On Nov 15, 2003, at 6:27 PM, Philcycles@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 11/15/03 4:12:32 PM, sbirmingham@mindspring.com
> writes:
>
>> Were bikes for motor pacing different from regular track bikes?
>> Or did the difference depend on the level of the competition?
>>
> Very different indeed. I'm sure somewhere on the Net there's a page
> but let
> me tell you nothing can perpare you for the speed and danger of
> motorpacing.
> Phil brown
> Swaped out in San Rafel, Calif.
>
Tried motor pacing several times. You gotta have "madres muy grandes" and really trust the motor driver. Never got used to the extreme thrill. Didn't the track motor pacing cycles have smaller front wheels?
Remember John Howard being pulled over by the Texas Highway Patrol outside of Austin for motor pacing behind a dump truck at 55 MPH. Trouble was they were in a 45 MPH zone. John in his always affable manner told the trouper who he was (king of the road at that time) and slipped out of a ticket. This was well before his world speed record ride. I should go visit Skip and Vickie Hujsak who built Johns's record attempt bike. Maybe scan their photos and do an interview and post it for all.
Also remember when Mike Neel was training in Austin that I had a customer who was the manager of a local motorcycle shop. He liked his motors but loved bicycles; he and his wife were great customers from the other side. Made me proud. I got him to loan a motorcycle to Neel and his mechanic from the Chicago Turin shop for training. Mike would do 100 mile motor pacing training rides. 45 MPH. Really big "madres". You can't drop your attention ever.
Michael Murphy
PO Box 6
Paige, Texas 78659
512 825 2048