Oregon man sets speed record 1936 Indian

[23JDCA 808]

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story...jmrMp9QLw.cspx
...bill in oregon

[jmanjeff]

there is not any thing at the link you posted

[c.o.]

It worked for me! Thanks Bill!

[Chuck#1848]

Worked for me to when I viewed it this morning thanks

[silentgreyfello]

there is not any thing at the link you posted

Jeff, you need to click on the part that is underlined.

[Oldchief]

Never underestimate an Indian Chief!!

[jmanjeff]

Jeff, you need to click on the part that is underlined.

I am not stupid this is what i get every time

[Chris in Japan]

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — Streaking over the Utah salt flats at just over 95 mph wasn't fast enough for Jeremy Bolduc.

So he took his left hand off the handlebar and tucked his arm in against his body. He became more aerodynamic and went faster, clocking 97.051 mph on the 1936 Indian Chief motorcycle. On the return pass, Bolduc and the bike were clocked at 102.56.

The average was 99.805 mph, a new national record for the 1350cc modified production vintage.

"I was happy; I was jumping up and down," said Bolduc of Roseburg to his reaction to the new record that topped the old mark of 95.863. "This was like a once-in-a-lifetime chance, to ride on the salt flats let alone on a '36 engine.

"It was a relief," he added of the record. "We didn't go down there for nothing. We're all happy."

"We're happy," said Laurence Saxton, whose family owns the motorcycle. "We'd naturally like to go faster, but we're very happy."

The Indian Chief has been in the Saxton family since it was purchased by Charles Saxton of Green 39 years ago. He doesn't ride anymore, but his son, Laurence, has coordinated the effort to turn it into a racing machine over the past five years. In 2005 and '06, the bike was ridden to national records. It wasn't quite as fast in 2007 and it didn't make the trip to the salt flats speedway last year.

But after more tuning and tinkering, the bike was taken back to Utah in early September for another run at a record. This time the 28-year-old Bolduc straddled the bike and pushed it to its limits over the 5-mile, straight-away course. Racers have 2 miles to get up to speed. Electronic timers then clock the bike over 1 mile; and there are 2 miles over which to slow down.

"We rode every day," said Bolduc of the five-day event that featured a wide variety of racing motorcycles. "We were working on it every day, trying to get it to go faster. I was getting to within 3/10ths of a second of the record. I knew I could do it."

Bolduc, a motorcycle technician at Hobi Equipment in Roseburg, said he was confident that he could maintain control of the bike with only one hand when he decided to tuck his other arm into his side.

"I never felt like I was going to lose it," he said. "The bike handled very well.

"The bike has no suspension so it's pretty rough riding," he said. "The course is graded off, smoothed out, but it's still rough."

"I've got 110 percent confidence in him that he won't do something and hurt himself," said Laurence Saxton of Bolduc's decision to use only one hand on the handlebars. "He's the perfect size jockey, that's what I call him. He's the right stature, he's strong and he's young and he's good."

Modifying the bike included removing the floorboard, moving the foot pegs from the front to the rear and bringing in the handlebars.

Laurence Saxton and Bolduc became acquainted through their common interest in dirt bike riding. When Saxton needed some work done on his dirt bike, Bolduc ended up being the mechanic. Then the two ended up riding dirt bikes together.

"He's the best rider I've ever ridden with," Saxton said of Bolduc who has worked at Hobi Equipment in Roseburg for the past 3 ½ years.

It was just a matter of time before Bolduc ended up on the 1936 Indian Chief. He had only limited experience racing dirt bikes, but was eager for the challenge of racing the Chief against the clock.

The Chief first had to come out of retirement. For many years after Charles Saxton purchased the bike, it didn't run. The family had other Indian bikes that did run and used those. But when Laurence Saxton heard of the motorcycle speed event on the salt flats, he decided it was time for the Chief to roll again.

This year, his crew consisted of Bolduc, Craig Warren of Dillard and Larry Payne of Roseburg. Saxton called it the best team he's ever had. The team is already looking forward to a return trip to the salt flats in 2010.

"The salt flats have got me hooked," said Saxton of watching his bike and many others go fast. "I'll go back for more."

"We're already planning to go back next year," Bolduc said. "I want to go faster."



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