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Thread: Byrne/George Taylor Family Racing History -- 1948 to 1963

  1. #141
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    Default

    Hi Bill,
    They were, and still are a bitch to kick start. But my Mustang "guru", Jimbo, set me straight on how to get her started easier.
    I've always been a two stroke guy. And "Mustang Sally", being a side valve 350cc 4 stroke takes a totally different approach.
    I'm starting to get the hang of it now.

  2. #142
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    Default Other " *%^#)& Kickers"

    George:

    I had some friends in the 60's that I used to ride my 500CC Triumph Twin with, that had BSA, AJS, I think they were called, and another brand or two that had single cylinder 500CC "Thumpers" that were also difficult to start if you did not have the procedure down just right. I seem to remember that a couple had compression releases that helped considerably. Don't remember now whether they came that way or were put on afterwards, but they certainly made the starting job easier.

    One of my friends used to get raised right back up over the seat and messed his knee up good because he tried to "lock" it while kicking down on the starter lever. A "D" Konig could be a bear also, but pulling that starting rope knot thru your fingers is an entirely different type of hurt than a kickstarter on a bike.

    I always thought that was the scariest thing about running the one (Konig) I had, was cranking it!

  3. #143
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    Default Roping the Konig - and Kicking Mustang Sally

    Back in "the day" when I took my first ride on a Mustang, I was only 12 years old. My friend, Sam, offered to let me ride his Mustang.
    So I mounted up and proceeded to kick start her. Well, she "kick started" ME! She backfired and launched me over the handle bars.
    Sam was laughing his *** off -- he says -- you want me to start her for you?
    I said NO WAY. If I can't start her, I won't ride her.
    On my next attempt I got her going and took my FIRST ride on a REAL motorcycle.

    I never owned a Mustang in my youth. But that day marked my memory forever. Now I have a Mustang. I named her Mustang Sally when I started her restoration.

    As you can see from the video, she gave me the "boot" again. But I got her going a few kicks later.
    Oh, yea! Wore my *** out too! I was lucky to get her going as I was about "outa gas" when she finally fired up!
    Fantastic memorys for me!!!

    When Deter left me his three motors to race when he returned to Germany back in
    57, one was a three cylinder 30cubic inch C motor.
    Now talk about FUN to rope. All I can say is it was a damn good thing I was in my
    teens! Wow, what a "rip" that motor took!!!

    Geo

  4. #144
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    Default Only my second ride ever on a Mustang

    My “Second” Ride On Mustang Sally
    6/12/11

    Note: This is the story of a FANTASTIC day, and a “horror story” all wrapped into one! Read on:

    This is not the way I planned my second ride ever on a Mustang. But it’s the way things ended up going down.

    As most of my friends already know, Sheila and I already did a YouTube Video of Mustang Sally’s first start up.
    We had planned to do a video of my “second” Mustang ride ever. (My first ride on a Mustang was in 1952.)

    But a video didn’t work out. Here’s why:

    Right from the first start up I’ve had great difficulty getting Mustang Sally to start up. Jimbo gave me some tips on how to get her started easily. And I thought they would work since they were totally different then the method I used to start my two strokes.

    WRONG!!

    I’m still struggling mightly! Jimbo said to buy some engine starter spray to help out. Didn’t help. In fact today I was unable to even get her started in the race shop using kick start!
    Quite frankly it appears that a Love/Hate relationship is developing between myself and Mustang Sally! AGGGGHHHH!!

    After completely wearing out my right foot from kicking I decided that one way or the other, Mustang Sally was gonna start and we were going to go for a ride!!!!!!
    So I proceeded to push her all the way from my race shop, out to our paved road. That in itself is a quarter mile push!
    When I got to our road I then pushed her uphill another quarter mile to the top of the hill.
    My logic told me that if I could start rolling downhill, then kick her into gear, I’d be able to get her started!

    Well, guess what? That didn’t work either!! I tried bumping her in every gear, but the best that would happen is one stroke then she would just skid to a stop.
    By now a couple of young ladies and a older girl that was out walking her dog were watching all this unfold.

    I could see the pity in their eyes as I “sucked wind” BIG time, struggling to start Mustang Sally! But NO GO!

    I was about to give up when I heard a male voice ask “need a push”? I turned and looked and there was a guy probably about 30 offering the help. I had never seen him before in my life!
    I said “probably won’t help, but lets give it a try”. I put Mustang Sally in neutral and he started pushing hard. I dropped her in gear and she immediately came to life when I let the clutch out. YAHOOO!!!!!

    I quickly took the choke off, slowed down and turned around to go back up the hill and thank my benefactor. But he wasn’t there! Not a trace! The girls were still watching and holding their thumbs up, but he was gone! Really weird!

    I finally realized after I had finished riding Mustang Sally for only the SECOND time in my life, that most likely my “pusher” must have been an angle send by God. To prevent me from committing hari kari!!

    Once Mustang Sally was running, she just purred along perfectly!! And We had a GREAT ride together!!
    Now, if I can just figure out how to start her, and still have any energy left for the ride??? AGGGGGHHH!!!
    That’s why I commented that Mustang Sally and I are developing a HATE/LOVE relationship!!

  5. #145
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    Default My 1957 Konig NOS class B racing motor

    Hi everyone --
    It's been a while since I posted on my thread. Some really KOOL stuff has
    happened since my last post.
    Read on:

    I recently found a NOS Konig 350cc racing motor and put a deal together
    to purchase it.
    This is the exact same model motor that I raced from 1957 through 1959, when I was a factory
    driver for Konig.
    This is at the top of my list of fantastic finds for my boat racing collection.
    This motor has NEVER been raced. Or even powered a boat. And I bought it from the original owner.
    It's been run on a test bench a few times, and that's it. Why? The owner tells me that he was never able
    to get it to run for more than thirty seconds way back when he got it. And he knew of no one that could
    help him.
    He was not a racer. He was just a young kid that wanted to go "rat racing" on the lake he grew up on.
    So he had no way to understand the problem. Of course I knew the answer -- but that's another story.

    Anyway he was headed off to college. Then he got married. And that was it. All these years he just kept
    it in the crate it came in.
    There's lots more to the story than this, but that's all for now. I'm eventually going to display it mounted on
    a Sid Craft Hydro (the same model I drove back then). And do an occasional "display" run with it.

    Everything you see in the pictures came with the motor except the stacks. Those were just recently
    added. They are configured the same as the ones we used on the factory motors.
    I even have all the tuning documentation from Konig to go with it.

    This is a VERY rare racing motor. There were only a couple hundred of these ever built. And I can
    assure you that this is most likely the ONLY one of these that will ever re appear as a NOS engine.
    The chances of that happening are a million to one, I'd guess.
    Used ones? Possibly. But a NEW one? NO WAY!

    The pictures you see are exactly as I purchased it. No restoration needed. Just a very careful
    cleaning up is required. And it RUNS too! See the video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT-tSVKYQxI

    I'm truly over the moon with this find. As you can see, even the crate it came in is with it. And all the accessory's that were included with the motors when they were shipped to Scott Smith in Dallas Ga, the importer.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  6. #146
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    Default More pix of my Konig B

    More Konig photos!
    Attached Images Attached Images

  7. #147
    Team Member racnbns's Avatar
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    Default 1957 Konig

    Thats an unbelivable find. Look forward to seeing it at some of the Fl. shows.

    Bruce

  8. #148
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    Default A new start on my ongoing thread

    It's been quite a while since I posted on BRF. Not because I lost interest but because I have spent the last number of months finishing up the cosmetic restoration of my 1957 Konig 350cc motor that you can see above.

    Most of you know that I drove for the Konig factory back in the late fifties. So I never owned one of these motors back then. But I did see them come through Walt's race shop in exactly the crate you see in the above pictures.

    Last year, I found this NOS 1957 350cc Konig race motor. It's the same model I raced for the factory back in "the day".
    The motor has never been on a race boat. It has only been run about 15min. in a test tank. The previous owner
    bought it new in '57. But never raced it, or even ran in on a boat! Basically it is a NOS Konig racing motor.
    I have the crate it was shipped in along with the tool kit, fuel tank, propeller, and throttle assembly that was shipped with the motors.
    There were only around 40 of these motors ever imported to the US. So they truly are very rare.

    I did a "cosmetic" restore on it. And also set it up on a Mercury clamp bracket assembly as the factory racers I drove were configured.

    It truly is a BIG part of my past racing history! I also have a Sid Craft hydro that is exactly the same model
    that I used to race this motor on. I have to pick the boat up this July in Wisconsin. It is being restored for me by a master wood working craftsman that rebuilds vintage racing boats.

    I've attached pictures of the finished restoration. I showed it, along with other motors
    and boats I've now collected at the Tavaries Vintage Boat Show.
    Here's a few of my display photos.

    George
    Attached Images Attached Images

  9. #149
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    Default

    Wow! Very nice George. I've been wondering about you. Glad to see you back.



  10. #150
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    Default A time capsule for us old timers!

    Another try -- the earlier attempt didn't attach the pdf's.
    Feb 1957 issue of "Propeller". The monthly SEBA mail out.
    Enjoy!
    Attached Files Attached Files

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