spin on the salt.I have checked the odo against kilometre markers and it is that dam close it do not matter .Also when I was riding the soft limiter was working and I did not want to hit the hard limit as it drops you below the soft limit and slows you down. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Thanks Ross I appreciate the honesty and the perspective. I wondered how much wheel spin there was. I know on my bike from the time the soft limiter hits til the hard limiter hits is an eyeblink. So if you were managing to keep it in that range I give you major applause. 210kph looks roughly like 130mph...so it isn't off by all that much...hmmmm....things to ponder. |
