According to Jeff Decker, who did the bronze of Rollie on the Black
Lightning and did extensive research on him, Rollie claimed that he was
"blue with the cold" after those two early morning rides. It was September
1948, around the 13th, and anyone who has been on the salt at that time of
year knows you want a jacket to stay warm most mornings. Herb Harris, the
current owner of the bike, had it on the salt in 1999 at World of Speed.
Rollie borrowed his wife's rubber bathing cap, wore his own swim suit and
borrowed some tennies for his feet (they look more like rubber soled, slip
on house slippers) for the rides. They had set the record a day or so
before at 147 and change while Rollie wore leathers, but the mechanic who
prepared the bike told Rollie that "any competent rider can get 150 out of
this bike ... so Rollie did. Two way average of 150.313 mph.
Herb gave me a copy of a picture of Rollie making the runs. His nose is
almost on the tank and his rib cage ends just before his stomach hits the
curve of the chrome fender. He is looking under his arm on the right side
of the bike at the black line
A couple of riders tried the same thing in the early days of the Bonneville
Nationals. A Harley rider upped his speed from 164 to around 167 that way.
Another rider on a smaller bike stopped the runs for four hours when he slid
off the bike at around 120 and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital
in Tooele. Those who saw him said he didn't bleed much ... the salt
cauterized the scrapes. I think he could be heard a mile or so away
however, screaming with the pain. The next year they required leathers and
no laying out on the bike.
Wes
on 7/15/03 6:56 PM, ardunbill@webtv.net at ardunbill@webtv.net wrote:
> Russ, I don't know offhand what year Rollie Free was born. I do know he
> was very active and successful in the '30s as a speed trials rider on
> Indians, setting records at meets at places like El Mirage.
> Harry Sucher's excellent book on the history of Indian, "Iron Redskin"
> mentions him in that context.
>
> I have to agree, it wouldn't be too easy to ride at Bonneville for miles
> lying flat out with your belly on the back fender like he did. He will
> be remembered for a long time. Bill
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