Wink Eller's Bonneville speed record with an S&S 145 engine.

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Bonneville Update – Wink Eller's Land Speed Sidecar Goes 178.639 mph!

On Sunday August 8^th, Wink Eller set a new land speed record of 178.639 mph with his S&S powered sidecar rig in the SC-PF-3000 class (sidecar pushrod fuel 3000cc).  The bike was powered by an S&S TCSA 145" engine, which was assembled and modified by Wink himself.  Although the class allows the use of fuel (nitro methane) this engine was running on alcohol.

The first run was clocked at 175.328 and the return run was 181.950 for the two way average of 178.639 mph.  That run set the record!  On a later run, the fastest clocked speed was 186.999 mph as Wink exited the forth mile running into a headwind, so there is more to be had.  Unfortunately, a bearing failure in the clutch basket did enough damage that Wink couldn't continue to race.  But there will be other meets! As Wink put it  "I cant wait to run the bike at El-Mirage with the big grunt of the S&S 145."

Wink told us that the idea of building the sidecar for the salt, was to develop a vehicle that would allow disabled veterans to race at Bonneville.  S&S is proud to provide the power for a great idea like this!

S&S Cycle's performance parts featured at NVP Showcase 2010

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S&S Cycle was a featured presenter and exhibitor at the Showcase 2010 held this last weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited sponsor the annual event.

Charlie Hadayai, director of product management gave a presentation to four groups of reps from around the country about the 4 steps to better performance program. Eventhough most of them were familiar with the 4 Steps, Charlie's presentation focused more on the program's cost effectiveness with more horsepower. "The performance parts in the 4 step program gives the customers lower costs, yet effective motorcycle performance upgrades that are easy to install such as mufflers, cams, and air filter options."

Another economic point made by Charlie was parts installed in the 4 Step Process do not have do be replaced when moving to the next level. Each step builds on the previous ones. For example, moving up to a 106” Big Bore kit does not require a different camshaft that the customer has already had installed. Simply make the required fuel system changes.

New products were also highlighted such as the new slip-on 3 1/2" mufflers and the redesigned SPO exhaust.  The new Power Tune Header Pipes were also very well recieved.

The new 510 Touring camshaft and the introduction of chain driven Easy Start cams for ‘99 to ‘06 Twin Cams. EZ start cams are now being used in all production engines from S&S. Charlie gave a brief discussion on how Easy Start cams function while answering some technical questions regarding testing and durability.

Later that weekend...

S&S was an exhibitor at the Showcase with hundreds of dealers from the Midwest and around the U.S gathered at the beautiful Monona Terrace for this year's Showcase.

It is an opportunity for dealers to meet directly with the manufacturers and suppliers of the products that Drag and Parts Unlimited distribute. Dealers and reps can see the latest product offerings from their many suppliers. It’s the perfect venue to see new products, gather technical information and discuss details directly with those who know the products first hand.

S&S staff members were there answering questions, distributing technical materials and displaying examples of our newest product offerings for 2010.

An exciting new line of mufflers and exhaust systems were on display. New E‐Z Start Camshafts were available to demonstrate how this unique and innovative concept helps resolve hard starting problems often found in high compression engines. Performance enhancements like the 106” and 97” pistons/cylinder kits were available to technicians to see. Quickee pushrods and other labor/time saving products were also displayed.

It was a great event and we are looking forward to next year!

Sturgis 2010 - Interview with Builder Al Shank. S&S T124 custom

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Jeremy from S&S Cycle stopped and chatted with custom bike builder Al Shank about his S&S T124 powered custom motorcycle at the Black Hills Harley-Davidson® dealership. Very nice build Al.

For more information on the S&S T124 engine, click here.

S&S Night @ the Broken Spoke. Dougz X-WEDGE build and burnout!

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Wednesday night in Sturgis was S&S Night at the Broken Spoke Saloon. During the festivities, the S&S Road Crew took to the stage to talk about our 4 Step Program to better performance. They talked about how the 4 Steps consist of cost effective performance upgrades to your stock motorcycle such as slip on performance mufflers or a high flow air cleaner kit.  They showed other improvements you can make would be making hard starting obsolete by installing Easy Start Cams or increasing your horsepower with our Big Bore Kits. 

Then Scott rolled in the Dougz X-WEDGE Prototype Bike.  This bike was built by Doug Wozney from Dougz Custom Paint & Fabrication. This is what Doug had to say about this powerhouse of a bike:

"After being one of the builders in the X-Wedge category for the S&S Cycle 50^th Anniversary celebration I’ve fielded many questions about the X-Wedge engine from pro builders and hobbyists. Two of the most common remarks about the X-Wedge are “I wish it was available in a carbureted version” and “I wish it would fit in a Genuine Harley® chassis so I wouldn’t have to deal with the titling and insurance issues of a one-off custom”.

Well pay attention because we’re putting both of those issues to rest, right here – right now. First, lets tackle the EFI vs. Carburetor situation. The original 117 cu. in EFI version of the X-Wedge easily meets 2010 EPA standards while making 100 Horsepower at the rear wheel and from my experience in the saddle of an X-Wedge equipped bike it feels like that 100 HP starts just off-idle and never really ends, no matter how high you rev the engine before grabbing the next gear.

Now for the more user-friendly carbureted version. First of all, when S&S makes a change, its usually not one little change, it’s a big one. For instance when they decide to test the carbureted X-Wedge market they don’t just slap one carb on it, that’d be too easy. Scott Sjovall at S&S said “Well, we’ve already got a prototype of a dual intake runner that we’re testing twin EFI throttle bodies on, I can’t see any reason why hangin’ a couple of Super G’s off of it wouldn’t work as well.” So that’s what they did. Then Scott went on to mention they have pistons to bump it up to 132 cubic inches. They use the same cylinders – just bore ‘em out for the bigger slugs. So this bike became the test bed for the new combo and at this writing they’re finishing up a more aggressive cam profile and a CNC porting program for the X-Wedge heads.

What is commonly known about the X-Wedge is its great torque curve and the fact that it is a virtually ‘silent’ engine mechanically. Most early efforts in the development of this engine were aimed at EPA and California ARB standards. With that accomplished, the focus is shifting towards unleashing the numbers this monster is capable of. Preliminary computer models show the 132 inch version should be near the 150 lb/ft on the torque side of the graph and between 130-140 Horsepower range.

Now what about that Genuine Harley® chassis you ask? Well all you have to do to an H-D FXR or FLH Chassis is simply stretch the backbone and bottom rails a minimum of two inches to accommodate the extra length of the X-Wedge. This particular chassis received the 2 inch stretch and while it was in the jig the neck angle was kicked out from the stock 28 degrees to 32 degrees and a custom 2 inch stretched swingarm was created, giving the bike an aggressive stance.

The swingarm stretch meant we needed to move the rear fender rearward but that allowed us to retain the stock oil tank. The tank needed to be moved rearward to clear the rear cylinder, and that in turn gave us the opportunity to widen it for more capacity and better oil cooling. If you wanted to leave a stock swingarm in it there’s ample room under the transmission for a custom oil tank.

An S&S XW-R transmission case replaces the stock FXR unit and the short primary is replaced with the longer Softail inner and outer covers." -Doug Wozney

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Well said Doug.  Now let's see this thing start up!  Here's the video of the S&S Night at the Broken Spoke Saloon, Sturgis 2010. Keep watching for Ken Wolfe's dancefloor circle burn! (Sorry for the low light. It's dark on the dancefloor)

The Road Crew - Pictures from Sturgis

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Here's a quick slideshow showing the S&S Road Crew at Sturgis this year.  They've had a long week in the heat but have been doing some tremendous work for S&S Cycle. 

We've got some video coming up from the S&S Night at the Broken Spoke, a gallery of bikes from the rally, and some more to come.  Check back soon.

@ Sturgis - Smoke Down Showdown at Broken Spoke Saloon

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On Monday night, S&S Cycle's own Ken Wolfe competed in the 2010 Baker Drivetrain Smoke-Down Showdown at the Broken Spoke Saloon. Not only was he competing, he was defending his '09 title. The competition was builder vs buider, first one to 5th gear AND hits the button wins.

We congratulate Ken Wolfe for his first round win but on his second round, he got to 5th gear with a large lead and started the touchdown celebration dance too soon and forgot to hit the button! Who knows, he may have won this year as well. Better luck next year. That's one impressive build.

Ken Wolfe entered with his custom bike with an S&S SH-103 engine and an S&S clutch in a modified Harley Davidson Shovelhead frame. Other parts are Ken Wolfe custom.

Here is Wolfe's first round video:

Here's round 2. (notice the early victory rev) ;)

The winner of the Baker Drivetrain Smoke Down Showdown is Kevin Alsop from Big Bear Choppers!  Congratulations Kevin! Here's the video of his victory:

S&S Sponsored AMD World Championship of Bike Building

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This year at Sturgis, S&S Cycle sponsored the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building.  The competition is held at Champions Park, Lazelle Street on Sunday August 8th thru Wednesday the 11th. 

@ Sturgis: Mondo, Finch, McKay recieving IMBBA award

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Mondo

Finch

McKay

Master Bike Builders Mondo Porras, Ron Finch, and Bob McKay joined the IMBBA (International Master Bike Builders Assoc) Hall of Fame and they were greeted by top bike builders and fans at the Broken Spoke Campground in Sturgis.

The S&S Road Crew were there in support and took a couple quick snapshots of the ceremony.

Mondo receiving the IMBBA lifetime achievement award.

Ron Finch accepting his award.

Congratulations to all 3 inductees! They truly deserve the Master Bike Builder recognition. For more information about the IMBBA or the inductees of the hall of fame, click here.

S&S @ Sturgis: 1st day - setting up camp

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Well, the Road Crew made it to Sturgis! The road from Viola, WI was long but everyone is accounted for and ready for the gauntlet known as the 70th Sturgis rally.  This year S&S Cycle is in 2 locations.  One on 1535 Lazelle St. in downtown Sturgis and the other at Black Hills Harley-Davidson® in Rapid City.  

Location 1: We brought some 4 steps to better performance products to showcase.  We also have an Easy Start Cam bike hooked up to the Easy Start counter showing consecutive starts.

The Easy Start Cam Counter in action:

Performance complete engines on display:

A preview or some of our new S&S apparel:

Location 2 @ Black Hills Harley-Davidson with Crane Cams:

If you are in the neighborhood, come on by and visit us.  Visitors will be given 10% off any purchase on www.sscycle.com. Many more things coming up this week.  We've got the S&S Night at the Broken Spoke, the Smoke Out, and much more. Check back here and we'll have more pictures and videos of the 70th Sturgis Rally.

More to come!

S&S stops @ Klock Werks on the way to Sturgis

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The S&S Road Crew has left Viola, WI and is on their way to Sturgis!   And on the way, they took a pit stop at Klock Werks for an open house in Mitchell SD, home of the world famous Corn Palace!  Something worth noting is that Mitchell, SD was recently flooded out but dried up just in time for people making the trip to Sturgis.

Keep an eye out for Klock Werks at Bonneville this year because I hear they are packing some S&S performance parts.

More to come!