Once again, as I was digging deep in The Kneeslider's motorcycle research archives I came across something I never knew existed. The rather unconventional bike you see above was called the Dragwaye. It was designed by Clive Waye in the early 1960s, powered by a 1300cc supercharged VW engine and it was ridden by Dave Lecoq in 1970. Dave managed a 9.815 second quarter mile. When you consider he must have been traveling 130 mph or so at the finish line, it would have made for some interesting riding. Wow!
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Interesting. The design followed the fuel dragsters of the time. Mixture of Glen Curtiss’s LSR and Don Garlits. Brave rider.
E.J. Potter and this bike would have made a good match race. Us lesser humans can really appeciate these endeavors.
A little too bit wild for me–I prefer somethng like this :
http://sameerkumar.blogspot.com/2006/08/ktm-nitroduke-worlds-fastest-ktm.html
I really like the designers name. I think its keen. Oh and the bike is alright.
Ive gone 150 on my old can-o-tuna. But not in 9 seconds, thats pretty wild.
yah those speed seem tame now but back then it was prolly brown trousers time.
Does anyone know if this bike still exists? If not maybe there’s a gifted fabricator out there willing to make a replica? (Best read while imagining a maniacal giggle at the end…)
Silly me that was a quick Google image search away here’s more pix….
http://www.scottwaye.com/dragwaye/index.html
why, exactly, would one put all of the riders weight BEHIND the rear wheel?! especially on a dragster? is it some sort of secret motorcycle racing physics i’m unaware of?
Dragwaye went through several phases of development and the final version was less radical. It was re-discovered a while ago here in the UK. It is in pretty good condition but the VW engine has had to be replaced. If things continue, it could well be making demonstration runs in 2008.
I was a friend of Clive and did a lot of work on the Racewaye,any idea what happened to those bikes.