Sunday, February 15, 2009

Schaller Cams


I'm trying to get some information together on Schaller Cams and on Harold "Bus" Schaller or on Erwin Lee the rider of the bike. I've been to their web site and the info is limited. Dr Sproket don't let me down.

11 comments:

drsprocket said...

I'm here for you Jedd. I'll have to look in my archives for the exact dates of Cycle magazines coverage of that machine racing at the Socal dry lakes. Hold on to your handlebars but this is fact. That's the original machine that was the Petrali streamliner. Stan Dishong of Norcal raced that for Schaller first. He was from Vallejo and Joe was from Sacramento. Joe used to live right around the corner from me. I know way to much about this machine and it's history. Give me some time and I'll get it all together for you. Rich

Flathead Jedd said...

Rich, thanks. I knew you were my Dr for this. Bob McMillen is trying to find out some info on Erwin Lee , who supposedly rode this bike into the records.

Anonymous said...

DEYM! classic.. my jaw dropped.. LOL! 2 thumbs up for you guys..

Regards from the Philippines
XL3 Riders Club

drsprocket said...

Here's a few more things. Al Lauer (who had the Excelsior then indian shop in Sacto used to have the Petrali streamliner fairings that were on this machine when all the factory photos were taken in "37 & '38. He ran for the record in Florida w/o them. Stan ran this machine with a jackshaft sans trans and dual carbs like Joe. Schaller stuck a Pan in this near the end. Cycle mags summer to fall issues '50 to "53 have many photos of this machine on the dry lakes. The original cases that Joe ran were blown up by Stan. When Jim Lattin built his replica of Joe's machine for the Decker castings Stan gave him the cases and Jim restored them for the machine. Truth is stranger than fiction. Enough for now. OUT!

Chris K said...

I thought the fork streamlining looked familiar. Great history. I'm always amazed at just how much the good Doctor knows. Is the H-D bike a recreation or resto?

drsprocket said...

Chris, Recreation. The old men taught me well. Now I am one. Rich

Flathead Jedd said...

I received this email and wanted to share it with you;
"Good morning, my name is Gil Rothweiler , Bus Schaller and I worked together from 1960 to 1967 when Bus passed away. I had to sell the Cam business to pay bills. We ground all types of camshafts, motorcycles, dragsters, sprint cars and street cars. After Bus received a U.S. GOVERNMENT PATENT on the quarter speed double-lobe camshaft we went to work on developing this cam for small block Chevy’s and later we mfg. ¼ speed cams for Ford engines. This cam developed more H.P. AND INCREASED FUEL MILEAGE. We tried to sell the idea to the big three in Detroit, there response was if we need more H.P. we build bigger engines and who cares about fuel mileage gas was 20 to 30 cents a gallon and if there a gas station on four corners there was a gas price war on who could sell a gallon of gas cheapest. There is a nice story about Bus Schaller in Hot Rod Mag. March 1961. Mickey Thompson used the ¼ speed double lobe cam in his Indy cars (1963). I have a lot of info on Schaller Cams. Attached is a picture of Motorcycle at Bonneville Slat Flats. Also Bus and Stormy Mangham built a bike just like the picture and installed a Chevy engine with ¼ speed double-lobe cam when they shifted into high gear at 300 MPH they lost traction and laid the bike down everyone was O.K. just ran out of time to repair and make a run for the record."
Maybe now Detroit should consider this cam for fuel sake! FHJ

Unknown said...

I would love to hear from Gil Rothweiler again. i spent a summer having dinners with him in his living room, listening to drag racing stories. he was still working and I coulda gone to work with him. that was in the mid 90's.
My email is ldudley@comcast.net I regret I never taped those days.....

Leo P. Dudley

Unknown said...

Are you still looking for info on Bus Scaller? He was my Great-Grandfather. I know my Grandma (his daughter in-law) and my mom have tons of info and photos they could share with you. I thinh they actually have some film footage from the fifties, too.

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

I will forward your message to my mom