First Time at the Drag Strip

[thisisbenji]

Well I took the FZ6 to the drag strip for the first time tonight (my first time to the drag trip ever).

Did five runs:

1: 12.294 @ 113.35
2: 11.938 @ 114.95
3: 11.896 @ 114.60
4: 11.841 @ 114.95
5: 11.759 @ 114.89

I'm number 437 in this photo.



Was a lot of fun! However, the FZ6 definitely felt slow out there. :thumbup:

 

[VEGASRIDER]

What did you race? And once you got into gear, did you use your clutch? I've done the 1/4 strip back in Vegas, they got crowds around 3-5,000, so its always in front of an audience.

 

[thisisbenji]

This is at Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, Wi.

I was against a 2012 ZX6R.

I used the clutch for every shift, I'm just not proficient enough at WoT shifting without the clutch. I can only clutch less shift at slower paces.

 

[Erci]

Now I kinda wanna take my FZ1 to the strip.. wonder if it can do it in under 11 (I'm guessing it can)

 

[thisisbenji]

I want something faster now... I know I only went 11.7, but I'm not sure how much more the FZ6 had in it. My launch was pretty solid, could due with a little less wheelspin. Shifts were great too, but I could have went clutchless.

A 1000cc seems like it would be so much fun! Strip is only 20 minutes from my house too.

 

[Monica A]

I would love to take my bikes to a drag strip. So jealous!

 

[thisisbenji]

I would love to take my bikes to a drag strip. So jealous!

Do it! It was a lot of fun, way more relaxing than doing a road course.

 

[FinalImpact]

Any mods? And you pass the traps in 3rd gear?
IIRC it all stock gearing and cans out back?

I'll have to make pass too. Just to see. Smart phone says its under 11 as does video, but no paper proof.

 

[thisisbenji]

Bike is stock except for Leo Vince Slip Ons.

I believe I was in 4th crossing the trap, I was shifting exactly at 14,000 RPM.

Sportrider shows 11.53 @ 117.4 for the FZ6, so I think I did decent.

 

[FinalImpact]

Even tho the other rider pulled a clean hole shot w/good (R/T), it appears you beat him to the 60' mark and the 330'... Brute strength won after that!

Just Sayin, for $4### these bikes will put some "fast looking" cars to shame as it takes over 500hp and Upwards $50 -100k to beat us.... Nothing wrong with that!

 

[thisisbenji]

Even tho the other rider pulled a clean hole shot w/good (R/T), it appears you beat him to the 60' mark and the 330'... Brute strength won after that!

Just Sayin, for $4### these bikes will put some "fast looking" cars to shame as it takes over 500hp and Upwards $50 -100k to beat us.... Nothing wrong with that!

He got lucky, we ran five times and our R/Ts were the same except that one. It was funny because every time I was think "this is close", and then we hit the 1/8 mile mark and he walked away.

For sure on the car thing, but it's a different feeling entirely when your driving a fast car.

 

[ChanceCoats123]

Even tho the other rider pulled a clean hole shot w/good (R/T), it appears you beat him to the 60' mark and the 330'... Brute strength won after that!

Just Sayin, for $4### these bikes will put some "fast looking" cars to shame as it takes over 500hp and Upwards $50 -100k to beat us.... Nothing wrong with that!

That's why I love motorcycles so much. These cheaper bikes still run pretty damn well and put quite a few more expensive cars to shame.

@Op, when out on the road try giving it wot and VERY quickly flick your wrist while pressing up on the shift peg. I've done clutchless shifting at lower paces and it's never as smooth as when hammering on it. The higher the revs, the quicker the dogs can get into the next gear (more rotational opportunities to engage) and it is so smooth. I'd like to try at the strip sometime too. I don't think my launch would be very good, but I like to think I'd get through the gears pretty quickly!

 

[thisisbenji]

That's why I love motorcycles so much. These cheaper bikes still run pretty damn well and put quite a few more expensive cars to shame.

@Op, when out on the road try giving it wot and VERY quickly flick your wrist while pressing up on the shift peg. I've done clutchless shifting at lower paces and it's never as smooth as when hammering on it. The higher the revs, the quicker the dogs can get into the next gear (more rotational opportunities to engage) and it is so smooth. I'd like to try at the strip sometime too. I don't think my launch would be very good, but I like to think I'd get through the gears pretty quickly!

Yeah, I understand. My problem is more of a muscle memory thing. I can do it when I'm thinking about it, but for whatever reason it's just mentally easier for me to use the clutch when I'm on the track. Maybe with more track experience then I can start working on other little details. On the road I can clutchless shift no problem 100% of the time, but because I usually use the clutch when I get to the track it's just too much to think about.

Also, come up to Great Lakes some time! We can have a FZ6 matchup! The FZ6 is fairly easy to launch as it's not really any issue to keep the front wheel down. I wouldn't think launching would be hard until you got into a bike with a lot of torque.

 

[Hellgate]

Nice job!

A quick shifter really makes a big difference as you can just hold it WFO and GO!

 

[FinalImpact]

FWIW: I had to throw the numbers into the calculator and see if it would pass the traps in 3rd. Its just out of reach!
- Bikes redline is at 13.5K (tach favors 14). Best Power is 10.5 to 12K. You're so close to NOT needing 4th and just letting it tach out!

@13.5K, 1 - 4th, stock 16/46 gears
61.87
90.44
113.16 --> OP trap = 114.89
132.09

@13.5K, 1 - 4th, 16/48
59.29
86.67
108.45 << MUST shift to 4th
126.59

@13.5K, 1 - 4th, 17/46
65.74
96.09
120.23 < may loose hole shot and 1/8mi, but potential for better trap speed!??
140.35

Last little bit: Stock gears Tached out over the line @13,750
3rd - 115.26
4th - 134.54
You would be LOOSING SPEED its it cuts the fuel ~13550/13600 or so according to my data logger.

 

[thisisbenji]

Oh, wow 115 in 3rd... I hit 114.9 four out of five runs. What I need to do is get a little bit better drive off the line so I can trap 116-117 to make 4th gear worth it a bit more.

It's worth noting that it was 60 degrees outside, I ran a "high" PSI in my tires (29 PSI, the guys on drag bikes suggested I drop to 20 PSI), and skipped the burnout. So I was spinning a bunch leaving the line.

 

[iviyth0s]

Would short shifting be beneficial since peak power is only at 12K?

 

[ChanceCoats123]

Would short shifting be beneficial since peak power is only at 12K?

It would be only if the power from 12k to redline is LESS than what it would be at the RPM resulting from the downshift. That depends partially upon the torque curve of the motor, and with how steep our curve gets high in the RPM's I doubt it would be worth it on our bike. With a flatter torque curve, it would be worth it.

Edit: Another thought came to mind. As you move up on the gears, you lose mechanical advantage as the gear ratios get closer to 1:1, so you would really need to see a real boost in power for short-shifting to be a real winner.

 

[Ultrarandom]

I remember taking my old 1988 VT250 out to the drag strip with a friend who had a GSXR-250. Was so much fun even on that running 15s. Also my first experience at an actual motorsport event (later took my car out to a drift day which was good fun too).
Still haven't taken the FZ out yet but that'll be coming hopefully towards the end of October when both my friend on his KTM 690SM or TZR250 and I will go have some fun.

 

[outasight20]

Nice times!

I've been to the drag strip three times on the FZ6. I have a stock exhaust and 17T front sprocket, and my best time is 11.709.

Onboard video of that run here.

You pretty much can't launch any harder than that without flipping over backwards Blah

I really want to try a run with a 15T sprocket, although I'm not sure it would make that much of a difference. Regardless, I know what you mean about feeling slow at the drag strip. There were modded literbikes running mid 8's and that pretty much put every other vehicle at the strip to shame.