First Drag Race Tonight

bonham · 06-06-2008, 6:59 PM

So, I'm hitting the track for the first time on my bike. It's a two week old 2008 CBR1000 with 700 miles on it, so far. Bone stock.

It's a fairly relaxed race, no money involved. I'll be racing against my own times. Whomever stays the closest to their average time wins. I'm less interested in how fast I can get down the tarmac than I am in getting to know the bike, and how to launch with the slipper clutch.

I went out to a little-traveled dead-end street the other night to run some test launches, as suggested elsewhere on the forum. I found that revving up to between 5 and 7,000 rpm and easing out the clutch ran the engine out of torque more often than not. The bike can certainly take a lot more gas than I'm giving it, so we'll see if I can get myself to let it go somewhere in the 7-9 range tonight. That clutch is so amazingly progressive.

I'll be sure to post my results along with anything I learn.

cbr900racer77 · 06-06-2008, 9:56 PM

Good Luck!! Nothing like the first time. I remember I was extremely nervous. If you've never been on a prepped dragstrip, it's nothing like the street. It is VERY sticky and you will find yourself on one wheel quite a bit. Take your time and get used to the bike, don't try to go faster than you are capable of. I rode my buddy's 1KRR (04 or 05) stock length and it was a handful, liked to headshake. Post your times and most of all HAVE FUN!!! Once you start, you can't stop.

bonham · 06-07-2008, 1:31 PM

I took a nice long ride out to the track last night to get my bike (and myself) warmed up for the race. When I got there, the event had been canceled. It probably had something to do with the rainstorm I rode through to get there.

At least I turned it into a nice, long ride.

Next week, I guess!

bonham · 06-16-2008, 1:03 AM

I competed in my first official drag race on Friday night. Let me tell you, it was an awful lot of fun. There was only one incident all night, when someone looped their brand new (I think the paint was still wet) Viper into the wall. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

As for me, I mostly made a fool of myself. My first run was abysmal. Let me tell you, a quarter mile is quite a ways. I let off the throttle completely at the 1/8th marker that I thought was the finish line. I crossed the checkered flag while I was looking around for where I needed to turn around. I was actually going faster at the 1/8th than I was when I finished (12.9 seconds @ 91mph). Grocery getters were going faster than I was.

As the night went on, I had 6 more runs to get comfortable with the situation. What I found was that once I got up over 110 mph, I succumbed to fear. When I hit that threshold (just after 1/8th mile), I kept the throttle steady and just kept aiming for the exit. The bike has a lot more potential, which is good since I enjoy a challenge.

Let me tell you, the scariest part of a drag race is the post finish-line slowdown. On two of my runs, my back end felt like it was skating a bit. I never figured out whether or not I was closing the throttle too much too soon, or if I was locking up the rear brake. I don't have a whole lot of experience performing emergency braking at 120mph.

For those who like numbers, my best run of the night was an 11.565 with a finish speed of 119mph. Bear in mind that I've had this bike for exactly 3 weeks, and I've put 900 miles on it so far. Let the fun-making begin.

bonham · 06-16-2008, 1:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbr900racer77

If you've never been on a prepped dragstrip, it's nothing like the street. It is VERY sticky and you will find yourself on one wheel quite a bit. Take your time and get used to the bike, don't try to go faster than you are capable of. I rode my buddy's 1KRR (04 or 05) stock length and it was a handful, liked to headshake. Post your times and most of all HAVE FUN!!! Once you start, you can't stop.

You were so right about that, and thank you for pointing that out. When I rode up to the line on my first run, I thought my boot was going to stay stuck on the pavement. Or rather, the half-inch thick layer of rubber on the asphalt. Bizzare!

What was even more strange was the fact that I never lifted the front end. That slipper clutch does a lot for control -- more than I probably need it to. I remember lofting the front end of my 929 at stoplights in downtown Portland, but the 2008 never took off on the strip (as far as I noticed). The steering damper does an admirable job, as I never even perceived headshake, much less experienced it.

The elimination tournament was fun. You give the track your 'dial time', which is what you think your finish time will be. I gave them my best time of the night, which at that point was 11.98. Unfortunately, I beat my time by two tenths, while my opponent came within 1.5 tenths of his time. The funny part was that he won even after losing the bottom half of his fiberglass fairing. Thankfully I was well ahead of him until (literally) the finish line. I wouldn't have appreciated dodging that kind of shrapnel.

All in all, I got to know my bike quite a bit. For that reason alone, it was worth it. The bracelet they give you with your number on it is a little disconcerting, though.

cbr900racer77 · 06-16-2008, 6:51 PM

Sounds like you had one heck of a good time! I was so nervous my first few times I thought I was gonna crap my drawers. Practice is the key...practice, practice, practice. Soon you'll be able to tell how quick to come off the clutch, launch rpm's, shift points...it's kinda a zen thing cause you get to know your bike so well. Anyone that laughs AT you has never set foot on a track, we all started like that. Also, when you get going faster (and you will) watch raising up over your screen in the shutdown, that air will try to knock you off. I have been 155 on my buddies Blackbird, it was like hitting a wall.