Does anybody ever race their bike on the street??? I've considered trying to give a couple of my buddies a run, but I don't really want to break my da:censor bike. Just curious if anybody has a reccomened launching technique. With my car I just stall the RPM's where I want and drop the clutch. If I do that with the Sporty, that SOB is going to pop that wheel up and make 600lbs of chrome and steel go crazy. I don't really want to roast the clutch with a slow engagement either.

Anybody got any tips???

ride on the street and race on the track......


that's my tip...

I encourage the same, but it would probably be a one time deal. I know the sporty isn't super quick, but I'd like to get a frame of reference in comparison to say an '03 Cobra or my buddies Katana. It would be out in the middle of the country side, so no threat of other traffic or cops in general. The road is also really nice and smooth and pretty much as good as it gets without being at the track. Also, it would be less embarrasing to dump it out there than at the track, and it may just hit the grass in the ditch rather than a concrete wall.

I won't suggest that anyone take their racing to the streets regardless of the street or how safe it may appear. I have a best 1/4 mile time of 12.71@103.6 on my 1200R stage 1. The launch rpm was 2,300 and it doesn't pull the front wheel; I have a 180 pound ride weight geared up. This was the best of 3 runs where the worst was 12.92@101.4... I started with a launch rpm of 1,800 and a rear tire pressure of 32 which eventually went down to 28. The bike is very predictable unlike my sportbike. I just wanted to see how the Sporty did and to be honest, I was very pleased but I have no desire to put it through that kind of punishment on a regular basis. If you want to take your friends bike on then find a very remote place with good pavement and not concrete. Work your way up to the desired launch rpm and get a feel for the bike as it will be very different than you are used to. When and if you do race just do what you have done in practice and ride your own ride. Thinking about the other guy and what he is doing will get you in trouble faster than you can imagine. Also, don't be a hero, strap up and protect yourself. The bike can be fixed where you may not be..... I have a friend with an 05 1200C stage 1 that ran a 6.61 1/8th mile a couple of months ago at the Laughlin River Run.

Good luck what ever you do......

its a match of roll on for the throttle while feathering out the clutch. release the clutch to wear it is just biting and get up to about 2500rpm, then roll on while letting the clutch outI roll on more than i release ...thgis will pull the front end up but not wheelie out on ya becasue the clutch release is not a POP ,but a smooth release that will have loads of power launcing you but the release takes a bit more than one full second ....practice it on the bike while just sitting on it. then practice some more till you are lifting the front end...better yet practice it on your dirt bike in the snad ...just enough to get going without spinning the wheel oout from under ya...a dozen tries and you will have the feel...the results should be a little lift that last for maybe 15 feet.the safety feature is that your fingers are still on the lever and you can pull it in if ya freak.

That's for all the "tips". I'll definately be in leathers and a helmet if I do.

I will run the street every now and again.:banadanc

ride on the street and race on the track......


that's my tip...


this is the best answer......

Ww

The key to launching a street bike is applying as much power to the rear wheel as possible without breaking the tire loose or lifting the front wheel to high . This is best achieved through clutch control and keeping the rpm's in the power band . Launch at an rpm well into the power band and slip the clutch . As you apply more clutch , you apply more rpm's to keep from pulling the motor down until the cluch is fully engaged and you are at full throttle .
This takes some practice to become proficient at this but in the end it will give you the quickest and most consistent 60 ft times not to mention better control .
The only drawback to this technique is abuse to the clutch plates . Sooner than later you are going to start glazing the plates through the excess heat generated .
As far as racing on the streets it is just plain stupid . If you want to race do it in a controlled invironment . Go to your local dragstrip .

I think the '03 Cobra is like 5-ish seconds for the 0-60? And a 'Busa is probably somewhere in the 3's. I doubt you'd be close to the Suzuki, but i'd say you're pretty safe with the Mustang. Unless you get a terrible launch...

I highly suggest that you think twice, there are kids and mothers in the streets.

I really do not care if you are suicidal but leave the inocents out of your picture.

Go to the track, it is made for speeds.

Cameron, 05 XL 883 SS (Standard Stock)

by jove,
you people need to relax a little. justtalking about best way to apply power to get a good launch. i know many desolate places to do it. he said he had one in mind.

I believe there is a fine line between horsing around on the street and street racing.

Please, if you want to race, go to a track, were no one will pull out in front of you, or make a left turn into you.
And you won't get a ticket either.
AND GOD FORBID, if the worst happens and you go down, they have safety crews, paramedics and a ambulance on hand.

One can't argue with the "safe logic" of not street racing. However, the thousands of 400hp/425hp/500hp/550hp/and 600hp performance cars being driven off dealer lots every year sure aren't just for getting milk at the grocery store, and 90% of them will never make one pass at a track - ever. If people didn't like to "get with it" from time to time, there would be no market for these fuel guzzlers. It's like Clinton saying, "I didn't inhale".

i think clinton meant he didnt exhale....ever hear him talk it sounds like he is still trying to hold it in

The worlds your race track... pick a straight line and go!!

WHAT ????

You mean we are not suppose too ???

I raced a Mustang GT with a V8 a few weeks ago and smoked him BAD. Don't know about a Cobra though. If your bike is stock and the Suzuki rider can ride, he will smoke you. Sportsters are easy to drag with all the low end torque getting you off to a fast start, just slip the clutch and release while applying more gas, then let off the gas when the acceleration tapers a little and bang it into gear without using the clutch. If done right this is almost as smooth as an automatic shifting car. Don't over rev your engine, shift at the torque peak which is much lower than redline. If you hit the rev limiter you are shifting to late. Sportys, even stock 883s, are really good dragracers for short distances. Especially from light to light they will really surprise "some" jap bike riders. If you run into an experienced rider though, you will be smoked by anything 600cc or above. Street racing is fun, we all used to do it when we were younger. Just be careful of traffic, pedestrians, and the law....Dew.

I lost 2 friends several years ago that were hit by a couple youngsters street racing in the neighborhood, as stated racing belongs on the track. JMHO :)

I think Jeffytune said it best - if you're in the middle of nowhere where there's no-one around to hurt, who's gonna help YOU if you go down?

ok all you AAA drivers out there. The guy probably nows to race on the track but just maybe there is a road somewhere in town with noone on them, shiot we have those everywhere here. And all you people that keep saying its bad,keep it on the track or whatever have never throttled up at a light to whoop that car next to you? Give me a break. So put your AAA card back in your wallet and try giving the guy an answer instead of a lecture.

I think I will go over to the Quad Cam Bastards site, they dont whine about streetracing over there......hahahaha....Dew.

This mornin some guy in a Jeep Cherokee was ryin to run me so I toyed with him. I'd let him catch up then I'd give her some throttle and squirt a head. I did this about three times until I got close to 100 and backed off and let him pass befor he got pi55ed and tried to run over me. Yeah I coulda tucked and gave it some more throttle but let my better judgement take control. Besides it was big square cage. I reckoned this cat thought it was just a puny Sportster as most cagers do. I did notice that with my modded stock mufflers (old CS tapered baffles) that my top end was less than what my CS slash cuts w/ CS XP baffles had. But the low to mid range torque and throttle response is better with what I have now and that is where I spend almost all my time. But racin is really best for the track but sometimes ya just can't resist doin it on the street.

On the street, most "tests of speed" don't involve a sophisticated launch. Usually, you can tell when the cage next to you at the stop light thinks he's hot sh*t. You probably saw him coming up behind you, weaving in and out of traffic without any turn signals (probably broken, not). Then he sits next to you revvin' the motor, turning up his woofers or tweeters or whatever. He's crusiin' for a bruisin'. He'll start out a little hard, just not quite as hard as you. He starts to grin as he's goin' past you giving you that "that'll teach you look". That's the point you come off half throttle and smoke his ass!!:banana.

Next light he's determined, but too stupid to watch the yellow light from the other direction, only looks at the green. Too late, DUMMY! Bye, bye.

Took a $52,000 M-3 three times the other night before he skulked off with his tail between his legs.

Only took a Maserati Spider (0-60 @ 4+/- sec car) 2x to learn his lesson.

BTW, before you guys jump on me, I was able to do both of these guys without going over the posted limit of 60MPH, on a straight road with no cross streets and no one in front or coming toward me. Also no raising my front wheel.

but it always in the safest possible setting on a road that is known for being devoid of cops and prohibited for pedestrians. so if you know your local area well its not to risky. i mean getting cuaght is the big risk. at least in a drag race.

ride on the street and race on the track......


that's my tip...

I couldn't agree more!!!!!

ride on the street and race on the track......


that's my tip...

I agree entirely ... sooner or later Murphy will invite himself to the race ... only a question of time ... a 3 year old was killed in her baysitters back yard while putting up Halloween decorations up here last week when two kids lost control of their cars on a residential street and ended up in the back yard !

Too many things can go wrong. Don't do it.

shift at the torque peak which is much lower than redline.
Don't follow this advice. If you do you will lose a significant bit of performance. What you want to do is to shift near your peak power as this allows you to use a lower gearing for a longer period of time before shifting up. It's almost always beneficial to rev to your peak power.

I have a V-Max too, Not even the Crotch Rocketeers wanna race when I have it out.:laugh They get close enough to see the Scoops, then pull in behind. No fun at all....... I did race a friend with a YZF-R1 Yamaha once. He actually gave The Max a run till 125. See Ya... My V-MAX "Goes into Warp" 0 to 100 in less than 8 Seconds, almost too fast. And getting Faster.
Racing on the street can be like standing in front of live M16 Fire. I usually prefer a deserted stretch of secondary highway if I absolutely gotta.
My Sportster will run most V6's or very small Ricers. Some of the Sportsters here would put my Yamaha in the dirt even with all it's brute power.
All in Fun.
SGO
PS: Never been in front of M16 Fire on purpose:doh, mostly AK-47's

I did race a friend with a YZF-R1 Yamaha once. He actually gave The Max a run till 125. See Ya... My V-MAX "Goes into Warp" 0 to 100 in less than 8 Seconds, almost too fast.
So he could hang with you to 125mph and then you pulled away, or am I reading you wrong?

Either way a V-Max is really not a match for an R1. Maybe from a standstill but the R1 will soon go past. Old R1s do 0-125mph in 8 sec, newer ones 7-7.5 sec. Even a new 600cc sportbike is quicker than the V-Max.

So he could hang with you to 125mph and then you pulled away, or am I reading you wrong?

Either way a V-Max is really not a match for an R1. Maybe from a standstill but the R1 will soon go past. Old R1s do 0-125mph in 8 sec, newer ones 7-7.5 sec. Even a new 600cc sportbike is quicker than the V-Max.

It sounded that way, but I think he meant the MAX hung in 'till 125, and I believe him.
I've got a Vmax, too and while the small 600's and most sport bikes would have better 1/4 times in the magazines, the lower rpm torque and ease of launching the bike will do wonders in the real world.

It sounded that way, but I think he meant the MAX hung in 'till 125, and I believe him.
I've got a Vmax, too and while the small 600's and most sport bikes would have better 1/4 times in the magazines, the lower rpm torque and ease of launching the bike will do wonders in the real world.
Yeah, the 600cc sportbikes are probably some of the most difficult bikes on the market to launch. However, concerning the R1, I believe the V-Max can hang with it to 60mph, but not really much longer. Atleast not if it (the R1) is properly ridden.

i think clinton meant he didnt exhale....ever hear him talk it sounds like he is still trying to hold it in

I thought it was Monica that exhaled :smoke