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Vintage Fuel Drag Bikes

1M views 3K replies 270 participants last post by  JOHN HANSON 
#1 · (Edited)
This is a new thread I am starting dedicated to Nitro Fuel Drag Bikes. If you were involved with a Top Fuel or Junior Fuel Motorcycle team in the 50s, 60s, 70s and up to 1994 (25 years ago) we invite you to join in and share some of your memories. Or, if you didn't belong to a team but share our passion please join in too. There are other threads here on drag racing so let's keep this about "Nitro". My first fuel bike was an A/F Harley back in 1969. My last was the twin-engine Harley "Freight Train" that I retired in 1985. I will be sharing many fond and a few not so fond memories. This video was filmed in '83 and '84. The opening burnout was me and "The Freight Train" at the 1983 IHRA Spring Nationals in Bristol Tennesee. That was back when Top Fuel Motorcycles were occasionally invited to join in with the cars in a special T/F Motorcycle class. The rest of the video was filmed by my wife and is a little shakey at times but a treasure to me since it is the only film I have of my 21 year motorcycle drag racing career. For some of you it will be the first time you have seen a T/F Motorcycle started on rollers. I hope you enjoy.
 
#2,452 ·
50 years ago when I was just beginning to race my Triumph one of the bikes I drooled over was the Perry & Scott twin engine Triumph out on the West Coust. I got to see it for the first time a couple weeks ago. John Stein has done a wonderful job on the restoration.
 

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#2,454 ·
This is one of the most revered Vintage Fuel Drag Bikes in the world. Clem Johnson's "Barn Job" Vincent now owned by John Stein. No drag bike accomplished more in the early days of drag racing and it got the most press coverage because of it. It is another bike I got to see for the first time at the Concours show. I don't believe Clem ever raced it on the east coast in it's long career.

The history of motorcycle drag was represented at Plymouth Michigan like never before.
 

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#2,458 ·
Here are pictures of the last bike in the Concours show. It is my bike the Freight Train. I purchased it from T-Bird Yelton last year after a 28 year absense from my basement. He was my crew chief and I sold it to him in 1985 when I retired. He has been a great steward for it all these years but it has been a wonderful feeling having it back home.

T-Bird rebuilt both engines and generally went over the whole bike and cranked it on alcohol before delivering it to me. It has sat idle in my basement for over a year. Just before the show T-Bird came up to give me a class on starting it. When I bought it from Elmer in 1983 we started it on rollers and did so the 2 years I raced it. But T-Bird built a remote starter for it that spins both engines easily. The only problem is it weighs 70 pounds and it isn't easy for a 70 year old man to pick up a 70 pound starter.

We poured pure alcohol in the tank to crank it since it had been a year between start-ups. A neighbor had come over. I picked up the starter and with grunts got it hooked up. When I pushed the starter button it startled me at how quick it was running. I pulled the starter away and smiled. We let it run a little and shut the fuel off. It was the first time I had heard it run for 8 years after the engine explosion at Bowling Green. Now it was time for the good stuff.

I poured nitro in the tank and struggled getting the starter hooked up. We cranked it again and let it run longer. When our eyes were burning and gasping for breath T-Bird shut the fuel off. My neighbor was speechless.

When I was ready to load it in the van I gathered up about 10 neighbors to make it easier to pick up. None had ever seen it before and had no idea what I did before they moved in the neighborhood. I won't get into their comments.

The day of the show I was very nervous about cranking it for the first time ever without T-Bird. But Larry Welch offered his assistance and eased my mind. It takes time to crank this bike and it was gathering people around it. When I cleared the engines out with the spark plugs out there were a couple dozen curious people by then. I poured the nitro in and more gathered. Larry squrted the injectors and I pushed the starter button and it was running...hitting a wicked lick. It was just like old times except I wasn't worried about getting hurt. By then people were running over to it. There were probably a hundred people around it when I shut it off and I can tell you I have never heard cheers that loud when it was cranked. The most surprising thing to me was I could hear my wife cheering too.
 

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#2,462 ·
I was very lucky to get to babysit the BarnJob for a night in my shop. I told everyone I knew who would appreciate it to come over and see it. I had a small mob of guys at my shop, young and old one Sunday afternoon about three years back when Joh Stein first acquired the bike. We all stood around and gawked at it. I got to throw my leg over it and pretend I was racing it, I got to touch it and feel it, push it around and then tuck it away in my shop. Helluva thing. One of the guys who came to pay hommage to it just before we loaded on the truck to Iowa and the museum exibit was Mike Parti, a longtime, well known Vincent restorer, AMA Hall of Famer and former Vincent Bonneville Racer. When he told me what he thought the bike was worth, I said if I had known that I would have slept here with a loaded shotgun instead of going home!

I also had the pleasure of restoring Perry and Scott's Stage Fright. It was an honor, but even better was to get to know Scotty and talk to Priness about the bike. Priness had ridden a motorcycle only once before throwing a leg over StageFright and goin' like hell. Told me he was happy when they finally figured out how to launch the bike in fourth gear because he "never got the hang of that shifting thing." Good stuff
 
#2,468 ·
I also had the pleasure of restoring Perry and Scott's Stage Fright. It was an honor, but even better was to get to know Scotty and talk to Priness about the bike. Priness had ridden a motorcycle only once before throwing a leg over StageFright and goin' like hell. Told me he was happy when they finally figured out how to launch the bike in fourth gear because he "never got the hang of that shifting thing." Good stuff
As a teenager I spent way too much time at Fontana. It would become a special night if Perry and Scott showed up to run. Those guys and Clem Johnson would have me driving miles to see them run. I learned years later that Perry and Scott started of as a blown twin engined bike. Have to go search to remember who built it.


My favorite story about Perry and Scott was about Perry and a couple of friends were headed to Fontana. They stopped at a coffee shop for a bite to eat. The radio was on and blaring out "Tonight at Fontana blah blah. See Perry and Scott's top fuel bike run 170" Perry said to one of the friends "I wonder who Scotty has riding the bike tonight 'cause I sure as hell not riding that thing at 170!"

 
#2,465 ·
Most of you have heard of the Antique Automobile Club of America. It was formed in 1935 and their Hershey, Pennsylvania show is the best in the world. You can walk from one side of the show with the very first cars built in the late 1800s and slowly see the transition from '20s, '30s, '40s, '50s on up to late '80s or 25 years old, the newest car allowed.

I showed a couple cars there in the late '80s and early '90s but have not done so in 15 years. After buying "The Freight Train" back last year I put in motion the process of getting it documented in Class 24C, a special class for documented race bikes. The last race car I had documented was the '62 Plymouth Andy Granatelli ran at Bonneville in 1962 (I showed it at Hershey in '90) and the same AACA official who worked with me on that car is still in charge.

This week I received the acceptance I needed to show it at Hershey in October. They seemed as excited at having it there as I am. All race vehicles (this will be their first T/F Motorcycle) must crank and move under it's own power. That part of the Hershey show is one of the crowd favorites. To be among all those famous race cars will be an honor.
 
#2,470 ·
Thanks Wes. This CRS is really starting to kick in.
 
#2,471 ·
…2nd Annual The Texas Harley Racer's Reunion "Gathering & Drags" will be held October 3rd& 4th at Little River Dragway, by the same folks that for 30 years brought the Labor Day Weekend, Temple "All Harley" Party Drags to "Texas Favorite Dragstrip - Underneath The Giant Shade Trees Along The Banks Of The Little River." BUT LIKE LAST YEARS FIRST "Reunion & Drags" SEVERAL WEEKS LATER - SO EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY IT MORE COMFORTABLY.
…The Race Program AND the PARTY will AGAIN be STRONGER THAN EVER, featuring Run-What-You-Brung Top Fuel Harleys, Consolation Top Fuel Harley, Top Alcohol Harley Dragsters, and 3 Classes of Vintage Fuel Motorcycles from Twin Engine Nitro Dragsters on down.
…Over 30 Harley Sportsman Trophy Classes along with Victory and Indian Bikes will be Contested in Street Eleminator and Modified Eleminator. Throw in 2 days worth of American bike E.T. Bracket Racing too, an E.T. Bracket race for Vintage Motorcycles, a Field Meet Saturday Afternoon and a Great Saturday Nite Concert. & Little River Dragway WILL BE A "Motorcycle Gearhead's Heaven." Old Friends will Race & Visit & Make New Friends. Don't Miss It - www.texasharleyracersreunion.com
 
#2,472 ·
#2,477 ·
Joe great site you set up I read the story on the starter install and went thru all that same trouble trying to get one to work. had the triple on the table with the plugs out first time we hit it the solenoid sticks the thing is spinning its brains out running around trying to get hot battery cables off what a mess. finally in late 77 nhra pulled the plug on more than 2 engines so no need after that. I remember with the under the truck rollers backing that triple up a ramp tires next to your leg dropping the hammer on the clutch and hoping it starts not blows you backwards off the rollers. We probably did more damage on the rollers than running it they use to start you then tell you turn it off then go ahead and start it again. They pulled that on us in 78 at bowling green first set off the wonderfull in ground rollers made us turn them off then say start it again . We stopped the show for 10 minutes get the plugs out spit the leftover juice out(enough to shorten a rod ) then start it again. ended up stalling on the end of the burn out thinking back probably needed to top up the fuel tank but once again always learning what not to do. great shot of you outrunning tc in the traps. that shot would have him jumping around like a mad man. great site keep up the good work. allen mavor
 
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