The "Quest" - to share the experience with Don Angel, the pilot of the awesome twin -Vincent-engine streamliner (the "Black Lightning"), with the builder owner, Max Lambky, the co-pilot Hartmut Weidelich, and all the rest of the supporting team as they take a run at the world motorcycle speed record of 351 PMH. Check out Max's story on
ww.vincentstreamliner.com and check out the Bub Speed trials story on speedtrialsbybub.com
Black Lightning - Max Lambky's twin Vincent powered streamliner
Also - we wanted to experience the Bonneville Salt Flats with its die-hard veterans, such as 83-yr old Sonny Angel of San Diego, who has made nearly 50 runs at Bonneville over the decades, and sitll comes back every year to watch the youngsters take their shot at glory.
The Gods of Speed are real!!
And we know where they live. No, not with Zeus on the top of Mt. Olympus. The Gods of Speed can be found just east of Wendover, just inside the Utah side of the Utah/ Nevada border, on the Bonneville Salt Flats. This little section of the planet was designed specifically with one thing in mind - to give people a hard, flat surface and the opportunity to drive/ride a vehicle as fast as it can go - for miles at a time.
The Gods of Speed (GOS for simplicity) are omnipresent here.
You can feel them as soon as you leave the asphalt and start riding out on the hard packed salt. At first it's just a little twitch in your wrist, causing ever so subtle increasing pressure on your throttle grip (or on your right foot, for those on 4-wheels).
wow - this is it - Bonneville Salt Flats - amazing place!
wide open and flat - bring on the speed!
The next thing you know you are roaring across the perfectly flat white surface, grinning like a kid locked in a candy store overnight.
Yeeeehawww! Bring it on.
Faster and faster! No cops, no speeding tickets, nobody nagging at you from the passenger seat, no oncoming traffic. Sweeeet!!
For those of you who saw the movie "World's Fastest Indian" - the spirit of Burt Monroe is very tangible here. As a matter of fact there seem to be a lot of Burt's old buddies around. Lots of people (almost all guys) of all ages, shapes and sizes with bikes of all kinds - from modern high-tech streamliners with hundreds of thousands invested in engineering and aerodynamics and wind-tunnel testing, to guys in old Indians, Harleys, Nortons, Triumphs, out for a blast on the salt.
the timing tower from the pit area
Faster, faster, .....
There aren't too many places like this on the planet. As a matter of fact maybe this is the only one like it. A perfectly flat hard packed surface that stretches for miles and miles and miles.
It is public land, managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Bonneville Salt Flats - a high speed run on the Mountain Course
Here is the set up for the 2008 BUB Speed Trials, which unlike the more well known Speed Week, is for motorcycles only. That's right - no cars, just bikes, all with the same mission in mind - to go as fast as possible.
The two courses:
Mountain Course: 5 miles long, with the electronic timing system operating between Mile 2 and Mile 3. That gives you two miles to get up to speed and two miles to slow down after the max speed section. Actually riders have the option of starting at the Mile 0 or the Mile 1 mark, depending on how much distance they want to get up to max speed.
International Course: 11 miles long, with the speed clocked between Mile 5 and Mile 6. The streamliners use every inch of this course, since they run in the 200 to 350 MPH range, and take quite a while to get up to speed as well as to wind down. As a matter of fact, Don Angel, piloting the twin-Vincent engined Black Lightning streamliner, said he had a mechanical problem and backed off the gas at the Mile 3 mark. The machine is so aerodynamic that he coasted in neutral for 8 miles across the salt. How cool is that!
The cool place to be was in the pits, where you can get close up with everyone as they tweak and wrench in the quest to squeeze out another couple of MPH. Kind of like squeezing that old toothpaste tube - there's got to be some more in there!!
Gentlemen - listen up before you start your engines
The magic document - the pit pass so you can see cool stuff
the courtyard in the center of the pit area
so many bikes, so much salt!
was it the hot dog I had for breakfast?
OK - a streamliner, but shouldn't it have an engine?
Here's a few shots of the pit area of
Max Lambky's Black Lightning. For more info on the bike and it's amazing history, check out his site:
www.vincentstreamliner.com Max has had his heart set on breaking the world speed record with this beast, powered by two Vincent engines: 1949 plus a 1952, and helped a bit by a supercharger and other go-fast mods of course.
By the way, standing anywhere near this thing when the engines fire up - WOW!
You can feel the power shaking your bones and tingling your scapl. What a beast! If only the guys can get the bugs worked out and get in a good run!
The guts of the Black Lightning - two vintage Vincent motors
The Streamliner with a sidecar (and passenger)
another check out before a run
Can I do the run this time guys, please?
Just look at all that power - it's in the 3000 cc class
The Black Lightning's pit crew and supporters
Hoisting it up to load on the trailer for another trip out to the course
Securing the Black Lightning on the trailer
Back from the run - with several pounds of salt
Sonny Angel, Sonny Angel Motorcycles, National City, California
At 83 Sonny is one of the true die-hard veterans of motorcycle riding at Bonneville. Sonny has done dozens of runs here over the decades, including his personal best - 144.xx on his Vincent. The bike is proudly displayed at his shop in National City, just south of downtown San Diego. Sonny is not riding at Bonneville any more, but he's here to give out advice, and be part of the Bonneville experience.
Sonny Angel - back at the Speed Trials in Bonneville - at 83 and going strong!
Sonny's brother Don Angel is the pilot of the famous Black Lightning streamliner
Don doing a pre-run checkout of the streamliner
The Black Lightning crew taking the liner out for another run
A beautiful 1952(?) Vincent Black Shadow, one of the many old Vincents at the Flats
That black beauty from the other angle - nice!!!
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Tom did a run at 182.5 MPH when I last talked to him on the third day. That sure beats his 150 MPH run last year. Maybe he ran even faster after I saw him. By the way, I don't think the folks at the Triumph factory had this kind of speed in mind when this bike was built 39 years ago! Way to go Tom!
Tom Mellor's tow vehicle - very cool Rolls
The only guy who towed his bike to Utah with a Rolls Royce
Tom's bike - a '69 Triumph Trident (under that bodywork)
My old Triumph didn't look like this - what gives!
Tom relaxing and looking pretty satisfied after a 182 MPH run on a 39 yr old Triumph
Chula Vista, California
Sal brought his vintage 750 Norton Commando, a bike that was revered in its time for speed, power and handling - maybe the original "sport bike?"
Sal's Norton commando
Sal Pizanno - looking happy after his 113 MPH run on his 1973 Commando
Ascot, UK
EGP Enterprises
Eric was looking pretty happy, as he set a new AMA record of 120.00 MPH on his JAP powered Norton-framed twin. The previous record in this class was 100 MPH, so that's quite a feat. Way to go Eric!!
Guess it was worth the long trip across the pond after all!
Eric Patterson after beating the AMA record in the 1350 cc Modified Vintage Gas class (1350 M-VG)
San Diego, CA
Ed had just finished a run at158.56 MPH on his Beemer K1200R when I talked to him, and as you can see from the photos, he was pleased as could be. He also set a record on a stock 1978 R1000 RT, but I don't remember the numbers. Ed, can you fill in the blanks for us?
Ed Bell on his hot Beemer
Yes, an old stock Beemer can move pretty fast across the Flats!
Click to enlarge
