Setting up a bike for a drag run - any tips

[alfa daley]

Hi Guys

I had a go at the rwyb sesh at Santa Pod and had a great time but felt I could have gone faster. So, any tips on how to set up the bike or cheap mods I could do to improve my times. Would lowering the gearing, tie down straps (I can't find anywhere selling tie down straps for an R1!!), lowering tyre pressure, softening suspension help or will just plain old technique? My best run was 10.5/134 (which seems a bit of a low terminal compared with magazine test I've seen of litre bikes - most get about 140), 1.8 for the 60ft and 6.8 for the 1/8 at 109??

Which foot do you set of on?

Its an 03 R1 btw

cheers folks

[redvictor]

probably better to ask these good folks..
http://www.200mph.net/smf/index.php

[kestral]

Lower tyre pressure always works. Then it's spend money time. Greatest increase per £ is fit a slick. Then longer swinging arm.

[Furyous]

Streetbike.

Remove or tuck in mirrors.

Drop the front forks as far through the yokes as possible.

Lower the rear shock as much as possible.

Work out rear sprocket gearing so as to obtain maximum drive though the quarter, get new one made by supersprox or similar.

Drop rear tyre pressure to at least 20 psi.

Try to find the optimum launch revs that give front wheel 2/3 inches of aviation without wheelspin.

Tuck in as tight as you can.

If terminal/et not good enough, fit Nos/Turbo/big bore/ etc etc etc

HTH

[liner33]

if you want a tie down kit try

http://www.dynospeed.co.uk/

or

http://www.timblakemoreracing.co.uk/

[King Herald]

Learn how to powershift through the gears. it is as fast as an airshifter, but doesn't cost anything. Just push with your foot on the gear shift, while the throttle is hard on, then when you want to shift blip the throttle off just a touch, and the gear will snick in. You can't push the gear in while the drivetrain is loaded up, but as soon as the load is removed it'll move.

It takes a little practise to get perfect, but you'll be surprised just how smooth it will shift up without losing drive.

It has to be a hundred times better than the great clutch lunges I saw some guy doing last time I watched bikes racing at North Weald......

this is assuming you don't know how to do it already....