Bremen rally & Drouin (for Hobot) (2014)

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Alrighty Keith, this rises my hopes to see a seasoned Drouin user as they were sort of like the Hope Diamond deadly curse on its owners, starting with Tom Drouin life, dragging down TC Christensen finances with him and buyers soon going into bankruptcy, divorce, blow ups and death. Its already hit me hard a few times since getting mine at home and likely cause of loss of my last car on way to salt lake event with it safely in car trunk still 250 mile safely away. May have to carry it home in trailer to make it back eventually. hobot is never capitalized no matter where it appears, which requires rather deep lingo syntax grammar study to know which exceptions to the rules apply. I've yet to learn of anyone putting a Drouin on a baseline hot rod engine in lighted up spiffed up surrounds so hope I survive it. What a way to go though.
 
Here some pictures of the bike. Owner told me it is very mildly tuned, compression down to something like 1 to 6. Not all that much more power than standard.

Bremen rally & Drouin (for Hobot) (2014)


Bremen rally & Drouin (for Hobot) (2014)


Bremen rally & Drouin (for Hobot) (2014)


Bremen rally & Drouin (for Hobot) (2014)
 
Its already hit me hard a few times since getting mine at home and likely cause of loss of my last car on way to salt lake event with it safely in car trunk still 250 mile safely away
Click to expand...
Not sure what that's all about? Car got stolen with blower in trunk?
Here some pictures of the bike. Owner told me it is very mildly tuned, compression down to something like 1 to 6. Not all that much more power than standard.
Click to expand...
I guess that's the only way to help the bottom end survive. Wonder what it would do with a set of billet cases, lighter steel crank, JS rods and pistons. Maybe that combo could achieve Drouin's 100hp claim and live.
 
Ugh, my '96 Oldsmobile Cutlass had $2000 spent on it for new CV axles, new brakes, KYB shocks, tranny pressure flushed, A/C topped off, new Autolite plugs and 8 ply tires all around, front aligned and working a treat, so put the jinx Drouin in trunk to only get 250 miles on turnpike with small trailer at 80 mph when radiator blew out and by time i noticed temp had shot up it was too late to save engine. Ken Canaga had Peel's engine to pick up, so Drouin with me to show how it'd look to the world class land speeders I want to join.

It took me a number of years to hunt down Drouins, so folks world wide [but very few on this young forum] were aware of me following up on leads with people on multiple forums, vendors, race builders and private maniacs with Drouins for Harley Sportsters or Honda CB750's, so I got stories on Drouin jinxing, divorces, dementia and deaths too soon after Drouin put on. I tried to quiz TC at '04 INOA ralley about Drouin issues but he got instant angry, spit on ground cussing Tom for going crazy with finances and designs that dragged TC down so bad its still stings speechless decades later. So about 3 seconds covered all TC would tolerate while stomping off. It was the Lake Injector I had doubts about and see this Drouin has eliminated it, but I'm stuck with Lake Injector d/t space issues. Stuck open Lake slide was reason for one current fella on this fourm fathers early death off a Mt. twisty.

Past Ms Peel Combat had about identical vac/boost guage installed while waiting for Bruce McGregor to upgrade our identical Drouins and was source of some the most humorous encounters with the most elite sport pilots of last decade Ducat Monsters, GRSX1000's R1's BMW 1200's etc, fighting with each other squating and pointing at this and that > trying to find where I'd hidden the turbo or supper charger.
When I told them that was yet to be installed it hit them like a shot of moonshine with them dropping jaws and staggering backwards to regain balance after Earth shook under them at realization how freaking powerful an essentially factory Combat was. That was the engine I'd intended to put Drouin on - but just before I did - Peels throttle stuck WO winter '05 to ruin top end power.

So Peel has a hi CR, over cammed Maney-JSM engine in the mail soon but new '93 Cutlass not quite ready to retrieve Drouin for the evil matting to come > to enjoy showing off what really matters most to me, the tri-links power handling insane leans steering oppositely from everyone else. I have crash cage for protected normal use but will remove Drouin belt cover and slice off some its lower chin to allow track day LH leans over 60' just missing the 7" crank pulley.

There is a pure Drouin specific subject thread that you should post these photos in to help complete its coverage.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=ac ... ton+drouin
 
I was at the Bremen rally and had an opportunity to see and listen to this bike.
Cool bike and it sounded pretty good to me.

Per
 
Yes it sure had a nice no lag eager to go sound right off idle. Deliciously old school hot rod. If I only wanted to jerk around in town w/o wasting rear tire I'd set up like this one, standard cam w/o much or any over lap, cross over exhaust connection and low-ish CR. As spanking huffy digital controlled wonder bike rocketeers is Peels secondary purpose she is going against standard set up wisdom for supercharging. Primary purpose is parking lot stunting and surprising deer and the teenage quad racers that come out after mid night tearing up tight sloped loose Gravel paths and maybe some relaxing flat tracking and hill climb events. Them quad dudes think they own the off road performance but there is a reason quads don't win the Baja events but motorcycles do. Someday I may try to figure out a better blower set up than Drouin did for bolt on 50+% torque boost that also drives a charger.
 
Hi out there, just found the very nice pictures of my bike in Bremen (Thanks to slimslowslider!) here in this forum and signed in to say hello- if anyone has questions, please ask ;-)
The bikle is mildly tuned like You described it and like I said in Bremen, I own it since 20 years now (8 with the Drouin on it) and it´s more a every day bike bike like a quarter mile dragster. To Hobot: Most of the online-writers do not believe that a Drouined-bike really runs, maybe it is because they aren´t there at the good motorxcycle events or go to bed too early and stand up too late to hear it going? :D
1971 750 Commando Fastback Long Range, Dunstallized (but builded back/ compression ca. 7:1 etc.), the carb is a 41 mm Bendix with adjustable main jet from a 1970s Harley Sportster (because my original Drouin-flat one leaks too much for the daily use in town)
All this is pretty reliable! I have been three times in England/GB with it (approx. 800 mls.-trips) at the Ace Cafe London and in 2014 as a surprise for me I proudly won the "Best ridden cafe Racer"-Award with it (=a nice Lewis Leather jacket) Hopefully I will go there this year again (It´s the 23rd ANNUAL ACE CAFE REUNION at the 2nd/3rd/4th September 2016), for more look here: http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/Reunion.aspx
Fact at all: The bike runs smooth and fast. And I have a lot of fun with it. It impresses not only the tecnical-understanding men.
YES, I am a big fan of Tom Drouin´s work: I just completed a yellow 750 Rickman Honda with the early-type Drouin (sorry- wrong markee for this forum, I know, but RICKMAN is British at least :)) and am building up a second one (Commando 850 or a 920-version) which should offer and show the real power of Tom Drouin´s very reliable construction. And I am also playing with a 500 cc Domiracer-Version. Hopefully I can show some results this year.
More will be shown soon.
Cheers,
Def
 
Thanks for joining in on the forum Def, its great to hear the first hand experience.

Please keep us posted with you other exiting projects too!

Might see you at the Ace.
 
Hope Hobot still reads this forum and sees this even if he doesnt contribute any more (or PM him).
 
Thanks for posting the details, Def. Good to see real world experiences. There's at least one (maybe more) other forum member with significant mileage on a Drouin powered Commando.

Ken
 
Bought a used Drouin from a Norton dealer in Anacortes, WA along with a Quaife 5 speed back in 1976. Stuck it on my 73 850 and promptly blew the transmission to itsy bitsy bits. Found a nice used stock 4 speed and went a couple of more months until the crankshaft broke in two and came out the bottom of the case. Pistons exploded also so don't know which caused which. Sounded awesome right up until it didn't. I had never heard about the curses associated with the Drouin but the demise of my engine put a SERIOUS strain on domestic tranquility. My wife probably would have divorced me right then and there but I think she was afraid that she'd get stuck with the Norton as part of the settlement. That bike sat for a year until I traded the blower to a guy in Portland, OR straight across for a nice used 850 engine.
 
eskasteve said:
Bought a used Drouin from a Norton dealer in Anacortes, WA along with a Quaife 5 speed back in 1976. Stuck it on my 73 850 and promptly blew the transmission to itsy bitsy bits. Found a nice used stock 4 speed and went a couple of more months until the crankshaft broke in two and came out the bottom of the case. Pistons exploded also so don't know which caused which. Sounded awesome right up until it didn't. I had never heard about the curses associated with the Drouin but the demise of my engine put a SERIOUS strain on domestic tranquility. My wife probably would have divorced me right then and there but I think she was afraid that she'd get stuck with the Norton as part of the settlement. That bike sat for a year until I traded the blower to a guy in Portland, OR straight across for a nice used 850 engine.
Click to expand...

"Sounded awesome right up until it didn't"

Great line !!
 
Hi, I'm still here!

I am planning to put my Drouin back on the Norton this winter.

I never had any problems with the stock 850 engine / gearbox with the Drouin , except for the 2 piece rear axle and sheet metal adjusters not capable of handling the torque.

I only removed the Drouin to use the Norton to tour northern Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont a few years ago with several friends. And never got around to putting it back on.

We have been doing spring & fall rides each year including one into Northern Quebec around Sagunay, but now I ride the Duc ST. most of the time.
The Norton runs fine with the stock cabs, But with the Drouin was almost as fast as the Ducati up to 110 MPH.

My previous post explain how to set the Drouin up with a Lectron carb. That will overcome most of the fuel problems.

Come on Steve, get your Drouin on!

Happy New Year,
Bruce MacGregor
 
Slipping the clutch to let the boost and the rpms build VERY quickly then dumping the clutch not only tests the integrity of Barnetts best, but also the metallurgical talents of the designers of the lower end. KAAABOOOM! You probably don't want to do that after you get it reinstalled. It was a spendy test.
 
pmd ya!

Defffff said:
Hi out there, just found the very nice pictures of my bike in Bremen (Thanks to slimslowslider!) here in this forum and signed in to say hello- if anyone has questions, please ask ;-)
The bikle is mildly tuned like You described it and like I said in Bremen, I own it since 20 years now (8 with the Drouin on it) and it´s more a every day bike bike like a quarter mile dragster. To Hobot: Most of the online-writers do not believe that a Drouined-bike really runs, maybe it is because they aren´t there at the good motorxcycle events or go to bed too early and stand up too late to hear it going? :D
1971 750 Commando Fastback Long Range, Dunstallized (but builded back/ compression ca. 7:1 etc.), the carb is a 41 mm Bendix with adjustable main jet from a 1970s Harley Sportster (because my original Drouin-flat one leaks too much for the daily use in town)
All this is pretty reliable! I have been three times in England/GB with it (approx. 800 mls.-trips) at the Ace Cafe London and in 2014 as a surprise for me I proudly won the "Best ridden cafe Racer"-Award with it (=a nice Lewis Leather jacket) Hopefully I will go there this year again (It´s the 23rd ANNUAL ACE CAFE REUNION at the 2nd/3rd/4th September 2016), for more look here: http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/Reunion.aspx
Fact at all: The bike runs smooth and fast. And I have a lot of fun with it. It impresses not only the tecnical-understanding men.
YES, I am a big fan of Tom Drouin´s work: I just completed a yellow 750 Rickman Honda with the early-type Drouin (sorry- wrong markee for this forum, I know, but RICKMAN is British at least :)) and am building up a second one (Commando 850 or a 920-version) which should offer and show the real power of Tom Drouin´s very reliable construction. And I am also playing with a 500 cc Domiracer-Version. Hopefully I can show some results this year.
More will be shown soon.
Cheers,
Def
Click to expand...
 
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