Does anyone on the forum have experience of running Methanol in an older competition bike?..or know anyone they can put me in touch with who has?...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
hi ian,i used to help a guy who raced a long stroke jap
5 stud,the bike took a bit of starting from cold.
we pushed a rolled up rag into the belmouth to choke it a bit.once it fired up it was usually ok.
they dont half gobble it down,a tank would just about do the four laps of a grass track.if i remember correctly
the carb had two float chambers and no needle in the throttle slide,he ran about 14-1 compression.
suprisingly enough you could put your hand on the cylinder barrel immediatly after it finished a race,
it ran that cool.only downside then i can remember was
hermatite gasket was the sealant of the day,the methanol used to wash it all away.so the grass track /speedway boys are the ones to talk to.
the jap motor is practically devoid of fins on the cylinder,maybe this is to help keep a bit of heat in there,hope this helps
cheers rick
email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com
ian use nitrous oxide you can hide the bottles in the panniers and when you ride past your local police at 150mph with manic laughter because of the nitrous fumes
email (option): roger.beck@node6.com
Hi Ian, I used Methanol ( well practically everyone ) when I was schoolboy Grass Tracking in the late 70`s. Used it in my Tigercub, C15 and TR25. The BSA ran a 13:1 compression. I think this one had two spark plugs in the head, would switch over to the race plug when warm. About £1.00 a gallon then and great for any sprains as boy it was freezing cold when in contact with your skin. The motors certainly run cooler
email (option): ianhince@tiscali.co.uk
Hi Ian..It is the cool runing I am interested in..My M20 sprinter can't run high enough compression ratios to benefit from the power increases possible with Methanol. However, I don't want to compromise the aerodynamics of the dustbin fairing by putting air scoops on it, which it would need to help cool the engine if running petrol..
I know the consumption rate is vastly higher with Methanol, requiring increases in the jet sizes of at least 2.5 times and increases in the bore of the fuel pipes, taps etc. Also there are issues with materials in the system as well...Surprisingly it has not been easy so far to turn up the required information...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
hi ian,i googled '' methanol in racing engines'',as you re -lit the flame so to speak,there is some interesting reading.
i didnt know but apparently it is quite corrosive,and attacks aluminium with vengance.
read and make your mind suit the applications and concequences.
cheers rick 
email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com
Ian,
A friend of Henk and me used to race a Norton ES2 combination on methanol. He broke a valve once but other than that the threaths to the bike came from the rider
email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl
Thanks for all the answers..I may take you up on the offer Andrew, after I have done a bit more research..Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
was Wall Handley M23 olso running on metanol at Brookland Gr. Theo
email (option): oldbikes@kpnmail.nl
I know Ian, beef up that bottom end and bang a Nitros kit on it
email (option): ianhince@tiscali.co.uk
Hi Ian..Not permitted I'm afraid...Any fuel type can be used but not forced induction..ie supercharger..or 'chemical enhancement' such as nitrous oxide.
If you supercharge (or nitrous inject) a sidevalve you immediately overcome the inherent difficulty in tuning one..thus eliminating the engineering challenge of getting a glorified stationary engine to achieve unreasonably high speeds.
If it was easy it wouldn't be interesting either..
...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
I've been keeping an eye out for info & its looking to me that lower compression engines prefer Nitromethane, I'm reading that the drag racers increase the ratio of Nitro in the Meth/Nitro mix as compression ratio decreases, at the point your running as low as 6.5:1 the Meth is left out & 100% Nitromethane is used.
I'm also reading that Nitro has a higher cooling effect than Methanol.
Went Classic racing with a friend once & its all a bit word of mouth in the pit area & I've certainly never built up enough info on these race fuels to advise on use but I have been doing alot of Googling on this since reading your thread.
I must admit "Nitromethane" simply sounds to frightening to have in a metal tank between the legs 