BIG AL
Guess Who?
As the fair winds down, the Bikester booth has a surprise visitor. It’s Bo, just stopping by to give them a hard time! Terry isn’t around, so he decides to concentrate on Nitro. Bo knows it won’t do him any good to hassle Nitro. Nitro’s just too quick for him. As Nitro says, "When I play word games with Bo, I feel like I’m in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent."
But Bo knows how to get to Nitro. He takes a Polaroid out of his pocket and hands it to Nitro. Without saying another word, just a laugh, wanders off to check out the fair. After Bo’s left Nitro checks out the Polaroid and it stops him in his tracks, just like Bo knew it would.
Bo has written "DragMonster" under the picture. And it is! From the front, it looks very much like a normal AA/Fuel dragster, but behind the driver everything changes. Two supercharged fuel hemis sit in it side by side, and knowing the kind of engines Bo builds, each one most likely produces at least five thousand horsepower. Behind the engines across the back of the car are four drag slicks, each over twenty inches wide. Bo is right. This is truly the 'Mother of all dragsters!'
Nitro instantly realizes that racing against this monster with SuperBike is out of the question. The only way they beat Bo the last couple of races was by running SuperBike right on the ragged edge, and even then Terry had to come up with a trick or two beyond that to pull it off!
They could easily beat this new car with RocketBike, but that wouldn’t count, it has to be an internal combustion-powered, wheel-driven vehicle, not a rocket or jet that is propelled by thrust. And of course, Nitro wants to beat Bo with a bike, which is going to be a pretty tall order, but after all, they are the ‘Bikesters’, and as TK likes to say: Bikesters rule!
Super Challenge
Nitro has to think about this for a minute or two, then his brain goes to work full-tilt, dredging up an idea he had back when they had major traction problems during the first round of the Phoenix match race with the 'Dangerous Dan Jones Funny Car'. Terry returns and, after seeing the photograph that Bo left, reacts by saying, "Ugh! It’s ugly, but it looks BAD!"
Nitro runs his idea by Terry and draws a quick sketch. It’s SuperBike with two slicks, which kind of turn it into 'SuperTrike', but will put a lot of rubber and, ultimately, a lot of power on the ground. Terry looks at it and rolls his eyes, and says, "I don’t know, I kinda like SuperBike the way it is."
Terry instinctively knows that this will turn SuperBike into just something to put power on the ground, a bludgeon, rather then the beautifully balanced, engineered-to-perfection single purpose vehicle it is right now. Riding SuperBike is truly an art form and Terry loves being the artist that gets to do it. He loves being able to run right on the edge of traction and stability. Being able to feel the bike’s every twitch and having to be right at the very top of his game, ready to react and compensate to make the perfect run. Nerissa would say, "It’s like riding a fast stallion over jumps!"
Nitro takes notice of the way Terry looks at his drawing of a new, improved SuperBike. Actually he’s not too crazy about making changes on the bike himself. When you can create something mechanical and get it to work as close to its maximum potential, as SuperBike does, you really don’t want to take a chance on losing the combination and messing it up. So he’s back to trying to think of a way to beat the 'DragMonster'. And thinking…and thinking...
Going Home
After an extra day in Texas to get everything packed up, they’re back on the road: first to California to drop off TK, and also Celeste, who has some tee shirt business to take care of in LA, then home.
Terry’s riding back with them this time because they’re only three days from home. He’s still really charged up from the excitement of flying every day, and coming along to share the driving will give him a chance to wind down. Flying RocketBike is the best thing ever, and he finds himself looking forward to it even more then he looks forward to racing.
Seeing the picture of Bo’s new car hasn’t yet inspired him to have something to beat it with. Not the way it’s fired up Nitro, who isn’t saying much. Terry knows that what Nitro must be thinking about is what he can build to smoke Bo’s new dragster with. As he drives Terry’s just thinking about flying again.
And Terry’s right. Nitro is thinking about what it’s going to take to beat Bo. That’s all he’s thinking about. He’s running different ideas and plans through his head. By the time they get home, something will be coming together. Nitro always rises to a challenge, especially one from Bo! They stop at Jim Truesdale’s to drop of TK and Celeste. They also unload the Tracker. Celeste will use it in LA, and then drive it home. Then they turn north. Sure enough, by the time they pull in the driveway at the farm, Nitro has a pretty good idea of what it will take to do battle with Bo’s 'DragMonster'.
What Now?
As they pull to a stop the twins come running up. Terry’s promised to take the girls and Nerissa cruising in the San Juan Islands for the next two weeks and they’re ready to go, right now! But they’ll have to wait until the morning.
Nitro disappears into the shop and, except for taking the pickup and running to the warehouse to pick up some stuff, is out there all night. In the morning, after getting the van loaded with all the gear they’re taking with them, Terry goes out to the shop to see what Nitro’s up to and to let him know that they’re leaving for the boat.
MegaBike
Now Terry sees what Nitro went to the warehouse to pick up last night. And he’s astounded by what he’s creating. Sitting in the middle of the shop is the huge Allison V-12 that he dragged home from Sun Tool a couple of years ago. Over 1700 cubic inches of overhead cam, aluminum mega-engine, it’s sitting sideways like the hemi V-8 in SuperBike.
Nitro has placed one wheel five or six feet out in front of the engine and he has two of the big drag slicks they use on SuperBike side by side behind it.
Down low in front of the engine are two gigantic turbochargers, each one big enough to fill a five-gallon bucket. This is scary! It makes SuperBike look like a kid’s toy, thinks Terry. On the four-foot long dull black valve covers, Nitro has stenciled a name, 'Big Al!'
Terry doesn’t even want to think about this. He goes back out to the van and, along with Nerissa and the girls, heads for the boat. Right now he would much rather spend a couple of weeks in the islands with his family than deal with the latest creation of the 'Mad Doctor Nitro!'
A couple of hours later, Nitro looks out the shop window and sees Nail’s truck and trailer coming down the driveway. He made good time, considering that Nitro just called him when they left Texas, four days ago.
Nitro knows that Nail is the ideal person to help with this project. He has just the right attitude for what this bike is going to be: no chrome, nothing fancy. A ground-pounder something capable of putting over seven thousand horsepower on the ground. A very efficient ‘blunt instrument’ that will get the job done.
And with that, the mad inventor, creator of SuperBike and RocketBike, Father of the Bikesters, casually picks up his favorite, bluntest, wrench and goes back to work on the newest, biggest and baddest beast of them all.
At that same moment, passing by the beach below the bluffs is “The Boat”, carrying Terry and his little family as they head for the Islands. They are looking towards the shore as what appears to be a huge white bear emerges from the surf and heads for the path that goes up the bluff towards the shop.
The girls say in unison, “Spirit Bear!!” Terry looks and doesn’t see anything, however he does see the ‘Silver Eagle’ soaring above them. Nerissa just nods seeing it all….
Visit us a Bikesters.com for more fun and adventures also be on the lookout for Bikesters #2.
The following is a text heavy Illustrated Version of the Chase at China lake section of the first chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
BIKESTERS
CHASE AT CHINA LAKE
Written by Fred Vosk
Storyboard Illustrations by Lewis Pratt
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Copyright © 1995 Fred E. Vosk
All rights reserved.
CHINA LAKE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Terry and Nitro like to call it China Lake International Airport because nothing's there, just a very long landing strip. The nearest town in one direction is over 35 miles away, and it's only a gas station and store. In the other direction is the Military Testing Center, thousands of square miles of restricted area where nobody goes. Nitro pulls the truck up at the spot where they always camp along the edge of the runway.
It's a nice day. It's always a nice day here. They crank out the big awning on the side of the trailer for shade. Celeste has already set up housekeeping in the hospitality suite in the front of the trailer while the guys are bunking in the large living quarters area behind the cab of the trunk. They have hardly even set up camp and Nitro and TK are already back in the trailer, building and fitting pieces of the H²O-S system to SuperBike.
For the next few days, the four of them work on putting together the new setup on the race bike, taking time to explore the area around them, have a few barbecues, and watch the sun set over the high desert. TK has his computer set up, and with the modem hooked into the small satellite dish on the roof of the truck he is once again totally in contact with the world and all that information. "You can't get enough information," says TK.
Nitro just snorts, "Computer kids."
Less then a week has gone by since they arrived at China Lake and SuperBike with the H²O-S system installed is ready for a test. Nitro is nervously checking fittings and lines to make sure that nothing's loose: Can't be too careful. TK is fiddling with the small onboard computer that monitors the bike's mechanical functions and watches over the H²O-S system. All they have to do when the engine is running or after a race is plug the bike's data accumulator into TK's computer and they will have a complete read out. This tells them how everything is working and detects any flaws, or adjustments that are needed.
Near the cab of the truck, Celeste leans against her dirt bike and absent mindedly sips from a water bottle.
There's not much for her to do at the moment and she's feeling a little left out. For the better part of a year she's known that TK would benefit from male companionship and role models, but now that she sees him totally caught up in this project with Nitro and Terry she wonders what her role in his life should be right now. However, she knows she couldn't find better guys for him to hang out with.
"MAN FROM MARS"
Just then, Terry comes out of the side door of the trailer. He looks over, sees Celeste looking a little blue, and smiles and waves to her. Celeste has to laugh. Terry has his silver driving suit on and is holding his helmet, standing on the edge of the runway with nothing but the endless desert behind him. He looks like an astronaut-on Mars!
As Terry prepares to get on SuperBike and Nitro and TK continue with their last minute checking over of everything, Celeste sees a lone dirt biker race out of a gully and onto the flat about a half-mile away towards the far end of the landing strip.
She was watching birds soaring on the thermals over the desert and has binoculars sitting on the bike seat.
She picks them up and takes a look just in time to see the dirt biker staring back at her through his own binoculars.
The biker stares at her for a moment, then pans across the rest of the scene: the truck and trailer with its colorful Bikester logo, the guys around the race bike, even the barbecue and lawn chairs.
He ignites a green smoke flare and tosses it out onto the landing strip.
Suddenly, a low flying Lear Jet appears from nowhere and makes a pass over the truck and trailer causing everyone to look up before it disappears over the surrounding hills.
The guys look at each other, shrug and go back to the last second preparations to start up SuperBike. However, it has caught Celeste's interest, and she looks back at the dirt biker and thinks, There's something strange going on here.
"FIRE IT UP"
Terry climbs on SuperBike and Nitro pushes the button engaging the portable starter that is plugged into the side of the engine. The starter spins and the engine roars to life. It's unbelievably loud! This fuel system must be doing something, thinks Nitro, because I've never heard an engine this loud! TK is off to the side sitting in front of his computer, which is plugged into the bike. The loudness of the exhaust surprises him, but he gets on with his job of monitoring all the mechanical functions to watch for any problems.
Terry hops off the bike, which is now idling, and stands with Nitro staring in amazement at the exhaust, which is steam, no fuel or oil smoke or smell, just pure steam. TK looks over from the computer screen and sees them standing in a cloud of steam, shaking their heads, and gives them two thumbs up, letting them know that everything is fine.
Steam is what you get for exhaust when you are running on water. TK looks over towards Celeste, to let her know everything is working like it should, but she's looking out at the landing strip and thinking, Something very fishy is definitely going on out there.
The Lear Jet has returned and is landing, coming in past the trailer towards the far end of the strip.
It rolls to a stop as it turns to point back down the runway towards them. She watches through her binoculars as the side door opens and two men jump out, one of them holding a backpack. The dirt biker skids up alongside and the men get the backpack buckled on him and jump back into the jet, which is already rolling.
The biker takes off full tilt across the desert, heading for the nearby hills,
just as a formation of undercover and black and white police cars storm out of a distant ravine and onto the flat at the end of the runway behind the plane: A DRUG BUST!