Drag Racing - 2018

[Claviger]

Now that Mufasa is making proper power I’ve been thinking back to last year and how racing went.

I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of instruction by the likes of Ricky Gadson and his brother.

Basically they’re method is get rolling get the clutch out and get to WOT as quickly as possible. If you slomo some of his ZX-14 launches you’ll see him full throttle and clutch out in 1 bike length or less.

Despite all my mental alarms screaming NO NO NO I was able to force myself to got full open well before the tree, it’s terrifying lol. I tried this method last year, it resulted in consistent times and traps, but the bike would jumped off the line and then spin up the rear as soon as it hit 4000 RPM if I remember correctly. So I’d either short shift or slightly back off and ride it out. It wasn’t pulling up the front, just spinning hard. Track had a lot of VHT but it was cold, around 50f and overcast.

Any experienced drag racers out there have any suggestions?

Setup was full loose compression damping rear, tight rebound damping rear to slow the weight transfer back to the front. Avon Cobra at 36 PSI. I now weight 215lb with gear, bikes a touch over 700 fueled. The pressure was high for drags but I was nervous about going low pressure when trapping 135.xx.

Really want to get under 9.5s and should trap at 150 now, I think it’s very possible for the bike if I can cut a good 60.

 

[BigNorm]

You are speaking a foreign language to me but I am interested in any responses.

 

[Prestaged]

135 on the big end is impressive to me. 150 would make me pee or something. I have run my R3T during Test 'N Tune sessions a couple of time, but I won't disclose my times or speeds as they were not impressive. But because of that I can relate to what you are trying to do in the first 60'. It takes courage to coax a bike like that off the line and go WOT. I would like to go back to the track and improve my personal numbers but they would be nothing close to what you are doing. Good luck!

 

[Rocket Scientist]

Back when I used to race my Kawasaki H1, I would hold it at 6,000 rpm's as the tree came down. Right before the last yellow, I would go to wide open, then feather the clutch out as fast as I could without spinning the tire. It's not easy to do especially if you have an open header car next to so you cant hear your own engine. Once I was rolling I didn't have to worry about wheel spin. On my 900 Kaw I ran a slick and wheelie bar. On that bike the slick was like gear drive, no slip at all. I only raced my V-65 Honda one time. As soon as I would go from the 100 ft. concrete take-off onto the asphalt, my back tire would go up in smoke. I don't know how Carpenter keeps their Silverback hooked, especially with a Metz.

Edit: Most of my racing was done late 70`s to mid 80's on much lower HP machines, so not very relevant today

 

[mr hunt]

I'd swap the avon for the taller E max straight up

 

[Claviger]

It’s an E max now . Thinking it may have been my launch technique. I was low RPM launching because the rocket doesn’t need high rpm launches to get out of the hole fast.

Stage 2000, bump to 2500 on first light and launch at 2500-2800. I think I need to try and feather a bit more keep my action on the throttle a slightly slower roll in hitting full throttle right before I shift instead of a very quick open to the stop. I think this way I’ll possibly avoid the big torque hitting while moving under 10 mph and breaking the tire loose.

Also going to try lower pressure to around 24 as a starting point to let the tire flex a bit more.

Makes sense in my head, sounds easy.... it won’t be lol. I’ll make sure both go pros are charged this time (both were dead last year).

 

[Claviger]

Funny story just popped in my head:

When I was a very new rider I wanted to learn to launch my Daytona 955 but was terrified of looping it, it’s a very wheelie happy bike.

Chatting with a buddy who used to ride with Guy Martin in his youth, he explained it like this: lean forward as far as you can, launch 3/4 up the rpm range hard and fast, pin the throttle. One of two things will happen, you’ll do a massive sexy burnout launch as scare the crap outa yourself or you’ll go hard like you’ve never gone before.

Darned if he wasn’t right, took my Daytona out, launched hard as hell at 8500 RPM and I literally couldn’t pull my leg up into the peg to shift from the G forces, hovering the front tire about a foot up the whole way. Was the single most violent hole shot I’ve ever experienced, had me hard as a rock all day

 

[cootertwo]

My stretched out slammed, hard tail Rocket used to spin the rear all the way through first, and second, and would hook up in third. Now since I put a car tire on the rear, it hooks up in FIRST! As long as it is with the raked out front, it doesn't even try to lift the front end, but you'd better hang on! And it still has the stock clutch, but only 2,800 miles total, and an 05 at that! I haven't made it to the track yet, (looking for a one man trailer). But have practiced a few "take off's". Lot's of fun for sure!

 

[Claviger]

Indeed, it looks like a thrilling ride!!

 

[Steel]

I haven't been to the track, only tried with the Ulysses app on my phone. It tracks everything by GPS. I know it's not like the track, having to cut a light, but it's still fun. I get as far over the tank as I can, and listen to the motor, because I can't see the Tach. Letting out in 1st, the front tire is a few inches off the ground until I shift. 4 runs all had times in the 9.5s. I don't remember what the trap speeds were.