As a side note on this ... some fast men ...
Rollie Free made his record setting runs on the Vincent Black Lightning
on September 13, fifty nine years ago this coming week . The iconic
shots show him flat on the bike in his bathing suit. He describes
himself as being "blue with the cold" after the early morning record
setting runs. Two way average 150.313.
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/15october02vincentmotors.html
I'm sure the bikers have seen photos of the Joe Petrali record setting
Harley from 1937. He held the record Rollie Free broke on the salt in
1948. The "official" photos show the Harley with streamlining from front
to back with the front wheel covered by discs like large Moon Discs.
In actuality, the bike was a pig at speed with those in place. The actual
FIM runs were with the front wire wheel exposed. Jeff Decker did a life
sized bronze series of the bike. The original is at a Harley dealer in
Northern California. There's another at Daytona where the old
course comes off the sand and onto the pavement. Jeff made sure
that one was well supported because even though it is on top of a
monument he could see some drunk biker climbing up for a "ride".
Another copy is at the Harley factory. They have the covered front
wheel. The casting series is six. I'm not sure where the other three
are.
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/news/2002/PetraliRacer.asp
Wes
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: atrav <atrav@copper.net>
> I'd be curious as to what streamlining differences they're talking about
> with the reference to changing the body work from asphalt to salt.
> -Aron-
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