World of Speed 2010...212 mph / 2010 World Finals 203 mph...boom!

Back at Bonneville for the USFRA World of Speed event 15-18 Sept 2010 Bryan is back on the line at the Salt Flats. Everyone is looking for a neat photo and this team shot some photos of Bryan on the starting line...where these end up is anyone's guess. We never asked.

Bryan Stock takes the Bullet to 212 mph testing the new clutch and air shifter. In the end we stretched an inlet valve by running it too close to the edge but the bike handled great and the next stop is 230+ mph when we turn up the boost and the rpm. The SCTA-BNI requires this 3000 cc class to post a minimum of 230 mph plus back to back runs for 200 mph club membership. We passed on accepting a 199 mph record this trip.We're just cruising at 212 mph with 9 psi of boost.

Crew

You run into all sorts of characters at Bonneville. "Murph" did a photo shoot of the bike for the 2011 USFRA calendar and has been covering Bonneville and everything between Florida and Alaska on his GS BMW motorcycle. Check out Murph's travels about the country. Murph took this picture and we donated $100.00 to his further travels.

Brothers

Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Jake: Hit it.

At the starting line the USFRA offical controls the course and briefs you on course conditions. Some vehicles wreck and tear up the surface, some places are wet and then there are the other issues like side winds and sections of the course where you should be to the right or left or center. Best pay attention.

Dancing with the Devil...

Ready to rumble. When the man says go you go.

212 mph later

Bryan hits 212 mph, holding the boost to 9 psi and running only 3/4 throttle. We were trying to get in some test runs at a little over 200 mph before we upped the boost to check out all systems. The new Bandit Machine Works clutch held fine correcting slippage we had seen at SpeedWeek.

Pick up your timing slip and head for impound. You have one hour to get into impound. If you don't you can't make your return run for record.

We ended up making our return run the next AM but stretched and bent an inlet valve and Bryan only got to 197 mph before the bike slowed. A quick leak down check showed we had a damaged inlet valve so we packed up and went home.

The return got interesting when Mark's 7.3 liter Ford Diesel lunched it's motor just outside of Wendover. That was a long night for Bryan as he coordinated a tow truck and separate transportation from Brother Speed members who dropped what they were doing and got the broken truck and the race trailer back to Boise.

We pulled the engine to find out what went wrong. At first it was a bit of a mystery as the valves did not tangle and the piston was not hit by the valves. An inlet valve was bent and a spark plug had detonated as we were running on the lean edge.

This is what it takes to watercool a non-watercooled Harley. It does get complicated

Eager to find out what went wrong Mike and Bryan pull the rear cylinder head to discover a bent inlet valve and no head or cylinder damage. New, stronger, inlet valves were ordered and mixtures for higher boost levels were programmed in. The water injection was set up for the higher boost levels and Carl Pelletier of Competition Motorcycles began the teardown to inspect all bearing structures. In this class the minimum for 200 mph club membership is 230+ mph. If you don't go back to back over 230 mph, you don't get your red 200 mph hat.

Bryan has been 4 times over 200 mph with the last pass at 212 mph with the boost only set at 9 psi. The bike is stable and safe so we'll correct the weakness in the valves and up the boost to 15 psi with a richer mixture and the two stage water injection and push the Bullett past 230 mph. No one wants to get hurt. All systems are go.

Heat Barrier

Piston sagged a bit right in the center where we lost the fine wire electrode spark plug. The ceramic coating by Xtreme Performance Coatings saved the pistion. We got away with it 4 times but not five. We've already made corrections to fuel, water injection and spark plug selection. Close to big damage but nothing major. We found a weak point in the Inlet Valves and corrected this with better valves from Ferrea. We had to make another trip to Bonneville to discover why we had an unexpected lean condition.

Diesel Madness

Here's the diesel running down the course. You only see the black smoke and not the truck.

Bucket

Streamliner

World Finals 2010...Upping the boost and the MPH

The Bullett was torn down with Carl Pelletier of Competition Motorcycles doing a complete engine inspection and rebuild of the 139" ORCA motor, installing new full complement rod bearings on the McClure rods, new CP pistons coated by Alan at Xtreme Performance Coatings, new Ferrea 2.200" Special Alloy 1510P valves, new Inconel gas-filled seal rings, and a complete R&R of the connecting rod small and big ends. The Branch O'Keefe heads were in perfect shape only requiring a fresh-up of Carl's full competition valve job.

In case you are wondering, it takes a lot of people to campaign a complex system like the Bullett. There are literally hundreds of years of experience involved. Carl Pelletier has over 25 years of engine building expertise all the way through Top Fuel, campaigning his own bikes. Picture above: Steve Heidner on Carl's nitro burning fueler...Carl loves Nitro. Yes, he fixed it.

Mike Geokan, the Bullett's designer has more than 20 years of Bonneville experience and nearly 30 years of bike building and frame building behind him. John O'Keefe has more than 30 years of porting expertise and has personally welded over 50,000 Harley Cylinder heads working with the legendary Jerry Branch. S&S Cycle has over 50 years of racing experience and untold expenditures in R&D. RB Racing has been involved in racing constantly since 1977.

All this for a few trips down the great white dyno...all backed up by a crew of volunteers who leave their businesses, jobs, and families to insure Mike Geokan's Bullett gets down the salt. 19 years of Mike's effort...thousands of hours. No Mike, no Bullett.

A new fuel map was written using Autocal.V6 to place 227 hp @ 8psi, 371 hp @ 15 psi and 467 hp @ 30 psi. The water injection was set up with two 120cc nozzles for higher boost pressures. We have just been running below redline at less that full throttle and under 10 psi of boost with four runs over 200 mph to sort the machine out and get Bryan Stock his three SCTA licenses.

All in all, pretty serious stuff...but it is a good reason to get out of town, eat Casino food, and drink too much beer.

2010 World Finals...Inspection

The Bullett has now collected inspection tickets from the SCTA-BNI, the AMA and the USFRA..Plus the new SCTA Tire Inspection Stickers. Next up will be government-mandated anal probes and cavity searches. Bryan will have to have his racing boots checked for explosives. He doesn't have any carry-on luggage so that saves some time.

Sealing Gas and H2O Tanks

ERC is the official gas supplier and they perform the inspection and sealing of all competitor fuel tanks.

2010 World Finals...Wet Access

Everything got soaked in salt spay on the entry road and on the path to the start line. The winds came up to gale-force and the next day the salt was pretty much water free. Things change quickly there. In the 1990's Mike Geokan often went with his famous #226 Blue Bike and sat on the access road then went home due to poor conditions. Some people hit it lucky and go fast, think it's easy, and come back and only endure frustration year after year. You have no control over the elements...accept it.

New Battery

After the course was shut down due to gale-force winds we returned the next AM and put in a new battery.

Unloaded and back in line...the only place the bike has a purpose. The only place it looks at home. The only place it is happy.

Spanish Freelancers

This couple came all the way from Spain to document the madness. Everyone has a good time because it's such a bizzare setting. Moonscape and madness.

Showtime

203 mph @ 4700 rpm then Fuel Starvation

It took awhile to figure out why the bike went dead lean and torched the pistons as Bryan had already made four runs over 200 mph with safe temperatures and good plug readings. Turns out that the stainless steel gas tank made a number of years ago had stainless steel metal shavings trapped in its internal baffle structure that made their way through a large bore Enderle shut off valve and into the SX Performance filter. We ended up removing the entire fuel system including the gas tank to find the culprit.

Mike Gokan had never properly checked or cleaned the stainless steel gas tank when it was fabricated years earlier. This explained the lean condition at the previous event as well as the subsequent damage. Mike's explanation..."I thought it was clean". REsponsibility

On return to Brother Speed in Boise everything was cleaned up, the engine disassembled, and repairs were made. Next up is dyno testing as the bike has proven safe, and both the bike and rider are qualified for long course. All issues with clutch slippage have been solved and the turbo with its separate oil system has worked flawlessly.

Next Step 230 mph plus

When you run the calculations on the 139 cubic inch ORCA Motor it takes 30 psi of manifold pressure above ambient to reach 500 hp. The particular Garrett GT35R series turbo we are using is capable of pushing 620 hp but our "small" engine displacement holds us below this figure. Even with the stronger parts this is no top fuel PRP motor with 3" mains and helicopter rotor bearings. We only need about 16-19 psi to go 230 plus.

Running the calculations versus the Garrett GT35R compressor map at 4800 and 6400 rpm the "points" are nicely placed in the compressor map, safely between choke and surge lines. We've only been running 9-10 psi at about 4700 rpm so far.

Jon Amo...272 mph man

Jon got everything stirred up in 2009 at the World of Speed when he ran some big numbers. Jon was back to sort out some changes he had made...He sure got everyone's attention. Serious stuff...everyone is eyeing 300 mph. Bye Bye Bugatti Veyrons.

Bob Bennett..Faired

Back after setting records with his S&S SA B2 Head Sportster unfaired...This time with an Amo-inspired tail that meets the new SCTA-BNI partially streamlined rule rule book. Teardrops and mother nature.

Laydown Madness

Everyone has ideas on how to cheat the wind...and, in this case, add Nitrous Oxide for a horsepower increase. If it passes inspection you can run it.

Vesco Liner

To go really fast you have to cheat the air. That's what streamliners are all about. Parachutes out the poop chute.

Long Winter Nights and Lots of Vodka

Straight 8 Buick

Danny Thompson

Danny Thompson, the son of famed racer Mickey Thompson, on his way for a 300 mph record attempt. A spin and a roll at somewhere North of 268 mph totaled the car. Fortunately Danny was unhurt. Racers will be back...they have to. An in-car video shows how quickly things happen at 260+ mph on the salt.

300 mph in 1/4 mile or six miles

If you go to Bonneviile to compete, don't forget to take the time to look at what shows up. People are pretty eager to answer questions about their projects. Race cars never die.