1977 Russ Collins RC Engineering The Sorcerer -8-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1977 Russ Collins RC Engineering The Sorcerer -8-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, Vintage Magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
The Goal: The first 200-mph quarter
mile, al an elapsed time of 6.90 seconds.
The Package: An 800-pound cluster of
super-sophisticated, aircraft- and automo-
tive-based technology surrounding two
Honda 750 Four engines modified into V-8
configuration with an estimated output of
500-600 horsepower. All carefully lucked
away behind a huge aluminum red-white-
and-blue fairing emblazoned with the
name “Honda.”
The Christened Name: The Sorcerer.
The Rider/Designer/Builder: Russ
Collins, who blasted into motorcycle drag
racing's superstar class with his infamous
Triclops (also known as the Atchison, Top-
eka & Santa Fe). a huge. triple-Honda-
engined Top Fuel racer that set the all-time
low ET record of 7.87 seconds—a record
that still stands after almost two years—
before spitting Collins off in one of the
highesl-speed, non-fatal motorcycle acci-
dents in history.
Collins came to drag racing in 1969 and
promptly made a name for himself with a
succession of Honda 750 Fours running
out of his then-tiny shop, RC Engineering.
All of his bikes held national records be-
fore Collins moved up to the next class.
The records were nice, but Collins al-
ways saw the final step as Top Fuel. “Thai's
the bracket that not only sets the all-time
records and gels all the ink.” he says, “but
also the class in which the builder has
almost absolute freedom to experiment."
Collins began thinking about a Top Fuel
machine as far back as 1970. Even then the
idea was a double-engined supercharged
Honda. “But the problem, was that we were
thinking loo conventionally. So 1 envi-
sioned a bike with a blower sticking
straight up between the two engines and
the rider having to peek around the in-
takes.
“That didn’t sound like too hot of an
idea, so we put the project aside. Also,
quite frankly, al the time we didn’t have
the technical sophistication to build the
bike the way it would have to be.”
Three things made the new super-tech-
nology possible: The first and probably
most important was the addition of Byron
Hines, a young, self-educated tuner and
builder, to RC’s staff. Hines is often rated
as the most sophisticated and knowledge-
able machinist and engine builder in drag
racing. “I’d even pul Byron up against the
supertuners in roadracing,” Collins says.
“So far as I’m concerned Hines is simply
the best."
The second factor was the massive suc-
cess of RC Engineering. RC products have
become almost a generic name in the
performance field, used by everyone from
dresser riders to flat-out competition types.
The third factor was the Triclops. Work-
ing with the classic American backyard
wrench theory of “more is always better."
the Honda triple look over a year to go
together. And it can best be called a failed
success. Collins is more harsh about the
machine: “We never should have built it in
the first place." The bike made an esti-
mated 360 runs, only 25 of which Collins
rates as unqualified successes.
It had some insurmountable problems,
like the rubber belt drive between the
engines, which simply didn't work as ex-
pected. Too many runs were aborted due
to a belt suddenly heading for the tall
weeds beside the strip.
Traction was another hassle—the triple
was designed to accept a maximum rear
slick width of eight inches at a time when
six-inch slicks were the widest available.
An eight-inch tire wasn’t even close to
what was needed. The bike could smoke
the rear tire through an entire quarter-mile
pass.
The final and absolute problem was
handling. Triclops was as evil-handling as
any suicide-prone Fuel Altered car. On
any track less smooth than the average
glass plate, the Triclops wobbled, shook,
banked and did its damndest to commit
seppuku.
According to Collins, there were only
two tracks in the country where the bike
would run right, Indianapolis and Ontario,
California. On any other track it was an
accident looking for a place to happen.
The accident did happen during an ex-
hibition run in Akron. Ohio. For still-
unknown reasons the Triclops spat Collins
off at 175 mph while going through the
lights. He almost died. Only quick, skillful
surgery and the removal of a certain
amount of his internal plumbing saved
Collins’ life.
Back in California. Collins turned the
wreck of the triple into a coffee table and
continued work on his new bike. He al-
ready had blueprints and a flashy sketch by
Kenny Youngblood, and he had never
slopped thinking about that blown double.
He'd started by junking all conventional
motorcycle designs. This bike was to be a...
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