Comet Top Speed

[Bill Thomas]

Just a few years ago, After fitting a Mk2 Amal carb', It rolled up to 80 mph no trouble on the flat,
I thought it must be a tail wind , So turned around, But it was the same ,
Like me some days it goes better than others .

 

[oexing]

All speed numbers with rider upright - or low down , what clothes ??

Vic

 

[TouringGodet]

And uphill, level, or downhill? Ha ha

 

[Bill Thomas]

The high numbers as in the photo,
but the 80, Normal bike gear, normal seating but have rear set footrests,
And handle bar screen.
But I was 15 stone and well over 6 foot tall.
Had some health problems this year and lost a stone.

 

[Colin]

My Egli Comet WAS very fast at one time but was detuned on a rebuild. I run a 49 tooth rear sprocket now and comfortable cruising is 60/65 mph .70 mph can be maintained on a motorway but by the time I touch 80mph mechanical sympathy says (shouts!) S L O W E R.
60/65 ish is around 1/2 throttle and the next 1/2 consumes more fuel than the extra few MPH can justify.
Don't bother with the actual top speed just lie through your teeth about it
(I can actually do 120mph easily but then I am a mere slip of a lad, and very aerodynamic, look at the picture, can you doubt it)

 

[davidd]

Will a comet really do a ton?

A stock Comet has about 23-4 BHP at the rear wheel, so 80-85 mph is likely the best it can muster. Most of the Grey Flash racers that are running initially made power at about 26 BHP from the rear wheel. The engines perform much better once they are tuned a little better. David Tompkin's engine started with 37 BHP with a high-compression piston and a Mk2 cam. With a good megaphone and pipe, it got about 2 BPH more. The bike is generally geared to hit 105 mph on the straight because that is doable, but that is using the speed from the corner previous to the straight as a flying start.

The Comet chassis is as good as the twin for high speed. It is not very worrisome at 100 mph unless something is wrong with the chassis set-up.

David

 

[Bill Thomas]

Am I right in thinking, In the 50s a lot of the speed was worked out with Men with Flags ?.

 

[Colin]

Walking in front of the bike Bill?

 

[Bill Thomas]

Very good Colin, But that's how some speeds were done in the old days, With a stop watch,
They would have had a job to do 90 with a Standard Comet.
Bit like some of the Jap Speeds, I had a Kwacker 500 Mach3 early one, That was said to do 125,
Not a hope in hell, But very fast for a 500 three two stroke.
The rev's went from 6000 to 9000 like a mad thing, Very dangerous !.

 

[Martyn Goodwin]

off a cliff! But you will need a250 yard drop. fantastic speed but even better stop