When a bike shuts off during a run, most riders sit up, pull in the clutch, and check the bike over as you are coasting down the track. The smart ones go for the edge of the track to minimize oil that might be spilling on the track. I've run at New England Dragway with my Hondamatic and forgot to turn on the gas. Got off of the starting line, but the motor died somewhere between 5 and 6 grand in low gear. The bike used an external starter. I didn't go forward on the seat when the motor stopped. It just slowly slowed down. I made it halfway down the shutdown area before it stopped going forward. It was a long push onto the return road where I got some towing help.
Bike was a little quicker than Sam's running 11.8's back then. I knew from the sound of the motor what I had forgotten to do. Both Sam's and my bike have higher than stock stall speeds. With my bigger motor, I saw about 4k max on the starting line. Bill has seen a little over 3k with his similar torque converter setup. Yes, at high rpms when your motor stops, the rotating mass will help to slow it down to below the stall speed.
If Sam's motor had stopped, the logical thing to do was to pull over to the side, check over the bike, and try to restart it. You can't restart it in gear. I didn't see his head moving around when he sat up. If it was running when track officials got there, I'd doubt that the motor had died. It's possible, but unlikely. Coasting at 45 would have gotten him just beyond the finish line with the motor shut off in my opinion.
We have the options of too much throttle, too much rear brake, mechanical issue(s), or foreign substance on the track. There are no other options that I'm aware of that could cause it. We've dismissed all options.
I apologize for stating that the rear brake would have instantly locked up the rear wheel. On my bikes, it would have. Having less brake line pressure than my setups have would allow a little lever modulation that might have helped slow down the bike. If you're having a problem going down the track, few would gently apply the rear brake as your adrenaline increases your strength. Both Bill and Sam were warned not to use the rear brake to slow down as there is a possibility of locking up the rear wheel. I checked the rear tire for flat spots after I saw the video. I couldn't find any. There was no rear brake light on during the run.
Bill and Sam have run very similar ET's with the two bikes. Most of the time, Sam runs a little quicker. Bill has the quicker 60' times and Sam has the mph edge. Bill pulled away from Sam fairly quickly on that run. Something wasn't right early on with the pass. I don't have any answers and hope that I haven't been thought to attack anyone.
There are now flowers in Sam's room. It's not an easy thing to do as Sam's name is not beside his door. They have a really nice person in the gift shop who went the extra mile. My main concern is Sam getting better. My minor concern is that there isn't any problem with the bike that might cause Bill to have a spill. That's why I agreed to drive the bike in the pits to test the throttle, motor, and brakes. I don't have answers. We're all concerned with Sam's well being. He's left a strong positive opinion with all of us on this forum. Let's hope that the good news continues.
