Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners

[manta22]

WW;

Is shipping the crate by air completely out of the question?

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[wobblywalrus]

Air shipment is possible and done by many.  It costs maybe 20 to 25% more.  Right now I am low on pounds so I am shaving costs where I can.  The bike will be ready to go in two weeks so there it is no problem to accommodate the three month shipping duration.  The big planes that carry these items leave Portland and land near London so the only benefit is reducing the stateside and trans ocean portions of the trips.  The issues of shipping the bike from London to Wales and back remain along with its logistics problems.

The decision about what class to enter is a difficult one.  Caution vs ego.  The safe route is to run the bike naked.  It should handle the course although a sundial or calendar is needed to record the speed.  The problem with this is the course might be a lot better than I think and I will be at the knife fight with a ripe banana.

Full APS streamlining will give a lot of speed although it is hard to ride in any significant side winds.  The MPS route is a compromise.  It is a lot less trouble having only the fairing in side winds.  Top speed will be a bit lower but not abysmal.  The critical thing with the middle route is rider self control.  I need to take the time to figure out exactly how fast I can go with some degree of safety.  Partial throttle runs may be needed.  The bike will be set up for MPS.

I was going to toss the tail into the crate.  The plan was to enter the APS class after running MPS and to wait until conditions are just right, a nice track and no wind, and make a run.  There is a rule that a bike cannot run MPS and APS in the same season.  The tail will stay at home. 

         

   

[Hoody]

Being nosey are they charging you a fortune to transport the bike from the docks to Wales? If so may be worth transporting it yourself from the docks or from someone who i believe you stated has offered to look after it for you? London to West Wales is only something like a 5/6 hour drive even if you take it easy? (Straight down the M4 Motorway) Also if you are renting a van for transportation make sure they don't put any silly mileage limits on the contract, some companies do this and charge a fortune for any extra miles.

[wobblywalrus]

That new emoticon that Slim put up applies to this build.  Doing what it takes to get the old warhorse to next race.

The plan is to have it shipped to Swansea at this time.  I have not found anyone to accept shipment there, yet.  Driving around Swansea and Wales west of Cardiff is about all I want to do.  That might change if the shipping costs from London are too high.  Right now I am trying to be as independent as I can so I will ask for favors only if things get weird.

The back tire is on.  It has an aggressive tread pattern.  The discs are on the back wheel.  This prevents sand buildup on the inside of the rim.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Team Go Dog Go!

[wobblywalrus]

The tire on a sand racing bike tosses the stuff all around.  It gets onto the drive chain and it creates premature wear.  There is also a power loss associated with it being crunched between the moving chain and rotating sprockets.  The standard Triumph chain guard is widened and a shield is fit alongside the tire.  This will reduce the amount of sand falling onto the chain.  The guard is brushed with preservative and it is ready to be bolted on.     

[wobblywalrus]

Is it normal in Wales for businesses to suspend operations during the holidays?

[Hoody]

On Bank Holidays the retail stores (equivalent of walmart etc) open, but most other types of business close.

[wobblywalrus]

...Ducks...

[Stainless1]

...Ducks...

Yep 
reminded me of the new emoticon at about the half....

[wobblywalrus]

Yes, Stainless, it was a pretty lopsided game toward the end.  Oregon has been known to build up a respectable big lead, suddenly forget how to play football, and lose the game.  A lot of us here were still a bit worried about this at the beginning of the second half.

Thanks, Hoody, for telling me about this.  Lots of folks at re lot giving me any replies.  Finding a place to accept a big crate with an uncertain arrival time and a request to keep it safe and secure is problematic.  Yesterday a removals company in Swansea replied.  It looks like this might work.  My driving can be confined to "B" roads during the visit.  There are plenty of them between Swansea and the beach and it is not a very long distance.   

[wobblywalrus]

This is a short sand course  The traps somewhere around 1 to 1.5 miles from the start, is my best guess.  A conversation with an experienced racer tells me to pay attention to the fuel vaporization curve.  There are two gasolines I tested.  One is Sunoco Supreme, with 10% evap at 169 degrees, 50% at 217, and 90% at 231.

The other is Sunoco MO2X leaded, with 10% evap at 124 degrees, 50% at 207, and 90% at 226.

Another gas is Sunoco SR18.  It has almost identical stoichometric ratio to Supreme.  I should be able to use it with the timing curve and jetting for Supreme.  Its evap curve is 10% at 166 degrees, 50% at 209, and 90% at 213.

All of these fuels have plenty of octane.  My engine will be on the cool side during most of these runs.  It will not have time to get real hot.  My feeling is the SR18 should be what I use since more of it vaporizes at lower temps.  What do you'all think about this?  I also asked Sunoco and they have not had the time to reply.  It does not hurt to have more than one opinion.

[wobblywalrus]

Evaporated fuel is in its gaseous state and it takes up more space than partially evaporated fuel.  A fuel that completes its vaporization in the combustion chamber is denser going in so more of it gets inside to make the big boom.  A fuel that vaporizes to readily provides a less dense charge and it is not always best for making power.

The MO2X is designed to evaporate faster and this provides the quick throttle response needed for motocross and supercross.  Possibly the reason I did not see more power from it was 'cause it vaporizing faster and providing a less dense charge than the Supreme.  The less dense charge canceled out the benefits of oxygenation.  I should not worry about the distillation curve as long as the throttle response is acceptable.

This is what Sunoco told me today as best as I can say in my own words.  I will stay with the Supreme.

[manta22]

WW;

Do a Google search on "zip fuels".

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[wobblywalrus]

Some quick speed reeding shows that stuff is self igniting, highly toxic, and so problematic that the govt gave up on it.  However, there is no mention of mixing it with gasoline and running it through a Triumph.  Thanks for the great idea.     

[manta22]

Yes, it sure fits the term "exotic fuel" and I doubt that it will ever be used in racing but it looks like it has lots of energy.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ