Dry Lakes Racers Australia

I am seriously thinking about running a Vespa (225cc) scooter in 2008 (Modified Partial Streamlining class). However I can see one hiccup in being able to enter it at all and that is due to the rims being 10 inch, whereas the rules say minimum 15 inch.

Are there any waviers for OEM rims (i.e. the wheels that the Vespa came with) to allow unsual vehicles to run?

- the original are split rims, but tubeless aftermarket rims are available
- I can get Dunlop tyres rated up to 210Km/hr (though I don't think I'd get anywhere near that speed).

As far as I can see, I can meet all the other wheel requirements except the rim size

Hawkwind can answer this for you..he's our Tech rep for the 2 wheel guys

Still no luck with finding out about 10 inch rims :(

I am under no delusions that getting a Vespa to any speed worth noting is going to be a BIG (but fun) challenge and will take some time (hence the 2008 date). I have some really experienced people willing to help and willing to start straight away but I don’t want to waste their time on a lost cause.

If 10 inch rims is just too much of an oddity to get through the rule books just let me know and I’ll stop bugging people ;)

There is a stand up scooter that ran at the bubs meet recently, haven't checked to see how fast it ran but i sure it was a hot rod,
and it ran small rims,
If you hop up the motor and keep the chassis standard you should be able to run it in production class.


Keep it under 125mph i think is fair,
This sport was built on pioneers and pushing our equipment, heeh!!!!

I'll be re-running my scooter on a dyno Monday to try and diagnose why it ran so poorly out on the open road a few weeks back. Fingers crossed I have stuffed something up with the engine and I have lost some power which I can easily regain. If I haven’t, then my drag (and thus required engine power) is a lot more than I first anticipated.

Based on the dyno results I’ll either be aiming for 100+Mph or 110+Mph. Not a lot but enough to confuse the "that ain't a real bike crowd" whenever I next chat to them through their car windows at lights ;)

I'll try contacting the chief scrutineer again as some people have already suggested.

Paul I have replied to your PM
Gary

Paul


"that ain't a real bike crowd" whenever I next chat to them through their car windows at lights ;)

Now it will just be the auto v gears crowd you will have to deal with
graham

grumm441 wrote:Now it will just be the auto v gears crowd you will have to deal with

Are you suggesting if the rules are updated you'll be entering your Benelli :wink:

...............I borrowed that Benelli the other night .......I couldn't stop laughing !!!....pulling in front of young bucks at the lights in Bell st....quick check in the mirror ,they've got the " good one mate " look on their face....BLAAAAAT....nutha quick check in the mirror they're 200 yards back.....I rode it into work , they stopped laughing when they realised it could smoke anything smaller and lots of bigger very expensive things......

Both manufacturers have a long history involving LSR's

to Quote

http://www.vespaofca.com/timeline.htm

1952 The 100,000 Vespa is sold as the Vespa 125cc model beats the one-kilometer world speed record with a speed of 171 kilometers per hour.

http://www.100-mph-lambretta.com/

http://www.lambretta.it/lottaing.html

and the coolest one of all

http://www.lambretta.it/200kmhing.html

Regards Whitworthsocket

I have read up on the Vespa one, good to see more detail on the Lambretta. Interestingly both stated 21 Hp as the engine output, however I don't know if that would be rear wheel or crank (I am guessing crank).

Obviously their frames will be more streamlined than mine (for the first go anyway :wink: ). I am wondering if the people that have done smaller CC runs have also dyno'd there bikes before hand? It would be good get an idea of rear wheel Hp Vs top speed.

Well, I have something in mind using a either an old ducati or modern scooter motor.
I would probably have a better chance of sponsership with the scooter motor.
G

here is a link to a lambretta doing 125mph on the DYNO
Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVM3vMylehA

I dyno'd my scoot last night and am happy to say I have lost power (which is the reason it went so slow on the open road). More details at my blog http://www.internetscooter.com/tech/internetscooter/blog/2006/12/power-shift.html

So I am hoping my original drag coefficient guess of ~1 is correct (rolling resistance also fudged in). So I will be aiming for 110Mph :)

Here's my guess at the power I need (up to what mr Lambretta man in the video above is claiming).

80Mph 12Hp+
90Mph 15Hp+
100Mph 19Hp+
110Mph 23Hp+
120Mph 27Hp+
125Mph 28.5Hp+

22Hp in a Vespa is done on a regular basis in Germany. Something tuned just for top speed and short time spans should be able to hit the mark ;)

Have you thought how your going to make the lil bugga rev past 7000 internet? , maybe you need bigger diameter wheels instead, that'd solve the 10" wheel problem.
A wise DLRA member once said "take the top speed you want, halve it, then add 5 years", you might make it happen one day.
Tiny