Sir Eddy's Rocket

We are running the return oil back to the tank through a 1/2 tube that is attached to the inner wall of the tank 3/4 of the diameter at the top of the tank then on to a baffle clear across the tank on to another baffle across to the other side of the tank and then a small drop into the 4 quarts of oil to try to eliminate any air in the oil returning to the motor. Les Barker had talked to my dad about this and we are having a new tank welded up by Eric Gustin @ Altmetals to make room for an airbox and the addition of the tube and baffles.
I appreciate all the comments and concerns.

cjandme said:

definitely "cool stuff" thanks for posting... after being in Afghanistan for the past 4 months I'm ready to get myself one of those Newcastles. I mean,,,,,,uh,,,,,,,awesome custom oil pump application

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As I recall, the UN used to have a guest house in Maz with a bar stocked with New Castle!

Cheers

'He said it was important to keep the standard gearbox in the bike with it's low first gear, as he would beat all the Manx Nortons and other Grand Prix race machinery that had close-ratio boxes to the first corner ever time.'

Ain't that the truth ? I used a 4 speed CR gearbox in my Seeley for a while, but could only rarely get good starts. I was too dumb to fit a low first gear to it and tolerate a big gap between first and second gear. It would have meant a 'stall' between the first two corners on our local circuit when racing, but once the bike was mobile it never went back to first gear anyway. A mate of mine raced a 700cc manx until recently, told me he used three different ratio first gears for various circuits. (After I'd bought the TTI box. I've got all the necessary first gears laying in my shed on the shelf. - stoopid ! )

Check out my dad on his 650 up in Westwood. Looks like he is on top of the world!

Great photo.
With the trees and valley in the background, literally looks like he is at the top of the world.

P.S. Those GP carb(s) hint that this bike is not stock.
Not to mention the manx cycleparts.
Very tidy and shiny cycle, in an era where rough was often good enough ?

What year was this ?

This was in the early 60's when he raced at Westwood, Seattle and Portland OR.

He does look like he's pleased with it all, doesn't he? I raced once at the Seattle track with AHRMA, and the woodsy setting was a real improvement compared to the desert tracks we had at the time in Southern California. Racing is fun anywhere, but there's a lot to be said for getting to race in a beautiful environment. On the other hand, the price for that nice environment is having to race in the rain more often. I'm sure your dad must have had some "interesting" rain racing experiences in his time.

Ken

Racers were very fond of Westwood because it had 900 feet of elevation change in a relatively short circuit.

And Sir Eddy's 650 was yet another example of a Dommie that ran away from the Manxes and G50s at Westwood.
Others were: Dave Matheson, Roadgoing 650 stripped for racing, minor engine mods, held lap record at Westwood for several months, early 60s
John McDougall, Norton Atlas 750 stripped and modded for racing, took the lap record from Dave Matheson.
Ken Molyneaux, 1955 Daytona Manx with 650SS engine conversion. Dunstall cams, 600 pistons. He also replaced the Daytona Manx steel wheels (AMA rules) with Borrianis. He took the record from John McDougall and held it for several years.
This was the last British bike to hold the lap record at Westwood. When I see Ken next I will ask him what Brand of MC took the record away, but I believe it was an MV Augusta.

Son of Siredward said:

Les Barker had talked to my dad about this and we are having a new tank welded up by Eric Gustin @ Altmetals to make room for an airbox and the addition of the tube and baffles.
I appreciate all the comments and concerns.

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I've wondered why you never see airboxes on bikes racing on the saltflats. It increases volumetric efficiency by helping them breathe, which must be a good thing at high altitude. Must be some reason.

I can say that my dads 650 was one ofthe fastest 650 in the western us and for that matter the west coast. I know for a fact that Norton USA came out to meet with my dad and at one of the meets came right over to my dad past all the factory nortons and wanted to talk to him about why his 650 dominated. I dont know all the facts but I know that my dads motors won in many of the dirt track events in TL's and Sonny 's Frames and dominatated the field. In the early 60's Norton USA asked to sponsor my dad to run his motors in the dirt track nationals in TL's bike. I remember the story of one of the norton national roadracer asking my dad if he could run it around PIR to see what is has and brought it back with the rod out the bottom end. That put my dad's motors out of the the nationals but Norton USA still wanted to buy the motor. When they opened it up they didnt find anything special from the motors they built. The differerence is that my pops new how to balance and blue print his motors to a perfection and the performance proved that what he did made the difference between what some thought how they should be built and what Sir Eddy knew how they were to be built to make them go!
I know that Doug at Internet annoyance and others know who it was that blew my dads motor up.They didnt want to see a privatier bet the factory bikes, it dosesn't really matter now... I can say that we have a 500 cc motor that my dad has spent years developing that will prove itself in September. I love my father and wish he was here to see his dream come true. See you at the salt!

rpatton said:

I've wondered why you never see airboxes on bikes racing on the saltflats. It increases volumetric efficiency by helping them breathe, which must be a good thing at high altitude. Must be some reason.

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Bob,
We are actually going to run an airbox on the norton rocket. Many people do run an airbox due to the amount of salt that covers the bike on a run. We can't bear the thought of having salt run through the combustion chamber and the wear it would put on the motor. Tom Mellor that has the 750 MPS-PG LSR runs an airbox and suggested that it would be wise to run with rather than without.

Paul

'Racers were very fond of Westwood because it had 900 feet of elevation change in a relatively short circuit.'

I like the sound of that !

Son of Siredward said:

rpatton said:

I've wondered why you never see airboxes on bikes racing on the saltflats. It increases volumetric efficiency by helping them breathe, which must be a good thing at high altitude. Must be some reason.

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Bob,
We are actually going to run an airbox on the norton rocket. Many people do run an airbox due to the amount of salt that covers the bike on a run. We can't bear the thought of having salt run through the combustion chamber and the wear it would put on the motor. Tom Mellor that has the 750 MPS-PG LSR runs and airbox and suggested that it would be wise to run with rather than without.

Paul

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Paul, if you are going with an air box,consider designing it as an Helmholtz Resonator.

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That photo of Eddy reminds me of my first childhood, something that the young guys don't have much opportunity for these days. It was serious racing on a very limited budget, and we all had much the same tuning problems. I look at that photo, and I feel old and sad - we have lost so much, and gained so little.

Well, finally the new crank is on its way!
This is a one piece billet crank for the LSR Norton 500. It has the left crankshaft throw rotated "backwards" to create a 270/450 degree firing cycle. Also picked up a Charlie Toy fairing from Tom Mellor in Canada last week end.
Slowly but surely...

I absolutely love that crankshaft, how did you balance it ?

The crank looks beautiful and very expensive.

Glen

Awesome looking!!!!! May be heading back to the salt this year, Are you still on track for this year??

acotrel said:

I absolutely love that crankshaft, how did you balance it ?

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I will be sending out Wednesday to a guy my dad used last time down in Creswell Oregon.
He did the last bolted crank and it came out perfect.