After Speed Week I made a thorough and honest assessment of Black Lightning. The most important conclusion was that the design is overall very sound and has a potentially superior advantage over any other streamliner in existence.

1. Aerodynamics. The frontal area of the four streamliners who have the where-with-all to be the fastest on the planet, the smallest of which is Black Lightning with a frontal area of only 2.9 square feet. Next would be the EZ Hook with a frontal area of 3.2 square feet. Third would be the Denis Manning Special with a 3.7; last would be the New Twin Engine Hayabusa, which is huge at around a 4.3 square foot frontal area. Of course frontal area isn't the last word on the overall aerodynamics of a given vehicle, but it is certainly the most important. All of the four machines in my opinion are similar in their design to cheat the air moving over their sleek exteriors except for the EZ Hook, which I feel has a slight advantage over the other three in this area of aerodynamics.

2. Horsepower. Black Lightning is over 500 at present; EZ Hook is 240;. Denis Manning is 425 and the Hayabusa machine with box stock engines, turbochargers attached are around 500. Undoubtedly, if it were a horsepower race the Hayabusa would certainly win.

Two of the LSR contenders are capable of producing the horsepower and torque to exceed the traction coefficient to drag--and they are Black Lightning and the Hayabusa machine.

I've decided not to attack the LSR again until the following items are corrected. First the HYVO chains employed in coupling the engines together and in coupling the rear engine to the clutch will be replaced, utilizing gears throughout. During Speed Week it was found out that the HYVO chains were not up to the task and required constant maintenance and adjustment. It is a must to remedy this if Black Lightning is ever going to succeed in her quest to be the "World's Fastest". Next would be the clutch. The 400 hp A.R.T. clutch is not strong enough to hold the awesome torque being developed. So it's back to the drawing board on this one. I'm presently considering two clutches. One is the Crower Glide Clutch, which is a car clutch with adjustable finger weights so that you can adjust it's lock up at any R.P.M. desired. The other one would be the clutches used in an Indi car or a Formula 1. car. In any event the clutch problem will be addressed and made bullet proof.

The blower will be replaced with a new one. It will be sent to the Blower Shop in California to get all the good stuff done to it, i.e., anodizing, racing clearances and so on. The blower lubes got into each other causing the end of Speed Week for Black Lightning.

The transmission worked o.k. to a degree. When the bike is under load the transmission stays in gear, however, it pops out of gear when you let up on the throttle in low and third. It doesn't do it in second, so this will have to be addressed also.

I intend to thoroughly test the engine package including transmission on a dyno prior to taking her to the salt again. All of the problems encountered could have and would have been corrected before going to Bonneville if dyno testing had been done. As I was "up to the wire" there just wasn't time to do the necessary testing.

It was my decision to give it a go in 2004 and no body elses, so I take full responsibility for not taking home the bacon. Thorough testing is a must and I assure you it will be done for next year.

The Black Lightning Project is alive and well and Black Lightning thanks all who are helping to make it happen.