Just now home from the salt. Steve Hamel cracked the 150 MPH barrier, putting up a 151+ run. As he was pulling off the course, he heard a strange noise, and it turns out he broke a gudgeon pin. He plans to go back next year with an increase in compression ratio, from his current 14:1 up to
15:1, yes folks, he runs on gasoline. Much work done to the heads allows this, with no detonation. This bike is truly one of the most remarkable Vins I know of. You really need to see and hear this bike in person. I was at the start line to get a video of Steve leaving the line, and even after he was a couple of miles away, the thundering sound of his bike made the starter and the riders waiting to run comment about what a great sounding motor it is.
As for the Vincent Streamliner, with the course as short as it was, a two mile run up to the measured mile, all runs were made with the skids locked in the down position. The first run did destroy the rear wheel, but the liner did not go on its side. Hartmut had quite a ride, trying to control the machine, and did an excellent job. After installing the spare wheel and tire, more shakedown runs were made with the drivers instructed to leave it in first gear. Then, once cleared to go into second gear, a shifting problem was found, and a quick adjustment to the linkage cured that. The next runs saw the chutes deploying on their own, not 'this was intentional' as reported on landracing.com. The trigger mechanisms were a little too sensitive to vibration. This too was soon corrected, and the liner went back out. The next run resulted in a failure of the pulley that provides tension for the blower drive belt. This was corrected, and what turned out to be the last run was made at 212 MPH. We went directly to the start line to make a return run, but the wind started gusting, and the BUB officials called an end to the event.
Despite the problems noted above, the streamliner made all full runs through the timing lights, with no failed starts nor aborted runs. The new clutch and gear drive between the engines worked flawlessly. For the second year in a row, the engines performed superbly and remain intact. The liner has earned the respect of fellow land speed racers, and received comments from a number of speakers at the banquet Thursday night. John Noonan, the new rider of the Ack Attack liner, and the man that went
259 MPH on an open wheeled bike to capture the top time of the meet, said that he knew his position at the top was in serious jeopardy when we were lined up for that return run.
The Vincent Streamliner is for real. It is getting better all the time. Unfortunately, in the world of land speed racing, time is measured in one or two weeks a year when it comes to putting your machine to the test. The refinements made in the last couple of years have resulted in a machine with a very reliable drive train.
SFD
PS: John Noonan set the first open wheeled motorcycle record of two runs over a timed mile averaging over 250 MPH, a milestone achievement.