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Drag bikes, anyone?

Joined Mar 2006
1K Posts | 71+
US
Does anyone here like motorcycle drag racing? I attended an AHDRA event at Bristol Dragway this weekend, which is within walking distance of my house. Over Saturday and Sunday, I spent seventeen hours at the strip! I even came away with a new appreciation for Harleys, imagine that!

The Nitro bikes are the main attraction. Six-second passes of up to 225mph, and with an awesome sound. Top fuel motorcycle is now my favorite drag racing class. I enjoyed these bikes more than any other drag class, having previously witnessed top fuel dragsters, funny cars, and pro mods.

Hopefully the AMA Dragbike series will come back to Bristol; I would love to see the slightly faster classes (multi-cylinder TF bikes have reached 250!).

Here are some pictures I took, using a little digital camera.

http://s499.photobucket.com/albums/rr358/j...tionals%202009/
 
I too like Bike Drag Racing.
But struggle to understand drag racing as a racing discipline.
I like any other bike rider love going as fast as possible, but for me road racing is the trick.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Corr @ Aug 10 2009, 12:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I too like Bike Drag Racing.
But struggle to understand drag racing as a racing discipline.
I like any other bike rider love going as fast as possible, but for me road racing is the trick.

Drag racing is very technical and requires just as much skill, discipline, and concentration as road racing. Just think about the short space of time the racer has to get it all right! Mess up the start and you only have a few seconds to claw back the distance lost. A racer who runs fastest during qualifying still has to make it through the rounds preceding the final. One mess up and you run a very high risk of losing all the hard work you did the day before. You gotta have nerve.
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DRILL @ Aug 10 2009, 12:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I love Harleys mate,as you know.But do you remember Russ Collins `flying coffee table`?
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No, I only recently started looking at drag bikes. The Harley appreciation has come late as well.

Enlighten me!
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mr. Shupe @ Aug 10 2009, 08:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>No, I only recently started looking at drag bikes. The Harley appreciation has come late as well.

Enlighten me!
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I think he ran a twin engineed Honda or Kwak (big capacity) in the late 70`s.It was very long,so much so that it looked like he was laying face down on a coffee table,hence the nickname.He held the top grag times for quite a while until the HD`s caught up with the jap bikes.But it wasn`t just Russ that ran twin engines,I`m pretty sure a few guys ran them over here in the uk,like a twin engined Norton Weslake but I can`t remember the riders name for now.You should Google it,could be Graham Nash,not sure mate.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mr. Shupe @ Aug 11 2009, 02:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Drag racing is very technical and requires just as much skill, discipline, and concentration as road racing. Just think about the short space of time the racer has to get it all right! Mess up the start and you only have a few seconds to claw back the distance lost. A racer who runs fastest during qualifying still has to make it through the rounds preceding the final. One mess up and you run a very high risk of losing all the hard work you did the day before. You gotta have nerve.
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Thanks for the tip.
I have had the pleasure of drag racing my bike a few times, and have also been closely associated with road racing.
So I know what is involved in both as a discipline. I personally just struggle to come to terms of what is involved all to make it to the lights for what is a very short race.
I loved drag racing, loved winning even more. Hell I loved getting beaten when I had run faster than I had before (losing still sucked though). I know what it takes to make a good pass as I have done a lot of crap passes and a couple of good ones.
I've never ridden a top fuel/nitro/blown bike or anything like that and would ride one given a chance.
For me, road racing has my interest.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Corr @ Aug 10 2009, 05:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Thanks for the tip.
I have had the pleasure of drag racing my bike a few times, and have also been closely associated with road racing.
So I know what is involved in both as a discipline. I personally just struggle to come to terms of what is involved all to make it to the lights for what is a very short race.
I loved drag racing, loved winning even more. Hell I loved getting beaten when I had run faster than I had before (losing still sucked though). I know what it takes to make a good pass as I have done a lot of crap passes and a couple of good ones.
I've never ridden a top fuel/nitro/blown bike or anything like that and would ride one given a chance.
For me, road racing has my interest.

Cool! Couldn't tell by your previous post. What classes did you race?
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DRILL @ Aug 10 2009, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Just googled Collins,its a feckin` triple engined bike,crazy man!!
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Thanks for the coffee table story.

AHDRA Top Fuel allows for normally aspirated, dual-engined bikes.
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mr. Shupe @ Aug 11 2009, 01:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Cool! Couldn't tell by your previous post. What classes did you race?
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Drag racing was "streetbike", which is basically anything street legal, no wheelie bars.
Road racing has been, Superstock 600, Supersport & Superbike
 
I love Drag bikes, infact i used to do a bit myself and built several engines.

Did you know that those guys on the top fuel super twins have to wear steel chest plates , just incase a piston breaks loose
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pro stock was my fav, not the fastest but its all in the fine tuning.
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (chopperman @ Aug 11 2009, 07:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I love Drag bikes, infact i used to do a bit myself and built several engines.

Did you know that those guys on the top fuel super twins have to wear steel chest plates , just incase a piston breaks loose
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pro stock was my fav, not the fastest but its all in the fine tuning.
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Yeah I heard about the chest protectors. It makes sense,as there is a nitro bomb right under you.
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I loved the street bikes, extended swingarms and no wheelie bars. Looked great! Particularly the V-Rods.
 
Been watching the new season of ANDRA Pro Series Drag Racing Topbike. Man Jay Upton Honda is really something! He'll hopefully stay on the bike this season and take the lead since Athol Williams isn't in. Can't wait to see wait to see what 'The Hulk' got to offer.
 

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