Sunday, 16 September 2018
The records weekend !
This is a quick update as I'm too toasted to write anything sensible or worthy at the moment. I do need to say thanks to everyone that has helped in anyway to me achieving what I have this weekend. When I set out on this latest bought of stupidity it was just to stick a further 2 fingers up to the MG, collapsed vertebra and cancer. I could never have dreamed of setting and breaking 6 British records and breaking a Guinness World record.
Friday, 14 September 2018
2 and a half feckin hours !!
From Exmouth to Bristol and that was only the start ! The morning preparation went without a hitch. Thanks a lot to my dad and Steve for early morning pit crew detail. Trailer got, turned, loaded and hitched. Tania and the kids arrive on time and we are off to Exmouth. Our first delay of the day of around 20 mins was between Buckfastleigh and Ashburton not really sure what for. Arrive at Si's and assemble the all male pit bus and off we go ! 2 and half hours of stop start to Bristol, you could feel the life being sucked from the marrow of your bones. Things get better and we stop at Gloucester services for a drink. On again and more tail backs and jams. M42 and M1 are much better and we finally rock up at the hotel at 20:20 !! ouch !! Callen has decided he doesn't like our country it's too long :-) Aliya has also decide 6 hours is as long as you can be comfortable for in a car, the last 2 hours were horrible.
However a great night was had in the Black Bull once Martin and Debs turn up. Great food, great beer, great friends and a good laugh.
Breakfast is ordered ! Bring on Elvington and the records.
However a great night was had in the Black Bull once Martin and Debs turn up. Great food, great beer, great friends and a good laugh.
Breakfast is ordered ! Bring on Elvington and the records.
Thursday, 13 September 2018
1 Day to go !
I had planned 2 days to get ready for tomorrow and the Grand Depart. However in a break from tradition I had got most things sorted so abandoned yesterday's leave and just took today off. After the run at the weekend with the girls I had a to put some fuel in to make it home, and on autopilot nearly filled the tank with standard unleaded which is all they sell at Morrisons. So today I took at trip back to PGH Motorcycles in Torquay to catch up with the guys that sold me ZZR in the first place. I had a good chat with David the new owner, who has some big plans for the business and that they are now the SW's main dealer for Zero motorcycles, the pure electric bikes from California.
Where it all began 18 months ago !!
By the time I had got back to Lee Mill the tank was ready to be filled with SU99, great job done !! Everything is now sorted for tomorrow I think and I'm knackered already. Just have to throw more medication into the system ;-) Tomorrow York !
Monday, 10 September 2018
The Records Weekend looms
After 18 months of dreaming, plotting, planning, building the records weekend is nearly here. See the official post from Straightliners below. As you know this is the only weekend of the year where Straightliners run the 2-way event allowing you to set proper records. I'm very realistic about what is possible on my first ever attempt and the world record for any type of trike is out of my reach. Fingers crossed I am able to set a respectable ACU class record and if Guinness confirm the attempt then possibly a new World record as well.
What could go wrong .............................................................. !
What could go wrong .............................................................. !
FIM 500cc motorbike land speed world record attempt coming up!
A French team will be going for various Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) World land speed records. They are bringing a custom designed / built 500cc motorbike to Straightliners 2018 Autumn top speed / land speed event in the North of England on the 15 & 16 September at Elvington Airfield.
Open to all bikes, cars (going for records), trikes, monowheels and anything else you want to ride or driver a...nd have a go. There will also be a wheelie competition. You can sign on online here https://www.straightlinersonline.co.uk/…/136-elvington-15-1… Closes 12th September 2018.
A French team will be going for various Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) World land speed records. They are bringing a custom designed / built 500cc motorbike to Straightliners 2018 Autumn top speed / land speed event in the North of England on the 15 & 16 September at Elvington Airfield.
Open to all bikes, cars (going for records), trikes, monowheels and anything else you want to ride or driver a...nd have a go. There will also be a wheelie competition. You can sign on online here https://www.straightlinersonline.co.uk/…/136-elvington-15-1… Closes 12th September 2018.
At Elvington Airfield, Halifax Way, Elvington, North Yorkshire, YO41 4AU. Please share and like this post and don't forget to follow us. #landspeed #wheelie
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The last few weeks !
The last few weeks have all been about getting The Punisher ready, or at least as ready as I can be this time around. The first job was to get the gearing sorted, so after a quick eBay session a new 16 tooth sprocket was on it's way. The standard for ZZR14 is a 17/42 front / rear combination. I had gone the over optimistic way recommended by the top speed boys in the States of an 18/39 set up for the July run. This may have been ok for standard bike but not for a trike with all its extra weight, rolling resentence and wind resistance. I had to try as I would have kicked myself if in July I had been under geared and therefore not sure what it would pull.
The bike went into Double D motorcycles again and had the 16 front fitted, no big deal for a guy with Jack's talents however the rear is now a whole different proposition. After a few calls to Casarva to confirm how things came apart, Jack's pushed his stress levels to the max and got the job done. Thanks Jack I really appreciate all the effort you've put in. So now the trike is running a 16/42 pairing which I hope will allow me to pull 5th and possibly 6th gear at Elvington.
What a difference on the road !!! After a few miles I opened it up a bit and it span the rear wheels in second gear, remember this is a bike spinning the wheels and tyres from a Dodge Viper.
Ever available weekend has been running the trike in further with trips out with Tania and assorted friends.
The last thing I could plan in for this year to give me the best chance at Elvington was to get it back on the rolling road for a final set up. Of course this was not easy as it is mainly a bike but needed to go on a car dyno. This meant booking Steve from GT Performance and the rolling road at Alan Jeffery tuning. Below is the Punisher all strapped down and ready to go.
And here is the max power run. By all means feel free to turn the volume up ;-)
After all this work another 2 BHP was found with the new Pipe Werx exhausts giving almost 200 BHP at the fly wheel. Previously when it was dyno'd as a bike it was putting out 181 at the rear wheel this time it recorded 167. I am really happy with only a 14 BHP loss through all that new trike back end and is testament to the outstanding craftsmanship of Casarva.
I've had a couple more runs on it since and it takes off like a stabbed rat ! As Si and Oxo put it, it accelerates like a bike which is as good as it gets in my book.
The bike went into Double D motorcycles again and had the 16 front fitted, no big deal for a guy with Jack's talents however the rear is now a whole different proposition. After a few calls to Casarva to confirm how things came apart, Jack's pushed his stress levels to the max and got the job done. Thanks Jack I really appreciate all the effort you've put in. So now the trike is running a 16/42 pairing which I hope will allow me to pull 5th and possibly 6th gear at Elvington.
What a difference on the road !!! After a few miles I opened it up a bit and it span the rear wheels in second gear, remember this is a bike spinning the wheels and tyres from a Dodge Viper.
Ever available weekend has been running the trike in further with trips out with Tania and assorted friends.
The last thing I could plan in for this year to give me the best chance at Elvington was to get it back on the rolling road for a final set up. Of course this was not easy as it is mainly a bike but needed to go on a car dyno. This meant booking Steve from GT Performance and the rolling road at Alan Jeffery tuning. Below is the Punisher all strapped down and ready to go.
And here is the max power run. By all means feel free to turn the volume up ;-)
I've had a couple more runs on it since and it takes off like a stabbed rat ! As Si and Oxo put it, it accelerates like a bike which is as good as it gets in my book.
Sunday, 2 September 2018
Elvington 17/07
After a weekend of running the Punisher in it was back to the serious stuff of loading up again and heading to Yorkshire. This time it was with Oxo running shotgun with me and in the van with Si, pit crew Milly and Josh. Si nearly imploded at the last event not being able to have a go, so there was no way he was going to be spectating this time around. Loaded in the back was his '17 Blade !
A pleasant and uneventful trip to York was completed and we rock up at the Travelodge York Hull Road for stay No.2.
After the now mandatory breakfast at the pub we headed to Elvington. Last time we were as green as the grass and hadn't taken or thought of loads of stuff. We do learn though and this time we looked proper professional with Si's new gazebo (looks more like Billy Smarts circus has rolled into town !!).
A pleasant and uneventful trip to York was completed and we rock up at the Travelodge York Hull Road for stay No.2.
After the now mandatory breakfast at the pub we headed to Elvington. Last time we were as green as the grass and hadn't taken or thought of loads of stuff. We do learn though and this time we looked proper professional with Si's new gazebo (looks more like Billy Smarts circus has rolled into town !!).
Soon it was time for scrutineering for the bikes and kit.
The weather was good with a tailwind and we managed to get some good runs in before lunch. I spent the morning session gradually building up until I hit around 130 mph. With the trike being fresh out of the crate it was a case of making sure everything was doing it's job.
Over lunch we were given permission to take some photos out on runway 26, thanks Trevor.
After lunch I tried removing the wing to see what reduction it was causing. In the end it proved to be 1.5 mph but was a lot more skittish. I'm really pleased with this as it proves all my sums have paid off for the road.
The big unknown all along had been what gearing to run. With so much conflicting information I ran the highest gearing the top speed guys recommend. Standard for a ZZR1400 is 17 front 42 rear. I changed to 18/39 which is a change of 6 teeth overall. It proved to be too tall and would only pull 4th gear. However this still meant topping out at a very pleasing 137.65 mph. Si managed a cracking 184 mph which was less than 10 mph less than Guy Martin managed on his Blade SP2.
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