1/8th Mile Drag Race in the morning... Advice?

[Audiomaker]

Hi all,

I've never been to an official drag strip but I'm going to be racing on one in the morning.

It's an 1/8th mile race and several local (mostly stock) bikes will be participating.

Here's what I will be riding (ie..my Busa):

02 Turbo Busa
220hp on 93oct (dyno'd)
Spring only, no boost controller. Spring @ 6lbs
Tobin drag seat
1" Knight lowered pegs
Helibars
Stock Wheel Base
1" lowered front end. (The rear was lowered too, but I just recently brought it up 1")
I'll be running 110oct fuel.
I'm 5'9 220lbs and top heavy.
Power Pure tires (newish)

All my drag racing over the years has been on deserted streets, and not too often.

I've had this Busa for a few months now and it doesn't really feel like it's going to do that well in an 1/8th mi race. I guess it feels like it would get eaten up by the gixxer 1000's before it could start breathing in that length of track.

I'm a life-long rider, but obviously a novice at drag racing so can anyone give me some advice so that I might at least not end up on YouTube as the Busa that got beat by everyone?

Many Thanks
Sean

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

Stock length, you are probably screwed........

 

[Audiomaker]

Stock length, you are probably screwed........

Ok.. "screwed" is a good start.

 

[phil823]

stock wheel base WONT HELP...being lowered and strapped front and back would help...

hopefully your geared correctly and have launching down
and the transmition is up to par. perhaps with a air shifter or electric..

 

[BoostCreep]

Eh, just have fun, work the clutch, and don't be disappointed when you find out your 60' sucks. Just feel out your launch, don't worry about doing some huge burnout; go around the water box, walk the bike back and dip your rear wheel in, get back out and do a quick spin to dry it off and get any **** off the tire. Really, don't worry about your time, worry about two things, your MPH and you 60'. When you get your launch down your times will drop, a lot more than you'd expect...

Just be easy on it for now, don't worry about beating anybody or breaking records here; it's not worth you wrecking or breaking.

 

[Audiomaker]

Eh, just have fun, work the clutch, and don't be disappointed when you find out your 60' sucks. Just feel out your launch, don't worry about doing some huge burnout; go around the water box, walk the bike back and dip your rear wheel in, get back out and do a quick spin to dry it off and get any **** off the tire. Really, don't worry about your time, worry about two things, your MPH and you 60'. When you get your launch down your times will drop, a lot more than you'd expect...

Just be easy on it for now, don't worry about beating anybody or breaking records here; it's not worth you wrecking or breaking.

Well ya, just out to have fun.

I was kind of wondering about skipping the water box all together. I'm not sure whether wheel spin or wheelies are my biggest obstacle? Because I have my drag seat on, and I'm top heavy, I'm kind of thinking I can keep the front down. Not sure.

Being stock wheelbase, and a novice, I'm just looking to make the best of it.

I'm @ stock gearing by the way. Sorry, I forgot to mention that.

What kind of times/mph would I be reaching in 1/8th all considered here?

 

[lankeeyankee]

220 HP, SWB, Never been on a dragstrip?
For one, dont be dissapointed when you run low 7's or high 6's, Stock strectched busas will hand you a whooping, dont let it hurt your feelings its going to happen.
The main focus you need to have is not to let your pride override your HIGH potential of a flip. Its very hard to not stay in the gas when racing on a dragstrip even more so when you are watching someone from behind chasing them down.

OK, if you are any decent dragstrip, its going to be prepped!! meaning, scrubbed, sprayed and dragged. Your tire isnt going to spin on a prepped dragstrip with a SWB turbo ONLY if you do a burn out wrong. I personally wouldnt even worry about doing a burn out but if you do. DO NOT DO YOUR BURNOUT WHILE SITTING IN THE WATER! Or spin your tire fast in the water box. Your only going to sling water up on your under tail to drip down on the tire while your staging. GO AROUND THE WATER BOX. set your tire to a cold psi of 22-24.

 

[BoostCreep]

Personally I don't have much issue with the front end coming up, although I'm still N/A and I use a lowering strap at the track. I either spun the tire or hooked and just went. I agree with Lankee though, you'll be running high 6 low 7s. I was getting my ass handed to me by about half a second over a Kawasaki 1000 that had a massive swing arm and drag tire that was running a similar MPH to me. I will ask, why do you want to use 110 octane? Do you have a tune for it or something?

 

[lankeeyankee]

stock wheel base WONT HELP...being lowered and strapped front and back would help...

hopefully your geared correctly and have launching down
and the transmition is up to par. perhaps with a air shifter or electric..

If he isnt stretched and uses proper body postion why would he need an air shifter. Letting your feet dangle as you go down the track is not only dangerous but says " I am an amateur and cant ride"
Air shifters are for geared hard 60' ing bikes not SWB turbo bikes.

 

[lankeeyankee]

Well ya, just out to have fun.

I was kind of wondering about skipping the water box all together. I'm not sure whether wheel spin or wheelies are my biggest obstacle? Because I have my drag seat on, and I'm top heavy, I'm kind of thinking I can keep the front down. Not sure.

Being stock wheelbase, and a novice, I'm just looking to make the best of it.

I'm @ stock gearing by the way. Sorry, I forgot to mention that.

What kind of times/mph would I be reaching in 1/8th all considered here?

Skip the water box until you learn how to do a burn out properly I see so many guys back into the water box, Zing up the RPMS and dump the clutch spraying water all up under the tail, this then leads to water dripping on the tire as they are staging and wonder why they are spinning...

220HP SWB... first time I am going to say you will start off around a 1.87 60' running about 115 MPH which will put you around 6.80's once you get the clutch and throttle control down a good goal would be 6.50's

 

[Audiomaker]

<snip> I will ask, why do you want to use 110 octane? Do you have a tune for it or something?

Because the map I have has been a little off and I haven't gotten a chance to re-dyno-tune the bike. I have been keeping my higher-speed riding to about 80% throttle and shifting at 9krpm and in short bursts until I get it worked out.
I figure the higher octane might afford me a little safety as I will probably will push it a little harder at the drag strip. Can't hurt right?

This is the last event of it's kind until spring, so this is basically a half day experience for me and I'll see if I get the bug. Otherwise I'll just be commuting on the Busa all winter.

The only stretched bike I know of in the area (20k population) is my friend's GSXR-1000. You kind of know who's got what in a small town like this. It's hard to say what might show up in a trailer though.

I really appreciate this advice... especially about flipping danger vs pride. I'll take it easy and probably skip the water box.

Wish me Luck

Sean

 

[BoostCreep]

I wouldn't skip the water box, just saying... Heading up to the line your tire can pick up trash (depending on how clean the staging lanes and pit area are, which normally isn't very...) Like I said, ride around the water box, so your front tire stays out of it, walk the bike back into it so you dip the rear tire in, get back out of the water box and do a quick spin, maybe 1-2 seconds or so. You don't want to do a burnout in the water box because you'll end throwing water around and it will drip from inside your wheel well, this will not only piss other people off because your dragging water onto the track itself but it will drip onto your wheel as your at the lights, you'll end up doing a second burnout. Just... dip the rear wheel and get back out, then spin, easy enough.

ONE MORE THING!

When you get up to the lights, you have 5 options on a motorcycle of where you launch, 3 of the options suck! You have the tire grooves that cars launch on, you have left and right of those, then you have the center of the lane. Try to stay in the tire grooves of the cars! This is where the rubber pools and you end up getting better traction; a lot better traction. If I take the left lane, I will take the left tire track if I'm racing somebody that looks like he doesn't know what he's doing or may get a little loose so I give us some space. Otherwise I will take the right side tire track to space me from the wall in case I screw up myself. Just use judgement, keep an eye on the other person and always trust your abilities more then theirs.

 

[kromdom]

I really appreciate this advice... especially about flipping danger vs pride. Wish me Luck

Sean

I have never been on a dragstrip and probably never will. Be safe and have fun.

 

[lankeeyankee]

 

[lankeeyankee]

How not to launch at the dragstrip.

 

[Audiomaker]

Well I'm back.

That was...uh....interesting. Wait... embarrassing would be a better way to describe it.

First time at the tree...ever...
I pull up. I'm pretty nervous.

So I've been watching for a bit and I've got the staging lights concept and the ambers count down 3-2-1 RED.

So what do I do??? I sit there staring at the red light for like 3 seconds as if I'm waiting for it to change!
Yeah.. I know. I did figure it out and roll down the track at like 50mph to make space for the next racer. It was like my stoplight instinct took over

I ended up with a 5.8 second 60' on that... LOL.


Next time I get up, I am totally focused on not getting that red light again so I take off like a granny, grab 2nd and pin it.... and the rear starts spinning out from under me so I back off.
Now I'm pissed that I didn't do a burnout yet.

After my second run, some car blows it's cooling system and soaks the track, so now there's like a 45 minute thing they are doing to the track. The sun is now up and they are spraying some VHT stuff on the cleaned up track.
So what do I do? Pissed about my tire spinning in the 2nd run, I do a pretty good dry burnout.
I get to the line... rev it a bit higher than before and on green I'm pogo-sticking this Busa. 45 degree wheel stand and the rear tire hops about 4" 3 times to the left. I get control of that, set it down and bounce it right back up, then down again. Shaken, I ride it out at 70% throttle and do 104mph.

4th run I had it all worked out except for putting my faceshield down and did 108mph run
I was racing a 250 at this point with this new concept called "bracket racing". I won that race, although I still can't figure out how I'm supposed to be proud of beating a 250cc bike.

The last race I'm against this 70's Kawasaki 1000 with 5 feet of wheelie bar behind him. That's a little intimidating I'll tell ya. He won that race going 96mph. I did 107mph. It's all so confusing at first.

The guy with the Kawi won the day even though his bike was not the fastest. The fastest bike was my buddy's Gixxer 1000 with a 6" stretch @ 109. I was second fastest with my 108mph. The other bikes racing weren't that special, and like I said, even a 250cc. I took 3rd place in the day even though I can't figure out how with all the blooper runs. My buddy took 2nd.

All and all it was very fun and very enlightening. Without a doubt I had the most powerful bike at the track, but it didn't help me much.
It's all a very delicate balance of factors. My nerves were a bit frazzled, and most of all, I wish I had another 1/8th mile to work with.

Another thing I really took note of what how a newbie like myself doesn't expect the road (ie track) conditions to change so quickly. I'm much more used to the street. It's not like you have a hot dog on your favorite back road and they come spray some sticky s**t all over it.

Will it be my "thang"? Probably not. I'll do it again next season, but I think I'm more of a open road sort. Still fun..very fun.

Thanks for all your advice. I have half a handle on this now. Next year I hope to get to 5/8th of a handle on it Maybe a 1/4mi track would change my experience.


Sean

 

[lankeeyankee]

As I tell newbs after coming back from there first trip from a dragstrip... Good job you didnt flip it or take out the timing system.

Motorcycle dragracing on a SWB motorcycle isnt easy its a whole new skill set in its own way.
Lots of practice, the key is have fun and dont be hard on yourself.

 

[Audiomaker]

As I tell newbs after coming back from there first trip from a dragstrip... Good job you didnt flip it or take out the timing system.

Motorcycle dragracing on a SWB motorcycle isnt easy its a whole new skill set in its own way.
Lots of practice, the key is have fun and dont be hard on yourself.

Thanks Lankee, your advice and that of others was very helpful and your predictions spot-on (I was running 7.4-7.3). My reaction times sucked (.38's mostly but I did manage a .19 by luck alone)

You're right, it's very tricky on a SWB...especially a Turbo with it's non-linear acceleration. I was like "too much", then "too little". It's a really narrow window to try to get through. The first response to my post was of course somewhat correct (SWB...you're probably screwed), but it was still fun.

One thing I forgot to mention is that when I got to the track, I'm looking closely at it and thinking something is wrong. A quick chat with a track official confirmed my suspicions that our local track runs a bit uphill. Wow...ok.
Apparently running on one of those big city tracks nets better times and speeds than this track.

I will say though that everyone was extremely helpful and made me feel like it was great that I was there even though in reality I was probably the comic relief of the day. Super nice people all around.

Next year I'll have some 6" extensions on hand. I don't want to do a full swingarm as I really enjoy a bike that turns and commutes well. I'm really looking forward to it, which says a lot because before today I fell in to the group that didn't quite get the point of straight line racing. I have a lot more respect for those who do it now.


All the Best
Sean