Topic: Drag Bike / The Big 4 Express.

[Alan F.]

(Grin!)

[Terry in Australia]

He has a go kart and only knows two speeds, idle and wide open. It comes naturally.

There are more speeds than idle and wide open? Well I've learned something today!

[Don R]

 Here is my thousand dollar boost gauge for fifty bucks. Not a good pic, the cardboard is reflecting in the chrome. It has a few specs, may or may not rub out. I'll try aluminum foil.

[Don R]

 Actually the Grandson knows the two speeds, idle and scare his Momma half to death. She used to drive the thing and doesn't remember it going this fast.

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, it does look a bit "Steam Punk-ish" Don. I don't know about you, but every car and bike I've ever owned has had at least one "Max Speed Test", the fastest I've seen on a speedo was 170 MPH on my Honda RC51-SP1, and it actually felt quite secure riding it at that speed. I must be getting old though, I might have to just settle for a dyno run on my new Kawasaki Z1-B hotrod build, because riding a Z1 at WOT is a bit of a handful in stock form, and I reckon this thing has around 50% more RWHP, or maybe more, with no frame mods, stock suspension and brakes. I think a dyno card is a better choice than a hospital chart, or a nice epitaph.....

[Alan F.]

Goodbye youth, hello wisdom.

[Don R]

 I went 171 in the quarter mile but it was in a full roll cage dragster. With the big motor and a perfect day my daughter went 182 in it.
 I did go 95mph on the Sandcast before common sense set in. A miles long downhill road with picked crops and a good view of both sides of the road. It was on winter gas with stabil in it. I think it still had the 4-2 hooker header back then. The mufflers sounded different after that day. They're on the big bore blue 72 now. 

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, I've never had any desire to go drag racing, seems like a lot of time waiting around for a few seconds of fun, but it's definitely the safest form of motorsport Don. Like you, I have my favourite country roads where I know that if I have an "incident", I'm only going to hurt myself and the cow/Kangaroo/Wombat/tree that crossed my path whilst whatever I'm riding is at maximum warp.

I love riding my K0 at silly speeds because it really loves to rev, which is probably not a great idea as it'd be hard to find another engine for it if I shoved a rod out thru the block, but I'm usually mechanically sympathetic enough to not risk that kind damage, unless I miss a gear when I'm wanging thru 'em.

[Don R]

  Racing is a lot of investment in time and money for a short time on track. It's ironic when you realize the goal of a drag race is to spend less time doing it than the guy in the other lane.
  I was shopping for a less expensive racing oil last night, an oil change is around a hundred $ using 6 quarts of Royal Purple.

[Terry in Australia]

I've seen Royal Purple oil here but I've never used it, however I see it's very popular in the US, so it must be good. Sometimes I think you're better off spending the money.

[PeWe]

Is Red Line oil a cheaper alternative?

[Terry in Australia]

I've been using Redline assembly lube for the last few years. I bought it from "Hammer Dan" at Hammer Performance when I bought my Harley Sportster 1250 kit, and then the 1275 kit (neither of which I've installed as yet) as they'd only give me a warranty on the kits if I used Redline on assembly. Seems to work well in Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki engines.

[RAFster122s]

Summit Racing carries Redline products... Their MTL is fantastic in manual gearboxes. Put it in a gearbox that had a severe cold weather event where I bwent to put it in reverse and their was a sliding sleeve in the shifter that prevented you from accidentally going into reverse you slid the plastic ring that pulled the plunger rod or sleeve that allowed you to shift into reverse. Well in -10f or -15f air temps the shifter lost all semblance of having a shift pattern. You could put it in gear but only through muscle memory of where it was. Also the transmission had a while is very cold weather until it warmed up. The synthetic MTL fixed both of these and was quiet and no more issues with spaghetti shifter and the car felt peppier and shifted smoother as well. It blew my mind...
I was sold on them after that and used it and their rear diff oil. Only thing was you had to ensure all your seals were in good shape or it would leak.

So, I would not hesitate to use their products.

David

[Don R]

 A friend tried to hook me up with a redline oil sponsorship a while back. I think we were too late in the season.
  I nabbed a small pack of white fiberglass insulation for the RC baffle today. I've used it before, it lasts long enough. Could not find rock wool.

[Don R]

I contacted the PO of the turbo bike, he's going to apply for the lost title and get it to me at my cost. I'd prefer to pay for it than not get it at all. That was the agreement when I bought it.

[Don R]

 I rode the 836 bike down the driveway a couple times today. I let it build up heat run a while and cool down inside. I'm pleased the smoothbores aren't leaking but it needs a leakdown or compression test.

[RAFster122s]

Good news on the title front and running without leaks is good...

[Don R]

   I had wondered about the engine smoking on drag bike #3 so I tried a compression test. I can't get the big hose threads started on #2 and #3 so I made a spark plug adapter to an 1/8" nipple and connected my leak down gauge to it.
   That snap on long hose compression tester never reads over #75 on any Honda I've ever checked so it's just as well.
   Two cylinders barely leak at all, maybe 1%, one leaks 3% and one 4%, this was tested cold in the shop of course. I used the adapter to inject a half oz. of marvel mystery oil in each hole per my brother's suggestion. I did not re-test after but will before putting the plugs back in. I did spin it over a few times to spread the MMO.
  I did just bump the motor until the valves were closed so I'm not positive about the piston location either.
  All four plugs looked black and wet, not sure if it's fuel or oil. It had spent some time idling in the driveway.

[Don R]

 I went back out and tried the compression gauge again. It apparently blew out the seal around the bleed off button. Zeeero psi now. That might explain the consistently low numbers, I was blaming the gauge, it's the bleeder.
 I blew out the gauge and bleed down valve, some goo came out. It almost seals good now. Whoodathunkit?
 I remembered to check my Lester mags, they have TL in the serial number. They currently have tube tires and tubes on them. 3.00X18 and 2.15X19. made in late 76, early 77.  130x80x18 and 110x90x19 Metzlers, very old. I'm thinking going to TubeLess radial tires would be the hot ticket. This one would be the hot street bike.

[Terry in Australia]

I did a "cold" compression test on my Kawasaki Z1-B last week Don, 150, 120, 120, 150. Hmmmnn, I squirted a little oil into each cylinder and it was 150 right across all 4. Yesterday after I only ran it for a minute (I had to move it) it was 190,180,150,150. I should prrrobably worry, but considering that the bike has now done a total of 5 miles since I put it together, I'll wait until I clock up at least one 100 miler. I suspect strongly that the pistons and rings just need some bedding in. The pistons only have one compression ring, which is interesting.

[Don R]

 My brother's snap on gauge has long hose adapters, I can't get the threads started on the middle cylinders and would rather not know than cross thread one.
 I'll be shopping for something that fits easily and reads consistently.

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, the Kawasaki is a lot easier with the position of the spark plug holes, so I just use the steel extension tube with the rubber plug, and hold it in as tightly as I can.

[Don R]

 I tapped an ngk plug body for 1/8" pipe threads, screwed in a nipple and a 45* elbow. The leakdown gauge works fine but there's no Schrader valve to hold the compression.   
  Loose parts report,
  The front double disc'd Lester would not turn on the axle, I noticed the speedo drive modification didn't fit and everything was mashed together. I hand fitted the drive to the rotor, made sure the adapter was fixed by a little grinding filing and blacksmithing, then removed the double disc and washed both Lesters in the parts tank. Soap and water of course. After the barn dirt got washed off, I can see the front still has the sticker on it. They have Continental twins on them, too bad they're so old.
  These parts were stored in a barn near the plows and I'm pretty sure they caught the oil spray when the plow was put up for winter.
 

[Terry in Australia]

Well tyres are cheap insurance Don. You don’t need to spend big bucks, I have Stinko’s on my K0, K2, 750A, Z1 etc, and they’re more than adequate, I’ve seen the naughty side of 100 MPH on my 750’s with no issues, so it’s not worth cheaping out and running crappy old tyres. I did keep using the tyres on my Triumph Rocket III until they were 13 years old, but they cost 💲900 ($600 USD) per set, so I had to get every last mile out of them, and they were still in reasonable condition when I bought new ones last year.

[Don R]

 The front Lester had dual discs with mismatched drill patterns. I plan to match the rotor I like best and drill another one to match it. 105-3/8" holes.
  I agree on hi buck tires, my gl1000 got michelin pilots but I have one of everything on the other bikes, even a set of duro's. Dunlop, Avon, Shinko, Conti twins on the nugget.