Anyone entering S&S speed shop in Lihu‘e’s lower industrial center can’t help but notice a stretched-out black-and-red monster bike that screams out like Meatloaf on the “Bat Out of Hell” album. If you can sneak a few minutes of time
Anyone entering S&S speed shop in Lihu‘e’s lower industrial center can’t help but notice a stretched-out black-and-red monster bike that screams out like Meatloaf on the “Bat Out of Hell” album. If you can sneak a few minutes of time from a very busy Spence Aguiar you might get him to tell you the awesome and fascinating details of racing on the pro-stock track.
“Based on a 45 degree 160 cubic inch motor, it is one really overgrown Harley-Davidson engine,” said Aguiar.
Everything is all handmade, including the custom sheet metal manifold, electronic fuel injection with all the bells and whistles found in a Pro Stock race car. The engine is approximately 160 cubic inches and pulls 290 to 300 horsepower using custom made parts like titanium valves and connecting rods. Aguiar is a man on a mission, and with the exception of the engine’s port work, the engine and tranny were completely built in his shop from custom parts. Even the fiberglass body was custom painted in an improvised paint room upstairs.
The Buell motorcycle has a fully automatic 5 speed transmission with a small button next to the clutch to shift gears. As Aguiar rockets down the track a little tube of light just in front of his faceplate blinks telling him to press the button to go to the next gear. In a split second the button releases the 100 pounds of air required to shift the transmission gears.
The air is fed through the motorcycle’s chrome-moly frame which also doubles as the air tank. The track dynamic frame is one of the last Dave Earl T-4 frame designs. There are 2 Milwaukee batteries with 18 volts each to power one computer that runs the electronic fuel injection and one computer to run the data log.
Every technological feature is slam-crammed and compacted within the housing of this two-wheel muscle machine.
The Buell even contains an oil pump and vacuum pump that work to separate oil and air to the pistons as they force first oil then air through the chamber. Finally, the body must be NHRA approved in its sanctioned class before it can roll out on the track.
Here is the condensed version of how-to enter the dangerous world of need for speed.
First a driver must pass a Pro Stock NHRA professional drivers training course and be certified for a professional license.
Next, he must either purchase a pro-stock bike completely intact or gather the parts like Aguiar and spend a few years putting it together.
Then he must purchase a custom fitted leather suit ($2,000) and helmet that are also part of the strictly regulated racing package. Once the paperwork and hardware are secured the adventure begins.
Because there are no qualifying race tracks in our state, a Hawai‘i rider will need to transport his bike to the Mainland. The first step is the weigh-in and a rider sits on a scale to be sure the bike and rider meet the required weight. The weight is calculated, the bike is then rolled into place and the rider straddles the bike rolling it back into a water box to allow the tire to get wet for better traction on the start. Next, the bike rolls forward out of the box and the attendant lines up the metal wheely-bar extending from the rear of the bike to make sure the bike drives straight. Next, two switches are thrown to receive computer data and a manual lever is rocked into fifth gear and the clutch is released.
Then a large box containing the starter is rolled alongside the bike and a shaft goes into the engine to crank it over. Now the lever is shifted back into first gear and the driver stands by concentrating on the upcoming green light. When the light goes green the rider releases the clutch and cranks the throttle being sure to tuck his head under the windscreen and pull himself in front of the bike to keep from having this missile fly out from under him.
Just in front of the face shield is a small brass tube containing a light that blinks telling the driver to shift, shift, shift and seven seconds later the 180 mph rocket ride is over. Finally, the clutch must be pulled in to prevent damage to the engine. Everything on the run happens in around seven seconds not unlike riding a short-range gas-propelled rocket on the 4th of July.
Aguiar will be leaving soon to take his turn on the track and represent the only Pro-Stock bike completely built on Kaua‘i and represent our island. Good Luck and Represent!
To view a short video of Aguiar’s Pro Stock bike lesson, click on the “TGI video” link at thegardenisland.com.
Video Online
Watch video footage of Spence Aguiar’s Pro Stock Buell motorcycle in action as part of The Garden Island’s recurring series on Kaua‘i’s motor vehicles. Check back each week for a new addition.
