The 2nd half of Benjamin Mauceri's story "3 Idiots do Bonneville", of their race efforts at Bonneville Speed Week 2011, where we met them.
"Nate was first to go. I've never seen him more nervous. This is a guy who's been a professional cyclist for years. He's seen thousands of green flags in his life. He's worked on professional race cars. He's won races at Willow. He's travelled on a BMW GS solo through Mexico camping the whole way. But going 3 miles in a straight line gave him butterflies. Its a reflection of the place, not the man.
Bonneville rules say that an entered vehicle can only be under its own power on the course. Once a run is over, a chase vehicle must pick up the entrant on the side of the "return road" (which is really a poorly-marked strip of salt amidst other unmarked expanses of salt). The technique is for the racer to shut down and then turn off the course with enough speed to coast the 1/4 mile to the return, "road". They then sit there until the chase truck arrives.
At this point, I should probably talk about the surface. It's very strange stuff. The closest thing I can think of is really hard-packed dry snow. The salt is sticky and tacky but loose at the same time. It's also bumpy. And it tastes terrible.
We're up and the starter sends Nate into the unknown. Andy and I pile into the RV and head out after him along the chase road.
4 minutes later (remember the scale of the place), we find Nate on the side of the return road pumping his arms and screaming with joy. He can barely form words. When he does, he yells, "We can go faster!" We put the bike on the lift and head back to the timing tower to pick up Nate's slip showing his speed.
124mph.
Andy's up next and we get back in line to run again. Nate's trying to tell us what he experienced but he's failing. We get it and forgive him when he stops trying.
In line, we chat with other competitors and it strikes all of us how much everyone wants everyone else to have a good time. "Good luck!" and, "Hope you go good!" are exchanged freely among everyone there. It's wonderful.
An hour later, Andy lines up and sets off. Nate and I lay chase in the RV.
We find Andy at the end of the course with tears in his eyes. There were five separate times this trip when it looked certain that he wouldn't make that run. I can't imagine what it felt like for him to finally do it.
"It's just going in a straight line, right?
Yes. That's all it is.
We pick up Andy's slip. 129mph. The bike was turning over 10k in 6th. Surely this is all it has. It's a stock SV for pete's sake. At altitude. On salt.
By the time Andy's done, it's clear we wont have time to make another run before they close the salt at 7:30. I'll have to wait for tomorrow.
Dinner. Another $7 shower. Bed.
The next morning, we're on the salt at 6:30. After some coffee and some waiting, it's my turn.
I'm in Nate's un-ironically retro leathers which probably offer no protection and I'm sitting on a bike I've never ridden about to go as fast as I can on a surface I've only driven in a car - at 45 mph.
Given the situation, I'm surprisingly calm. I'm usually the one in this group with nerves. I'm also usually the slowest. Andy's gone faster around Willow on an SV than most people thought possible. Nate's usually 3-5 seconds a lap faster than I am. On the line, my only hope is I manage to crack 120.
The starter gives me the signal and I'm off. I forgot who I was for a minute and I whack the throttle open and spin the rear wheel. I'm surprised when my reaction to the spinning rear is to keep it pinned and grab second. More spinning. Then grip. 3rd. 4th. 5th…. 6th. "Get small" I think. I lift my ass off the seat and put my head under the screen. I squeeze my elbows as tight against the tank as I can. I breathe. Hard. 1 mile. Breathe. Tuck. Smaller. Turn the throttle harder. 2 miles. Smaller still. Breathe. 3 miles. Roll off, sit up and start the bike turning on this odd surface.
I kill the engine and roll to a stop along the return road. I'm on the moon. I've just had one of the most intense 90 seconds of my life and I'm now 4 miles from anyone else on a surface that looks like the damn moon.
After the violence and intensity of running a motorcycle as fast as it will go, everything is so quiet. So serene. It's amazing. It's overwhelming. I break the silence by pounding on the tank and screaming in my helmet.
Then I see the RV headed towards me at 50 mph. It pulls up and Nate and Andy jump out screaming. I'm screaming. High-fives, hugs and arm pumping all around. They take the bike from me and I crawl into the RV and try to speak.
"It's just going in a straight line, right?
Yes. That's all it is.
I pull off Nate's useless leathers and put on shorts. We pull up to the timing tower and I jump out to get my slip.
134.7 mph bitches!
Andy and Nate howl. Andy tells me that earlier, he and Nate talked about how excellent it would be if I was the one to take it to the next level. That's why I love these guys.
We pull back in line and wait for Nate's next run.
Andy starts to talk about how we need red hats.
When you do 200mph on the salt, you are inducted into the, "200mph Club". There are fewer people in that club than are in the "People Who Have Stood at the Top of Everest Club". One of the things you get when you join the club is a red hat. On the salt, those wearing the hats are shown immense respect.
Andy spends the next hour thinking about what we'd need. "A Hayabusa for starters" I say. "Yup" says Andy calmly. Crap. We're going to buy a Hayabusa.
Nate manages to up the best speed we record by another mph. On Andy's next run, he nudges above 130mph. It's now 1pm and the guys wanted to head back to LA an hour ago. They ask if its okay that I only made one pass. Of course it is. It's only going in a straight line after all.
Many many thanks to Andy and Nate for making this incredible experience possible. There are no other guys I'd rather do this with (or with whom this would have been possible). Many thanks to Kyle and the guys at Lowbrow Customs for saving Andy's experience. Their generosity will not be soon forgotten. Guys - Please reach out to us if you're in LA or NYC or when you want to go roadracing. Thanks to Stephen for lending us the RV. We missed you this trip. Thanks also to tech crew for putting up with us and to all the experienced racers and 200mph Club members for making us feel welcome.
We'll be back next year.
Pictures are
here."
I came into the shop today and Todd had a Christmas gift for me. It is the November 1955 issue of Cycle Magazine featuring the new fastest motorcycle in the world, a 40 ci (650 c.c.) non-supercharged Triumph streamline run by team Johnny Allen (Driver), Jack Wilson (Tuner) and Stormy Mangham (Designer) out of Texas, which ran an 2-way average of 193 mph. Johnny Allen ran a Triumph Tiger 100 (500 c.c.) at 123.95 mph at the same meet for another speed record. Read the article for yourself!
Dave Bird has finished up the design for the 1979 - 1981 Harley-Davidson Sportster bolt-on hardtail frames! Available in traditional straight style or in his signature looped style frame. David now has frames for Sportsters from 1954 - 1981, and has the next year range frame in the works!
Need a last-minute gift for that motorcycle enthusiast in your life? Not enough time to get something shipped to your door? Check out Lowbrow Customs gift certificates, you receive the PIN number via email right away! Check them out here, do not fear, you still have time to give holiday cheer. Damn, too much Dr. Seuss lately..
Our friend Dan Collins of Old Gold Garage and Victory Tattoo is throwing Psychedelic Tendencies 2, a chopper art show with a long, long list of artists, none of whom I have ever heard of. Who are these guys, anyway? Seriously though, looks like it is going to be a rad show, check it out Saturday, January 14th at Victory Electric Tattoo Co. at 11390 Ventura Blvd. #7, Studio City, California 91604.
Lowbrow is proud to be the online source for Born Free 4 poster sales! Each poster comes with an entry ticket for a chance to win one of two 1969 Harley-Davidson Shovelheads! Your poster is $25 (shipping included in the USA!) and comes with an entry ticket and assorted promotional stickers and such from some of the BF4 sponsors. These are also available world-wide, the big change this year is that you do not have to be present to win! Here is some more info from the official Born Free 4 website:
A box arrived for me today from Bill, McGoo and Mike D, and when I opened it it wasn't the reflection of the green hilt in Kyle's eyes, but pure jealousy ;) This knife was hand made by Morris Knives out of a file! A care sheet was included explaining that files are one of the best sources of high carbon tool steel, resulting in a very wear-resistant, tough knife. I love it, and will gladly wear it on my belt and use it to dissuade attackers, business end first.
Order ANY (DOT or novelty) Biltwell helmet (including one of the 5 new DOT-approved Hustler Helmet colors!) at LowbrowCustoms.com and your entire order ships FREE! Limited to the continental USA, and excludes frames and hardtails. Good now through midnight TONIGHT Sunday, December 1 7th, 2011.
What many people have been waiting for has arrived! The El Diablo Run: A Mexican Motorcycle Adventure DVD is in stock and shipping now! The EDR DVD is complete with free soundtrack CD and 24-page photo book for only $24.99! The perfect gift for that motorcycle enthusiast in your life. Orders are getting packaged and shipped right up until Christmas!
Order ANY (DOT or novelty) Biltwell helmet (including one of the 5 new DOT-approved Hustler Helmet colors!) at LowbrowCustoms.com and your entire order ships FREE! Limited to the continental USA, and excludes frames and hardtails. Good now through midnight Sunday, December 17th, 2011.
Come on out for the first screening of the El Diablo Run DVD at The Spitfire Saloon (1539 W. 117th St) in Cleveland, Ohio this Saturday, December 17th! Check out the event page for updates. It is a free event, come on out and eat some free grub, watch the film, hang out and talk motorcycles. Cheap drinks and punk rock, you can't go wrong! Brought to you by Lowbrow Customs, Biltwell, Inc., Four Aces Cycle and The Gasbox.
Well here is the skinny.. 5 new colors of DOT-Approved Biltwell Hustler helmets just arrived, including Flat Primer Red, Gloss Black, and 3 new Metalflake helmets: Cobalt Blue, Gang Green and Wine Red! Since these just missed out on our free shipping special, we decided to keep the party going. Order ANY (DOT or novelty) Biltwell helmet at LowbrowCustoms.com and your entire order ships FREE! Limited to the continental USA, and excludes frames and hardtails.
That's right! The sale is still on!! You have until Midnight TONIGHT!! That is 11:59:59 Eastern Time, to snag FREE SHIPPING on any order over 30 bucks for that special old man in your life! Here's the deal:
Bonneville rules say that an entered vehicle can only be under its own power on the course. Once a run is over, a chase vehicle must pick up the entrant on the side of the "return road" (which is really a poorly-marked strip of salt amidst other unmarked expanses of salt). The technique is for the racer to shut down and then turn off the course with enough speed to coast the 1/4 mile to the return, "road". They then sit there until the chase truck arrives.
We find Andy at the end of the course with tears in his eyes. There were five separate times this trip when it looked certain that he wouldn't make that run. I can't imagine what it felt like for him to finally do it.
We pull back in line and wait for Nate's next run.
We'll be back next year.
There is a lot of good stuff happening in southern California this weekend, but if that's where you are at then you are probably already in the know. Mooneyes X-mas Party Show & Drag is happening at the Irwindale Speedway on Saturday.
Kyle and I happen to be in the LA area this weekend meeting with our friends from Biltwell & Rubbertree Studios, and while we can't make the Mooneyes show we will be hitting up the Street Chopper Magazine release party in Huntington Beach on Saturday night with our buddy Mike D from Biltwell, and hanging with the whole crew on Sunday at the David Mann Chopperfest in Ventura. Hope to see you there!
No matter. A few months ago, I get an email form Andy that Bonneville is happening and asking if I'm in. I was marginally offended by the question.
Andy brought three bikes for us - all of which would pass tech at every roadracing organization in the country. In a move that's very unlike us, we neglected to read the rule book and just showed up.
We were up at dawn the next day and headed the three miles out on to the salt.
We passed tech and filled out all the necessary forms. We each looked at the, "Bonneville 2011 Participant" stickers and patches we were given with a sense of awe and legitimate reverence. We giggled at the notion that Andy's endurance bike (the one we ended up riding) was now wearing a SCTA sticker that corresponded to an official log book. Somehow, this became very important to all of us. We all knew we wanted to come out here but I don't think we knew why. People kept saying to us, "I don't get it. Isn't it just going in a straight line? And not really that fast?" Yes. It's exactly that.
A total of $534.83 was collected during the month of November from customer's donations, and being December and a season of giving we decided to match those contributions dollar for dollar and also an extra $202 from sales of our Winged Wheel Patch, for a total of over $1200 for November! This includes almost four hundred dollars going to the latest charity we added last month, the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation. Thanks for your support in these causes, and Happy Holidays!
