First Dragstrip Run - tips, tricks, no crashing?

wayoutthere007

I'm being proded by my co-worker to take my 97 bird to Epping International Dragway in New Hampshire and drag it on Friday. It'd be my first time to the dragstrip. Any tips would be helpful. I've ridden for over 20 years but just street and I've only been on the XX for 600 miles so far. I did a few launches on a backroad and hovered the front out there a few times but never under the pressure of a light tree.
Also, I'm currently running at 18t front and 45t rear. I have a 16t front and 17t front. I'm a big guy - any better to run the smaller fronts?
Wish me luck - let's hope I don't dump the clutch at 10,000RPM's and whip the bike into the guard rail!

seXXes

The 16T will give you better launches but will make the front a bit harder to keep tamed. Launching is all about clutch control NOT throttle control. Too many people try to control their launches (my experience is at a race track not a dragstrip but still the same idea) by feathering the throttle. That kills drive. If your front starts to come up a bit...slip the clutch ever so slightly until the bike catches up with the revs.

I'll let the drag racers take over form there as that's all I know about it.

shovelstrokeed

For your first pass, don't do anything different than you would for a brisk takeoff from a traffic light. That includes your body position. Don't go flinging your upper body down over the bars, it isn't necessary and upsets the bike. Do get your feet on the pegs post haste. Mine are usually up there before the back tire crosses the start line. Balance the bike on just your tip toes, and keep your head up. Initial alignment at the line should have you looking way down the track at the spot you want to cross the finish line. Then, when you roll into the staging beams, just move your eyes to the lights, not your head.

Be aware that the front end is going to come up in the top of first and maybe again on the 1-2 shift. You can help with that 1st gear wheelie by applying a little back brake or allowing the clutch to slip a bit longer. From second on, just keep your eyes on the horizon, and ride as straight as you can to the end. You can tuck in once the 1-2 shift is over.

After the first pass is under your belt, you can start adding some extra revs at the launch and work on your clutch lever control. Take it easy for a while and don't expect to hit magazine times your first day out. Guys like Rickey Gadsen learned their trade through literally thousands of passes. Their feel for what both the rear tire and the front end are doing borders on supernatural.

I watched PeeWee Gleason working on his launch for a magazine deal a few years back. First pass he bogged it. Second pass he stood it straight up. Third pass, and all subsequent, he hung the front wheel between 6" and a foot off the ground all the way through first. Impressive, and you probably shouldn't try to do that.

wayoutthere007

Excellent advice - thanks for the help! I'll stick with the 18t front - that will help keep the front end down. I'm not looking to break any records here - just to go out and have fun and not crash my precious rocketship of a bike.

Beondwacko

I couldn't have said it any better Ed.

I'd also have to say that the 18t primary is going to be a bunch more forgiving at the launch. You might be able to even get full throttle out of first gear, but don't be in a rush to do so. I just realized that by the time you read this ( it's saturday morning already ) you will have raced and been long done!
Anyway, Unless you plan on draging it regularly, keep the 18t front sprocket on. I try to get to the track 2-3 times a month myself, and I typically only really ride now and days just to and from the track. I'm running a 16/45 combo but I'm waiting on a 44t rear. I'm crossing the line at about 11,200 rpm in 4th gear , and I want to bring it down a little bit and maybe even gain a tiny bit of mph on the far end.

Let us know how it went for you and then we can coach you from there. I have personally made over 150 passes down the 1/4 mile on my bike. Ed has done much more I'm sure on other and faster bikes.

wayoutthere007

Wow - was that fun!
Well, I went down there and represented the XX for us. Smoked a new FZ1 and got beat by a ZZR1200 - I was 4 bike lengths behind by the time I got off the light - he's been racing for 20 years! The 18t/45t is perfect for me - it helps keep the front down and is more forgiving of fast clutch releases.
First run:
RT .494 <---eeeks!
1/8 = 7.484 @ 101.51mph
1/4 = 11.470 @ 124.73 (zzr ran a 10.661 @ 131.42)

At this point the track official at the end stopped me and said that I need to stay under 120mph or get on leather pants - I had on a pair of kevlar jeans but that didn't seem to matter to them. The guy at the xmas tree came up and said - go balls out just until you hit the timing lights at the end and roll off and you can stay. ...uhm, okay.

Second run:
RT .325 <--- at least it's better
1/8 = 7.433 @ 101.73 (2007 FZ1 ran a 8.103 @ 100.49)
1/4 = 11.544 @ 106.99 (2007 FZ1 ran a 12.052 @ 122.41) <-- I win!

Third run:
RT .470 (the hottie in the stands was distracting - okay, i just suck)
1/8 = 7.444 @ 100.49 (2007 FZ1 ran a 7.932 @ 97.97 - he had a rt of .184!)
1/4 = 11.508 @ 104.35 (2007 FZ1 ran a 11.958 @ 119.85) <-- I win!

Fourth run:
RT .574 (I had the left lane for the first time and didn't do well - plus I spun big time at the start)
1/8 = 8.056 @ 100.29 (2006 Harley ran a 8.538 @ 77.35)
1/4 = 11.981 @ 124.01 (2006 Harley ran a 13.836 @ 89.81)

At this point they said to park it due to going over 120mph again - I watched the speedo through the gates and could have sworn it was only on 115ish give or take.

I really enjoyed running and purposely went full speed on the 4th run because I hated backing off (it's just unnatural) and didn't want to beat the XX to death my first time out. I sat up in the stands with my brother and his friend the rest of the time and watched by buddies race and all kinds of cool (and not-so-cool) cars run. I got video of it and will post it as soon as I get it up on the web.

Thanks for the advice! Once you do a few runs it's not as intimidating at all to sit at the xmas tree. I really enjoyed beating the FZ1!! That ZZR is gonna be a tough match. He's pretty serious though - he was strapping down the rear and the front suspension and letting pressure out of the back tire. I just run-wut-i-brung. The front end only got away from me once where I had to let out of it - all 3 other runs it just got off the ground in first and a moment in second. Oh yeah - the first run I was so focused on twisting the throttle that I hit the rev limiter in second and wondered why my bike was slowing down and running bad - then I shifted - LOL! And the 4th run I was paired up with a ZRX1100 but he pulled over and said he didn't want to run me and went up against an older FZ1. I did get a lot of comments from ppl saying it was a great bike and looked beautiful.

raymondo

Great story I bet it was fun, just wish their was a place around here that I could do what you did.

shovelstrokeed

At most tracks I have run at, there is a cone at the 1000 foot mark. Roll out of the gas just as you pass that cone, you don't have to chop the throttle, just more or less roll out and maintain speed. If you watch the bracket racers you'll see/hear them doing that at the 1000 foot cone. Then they play with each other to try and take the win light without running below their dial-in.

You could have had a bunch of fun with the HD, slowing to match his speed and then just roll on by and beat him by a wheel at the first light.

The speed trap at a drag strip is set up with one light at 66 feet before the finish line and another 66 feet after. Time between the two lights determines trap speed. Back in the early days of the Pro Mod class, the guys were setting all sorts of fantastic speed marks by going through the first set of lights with the front wheel in the air and then setting it down right at the finish light, shortening the distance by about 6.5 feet. Now they get disqualified for that little trick.

Beondwacko

I got lined up against a ZRX1100 one time at the track. He was also strapped, and had carb work done along with a full exhaust. I killed him. 8-9 bike lengths at the far end.

Sweetruss

Wow - was that fun!

I'm excited for you and I wasn't even there! We're lucky enought to have two drag strip's in my area, althought I must say I don't know if I could ever take my XX out there. Great job, when are you going back.....?

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Partsguy

Super Streetbike has tips from Rickey Gadson on dragracing this month.I think that 18t is killing you,noticed you didn't post 60' or 330',keep bringing the revs up every pass on the launch by like 500.If you spun big time you're going to have to let some air out,check the track on your first pass to see how sticky it is,on a really good day your boots are sticking to the pavement,if that happens you can run over 30lbs in the back,if there's not much there start at like 28 and go down,I've gone to 20 in order to get traction some days.And launches are about clutch and throttle control,the more the throttle starts in the right place the less clutch you have to use,the less clutch the quicker you get the power down and save on clutch wear.

wayoutthere007

I had a great time!
I'll put on a 17t next time and see how it goes. My 60 foot times were:

rt .494
60' 2.044 seconds

rt .385
60' 2.015

rt .470
60' 1.973

rt .574
60' 2.541

SoKanXX

Awesome Kevin!! That sounds like a blast!!!

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