I live in the UK, Drag racing is not big over here, the term track to us guys means race circuits, you know the ones with corners?

We would tend to use the word strip over circuit in the UK.

Track days are big over here, but recently have become very expensive so I can't afford them anymore,this is where you get to run around a race circuit (the ones with corners, like Luguna) on your bike for the day.

I thought every American town had a drag strip nearby and every American motorcyclist took his bike there and would know his 1/4 mile time.

We have very few strips in the UK, maybe two or three.

A mate has just asked me if I would like to go to a "Run what ya brung" meeting, this is where anyone can turn up with any vehicle and go up the strip, it is pretty cheap and sounds like a laugh so I think I might go.

I was hoping I could get some good tips from the US experts on this subject, you know, what times I should be able to post on a virtually bog stock bike, how to get a good launch, if I should change suspension settings or tyre pressures for a better time.

Any advice greaty appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Rasher any of the new japenese road bikes over a 1000c shuld be capapable of cracking a 9.8-10.5 second pass all comes down to the rider and track conditions.What sought of bike are you going have a play on.

ZX-14R (ZZR-1400 in the UK)

Almost standard 2007 Model, just got Flies Out, Dyno' at 175BHP

No drag mods, stock wheelbase, suspension, tyres gearing etc.

The best I ran in stock trim on my 06 was 10.001 @ 143MPH I suggest lowering you rear tire pressure down to around 16 PSI this will help with traction by increasing you tyre profile,practices you launches work your way up say start at 3000 rpm and if you can control; any wheel stands and tire spin try a launch at 3500 and so on and so forth until you reach a spot of where you are launching hard but not getting huge wheelies or wheel spin this largely depends on how the track is prepared,tire choice(I like Shinkos)and rider abilitiy to control all this by clutch and throttle control on some tracks I launch as with little as 4000 rpm and others as high as 8000rpm but this all comes down to track time and I am no expert if you can get 1.7-2.0 60 foots you will be doing great and most importantly remember have FUN

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated

Body/Bike Prep:

I would run 50psi in the front if not 60psi. I'd start with that 16 at the rear as stated above and work from there or clutch the 16 pound tire so as not to spin or override it. You keep over spinning on leave, then lower pressure. Front is a give, meaning, you can steer with a pinhead tire patch in the front. I'd lube the chain with WD-40 [before each pass] for a light friction run making sure the excess is not on the tire as with the rest of the race prep.

I would also run and use the two racing light modes, being the rev level and when to shift. One is for your rpm sustain so you see a red light not the rpm needle. And you want to practice that mode by 1000 or 500 rpm increments if you want to dial-in your leave. You need concentration on that last yellow all the time. You then want your head down, looking thru the clear screen. Lock you knees against the grills; lock your elbows over your knees [sit on the bike, look straight out of the clear is after you read this]; then look under over, all over yourself and do you see any air gaps? You want tight-tight-tight body wrapped real tight inn; and a low body [just sit there and think 1320 and what wind is slowing you down is [no] air between your boot and bike] is chase a good top end speed = Stay tight and tucked. Do not sit sloppy as to be a parachute to your times.

Think, Body under primer. You want deep body mold against fairing and gas tank. Then, once the shifting is done, you get in that tuck and stay there. Once at the finish line, you slowly roll off the gas and begin to sit up to where it is safe or the air could take you off the bike = Go slow on the body rise up. Say, you were sitting up higher a little; then no prob you were not that deep in the paint.

The Leave:

Find any RPM that will let you leave from a dead stop to where the engine to rear wheel is as smooth as you leaving a light from a traffic sign; where there is no bog when you feed clutch. So, practice is [alone no cops] where you start from a dead stop and leave from idle do not bog. Go up or mode/light up to 2K; then hammer the clutch out as fast as you can = Do not bog. Go up to 3K in the rpm, practice using the rev mode for dead stops. Do not top end yet. Top end is every once in awhile to see what you are in for. Bottom line is the leave and where is that rpm you and the bike can leave on is NO BOG!

Practice sitting in, A Tuck.
Practice leaving without bogging is give me an rpm range is ask me sort of mastered the leave is think any leave is to be smooth without bog that yellow is now you have so many things to do and you thought it was just roll up to the line = HA!

Wow, more to it than meets the eye.

Although this is not my sport and may only be a once a year thing for me (could not afford all the clutches \ tyres) I would still like to do my best.

Thanks

Thanks guys . Good read .

Hub , Just sit there and think 1320 ? HELP

1320 = 5% Clutch release + 5% Throttle twist + 90% Concentration = 100% ETimes.

I do not care about MPH. I do not care about how long I keep my legs up or down dragging down the 1/4. What I try to concentrate on is the yellow and the leave before the green. It happens so fast, you have so much time to make mistakes sitting there waiting for those instant [few seconds], waiting, waiting [for hours] waiting up there. As long as you remain consistent at that light, you do not care what happens next. It is more just routine physical moves [trying to climb back on after the G'Zis]> Comes that squat [on 16pee yes I pea'd] out the gate is my tire wrinkle.

If you can find a place [to practice]; you want to leave as you see the RPM's build up as to which takeoff in RPM: 'Feels the most natural' as in a mild leave, an aggressive leave and a leave like all the marbles are at stake. I'm too rusty at this. It is an art to master and you have to move cat-like {than the other guy/3wV] and his call on the arm drop/flag drop/light's bumping molecule after molecule is time that 1Atmo bump in day air is you first = TIME IT [Down to the last molecular bump is step to the wire]!

I dwarf this bike [seen below], but look at the body draped over the center-line, legs still out as riggers because the handlebars are going to move a touch and you want stability for correction. That's more or less you see [RG scold Jason, he] lifted too soon with feet to the pegs. You'll want to be in good physical shape [to play this game] and that is not me.

You half [to be in] a "Mental & Physical" prefect state of 10 [is YOU]! You cannot be in pain and concentrate with that pain in between you and the light> Think who wins dis one. So, you have to "weed out everything." Not even think 1320. You are up at the line and nothing is computing in your head. You are in a, no-think state. You've been there, [right? Singing in the cell phone, driving?] is stay there for those splits of seconds, you have to blank out all thought and there is this, 'Zen' call it, were you are chanting that chant but there is no conscience attempt to chant the chant. It just sings on it's own and you are not part of the vocal cords or where it comes from. You are not thinking about anything but a tree blinking down.

First you hear the other bike rev up and now you cannot even hear yours. Here come the mistakes. No point [waking up in the morning showing up to] that line; you cannot weed out the other noises around you and you cannot feel that rev under you. Now you are chasing noises and that breaks your concentration up there [is the tree falls in the forest is you heard shit]. You have a few [runs] under your belt and now; staging light games playing begins. You hang the one staging yellow light, you stage the second light on; then deep stage is break the one light off. This screws up the other guy'gal'z concentration, wear out the time I could easily screw mine up as well... IS>>> Never run h/er race = You Broke Concentration! They were watching your doubles come on so they can dial in their two lights and now start to concentrate is break their concentration; you walk backward in the doubles is now the light-man is pissed at you for wasting his time playing games. Now the 3 of you are all in a heated debate as to who the when to whom be the green light is going to happen = Booohhhhhaaa Da boof of use! That is more your art to the concentration part of it is 99%. I lied about the clutch and throttle. 1% says stay the ____ Fill in the blank > Home or bring that, CONCENTRATION!

You piss off arm-drop-boy, he is going to move on you and now he is consistent in his drops and he needs to be recorded with your leave and his arm twitch is his yellow as it disappeared on HIS STEP is that arm has to twitch; and now it is the camera and the two of you watching the final call on video. It is that hair close to being... So, you watch the flag or arm or light and you leave on the quick. And that is doing it quicker all the time you get up there. There are so many mistakes you will make, you do not want to be there at the light and learn the hard way.

So, you practice. When the traffic light would turn green, I would time that yellow light changing; out the corner of my eye. Yes,[long ago] I did get clipped at a light. Someone ran a red, I chased him with a bent front end. I could not steer it so they never stopped and got away. This is more, edit the warning is remember that finger count. Watch for the green [where there is less traffic] and concentrate on the clutch release and the smooth glide of the throttle transition. So, practice for me was to leave at the light which [I still do ~ But look a lot both ways is better you do as well is the banner is out you follow my lead you could die/cause the fun to leave the body is half of you cannot make it to that tree].

So, begin to leave the light with the least amount of throttle waste and the art is not to, 'bog on clutch release.' I see no reason you could not whack-a-rev, tire your wrist away doing it and finally leave with clutch release being; as smooth leaving the line is as smooth as someone using the light on the dash to reach the sustained rpm for that certain leave. It is all feel and a lot of instinct.
It is more like your approach to a golf ball. You see swingers keep rolling up to the swing a few times before a whack of release. Other golf cable pulls are the clubs stay sustained at the ball and the swing is about to release on the up swing. It is all how you approach the ball as you wind up the club, or cable.
So if you think you need the light for sustained rpm or you rather roll up to the ball a few times is rev-rev-rev the piss out of it is your art, your call> Leaving the line.

I would find an abandon parking lot and just use little throttle but to keep releasing the clutch in a progressive rise or like a linear rise in aggressive leaves. Your only concern is rpm drop. You want to remain on a linear path of feed. You feed too much, the nose will drop because you fed too much ratio and did not build up to the gear out [of the gate] as in the linear move of the leave.

Concentrate on the leave the instant you feel that light is, "waited long enough" now hammer it! No harm no foul.

* Last updated by: Hub on 3/7/2009 @ 6:30 AM *

Got it , Now lets see if I(or we) can do it. Good Read . Cheers . 16lbs in rear ?

See what the riders are using for air pressure. If you see the rears are looking kind of flat and bouncy, they are running low pressure and good luck out there...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn6kGzRSjhU

* Last updated by: Hub on 3/8/2009 @ 1:18 AM *

I am the same tire pressure depends on track conditions I some time run as high as 20lb but on the regional tracks where I normally race there is very little track prep (VHT) so I am down around 12-14lb on a Shinko and about 8.5lb on my Mickey Thomson ET and to be honest there is normally very little difference with traction between either of them and my 60fts and the rest of my time slips back this up I have andidontal evidence the major tracks slicks versus road tyres(Shinkos)will make a major difference due to the extra track prep and the extra rubbur from more regular racing but I still think the only way to be quick is consistancey and this comes from seat time.

Thanks guys, I will try and follow your pointers .Clarkeys2795 ,can I ask, are you trapping in 4th with 16/43 or just going into 5th . I was planning to run 17/45 the ratio just a little taller 2.65 versus 2.69 ? The reason I am looking so closely at this , is that I would like to avoid the extra shift. This will be my first time and I would like to get my bike set up as close to bang on as I can (for me, Prob 235lbs withe gear) . I would like all the screw ups to be mine not something that I can later blame on the bike . I am thinking that that extra shift will hurt my time?

Chaps..

While all this advice is excellent, there have been some things overlooked here.

First of all, on a bog stock bike, you'll be looking at wheelie problems FAR sooner then traction problems. Leave the rear tire at around 24 psi, bump the front up to about 50 (especially if you'll be riding home, any higher will be dangerous on the highway).

Hub's advice IS correct on concentration. Its the most important variable.

Furthermore, don't expect to go out and set the world ablaze. Set a realistic goal. (If you are around 235 lbs suited, a realistic STARTING goal should be 10.50s). If you reach your goal, set a new one. Advance slowly until you feel the limits have been reached. And remember, you are not rickey gadson and you will not run a 9.60 on a bog stock bike.

As for actual running advice, here is what has worked for me:
First of all, do a burnout. Even if it is slight, it is polite for the cars with slicks. If you don't you'll drag water up to the line with you and cause you and others after traction problems.

Secondly, try to launch with your left foot already on the footpeg. This will take some practice, but i do it every time. 2nd gear comes WAY to quickly to be battling the G-forces to get your foot on the peg. As for your right foot, you don't need it very quickly. Wait until after you're in 2nd gear before you try advancing that foot to the peg. A study among some of the local racers has shown that you will subconciously ease out of the throttle to allow your foot to reach the pegs. You WILL NOT notice it, except in your times. Believe me, i've tried it.

Third, the launch. Try not to worry about your "reaction time". It WILL NOT affect your ET (elapsed time). But if you must try to nail a great reaction time, don't try to anticipate. Rather, wait until the third yellow bulb illuminates and then go. By the time your mind registers the light change, and your body proceeds, the green light will be lit and you will have a good reaction time. But i digress, reaction time has NO bearing on your ET.
When you launch the bike, it will be best to start out like you are leaving a stop light. Perhaps you can imagine a stoplight leading onto an onramp for the interstate. Leave quickly, but easily. As soon as your fully out of the clutch twist the throttle to the stop. This is an excellent beginner stratagy. Take baby steps from there. Try running the revolutions up to 2500 rpms, and SLIP the clutch out. Continue to raise the rpms until you reach a comfort zone. If you begin to launch hard enough the tire raises in the air, use the clutch to set it back down. Again, clutch slippage is the KEY to a good launch when you are on a stock wheelbase bike.

Finally, the pass. Set your shiftlight for 10,500 rpms. When it blinks, shift in the manner that suits you best. I always found you can apply an upward tension on the shifter (which will not harm anything) and when its time to shift, simply cut the throttle and reapply quickly. Practice this on your daily commute if you wish. Its very simple to do, completely safe for the bike, and is MUCH safer and faster then clutching your upshifts on the track. Clutching an upshift into second on the track could result in you laying on your back (wheelies).

As far as gearing goes. a stock bike should reach 4th gear in the 1/4 mile. A 16/41 (-1 in the front, stock in the back) will be around the middle of 4th. 17/45 is narrowly shorter, and you should certainly finish in 4th gear.

Keep in mind, your shift light is coming on at 10,500. The bike can rev a touch over 11,000. If you light comes on at the end of the track, DON'T SHIFT. IF by chance it does hit the rev limiter, you can shift into 5th on your next pass.

I'd be certainly happy to give more detailed information. Simply ask and i will be glad to share.

Thanks everyone the advice is much appreciated.

I think anything under 11 will make feel OK, as soon as the weather improves I will get out and have a bit of practice.

Does anyone know what the best time a completely stock bike is capabe of?

By stock I mean wheelbase, suspension, gearing, stock exhausts etc.

The very first weekend i owned my bike, it was completely stock. I ran a 10.004 @ 140 or so. I lowered it the next week and went out and ran something like a 9.92. Gutted the exhaust cans and changed to a -1 front sprocket and ran somewhere around 9.77.

Slow,what is your weight ? (crazy Question it just does not sound right)

Lol.

I weigh in around 165 unsuited. Meaning i'm closer to 175 with gear on.

Interesting read guys.

I have never drag raced my ZX14, nor did I (legally) ever drag race my ZX11.

But years ago while stationed at Ft. Benning I had a Z1 and Phoenix City Kawasaki punched it out to 983 and put a yosh and jets/stacks and rearsets and clipons on it for me, and some slicks. So I drag raced across the border in Alabama every Sunday at the bracket races wearing their advertising in exchange for rubber, fuel, and wrenching.

I honestly don't remember what I ran, but it was faster than the other entries every time I can remember. So I always left the line after the other lane.

I carried the front tire about 6" off the pavement leaving, and still about 2" or so going into 2nd gear, and she settled by 3rd and just ran down the track like greased lightning. I tried starting in 2nd but never got it working right, so I just perfected getting from 1st to 2nd as fast as possible, and 3rd pretty darn quick too.

But I agree about grabbing a handful. I feathered it a little coming off the line because while learning I carried a couple scary wheelies and decided they were not conducive to low ETs. But as soon as I got her into 2nd, with the chin of my helmet resting on the speedo dial, I twisted the throttle all the way open and it stayed that way until I crossed the finish line.

That Z1 was a trip, and I've never flogged a bike before or after it like I flogged that one.