Bonneville: Should You Ride Your Bike?

It all depends on you.  If you are the kind of person that wants to keep your bike looking showroom fresh, I would say no.  If you are like me and like keeping your bike clean and fresh, but don't mind your bike showing it's use, then you should consider it.  A bike is really the best tool to have at Bonneville.  The distances you travel to get from place to place is measured in miles, not feet.  Now, your bike will never be the same after Bonneville.  The salt gets everywhere, and you have to work hard to get it all off (and you probably wont).  My bike actually looked showroom fresh before it went, it doesn't now.  A few grains of salt got between the tank bag and the tank, so the tank has several scratches in it now.  Salty hand prints on the headlight nascelle appear to have caused permanent staining.  The exhaust system cooked the salt on it and it will never look the same.  The bike cleaned up well, but it will never have that showroom look again.  If you can handle that, then you may want to consider bringing your bike out.

Long Distance Touring, Is The TU The Right Tool For The Job?

ABSOLUTLY...  NOT!  Did you expect a different answer?  Much like using a phillips head screwdriver as a punch, it'll do the job, but it isn't designed for it.  I just finished an 1800 mile week on my TU, with two 14 hour 700 mile drives in that trip.  Did the TU complete the trip, yes she did, but this is where the power becomes an issue.  I had the bike loaded for camping out for a week which meant a tank bag, saddle bags, a military back pack, a tent, and a few other things strapped to the bike.  In order to keep pace at the 70 MPH I wanted I ended up spending nearly 80% of the 700 miles in a tuck.  Not the most comfortable way to travel.  Fortunately the power is the only real issue.  The foot pegs are in a reasonable position, and the driver saddle is actually really nice.  So, if it is all you have, the little TU can get the job done, but this is when an open classer is well worth having.  Whatever you have, enjoy the ride.

Bonneville: Baby, I'm Coming Home!!!

For me, Bonneville Speed Week 2011 was an expirience I'll never forget.  But everything must come to an end, and as the short course closed for 2011, I too will leave.  Thank you to all the fantastic drivers and crews who made my first Speed Week an event to remember.  If anyone that I met, or didn't meet would like to contact me I set up a special email address at Bonneville250cc.gmail.com

Bonneville: Lost In The 60's

How many of you remember the 60's?  I for one don't, being born in 1972, I missed them.  So my 1960's may be stylized a bit, maybe a lot.  I learned about 60's car and bike culture from movies like American Grafitti, Two Lane Blacktop, On Any Sunday (Motorcycle movie, not football of similar name), Grease 1 & 2, and various other movies and documentaries.  Bonneville makes a lot of my stylized version of the 60's true.  From the ingenuity involved by the low budget participants to the happy serious yet playful demeanor of everyone to the completly relaxed article. 

Living here for a week on a motorcycle is an expirience.  Some of it is rough, and some of it sublime.  What prompted this article was expiriencing one of those stylized 60's moments that I never considered I would ever feel.  One of my images are motorcyclists on the beach or desert, and they are just completly on their own without a care in the world, relaxed, cruising.  Having bought my first bike in 1991, I have never ridden any motorcycle anywhere that I wasn't on alert.  Even deserts seem congested now days.  And the salt was too.  Until today.  Most of the spectators had left after Sunday, and as the week continued on a lot of the racers are gone too. 

This Thursday morning I found myself for the first time in my stylized 1960's.  This morning as I made the 8 mile or so journey from the pits to the start of the short course you would have seen a rider without a care in the world.  Relaxing at a mild 20 to 25 MPH, cowboy hat strapped to my head, soda in my left hand, throttle in my right.  Looking around and taking it all in.  Nobody in the same square mile as me.  It was a great feeling that after 10's of thousands of motorcycling miles I just expirienced for the first time.

Bonneville Bikes: 4885 - 1971 BSA 250

Bike started life as a 1971 BSA B25 250cc motorcycle.  This is the 5th year that Max and team has brought the motorcycle out.  They got the record on their 2nd year, but the previous record holder came and took it back from them in their 3rd year.  Their luck this year hasn't been so good as they lost several days when they stuck a piston on their first run.  Grooved the cylinder but they got it up and running again.  They have done 93 MPH in the past but do not have a timed run this meet.

2nd Run:  On run 2 they had a good run, geared wrong but still pulled 88MPH on a 91MPH record.  The driver Max stated that it pulled well all the way through 3rd gear.  So running well scored cylinder and all.

3rd Run:  The bike sounds really healthy and appeared to leave well, but it looked like Max pulled off at the 2 mile mark.  Not a good sign.  I will try and get more information.

Well, I am sorry to report that Max did pull off due to another siezed piston.  That ends their Speed Week.  They do plan on coming again next year, and I will certainly be seeking them out.

Bonneville: Feel The Love

Bonneville Speed Week, the salt is covered in cool custom cars and interesting race cars as far as the eye can see.  Imagine my surprise when everyone seems to want to talk to me about my little Suzuki!!!  I have been stopped so many times I have lost count.  I just can't believe the attention she is getting with all of the other cool iron around.  As I sat lunch at McDonald's I watched as this family gathered around a cool '32 Ford Roadster to take pictures of themselves, but then they started taking pictures with my bike.  Everybody seems to love it.  Enjoy the ride!!!

Bonneville: Make sure you are checking back

All of the bike posts are being updated as results and information comes in.  So if you read about a bike yesterday you can be sure it has been updated since then.  None of the articles will be complete until racing ends on Friday night.

Bonneville: Xena On The Salt

Here are pictures of Xena looking all the part on the Bonneville Salt Flats.  So when I say Xena, I am talking about my Suzuki TU250X.  All of my vehicles have female names, and Xena got hers about a week after I bought her.  She joins the rest of the family...

Jackie: 1965 Ford F-100
Zed: 1975 Kawasaki Z-1B
Sam(antha): 1960 Ford Falcon

Bonneville: The Other Stuff

Oh yeah, they don't just run 250cc motorcycles at Bonneville.  :-)  Being a long time hot rodder I have found a lot of stuff here that interests me and have snapped a few photos of those rides as well.  There are also a few snaps of yours truly in there.

Bonneville: The Camp

Camping at Bonneville is a definate treat.  The people a personable, and you could (and probably will be) right next to a driver or crewman of a car.  The weather my first night, well lets just say weather has never scared me before.  I was sleeping in a tent, and there were lightning strikes all around me, pouring rain, and wind so violent it collapsed my tent down on top of me (poles and all still intact).  Sure when it stopped my tent popped itself up, and I was luckier than most, but for a couple hours it was probably the worst weather I have ever been in.  Left mud everywhere, and now there is a huge lake to cross to get into the speedway.  Fun on a bike, not.  :-)

Bonneville Bikes: 516 - 1952 Cushman Eagle

This will be the rookie run for driver David Harto.  This is a Cushman Eagle 315cc flathead so it gets some bonus and gets to run in the 250cc class.  Custom cam and valve work.  Ported and polished.  The old motor had a pitted cylinder but was cleaned up with the overbore.  Looking to break the record of 73MPH and on dyno test runs they were able to achieve 93MPH.

1st Run:  Took off slow then started moving, but stalled early on the course.  Although this is my first time at Bonneville I don't believe kick starting your bike on the live race course is the norm, but David did and continued on his merry way.  Found out from David that the bike was jetted way too rich.  They leaned the engine a bunch for pass 2.

2nd Run:  Made a clean pass.  42 MPH but had no power to pull high gear.  The difference between pass 1 and 2 was jetting.  They are now working on ignition timing for pass 3.

3rd Run:  Made another clean pass, no specifics as for time or speed yet, more to come.

Haven't seen the cushman guys in 2 days.  Never found them to get a final report on run 3.  Hope to see them here next year.

Bonneville Bikes: 948 - Partial Streamliner

Haven't found this bike in the pits yet but did see it heading to the startline.  It is a very nice looking black and silver partial streamliner.  More info and pictures to come when I locate it in the pits.

Bonneville: The Expirience

I am a life long NASCAR fan, and have been to the PIR race every year for the past decade +.  I am blown away by Bonneville.  Where as every other form of racing has been dominated by manufacturers and money, here is racing and hot rodding where there is room for everyone.  The car made of junk yard scraps next to the multi-million dollar streamliner.  And everyone has a chance to win.  I saw cars that came out of the gate looking like they'd be lucky to break 110 and go over 200, and I saw the multi-million dollar streamliner never be able to get the engine up to song and had to pull off at the half mile mark.  There are surprises everywhere.  I've had a dream of running my 1965 F-100 here powered by a vintage 352 FE engine, what do I find in the pits?  A 1963 F-100 powered by a 292 Y-Block.  Here at Bonneville there is room for everything and everyone.  It is a hot rodders heaven.  Due to financial constraints I do have to miss the NASCAR race @ PIR this year, but I am not really missing anything, am I.  :-)

Bonneville Bikes: 215 - 1969 Triumph T-25

No one around to talk to, but the old Production Pushrod bike was.  It is running in P-PP meaning it is an unmodified production frame and unmodified production pushrod engine.  Beautiful bike.  Was sold at this event.  Won't be run this meet.  It's top speed in the past is 70MPH.

Bonneville Bikes: 7373 - Custom Triumph

The owner Doug Flaherty and his team Randy, Tiffany, and Marie were nice enough to discuss the bike with me.  This is a pushrod Triumph powered bike running on gas.  1971 Triumph TR-25W engine.  This is 3rd year it has run.  In the previous 2 years it hasn't made a timed pass.  The chassis is completly home built over 2 months.  They came in from Monterey, Calif.

1st Run:  Doug had some technical difficulty and had to pull off early.  Not to sound too misty eyed here, but Doug and his team do make me think of the World's Fastest Indian and Burt Munroe.  He has done it all from the ground up in his back yard.  Out of everybody here, I am pulling for Doug and 7373 more than anyone.  Good luck Doug!

WARDROBE MALFUNCTION!!!  Just spoke with Doug, and yesterday's fouled run was due to his leathers being sucked into the intake!!!  :-)  Anything can happen.  He had to replace some fouled plugs due to the overly rich condition but he is in line ready for run 2.  Can't wait to see him go.

Run 2:  CONGRATULATIONS DOUG!!!  It appears that Doug has made his clean rookie pass.  I will check to confirm but I did here him get all 4 gears and the bike sounded clean.  :-)

CONFIRMED:  Doug has his rookie run out of the way running 72MPH on a 91MPH record.  Reports from his crew are that the bike ran really strong and he was only pulling 3/4 throttle so there is more in the tank.  There was another wardrobe malfunction during this run where apparently Doug's leathers unzipped during the run and he was burning his junk off on the tank!!!  They're planning on getting the bike back to the pits and hopefully will get a qualifying run in later today.  Great job Doug and crew.

Run 3:  On Wednesday Doug and team went after the third run.  It looked good and the engine sounded clean up through 3rd gear.  After third I could not hear the engine as other cars were warming at the line.  Had I been able to hear I would have heard the engine bog in 4th and Doug pull off early.  Upon return to the pits a number of problems were discovered.  Along with a siezed primary drive chain Doug had also noticed that the intake valve was leaking.  Upon further inspection it was noticed that he had about .750 of an inch of valve lash on the intake valve instead of the normal .010 inch of lash and on further inspection it was noticed that the intake valve spring was broken.  But true to the nature of Doug and his team that I have learned over these past 4 days, they left the salt with a smile on their faces and their heads held high, they achieved their goal of having a clean pass.  I can't wait to see them run next year!

Bonneville Bikes: 868 - 1972 Honda 175

Talked to Carl the owner of 868.  The bike has been bored to 200cc and is supercharged running on alcohol for the first time.  He does hold a record for 175cc blown gas.

I got a report on this bikes run today and was told it was running seriously lean.  More to come.

76.79 was the qualifying run made for class 250cc M-BF was a record run so he is in impound right now.  :-)

Got a message from Carl today.  The bike set the record for 250cc M-BF at 68.772 MPH.  They were never able to get the bike up to full song as they just couldn't get it rich enough to run.  So I am sure we will see Carl out there smashing that record next year!!!

Bonneville Speed Week: Trip to...

Leg 1: Phoenix to Wickenburg...

Uneventful but slow going through Phoenix on Grand Ave.  Averaged 60 MPG and was able to cruise 75 the whole way once out of Phoenix.  Only got sprinkled on, so that is good.  Had to stop for fuel since Kingman is just outside of the fuel range.

Leg 2: Wickenburg to Kingman...

Lots of climbing meant the little TU had to work hard.  With the snorkel removed though this is the first time I have been able to maintain the speed limit (65) on mountain highways.  That is a nice plus.  :-)  Still only caught sprinkles.  There is a nice Mobil gas station just north of I 40 on US93, they have tables to relax at for a nice drink.  :-)  205 miles down.

Leg 3: Kingman to Las Vegas...

2nd shortest leg of the trip, just 100 miles...  still staying mostly dry :-) and it is the first time I have used the Hoover Dam bypass bridge...  It makes there be no traffic, but it is purposely built so you cannot see the dam. :-(  Now in North Las Vegas having  McLunch.  320 miles down, now the two longest legs of the journey coming up.

Leg 4: Las Vegas to Caliente...

Long leg.  =-O  Starting to get fatigued.  I hear there is a lot of rain ahead of me.  462 miles down.

Leg 5:  Caliente to Ely...

Longer leg!!!  Have avoided rain so far, but had some very wet roads.  So slick I thought I might have a flat and actually stopped and checked.  595 miles down.

Leg 6:  Ely to Bonneville...

Don't know how I got through all those angry clouds with no rain but did.  :-)  After 14 and a half hours and 725 miles I have made it safely to Bonneville.

Bonneville Speed Week: All Packed And Ready To Go!!!

700 miles to go tomorrow, if all goes well I will make it in 1 14 hour day.  Bike has been serviced, packed and ready to go.  She is up to 2800 miles right now so I performed the 3000 mile service a couple miles early, but since I have 1400 to go in the next week, it seemed prudent.  Supposed to be thunderstorms on my route, so a little wetness is probably going to happen.  So you can see the little TU all packed for the journey.  She is wearing a Bilt Magnetic Tank Bag (review to come), Bilt Saddlebags (review to come), and a Vietnam War era military A.L.I.C.E. pack.  See you all @ Speed Week!!!

One Week To Bonneville Speed Week 2011!!!

As announced, you can get all of your 1/4 liter motorcycle coverage right here.  I will be making the whole 1400 mile round trip on my Suzuki TU250X.  I plan on making the 700 mile one way drive in one day.  I will be missing the first day Saturday as I will be travelling that day.  Come Sunday morning though I will be seeking out all of the 1/4 liter particapants and will get pictures and hopefully specifics on each bike.  Be sure to see how your favorite does. 

I will be making pretty much the entire journey from Phoenix to Wendover on US93, if you'd like to catch me en route just follow the blog as I will post updates on every stop.  I will be leaving Phoenix via US60 to Wickenburg @ about 5AM Saturday morning.