Show 'N' Go......

That sums it up. I made it pretty but it's built for a purpose....to go fast! I know chrome don't get ya home, but I never heard anything about polished aluminum! Seriously though, everything on this bike is there (or not there) for a purpose but there is nothing wrong with making it look good!
I finished 90% of the assembly today and mounted the polished aluminum fairing with the windscreen for the first time and I am pretty happy with the results.
Still some final adjustments to make but it is custom made to displace the wind so it moves around me. I am not a huge fan of fairings honestly, but I needed one for the class I am running and it can make a big difference aerodynamically. My goal was make a fairing cool enough that I would like it, and a polished aluminum fairing works for me. This should be a huge improvement over last year!

Gonzo.

The Salt Ghost: Return of the Nitro Express Video Trailer

Just got the trailer online. I hope you like it, let us know what you think! Available by 7/30/2011.

Sneak Peek of my Fairing!

Tyler is not the only one who has Salt on the brain, I have been laboring away for weeks rebuilding my bike to be ready for Speed Week 2011. I haven't shown any progress on my all aluminum fairing as I wanted to make sure it would work first!
Today I finished the fairing supports and got it mocked up for the first time. I have more time on the English wheel ahead and a bunch of timing but this fairing will do its job and direct the wind around my upper body and arms and hopefully give me the streamlining I need to get my record this year! (And how cool will a fully polished aluminum fairing look?)

Thou Shalt Drag... Drag Triumph In The Works

I picked up a 1960 Triumph drag bike that was pretty beat and seemed to have been modified (badly) through the years. You could clearly see the awesome fab work, like the one off front frame, and the horrible fab work, like the booger welded tank mounts and OIF Triumph tank that was on it. Also, the amount of carbon in the pipes and head, and the poor condition of the cables, carburetors etc showed that it hadn't done much in many years besides get the clutch dumped a million times and burn the back tire up.

This evening I threw a stand-in motor in the frame (I tore the drag motor down and am in the process of getting ready to rebuild it) and the front end on it (NOS 70's Metal Profiles Ltd 32mm forks, weigh only 14lb!) to check clearance for the gas tanks and mounts I am going to start making tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates..

Tyler

Bonneville Timing Tags

There were a couple of SCTA envelopes in the mail, upon opening them Kyle and my brass timing tags had showed up from Speed Week 2010. No photo of Kyle's because it is probably already at his house, him polishing it slowly with a sock while whimpering like a puppy. Very neat though. I had a dream two nights ago that I showed up at Bonneville to race but had forgot my leathers. Bummer.

Bonneville Speed Week 2010 Award

Wes from Four Aces sent me this photo, he opened a box from the SCTA and lo and behold we got an award from our team effort with the Nitro Express (the 'Salt Ghost'). We received a plaque 'Achievement Award' because the fastest run I did came within 2% of the standing national record. This is motivating to say the least.

Triumph Drag Bike Motor In Progress

I got some work done on the old pre unit Triumph drag bike this evening. I pulled it all apart and have the frame ready to sandblast. Got the motor on the bench and pulled the timing cover and found this, very cool drilled timing gears and BTH magneto advance. This got me excited so I pulled the top end off as well. High compression pistons, +.100, the rest of the bottom end will come apart this weekend. Looks like perhaps Harmons Collins cams, we shall see for sure when I split the cases.

Ah, the good ol' days...

Way back in August when we were at Bonneville... I am working on getting the top end on my green Triumph race bike back together this evening. Memories...

Bonneville Speed Week

I got this cool old water transfer in my package of cables that I got back from Flanders Cables the other day. They shortened some throttle cables for me and clutch cables for Kyle, for our race bikes. Pretty cool 1968 Bonneville National Speed Trials transfer, seems like so long ago thinking this is 2010, same event.

Tyler

If it's not cool....drill a ton of holes in it!

I thought I had finished all the fabrication work on my 67 Triumph landspeed bike and Tyler reminded me to pass tech I need a chainguard! A bit of a downer as I was ready to get the bike torn down and start the paint and final assembly, but you gotta do what you gotta do. So I grabbed a sheet of steel and got to it. I have to say this is the first time I ever made a chain guard, I am usually throwing them in the scrap pile!

A bit of cutting, knee bending and some welding and I had a chain guard that worked. I was definitely a bit bummed though, feeling it broke up the lines of the bike. So I decided to go with the old stand-by, "speed holes". If it doesn't look cool make it look fast at least! I am pretty sure the drilling took alot longer than the fab work, but I am pretty stoked with how my first ever chain guard turned out. Cheers, Kyle

Engine progress- My 67 T120 LSR

I got my cases and parts back from Wes over at Four Aces Cycle and got to work the last couple evenings. He took care of degreeing my racing cams and lightened timing wheels for me as well as all the machine work: head work, balancing the crankshaft, relieving the high compression pistons, tumbling the cases and polishing the covers for me. I went through the transmission and got it right, you have to love a rebuilt transmission, solid shifts through all four gears!
I had to modify my case a bit to allow a larger than stock drive gear to fit in there. And I couldn't help myself I had to jump ahead a tad and test fit the Bob Newby racing belt drive. It should perform as good as it looks!

Some work done, and a lot more to go! I can't wait to see this take shape and find its home in the frame I have going as well!

Progress on my motor!

Tyler is out at Wes White's shop out in CA and he sent me this cell phone teaser pic of my bottom end partly assembled, drilled timing gears installed, and cams degreed. And check out those high compression pistons sticking way up in the air! I can't wait to get my head and bottom end back and really get this thing buttoned up.

More progress on my Bonneville race bike WFO!

I put in a bunch of hours over the weekend on my 67 Triumph race bike this weekend. Mounted up my Biltwell stainless seat pivot after some modification ( keeps your eyes open for a new tech tip soon!) welded up my spring perches and made some super beefy brackets for my tarozzi rearsets. Now that I decided what class I am running in (modified pushrod gas) and what record I'm shooting for I could make some real headway.

I decided I am running a sprung Biltwell solo seat, although I am having my buddy Tom at TNT Custom Paint hand tool me a custom leather seat using the Biltwell foam and pan seat kit. It'll fit the image I am going for, a bike that could have been built and rolled on to the salt in 1967. More to come!

Now I won't be able to sleep...

So I am ordering some parts I need to continue my Bonneville project and looking at a video on you tube and I see this related video....Wes White over at Four Aces Cycle leaving the line last year at the Bonneville Salt Flats. I can't wait for August. G'Nite........

It's a Roller

Got the hardtail section all done and rebuild the front end with the cut-down fork tubes. Next up: mounting fender, steering damper, oil tank, and getting the motor and trans done!

Tyler

Progress on my 67 Triumph LSR bike "WFO"

Today I hit the shop and started doing some frame modifications while I am waiting on my engine parts, oil tank, wheels, and front end. Our personal shop area is getting pretty crowded now with Tyler's projects and mine! I started with a stock unmolested 67 Triumph T120 front frame loop.
I then proceeded to lop off all the excess tabs and mounts. I know someone out there is dying reading this right now!
And the finished loop. I may modify the neck more but not until I have the front forks mounted up. It will go off to sandblasting too, I have stripped enough frames by hand, messy and not fun!
Here is the frame with the David Bird hardtail bolted up. 4" stretch, 2.5" drop. It should give just the right stance and height for the bike.
And for giggles I mounted up one of our Lowbrow Customs Alien tanks and a 7Metal West fender to get an idea of what the finished product will look like. I'll post more updates later this week! Cheers Kyle

Yes UPS ships motors!

Today I packaged up and shipped out my cases and covers to Wes over at Four Aces Cycles for some machine work. I also ordered in my megacycle cams and valve springs. I am pretty stoked about this project. Looking forward to doing some frame work this weekend!

Vintage Triumphs and Sunshine

I was out in SoCal last month staying with Wes from Four Aces and working on a new project. Got to meet some amazing people and see some really cool stuff as well. Here we are hanging with Fritz and his son at their place in Fallbrook. Fritz has been racing on the Salt for 40 years, he and his wife rule.

Triumph gearbox cases back from the tumbler..

Sent my cases out to Wes at Four Aces Cycle to get tumbled, here are my gearbox cases back and ready for reassembly. He also did my crank cases and rocker boxes, makes for a really nice motor. Wes also does machining for your vintage Triumph or British motorcycle, head work, cylinder boring, crank grinding and balancing and more.

Some more time at the drill press, and a beat up brake plate out of my junk box turned out pretty nice. Removed the thinner stamped steel edge that normally is tack welded on. Still have to finish sand it and decide on finish, paint, powdercoat, chrome etc.