Max Lambky is attempting to capture the absolute Land Speed Record for motorcycles, currently held by 'Number 7', the BUB Enterprises streamliner ridden by Chris Carr, at 350.885 MPH.
Red Rapide 1 Pictures of the Red Rapide, restored by Max, that recently sold at the Las Vegas auction for $76,000
Red Rapide 2
After returning from the salt in 2005, I made a thorough inspection of the liner and all of it's components, assessing needed changes. The rear wheel had exploded during one of the runs, damaging the frame--bending it into a horseshoe, and causing both pilots, Don Angel and Hartmut Weidelich, to report poor handling, which pointed to the obvious fact that if the record was ever to be set, it wasn't going to be with this frame.
Building the new frame wasn't as bad as it might seem. Several known improvements were in order. The rear tire, a 6.5" wide, 26" tall Goodyear Frontrunner, with a speed rating of 300 mph, was inadequate for the Vincent streamliner's 400 mph speed potential. A rear suspension was necessary for many reasons. The frame was also heavy, heavy, heavy; it needed to be lightened by several hundred pounds and made stronger.
A six month project ensued in building the new frame, which included a new parachute deployment system, and a new cockpit with all the doo-dads therein.
The pictures show this monumental undertaking. Photos by Patti Lambky.
After I built the new frame, which by the way, wound up around 300 pounds lighter than the old one, I found that a new body was also necessary, as the old body didn't even come close to fitting. The old body was made of fiberglass. The only portions retained were the canopy, the section around the cockpit, and a portion of the nose cone. The aerodynamics were improved by taking the wheel bump off the nose, and enclosing the tail with a flap type door. The sail area was decreased by making the height of the body from the roll cage to the tail shorter, and by removing the tail fin. The tail section was fabricated from aluminum, and wound up 35 pounds lighter than the previous fiberglass tail section.
A note of interest. The body was manufactured without the use of a brake, shear, roller, or English wheel. Lenny McKnight (a Pacific Northwest Section Vincent Owners Club member) flew in from Washington state to help, as the aluminum was formed by hand, requiring more hands than I have.
Here again, the pictures tell the story. Photos by Patti Lambky.
The engines didn't require many modifications for 2006. The basic concept proved itself sound in 2005, making 10 timed runs, the best being the last run of the meet, piloted by Don Angel at 212.816 mph on a short course of three miles.
A host of minor things were corrected. Lenny manufactured a tach sender. The fuel pump drive and the ignition drive swapped holes. I had to do some welding on the cases to get the oil feed holes to the liners to line up and not leak, and had to regrind the Tempkin main bearing spacers for proper clearance. The top valve guides were sticking, and had to be modified, increasing their clearance. I also installed new buttons in the piston skirts. Lenny turned them on the lathe for a slide fit in the barrels. I did some modification to better secure the HYVO chain housing to the transmission. Lots of engine parts were lightened. I manufactured all new engine mounting brackets from steel. The previous ones were made from aluminum. And the list goes on.
The pictures show the rebuild of the engines, plus other pics of interest. Photos by Patti Lambky and Lenny McKnight.
The Crew - story and one picture
Fun on the salt 2006 - photos by Steve Doherty, Patti Lambky, Lenny McKnight, plus two by Buck Lovell, courtesy of BUB Enterprises.
From inside the cockpit
Read a few of Max's other stories
Dick Busby Memorial Award Winner
Sonny Angel getting ready to make a run on Max's bike at El Mirage, California
Crew member Tom Murray's encounter with Burt Munro in 1971, down in New Zealand
Photo Albums
Movies from BUB International Speed Trials 2005
Movies from Speed Week 2004
List of Contributors for all of the attempts
I would like to thank all of you that have contributed over the years to support this effort to put the Vincent name back on the top of the motorcycle record books. Please notify me of any corrections or omissions to the above list.
If you feel that you would like to be part of the Vincent team, the project still needs your financial support in order
to compete in the BUB All Motorcycle Meet for the World's Land Speed Record for motorcycles. To those who are unable
to help financially, your well wishes are also needed to keep spirit alive.
Max Lambky
P. O. Box 3118
Wichita, KS 67202
All are welcome to pitch in this year at Bonneville, September 2nd - 6th. This could well be the year.
The crew's best, the rider's best, and my best will someday make it happen.
Yours for the LSR,
Mad Max
The Kansas Bad Man
