“Two For the Salt,” a Double Honda 305 Land-Speed Racer…
We’ve been running a series on the builds of the late Boris “Bob” Guynes, a racer and fabricator whose machines include the twin 750 “Anti-Christ” and supercharged CB500 “Hog Catcher,” built to set records on the Bonneville Salt Flats and El Mirage Dry Lake.
“According to automotive photographer TJ Grewal, ‘Bob was a rider and enthusiast. Or as he puts it, a scoundrel into bikes and speed.'” —Bike EXIF
Today, we’re thrilled to present another one of his hand-built land-speeders, “Two For the Salt,” which is powered by a pair of Honda Super Hawk 305 engines. Says Mecum, who’s been handling the auctions for the Bob Guynes Collection:
“Since little is known about the existence of any other dual Honda Super Hawk engine-powered land speed racers, chances are better than good that this custom creation can confidently live up to its superlative claim as the world’s fastest Hawks—plurality intentional.”
Guynes was a fan of these early Honda twins, which came in the 1961-68 CB77 Super Hawk and CL77 Scramblers. “Two For the Salt” boasts a pair of pre-65 Type 1 SOHC twins, which offered 28 horsepower at 9000 RPM in factory trim, though these engines are from stock:
“Guynes removed the transmission from the front engine, welded up the block and fabricated a crankshaft-to-crankshaft chain drive. The rear engine transmission and clutch send the conjoined twins’ horsepower down the salt through a chain and sprocket final drive. Both engines share an oil sump, and custom motor plates bring it all together as a stressed member in the modified steel-tube frame.” —Mecum
Like the “Hog Catcher,” this build uses as pair of repurposed gas cylinder as twin fuel tanks, much in the style of the drag bikes of the era, and the bike features four carbs, dual ignition coils, and a 4-into-4 exhaust that must sound amazing.
Bob’s neighbor and friend Ray Byrne ran the bike at Bonneville in 2008, and the number plate boasts the signatures of several other land-speed racers. Overall, this is one incredible Super Super Hawk, hand-built by one of America’s beloved motorcycle racer-fabricators.
Photos courtesy of Mecum.
I had the honor of meeting Bob and running a story about him for CityBike magazine about 10 years ago. Incredible guy! Memorable paragraph from the story (written by David Lander):
Bob is immensely talented himself but would mock anyone who would call him a “craftsman.” He is fond of saying that “it isn’t rocket science, I just beat it with a rock,” and “how bright do you have to be? Any moron could do this shit.” He made the smoke stack of his model ship from tin cans and scotch tape. On his aluminum car, the velocity stack filters are tea strainers and the steering wheel is made of Harley spokes. He overbores crankcases with a hole saw (gasp!). Brutal and inelegant, but faster than a drill press and you don’t have to dismantle as much of the engine.
Love, love, love this excerpt! Thank you so much for sharing, Gabe!