heading to the drag strip.... tips please :)

[BLOFLY 636]

Hi, I will be going down the 1/4 mile gun barrel in 15 days and am looking for some tips on how to do it and what to expect at the launch should I use a strap to make the front squat? how should I launch? should I use the clutch to shift? what RPM should I reach before shifting? and should I lower the air pressure in the rear tyre?
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[Sparks!]

How about you go have fun and don't worry about how to be the fastest and bestest on your first go?

Seriously .. just go... ride off as quick as you know how, ask for some advice there, practice faster take offs and have fun..

Don't worry about anything else

I've never done drag racing (doesn't interest me) but the above applies to anything really, you don't have to be the bestest and know everything to have fun at anything

HTH
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Current Toys: 06 Yamaha WR250F | Nissan 350Z GT | Tech 4 Homes

[cc123]

Advise.......?? Don't fall off!!
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Old bikes >>> https://www.bikepics.com/members/cc123/

[eddie_gumshoe]

TECHNIQUE !!! I have done the strip in a car once or twice ... you will gain / lose more time by being good at the launch sequence .. watch other guys as they approach 'pre-stage/ stage/ go ' and see how the quick lads do it ...
you can actually wina drag race witha lower terminal speed than the other guy.

Like Yams said, forget fancy set ups on a bike just go and enjoy with what you brung .... when you are starting well and have the stage sequence sorted, with the best reaction times you can get , then maybe think about modifying the bike . That'll be about two years of regular competition then !!!

Stop worrying . Have fun . Learn start technique..

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Depends on the bike, but... ideally you want to be pulling away at around the RPM where your bike makes peak torque. On some bikes clutchless shifting between 1st and 2nd is very hit and miss, literally. It's often better to use the clutch for that change then go clutchless for the rest. Don't over-rev your engine past peak power, unless maybe you're metres from the finish. If the track is slippy a quick burnout before the start will help with grip.

Another obvious thing is to go when the lights flash yellow, don't bother waiting for green as by the time you start moving it'll be on green anyway.

[BLOFLY 636]

cheers for the advise it is all great information and I will have a ball there I am only going because I ran into a old work mate the other day who runs a slightly modified ZX-12R that pulls consistent 9.7ish times and he asked if I would like to give it a go, he also said I should use the straps to compress the front forks down I am thinking it is because it lowers the nose for better weight transfer onto the back wheel during the launch? it looks like most street bikes slip the clutch a fair bit off the line then hoist the front up, shift to second and then by half way through 2nd gear the front comes back down and then into 3rd gear for the rest of the run, maybe getting into 4th gear on some smaller bikes like mine. I am stressing out about the front JUMPING up when I launch
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[Sparks!]

[Bendy]

Just wing that mother.

[Gazdaman]

Being on a small capacity 2 stroke I'm always practising my race launches from traffic lights, but then I don't have the kind of oomph your kwak has.

From what I've seen, people just give it some serious leaning forwards, lots of slipping clutch, then ride normally for the rest.

You'll wing it, you'll be fine, it's your first go, what do you really expect?

Gaz

[G]

For as long as possible you want to be just on the point of wheelying.

This is the point that the bike will be accelerating at it's maximum speed.


You want to slip the clutch up to the point that you can just turn the throttle to make the front come up. On a big bike this means basically dumping the clutch, a bit longer needed on a 600, though probably not that long on a newish one. I have found that it's some times easier to slip the clutch for longer on a 600; to get the power down and keep the front down.

If possible, clutchless shift all the time. Shift at the redline, keep an eye on your tacho... it's not like you're going to be looking out for braking markers.

Lowering your frontend means there's more weight over the front, which will give you a bit more acceleration before the front end comes up.

Start with a standard tyre pressure. If you get it sliding, reduce it a bit. Continue to reduce it until around 10psi on a road bike I reckon, if you are still lacking in traction (not sure if going lower than this will help on standard tyres).


I'm so going to enjoy talking about track riding etc in our summer when it's slightly less wet for us and slightly colder for you. Bastard .

[Jrod]

I've been practising this lately, I found a whole lot of revs and just feed the clutch in. I released it pretty quickly with the result of the front hopping up. (I was trying to do it so I didnt panic and look a fool )

[Demonic69]

As said, slip the clutch on take off, clutchless shift when going. You're best to keep your brake foot on the ground, gear foot on the peg ready, this saves you messing up trying to get your feet back on the pegs while at the redline in 1st.
For your first runs don't try to race. The timer's started when you set off, not when the lights change, so let the other guy chase the lights, the time's the important bit.
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Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

[Wave2k]

Wot about if its a 16 yr old on a super tuned gilera runner

then if u wait, hell run around saying i BEAT A 600
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[Silver]

To be honest if the place you're going to is anything like Santa Pod over here, and you're riding your ZX6R then don't worry about racing because you're going to lose regardless!

I took mt ZX6R there and over half the bikes had nitrous and lengthened swingarms My 636cc was the smallest capacity! One bloke hit a terminal speed of 175mph over the 1/4 on a Hayabusa that looked road legal!

Just enjoy yourself and, if anything, just race your own times.

[Dom_]

Go out NOW and practise some racing starts on a empty road, as i own a small cc 2 stroke i can quite happily pull off from the lights at 11k without worrying that im breaking the limit.

[Mr C]

DON'T STRAP IT....

best left to those who know what they are doing ...


I only strap mine as I am also lowering the rear with adjustable links and I know exactly where the wheelie is coming and what to do about it

the problem with strapping is twofold

it slightly steepens the steering angle and makes the bike a little unstable if you only strap but don't lower as well

but much more important it removes suspension travel and cack handed wheelies can both damage the body work (mudguard usually) and worse, lead to violent tank slappers as there is nothing left to soak up the thump as the wheel comes down

also, I wouldn't recommend anything but the genuine article racing straps, luggage straps just don't cut it imo and can be downright dangerous if they snap or flail about

don't go on the flashing yellows, you will get a red light and no time

don't race the other guy, you are racing yourself, use him for pace but unless you make the eliminators then it is not a race

there is a fair time between yellow and green, wait for the green with mid range revs, 5-6,000 on mine and the clutch at biting point

stand with your left foot under the lever, ready to change, very often the launch goes well and people are accelerating wildly and can't find the lever in time

lean as far forward as you can to keep the front down but doing this also unloads the rear so watch for wheelspin, especially at this time of year

only really reduce the pressure in the rear tyre and do burnouts if you really don't want the tyre any more, the extra grip helps the really fast guys but they are more interested in a few tenths than in tyre life

and don't use the clutch for gear changing, ever


just treat the launch like a swift getaway from traffic lights and enjoy yourself
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187.3bhp = 201mph

[BLOFLY 636]

ahhh ok I sort of understand it now I went for a practice today in my industrial area on the way to work at 5:30 am it is about 20 degrees celcius at that time of the morning and thought "hmmmm I have a few minutes to spare" so just lined the bike up straight down the road and had a fake drag launch, revved up to 7000RPM, leant forward and let the clutch out slightly slower than usual like a bat out of hell! I pulled a wheelie about a foot off the ground all the way through first, backed off to shift to 2nd, slammed my nuts into the tank when the front come down, powered on again and just rode normally after that looks like I will have to practice shifting to second more
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[G]

[Mr C]

if that wheelie slammed down hard with the front strapped you could well have been off

if it felt hard unstrapped, imagine what it would have felt like with no suspension travel

the chances of a moster tank slapper are quite high


I saw Mr Lucky ride one out on a zx12r strapped at the front but not lowered at the rear at Elvington but most of the crowd thought he was off judging by the collective gasp

all because he landed a wheelie hard

it was quite scary to watch
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187.3bhp = 201mph

[BLOFLY 636]

YEAH the impact from backing the throttle off, snicking 2nd and trying to re-open the throttle before the front touched the ground was rather sudden, I would hate to think of what could happen if the front is even the slightest bit firmer *grabs the tie down strap and cuts it in half* so I am just going to try to do a 1 inch wheelie for 1st gear, snick 2nd with no clutch and reopen the throttle instantly and just keep the throttle wire stretched through the rest of the gears, all with my chin on the speedo? sounds like a walk in the park
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[G]

Note that you should only need a flick of the throttle to clutchless change. During higher wheelies it's perfectly possible to knock it up and keep the wheelie going without altitude loss.

[BLOFLY 636]

cheers for all the tips, I will let you know about the times and speeds after the big day, I have found a couple of guys from work who will come along one on a 2000 ZX-12R with a drag open pipe and billet clutch (rather quick!) and the other with a 2000 VFR 800 (not as quick!)
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[BLOFLY 636]

this is the track I will be going to I can't wait to see how it goes! https://www.motorplex.com.au/
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[stevo as b4]

Good luck mate, it sounds like fun! Im likley to be trying a few 1/4 mile runs this year myself, but with my car, not the bike, as i want to know what it could do with a few little mods? My mate will also be trying to get some better times from his Nissan Almera now he's got a more or less working turbo set up and 200ish bhp on a good day. The trouble is his little Nissan was never built to handle the power its got now, theres no LSD or Torsen diff, and with a turbo that is a bit oversized for the bhp and the engine, when it finally does do anything, it just lights up the tyres and goes nowhere!

Im going to wait until i get my KMX200 moto running well and see if i can get some reasonable times outa that, but im put off draging my 6R because i'll only end up dissapointed if i cant match the times that the magazine testers achieve, which for a novice like me, would probably take a long time and 2-3 clutches to practice with!

[BLOFLY 636]

well I just come back from the drag races with a scrunched up bit of paper with my best run of 11.53 seconds @ 199.63kmph bloody great fun and a great night out too! there were a few Hayabusa's and ZX-12R's there that were doing some awesome times but they also on different occasions managed to liquify tyres on the launch, pop monster high wheelies when shifting to second gear and run out of petrol halfway down the strip I raced two ZX-9R's two GPZ 900's and a Yamaha R1. My best time was when I raced the R1! The guy on the R1 passed through the gates with a time of 10.88 @ 207.55kmph the only races I won were against the GPZ 900's and I didn't pass them until halfway down the track. I think I could have launched a bit harder because I was not pulling very big wheelies or spinning the rear tyre at the green light. but I should also say there was a black ZX'6R 2004 model like mine that was getting 10.9's and he still had the kawasaki pipe and no modifications at all! I am guessing he has done this many times before
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!