TOPIC:

Injected wrote:

That Terminal Van lines bike is tiny compared to modern TF machines. Its crazy to think that street tire bikes run faster than that ever did.

Found this online : fuelcurve.com/top-fuel-bikes-of-the-1970s/

 

Thanks for that link, Injected.  Some great pics there!  And, yeah, the current Pro Street dragbikes running high 6's @ 200+ mph - simply mind blowing!

It's difficult to remember all the great ones, there are so many. Several years ago Tom Skinner started a thread on the Jockey Journal called Vintage Fuel Bikes.
www.jockeyjournal.com/threads/vintage-fu...y=oldest#post-594606
Here's an impressive 60s blown fuel 500cc Vincent, built and still owned by Brian Chapman in our Vincent club. I think his best et was a 8.25 @ 169 mph.
 

Vinsky wrote:

It's difficult to remember all the great ones, there are so many. Several years ago Tom Skinner started a thread on the Jockey Journal called Vintage Fuel Bikes.
www.jockeyjournal.com/threads/vintage-fu...y=oldest#post-594606
Here's an impressive 60s blown fuel 500cc Vincent, built and still owned by Brian Chapman in our Vincent club. I think his best et was a 8.25 @ 169 mph.
 

Very cool pic!  Is that a single cylinder Vincent from a Comet?  And, that's a great link that you posted.  Thanks for that.  Good stuff!

Yes, it's a one cylinder Comet motor. In the 50s and 60s they were cheap and very reliable also, easily campaigning a full season on one build. Can't do that today.
 

That bungee corded fuel tank would not pass tech inspection at my track
 

The Brits built some hairy blown and supercharged bikes back then. I'm not even sure when leathers certified helmets became a requirement. 
This is the bike I have now (restored) from the mid 50s.  Blue jeans, no gloves, dingo boots and all. It was running close to 140 before they banned nitro for a few years.

I wish I had pictures to share... A friend down in Stockton, Terry Sage, has a Triumph from... the 60s I wanna say? Open chain primary, chain drive (of course) and an open chain driving the supercharger behind the motor! 

Another friend & I ditched highschool to go to the Winternationals in Pomona back in '77. We got to see Russ Collins run the 199.55 MPH run. At that point, no bike had gone 200 MPH. What most stories don't mention was that RC was into and out of the gas 3 times that run and STILL went 199.55 MPH

Aah, the good old days... sigh  

Here are some photos of the same bike shown above. 

It took a few years to gather enough parts to restore the bike. in 2006 at the NHRA banquet the rider Tommy Auger was honored with the Golden Age Award. He was unaware his old drag bike was on the stage behind a curtain and was stunned to turn around and see it again after 50 years.

Vinsky wrote:

It took a few years to gather enough parts to restore the bike. in 2006 at the NHRA banquet the rider Tommy Auger was honored with the Golden Age Award. He was unaware his old drag bike was on the stage behind a curtain and was stunned to turn around and see it again after 50 years. 

A beautiful restoration job, Vinsky.  Thanks for sharing those pics.  Some real history there!