This is footage of my custom built 650 Triumph Powered Sidecar “The Purple Haze” at SMP in the Pre-1972 (P2) class.
Certainly not just a 'passenger' who sits there, the very nimble and consistently reliable road racer, Holly Varey, is my co-pilot. Co-pilot is what I would consider as the most accurate term for what a ‘monkey’ does on a sidecar rig. She has to move as much mass as possible to the inside of the turns to maximize the available corner speed. This keeps the wheels down and limits our slides from getting too wild. You can see that she is often ‘flying’ over the curbs on the rights.
I designed the machine in an early 60's kneeler styling. I use a unit constructed engine, but it is essentially a 1959 design, as the Triumph T120 engine debuted that year. I have heavily ported the head to get the most out of the 34mm Mikuni carbs that are hanging out in the breeze. The cylinder head is mounted backwards to what the factory had intended. :-) I am treating this motor to the best 110 octane leaded fuel money can buy.
Thanks to British Cycle Supply in Wolfville, Nova Scotia for all the support!
Since this is only a heat race to determine grid position, I used it as an engine shakedown. Note that by the third lap, I started to wind the old British steel up past 7000rpm in second and third gears. We are racing against teams that use Yamaha XS and BMW R75 rigs.
18 сен 2024
