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Car Engined Drag Bike.

Discussion in 'The Antiquated' started by metalshapes, Aug 7, 2007.

  1. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,444

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    I talked to E J Potter at Connecticut Dragway back in early 70's and watched him run..He ran about a foot off the grass, wanted clean pavement. Ran pretty damn strait, made two or three runs all with in inches of each other. 10.5 @ 150 . Ran a wide oval type street tire that would do all the runs as a slick would melt to nothing in one pass...See him in operation and never forget..
     
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  2. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,444

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

  3. frank spittle
    Joined: Jan 29, 2009
    Posts: 1,672

    frank spittle
    Member

    E.J. Potter passed away a few years ago. He was in his early seventies. It's amazing he lived to that age.
     
    Dean Lowe likes this.
  4. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    They're out there. Saw this at Billetproof awhile back...….

    [​IMG]
     
  5. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,441

    Boneyard51
    Member

    I test rode one of those Chevy 350 powered motorcycles at Sturgis several years ago. Can you spell torque? One gear! They will smoke a tire for what seems like for ever! Don’t know if they detuned them for demo, the man said they didn’t, but I’ve ridden faster bikes. I think it’s adding so much weigh to the bike it kinda counteracts performance. Now, if the 350 was souped up a little, as these were stock crate engines, that might make a difference.



    Bones
     
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  6. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    down-the-road, Deuces, fol and 3 others like this.
  7. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    I was at a bike show when those mass produced SBC bikes first came out. There was a salesman standing over the bike showing the controls to a potential customer seated on it. Place was packed, big crowd around the bike. The thing fires up, the poor guy (dressed in full bad ass garb) gets about 20 ft. before dumping it on it's side. Just slightly embarrassing..
     
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  8. atch
    Joined: Sep 3, 2002
    Posts: 5,625

    atch
    Member

    Wish I had a pic but unfortunately I don't. I saw a V8-60 powered bike at Good Guys Indy (I think; could have been somewhere else) about 20 - 25 years ago. Anyone got a pic of it?
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  9. frank spittle
    Joined: Jan 29, 2009
    Posts: 1,672

    frank spittle
    Member

    It could have been one of Corky Coker's builds. They were impressive and he displayed them for sale at select shows for years. Those V-8 60s had to be hard to come by.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  10. *JW*
    Joined: Mar 30, 2019
    Posts: 504

    *JW*

  11. khead47
    Joined: Mar 29, 2010
    Posts: 1,789

    khead47
    Member

    Honest Charlie offered V8-60 powered bikes a few years ago.
     
  12. patsurf
    Joined: Jan 18, 2018
    Posts: 1,025

    patsurf

    define 'few'...
     
  13. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,441

    Boneyard51
    Member

    Several years ago in Sturgis I saw a guy that put a Lincoln V12 in a bike. Did an outstanding job, but I saw no radiator. I asked him about it and he said “ look at my saddle bags” and sure enough , both of those leather fringed saddle bags housed the radiators. Only saw it one time, took pictures, but lost them.



    Bones
     
  14. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Brian Chapman's Might Mouse, built in 1966, ran 8.80s, putting many a larger bike on the trailer. Blown 500CC Vincent single.

    [​IMG]
     
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  15. Hollywood-East
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    Hollywood-East
    Member

    EJ was the Man!! This guy... God! Doe's anyone know anything about this? IMG_461695688860322.jpeg
     
  16. That's Tom Novak. He sells kits to build sidewinder V8 bikes
     
  17. The OT thread that refuses to die. Oh welll WTF, here's mine
     
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  18. *JW*
    Joined: Mar 30, 2019
    Posts: 504

    *JW*

    Picked this up at an antique store about 20 years ago. IMG_6442.JPG
     
  19. frank spittle
    Joined: Jan 29, 2009
    Posts: 1,672

    frank spittle
    Member

    I have told this story before but worth telling again especially since he is no longer with us. I had been trying to get Potter to come to one of the drag racing reunions I was organizing in the 1980s-1990s but he was always out of the U.S.A. in the Summer months in South America doing maintenance on Allison V-12 power plants and an occasional jet engine, which he was well heeled with.

    In 1999 he was finishing a autobiography and being the showman he was needed something to help generate interest in the book. He knew where his last drag bike was and made a deal with the owner to bring it out of retirement. He called me to ask if I was interested in booking it for his first exhibition runs at the 1999 Super Stock Reunion. Well, yeah! He was 59 years old and had not been on it in over 25 years. When he pushed it of the stand for the first time he showed no fear and covered himself in smoke just like before. Truthfully, I was a lot more nervous than he was.
     
  20. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    Last edited: Apr 21, 2019
  21. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,458

    noboD
    Member

    E.J. was at one of the first York reunions on his book tour. He had a crazy sense of humor. I would have loved to see him on the strip.
     
  22. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    Last edited: Apr 21, 2019
    loudbang and Boneyard51 like this.
  23. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    Ed Roth
    upload_2019-4-22_11-30-19.png
    Von Dutch
    The XAVW built by Von Dutch that was recently ‘picked’ by Mike Wolfe of American Pickers, is powered by a flat-four 1200cc VW engine. It’s made up of a shaft-drive Harley-Davidson XA with Moto Guzzi parts and a Honda CB450 tank. While a bit dirty and a little rough around the edges, its legend and ingenuity rank high for us in moto-folk-art status.

    upload_2019-4-22_11-31-1.png

    upload_2019-4-22_11-31-55.png

    upload_2019-4-22_11-32-32.png
     
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  24. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    upload_2019-4-22_11-55-32.png
    I'm not aware that EJ took his bike to the UK or Europe as that's a Ford Transit van in background? If not his here's another SBC bike with a different rear rear frame setup to EJ?
     
    loudbang likes this.
  25. frank spittle
    Joined: Jan 29, 2009
    Posts: 1,672

    frank spittle
    Member

    Potter did travel to the UK with his bike but I don't believe that's it.
    I talked to Clyde Hensley recently to see if he has sold either of E.J.'s bikes he has owned for years. He said he was making a deal with American Pickers for WM #7 and it would be featured on an upcoming show. I love that Lincoln V-12 bike.
     
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  26. gas & guns
    Joined: Feb 6, 2014
    Posts: 370

    gas & guns
    Member

    E.J. Potter liked horsepower. potter dart.jpg images.jpeg Allison v12
     
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  27. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,441

    Boneyard51
    Member

    I glad you posted the pics of those bikes! I saw the V12 bike at Sturgis several years ago.... or one like it! If you look close the radiators are in those saddle bags.... on both sides! Koolest way to cool I ever saw! The owner was riding around as if on a Honda 50..... I had to stop him and ask..... what the ——-? He graciously showed me every detail! I was impressed! To say the least!

    Edit: if I remember correctly.... the coolant was directed trough the frame on those bikes!....



    Bones
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2019
    loudbang and mgtstumpy like this.
  28. rudestude
    Joined: Mar 23, 2016
    Posts: 3,048

    rudestude
    Member

    Flat heads ya.
    Sorry about that Kawasaki, I just didn't want to be the only one with that image in my head this morning.
    Your Welcome.. 15559359844373903067181127844858.jpeg 15559360472636264450584680733350.jpeg 15559360961804661156986408451233.jpeg 15559361459398619718896369042353.jpeg 15559362079132356825431814231813.jpeg 15559363702891514535441387425051.jpeg 1555936484971479162919416059700.jpeg 15559366822961431774634261724482.jpeg 15559367647698154225728405947928.jpeg 15559365953952128334286079715596.jpeg 15559366269636788895207352005737.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  29. frank spittle
    Joined: Jan 29, 2009
    Posts: 1,672

    frank spittle
    Member

    The close-up of Potter traveling sides ways (we call it drifting today) is a perfect indication of how comfortable he was on it after many years of runs. His expression is more like "what am I having for dinner tonight" instead of "ohhhh shhhhit!!
     
    mgtstumpy likes this.

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