[kz1000st]

I was not aware that a Ninja engine & drive was used. Was it "cheating" or claimed as such or do you know if the rules for that year allowed that to be done?

I don't have the specific information about that now. I saw the web site where the owner of the Campbell hot rod revealed pictures of the construction in progress. Here is a quote from another source on the topic.

http://www.life2wheels.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

Aside from having a certain Jetsons' kitschy appeal, it was quite a topical scooter to see. Only a few months ago, a 1947 Salsbury scooter handily won the 2012 Scooter Cannonball race rally traveling from Savannah Georgia to San Diego in just eight short days. It's true that the winning Salsbury was doctored with a state of the art 250cc Ninja motorcycle engine tucked under the bodywork. But when you see a Salsbury, riding one coast-to-coast seems like the most remote possibility.

What I do know is that the rules were changed before the next Cannonball to take into account engine displacement, which is probably why the Honda Elite flogged the field of 250 Vespas. I only know that the stories emanating from the Cannonball are not exactly a glowing recommendation for scooter longevity. You certainly have to wonder what would happen if someone entered a SYM Symba with chain drive as a scooter.