In this chapter we’re taking all the plans, boiling them in oil and spinning them into action—no bullshit. The frame is underway, as you will witness. The wheels are in hand. The transmission was delivered and the Avon Tyres were shipped today.

The notions and input keep flying my way via e-mail and phone calls, but let’s jump right into the middle of the action, beginning with Rick Krost, who is building our Assalt Weapan frame, at U.S. Choppers:

Seriously, I need to get engine dimensions first. Also would like to know centerline numbers from engine shaft to tranny shaft if you have a primary and clutch pack picked out. If it's all production stuff--that’s fine, but realize that some guys produce their primary with the wrong measurements making the belt too tight, which in turn makes for a shitty clutch and near impossible starts......so just because they have a big name still doesn't mean their products work!!

If we have a primary in hand, I can use it when building the frame for real numbers, so we don't experience binding in the drive- train (we use BDL and have never had a problem). Remember, if Berry, Accurate Engineering, does his job perfectly, as I assume he will, then we can lose all of his talent through the primary/ clutch set-up. If you have those numbers, I can start getting my drawings together and start frame building.

Also front and rear tires will vary from 23.5 to 28 inches depending on the side-wall heights and rim sizes - 23.5 for 16- inch rims to 28-inch for 21-inch rims.... plus or minus the side- wall and tread differences..... this is a 5-inch disparity that we must make provisions for! I believe Chris Kallas (official 5-Ball racing illustrator) has both wheels at 26 inches, if I am reading the drawing correctly. This would most likely mean a 18-inch rim in back and front with 4 tall side-walls and tread. If we are at 26 inches then the axle center would be 13 inches off of the ground as Chris illustrates.

To make our measurements linear, then of course, the same would apply for the front tire measurements to make the frame level to the ground as the drawing illustrates......(so I believe we should have our tires and wheels first, in order to make measurements for the frame and front end). This would assure we don't run into any problems with regards to having 3 inches of ground clearance from front to rear and we can make accurate assumptions for front end length and trail calculations.

Get this, if you make a perfect structure and set it on an imperfect surface, all of those measurements were for not. Thus like a tailor fitting a suit, we must have a starting point.

My thought is that the starting point should be the axle heights and if we are to nail down those, then we need an accurate measurement of the entire front and rear wheel diameters with the correct Z rated Avon tires mounted and aired up to real air pressures........

Just a thought, but keep in mind, I'm just a simpleton with a wheel cage that moves about 3 rpms...... so take it for what it's worth.

Also we need to dial in that trail measurement better than "zero" as Chris stated earlier. That would really make me nervous!! I know Leo is our man for that, as he has a lot of potential with the Girder style set-up and it's infinite adjustability. However, I feel like he can do his job better and easier if he has a neck height from me and some "real" axle references as stated before. He can then figure his leg length, calculate for trail/rake and any "sag" on the front end.

Getting really excited about this project- lets get these numbers nailed down and get rocking!

--Rick
U.S. Choppers
2039 S. Lyon St
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-546-4699
Appointments Only Please
http://www.uschopper.com

After we received Rick’s e-mail we informed him that we generally use only BDL primary drives and never had a problem with their configurations for Softails or FXRS. We researched our wheel diameters for Chris Kallas and Rick through Avon Tyres. Our wheels with tires mounted should be 24.6 front and 25.8 in the rear.

We now have the All American Wheels cut by Renegade in hand and the Tires are on their way to us. I will have them mounted and deliverd to U.S. Choppers A.S.A.P.

NICK ROBERTS, 5-BALL SPONSOR SPEAKS UP FOR NICK’S PERFORMANCE AND AMSOIL OILS-- Great update...I like where you're going with this and I only have a couple of thoughts that I'd like to toss in.

First a question...why is a headlight included in the concept drawings? Is there a requirement that you have a headlight? I would think this area would respond to a more aerodynamic form such as a cover over the steering head and trees and may eliminate a lot of potential turbulence and drag. When I look at the concept drawings my other thought regarding aerodynamics is that the exposed engine is going to cause all sorts of turbulence. We must run an open front end and can drop the headlight in our class, but we need to push the air out around the front of the bike. Unfortunately V-Rod headlights don’t cut it—only allowed on V-Rods. Regarding the open engine we hope to use the pipes and air cleaner to guide the air. Plus, we need some air through the engine for cooling on the hot salt.

Secondly....Thinking back to the Trials it seems like almost all the bikes with fairings, (streamlining), covered their engines. I appreciate the aesthetics of the exposed Panhead engine but I wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to design a fairing around the engine to channel the air needed for cooling while smoothing the airflow around the bike and Valerie. Just thought I'd throw that out for you to consider while you are still in the design phase of the project.

We are running in the open bike class. No fairing allowed.

Several years ago I was in Jerry Bickel's shop where he builds Pro-Stock drag cars. Jerry had an interesting analogy for thinking about the effects of airflow and ways to cheat the wind. He thinks of air as a fluid that he has to manage in order to slice his way through it on the way down the track. He stressed that the biggest problem he faced was the air clinging to the car and hence creating more drag.

There’s an interesting anomaly involved in cutting air. This is our golf ball theory. It was discovered years ago that smooth golf balls wouldn’t travel as far as the dinged brothers. I was told that air gathers on a surface and creates a Tephlon like coating which allows additional air to glide over it effortlessly. Hence a coarse finish is more beneficial that a slick polished one.

Jerry came up with some ingenious ways to add velocity generators to the rear quarter panel in order to break the air's hold on the body. In the case of his cars the rule book didn't allow anything like velocity generators; so in true racer fashion he came up with the idea to modify the stickers on the quarter panel which created the desired turbulence and broke the air's drag; allowing his car to gain few extra seconds advantage. The tech guys searched his car at several events before they discovered his innovation and banned it. Any mention of velocity generators in the rule book? My point here is that there are a number of ways to cheat the wind, and lessen the attendant frictional drag, that don't require major modification to the overall design.

We’ll look into VGs.

N.R.H.S , nrhsperformance.com, in Boulder, Colorado went 217 mph on a Buell at the Speed Trials and they may have some insights they are willing to share. Their bike has quite a bit of streamlining as well as the fact that they are experienced with Land Speed Racing having been involved for several years. You might want to give Daniel Dunn at N.R.H.S. a call and get his thoughts about the effects of aerodynamics on the bike at 200+ mph. His number is 303-833-4500 and email is Daniel@nrhsperformance.com.

Thanks Nick, I’ll do that.

THE NITROUS CONSIDERATION-- www.coldfusionnitrous.com Dobek at Techlusions works with these guys. Very good prices!!!!! The other one I also look at also is www.nitrousexpress.com Cold Fusion has some real cool nozzle adapters for EFI injectors.

Don't know if you are goin this way for power (200 MPH Club). If you are, is to be "carbinated" or "Infected"??? Multiple stages might be a real good idea. Forget about "Dry Nitrous."

Daytona Twin Tec has good EFI systems. V-Thunder has a simple module for a carbinated system with Nitrous.

One thing I saw on the bike was that front shot with Val on it. Adios those handle bars!! Get something goin low and close to the fork tubes. A girder made from aircraft tubing would be real bitchin.

Air-Tech makes good aero body work stuff. Have you thought about changing your exhaust at all??? Also looking at the pictures of the engine do your oil returns in the left case side dump onto the flywheels???

--Pablo We are running with Pegasus EFI from BDL and the pipes are scheduled to be built by Berry Wardlaw of Accurate engineering and Larry Curik from Lone Star Choppers.--Bandit

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