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Cheapest way to 200mph - has somebody already tried it?

15K views 26 replies 22 participants last post by  TomSmith 
Better read the bike rulebook at the SCTA site "http://www.scta-bni.org/". They specify what leathers are required, and so forth, for El Mirage & Bonneville. It is tougher than you think to go 200 at either place. Rosamond dry lake (near El Mirage) was 10% slower than Bonneville due to soft dirt. Bonneville is about 5,000 ft altitude, so you lose a lot of horsepower there, plus you get wheelspin at any speed. The SCTA site has a video of Noonan's run (the 793B video). His bike is very loosely a "street" bike as opposed to a streamliner. I believe a guy from Del Amo Suzuki in Torrance got his GSX1000 up to 201 or so a couple of years ago. I think it was turbocharged and running nitrous, but he actually rode it to work - it was a real street bike. It is a lot easier to go 200 at sea level on asphalt, and takes a lot less horsepower. Try for the 130mph club at Bonneville first , then the 150mph club, then go for it if it works out for you - look at how few cars can do 130mph each year.
 
picture of Noonan's bike

A picture of Noonans bike is at "http://www.scta-bni.org/", then click on "Bonneville", then "world finals 2004" then "page 1" for Oct 16th. You will see it is slightly modified, and is the fastest "sit on" bike in existence.
 
minimum speeds to qualify for 200mph club

This site lists the minimum speeds required to get you into the 200mph club at Bonneville: "http://www.bonneville200mph.org/2004_motorcycle_records_and_mini.htm"

I believe you have to break an existing record or achieve the minimum speed for each class. Just going 200mph won't get you into the club. THe only class where 200mph works is S/VG-500 (a 500cc gas class). The worst example is that you will have to beat 332.410mph (Sam Wheeler's EZ Hook streamliner) in class S/BF-1350 in order to get into the 200mph club.

By the way, road race leathers probably aren't allowed - you can't have any perforations or expanding joints. Read the rule book carefully.

I would just buy an obsolete Nascar car for $50 or $70 grand or so (a long track one) and just have fun. I plan on doing just that as soon as I win the lottery.
 
I dunno. I only ran 150mph on my gas dragster at Ave 5 in Pomona, CA in 1958, but had about 1/2 mile to get up to speed (and another 1/2 mile to stop). Jim Hunter ran 172 there on the Bud Hood/C. B. Clausen Harley fuel dragster 2 weeks earlier. It was an isolated road back then, but is now wall to wall houses, just like everywhere else.



There used to be an unlimited speed event in Nevada each year on a Northern State highway (which they close down), but I don'k know the details. Or maybe try Montana. Going 200 on a two lane highway is dangerous due to side winds, expecially since the roads have crowns (aren't level) for water runoff.
 
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