New obsession dragaway 1/4 times

[figmotoday]

In the last year, got a new spyder obsession & new home - great lakes dragaway & 1/4 mile. Colleagues, friends, and family just say "Jon's momentary lapse of reason" lol
Mods helped top end speed, I can get higher top end & past redline & wind @ my back & on the superslab for a bit but now way could hold it out for a mile. I only dropped from low 14s to high 13s in 1/4 mile but still mostly due to still beginning stages of learning drag skills on spyder. Old school pros know the tricks & mine are through trial & error & watching others over and over. Finding best lane of the track, usually back tire on the inside of one of the car tire tracks (usually inside track) and stay away from between tracks with cars dripping all their oil & crap. Response time and first 60' are the toughest. Got the leave on 3rd yellow light down. Lower tire pressure. With semi-automatic, still figuring out starting RPM with brake being held. At start, finding finesse of lightly holding brake and engine up to 3000 RPM and release of brake and moderate turn of throttle. Too fast and then over spin & twist, too slow & slight bog down. Once I get out of the first 60' then I twist fast to 9000 & shift & stay straight as possible; tried other RPM spots but 9000 seems to be most effective. Race track buddy & motorbike master technician Bjorn says, it is aerocharger and practice, practice, practice time now dude & after race evening celebration with lagavullin. Bjorn has challenged me to stick spikes on the tires and come to Wisconsin to run races on the frozen Lake Winnebago.
Pre mod time vs mod time posted. Anyone have tricks/tips and/or time slips to show me goals for stages of R/T, 60’, 330, 1/8, MPH, 1000, /4, MPH?

 

[PMK]

Drew is likely the one with a lot of knowledge. But in short dial in the engine. Stuff an Aprillia in it or work the oem cam timing. Get a good cold air setup. Uncork the exhaust. Get the front wheels aligned, with you on it in race gear. Find some light drag fronts and spare rims.

Myself, I would override the SE gearbox with a lever somehow, or start finding a means to alter the stall speed of the engagement.

Strip off all the underbody BS and lighten it as much as possible.

Put fans on the radiators and clean u the front aerodynamics.

Spray it...

Keep the chassis and stuff a ZX14 or Busa engine that's built and has a gearbox with cut engagement dogs, match it with an air shifter.

PK

 

[Bob Denman]

This is when the term, "cubic dollars", starts coming into play... :shocked:

 

[Rockwall]

I'm close by...you're making me think!:doorag:

 

[PMK]

This is when the term, "cubic dollars", starts coming into play... :shocked:

The cube can be very large...

My buddy that races his ZX12 has done a lot to it. He is a lifelong racer and knows how to win and lose. I have done some of the work for him. Modded forks, bodywork stuff, wheelie bar setup, engine management advise, etc.

We spoke several weeks ago, his gearbox is worn, so he is building a new motor (or maybe rebuilding his original, I forget) / gearbox for the upcoming season. His bike runs solid 8.9's in the 1/4. He knows how to drive it and has been SouthEast champ at least once. Always makes the others earn it. When he wins, it just about covers gas, hotel and food.

It does get crazy expensive. He also was saying that his back and neck are taking a beating from all the launches.

Cool and fun, but I personally prefer motocross or Supercross and that won't happen on a Spyder...

PK

 

[Bob Denman]

Maybe I'm just getting too old... :shocked:
I've found that WATCHING racing on TV; just seems so much more practical!

 

[figmotoday]

Maybe I'm just getting too old... :shocked:
I've found that WATCHING racing on TV; just seems so much more practical!

I hear ya about pracrtical............most of my life is low risk & low adrenaline, publishing papers & teaching grad students & running a private mental health practice, so something totally different helps................... lol I'm not sure I call my activity is racing yet, more like learning the ropes, went to another dragaway southeast of Chicago, ran a bit.........most folks & racers are more interested in looking and wondering what is that 3 wheel thing vs my times, so the spyder distracts from my low skill sets, I've been hanging with racers with modified snowmobiles to run on the track, similar issues and strategies........

 

[Woodsrider]

The cube can be very large...

Cool and fun, but I personally prefer motocross or Supercross and that won't happen on a Spyder...

PK

Gnarly single track trails for me. I don't have the lower back left for MX ....I still ride the MX track a bit to work on skills but I limit don't do any air moves. If I get it two or three feet off the ground that's a lot for me....it's not the take off, it's the landing . Luckily the KTM EXC is at home in the woods, trail and can even do a little bit of street.

 

[PMK]

Gnarly single track trails for me. I don't have the lower back left for MX ....I still ride the MX track a bit to work on skills but I limit don't do any air moves. If I get it two or three feet off the ground that's a lot for me....it's not the take off, it's the landing . Luckily the KTM EXC is at home in the woods, trail and can even do a little bit of street.

Sounds like your EXC is like mine...fun, and capable to trail hop, sadly, where I live the trails are mostly gone and homes or strip malls have taken their place.

When I described in the previous post, motocross or supercross, like you, less is better, and I am very at home riding single track on the KTM, MTB or tandem MTB.

PK

 

[Bob Denman]

I used to race enduros also...


...Badly! pps:

 

[coz]

i have to ask

why would you continue to dragrace your spyder. i get that it's fun, but eventually it will blow up. now the whole world knows what you've done to it.

 

[Woodsrider]

why would you continue to dragrace your spyder. i get that it's fun, but eventually it will blow up. now the whole world knows what you've done to it.

Why do we race? That's a whole 'nother thread. I suck at dual sport racing, but I still do it, I'll never be anything more than that old guy they have to get around, but I try and better myself every time. The drag racer does the same thing. If you blow it up, rebuild it, toss a blower on it .

It's not like we're saving our toys for their value....I happily took 13k for my 2012 RT A&C with 4k miles on it a few days ago. If I can get them to let it run the sport bike track on track day I'll take mine for a run.

 

[figmotoday]

why would you continue to dragrace your spyder. i get that it's fun, but eventually it will blow up. now the whole world knows what you've done to it.

That's an interesting perspective.

 

[PMK]

That's an interesting perspective.

Perspective, have fun and be safe. Live to race another day.

And important to, don't be stupid, it hurts a lot.

PK

 

[Bob Denman]

Speaking philosophically... :yikes:

I think that it's in the nature of Man; to try and do things better than others.
Run faster
Drive farther
Climb higher
Dive deeper
Drink more beer...
And then jump your truck farther! :roflblack:

Whatever venue you choose; take it wherever you want it! :2thumbs: