Me and My Norton at Bonneville 2019

I just ran across this picture of me at the Bonneville Motorcycle Nationals in 2019, and couldn't resist posting it. I already posted a long thread back then describing all the trials and tribulations of our effort (it didn't go well), but didn't have a good picture of me at speed. This one must have been taken early in the run, before I got into a tuck. The black lump on the tank is a dense foam pad that I could jam the chin of my helmet into, forcing my neck to bend enough that I can still see ahead. Good times. Haven't made it back to the salt since, but hoping for 2022.



Ken

This is a link to the original thread on our adventures.


Ken

How'd the rebuild go?

t ingermanson said:

How'd the rebuild go?

Click to expand...

Sitting on the bench waiting for me to put it back in the bike and fire it up.

Ken

Well, that's a couple steps closer!!

I've been wondering lately about the lack of aerodynamics in what many land speed racers wear, particularly on the unfaired bikes. Are there some who take that into consideration? In the world of professional bicycling, aerodynamics is obsessed over, to the point where there are regulations about a rider's sock height and their kit's fabric texture. Aerodynamics really only comes into play (in this scale) above about 18mph, and then only barely so, but it's actually measurable (in watts : speed) and therefore everyone is obsessed about it. If one were to apply those same obsessions, you'd have covers over your boots and maybe even perhaps a set of leathers with as little of the flex-ribbing as possible, and certainly no knee velcro (especially on a wideline frame!). I've heard it said that Geoff Duke's one piece leathers and boots were a factor in his early wins, when everyone else was wearing two piece.

It's a rabbit hole with no bottom, for sure, but then again so are the smallest engine tuning details.

This is quite the digression from your post (true AN style!!), but your being an experienced tuner and racer, I wonder what's considered worth and not-worth chasing.

Anyway, the last adventure sounded fun but maybe a bit disappointing, so maybe this next one will be fun and fruitful.

Very interesting read Ken, and much respect getting out there. I'd like to go someday, I have a suitable bike but am not the racing type I suppose.

Mine's a Suzuki GS1100E that was modified at Don Vesco's shop in Laguna Hills CA with lots of internal goodies and an ATP turbo kit. It was raced from new, and only was ridden a bit on the street, it has only 2K miles on it. I took the fairing off it because the engine is too gorgeous but here's a shot of it on the flats way back when. The original owner ran faired and unfaired, best time 184 MPH, I have the SCCA slips and tons of documentation including from Vesco. Hope you don't mind me sharing my little bit of Bonneville (and El Mirage) connection.

And check out the duct tape on the visor - high tech aerodynamics!