| Author | Message | ||
     Rocketman |
Is my V8 bike that good you have to send it to the trash threads?  Rocket | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Is that a car tire on the back? How does it turn? Pretty sweet creation. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Rocket, That's a Rover (formerly Buick) aluminum V-8? Seems like a much better choice for a motorcycle than a small block or big block Chevy. | ||
| Wardan123 |
Rocket, I hope you meet your goal of running it at Bonneville. I don't know how you built this without sharing during the process, but I do appreciate you sharing the finished product... (I was looking for the original thread this a.m. as well.) | ||
| Samiam |
Wardan, Look in the Backfire Board, it got moved there. Sam | ||
| Eengler2 |
Is it running yet? Would love to hear a clip of it running! | ||
| Rocketman |
Yes it is running. The silencers you see are road legal and there for M.O.T testing. They are very quiet and not intended for anything but test purposes! Will probably run with straight through drag style pipes once tested. The rear tyre needs to be changed to a round profile. There is work to do. Basically a full strip down. Welds to make good, and a little more frame strengthening. The bodywork might get modified at the under seat area as I'm not entirely happy with the ignition coils, ecu and battery etc location. Maybe I'll modify the seat support too. Paint and polish. Then final build back up again. The forks might stay, but with a set of billet yokes and Renthal style bars. A very tiny light up front with a trendy digital clock arrangement and some nice levers and master cylinders and switch gear. Simplicity and minimalism are the target for the finish. Rocket | ||
| Freezerburn |
Could you explain your tranny set-up. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
I hope you meet your goal of running it at Bonneville. Are you planning on Bonneville this year. Which meet? Speed Week? BUBs? World Finals? I am going to the BUBs week Sep 2 - 7. | ||
| Swordsman |
Looks awesome, though the car tire seems a bit strange... ~SM | ||
| Rocketman |
First off, the Bonneville thing. Bonneville is a dream. If it happens it happens. I doubt there's a class I could run in, but there is 'run what ya brung'. Just riding it down the Salt Flats would be cool. Getting a timing slip for doing so would be better still. It won't happen this year though. There is too much to do, and no rush to do the Bonneville thing. Could you explain your tranny set-up. Give that man a cigar. Ok. A Range Rover flywheel and clutch assembly are used. Direct drive is taken from the clutch centre using a modified shaft with a toothed sprocket attached to its end, supported by a bearing housing. A chain with toothed tensioner takes the drive to the bikes right side at a right angle to the motor. The right side of the rear frame tubing incorporates a modified Kawasaki GT750 shaft drive, mounted in bearing housings, which is sprocket driven via the right angled chain from the clutch shaft. Changing sprocket sizes allows for different final drive ratios if such is required. The gearing at the moment is calculated for 125mph at 5000rpm. The GT750 diff is also used, though it is slightly modified to take the 15inch Mercedes alloy wheel (the tyre of which has yet to be changed for a motorcycle specific one). A Ford Fiesta disc brake and caliper is located inside the dish of the rear wheel. In case you haven't realised, the drive is constant. The only means of disengaging drive is by pulling in the clutch. The clutch is hydraulic, using Kawasaki master cylinder and Land Rover slave cylinder. The slave cylinder rod, as a temporary measure, is threaded and has a nut that I run down it to keep the clutch engaged so as I can move the bike around. When in use the clutch lever is the only means of disengaging drive. This is SCARY but you have to remember this bike isn't built to ride often. It's meant to shock. A large part of that shock was to maintain the bikes appearance as that of a 'normal' bike in size. All be it , one on steroids. Fitting a transmission unit would have spoilt the whole project. That said, direct drive and no gear shifts down a few miles of Salt Flat has to be a bonus! It's also worth explaining. This bike will win EVERY traffic light grand prix without even moving. It looks that good in the flesh. Pic's do not do this bike justice. Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
 Rocket | ||
| Buellshyter |
I always knew you were a squid in Buell clothing, Rocket  | ||
| Woody1911a1 |
A large part of that shock was to maintain the bikes appearance as that of a 'normal' bike in size. just catching up today after finding out it is your creation , way cool :-) figured you were going direct drive . amazed that you managed that in what looks like a normal sized street bike . maybe some tt number plates ?  | ||
| Buellzebub |
Damn... nice project! | ||
| Diablobrian |
That arrangement is similar to the first home built Boss-hoss bikes (pre 2 speed). It earned the un-enviable name "suicide clutch" but whether that was due to inexpert riders or engine torque effect I don't know  | ||
| Rick_a |
That "good", eh? I admire your imagination. | ||
| Rocketman |
Funny how the only two negative posts are from Buell 'employees'. Of course, I expected no less, given the amount of criticism's I've spoke about Buell. Another great reason for this project - to see what the goons in Wisconsin could offer, lol! I shouldn't take all the glory though. I am not the sole creator of the project. Now that I am the sole owner though, and the only person left involved, my job now is to finish it off to a usable standard, and road legal condition, which has always been the goal from the start. That is to say. This bike was always built to go, not show. How well it really goes remains to be experienced when it is completely finished. The potential looks great though. Yes we are completely mad here in Yorkshire! Rocket | ||
| Crusty |
 | ||
| Crusty |
Oh; I;m not a Buell employee. | ||
| New12r |
Looks like much fun could be had on that beast!  | ||
| Naustin |
....you have to remember this bike isn't built to ride often. It's meant to shock......  I don't get the point of that.... Those statements sound like something a helmet-less RUB on a $50,000 custom stretch-job would say. It looks cool enough. But, I'd think it was way cooler if it was built to be ridden every day. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I don't know if my comments were taken as negative, they were not intended as such. Welded seams will always be at a disadvantage to seamless tubing for building vehicle frames. There are several reasons, but even with the seams welded over the ever present defects will compromise the strength in the end. I was trying to warn you before the tech inspection. Once the inspectors set their minds about something, even sight unseen getting them to pass it can be a royal pain. They are looking for reasons to fail every vehicle they inspect, I was just trying to help you avoid handing them one without making them work for it. I really do admire home shop engineering. I even manage to do a bit myself now and again. And my comment about the suicide clutch was just an observation about history repeating itself, nothing more. | ||
| Rocketman |
I'd think it was way cooler if it was built to be ridden every day. It is built to be ridden everyday, but you wouldn't want to. It is not practical. First off, it is not a lightweight so takes some effort to get out of the garage, lol. Seriously though. To ride it on the open road will be great, and I intend to do so, but it is not a town bike. Sat at a traffic light is no problem, but sitting at several in a row might be hard work. You can't sit on it and blip the throttle. It will fall over unless you have strong legs. The torque is BIG. To get going it is necessary to slip the clutch to around 25mph or so before full engagement can be had. This will not be comfortable riding. Using a motorcycle clutch master cylinder to activate a Range Rover clutch requires a firm grip and effort. Given the clutch is the only means of disengaging drive, you want to be on the open road. There is no 'get out of jail free' device that will disengage drive - though I might think of designing one into the final build. Maybe an emergency mechanical hand pull, not reliant and separate from the hydraulics. So you see. Sunny dry Sunday's to the seaside or the coffee bar, and sit and watch the crowd gather. 'Widowmaker' may well be an appropriate name if you ride it too long! I don't know if my comments were taken as negative, they were not intended as such. Absolutely not! I was ribbing the two Buell guys. They know who they are, lol. When you speak of seams, I'm assuming you're referring to the construction of the 'frame' sections. There are no joins along the tubes. Paul, who fabricated the steelwork, used lengths of bar formed into shape with a pipe bender. The only welds / joins are where tubes meet tubes, like at the headstock. But you know what. It doesn't matter if this machine sits in any class or not. Doesn't pass a tech inspection to run for anything. As long as it could run just for fun, like I said before, a timing slip from Bonneville would be a hell of a trophy considering this 'thing' was built in a shed in Yorkshire out of scaffolding tube! Thanks for the help, advice and kind words one and all. Rocket | ||
| Glitch |
Sean, have you thought of having a foot clutch, and having the switch gear at the grip? Just a thought. | ||
| Madduck |
Rocket, I think all of the Bonneville meets let you run for "time only" if you can convince the tech people that the vehicle is "safe". You will have to work up to speed but you will get an official Bonneville racing license as you work thru the speed categories. "D" license to 150, "C" license 150-175 etc. the racing license is cool to have all by itself. If you aren't serious about a record, you should really plan on attending "Speedweek" in august. It has the most interesting collection of racing gear. The AMA sanctioned Bubs, motorcycle only, meet is only a couple of weeks later, so you could do two meets while you're over here. Rooms will be impossible to find for the next couple of year tho so camping might be your only option. | ||
| Rocketman |
Well Glitch, the biggest problem with a foot clutch is it commits you to one leg only for balance. Might suit Arnie, but it's a scary thought for me, lol. This baby needs two legs on the floor! Paul, it won't be this year. I like the sound of the license deal though. Can you point me to a web page for more info? That would be great. Rocket | ||
| Madduck |
Rocket, Best web site for advice on anything related to Bonneville: www.landracing.com SCTA web site is www.scta-bni.org. Those two will get you everything you need to know. | ||
| Diablobrian |
notice the Buell in the snapshots on the landracing.com web page? | ||
| Rocketman |
Thanks Paul. Rocket | ||
| Davegess |
Rocket, neat! I would keep a close eye on that tubing, I would worry about fatigue cracks because it is not designed to handle the high frequency vibration that is going to be transmitted into it by that engine. I also think it might be pretty flexible under load. The handling might get weird as speeds go up so be careful! | ||
| Rocketman |
I've spoke in depth to people who know about these things Dave. Yes scaffolding tube is seamed tubing, but it is tested to buggery for many strengths. Its 6 mm wall thickness and large diameter tube offers great strength to this project. I'm not in the least concerned the tubing will cause trouble. As for flexing. There's really nothing to flex. The engine is the frame. I think me and a few mates are talking in excess of 200 mph for the advanced part of the project. See you on The Salt. Rocket | ||
| X1glider |
I came back here to sell my Buell and find this. Nice project Sean. Looks plenty narrower than that stupid Boss Hoss. Still got the TVR? | ||
| Rocketman |
Yes Bob, still got the TVR - and what you're seeing here will have a TVR 350i engine soon enough too, rather than the Range Rover lump used for this first build. It may get twin turbo's too. And we might get to Bonneville with it sometime in the not to distant future, so you better be there. Denny's on me  Rocket | ||
| X1glider |
What about the before Denny's part?  | ||
| Rocketman |
Thought you was in love these days Bob, lol Rocket |
