Bub Speed Trials
Bonneville Salt Flats Sept. 2nd through the 7th 2008
Eric Noyes     John Buddenbaum    Rick
Yamane
In bike video
It took four years and five trips to Bonneville, over a dozen pistons, 22 runs down the salt, at
least 300 Dyno runs, methanol, nitrous oxide, nitro methane, and a turbocharger ( not all at
once) to become the worlds fastest 50cc motorcycle. We didn't start out with such a lofty goal
but after our second trip to Bonneville we knew we had a chance to beat the 1981 FIM world
record of 139 MPH. Our original goal was to beat the 1956 NSU record of 121 MPH.
    We thought we'd be satisfied with that, but after going 134 MPH in our second year at the
salt on methanol only we had to keep trying to go faster. Our third year we went to Bonneville
twice. The Bub event and the World Finals. We were using nitrous oxide at both events
without much luck. Bummed about the NOS we tried nitro methane at a small dose, 20%.
That idea didn't last long. It cost us a couple pistons and didn't make enough power. Next
came the turbo, it  was a long shot, it was desinged for a car motor 12 times bigger than ours.
Our first dyno runs were promising, so we took it to El Mirage and entered the the blown fuel
class. We made four good runs with out much effort compaired to nitrous oxide, and just as
fast as nitrous oxide. Nos made great power but not every time.
        Bonneville would be the last test for the turbocharger. Would it work at altatuide,
would the heat back-up in the exhaust and cook the motor trying to run flat out for 3 minutes.
Well it worked great, even with it's super peaky power band. Our first run was 142.7 MPH.
We had two hours to back that up with a record run in the oppsite direction. Two hours seems
like a long time, but you have to go to impound that's in the pits and five miles away. There you
can refuel, install a new plug with the same heat range, charge the air systems for the landing
gear and parachute, and check things over all while being observed by a tech offical. Then it's
back to the 10 mile end of the course hoping all the time the wind doesn't pick up. Anything
over 5 MPH side wind is the too much.
      The wind was calm and we hurried to make the return or record run. Starting from this
end of the course we got 3/4 of a mile more run up to the measured mile. At the outher end we
started from the 3/4 mile mark because of wet salt. That 3/4 of a mile makes a difference.
Return run 147.0 MPH, with a top speed of 150 exiting the mile.  The average of the two runs
was good for 5 MPH over the worlds record.
      Next we get escorted back to impound and tear down the top end and get measured for
displacement. The cool thing about the FIM rules is just be less 50cc, supercharging and fuel is
free. We past the cc check, hand shakes all around, a few hugs and big smiles.
We did it!