BRUTE FARCE (historic)
and
SCALDED CAT
Racing

- last updated – 22nd October 2006

Sorry - been a bit busy... end of season update soon(ish...)

(Pictures at the bottom, words and facts at the top)

VIDEOS (click on video title to open) :- hosted by http://www.putfile.com

- Brutefarce launching (watch the fronnt lift off the line and not land until 50’).

- Brutefarce's quickest run (ZZZzzz...)

- Brutefarce's last run...

- How to launch a Funnybike

- Scalded Cat's quickest pass to date

- Scalded cats first meeting (no 5^th gear!).

- First ever vehicle to be fitted with the revolutionary smoooth nitrous system designed and built by Trevor Langfield (The Wizard of NOS). This is the first pass...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++BEST VID+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

- A close one...

footage courtesy of David Warren who captures me not quite falling off

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++BEST VID+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(or go to my vid homepage: scaldedcat )

BEST TIMES

Brute Farce Drag Bike:

60ft	330ft	1/8 et	1/8 mph	990ft	1/4 et	1/4 mph
1.408	3.696	5.468	139.75	6.963	8.315	173.20

Scalded Cat Drag Bike:

60ft	330ft	1/8 et	1/8 mph	990ft	1/4 et	1/4 mph
1.033	2.918	4.544	159.59	5.887	7.127	186.75

2006 spec and comments

Scalded Cat: As 2005 + Wizards of Nos nitrous system (capable of delivering 500bhp of nitrous... I shan't be going that high yet though!). Also new frame mounted fairing to save me flapping about in the 200mph winds. AND a wideband commander to help me tune the beast.

Power Nats - Shakey

...started the bike up Saturday morning, it ticked over for 20 seconds or so then SPARK! and nothing... After an hour or so of tracing wires, found the fault and started again. 1st run of the year (and only valid qualifier!!!) I forgot to change out of 5th gear after the burn-out... It didn't launch too well in 5th so I braked and pushed it back down the strip. No time or speed meant I didn't even qualify for 1st alternate! (not that any Funny-Bike rounds were run on race day - so no real loss). Then my laptop crashed, taking the data-logger programme with it, so after scraping out the remnants of my clutch and replacing it with a fresh one(!) I proceeded to re-load the software and take a stab at setting the sensors up - more work required in that department still. Anyway, 2nd run of the year in was free practice; this was a lot more useful! Spun the tyre a bit to 60ft, then it hooked up and pulled nicely to half track, drifted toward the centre line but this was easy to correct, backed off the throttle enough to cut the nitrous (more rider error) twice in the 2nd half of the track but still ran through the lights with a 7.5 at 170mph. Looking at the data from the lambda sensor it was lucky I did back off such a lot as the nitrous system was running VERY lean! Well it is a radical nitrous system but we didn't think it'd flow that much nitrous! Easy to sort though - more jets are in the post! So it all appears to be going the right way at last: useful info on the nitrous performance, a workable launch setting to tune from, and the bike with it's new fairing is stable and keeps me neatly out of the wind. Now all I need is track time an some luck for a change!

next outing may be next weekends peak performance test day if the weather looks favourable and I can find someone to crew for me... Then it's the Easter Thunderball at the Pod.

stuff in between then and now: Trashed another engine, had many other problems, and discovered LOADS of things (including : the new nitrous system needs nearly twice the fuel for the same amount of nitrous when compared with the old NOS system - and it's making more power for the amount of nitrous too [as it's the fuel that makes the power...]. It also runs better and despite putting equivalent power in I've yet to see a melted plug or signs of detonation - despite running it very lean for a long time whilst I sorted out various problems).

Now: more tweaks - still trying to get the datalogger to work - I haven't had revs and wheel info for moost of this year and that's the most important data there is! - nearly got my hands on enough parts to make a spare engine - nearly ready for the 4 meetings and 1 test day (over 6 weekends!) in August/September. Hopefully will go out on a high.

future: I'm hugely in the red and am planning to take the next 2 years off... except for the Main Event and Euro Finals meetings each year. Hopefully I'll be able to recover enough financially to do a full year in 2009! (Unless of course someone sponsors me - it costs around £500 a race meeting if I DON'T damage anything! it also costs around £300 for a test day...). Not cheap...

Euro finals went well! ran a new personal best of 7.127 and got to the finals!!! then beaten by Roel Koedam by a full second (ignoring my red light...!)

extreme bike weekend nearly went well... managed a number of 7.2s and notched up another 7.1 (my 4th). Then red lit and trashed my clutch in the 1st round... having trouble with the red lights! must slow the clutch take up down...

National finals: a Half pass qualified me 2nd (!!) but then it got rained off.

...Now ready for the winter strip down.

2005 spec and comments

Brutefarce: Now sold.

Scalded Cat: As 2004 + Wizards of Nos nitrous system

I started the year as FB3 and ended as FB5; not the best year to date... I did however lower my best ET to 7.166 and raise my best terminal speed to 186mph. By then I was using my spare motor due to gearbox damage. The cases on the spare motor then cracked so I fitted the newly repared main motor which promptly snapped the output shaft and spat the gearbox out the back of the engine. I cobbled together what I had left to finish the season. Towards the end of the season I had changed to a radical new nitrous system designed by Trevor Langfield (the Wizard of Nos) but with all the engine failures I failed to get it dialled in before the season ended.

During 2005 I also played with a street legal and nitroused Suzuki Hayabusa, running an 8.9 second quarter and 198mph flier with 206bhp. I then had the privilege of being the first person in the world to pilot a vehicle installed with the Wizards of Nos totally smooth progressive nitrous system. This was installed on the Hayabusa and after sorting clutch problems I easily ran an 8.8 second ET.

Next year I’ll start where I left off and will hopefully be in the 6s before very long (where have I heard that before?).

2004 spec and comments

Brutefarce: As 2003. But bored to 1317cc.

Scalded Cat: Pro-Mod 1500cc Suzuki GSX, Upperton head, 5 speed Orient Express Auto gearbox, MRE slider clutch, Schnitz Pro series II ignition, Single stage NOS system, 11” slick.

Pro-Mod: Lessons learnt include:

Don't run the Schnitz controller's stage one nitrous setting as 20% to 20% - as it stops the second stage from firing and you run the whole strip at 20% gas... ...with the fuel solenoid at 100%; causes the exhaust pipe to melt.
Check the air shifter hasn't slipped round - or you wont be able to change gear.
If the wall is regularly in the way, check the wheelie bars aren't broken!
If the side wind is too strong refuse to run.
Launch as hard as possible - or it's boring.
Unless I'm lying on the floor the chances are I haven't fallen off.
Steering a Funny bike is difficult (in a side wind).
Stiff steering dampers are dangerous.

Super-street: Lessons learnt include:

The plumbing won't flow 300bhp of nitrous.
A nearly bald tyre won't last a whole meeting.
Relying on my brain to activate the second stage of nitrous is unreliable.
Riding a low 8 second Super-street bike is like a walk in the park compared to a nitrous Funny bike.

Note: it's the end of an era. The Brutefarce Super-Street bike has now been sold.

2003 spec and comments

spec: 1988 Suzuki GSXR100H, extended swinging arm, lowered ride height. Engine: mostly standard 1052cc (GSXR1100H) bored to 1255cc, big valve and flowed head, pro-pipe and Paul Wing slider clutch. 2 stages of progressive nitrous. Fuel C23. Tracecraft datalogger.

This was the year I bought Ken Cooper’s Pro-Mod bike. Ran a best of 7.35 and 175mph whilst learning to ride it. Also managed a 1.033 60ft.

The Super street melted itself at the 1^st meeting of the year and I missed 2 races as a result. Ended the year in 7^th place again. Best run was an 8.33 and 170mph. Finished the year with approximately 400bhp but due to a damaged gearbox I couldn’t make much use of the power.

2002 comments

Wasted a lot of the year trying to get more out of the lockup clutch. Ran a best of 8.5 before junking it in favour of a Paul Wing designed slider clutch. Things started improving before the engine gave up. One bit after another passed away including the crank snapping in half. Ended the year 7^th in the championship.

2001 spec and comments

Same spec as 2000 except:- Rear suspension modified. Front suspension lowered to 1” travel. New paint job (at last).

Engine:- As above although new NX system capable of pushing total engine power to 400bhp (though will it all melt ?!)

Ended up 4^th again, but winning a few trophies in the process.

2000 spec and comments

Wheelbase 1720mm (not raked). Standard rear suspension (set hard) on extended swing arm . 3.5" lowered front forks. Other than that the chassis is standard.

Engine: GSXR1100H, 1255cc Wiseco big block, Flowed head with big valves running standard cams, carrillo rods and lock up clutch. GSXR1100L carbs (with ram pipes). Vance & Hines Pro pipe. Nitrous Express single stage nitrous kit with NOS progressive (pulsed) controller and start delay timer running 150bhp of gas . Total power about 300bhp.

Another good year (1st year in Superstreet bike), didn't win any meetings but got quite close a couple of times. Came fourth overall, running lots of 8 second runs; though couldn't better 8.7, probably due to my slow 60ft times. I improved the 60ft times toward the end, but had other problems... as ya do! Ended up 4^th overall (in all championships).

1999

Well despite destroying 2 heads I had a very good year. I entered 9.90 bike in the Avon Park, Santa Pod and National series. By the end of the season I had won all three series !!!! I also managed to ride off with the Japanese bike and Overall fastest bike trophies at the Bulldog Bash.! Now everyone hates me ! So next year I'm going to enter the Superstreet Bike class. I don't have much chance of running 8.2 second quarters (!!!!!) but I will have lots of fun trying ! (sorry about the loads of exclamation marks - but it's been one of those years). I have lots of theories and lots of nitrous so should manage a few 8 sec runs. The bike is off the road now - given up keeping it street legal - racing mode only now.

still looking for a baseline...