http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/Jesse_Bolt/a9105ea6.jpg

I found this photograph in a book called Vincents with big Sid by S. M. Biberman. The subject is Rollie Free, who on September 13th, 1948 broke the 150 mph motorcycle speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats on a modified Vincent Black Shadow. He stripped down to bathing trunks and lay flat on the bike to decrease wind resistance.

JB

Jesse, the only thing I can think of to say is:

Insanity means different things to different people.

To me that guy is freakin' nuts! He's doing 150 wearing a bathing suit and staring at the gas tank.

I don't think his leathers would pass tech anymore ;)

Vincents were the Hayabusas of their day.

good thing he's wearin a helmet

that's his wife's shower cap

A wipe out right about then would have really rubbed salt in the wound:roflblack

So did he do 150 in 1st gear? How'd he shift?
Takes a real nutjob to do such a thing imo.

So did he do 150 in 1st gear? How'd he shift?
Takes a real nutjob to do such a thing imo.

That's funny!!!
Methinks he got going in top gear and then hung his legs off the back of the bike.
What you need to remember is, he was the first person to officially ride a motorcycle over 150 mph. Stuff wasn't built for that kind of speed back in 1948.

JB

Rollie was COOL!!!

That's ridiculous! He couldn't have ridden the bike in that position. The photo is staged for the camera. Cynical Cyn.

theres another guy by the name of Jack Dale who also rode in the prone postion. is in a old Hop Up magazine i have

It is a real photo and it is well documented.

Yes, that pic is the real deal. Do a search, lots of info. A lot about Vincents. I had read that shower cap stuff too, but turns out it was really his helmet.

Another Rollie pic.
Hmm , maybe not. ??
:frownone

there is a well known racer at the Maxton mile who also eyeballs the fuel tank on his 225 MPH hayabusa....Dave Owens, he calls it the telepathic tuck.

if you look at the pic youll notice a black line in the salt. keeps racers going straight on course.

in an interview for a magazine (motorcycle enthusiast) he stated that he had to borrow those shoes from a friend and they were a bit too big and he felt that he might have a mile or two faster (do to drag from the shows) if he had the right size

he was also a harley hater to the end

A wipe out right about then would have really rubbed salt in the wound:roflblack

Damn, that's funny right there!

Rollie Free did what he did to beat the speed record that was held by Harley.