Vintage Fuel Drag Bikes

[Keith Lee]

Thanks for adding the info on the Vincent RIDINGHOOD.
That really is a neat looking bike.

KILLSWITCH - the double Triumph also looks the business, and now you have some new rubber I look forward to hearing how it goes.

[frank spittle]

Originally Posted by SpeedClub

I could stare at this stuff all day and night and never get burned out on it.

Me too SpeedClub!

[Keith Lee]

Originally Posted by frank spittle

Me too SpeedClub!

And me too!

To help things along, I will add another old double Harley picture, that will be instantly recognisable to a few on here. Did great burnouts - and ran very strong in its day.
And it is.................?

[frank spittle]

Originally Posted by Keith Lee

And me too!

To help things along, I will add another old double Harley picture, that will be instantly recognisable to a few on here. Did great burnouts - and ran very strong in its day.
And it is.................?

Attachment 71071

I have looked at that bike carefully but can not positively identify it. It looks like a Bonnie Truett frame with the front engine mounted higher than the rear. Is it?

[Alsledgehammer]

I am gonna guess that is jim prieslers drag specialties bike I remember those silver cylinders I might be wrong. I want to bring attention to something one of the members was talking about running a harley in sturgis against who he thought was frog thacker. The guy he was running was a old galloping goose named frog whos real name was dave kent. He was originaly from new orleans but settled in des moine ? back in the 80s and ran a custom shop until he passed in 2007. his bike was called strip tease he taught me alot and was a class act.

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[Alsledgehammer]

Hey guys some of you might enjoy this story. I believe it was 78 one of the partners last minute decides lets go run that idba event up at ohio valley dragway. It was probably friday morning and we drive all night and show up with a constant drizzle going saturday morning and then realize that its a 1/8 mile track we show up set up for 1/4 mile so I find wayne molpus who was the founder of idba and get in his car to quiz him about the new v8 powered prototype they where trying to get going that they planned on running as top fuelers to even the field and make it easier to have bikes going rounds as the bikes at the time didnt always make the next rounds.He had joe thronson build the bike with a sideways small block chevy with a carb and nitrous and a high gear set up the bike had a tail section like joes and looked capable and big. We where watching the progress cause we where worried about yet another organization banning bikes like ours which the nhra had just done. He tells me about his first outing at lasiter mountain and he drove it and did a full track burnout and got off the bike to turn it around and just about the time he gets it pointed back to the start line a guy comes running up and grabs the left bar to help him which he didnt want so the guy accidently mashes the nitrous button with them standing to each side of the bike and it launches and he says leaps into the air and flysover backwards and pegs the throttle as it crashes on its side spinning around like a banshee until it finally lays over with the wheel off the ground and catches on fire. they popping beers down the carb and throwing dirt in trying to stop it and it finally sputters but ran a long loud time and scared the bejesus out of everybody. He left it sit for a few weeks and it stuck from all the suds and dirt so I dont think it ran again and they abandoned the concept. I had to bite my tongue to not giggle which was cruel but anyway we ran on the old record at the same time orange crush set a new one against me things happen quick in that 1/8 th.

[mitchsfab]

Ok. I am new to this. I just picked up the "drag racing: a history"
Also had a few guyes sign it Garry Richards, Tommy Smith, Howard Allen,
Sunny Smith, Bill Chambers. Still need Clem and Donny Harris

[Keith Lee]

Originally Posted by Keith Lee

And me too!

To help things along, I will add another old double Harley picture, that will be instantly recognisable to a few on here. Did great burnouts - and ran very strong in its day.
And it is.................?

Attachment 71071

Allen, you were spot on with Jim Priesler. The bike was very neat - and those long rolling burnouts were very impressive back in 1973 when I saw it run. A very nice guy, who just did not look like he was someone who would be racing a double Harley.

You tell a great story Allen - I can just picture the V8 spinning round, and the guys faces after the nitrous button was hit!
Keep them coming, as it brings some more of the history back to life as has been seen from the likes of Frank and Joe amongst others. It is the human stories and incidents that are far more interesting than the facts of who ran what and when.

[iiggii]

Little birdie told me today ,That arno sold his drag bike.

[skinner]

Originally Posted by iiggii

Little birdie told me today ,That arno sold his drag bike.

Just got off the phone with Arno said he still has the bike, has had offers but no cash

[iiggii]

Its gone .Was taken today ....

[frank spittle]

Here is some exciting news.

Russ Collins Jr. has acquired "The Sorcerer" from his dad and intends to have it running in just a few months. I have said before IMO it is the most awesome Fuel Bike ever built and I will never forget the sound it made and look forward to hearing it run again. I have invited him to keep us informed here.

[sorcerer]

Originally Posted by frank spittle

Here is some exciting news.

Russ Collins Jr. has acquired "The Sorcerer" from his dad and intends to have it running in just a few months. I have said before IMO it is the most awesome Fuel Bike ever built and I will never forget the sound it made and look forward to hearing it run again. I have invited him to keep us informed here.

Thank you....absolutely true and the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe is next on the list.

Were thinking of at least burn outs and hard launches...I'd really like to have both bikes running side by side...just for the sound effects!

RCjr

[frank spittle]

Thanks for joining us RCjr. I look forward to your future posts showing us the progress.

[scout]

Anyone have more photos of the Vincent racer page 63 ?

[skinner]

Originally Posted by iiggii

Its gone .Was taken today ....

I sure hope they plan on running it again

[mknitro]

any footage of Danny Johnson on Goliath?

[FatJohan]

Originally Posted by Keith Lee

The only outlets currently that I know of for 'Motorcycle Drag Racing: A History' by John Stein, are via his website, http://gearheadpublishing.com/ or from Schnitz racing.

I am eagery awaiting for my copy of the book to arrive.

Just got my copy. I can't recommend this book enough. It's a steal at $40.

[Alsledgehammer]

Russ was the best I met him in green valley in texas back in 74 I was running a big bore honda altered rig and he was running the assassin blown bike and had one or two twin engined honda gassers one of them was big bills buzzsaw a alloy framed twin gasser that you could watch it twist under power. He saw my bike run 11.00 and asked me about what i had in it particularly what rods . when i told him he said they gonna break and damn if they didnt when I went out with it locally next time out. I was under the triple when it showed up in bowling green slim let me lay under the bike to see how it was done I watched his wife praying in the chase truck right before he ran the shot heard around the world ( 8.52 ). He saw me in houston when he had the blown double at the trade show surrounded by people he took a hand out and signed it from one wild man to another and took me to the bar. He says anybody that builds a triple is my kind of guy lets go get a drink. he was great for the sport. If I didnt work for a good company selling british stuff I would have had a twin like terry vances with nitro in it.
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[scout]

I have seen lots of photos of Bud Hare Dubble Trubble bike with differnt front forks, was this for racing reasons ? different track conditions ?