 Don Vesco with Silver Bird at Bonneville Speedway | |
| Manufacturer | Don Vesco |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | "Big Red" streamliner |
| Successor | "Lightning Bolt" streamliner |
| Class | Streamliner |
| Engine | 2× Yamaha Inline-4 694.9 cc (42.41 cu in) reed-valve two-stroke, 1,389.8 cc (84.81 cu in) total displacement |
| Bore / stroke | 64 mm × 54 mm (2.52 in × 2.13 in) |
| Top speed | 303.812 mph (488.938 km/h) |
| Power | 240 hp (180 kW) |
| Dimensions | L: 21 ft (6.4 m) H: 32 in (810 mm) |
| Weight | 900 lb (410 kg) (wet) |
Silver Bird was a motorcycle land-speed record setting streamliner motorcycle. It was powered by two motors delivering 240 horsepower (180 kW). It was the first motorcycle to set a speed record over 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), when ridden by Don Vesco at the Bonneville Speedway in 1975.
Construction
The motorcycle was built by Don Vesco and sponsored by Yamaha. It had two four-cylinder, 694.9 cc reed-valve two-stroke engines from the Yamaha TZ750 racebike.
Specifications
- Displacement: 1,389.8 cc total
- Engine bore and stroke: 64mm×54mm
- Dimensions: 21 feet long, 32 inches high
- Weight: c. 900 pounds (410 kg)
References
Notes
- ^ Robinson 2007, p. 126.
- American Motorcyclist Association 1999.
- New York Times 2002.
- Woodruff 1982.
- Cameron 2012.
- Williams 2007.
- Hot Rod 2003.
- Phinizy 1975.
Sources
- Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Don Vesco, American Motorcyclist Association, 1999
- Cameron, Kevin (March 30, 2012), "Ask Kevin: Hard riding beasts – Yamaha TZ750", Cycle World
- Williams, Evan (c. 2007), Yamaha's TZ750: Where Legends Began ..., Superbike Planet, archived from the original on 2010-12-21
- Robinson, Rocky (2007), Flat Out: The Race for the Motorcycle Land Speed Record, Motorbooks, ISBN 9781610609296
- "Don Vesco, 63, Record-Setting Motorcyclist", The New York Times, December 20, 2002
- "Don Vesco Turbinator Streamliner Land-Speed Racer—Vesco's 300-MPH Bike", Hot Rod, July 2003
- Woodruff, Dorde (April 1982). "Record runs a family affair with Don and Rick Vesco". American Motorcyclist. American Motorcyclist Association: 86. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Google Books.
- Phinizy, Coles (November 1975), "Flat out on the flats", Sports Illustrated, vol. 43, no. 19, p. 38
Further reading
- "Motorcycles - The Silver Bird - Don Vesco's 300-mph Yamaha streamliner", Hot Rod, December 1975
External links
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