The result was an impressive 191 rear wheel horsepower at 11,000 rpm. We were already exceeding the rpm design limits of the Rotrex supercharger and Rotax engine, so we just left it at that. We didn’t need more horsepower from the basic engine/supercharger package – we still had nitrous.Because we were using a progressive nitrous controller, we could dial-in a percentage of power for a given set of jet sizes. We tightened down the bike straps to the point where the footpegs were starting to bend. Repeating the above procedure yielded a very respectable 216 horsepower at 116 ft/lbs of torque.We were within a few horsepower of what our low power testing projections indicated we would make. Screaming rpm, open pipes, supercharger boost, nitrous, water/methanol – it was a visceral experience. Micah said the sound wave pressure in the dyno room was enough to beat his heart in his chest. Things were looking good.We loaded the motorhome, trailer, and van with all our bikes, gear and supplies, and headed for the new Texas Mile venue in Beeville, Texas. As the primary builder and test rider, I was determined to put the bike in good working order for Dave’s afternoon qualifying pass. After experiencing some crosswind-induced front-end lift and headshake at 175 mph, the decision was made to remove the aero tail and a prototype panel on the front of the bike.Riding a previously proven aerodynamic configuration, Dave stepped up and qualified easily at 188 mph, using only a 50-percent nitrous load in order to save the motor. It was obvious that wind was going to be a problem all weekend. The only chance to break 200 mph would happen during the calm wind conditions of the first hour of running, with all of our aerodynamic modifications installed. Belts, plugs, and fluids were all okay.The engine-logging module self-destructed due to vibration, and was removed from service. The water/methanol injection computer was replaced as no fluid was consumed on that qualifying run, indicating a fault. We parked a scooter in the staging area overnight, reserving our turn in the next morning’s calm conditions.Saturday morning, Dave lined up and fired off a 197.8 mph shot down the one-mile course. Not 200 mph, but it was the best we had done to date by 5 mph, which is hard to come by at those speeds. Apparently, our engine, chassis, and aerodynamic development project was paying off.I made a 182 mph run early Saturday afternoon, but with the wind gusting upwards of 30 mph, we decided to park it for the rest of the day and get ready for our probable last chance at 200 mph on Sunday morning. We followed the same routine as the previous day, checking all systems, but servicing some critical items.Mike Wood and the Nitrous Express race team were pitted right next to us, and they gave their expert tuning advice. Aerodynamic drag calculators on the RB Racing-RSR website confirm that a 3 mph increase in speed at close to 200 mph should require 10 horsepower. We estimated the nitrous jetting changes to be worth about five horsepower. It may not be not quite enough of a change to gain 3 mph over our previous best, but we didn’t want to break the motor.Whether we achieved our goal of 200 mph or not was all coming down to one final run on Sunday morning. Our hopes were tied to perfect conditions, perfect tuning, and perfect rider execution as we were already operating at power levels never before seen in a Rotax V-twin. We held a team meeting and decided that Dave would be the rider, while Micah and I would take care of all the bike preparation. We ordered Dave back to the motorhome at 10 p.m., instructing him to rest. Micah and I worked in the trailer until 2 a.m., making sure everything was perfect.We had again parked a scooter in the staging lane the night before, and looked to be about the tenth vehicle up. The pre-dawn silence was broken by the harsh crackle of the supercharged engine, as Dave fired up the beast and drove it from our pits to the staging lane.I double-checked that all switches for power, ignition, fuel pump, nitrous arming, water/methanol injection, and the nitrous bottle heater were in race mode. The engine was warmed up to operating temperature, and then shut down to prevent overheating.Tire pressure had been raised to reduce rolling resistance. Nitrous bottle pressure was raised from 975 to 1050 psi to lean the mixture a bit for more power, and to make certain we maintained bottle pressure all the way down the track.When 7 a.m. arrived, track operations got underway. I fastened the dead man kill switch lanyard to Dave’s glove, as required. The line started moving, and I accompanied Dave to the hold-short track position, making a final check of all systems, and giving him a thumbs-up signal. With visor down and earplugs in, he was already in the zone and hardly aware that I was there. In moments, it would all be up to him. No pressure, Dave.Mike Wood and I watched from behind as the bike pulled up to the line. Dave rapped the throttle, and waited for the starter’s signal. With the rising sun behind him, the distorted plumes of hot exhaust gasses ejected from the open exhausts made The Punisher look like a Top Fuel dragster.Dave executed a hard launch, the front wheel skimming the ground through first and second gear. The engine sound took on a decidedly angrier tone when he shifted into third gear and thumbed the nitrous button.The thunderous roar of the supercharged/nitrous injected engine filled the morning air as The Punisher rocketed farther and faster down the track with each successive gearshift. The pureness of that sound and the grace of the bike at speed were very satisfying, having worked on every piece of that engine and chassis.We could see that the bike had already passed through the timing lights, but the sound continued at full song for another eight seconds. Then there was silence, and this frozen moment in time shifted back to reality.We looked to the large digital speed display, but no numbers appeared. Every vehicle’s speed is announced over the public address system, but we heard nothing. What happened?Mike and I dashed for the AF1 scooter and raced two-up back to the pits, where we would get the results first-hand. When Dave pulled into the pits pumping his fist, we knew that we had done it. A quick look at the timing ticket showed 200.8 mph. Wow! High fives and cheers for everybody!We set this record under very challenging conditions. Dealing with high crosswinds, chassis setup, power adders, and advanced electronics put tremendous pressure on the team to make the final run count. I am very proud of the way our team performed, and what we have accomplished. Team Punisher did it.Story from an issue of Ultimate MotorCycling magazine. To read the latest issue in digital format free of charge, click here.
Aprilia RSV1000R: ‘The Punisher’ Chases 200 mph
The result was an impressive 191 rear wheel horsepower at 11,000 rpm. We were already exceeding the rpm design limits of the Rotrex supercharger and Rotax engine, so we just left it at that. We didn’t need more horsepower from the basic engine/supercharger package – we still had nitrous.Because we were using a progressive nitrous controller, we could dial-in a percentage of power for a given set of jet sizes. We tightened down the bike straps to the point where the footpegs were starting to bend. Repeating the above procedure yielded a very respectable 216 horsepower at 116 ft/lbs of torque.We were within a few horsepower of what our low power testing projections indicated we would make. Screaming rpm, open pipes, supercharger boost, nitrous, water/methanol – it was a visceral experience. Micah said the sound wave pressure in the dyno room was enough to beat his heart in his chest. Things were looking good.We loaded the motorhome, trailer, and van with all our bikes, gear and supplies, and headed for the new Texas Mile venue in Beeville, Texas. As the primary builder and test rider, I was determined to put the bike in good working order for Dave’s afternoon qualifying pass. After experiencing some crosswind-induced front-end lift and headshake at 175 mph, the decision was made to remove the aero tail and a prototype panel on the front of the bike.Riding a previously proven aerodynamic configuration, Dave stepped up and qualified easily at 188 mph, using only a 50-percent nitrous load in order to save the motor. It was obvious that wind was going to be a problem all weekend. The only chance to break 200 mph would happen during the calm wind conditions of the first hour of running, with all of our aerodynamic modifications installed. Belts, plugs, and fluids were all okay.The engine-logging module self-destructed due to vibration, and was removed from service. The water/methanol injection computer was replaced as no fluid was consumed on that qualifying run, indicating a fault. We parked a scooter in the staging area overnight, reserving our turn in the next morning’s calm conditions.Saturday morning, Dave lined up and fired off a 197.8 mph shot down the one-mile course. Not 200 mph, but it was the best we had done to date by 5 mph, which is hard to come by at those speeds. Apparently, our engine, chassis, and aerodynamic development project was paying off.I made a 182 mph run early Saturday afternoon, but with the wind gusting upwards of 30 mph, we decided to park it for the rest of the day and get ready for our probable last chance at 200 mph on Sunday morning. We followed the same routine as the previous day, checking all systems, but servicing some critical items.Mike Wood and the Nitrous Express race team were pitted right next to us, and they gave their expert tuning advice. Aerodynamic drag calculators on the RB Racing-RSR website confirm that a 3 mph increase in speed at close to 200 mph should require 10 horsepower. We estimated the nitrous jetting changes to be worth about five horsepower. It may not be not quite enough of a change to gain 3 mph over our previous best, but we didn’t want to break the motor.Whether we achieved our goal of 200 mph or not was all coming down to one final run on Sunday morning. Our hopes were tied to perfect conditions, perfect tuning, and perfect rider execution as we were already operating at power levels never before seen in a Rotax V-twin. We held a team meeting and decided that Dave would be the rider, while Micah and I would take care of all the bike preparation. We ordered Dave back to the motorhome at 10 p.m., instructing him to rest. Micah and I worked in the trailer until 2 a.m., making sure everything was perfect.We had again parked a scooter in the staging lane the night before, and looked to be about the tenth vehicle up. The pre-dawn silence was broken by the harsh crackle of the supercharged engine, as Dave fired up the beast and drove it from our pits to the staging lane.I double-checked that all switches for power, ignition, fuel pump, nitrous arming, water/methanol injection, and the nitrous bottle heater were in race mode. The engine was warmed up to operating temperature, and then shut down to prevent overheating.Tire pressure had been raised to reduce rolling resistance. Nitrous bottle pressure was raised from 975 to 1050 psi to lean the mixture a bit for more power, and to make certain we maintained bottle pressure all the way down the track.When 7 a.m. arrived, track operations got underway. I fastened the dead man kill switch lanyard to Dave’s glove, as required. The line started moving, and I accompanied Dave to the hold-short track position, making a final check of all systems, and giving him a thumbs-up signal. With visor down and earplugs in, he was already in the zone and hardly aware that I was there. In moments, it would all be up to him. No pressure, Dave.Mike Wood and I watched from behind as the bike pulled up to the line. Dave rapped the throttle, and waited for the starter’s signal. With the rising sun behind him, the distorted plumes of hot exhaust gasses ejected from the open exhausts made The Punisher look like a Top Fuel dragster.Dave executed a hard launch, the front wheel skimming the ground through first and second gear. The engine sound took on a decidedly angrier tone when he shifted into third gear and thumbed the nitrous button.The thunderous roar of the supercharged/nitrous injected engine filled the morning air as The Punisher rocketed farther and faster down the track with each successive gearshift. The pureness of that sound and the grace of the bike at speed were very satisfying, having worked on every piece of that engine and chassis.We could see that the bike had already passed through the timing lights, but the sound continued at full song for another eight seconds. Then there was silence, and this frozen moment in time shifted back to reality.We looked to the large digital speed display, but no numbers appeared. Every vehicle’s speed is announced over the public address system, but we heard nothing. What happened?Mike and I dashed for the AF1 scooter and raced two-up back to the pits, where we would get the results first-hand. When Dave pulled into the pits pumping his fist, we knew that we had done it. A quick look at the timing ticket showed 200.8 mph. Wow! High fives and cheers for everybody!We set this record under very challenging conditions. Dealing with high crosswinds, chassis setup, power adders, and advanced electronics put tremendous pressure on the team to make the final run count. I am very proud of the way our team performed, and what we have accomplished. Team Punisher did it.Story from an issue of Ultimate MotorCycling magazine. To read the latest issue in digital format free of charge, click here.