by swooshdave » Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:48 pm
frankdamp wrote:An interesting article. Ford may have a runaway success there. It brings back memories oh bike hauling in the UK.
One of the AJS works riders (maybe Andy Roberton?) had an Austin Mini pickup truck for hauling his "other" bike. It would only fit in if the tailgate was down and the bike was wedged on the diagonal.
There was also a Brit engineer who used some of the early computing optimisation software to design a dragster bike. He decided the slingshot style would work for a bike and came up with a tubular "girder bridge" design with a VW 1200 engine. He transported it in an old Beford (British GM) van.
There was a lengthy piece in Motor Cycle nagazine on how this thing had been optimized to the utmost degree. After a rather poor showing in its first season, it reappeaered shortened by 9 inches. The "technical guru" from the magazine asked "why is it shorter this season?" The answer was "I couldnt close the van doors".
Did it run better after it was shortened?
You probably want to go into town, and find a up to date Jap Bike store,
With a full spares department, a clean workshop, and kean young mechanics.
And ask them if theres a Grumpy Old Bloke out in the Hills, who knows how to fix Real Motorcycles.
Matt