Topic: Classic Bonneville Racer

[Sam Green Racing]

A team from the UK got back at the weekend after the other one was flooded out a few weeks ago.
They had been planning for years and never turned a wheel, cost them a small fortune. 

Sam.

[scottly]

they only got three runs in.

Any word on how the bike performed on the three runs?

[Sam Green Racing]

It didn't say Scott, just that they only got the three runs in.

Sam.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

We can't keep the masses waiting forever but I'll let Dennis fill you in on the details. I rolled in Sunday near 6pm. Greg/Ofreen had already come and gone with Pimpzilla. Sorry that I didn't get a chance to say hello. I missed all of Saturday and Sunday. Zack/Grasscutter and his dad Bill were there.

This is what our Monday morning looked like at the end of the access road. LAKE Bonneville Salt Flats.



About what seems like 5 miles into the no wake zone, dry land began appearing and 1 short course plus an abbreviated long course had been prepped. Only one run, the maiden Salt voyage of Old Scrambler's 750 was possible and that was near 7pm. That was extremely lucky to happen at this rate. Very soggy salt/brine. The wind was above the 11mph limit all day long. We sat on the course awaiting out fate for 11 hours! Even I can't BS for 11 hours!



Wednesday WAS looking better. The wind from the north had shifted to southerly. The boat ramp area had dried up somewhat. More land appeared BUT ONLY IN THAT AREA! The pits took the hit as the wind moved the water in but the track was still above the water.





#$%*!

Mobile pit time. Hitch up the trailer and head for the pre-staging line to get out of the water. No test track so no plug chops. It was popping in mid-range before it came on the cam and it seemed to come alive somewhat above mid-range but Dennis had said it was running out of gas above mid-range with 125's in those Mikuni 34's on Monday's run which only produced a 103. Switch out to the Iridium plugs. Brand new untested engine with only a few minutes on it. The consensus was that it wasn't wound high enough to utilize the specially made cam so it was bogging in 4th and 5th. Solution was to wind it up to get in the powerband when it was needed! The first run then produced a 113. Nothing stellar but an improvement to the new unknown untested bike. So maybe we are getting somewhere!? It was decided to up the jets to eliminate the running out of gas. In went the 135 jets. So late that day another run finally happened right before they shut the track. It seems the 'running out of gas' turned out to be too much gas and Dennis only netted a 100mph. Again, no way to do a WOT plug chop.  In anticipation of getting an early start in the morning Dave went the other direction and installed 120's as well as changing the front sprocket to a 17 from the 18. We also decided it was geared too much with the 18 and 30 something on the rear.  Wednesday was to be good but it turned out to be goodbye. There had been a slight rain storm on the track overnight. The early morning decision was to wait until 1pm to reassess the track conditions and make a decision on whether or not racing was going to occur that day. It was not to happen....

Stir crazy to say the least. The Japanese rider, last name of Honda, had run a 124 and a 125 back up run in their class. The record was open so he had his bike in impound for an engine check. They were not the builder and didn't know how to take everything apart. Dave and I provided SOHC4.net advice while Dennis helped a rider tear down his Suzi 1000. Then it became 1pm and the decision was rendered. We loaded up and headed out only to reappear in 2015.

Here's the other 750's. The new record holder, Mr Honda. During tear down help I found out he is .50 oversize with a Yamiya Yoshimura Daytona cam in a stock 392 head. Dennis will smoke his ass next year if his remains the same.

 

Our New Zealand buddy that did 88 last year on a junk yard dog made to look like a Mad Max style bike. He barely topped 100 this time. He really has no clue but what he does have is FUN.



Inside this trailer is a CycleX Kenny kit NICE 915 build. No picture though. And I thought I was the only one that dropped serious dough on a 750. He must be as crazy as me but he has a good time too  He ran a 135mph run. It was too nice to corrode like that!



As we left town Dennis and Dave got a head start on me. I pulled over to set my nav unit. 5 miles down the road I spotted them, came up close then nailed the Vette. I wanted them to see what speed he will be running next year! Blew by them at 135 

Until next year! You guys really gotta show up! Mike, Kenny, Bill, Scott, Keith, Frank and everyone else. Never enough pit crew, BS or beer when friends get together.





 



 

[ofreen]

Hey Jerry, sorry I missed you.  I headed out about 2 pm and had to ride 330 miles to get back home.  I hated to go but had to be back to work Monday at 6:30 am and there was no weaseling out of it.  I am disappointed for Dennis and crew that things turned to #$%*.  The work that Dennis, Dave and Zack had into the two bikes was obvious.  The 750 is a piece of mechanical artwork, and really so is the Triumph in its own way.  I've got a few pix I can post when I have more than 5 minutes to sit down at the computer, including a video of the 750 starting up, if Dennis doesn't mind me stealing his thunder.

A big thanks to Dennis, Dave and Zack and Zack's dad for getting me to and from the pits, no mean task considering the lengthy water crossing.  Dennis spent a considerable amount of time and breath explaining all things Bonneville to me, and that is appreciated, too.  Here's to next year.

[dragracer]

Would like to make that trip one day. Been reading about the salt since i took an interest in things with wheels and a motor. One my bucket list to watch, not race.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Frank, you and Billy can carpool it! Bring Joe's buddy from ATL and the gas gets less expensive. Just be sure you use your trailer and not Bill's! He'd have to change tires at LEAST twice.  That'd be a brutal 3 day drive probably with a trailer. Or fly Southwest into Denver non-stop 3 hours or Salt Lake from ATL which is probably less expensive than all that gas. Rides CAN be arranged from either airport. However if you FLY you ain't riding! The camaraderie is just like the Cup races. Motels are cheaper, food is cheaper and if you partake then you have the casinos too. Of course you can always take in the AHRMA races on the weekend outside Salt Lake too once Bonnie is done.

[joesmotos]

You guys shoulda hung around...they extended the racing till 4 pm today...ran 100 bikes thru in a little over 3 hours..i got 2 runs in,topped out at 118.76 something..twice..Russell,with the Mad Max 750,went 104..then we stuck a stock rear sprocket on it with that crazy fairing and went 104..then,one of the support brackets for his fairing broke,and i bullied him into removing the fairing,and getting back in line,where he went 109mph..we fixed the fuel supply issue with the Blackbird,i pulled apart his petcock and cut the vacuum diaphragm apart but left the sealing areas intact to get full fuel flow,first pass 156mph,then i told him to run it as hard and fast as he could to the timing marker and he went 158 something..my friend Terry from Atlanta hit 100.2 mph on his SL350...so the Aussie got a 100mph coin,Terry got a 100mph coin,and Paul wit the Blackbird got a 150mph coin..i already have those so i didnt get one..

They were setting records left and right ,giving track priority to return runs for records,all had a slight tailwind...some dude on a Ducati crashed at the end of the course,throttle stuck wide open,kill switch didnt work,he ran past the 5 mile marker and busted his ass,broke collarbone and wrist i think(that was what i heard anyway)...

The guy with the double engine Ducati laydown bike went 194 down and 193 back,he stopped at our staging area,glassy eyed,said it was freaky,but got his new record.

We were the last group to actually get to run,Russell(The funky steel dustbin fairing guy) was the last guy to run,his time slip says 4:02 pm.racing stopped at 4 but he was on the track already,the other 3 guys in line behind him were denied...hot hot today,i was massively de-hydrated afgter sitting there in the sun in full leathers,but it was worth the wait..we finally got loaded up and got off the salt around 7 or so,just got back from the Montego Bay Casino where we treated ourselves to a real meal,steak and potato for me,garlic bread,and all the ice tea i could consume..

I kept looking for you guys but didnt see you and figured you had split,hopefully next year we can run again!

Track was pretty nice today,i rode the mountain course,only need the 1 mile run up,my first pass i started at the 0 mile and pinned it all the way to the 4 mile marker,got red flagged by a course official for going to far before i pulled off but i figure it was worth it,if it holds together running wide open for 3 miles i must be doing something correct i guess.

Anyway,i would guesstimate over 1/3 of the people left so it opened up the track alot,the really seemed to get a real grip on the overall program and were pretty damn efficient getting people out onto the track..

Bonneville is a cruel and unforgiving mistress it seems...and messy as hell after it rains...i snagged plenty of spare parts for my canopies out of the dumpster and those who opted to leave their tops on the canopies were in for a nasty suprise when those big winds blew in,the dumpster was overflowing with busted up frame work,i had back into one of my support poles with my trailer,but grabbed one from a broken one and mad a Bonneville repair..little color mis match but what the hell..

Still here in Wendover for the night,gonna head out in the morning back to Colorado...

Till next year...!!!

[Old Scrambler]

Hello from Wisconsin...............Jerry, Joe, and Greg have told most of the story and I appreciate it.  I considered staying for another run but decided to go because IF we would have been successful, it would only have been for that next stage of tune and not enough to see what could REALLY be done. In past years, a practice-track was available for plug-chops, so we really missed that, along with losing a day just waiting for gas! The motor tear-down would have been a chore at the end of the day, so I have made my plan for next year..............beginning with a trial-run at a local airport that rents its runway for drag-strip 'fun-runs'.  Over the winter we will add a much better front fender and possibly a fairing to compete in the Partial Streamlined category.

The motor performs well but the carbs were not jetted and tuned to perfection. Dave thought that 2 more runs would be needed to get them close.  The motor has a LOT of power.............it comes on somewhat like you would expect with a good cam at about 5,000 RPMs..........and then it RAPIDLY winds-up at 7,500 RPMS.  I had it up to 9,300 in third.........(indicated on tach-recall)........about 98 mph..........and felt the break-up that indicated the A/F was not right. I shifted but it fell flat .....struggled in 4th..........and actually slowed in 5th. The plugs were clean, so difficult to read..........no evidence of leanness or detonation.

The motor pulls hard but the foot-peg and seat design keeps me well-planted with a good but comfortable tug on the hand-grips. The chassis rolls straight and firm..........even in slightly mushy conditions. We are confident the motor will be reliable. It blew some oil on the fins on the first run.........less on the second..........and almost none on the third run.  I rode the bike back to the staging area after each run (kept the Rs up at 4,000) so the total miles covered are about 18! More miles should make it stronger!

A sincere thank you goes to Jerry and Zak for their efforts, and to all of you on this thread for the encouragement and vast amount of experience and knowledge that I hopefully have put to a good use!  Ken at Cycle-X and the Rebel-Gear people gave me some serious discounts on parts. The conversations with Ken, Mike Reick and Mark McGrew helped to steer us away from trouble. Yes, this motor is different...............its not a big-bore...........but it sure pulls like one!       

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Dennis,

Thanks for allowing me to be a part of this great adventure. Hopefully I wasn't like the deer in the headlights like I was last year. Next year will kick some serious ass. I'm betting we'll be cycling 2 bikes too. I will enjoy helping with YOUR tear down then and watching Mr T. Honda packing up. How'd that red blur look?

Joe, you boys goin to Wells?  LMAO

[joesmotos]

Dunno what Wells is...

Im still in Wendover..Terry's van decided to eat a drive axle so we went to the Car Quest and ordered one..stayed overnight..part came in..wrong part..drove to Toole and bought one ourselves..came back and installed it..leaving first light.Hot as hell here..should stay and enter the World Finals..righttttttttt lol

NIce A/C and movie channel in this room tho..and get to do laundry
ha

later

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Wells, NV. Look up Belles Ranch........

[ofreen]

Here's a few photos and videos -



The rider's meeting -


Tech inspection -


The looong wait in the fuel line -


Dennis' beautiful CB750 racer -



Passed the tech inspection hurdle -


Looking up toward tech inspection and the impound from the fuel truck -


The beginning of the race course way in the distance -


Taking a well deserved break -


Fueled at last -



Looking back toward Wendover -


A couple of Harley racers -




Looking at 'Lake Bonneville' from the end of the road.  The pit area is visible in the distance.  I don't know how the leggy miss got in the shot -




The old faithful 750 waiting patiently at the end of the road -


Dennis' CB750 firing up -

Crossing Lake Bonneville to and fro -

[BPellerine]

that engine sure sound good!bill

[joesmotos]

These are some serious nice fellas this crew..Dennis,Jerry,etc....their bike was almost to nice to run thru that sludge pit of a pit..i had to upload that pic of Russell's bike(the Mad Max thing)..to bad you didnt have a shot from the other side where i wrote on it*I am the Night Rider! lol..

Ya'll watch,next year these guys will be the new Classic 750 champs,mark my words!
Joe

p.s sounds like the World of Speed guys had about the same weather we did,and the Top Speed Shootout guys are getting postponed till Oct..

[Old Scrambler]

BP & Joe.............thanks for the positive comments.............and encouragement

Jerry, this team will 'rock' next year............my brother-in-law (another David, but not much help) and his very helpful wife, Mary Ruth (communications and umbrella-girl) plan to join us..........and they like Mexican food

I booked some time on a dyno................but it won't happen until early next year...........at a bargain price   I will be the test bike for a new installation following a local dealer's move to a new property.

The CBR will get a new front fender and a few other minor tweaks are planned...............Note to the wise: rattle-can paint will peal after 6-days of exposure to caked-on salt ...........but High-temp motor and header paint survived

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Excellent news! Can't wait to see the results 

While you're waiting book a ride with Kenny and Todd to Valdosta!

[joesmotos]

My lil bike looks like it sat out in the rain in Georgia for a year,fixin to toss the wire wheels(cause all the spokes are heavily rusted now and i am tired of cleaning them)..gonna swap over to old Hurricane 600 wheels or GS500,havent decided which but i have both..17"...maybe the salt wont build up on those and shake me like a rattle can over 100..that was scary man..lol

Keeps us posted on the dyno stuff,should be interesting!

[Old Scrambler]

So its 3-months of doing other things............and finally get back to the bike for some up-coming dyno-time preparation   While the bike sits in my garage I installed a kick-lever and turn the motor over every few weeks. About December 1st I put the bike on my lift and and got things ready to change the oil. I had about a half-ounce of water at the tank plug, several ounces at the sump but none at the filter.  Since I was singularly pulling each motor-mount to clean everything, I removed all but the upper rear mount and jacked the motor to tilt it. That gave me clearance to remove the two galley-plugs. One was about half-full of water.  The oil in the tank and sump was milky.......but clean at the filter.  Apparently the hours of running garden-hose water on the bike (especially the front-center of the motor) has found a WRONG-WAY leak

I buttoned the motor up and installed the motor-mounts. Then re-assembled the fuel system and the exhaust. Installed fresh oil and ran the motor to steam-clean any remaining water from the motor. First heat-cycle........milky oil

Changed the oil and filter.........2nd heat cycle..........slightly milky oil.  Changed oil and filter again for the 3rd-try..........clean and clear oil

I plan to run the motor through a heat-cycle every 2-weeks until we get to the dyno-test. My wife came to the garage to ask what I was doing......but I could not hear her  

I plan to pull the cam-tower down to inspect the 'pucks' and make sure the tower-studs are sealed. Then another oil and filter change with the good stuff. I used some old 10w30 Valvoline that cost me about a buck a quart so the damage to my pocket was minimal.  BTW.........I had also changed the plugs from 9s back to 8s for this type of work....and they are still like new.

Otherwise, the motor had good oil pressure before start-up (took 3 or 4 starter bursts of 20-seconds each with help from the remote battery) and was always an instant start with race-gas in the tank.

I've washed a lot of CB750s but have always run the motor immediately after and have never noticed milky oil before. Any suggestions of what else I might look for to stop the water-flow?

[johno]

Hi Den,
Thats a strange one ?    if water can get in,  you would think oil can get out ?

what about the breathers on the bike crankcase , rocker cover ,  and oil tanks etc  have any of the hoses on back of cases slipped off ?
you modified your oil tank, does the top lid fit well, is the lid in a low point hollow ?

Bet you cant wait for the dyno......................I cant ,   hurry up Den I'm excited.
cheers johno

[Bill/BentON Racing]

Gotta go in where there's an opening, that has air, but not oil. Then it finds it's way down into the oil.
Pucks would leak oil also. More like a breather etc. like Johno stated. G'luck, elec starter area? Bill

[Old Scrambler]

Bill is the winner..................

When we installed the CB900 starter motor, we trimmed about an inch of the flang away on the lid..........mostly for better clearance at the cam-chain adjuster to make it easier to install. I removed the cover and saw water standing in the cavity...........so it could have leaked into the crank through the oil feed to the starter gear.

I will still go ahead with the cam-tower inspection because we did have oil on the motor after the first high-rpm run. Later runs had less oil, and there is no evidence of an oil leak on the bench.   

[bwaller]

It's rare not to have some teething problems Dennis. All's well that ends well.

[Old Scrambler]

MERRY CHRISTMAS........everyone

I'll be back a few days into the New Year

[Sam Green Racing]

All the best Dennis and followers, have a good one.

Sam.