Victor Boocock and his 1914 HD are at it again !!

[Slojo]

Cool graph, Cory!
Now where's Joe??!!
Joe, Give us a short school (or "page" out of your "build" thread, maybe) for the tricks that extend that torque curve for the "high duty" HD.
Porting and camming? higher flow in the carb?
and when do you improve the lower end, rods, mains, etc?
I love tuition-free schools!

fillibuster

Cory's post, the chart is a power curve for 1915 high duty Harley twins compared to a stock 1914 Harley. It does not clearly specify horse power or torque. The chart also displays an unusually smooth curve for both motors. To produce good power there are to many variables to detail easily.

The Ghost uses a stock Harley Davidson cam shaft, stock 1914 cylinders and engine cases, a period correct screw on Schebler carburetor, even a stock exhaust system including muffler packing. Flywheels are remanufactured from exact replica 1914 castings machined to increase stroke to 1/8 greater off center location of the crank pin to provide clearance for the over size crank pin.

Much attention was paid to the small stuff , details. The intake tract from the open end of the carb. all the way through the open intake valve. I sought to include both volume and velocity inside of the intake system to achieve performance levels obtained by the 65.5 inch 1914 motor.

The new found high rpm's caused intake valve float which required redesign of my intake valve springs and other valve train components.

joe

[10E]

Hello
That's right Cotton, the question is, do the keepers have the key or the inmates.
Glad your able to help out with the questions Joe.
I will have some interesting pics of the motor parts soon. Some of not very pretty.
Back to the ride
Leaving Delta Utah early morning, for Fallon Nevada a little over 400 miles away.. There are nine passes to go over, none of them particularly difficult, typically 1,500 feet climb and then back into the high desert floor, but, if you have a motor down on h.p this will test it to the limit. The whole day is spent at 6,500 to 7,500 feet.
This is my favorite, it's almost like being at the beginning of time. I hope some of the pics and vids. will show this.
This is why it's called " the loneliest road in America" I don't find it lonely at all.
I stopped at the Utah /Nevada border for gas. and off I went.
The bike ran really well on this leg. I think you see it pulling one of the 6,500/7000 ft passes at 50mph.
At a gas station in Eureka, I got talking to an Aussie biker, after about 10mins with typical understatement he said " I don't know if I should mention this, but isn't that spark plug wire loose" sure enough, it was. I thanked him and tightened it up. Another lesson.
At one point a notice appears at the beginning of a valley "watch for low flying aircraft" --- jet fighters flying at 50 feet trying to hit the target on the other side of the road.
Mining town, looking quite prosperous, Eureka, Austin, and after 10 hours of going through this almost haunting scenery arriving at Fallon and a Hilton type bedroom.
A little maintenance, and off the next morning. Home is only 1 day and 315 miles away with the just the 8500ft Kit Carson Pass over the Sierra Mts and then it's all down hill from there.
Victor

[fillibuster]

fillibuster

Cory's post, the chart is a power curve for 1915 high duty Harley twins compared to a stock 1914 Harley. It does not clearly specify horse power or torque. The chart also displays an unusually smooth curve for both motors. To produce good power there are to many variables to detail easily.

The Ghost uses a stock Harley Davidson cam shaft, stock 1914 cylinders and engine cases, a period correct screw on Schebler carburetor, even a stock exhaust system including muffler packing. Flywheels are remanufactured from exact replica 1914 castings machined to increase stroke to 1/8 greater off center location of the crank pin to provide clearance for the over size crank pin.

Much attention was paid to the small stuff , details. The intake tract from the open end of the carb. all the way through the open intake valve. I sought to include both volume and velocity inside of the intake system to achieve performance levels obtained by the 65.5 inch 1914 motor.

The new found high rpm's caused intake valve float which required redesign of my intake valve springs and other valve train components.

joe

thx, Joe!
1/8" radius increase, so you stroked it 1/4", .... no substitute for cubic inches ... ya? no?
Otherwise, it looks like you did some porting work, including manifold/carb, but valve size and valve timing remained fairly stock?
From my outside observation points, it appears that conservative camming handles good torque demands up until 3500 rpm or so, and that after that is when flow enhancements are required.
Amazing to me is that historians (I call Harry V Sucher on) chronicled that early racers were twisting up close to 6000 rpm. I viewed Bob Chantland's Cyclone motor at St Paul one year, and was amazed at how small things were.
I'm looking forward to the day Herb Wagner takes us "under the hood" of those early 8-valves. It appears they had a grasp on the hemispherical combustion chamber.....
wait a minute.... this is Victor's thread! ...... 'scuse me.

[Slojo]

Fillibuster

Yes a 1/4 inch stroker motor a %.07 displacement increase from stock, not much. These early motors don't allow much for improvements so the details are important. Porting is near useless, valves and valve timing are left stock sizes.

Without tying up to much time I may not ever learn what the true potential of this motor is in its current configuration. The motor was built primarily to "make it" (cross country) not specifically built for speed.

The way this motor pulls it would not surprise me to see 100 MPH under good conditions. WIth the current heavy pistons 6000 RPM is probably out of its reach.

The 1914 Harley twin motors have primitive porting but superior to the 1911 1912 motors, 1913 have mild breathing improvements. 1911 through 1929 Harley twins exhibited regular incremental breathing changes, primarily larger valves and taller ports that wrap around the valve further.

In cannonball 2012 The Villain, Fass Mikey's 1928 JD gave the ghost a good run while spirited riding together with Jeff Decker at the controls (we did not race).

Victor

Sorry to crowd in here.

joe

[fillibuster]

Joe, your c-ball "build" thread was one of Victor's motivations (I think everybody loved it!), so clearly you are part of it all. You (and Cory) brought us all into your shop for a close-up that made us all very privileged
You are not "crowding in". ...... and I'm just here trying to tag along .... another wannabe!

[10E]

Phillibuster
I enjoyed Joe's build, truly a craftsman of the first order. I was trained as a machinist, a poor one at that, it makes his accomplishments all the more impressive to me.
History is filled with misconceptions, half truths and much assumptions, I just want to tell my side of the story.
In 1974 I told my friends parents as we looked at a pile of 1914 HD parts sitting in their driveway " I am going to ride this bike across America" They looked at me like I was mental. I can still remember the scene as if it was yesterday.
The bike was put in running order and many a happy mile was ridden with the Pre 16 lot.
By the time Joe posted his request for 14 parts on 11/7/2009 I already had 3,794 miles on my bike including a run over Carson Pass in preparation for my first run across America. People on the East coast had been contacted to accept the bike from the freight company and for it's start in Manhattan N.Y.
It's very first ride after the bikes rebuild by Dave Kafton was April 1st 2008. a total of 24 miles.
My motivation was words that my father had told me and everybody else who would listen of his visit to America and it's wonderful scenery. He relived the experience in his mind for 30 years. Now that's better than any technology I know of, and I wanted the same, and found it.
I have a great respect for the truth, sometimes we get carried away with our story telling and future readers start to embellish the stories even more.
I have a detailed diary I keep on the bikes history, including milage, repair work etc. Even sample flowers, a piece of California cotton picked up from a fence in central California and so on.
Just want to set something straight in my mind.
Keep challenging Joe, he is a fountain of knowledge for the motor cycle community.
More stories to come, with photos and vids.

Victor

[fillibuster]

Phillibuster
I enjoyed Joe's build, truly a craftsman of the first order. I was trained as a machinist, a poor one at that, it makes his accomplishments all the more impressive to me.
History is filled with misconceptions, half truths and much assumptions, I just want to tell my side of the story.
In 1974 I told my friends parents as we looked at a pile of 1914 HD parts sitting in their driveway " I am going to ride this bike across America" They looked at me like I was mental. I can still remember the scene as if it was yesterday.
The bike was put in running order and many a happy mile was ridden with the Pre 16 lot.
By the time Joe posted his request for 14 parts on 11/7/2009 I already had 3,794 miles on my bike including a run over Carson Pass in preparation for my first run across America. People on the East coast had been contacted to accept the bike from the freight company and for it's start in Manhattan N.Y.
It's very first ride after the bikes rebuild by Dave Kafton was April 1st 2008. a total of 24 miles.
My motivation was words that my father had told me and everybody else who would listen of his visit to America and it's wonderful scenery. He relived the experience in his mind for 30 years. Now that's better than any technology I know of, and I wanted the same, and found it.
I have a great respect for the truth, sometimes we get carried away with our story telling and future readers start to embellish the stories even more.
I have a detailed diary I keep on the bikes history, including milage, repair work etc. Even sample flowers, a piece of California cotton picked up from a fence in central California and so on.
Just want to set something straight in my mind.
Keep challenging Joe, he is a fountain of knowledge for the motor cycle community.
More stories to come, with photos and vids.

Victor

I think I like this guy!
anybody else really like this guy???

There are other fellas from Cannonball II, one in particular whom I want to find. Just him and his wife on his team, spent the last year and a half building a teens HD (I think), and the camper/truck that hauled his small shop trailer.
You guys don't really qualify as "bucket list" folks, cuz you're living it up so good. Hope to find that zone myself someday.

[Tom Lovejoy]

Keep it coming Victor, great stuff.

[c.o.]

I think I like this guy!
anybody else really like this guy???

.

He does kind of grow on a person don't he?

Victor that was an awesome image you conjured from back in '74. You did it man and not even just once!!!

Keep it coming Victor, great stuff.

Really great stuff!!!! I've got some catching up to do. I'll post this video for a teaser and try and whittle away at the rest tomorrow evening.

[10E]

Cory
Thanks again. My story and pics a little dis-jointed, I do live on the west coast.
Monarch Pass is special for me, I'm so glad you could show the snippet.
I left off in Fallon. Hopefully you will see a few videos of the desert prior to Fallon. It is beautiful.
The fun really started as I arrived at 10.00am in Minden, Nev, the approach to the last pass, the Sierra Mts Kit Carson Pass at 8,574ft.
Not a huge challenge, but with a tired motor, no fun. and only 230 miles from home.
I started up the pass, ironically the first part is fairly steep. The motor, after only a few miles just wouldn't pull it.
I went back down, fiddled a bit, let the bike cool down, and tried again, same problem.
As I was getting turned around a guy with a pickup truck asked if I needed help. He was out for a bicycle ride further up the mountain, said he had lots of time and just wanted to help me.
I asked him would he take my saddle bags and other stuff to the top of the pass, hoping it would help by losing wight, he readily agreed.
For the third time I went back down the mountain to get another run, agreeing that I would meet my friend at the top of the pass. My third attempt was no better than the first.
My friend came back after a while and handed me my bags etc after thanking him and giving a map of my journey we said goodbye and I headed back to Minden to see if I could fix something up and try one on the other three passes.
Video shows a stop at O'Reily's parking lot in Minden.
Checked with the locals, we discussed Kibers Pass versus Hwy 50 pass, both would drop me into South Lake Tahoe and then up the 7400ft Echo Pass.
Hwy 50s 7000ft Spooner Pass was chosen. They said I could turn around and come back if the bike failed.
Off I went, 10 miles to the approach and then started to climb only to find there was a concrete barrier between the the divided hwy. No turning around. Funny, but the bike charged up the pass. Down the pass to Tahoe and after a gas stop started up Echo Pass, funny again, it was charging up up the pass when, half way up the traffic came almost to a stop, an absolute killer for me, slipping the clutch and elbows flying I passed cars anyway I could, if I stopped, I'd be down the hill again, this is a two lane only pass, one up one down. and the road hangs off the side of the mountain.
Passing inside, against the rock face with inches to spare in places I muscled the bike past about 20 cars and finally the traffic began to free up.
I made it to the top. It now, was truly all down hill.
I made it to Placerville without incident, its a fast road, not a place to be on my bike.
Then onto Hwy 49 to Jackson and on to Dave Kafton's. I phoned ahead and told him it was, unfortunately, going to be a 10 mins stop as I knew I would be in the dark for the last 1 1/2 hours of my ride. (see Vid)
Dave looked me over, put new batteries in the rear lights and sent me on way. 100+ miles to home.
40 miles from home I was in the dark with very little lighting but on roads I knew like the back of my hand.
My friend met me at the Dumbarton Bridge toll booth, it goes across the South end of the San Francisco Bay, riding behind me making sure I didn't get run over.
Made it home at 9.30pm, a 15 1/2 hr day. Had a wonderful chat with my wife as I soaked in the tub. I was tired.
Dodge City Kansas to San Carlos 4 days ---- Now there is a challenge for you guys with single speed pre-1915.
Funny thing-- I was at work the next day at 6.0 am -- driving down the freeway, I couldn't believe it. I was already to do it again.

I hope you have enjoyed the run as much as I have.
The motor and bike is in pieces, and have some interesting pics you may find interesting and will explain the power loss.
Thanks
Victor

[c.o.]

No problem Victor. I'm glad to do it. At a turtle's pace I might add!! My apologies to those following this story. Hopefully all this appears somewhat in order.

[c.o.]

Austin, Nevada

[c.o.]

Minden.......

[Slojo]

Depending on the material, some components would outrun your 14, ... but it is funny, I'll be a sport.

Fillibuster

I would like to know more about high speed conveyour systems / materials for a certain project. What do you have?

joe.

[dave kafton]

Hi all, I am going to attempt to put up a video of an interview of Victor and his trusty steed getting refreshments before the last leg of his ride. I am a complete computer idiot, so I hope this works, Dave


http://youtu.be/1L4JxdjAXJs