Motorized Bicycle racing in Tucson Arizona

[Thud]

If your serious luke I have a bike I'll loan you.

This is the last time it will be in that configuration.

Imagine it with a lower bar set. A new rear triangle (streched about 3 or 4 inches to get the riders weight center properly positioned on the wheelbase & wider to acomidate a real rear tire.)
replace the original fork to get the steering back (way too much trail on the current config)
add a "banana" seat to let the pilot be mobile on the frame...
add the michilen 16" moped tires.(siped & shaved for track condition)they fit the 20" bike rims.

I have been watching videos of the motor bike guys on that track.......Its killing me to be 30 hrs away 8) I think a proper built bike even built to some rule book could drop their lap times....a bunch.

Say the word & I will cut & weld all weekend, I can box It & fed-x it to The Dogman.....ES -RULES!

I am going to be looking into this at our local Kart track....Racing is too fun not to do it....even on slow underpowed flexi cheap bicycles.

 

[liveforphysics]

If your serious luke I have a bike I'll loan you.

This is the last time it will be in that configuration.

Thank you for the kind offer Thud and Dogman, I just might take you up on that. I'm emailing my boss right now about the possibility of taking those days off.

What is the top-tube length and height from the pedals to the top-tube height on that BMX Thud? I'm trying to visualize if my big LiPo saddle pack would straddle that frame with out hitting the arc the pedals take. Or is that rear rack able to hold 30lbs of LiPo? Does it ride funny with weigh up high hanging off the back?

 

[Tiberius]

Oh, I'm so jealous. This event is made for me; trouble is, its more than a drive away.

We should get some more events running over here and then we can have an international challenge.

Good luck guys, go for it.

Nick

 

[Lock]

I was thinking the advantage would come in accelerating *after* the turns... at least, the last time I saw a vid of gas racers being challenged by an electric on a closed and windy course, this was how the electric was beating the bunch, electric torque.
tks
Lock

 

[Thud]

I am at work right now, I don't have the dimensions in memory.
The bike is quite cramped, I am 5'-11.75"tall (not 6' :lol: ) & all the riders weight is carried on the rear wheel. It steered much nicer with the bmx fork. (Put the 24" wally bike forks on to make it less twitchy....fail)


The rack is all welded & can handle 30# easily....I would perfer the weight a bit lower though for racing.

I think adding to the wheelbase & resetting the geometry will make the thing a winner. (plenty of brakes already there)
I had an old 20" schwinn set up for cornering years ago when we had a neigbor hood bike racing leage on the tennis courts...embarrasing the big boys on their 10 speeds was the order of the day back in 78'

I will build you a bike that will corner as far as your knee & testicles will allow. The 2 speed tranny is there for your enjoyment. Prolly totaly ileagle in this competition. I can modify it to mount your 80-100 with sensors...but will need to relocate it out of the crank circle with the big motor on it.
you still have my contact #s? give me a ring & we can chat up some parameters & make it happen.

 

[TylerDurden]

I have been watching videos of the motor bike guys on that track.......Its killing me to be 30 hrs away

Southwest Air: 3.8hr Nonstop Midway to AZ = $157+ (2pc. baggage = free)

 

[Thud]

:lol:
Get thee behind me DEVIL!
I mapquested it yesterday....Even in my geo metro the gasoline would be $140.00 (one way)from Michigan.

Damn this racing Jones.....I have been to 1 race (spectator) since my last "incedent" in '04...I promised the wife I would not throw a leg over anything to race unless I was 100% ready phyisicly.......but surly a bicycle race would not be as demanding as open class moto...I need to drop 40#s to get back to my motocross weight-or take up gravity racing.

My comuter build is the first step back to the race track......ultimate goal would be an AMA motocross championship in the oldest age group. (I would sellte for an AHRMA regenal title though wich is way more realistic) looking my 47th birthday in the eye has me thinking of the bucket list this spring.

 

[liveforphysics]

A ticket from Seattle is $257. That seems fine.

Before I can commit to anything, I gotta hear back from my boss. If we happen to have some big stuff going down those days, there is no chance I can get away, but if not, I'm down.

Thud- If you can't race your bike, I will do my best to put it in the winner circle, or land myself in the hospital trying, and I'm a pretty durable guy, and I will be wearing a full superbike suit, so that pretty much just leaves the winners circle.

I think your proposed modifications sound exactly in-line with what I was thinking would make for the ultimate weapon for this event.

I gotta sleep now, but I'm eagerly awaiting hearing back from my boss about taking these days off.

Dogman- I will be cool to meet you bro!

-Luke

:lol:
Get thee behind me DEVIL!
I mapquested it yesterday....Even in my geo metro the gasoline would be $140.00 (one way)from Michigan.

Damn this racing Jones.....I have been to 1 race (spectator) since my last "incedent" in '04...I promised the wife I would not throw a leg over anything to race unless I was 100% ready phyisicly.......but surly a bicycle race would not be as demanding as open class moto...I need to drop 40#s to get back to my motocross weight-or take up gravity racing.

My comuter build is the first step back to the race track......ultimate goal would be an AMA motocross championship in the oldest age group. (I would sellte for an AHRMA regenal title though wich is way more realistic) looking my 47th birthday in the eye has me thinking of the bucket list this spring.

 

[enoob]

) my crew cab dodge can get there for round $200 in diesel and i can pick you up on the way down luke

mapquest shows me 24hrs drive time . at the speed limit that is...

just so happens im heading down to lucurne valley to grab one of these


catching the race would make for a fun trip, wonder how a mars powered chopper would do...

 

[enoob]

there a limit on motor size ?
http://www.kellycontroller.com/shop/?mod=product&cat_id=41,26,15&product_id=430
be here in time if i order today

 

[Lock]

there a limit on motor size ?

The largest gas engine Spooky Tooth sells they claim is equivalent to 80CC... I understand that can mean 6,8 up to 9HP... 6.7Kw or so...
lock

 

[dogman dan]

Yahoo! I don't think there is any limits. Just bicycle frame as far as I know. It would be soooo cool to have somebody who's balls haven't shriveled show up.

Short wheelbase was the problem with that bmx bike I had the x5 on I think. So a stretched bmx frame makes sense. 4" more would make a huge difference.
Safe got into the frame building needing stretched bikes with low drag for gravity racing. I'm clueless though, how far to stretch a frame and still corner nice in the hairpins.

More power applied at the apex of the turn is what I will need, after some more riding I'm finding the tighter corners I'm only taking at 25 mph. At that end of the motor, from 25 to 30 comes like molasses. Different story if I had the balls to corner at 30, but I'm old now, . Wish I'd found out about this last year, I mighta bought a different battery for christmas. Thought my ebike needs were more like 70 miles between towns out here. Now I wish I'd built that electric motocross bike instead.

 

[Thud]

I just got a reply from the event organizers.

Hi Thud,
This is all about fun! I feel that if you show up and want to race your "motorized bicycle" than you are welcome to do so. The track is .8 miles and we generally do around 5 laps or more and take about 30 minutes to complete it.

Once you get out there, you will see that it is physically grueling, scary, hair raising, eyeball popping fun.

Thanks, Roland


Spooky Tooth Cycles
1 Cochise Row
Bisbee, AZ 85603
1.866.243.4552

looks like its a run what you brung event & there are no "set in stone" rules to follow.
Sign your life away, pay the $15 & have a blast.
I suspect the previous winners have their bikes geared as tall as the (66cc china) engines will stand.

A proper e-bike will destroy an overgeared motored bike on the start & out of every corner. My 2 speed will be be a huge advantage....I have a turnigy 63-50 thats rated for 2400watts that would shoe horn in the bike right now. Just need a gt2 drive pully for it.

Lets see if Luke is going to make it.....Unless you want to drive it Dogman.
The offer is open to anyone who wants to race it.
I will post some photos of the mods prolly sunday night in this thread. I need to video the thing in motion anyway.
I think a set of Maxxis trials tires (shave the knobs) would be the stickyest tires on the track.

that will garentee it to corner like it had magnets in it :lol:

 

[dogman dan]

Spooky keeps calling it a just for fun race, but it's titled a DEATH RACE. Leave it to the Ebikers to turn it into a real death race.

Good excuse for a road trip to summer. By late april, it could be 90F easy in Tucson. Amazing how cheap you can fly now, especially if you don't book friday or sunday. I just flew to Dulles in DC for 250 round trip for a funeral.

There is a buddy in Tucson that we might be able to ship stuff to, so it's there when you get there. Hell, he might ride a bike you send, he's the guy taught me to corner in those gravity races. We'll have all of saturday to bolt stuff together. We'd scream into those hairpins at 35, eyeing eachother to see who'd brake first. Back when the balls were still full size...

 

[AussieJester]

I wanna see the looks on the ICE crowds faces when Luke
throws his leg over Thuds lil 'toy motor powered' BMX bike dressed
in full race leathers , 800 dollar helmet, all the snickers and
giggles and then Luke takes off... weeeeeeeeeeeee clunk WEEEEEEEEEEEE front wheel hits the deck just before the first corner
around the same time the jaws of the ICE crowd hit the ground hehehe...Dogman GET ME VIDEOOOOOz hahaha...

Good Lucks fellas...

KiM

 

[dogman dan]

Helmet cam will get video of the first 50 yards.... After that, he'll be half the track ahead of me, and everybody else.

Wife's camera is old, does lame video in a postage stamp size.

 

[AussieJester]

Another email frm Spooky Cycles i just spied over on MBC Safe actually made the original
thread so he IS aware of it hehehe...

"Hello Race Fans:


The 6th annual Death Race is quickly approaching.
This is an annual outlaw desert event where riders will see their bikes disintegrate beneath them as they approach speeds of 50 mph.

To avoid the heat from coming down us, we have rented a race track for the day. Anyone and everyone is invited to participate.

Death Race is open to all gas and electric motorized bicycles. Pedals and a motor, you're in.

Safety equipment, i.e. helmets, boots, knee and elbow pads, are highly recommended as well as mandatory.

A helpful tip to racer's looking for first place on the podium, races are won by those who fall least.

Death Race 2010 will be held at P1 Circuit Race Track at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, AZ on Sunday April 18th, 2010.

The entry fee, which covers insurance and track rental, is $15. Riders can begin to register at 12 pm and spend the afternoon running the course at their leisure.

Death Race begins promptly at 3pm with 2 30 minute qualifying heats and then the final Race to the Death.

This is a premiere event and the largest of its kind held anywhere in the nation.
The winner of Death Race not only wins prizes, but gets full bragging rights for the year and a prominent spot on the Spooky Tooth website.

This is an excellent opportunity for manufacturers and vendors to promote their products by placing first in Death Race 2010.

Bring the grill! Last year we hosted 100 people from as far away as Salt Lake, Austin, and SoCal. The most unique form of racing in the country and the funnest spectator sport to smear the pavement, Death Race!
See you there... "

So 30 minute heats ...better have a BIG BIG pile of Lipos Luke...best call in on Methy on the way through and see if you can scrounge up some of his too haha

KiM

 

[Demosthenes]

That looks soooooo awesome. Sadly there is pretty much a whole country worth between me and there. Not to mention a shitty bike and a shitty rider I really want to see video of some ICErs getting raped by an electric bike (or at least being surprised at how well it does)
Dogman, what kind of memory does your camera use? Is it a harddrive or is it expandable? If it's expandable I can usually pick up extra memory cards and the like for dirt cheap at work then mail it to you. PM me. Wouldn't want to miss any action cause your out of space. Even postage stamp size is better than nothing!

 

[Thud]

Kim,
The race is 5-8 laps on a .8 mile track.......not sure who decides but that is from the promoters e-mail to me today.
it just takes 30 minutes for all the posers to make the 5 laps.

track lap records are in the 0:49 minute range 60ish average speed in a kart.(thats flying on the straights!)
I would hope an average speed of 30mph for 1-1/2 minut lap times.

Unless i have it ALL wrong,the 30 min heats are just timed practice to get familure with the track & tune your motor.
here is a linc to the tracks website:
http://www.p1kartcircuit.com/

 

[dogman dan]

High Tech BIkes Terry is going to send me a 45 amp 72 volt controller. Luke, can ya bring a second battery? Run the practice on the ping and lipo in the main?

 

[tritonwow]

I checked my school schedule and it looks like it's pretty light right before and after the event so I'll be there. I'm working up a friction drive for something to do but I'm not sure I'll have it done in time (really for fun as I don't think i'd be competative).

Helmet cam will get video of the first 50 yards.... After that, he'll be half the track ahead of me, and everybody else.

I have my Sony 10MP camera which also shoots HD video (rather well too) Also, I have a GoPro helmet cam someone can add the the competing bike/helmet. I have enough storage in the cameras for heats, then enough storage in the laptop to download from cams/upload to net. I wish I had 3G... we could broadcast live (or near real time).

Looks like I'll be camera/media man.

There is a buddy in Tucson that we might be able to ship stuff to, so it's there when you get there. Hell, he might ride a bike you send, he's the guy taught me to corner in those gravity races. We'll have all of saturday to bolt stuff together. We'd scream into those hairpins at 35, eyeing eachother to see who'd brake first. Back when the balls were still full size...

There is a bicycle "boneyard"in Tucson... actually a recycle place... You can go in there, scavenge parts (or bring your own) and work on them. I almost went hog wild but remembered I'd have to cart whatever I monkeyed with back to Japan.

http://www.bicas.org/

Be careful coming in from the East along I-10. There are at least two speed camera traps and I've seen mobile radar traps too (between Benson and Tucson). A few teachers who have lived here along time also say I-10 north of Tuscon is even worse.

This is gonna make my trip worthwhile...
Triton

 

[tritonwow]

Another thought... It's a good thing we don't work for Ducati... we'd be fired for talking about factory secrets. That said, I need to start lurking on the motorized forums to gather information....

 

[Demosthenes]

I have my Sony 10MP camera which also shoots HD video (rather well too) Also, I have a GoPro helmet cam someone can add the the competing bike/helmet. I have enough storage in the cameras for heats, then enough storage in the laptop to download from cams/upload to net. I wish I had 3G... we could broadcast live (or near real time).

Now that's what I'm talking about! That is going to be epic!

 

[Miles]

Go Spherites! 8)

 

[amberwolf]

Now yer talking. Ship to my house and I'll bring it to the race. Or to Amberworlf if he is going.

I'd go just to watch, if nothing else, if I could get down there.

If I could fix the chain alignment problems with CrazyBike2, and had something other than SLA to run it with, I'd probably enter it. Even if I broke it again, it'd be fun--I've never raced anything at all. Well, fun assuming that when I wipe out each time I don't take anybody else with me. :lol:

I'd need to regear it, since it's geared for about 22MPH max at the moment, I think.

Also, what would be useful would be to put a hub motor in the front wheel, too, for extra power or for pulling my way out of turns if I lose traction with the rear. Only use it when it's needed, assuming I could learn fast enough.

The Curtis controller on the powerchair motor can do plenty of amps, but I'm not sure what the motor will take or for how long. I think I'd need to ventilate and cool it with filtered air (have to filter since it's right in the front wheel's crap path).

Might need a seatbelt to hold me in that sling chair. :lol: