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Land Speed Racing

Apr 11
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Custom Motorcycle with Three Engines

By General Posts

by Arun Prakash from https://www.rushlane.com

Custom Motorcycle With 3 Honda CB750 Engines made with the objective of participating in Land Speed Racing.

Once in a while we come across an engineering marvel that makes us wipe our eyes and maybe even scratch our heads. Now, branding the latest case as a marvel would be an outstretch but it surely does make us carry out the last two acts. If you think you have witnessed insane aftermarket modifications that can’t be matched, this one might force you to rethink.

When you see a single motorcycle is powered by three engines, yes you read that right – three engines in one motorcycle, probably can be called MotorsCycle. You can easily judge for yourself the number and kind of mod jobs that would have been carried out. Named ‘The Galaxy’, this behemoth is powered by three bored-out CB750 motors which essentially makes it a 12-cylinder 2,508cc glory.

Idea of Three Engine Motorcycle
This motorcycle is a creation of California-based custom motorcycle builder Mitsuhiro ‘Kiyo’ Kiyonaga who intends to take this monster to Land Speed Racing. Kiyonaga started his aftermarket workshop in Los Angeles in 2013 and his first project ‘Cherry Blossom’ was a custom-built stretched land speed racer that featured a turbocharged Honda CB750 engine housed in a frame built from scratch.

A few years later he followed it up with another 1970s top fuel-style bike but powered by twin motors this time and named it ‘Gekko’. Even though the Galaxy was Kiyo’s pet project which he has dreamt of since his childhood, it was seriously materialised only when his first two motorcycles were acquired by Haas Moto Museum. Work on the bike only started when owner of the museum, approved and officially commissioned the project.

Galaxy- Powertrain specs
Coming to its specification, Galaxy draws its energy from three four-pot motors sourced from F2 large port heads. Each of these engines has been bored-out to 836cc has been completely rebuilt with balanced and lightened crankshafts, performance cams, oversized stainless steel valves and heavy-duty connecting rods. Special care was taken to ensure that each internal configuration was in line with the original spec.

The motors are held by a three-piece chassis that constitute a tubular upper frame, and two huge engine mounting plates that also act as a rigid swingarm. Front half of Galaxy has been integrated into the frame which hides the pump, fuel tank, battery and all other functional components under its skin.

That tail section is a hand-built aluminium piece that can hold up to 9.5 litres of gasoline for the oil-sucking engines. A tiny port found at back is essentially an outlet for the engine breather hose.

The alloy wheels made out of aluminium are a piece of art with holes cut out on the front wheel in order to limit the effect of crosswinds at high speeds. With stretched-out ergonomics, ‘rider triangle’ was carefully calculated that offers impressive control and grip when racing across salt tracks.

The designer claims that every component on the bike has been modified and built by hand without aid of any designing software which deserves high applause. The Galaxy now finds shelter in the same museum as Kiyo’s previous two projects. However, Kiyo is yet to tick off all boxes and that would happen only when he takes to Land Speed Racing.

Jun 13
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Top 1 Ack Attack: Mike Akatiff, The Man Behind The World’s Fastest Motorcycle

By General Posts

 

Top 1 Ack Attack became the world’s fastest motorcycle when it set the Land Speed Record of 376.363 mph/605.697 km/h back in 2010. Although no one has beaten his twin-engined streamliner in the better part of a decade, builder Mike Akatiff is not the type to rest on his laurels. Rather than retiring, he is going after 400 mph on the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in the Andes mountains August 3-8, 2017. Don’t miss the video in the full feature, here.

Jun 08
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The World’s Fastest – Land Speed Racing in Bonneville

By General Posts

The World´s Fastest is a documentary project – a tribute to the vanishing era of internal combustion and fossil fuel racing. It tells the story of a generation of Speedseekers who cherish the smell of gasoline and oil like the very air we breathe; people whose sense of purpose is tied to the creation of record setting vehicles. They are powered by absolute devotion, friendship, and the ambition to win—from the first turn of the wrench all the way to the starting line at Bonneville.

With this film, the director wants to honour their achievments, and take you along for the ride on what may be their last race. You will find more information and a trailer for this ambitious documentary here. They need your financial support and have launched a crowd funding campaign.Check them out if you’re interested.

Sep 20
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Valerie Thompson To Compete at Ohio's Throttle Nation Challenge

By General Posts

 

Valerie Thompson, owner/driver of Valerie Thompson Racing (VTR), will return to Southern Ohio to attempt breaking her own land speed record of 197.46 mph in the PP-1000 Production motorcycle class posted earlier this year at the East Coast Timing Association’s (ECTA) Ohio Mile event at Airborne Park in Wilmington Ohio during the Throttle Nation Top Speed Challenge event September 29 -30.

 
“We are looking forward to returning to Wilmington for the “Throttle Nation Top Speed Challenge’ with the goal of breaking our own record of 197.46 mph set during the Ohio Mile event held here in June,” said Thompson. “Setting new records in Ohio means a great deal to me since it is the home state of two of my loyal sponsors, CTEK Battery Chargers and JEGS, in addition to being headquarters of the American Motorcycle Association,” added Thompson.

Thompson’s Martech Services Company sponsored S1000 RR Superbike, is reportedly the world’s fastest production land speed BMW motorcycle after recording a top speed of 209.5 mph on a 1.5-mile race course at the Mojave Magnum competition earlier this year.

“Wilmington has become one of my favorite racing venues due to their excellent track surface and the quality of service provided by all the ECTA volunteers who make it possible for us to race safely. I’ve also become a big fan of Graeter’s Ice Cream and Cincinnati style chili, so all of us on the team love returning to Ohio for this event,” said Thompson.

The long-standing competition was re-named the “Ohio Mile” when the event was moved from Maxton North Carolina to Wilmington Ohio when the Airborne Park facility became available earlier this year.

Thompson is a three-time land speed record holder and owner/driver of the Valerie Thompson Land Speed Racing Motorcycle Team. She competed in the All Harley Drag Racing Association & National Hot Rod Association drag racing series and was recently selected to pilot the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger designed to eclipse the 512 mph female world land speed record set in 1976. If successful, Thompson will be crowned the “World’s Fastest Female.”

Valerie Thompson Racing sponsors include: Martech Services Company – maker of quality air breathing systems, CTEK Battery Chargers, JEGS, La-Man Corporation, Troon Enterprises, Stay Fast Custom Clothing Company, GO AZ Motorcycles of Scottsdale, Metro Auto Auction, Vortex Racing, Worldwide Bearings, Stand Up Photos, Hyperpro Performance Suspension Products, Shorai Battery, and ZipFizz Healthy Energy Drink.