Drag strip virgin.....

Ok, so there's this meet in 2 weeks for my car club at the drag strip. Cars and bikes are welcome. I'd like to take the Frankenblade, but I have never run it in anger before. I hate to admit it, but I am clueless when it comes to drag strip skillz! What tire pressures should I run in the rear? I assme that the front stays the same as street pressure? Do I need to strap the front of the bike down? Alternatively, instead of strapping, can I raise the forks in the triples? If yes to the latter, by how much? Do I need to lower the rear of the bike? Can I get away with not doing this? When I start, do I keep both my feet out, or put them on the pegs? Should I start in 1st or 2nd gear? Do I need to do a burnout before the start (I am running Pilot Powers) Should I clutchless upshift through the gears, or should I flatshift only while still using the clutch? I'm currently running a 15T/45T combo, but as it is, I can't put full power down in first because it is just too violent (the front wheel will not stay down), and the front wheel will also lift purely under power in second - even with me leaning forward. Plus I have flatslide carbs too. I am thinking of putting the 16T front sprocket back on - is that a good idea? What sort of time should I expect with 154 at the rear wheel? Thanks, Sime

Ok first time drag racing huh? Well the first thing to do is to forget about all the tire pressures and all that stuff your not john force yet so dont worry about it. Race it as you ride on the street. Second- pull around the water box so you dont get your rear tire wet. Burn if you need to flex for muscles a bit but having a heated tire isnt really gonna help you that much at this skill level Third- This is a warning to you. Most tracks spray a glue like compound at the starting line so you will have ALOT of traction you wont be used to. First couple times down take it easy on the launch and work your way up to a level you are comfortable with. If you follow this you will have a fun time instead of being a big shot and looping your bike first time out. Do you know how to stage?

:iagree: :withstupi and keep you weight forward to help keep the front down. Biggest thing is relax n enjoy. Ya not in the NHRA so ya out to have fun:dthumb:

:luck: :luck: sounds like you should have fun

if you have the time and whatnot, lowering the bike wont hurt. youd lower it in the triple tree... but dont go buy lowering links for the rear just to drag race it. I'd say first time out.. SOFTEN your spring in the rear all the way out... its easy and free. That will aide in keeping the front end down. Use 1st gear, but like he already said, go easy with the track being prepped. Just slip the clutch a time or two until u get the right RPM to get it out without bogging it, then u can just do it through controlled throttle. Just find a desolate road and give it aseveral tries the day before and pay attnetion to your RPMS, though the track prep will change it just a hair. Staging... odds are they will go 1-2-3- with yellow lights then the green. Soon as u see the third yellow hit it. IF you get a reaction time of like .4-.5 or worse, you left too close to green. you want like a .2-.3 or better. Worst case u red light it. If you get enough runs itll get pretty good.

Well reaction times mean nothing if your just going out to see what ET's your bike can put down. The clock doesn't start till you move. I would work on lowering your 60'ft times first which is all about how well you launch and you can cut some serious time off your ET.

true. But it sucks to run a better ET and still get to the end of the track second...and still good to just get good reaction.

true. But it sucks to run a better ET and still get to the end of the track second...and still good to just get good reaction. Yeah its always good to win:dthumb: But I'd rather him concentrate on riding his bike right first and the rest will all fall in line

good stuff here, i have nothing to add, -but i always like to see a new drag racing post- you're new at it so just have fun :dthumb:

:twfrox:

whether or not you wanted to, but drag racing will teach you how to wheelie. my first time doing a wheelie was down the strip (gpz900). -a|ex

so what was the outcome? or is it next week?

Back Marker-- My first wheelies too...Ex500... Through 2 gears none-the-less. The only time i ever got that bike up in second.(and a rare first gear wheelie) Let us know our times when u get a slip

what were the times? :tt: also did you make any mods? lowering, pressure, etc... hope you laid down some good times :dthumb:

Still no results? What gives?

Yeah, how did it go???? :tt:

:tt: i know, im waitin too-:here: we want results! :lol: i think im going on the 8th of july, ill let you guys know how i do, but hopefully sime chimes in before then....

Hey all, My sincerest apology for being away from the forum for a little while. It's tax time here so I have been busy with that, plus I have been helping my wife with our 9 week old son, and our 2.5 year old daughter who seems to need more attention that our son! I did go to the strip last weekend, but unfortunately couldn't take the bike. My friend didn't get the trailer he wanted so he only had access to a dirtbike trailer which couldn't fit two sportbikes (he has a z1000 with really wide bars). So, I had to leave my bike at home. In anticipation of going to the strip, I did however change the front sprocket back to the 16T and the bike is much easier to ride now. I did take the car and did a 12.74 (02 Subaru STi heavily modded 2 litre). I'm upping the engine capacity to 2.4litres and should see 400hp at the wheels. That will make it an 11 second 4 cylinder which will be nice! Re the bike, I'll go out to Calder which is closer so I can ride there. However, it's getting pretty cold here now (around high 30's early 40's) and with flatslide carbs and no choke, my bike doesn't like to start. So it may have to wait for Spring. Thanks so much for all your tips and help. I will use them all when I do go to the strip. Cheers, Sime

no choke? ouch-that sucks have fun with your kids :dthumb: they're too young to talk back, enjoy that lol

Thanks for the response!! Hope you get the bike out there sometime soon. no choke? ouch-that sucks Nah, just ask Burt Munro. He had the world's fastest Indian and it didn't have a choke. He just put his hand over the air intake to choke it. ;)

Thanks for the response!! Hope you get the bike out there sometime soon. Nah, just ask Burt Munro. He had the world's fastest Indian and it didn't have a choke. He just put his hand over the air intake to choke it. ;) that was a great movie i thought-but try puttin your hand over 4 carbs(he had one) and u got problems lol my bike refuses to start unless i choke it when its cold :cheers: and one of his records still stand!

that was a great movie i thought-but try puttin your hand over 4 carbs(he had one) and u got problems lol my bike refuses to start unless i choke it when its cold :cheers: and one of his records still stand! True, it would be tough putting your hand over 4 carbs, but I'm sure something could be rigged. ;) Yeah, great movie. I'm watching it again right now. I wish I'd had a bike when I lived in Salt Lake City. Hopefully I'll get back out that way sometime.

"offerings to the god of speed" i love that wall, that guy kicked ass:dthumb: lol, try kick startin a hi compression bike and covering four carbs at the same time-that would be a feat in itself!

This is from my experiance in cars They spray what is know as VHT (usually) on the track it makes it sticky. After you luanch keep the bike in the center of the track thats where the most grip will be. A track is time dat the end by "trap" speed so there is a timing set just before and after the 1/4 mark but not at it so keep accelirating till your are completely past the 1/4 (or 1/8 depending on the lenght of the race) Your 1/4 will be the average of the two trap times (at least I have never seen a track that doesnt have this set up) Like others have said the luanch is absolutly the most important part of the whole race. after that keep it straight and hit your shift points. i wouldnt do what is know as "power shifting" or keeping on the gas while you shift, I don't Imagine a 100 MPH wheelie would be fun down a 15 foot wide road with concrete on either side. Like I said this comes from i know with cars, on four wheels we do all kinds of things you couldnt get away with on a bike. Also don't pay attention to the guy in the other lane, there is something known as object fixation you will follow your eyes so look down the track not to your left or right.

the speed is the average of the two times, but the et is just from start to finish.....and if your on a bike, 90% of the time the most grip is gona be alil left or alil right of center, as in the tire tracks of a car. you dont normally wana be in the center, except in the event that its an all bike event, then sometimes the center may be cool. but for a stock/mostly stock bike, picking a spot isnt that critical anyway:dthumb:

the speed is the average of the two times, but the et is just from start to finish.....and if your on a bike, 90% of the time the most grip is gona be alil left or alil right of center, as in the tire tracks of a car. you dont normally wana be in the center, except in the event that its an all bike event, then sometimes the center may be cool. but for a stock/mostly stock bike, picking a spot isnt that critical anyway:dthumb: :iagree:

the speed is the average of the two times, but the et is just from start to finish.....and if your on a bike, 90% of the time the most grip is gona be alil left or alil right of center, as in the tire tracks of a car. you dont normally wana be in the center, except in the event that its an all bike event, then sometimes the center may be cool. but for a stock/mostly stock bike, picking a spot isnt that critical anyway:dthumb: lol, I never though of that cars have two wheels a motor cycle has one so center track would be between the two area where rubber has been laid. :bonk:

you wont stay in the same line on the line anywyas during a launch, the bike will move a bit. But the center is where cars will have dripped oil and things so u want to be in the tire marks. Also the VHT will wear off in the tire marks, and u do not need VHT for the bikes. let the cars make a few passes first to wear it off

So do you guys think that strapping the front is worthless? I dont want to drop it in the trees,Cause i want to ride to and from the track,so i was thinking of picking up a strap on ebay for 20$. and backing the rear spring down. I have never run a bike at the track either,but I got a grudge match brewin between my Kat and this dude with a zrx1200 Kawi. and I refuse to lose to this chump. My main concerns are hooking up,cause my bike is already pretty long and will light up the tire easy,its really pretty wheelie resistant,which is great for the start,but It will spin it hard if I dont take it easy off the light.

Straping can go either way, i didnt notice a difference in my times strapped or unstrapped. But it did bottom out, but stiffening the front and strapping will also make it pop up harder.. But the straps, install em and u can make passes with it strapped and unstrapped and see what u prefer. They are a 5 seocnd mod between strapping them down or letting them sit loose.

I saw a guy loop a bike out and hit the Christmas tree. It was funny as hell. My buds and I(Before I owned a bike) watched two Hayabusas pull a 9second time. Then I see a bike pull up to the line but I swore he went through the bleach pit. My buddies thought the same thing. He's on a green Kawasaki(No clue what kind) and then launches. He rear breaks loose(Which Atlanta dragway traction sucks period but not that bad) and he starts riding it cowboy style and finally crashed right next to the tree. He was perfectly fine other than a smashed ego. Which if you want to see some squidtastic racing action. Check out the Atlanta Dragstrip in Commerce, GA. Every chromed out nitrous injected turboed Busa in Atlanta migrates there. And everyone is on the edge of crashing when they go. And the Import car racers are the best. Half of them stage with their rear tires.

I love your signature man! I've sene some bikes get squirly at the strip, but its normally the car guys that end up doing somehting stupid.. and jsut to gain a few hundrethes rather then let off and just take another run at it.

So do you guys think that strapping the front is worthless? I dont want to drop it in the trees,Cause i want to ride to and from the track,so i was thinking of picking up a strap on ebay for 20$. and backing the rear spring down. I have never run a bike at the track either,but I got a grudge match brewin between my Kat and this dude with a zrx1200 Kawi. and I refuse to lose to this chump. My main concerns are hooking up,cause my bike is already pretty long and will light up the tire easy,its really pretty wheelie resistant,which is great for the start,but It will spin it hard if I dont take it easy off the light. If your bike is having traction problems and not wheelying problems then strapping the front end down isnt going to help...try lowering the rear tire air pressure to 25 psi and do a healthy burnout and see if that helps traction..... since its your first time at a dragstrip then come out of the hole easy and see how it goes, then try to raise the rpms and see where traction becomes an issue.......your going to have to slip the clutch eventually to get a real good 60 foot time, but thats going to take practice and more track time....if this is just a one time race to beat your friend then launch at low rpms and get the clutch out quick and get the throttle wide open as fast as you can and hope for the best.. if you try to come out too hard and screw up the start, either with a wheelie or spinning the rear tire and have to come off the gas, then you will lose.....:dthumb:

try to get a few practice runs in before you race him-the tracks traction, even if it sucks, is way better than on the street. takes a pass or two to get used to if u never experienced it. id say get the strap, just in case. its only 20bucks. u mite get to the track and that big kat mite try and scratch up the back of your helmet lol

I just put in a new clutch on the Kat and Was trying some "practice" starts on the street.I know traction will be much better at the track but I have been experementing with leaving at diff RPM's and 2-3K seems about right.but I cant get full throttle right away or she'll spin.think i'll try lowering the tire pressure.25 is good to start at?im at 38 now so that should make a huge difference

too low will also cost ya traction, id start a bit higher, maybe 28. i know at 25 the tire will start to deform, or my powers do a bit anyways, and your bike is heavier...

Just keep riding you will get the hang of it:luck:

I run 28 in my back tire and it hooks very well. Traction SHOULD be way better at the track than on the street. VHT is a wonderful thing. I'd get the strap just in case. If you're gonna practice a little, I'd practice just the launch, using the clutch to prevent spinning, you'll need some skill with that to prevent tire spin or wheelies at the track, whichever your bike wants to do when it's pushed hard, so might as well start practicing it. You'll be able to adjust pretty quick once you make a couple passes. My CBR 600 F2 wants to wheelie, but I'm now launching at 8~9K, pulling a 1.75 60' and carrying the front tire about 3"~6" all the way through first. I'm hoping a strap will help me get into the 1.6s or better. :cool: