racing

Vreeland Reflects on AHDRA Top Fuel Championship

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“When I got my first AHDRA license in 1992, I never dreamed I would be Top Fuel champion 28 years later!” said Pennsylvania Harley-Davidson dealer and Top Fuel Motorcycle pilot, Rich Vreeland. At that time, Vreeland and his brother Ray were fresh from opening Vreeland’s H-D in 1990 as The Motor Company’s youngest dealers ever. Rich was a sportsman gasoline racer and didn’t necessarily have the brutal Top Fuel bikes in his plans, let alone dreams of a championship. And if he was dreaming of a nitro TF championship, then 28 years later? To be fair, there was no AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing series for a good chunk of that time, and Vreeland was busy winning two AMRA Nitro Funnybike championships in the meantime. But when Bill Rowe plugged the starter cart back into AHDRA for the 2020 season, Vreeland was quick to jump on board as both racer and sponsor. He bookended this first new-AHDRA season, winning the Cordova opener and then again at the finals in Gainesville. While Rich has always had his brother Ray’s help when it comes to running the Bloomsburg dealership, 2020 was first season with Ray as full-time crew chief on the race team. And clearly, the results were there. Vreeland’s steady A-B performances qualified no worse than third and made it to the semis at every race he attended. He won two races and was undefeated in final round appearances. “I’m honored to be the inaugural Top Fuel champion under the new AHDRA ownership of Bill Rowe,” said Vreeland. “I am humbled to have my name added to the list of AHDRA Top Fuel champions like Ray Price, Jim McClure, Jay Turner, and Tommy Grimes.” Vreeland was runner-up for the 2010 and 2012 V-Rod championships in the “old” AHDRA, and was the […]

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AMA Hall of Fame 1967 BSA Hillclimber

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The Brit-Bike That Earl Bowlby Raced You won’t find a longer unfaired race bike in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame museum than the BSA that carried Earl Bowlby to national hillclimb fame. When he retired from competition after the 1990 season, Bowlby had captured 10 AMA Hillclimb national championships, plus six Canadian titles. He was inducted to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. Click Here to read this Racing Report on Bikernet. Join the Cantina – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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New Auction World Records Set at Successful Bonhams Motorcycles Winter Sale

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from https://www.bonhams.com/press_release/31428/ The Winter Sale including The National Motorcycle Museum Reserve Collection – Bicester Heritage 11 – 12 Dec 2020 Bicester, Bicester Heritage Offered from the National Motorcycle Museum Collection,1936 Brough Superior 982cc SS100 Registration no. VD 6582 Frame no. M1/1661 Engine no. BS/X 1001 £3 MILLION TOTAL REALISED WITH 92 PER CENT SELL-THROUGH RATE 1936 Brough Superior 982C SS100 from the National Motorcycle Museum Reserve Collection, SOLD for £276,000 Two world auction records for a Sunbeam and Norton F1 motorcycle were set over the weekend at the successful Bonhams Motorcycles Winter Sale at Bicester Heritage, which realised more than £3 million and had an impressive sell-through rate of 92 per cent. A 1928 Sunbeam 493cc TT Model 90 Racing Motorcycle, which had raced at Pendine Sands, powered through its top estimate of £24,000 selling for £41,400, while a 21,188-mile 1990 Norton F1, the roadster inspired by the sporting partnership with John Player Special, made £40,250, both setting new world auction records. However, the name dominating the sale was Brough Superior, with no fewer than five examples featuring in the sale’s top ten, led by a highly original 1936 Brough Superior 982cc SS100, bearing the earliest engine number in a production model, which sold for £276,000. All three machines were offered direct from the National Motorcycle Museum’s Reserve Collection, an exclusive selection of 52 British motorcycles – and motorcycle-related cars – presented on the first day of the two-day sale. A brace of 1937 Brough Superiors offered from The Connoisseur Collection – comprising blue-chip examples from the estate of a late motorcycle enthusiast – also featured in the sale’s top ten, a 982cc SS80 and a 1,096cc 11-50hp which both exceeded their top pre-sale estimates selling for £73,600 and £71,300 respectively. The Connoisseur Collection also offered an example of one

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Harley-Davidson Sun Rod

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com For many bikes lovers out there, the Harley-Davidson VRSC is the most extreme motorcycle to have come out of Milwaukee. More or less short for V-Twin Racing Street Custom, the nameplate entered the Harley portfolio back in 2001 as the first bike using a modern-day DOHC engine with liquid cooling – the Revolution powerplant. Born as a weapon to fight off other muscle motorcycles, especially Japanese ones, the V-Rod as it came to be known was made until 2017 in a number of variants, including a non-street legal one called the Destroyer and meant for the drag strip. Of the ones that were allowed on public roads, the Night Rod, available for just two years between 2006 and 2008, is one particularly appealing canvas for a certain German custom shop we like to feature: Thunderbike. About a month ago we showed you the Thunderbolt, a Night Rod-based build meant to advertise a certain Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhaust system. Given how V-Rods, especially of this variety, are rare, we thought we’d bring another one to your attention. This one is called Sun Rod, as if denying the nature the original creators bestowed upon it. Described by Thunderbike as “optically perfect on the ground,” it too uses a Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhaust, but several other pieces of hardware too, making it significantly different, at least visually, from the Thunderbolt. Overall, not many parts went into changing the natural face of the bike, but the ones that did are very effective. We’re talking about an air ride suspension that can lower the height of the two-wheeler, a new forward control kit, a new, 18-inch rear wheel, and other minor tweaks like front turn signals, grips, and a custom tank cover. The special changes made

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Pirelli Offers a Trio of Options for the New Ducati Multistrada V4

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The Latest Evolution of the Multistrada Family will be on Sale Equipped with SCORPION™ Trail II as Original Equipment Tires, While Also Being Homologated for SCORPION™ Rally STR and SCORPION™ Rally Off-Road Use MILAN, Italy (November 30, 2020) – The new Ducati Multistrada V4, recently presented to the public on the digital platforms of the company from Borgo Panigale, represents the fourth generation of Multistrada and is an important step forward in its offering for the maxi enduro segment. The Multistrada V4 is an even more high performing motorcycle compared to its predecessor; designed to show a sporty attitude and versatility at the same time, capable of tackling all conditions in complete safety, on- and off-road. Pirelli has worked closely with Ducati since the inception of the Multistrada project in 2003 offering to the company from Borgo Panigale tires focused on supporting the attributes of this machine in terms of performance and safety. The first version of the Ducati Multistrada in 2003 was equipped with Pirelli SCORPION™ Sync, the new 2010 model adopting Pirelli SCORPION™ Trail, while the Multistrada 1200 in 2012 was the first to have as original equipment the revolutionary Pirelli SCORPION™ Trail II tires. With the recent introduction of the fourth generation Multistrada, the partnership between this motorcycle family and SCORPION™ Trail II is increasingly strengthened, and it is joined this time by the motorcycle additional homologations for SCORPION™ Rally STR and SCORPION™ Rally tires. The Ducati Multistrada V4 range features as original equipment tires Pirelli SCORPION™ Trail II in the sizes 120/70 ZR19 M/C 60W TL (D) front and 170/60 ZR17 M/C 72W TL (U) rear, a specification developed specifically for the new Multistrada. The sizes chosen for the new Ducati Multistrada have now become the reference for the maxi enduro segment. For this reason, the motorcycle is homologated also for the Pirelli enduro on/off tires SCORPION™ Rally STR and SCORPION™

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Is This 750 HP Suzuki the World’s Fastest Street Bike Down the Quarter-Mile?

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by Dragos Chitulescu from https://www.autoevolution.com Doing quarter-mile runs on the dragstrip might not sound as scary at first; that’s if you’re used to normal road-going vehicles, either on two, four, or multiple wheels. But what happens when said vehicle manages to complete the quarter-mile (402 meters) in less than 7 seconds? And what if instead of a cosy and stable four-wheeler you only get two wheels? If you’ve ever watched any videos of really fast cars going down the quarter-mile, you might have noticed that sometimes it’s difficult to keep them going straight, and crashes can often occur at very high speeds. Now take away two of the wheels, and you get increased levels of insanity. Chris Moore is one of those daring men who just wanted to push things as far as possible by building an absolutely mental motorcycle. He had one goal in mind: to be the fastest at the drag strip. Usually drag purposed motorcycles tend to wheelie excessively, which means the whole thing can go haywire very quickly. This also leads to a slower run, as both wheels are not making contact with the ground. To avoid these wheelies, pro drag racers usually install a bar behind the motorcycle, which is aptly called a wheelie bar. But Chris decided to do away with one, and basically run a custom-built motorcycle that can still be called a street bike at the end of the day. With 750 horsepower on tap, which is more than you get with a Ferrari 488 Pista for example, this motorcycle has just set a new record, running the quarter-mile in just 6.3 seconds, with a top speed of 233.64 mph (376 kph). I guess slapping a massive turbo on an already fast Suzuki GSX-R1000 really does help! Looking over the performance specs

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Meet the Ducati master re-creating Isle of Man-winning motorcycle

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by Ellie Honeybone from https://www.abc.net.au You may be forgiven for assuming the world’s leading manufacturer of Ducati bevel drive engine parts would live in a bustling city, perhaps in Italy or the United States, somewhere central and close to consumers. But in fact, this talented engineer and self-described “petrol head” lives in a tiny historic town, deep in the forests of south-west WA. Even though shipping his handmade engine parts around the world from Nannup is a logistical nightmare, Brook Henry wouldn’t have it any other way. A family business Mr Henry grew up surrounded by Ducatis. His older brothers imported and distributed the high-performance motorcycle brand in New Zealand from the late 1960s through to the 1980s. “I spent pretty well all my time at the workshop, fixing, racing and working on Ducati bevel drive twins and singles,” Mr Henry said. “I also did an apprenticeship outside that business as a toolmaker, but I never liked doing toolmaking and I always wanted to go back to motorcycles.” That love of motorcycles grew and continued for the next 40 years with Mr Henry now a household name and ‘master’ in the Ducati world. He has travelled extensively, inspected designs inside Ducati’s Bologna factory and even appeared on bike lover Jay Leno’s US television show. After settling down first in Perth and then further south in Nannup, Mr Henry developed a business building, designing and shipping bevel drive parts, engines and complete motorcycles across the world. Pandemic revives restoration projects There are only so many original bevel drive Ducatis in existence, making Brook Henry’s business incredibly niche. These bikes were built during the 1970s and 80s and made famous after legendary British champion Mike Hailwood won the Isle of Man race in 1978. When the world went into COVID-19 lockdown during

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Pirelli Releases Recommended Tire Setup for Upcoming Thor Mini O’s Amateur Motocross National

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Trackside Support and Technical Assistance Will be Available to SCORPION™ MX Riders Throughout the Week ROME, Ga. (November 17, 2020) – Pirelli has announced its plans to return for the 49th annual Thor Mini O’s amateur motocross national at Gatorback Cycle Park on November 22-28, 2020. With the event featuring both motocross and supercross-style tracks as well as the potential for a variety of weather conditions throughout the week, it’s critical to match tire setup with track and soil conditions. Pirelli will be working with its trackside vendor Mid-State Motorsports to have its SCORPION™ MX range readily available and provide technical support and assistance to all racers competing on Pirelli products. “Mini O’s is a special event that Pirelli looks forward to each year,” said Nick Walton, off-road race manager, Pirelli. “The event produces great camaraderie with families coming together for the Thanksgiving holiday and produces a unique opportunity for amateur riders to showcase their skills on both motocross and supercross tracks. Pirelli places great emphasis on the grassroots level of the sport, and together with our trackside vendor Mid-State Motorsports, we look forward to providing the technical assistance and products needed for SCORPION™ MX riders to get a step ahead of the competition.” For riders who are set to compete at Gatorback Cycle Park for the upcoming Thor Mini O’s, Pirelli is recommending the SCORPION™ MX32 Mid Soft front and rear tires as a starting point. In the event of rain or softer than normal soil conditions, the SCORPION™ MX Soft rear scoop tire is an alternate option. Recommended air pressure is 14 PSI for all tires. Pirelli continues to give consumers and riders of all skill levels access to the very same tires used by its factory racing teams and world champions such as Tim Gajser, Antonio Cairoli

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Porsche vs Harley-Davidson Drag Race Video

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by Vlad Mitrache from https://www.autoevolution.com Up until very recently, the thought of a drag race between a Porsche (any model) and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle (any hog) was one of the most preposterous ones that anyone could come up with. On the one hand, you have a German automotive brand with a strong history and deep roots in motorsport. Sure, it’s guilty of also building SUVs – with some even powered by diesel – but you’d be pushing it to call any of its models “slow”. On the other hand, you have an American motorcycle specialist with an equally strong history and plenty of racing connections throughout its history, though less so in the more recent years. Indeed, these days Harley-Davidson is better known for its range of cruisers and choppers, the type of machines that don’t necessarily value speed. However, when things go electric, speed always has a knack for making its way into the center of it. That’s probably because making electric vehicles go quick is surprisingly easy – there is no complicated transmission, no engine with a million moving parts – just an electric motor and tons of instant torque. There’s also the fact that you can’t get too much range out of a 15.5 kWh battery pack – and you can’t fit a larger one on a bike – so if reaching faraway places is out of the picture, you still have to offer the buyer something. And that something is speed. Harley-Davidson LiveWire can reach 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in roughly three seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 114 mph (183 km/h). Its motor produces 105 hp and 86 lb-ft (117 Nm) of torque to battle the 549 lbs (250 kg) that the rig weighs. The Porsche Taycan Turbo, its

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A Taste of the Motordrome Era

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by Bandit and Sam Burns Recently one of our esteemed Bikernet™ contributors sent me a batch of historic Motordrome shots, then a pile of great shots of classic racing bikes from that era. I recently wrote a screenplay, called Splintered Road, about this era around WWI and it’s being looked at in Hollywood. This year one of the racing heavyweights, and a man who has been involved in the industry all his life, Don Emde, published a magnificent book on the sport of board track racing. – Bandit The Board Track Era ran from 1908 to approximately 1929. There were dozens of tracks across America that touted high banks and were up to two and one-half miles around. The term “Board Track Racer” also referred to the similar version that was raced on dirt tracks. Originally, turns were banked at about 15°. But while this curvature may have been well-suited to the slower speeds of bicycling, it soon became obvious that banks could be steeper for motorcycles. Motordrome designers kept pushing the envelope, eventually reaching banks as steep as 60°. Speeds kept getting faster, reaching and then surpassing 100 mph. Click Here to read this Photo Feature on Bikernet Join the Cantina – Subscribe Here https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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