Bigger Isn't Always Better

[ReycleBill]

I found it interesting that the world record for a 50cc motorcycle is 144.921 MPH set by J. Buddenbaum in 2008 on a Streamliner- Modified Fuel (S-AF) Buddenbaum Motorcycle of his own making while the world record for 3,000 cc, was set by M. Sturtz on a Special Construction Partial Streamlining- Diesel Supercharged (APS-DB) BMW.

Honestly folks, there are diesel trucks running on our highways that can top 100 MPH. fully loaded so don't blame it on the diesel fuel.

That said, there are lots of reasons why a record might seem slow, but the fact that a 50cc motorcycle can run 145 MPH even with streamlining and special fuel is pretty encouraging.

So what is the world record in the 750cc class? 251.924 MPH set by Don Vesco on a Streamliner- Modified Gasoline (S-AG) Yamaha in 1970. He was the first man to ride a motorcycle over 250 MPH and his record still stands today. And in 1970 that Yamaha almost had to be an XS. No turbo, no supercharger, no nitro....

https://bonnevillespeedtrials.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-AMA-BonnevilleSR-PublishV16.1.pdf

"...five years later he broke the 300-mph barrier on his Silver Bird Yamaha, powered by twin Yamaha TZ750 engines."

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-18-me-vesco18-story.html

CORRECTION:

"Vesco claimed his first record in October 1970 at Bonneville with a red and blue rocket-shaped streamliner powered, unusually, by a pair of Yamaha TR2 350cc air-cooled two-stroke twin cylinder racing engines."

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/bikes/top-10-land-speed-records

 

[gggGary]

Vesco also built this one in 70 that didn't do so well.

 

[ReycleBill]

Vesco also built this one in 70 that didn't do so well.

View attachment 157376

View attachment 157375

Funny how those things go. In 1975 Vesco set a record on what might have been the same XS he used in 1970 to set his S-AG record of 251.924 MPH to set a 750cc S-AF record of 240.747. Same size engine, better fuel, slower but still holds the world record in class.

I think what sets the XS 650 back at Bonneville is that the actual displacement is 654cc which, as I understand the rules, automatically pushes it up into the 750cc class. I think if Yamaha had made the actual displacement slightly less that 650cc we would have seen several 200 MPH plus records set on stock displacement, streamlined XS650s. After all, the standing S-AF record for the 650cc class was set in 1962 at 230.269 by B Johnson on a Triumph.

Maybe the XS needs to be destroked or debored? When I was younger the local dirt track racers used to do that to small block Chevrolets.

 

[jetmechmarty]

A friend of mine holds the land speed record for a gravity powered car. Real fast, no engine.

For you speed freaks, here's a testing run of him chasing a street luge. Doug built both the car and the luge.

For more, you can search BODRODZ, Doug Anderson, gravity car, or street luge.

 

[gggGary]

A friend of mine holds the land speed record for a gravity powered car. Real fast, no engine.

I heard things have really been going downhill for Donnie.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I heard things have really been going downhill for Donnie.

Yes, for sure.


I had to go back and edit the post, as I had put up the wrong video. Doug's record is well over 100 mph. Several runs are posted to YouTube, and to me, they're plenty exciting. I added one to my previous post.

 

[ReycleBill]

A friend of mine holds the land speed record for a gravity powered car. Real fast, no engine.

For you speed freaks, here's a testing run of him chasing a street luge. Doug built both the car and the luge.

For more, you can search BODRODZ, Doug Anderson, gravity car, or street luge.

If he wants to go faster he needs to go a little north of there in Georgia. North Carolina has the tallest mountains east of the Mississippi River. I come from a family of Appalachian moonshine runners. My Daddy liked haulin' whiskey better than drinkin' whiskey 'cause he got to go fast.