Firing up Double Norton Supercharged Drag bike 'Double H' built by Herb Becker

Firing up Herb Becker's 'Double H' supercharged double 765cc Norton Commando drag bike; it runs a M90 blower from a 3.8L Pontiac and burns methanol with 7.1:1 compression. Herb made the chassis with welding from Forest and Forest racing. Fuel delivery is by home made Hillborn fuel injection. Motors are balanced at 100% with custom made flywheels and engines phased one up while the other is down. Engines run Atlas cases with alloy barrels. Running 15 lbs of boost, the bike should produce 240hp on methanol on the dyno. Herb built this not just as a running tribute to the fabled 'Hogslayer' Norton drag racer but as also as a rough test bed for a future land speed bike, should he get the funding to do this properly. Look for the photo feature I did up on BikeEXIF.com and look me up on my site at douglasmacrae.com

[@waynecooper3892]

Anyone who is fortunate enough to know Herb on a personal level can say that they know one of the nicest people in the sport.

[@sugengdiablo6925]

Even one single Norton engine still a dream for me.

[@tvdinner325]

What a fabulous exhaust(s) note!

[@BlackKaweah]

IIRC, there was a triple engine Norton at the bike drag nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky in the late ‘70s. Sounded and looked awesome. Still got stomped by the Japanese bikes.

[@markmark2080]

Beautiful, thanks for making and posting this video and for the information, wonderful old school machinery.

[@DouglasLMacRae]

Thank you Mark!

[@pdm2201]

My neighbors would love this!

[@DouglasLMacRae]

You have cool neighbours!

[@sofalugger]

Can remember in early 70`s `Team Pegasus` used 2 Nortons think ran a 8.3 at 170 mph!! Halcyon days...

[@bruceparker9353]

I love Nortons. That's a wild one! 👍

[@jadehill1697]

Total work of art!!! That thing is a symphony!!!

[@buckwheatINtheCity]

In 1959, Bill Bragg made a similar machine for hill climbs, using two Triumph twin engines called the B B Monster.

[@MarcS4R]

Whoaaa ...so rad. I would love Herb to do some work on my Norton engine. what a legend.

[@DouglasLMacRae]

That he is!

[@paulm749]

One Norton sounds great - two Nortons singing in unison sound AWESOME!

[@slowpokebr549]

Boy, what a great job that microphone did. An excellent recording for headphone listening.

[@leeneville5094]

Wow! Words are poor things indeed to use for this incredible machine.

[@martiniv8924]

The one thumbs down must be a Triumph or Harley Fan , Superb 👌🏻😎

[@DouglasLMacRae]

For sure... Thanks a lot!

[@superkas]

Love the Murican style!

[@whatyoumakeofit6635]

Mind blowing. What an amazing machine

[@DouglasLMacRae]

It is pretty col! He is doing a re-work of the bike for next year

[@elrayox8932]

Badass!! 🏁🏴‍☠️

[@davidmotoman4956]

Now that is somethin :) sounds like thunder. Great Job Herb

[@Unime69]

So much fun!

[@rsrcdotcom]

That's amazing. Love the 'one man's vision - project in a shed'. I imagine that would be both liberating and terrifying to ride at the same time. :-) Just missing a parachute and it is ready to ride. :-)

[@DouglasLMacRae]

Yep!

[@streetscrambler8075]

Great 👍 good to see your still doing stuff Doug!!

[@DouglasLMacRae]

Yeah man! Can't keep me down...!

[@streetscrambler8075]

Douglas MacRae Absolutely, two years ago my Brother-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the doctors gave him six to nine months he’s still going strong now!!!

[@atank]

what a nice ride!!!!!!!!

[@DouglasLMacRae]

oh yeah!

[@jaykatcher1769]

Meanass machine… love it

[@phillpearson7531]

AWESOME

[@klaasbloem]

Simply te best!!

[@DouglasLMacRae]

yeah!

[@garypatrick7817]

Awesome…!

[@craigkeller]

Whole lotta hectic going on in those cylinders.

[@DouglasLMacRae]

You got that right!

[@jamesmac2513]

Respect🤛🤜 double the fist right on!

[@DouglasLMacRae]

yeah!

[@paulturner3553]

Behold, the nards crusher if you hit a bump.

[@danielzunino7144]

imprecionante

[@stevebarnhart2090]

I would love to own that bike.

[@zeus-bx9xw]

BADASS NORTON

[@DouglasLMacRae]

For sure!

[@davidatkinson3887]

Hey Doug thanks for the vid , did this have the 3 bearing crank in it and what other mods did Herb do? .Would love to see what went into this motor(s)

[@rich.eagle1evans192]

Be nice to tell more about maybe!?

[@392ih]

She's beauty

[@pauldow1648]

What did it run in 1/8 , 1/4 ?

[@Echorson]

The sound is just hynotic!

[@philmuskett265]

WOWEE. Be very, very careful where you point that thing!!!!

[@bertie6355]

I would love to know about how the gearbox is modified to take that torque. It has always been a weak point on even standard commandos.

[@DouglasLMacRae]

The gearbox is not modified and will only last for one or two runs...

[@davidsundquist1845]

could it kick start ?

[@rcnelson]

Terrific sound, what a great project. I have to ask what does one engine up and the other down mean?

[@DouglasLMacRae]

Thanks! That means that one motor is timed to fire when the piston is at TDC or top dead centre. the other motor will fire at the bottom of the piston stroke and then the vibration from the two motors will cancel themselves out.

[@bobherman936]

@@DouglasLMacRae How does an engine fire at the bottom of the piston stroke?

[@DouglasLMacRae]

@@bobherman936 Sorry, they are just firing opposite each ocher. when Herb fired it up first, timed together, they pulled the primary chain apart.

[@matthewbick1927]

That’s sick I love love love it mine has nitros

[@DouglasLMacRae]

Nitrous? Nice!

[@matthewbick1927]

@@DouglasLMacRae multi wins 1stand2nd British class brute horsepower shootout Daytona bike week back in the day

[@matthewbick1927]

@@DouglasLMacRae also nice Wright up in iron horse #120 like 30 years ago

[@DouglasLMacRae]

@@matthewbick1927 cool!

[@DouglasLMacRae]

@@matthewbick1927 awesome! As it should be!

[@martinburke362]

What horse power does this thing have?

[@bigboreharley]

its no "double trouble" but nice very nice thank you for the upload,

[@spookydog6959]

the earth is moving

[@mikebrown5648]

👍

[@sypon9864]

I'm very curious to know what gear set he is using

[@DouglasLMacRae]

The gearbox is just a stock Commando- this bike is really a full working mockup- the real plan if he can get a budget is to build a double Norton land speed bike and a stock box could not deal with the power so the rough plan is to use a Harley gearbox

[@timhenning6854]

Hey Douglas, great job on the Norton. My friend Andi Feldmann is building also a supercharged Norton but single engine. He is looking for an opponant. Where are you located? Can i get your email to send you some links of his bike? Greatings from southern Germany! ;)

[@DouglasLMacRae]

Sounds cool! You can email me through my website douglasmacrae.com I would love to see photos of the bike!

[@marcushartmann2035]

Porsche - Killer ;-))))

[@DouglasLMacRae]

yeah!

[@matthewbick1927]

What state you guys in

[@DouglasLMacRae]

Ontario, Canada!

[@Harold710]

What did he do to start it?

[@DouglasLMacRae]

Home made crank triggered starter made from a modified car starter with a handle attached- plugs into a large aluminum nut on the end of the crank on the primary side. He made one for me that I use to start my race bike.

[@Harold710]

@@DouglasLMacRae I got to see the Hogslayer in action on Mt Desert Island Maine during the INOA convention. Impressive! Also saw the triple honda.

[@martinsinclair55]

wiring is a bit of a rat's nest😚 exhaust leak too.😗

[@andyrussell7420]

Watch the shoe laces

[@DouglasLMacRae]

yeah!

[@sowslaying]

Kinda looks like burt Munro's indian when the shell is off

[@paulchandler9646]

That's a hog slayer.

[@DouglasLMacRae]

That's right!

[@bruceparker9353]

T.C. Christensen ran a twin Norton in the 60's n 70's. Hog Slayer

[@alanhodge8200]

what the neighbors say?

[@DouglasLMacRae]

I think they are accustomed to his craziness...!

[@KosherFinance]

What a crapper

[@pinslayer4579]

Coulda made just a couple passes up and down the street.

[@DouglasLMacRae]

I would have loved to...!

[@ccrider00]

Never really could hear the exhaust note, just a bunch of rattling noise❗👋👳‍♂️👊

[@KosherFinance]

Junk it!