Ain’t no pushbike…




I asked Michael Gilbertson, Gilbo about his number one spot in a rather rare racing bracket… Pro-Bike.
I spent quite a bit of time with Gilbo and his team at the Summer Nationals.
I’ve learnt a lot about what goes into building a Pro Stock bike; it’s quite an amount of work.

Gilbo sais the top bikes are just the most exciting machines to race… the most death defying.
Any of them crash and there’s very little a rider can do but hope to stay alive, no roll cage on a bike... Gilbo and his team had a difficult time at this Summer Nationals … one problem after another but his misfortune has just served to make him hungrier to hold onto the number one spot in his class.

Too much power can be difficult… 1500cc pushin’ 300 horses. A specially made 5 speed air shifted gearbox, specially made billet crank, specially made race head with 2 valves per cylinder.
It runs on VP race fuel (high octane petrol) which costs about forty bucks a litre for a chemist to make especially for Michaels naturally aspirated Kwakka revving up to and over 13,500 rpm. The bottom end engine cases are the only original Kawasaki component of the motor while the chassis is made in the US. The bike carries a ten inch rear tyre; it does 0 to 60 feet in 1.1 seconds and the rest of a quarter mile in 7.5 seconds at 180mph.

I’m not sure what’s hotter… Gilbo’s bike or his moral support, Chilli… Top-Pro-Stock-Bike is really exotic, So’s Chilli.
Michael gets bugger all support from the original manufacturers of the bike Kawasaki, but there’s probably really not much left of a Kwakka within the custom creation though it still sais Kawasaki on the tank. For my dollar its home grown technology, probably something Kawasaki should look into. It don’t matter about the bike brand as long as the Hogs Breath Café keeps up their sponsorship.
Looking around the pits at WSID… seems the Hogs Breath Café likes to sponsor a few drag racing teams… It’s a good thing their foods excellent… I’ve eaten in many of the Hogs Breath Café with all kinds of people for social events and business with bikers and movie people, my family... Hoggies makes great steak and their curly chips are the best I’ve ever had. Served with cold beer or softdrink for your girlfriend or any sissy’s you may bring along.
But drag racing ain’t for sissy’s now is it?

Bullshit Bill.



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