Mike,
The extensive research by Jeff Decker before doing the "Flat Out at
Bonneville" bronze (and the subsequent machette we give as the trophy for
the fast bike time each year at World of Speed) is a bit at odds with that
story. Jeff has well over three hundred original bits of information he
used as research for the bronze. These include letters, personal comments
from his crew and such.
The mechanic at Vincent who prepared the bike Rollie Free raced said that
"any competent rider can get 150 from this bike." Free beat the Harley time
wearing his leathers but didn't quite reach the 150 mark. His crew was
satisfied that they held the new record but Free insisted that the bike was
capable of 150. He felt the leathers were hindering the top speed so he
discarded them. He borrowed his wife's rubber bathing cap and some tennies
from a crew member, wore his own bathing suit (I seriously doubt that Speedo
existed in 1948) and made the runs, laying out on the bike as shown in the
photo that gave him the 150.313 average. Bonneville veterans will support
his comment that after the September 13th early morning runs he was "blue
with the cold."
We were privileged to have Herb Harris bring that bike and another Vincent
the factory had prepared for the salt, but sadly never raced on the salt,
and put them on display a few years ago at World of Speed. The second bike
is in unrestored condition except for the saddle. The original leather was
beyond repair.
For more see; http://www.hippodromestudio.com/theartwork-flatout.html
For you older guys, the Held family mentioned is the family of the Held who
defined the "Flapper Era" of the 1920's with his pen and ink drawings of the
girls of the "Roaring Twenties." The family had a store in Salt Lake, "Held
Pen Co." that appropriately sold fountain pens.
Wes
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