Drag racing class at gateway

[him]

Well i went to gateway last night to take the drag racing class and the subject tonight was 60' times. But we spent the whole time staging which is where your 60s and quater mile times are made. i had no idea that when you stage you just want the stage light to flicker on i was always rolling and when it came on i stopped. You really get an appreciation of how much rolling start your missing my stanging wrong. Anyway so the class had 3 bikes and about 40 cars all staging and launching. just 60ft.

So it starts to get late about 11 and were still out there launching and im thinking to myself shid he hasnt said anyting about launching this big fuk im sitting on. So i go and ask the guy hey how should i launch and he says dump it and pin it. Then i explain to him what happend last time and he says ohh that was you and im like yeah so he says well find someone that launches bikes to help you. Keep in mind prostar is this week. So walks up to his buddy and tells him i need help and see if he can find someone still woke to help me out so the guy leaves and two mins later comes back followed by another guy on a scooter.

The guy introduces him self as Larry McBride...and im like damn where the hell have i heard that name before...ohh shid your spider man. He says yeah what can i help you with. I proceed to explain my situation and he starts tellin me how to hold the clutch and slip it. Apparently he saw the blank look and my face so he says wheres your bike. I point and we walk over too it.

It got on it and showed me how to do the throttle and cltuch then he lauched a few not on the track right there in front of me about 15-20 feet with teh damn tire about an inch of the ground...guy has on fuggin penny loafers and shorts for christ sake. His directions were perefectly clear as to how to go about getting faster. Out of everything he said the most important was walk before you run...which i took as get the technique and then get faster. So i took what he said and tried it a couple of times. Bike felt way solid no jerking or anything just nice smooth lauches. Sure they were slow but i felt like i get give way more gas than i gave. i only went twice casue the track closed McBride is one of the most down to earth guys i met. he took time from working on his bike to help a brotha out.

Now i have someone to root for at prostar. Just thought id share my expierence holla

 

[Mr Brown]

That's sweet. So are you gonna tell all that he told you, or keep it to yourself? I think me, Matt (green r1) and Hoot will be up there tomorrow, if the weather holds.

 

[him]

Well im not one to be giving away secrets but he basicly told me and what helped the most was when you get let the bike pull you to the line and have it so its grabbing the clutch. So if you move your feet the bike will roll but your fighting this roll. Thats where you want to start. On he last yell twist quickly dont snap the throttle and move clutch out at about the same pace. On teh setup if you were to hold the bike with your feet and rev it up past 3500 4k the bike should start to roll even with you tryin to stop it! By rolling and not snapping the bike didnt jerk around all over the place. Your times will be slower starting off but in time and with pratice you will get faster. This technique is also something you can practice on a lonly rode. my techinque of dumping the clutch and pinning would have had my ass in a ditch somewhere. He said it will burn up clutchs but youll be faster, and im thinking hmmm 150 bucks for clutch plates or 600 bucks for tank and fairings.

I spoke with streaker00 and this sounds like what he was tryin to tell me but i just needed to see it. Am i right streaker? And when you stage make sure you get the lights to flicker that way you have the maximum rolling distance for your launches.

Ill be there sunday cause we have a ride scheduled and officer party saturday.

 

[cache]

cool.

 

[streaker00]

Well im not one to be giving away secrets but he basicly told me and what helped the most was when you get let the bike pull you to the line and have it so its grabbing the clutch. So if you move your feet the bike will roll but your fighting this roll. Thats where you want to start. On he last yell twist quickly dont snap the throttle and move clutch out at about the same pace. On teh setup if you were to hold the bike with your feet and rev it up past 3500 4k the bike should start to roll even with you tryin to stop it! By rolling and not snapping the bike didnt jerk around all over the place. Your times will be slower starting off but in time and with pratice you will get faster. This technique is also something you can practice on a lonly rode. my techinque of dumping the clutch and pinning would have had my ass in a ditch somewhere. He said it will burn up clutchs but youll be faster, and im thinking hmmm 150 bucks for clutch plates or 600 bucks for tank and fairings.

I spoke with streaker00 and this sounds like what he was tryin to tell me but i just needed to see it. Am i right streaker? And when you stage make sure you get the lights to flicker that way you have the maximum rolling distance for your launches.

Ill be there sunday cause we have a ride scheduled and officer party saturday.

You are correct my friend. That is what I was trying to explain to you over the phone.It is awesome that Larry took time out to talk to you and show you how to launch......And I thought he only knew how to ride a bar bike. I've always heard that he was a great guy. Good luck next time you go to the track! Make sure you let us know how you do. As for the Busa burning up plates, as long as you have an 02 set up or a Brock clutch cushion with the stiffer springs you should burn them up that quick.

Jim

 

[Cecil_Stringer]

Awesome Story!


...dump the clutch and pinn the throttle.... uummm, no.

 

[him]

It is awesome that Larry took time out to talk to you and show you how to launch

After he left i was talking ot teh guy that went and got him. he said he was actually working on the bike with his crew. Kool as dude

 

[1127 TO 1299]

Without know it, this is how I was doing it.

Nice to be aware of it, thanks

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

Um.......... I guess I assumed you kenw how to stage. I have done it for so long that I don't think about stuff like that. The technique he is describing I have always heard called "loading the clutch". Kinda like sitting at a stoplight on a slight hill in a car and having the car hold itself by feathering the clutch. Just make sure you don't load it too much, or it WILL really heat up the clutch.

The last time I was out on mine, I found that I was WOT by the tree or 60' mark and riding the clutch out slightly further. I was just starting to really work on getting into the clutch harder when it broke

That is a cool story to tell. Not everyone has one of the fastest guys on a bike to be able to coach them!

 

[him]

i got the bde ultra cltuch mod, hd springs and the coshin kit...i should be good on the clutch for a while

 

[streaker00]

i got the bde ultra cltuch mod, hd springs and the coshin kit...i should be good on the clutch for a while

So ring that motha out!!!!!!!! It's time to get-r-done....Him, you remembr what I told you about listening to only a select few....well...Larry is one of the select few///take in what he said and start from there. If you have any questions just let me or e-racer know....we'll try to help ya!

 

[nitrousjunkie]

Dude, I posted about Larry about 9 months ago, met him at Piedmont in NC,he will answer any and all questions,he's without a doubt one of if not the nicest racer I've ever met.His class doesnt get the most recognition,but its the fastest! Another nice guy is Louie Hatmaker from Springlake, he runs a funny bike Kawasaki,with 30 lbs of boost and sprays in the neighborhood of 2 fiddy, that a 250 shot progressive at 100% in 5 seconds!

 

[him]

he ran a 6.11 friday at 231.75mph

 

[E-RACER]

Thats a kool story!!

You will get there..Just keep trying!!

 

[fstbusa]

you met freakin spidey? holy crap... thats kick ass!!!!!

 

[Mr Brown]

I went up to Gateway on Saturday, all I can say is DAMN. Watched Spiderman lay down a 6.20 at 220 ish. Fighting the bike the whole 1/4, leaning from side to side, trying to keep her straight, wfo the whole way. It was amazing. He rides like John Force drives. It's like they just say "fu#k it, I'm gonna win or die trying"......Unbelievable. I was wandering around the pits, and saw Larry, so I stopped and thanked him for giving Sam the lesson, he is a very cool dude. I explained to Larry about the post Sam made, and tlod him how cool it was that he took time to teach a newbie. He seemed to think it was just as cool for me to thank him for doing it! He was genuinely pleased to have been able to give a few pointers, shook my hand, thanked me for stopping by to tell him, and I went on my way. What a freakin awesome cat. Not only is he a great rider, he's a good guy on top of that.
On another note there were some fast ass bikes up there for the "Street Chaos" or whatever it's called, of about 25 bikes prolly 18 were Busas. I saw turbo's, sprayers, both turbo/spray, even a blower. The Velocity Racing bikes are nuts..... Let's just say if I was a speed junkie before, I am now a full blown addict. Was anyone else there?

 

[him]

i went sunday and watch spidy rip a 6.06 at 224 beating out the austrilian. i had no fuggin idea how loud those bikes were until now. I watched the funny bike class ti was cool to see them loft the tire the whole way down. I walked around the booths and looked at some of the anal raping deals they had going on or maybe im just a cheap azz. All in all it was cool only bad thing was 90 deg temps which sucked azz. Had to leave early cause it was so damn hot.

 

[Mr Brown]

Hot is good, you puss. That Aussie bike was nuts. Did you hear anything about the guy that got blown off his bike Sat. nite? You should have talked the vendors down on the prices. Never pay retail..... Some of the guys that were riding the grudge bikes were tiny. I saw Shine, that guy is a hell of a rider, but he can't weigh 130lbs soaking wet with rocks in his pockets.

 

[him]

shid hot is good only when bottled water doesnt cost 3 bucks! I think it was Sunday but i did hear about a guy going down in a ball of flames at 160

. Says he was released from the ambulance. I've heard of shine before but nvr seen him...hey why are there no Ghetto Turbo bikes competing. i saw velocity and mr.turbo but no ghetto what gives? Anyway i wasnt buying shid anyway i just got a swingarm, but dont think i need it since my class. Dont really want to go faster than 9.5s and i think the stock armed bike will do it

 

[Mr Brown]

shid hot is good only when bottled water doesnt cost 3 bucks! I think it was Sunday but i did hear about a guy going down in a ball of flames at 160

.  Says he was released from the ambulance. I've heard of shine before but nvr seen him...hey why are there no Ghetto Turbo bikes competing. i saw velocity and mr.turbo but no ghetto what gives? Anyway i wasnt buying shid anyway i just got a swingarm, but dont think i need it since my class.  Dont really want to go faster than 9.5s and i think the stock armed bike will do it

Sh!t, I drank 4 cups of $5 lemonade.......
Saturday nite a guy on a busa with the biggest turbo I've ever seen (short of a Cat diesel) and spray had a problem when he went to shut down, it blew him clean off the bike, the bike was burning as it went into the other lane. I saw the ambulance take him away, but was unsure as to his condition. The ambulance wasn't in much of a hurry, so I'd say he was gonna be okay. There were like 20 turbo bikes, one of 'em had to be a ghetto system, surely.
An arm will make your bike easier to launch hard, less likely to flip (not that you know anything about that.....) Come down and ride mine, see what you think.