my bike scares me sometimes.. and i like to drag.. but what can i do to keep my front end down? i've heard some people say strap, some say not to strap, what can i do with my suspension? its a street bike but i plan on putting rigid struts in it.. will that help?

05 sporty, motor is modded, but the rest is stock (suspension wise..)

Best way I know of is to practice :smoke

Practice better throttle and clutch control to help keep the power to the ground and not stuck up in the air.

you should have someone videotape a few runs and study them. body forward when launching. also is the front springing up or the rear sqauting? fix the major problem first. strapping will help but the rear shocks are real bad also.

It's an education in geometry and physics, but taking the travel out of the swingarm will help; struts work. Strapping the front helps prevent inertia.

Sam

straps are huge. that initial lift of the front end extending the travel is very easy and begins the lift . That momentum results in the wheel lifting more easily. If the first pull on the front end meets the resistance of the whole weight of the front end it will help. Plus the bike becomes lowererd and that will feel better for you.
Cant reply on the struts cause I have never used them without bars. BUT our street bike prostreet class runs eights and they have rear suspension?

Hmmm, never did the strapped front/sprung rear.
60 degree launches sent me lookin for the wheelie bar.

Sam
(retired DR)

I found the struts help alot to keep the rear from squating and transferring weight. Haven't strapped the front but know several people that do.
Also have to learn the knack of twisting the throttle while slipping the clutch. Takes lots of practice.:smoke

practice practice practice............

my bike in my sig pic is FULL street.. set up to go around the twisties and I make no concesions for drag racing ...


the trick is being able to let just enough clutch out to hover the front wheel...

don't just throw it away .....

I do that on the sporty and on the gixxer and I'm runnin low 10's on the gixxer and it's set up as a streetfighter with motoX bars...


a good place to practice is on a hard dirt track .... it REALLY teaches you how much clutch to use .... I used to practice that for dirt drags at the biker rallies.... only ever got beat ONCE ... and that was a jappa that got me in the top end ... noone could get near me off the line...

Hmmm, never did the strapped front/sprung rear.
60 degree launches sent me lookin for the wheelie bar.

Sam
(retired DR)


Hmmm just thought...maybe should change dat avatar before i be talkin bout keepin the wheel down real well.:rolleyes:

That's the old "do as I say, not as I do" picture.:)
Dana

Hmmm just thought...maybe should change dat avatar before i be talkin bout keepin the wheel down real well.:rolleyes:


Nah, we know you meant to do that.:tour

okay actually wheel lift is what you want.
Not too much as you will panic and chop it...but not too little or none as that shows you didnt leave as hard as you could have. a little lift is a good sign. Watch the street bike dragracers like hot street in the ahdra or prostreet in the prostar racers.
check out our 2005 season trailer video.
http://www.horsepowerheaven.com/video_all/2006videos/05cmdratrailer.wmv

And here are a couple vids, one is of my 04 season in the street class and the other is of the 05 season . Which I may have posted before.

http://www.vmix.com/viewArtist.php?ID=23382

nice vids narley

Don't have a comment on keeping the wheel down. I don't race at all.

I did however go to the AMRA races in Bowling Green a couple weeks ago and video taped it.

Here is the video: (I posted this in the video section but thought I'd add it to this post also)

http://www.arenetworks.com/Harleydragraces.wmv

I Went From A Kawasaki Zrx1200r To A 05 1200c Sporty. No More Wheelie Problem Dooooooooooo

Increase the air pressure in the rear and suicide launch the thing!! Watch the hot street boys in AHDRA. They will show you how it's done if you got the cahones to do it.

seating position makes a big difference too. try n slide yes ass a little further forward on the seat. even 1 inch makes a big difference.

Hell, I'm still trying to get my front end UP!!!!!!

Hell, I'm still trying to get my front end UP!!!!!!
:roflblack :roflblack :roflblack :roflblack

I found that when I lowered my stock rear shocks with a White Brothers 1" lowering kit and then put in the Progressive 3" lowering kit in the front springs followed by a mix of SE heavy and Type E fork oil, it REALLY helps. Obviously it still takes clutch control, but now it'll come out and hover about 6 to 8 inches off the ground.

The rear lowering kit changed the angle of the rear shocks and stiffened them up. The front being lowered and heavier oil dramatically slowed the free pull of the front forks.

Increase the air pressure in the rear and suicide launch the thing!! Watch the hot street boys in AHDRA. They will show you how it's done if you got the cahones to do it.

Teah ....I've seen it...my racing buddy would not beleieve me that their technique was to just dump it...but we both spoke to Dan and he cleared it up.
My balls are big enough, but having the balls wouldnt matter..cause if I told my wife that while uninsured racing my bike I was gonna try SUICIDE launches....she would just cut them right off.

but what can i do to keep my front end down?

Removing one plug wire should solve the problem. :roflblack

Removing one plug wire should solve the problem. :roflblackLOL that's a good one LOL:roflblack

Basket of bricks hanging on the handle bars...

Increase the air pressure in the rear and suicide launch the thing!! Watch the hot street boys in AHDRA. They will show you how it's done if you got the cahones to do it.


I done it on My 06C, Rev limiter, Threw the clutch away ! First time was quite a fun ride, Nice 20-30 foot fishtail ! Second time it Ripped the f'n clutches out !!!! But Harley Fixed them under warranty, After a little Convincing !!

i worked at a kawasaki dealership that sponsored Ricky Gadson. he had a special front axle made that you could hang free weights on. that worked well for him.

I done it on My 06C, Rev limiter, Threw the clutch away ! First time was quite a fun ride, Nice 20-30 foot fishtail ! Second time it Ripped the f'n clutches out !!!! But Harley Fixed them under warranty, After a little Convincing !!

yep and as the man used say (and now for the rest of the story!!!!)
it's about time you fessed up!

srry but im new to dragin bikes and am curious what is strapping the front end?

srry but im new to dragin bikes and am curious what is strapping the front end?

You use a strap to LIMIT the rise of the forks. For example, run the strap around the lower tripple tree and then to the fender support tabs on the lower fork legs. This way when you launch at the start, it LIMITS the extension of the forks and therefore makes it more difficult for the front wheel to come up. Downfall is that it limits weight transfer (but on a bike that is not as huge as with a car).

I set my wheelie bar with a 2x4 under the rollers. When the weight transfered, it was just enough to keep the front tire in contact. I just hate a unicycle that fishtails.

Sam

Rofl at the guy falling off his bike at 30 sec in the first vid Narley posted. Would like to see the bill for the bike on fire.

Seriously, would the crapass stock shocks be to blame too? I can hold a wheelie for 30-50 feet with Sport shocks on mine. I just hate the 35MM front end on mine though. just have not found a set of Sport forks for anything decent on Ebay. I don't plan on drag racing with mine, just keeping up with the Buell riders around town.

my bike scares me sometimes.. and i like to drag.. but what can i do to keep my front end down?

Get forward on your bike, and PRACTICE!!!!!