The
test of a mans character comes not from how he handles success. Not how he
reacts to hitting a home run, scoring a touchdown or winning a race. But how he
handles adversity….striking out, tackled for a loss or spinning out. Through
some extremely frustrating and difficult racing conditions at Bonneville 2014 Scott Kolb remained the positive, confident,
humble, friendly team captain…..rest assured we’ll hear more from Scott and his
Kolb Machine team. Kolb Machine Land Speed Racing
There are barriers and challenges that don’t exist in other forms of racing. Think
about it, where else is aerodynamics, suspension, gearing, engine efficiency
and power more important. All must be in perfect balance. A minor misalignment,
a loose fitting or a miniscule fluid leak can be disastrous at 150 mph plus!
The racer and his team put in countless hours on every detail of the race bike.
Your competition, every engineer, scientist, racer and crazy daredevil in the world who thinks they are faster.
No place to practice: Then perhaps the greatest challenge of all, where and
how to test your machine before race day?
The answer is you don’t! Testing requires a 10 mile stretch of perfectly
flat surface with restricted public access. There are only a few such places in
the world and one in the United States
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| Unseasonable heavy rain |
2014 at the Bonneville
Motorcycle Speed Trials was a test of the character, tenacity and resolve for
Scott Kolb and his Kolb Machine Land Speed Racing Team. It began with
unseasonable heavy rain, followed by high winds requiring course closure. Then
came what everyone had been waiting for, a near perfect day………85 degrees,
bright sun, light breeze and a smooth hard salt surface………only to have an
engine cooling problem rear its ugly head. Not to dismay, the Kolb team
reinvents a cooling system and is ready to go only to have the course closed
due to poor racing conditions caused by an overnight shower. So now Scott &
the gang take down the tent, pack the van and head back to Saugerties , NY
Off the Line at Mile 0!
Racing into The Future: Expect to hear much more from the Kolb Machine. At this point it is not certain if they will work to develop the current Kolb Machine to it's potential of 175+ mph, or focus efforts on the Full Streamliner with a goal of 200+ mph!
This is a model of the Full Streamliner
(projected speed 200+ mph)
Kerry shows off the streamliner model and talks about 200+ mph with a little 125 cc engine - more with less.
As the sun sets behind the
distant mountains the machines are silenced, the tools are put away and it is
time for a transformation on the salt. In stark contrast from the high pitched
scream of finely tuned engines the salt flats become eerily quiet and the work
bench is transformed into a bar…….. cocktail hour. For me, this is when the ghosts appear. The
ghosts of Bonneville’s past are on the salt. Sir Malcolm Campbell roaring
across the salt in his Blue Bird at 301 mph in 1935. I can see Craig Breedlove
piloting the jet propelled Spirit of America to 407 mph in 1963 and Art Arfons
driving his Green Monster over the salt and into the record books at 434 mph in
1964. 
Then
there are the motorcyclists daring fate and chasing records on two wheels.
Rollie Free who became a legend and folk hero by striping to his jockey shorts
to break 150 mph on his stock Vincent Black Shadow in 1948. Johnny Allen in
1956 riding a streamlined Triumph 650cc twin known as the 
"I'm not a blind man trying to race. I'm a racer who went blind." ~Dan Parker
Some sights from Bonneville - August 2014 and more photos at this link: https://plus.google.com/photos/101766653797447005675/albums/6054301379625150865
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World’s fastest female on a
motorcycle, Eva Hakansson piloted her ELECTRIC Streamliner over the salt at a AMA
record top speed of 241.901 mph.
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| View from the riders seat |
