VincentHill
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posted June 05, 2007 07:58 AM
 Edited By: VincentHill on 5 Jun 2007 09:01
It is all about Clutch Control!
At least that is what I learned from the MIR Meet. The good news for me is that after racing tall geared peaky 2 strokes that were prone to seize and you really had to be fast on the clutch to get it in and even better on the launch, I finally found use for that skill
Murf is right, There was no "Burn Out School" and to those of us that have never done one, it is scary! What I learned and knew put together, this is what I was doing by the end of the day.
The Burn Out
#1, roll around the Water box to keep the front tire dry
#2, Spot a place to stop so that when you roll back into it you will know about how far back to roll and actually be in the water
#3, Roll "Forward" out of the Water (In line with where you want to stage)
#4, to do the Burn out, put on the front brake, Get off the seat, Lean forward to put weight on the front, raise the RPM while letting out the clutch lever "QUICKLY" to break the tire loose but keep contol of the lever.
#5, Once the tire is spinning, no need to hit the rev limiter and the reason to spin the sides is it puts heat in the tire without removing rubber in the middle. Once you see and smell smoke, put the bike 100% vertical and ease off the front brake while allowing the bike to more forward and letting off the throttle and pulling in the clutch to stop.
Not easy at all and it was something I had Never done before
Murf, you are right! It needs to be taught
The Launch
This was something that was gone over in the class but missing one thing! "WHAT RPM TO PICK TO START"! I think that was Frank 550's problem that he may have started at to high an rpm. I know from the Dyno Graphs where all of the power and torque is on the ZRX so my first launch was at 3,000 with no real burn out and I spun the tire (Totally to my surprise) That is where I learned that yes the track is sticky but the tire needs to be hot a sticky to take advantage of that. By the end of the day I was leaving about 4,500 and it would carry the front for a few feet.
If you cannot feel the front and rear tires and what they are doing, you are in trouble. You must control the spin and the lift of the front all at the same time. Yes I was getting better on the launch but on a scale of 1 to 10, I came there at -5 and left at +1 and on my best pass I was at +3.
The last thing no one really got into was the actual time to leave! We know it is safe when the green comes on and we are told to leave on the last yellow. But the truth is more like right after the next to last light goes out and just at the start of the last yellow. If you leave when the Yellow is full on, your RT will be .100 to .200. to see a .020 or better you must leave before the full yellow!
I plan to make some changes to my ZRX so it can be converted a lot quicker to a drag bike the next time. Up 2 teeth on the back, Raise the forks 2 inches and use CLip ons to lower "ME" and the Bike, maybe a quick shifter, a lower flatter seat and maybe a separate rear wheel with a Shinko tire. Did I mention getting some more track time? That is possibly the #1 thing I can do to improve and maybe if it all goes well I have enough spare parts to add a 30 shot of Nos to the Airbox for the big end 
I really enjoyed my time there a "LOT" more than I ever had any idea of! Not to mention seeing all of the Board Members
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
  
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lietoome
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posted June 05, 2007 10:16 AM
funny now that you mention it.
My 3rd trip to the track on my 12...
the guy I was racing: "Why don't you do a burn out?"
My reply: "I don't know how."
Needless to say, he showed me how he did it. After that, I figured out my own way with a few pointers.
thanks Vince....sometimes its the little stuff that gets overlooked.
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VincentHill
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posted June 05, 2007 10:40 AM
quote:
funny now that you mention it.
My 3rd trip to the track on my 12...
the guy I was racing: "Why don't you do a burn out?"
My reply: "I don't know how."
Needless to say, he showed me how he did it. After that, I figured out my own way with a few pointers.
thanks Vince....sometimes its the little stuff that gets overlooked.
I learned a long time ago that the word Embarassed keeps poor people poor and dumb people dumb! "I would be too embarassed to ask how to do that Frank was even careful when Offering me advive making sure I was not "Embarassed". I cannot afford to have that word in my vocabulary because I would miss out on too much! People were Joking and Kidding me because they thought with ALL of the racing I have done, surely I have been to a Drag Strip! NO I have not in 35 years and they did not do burn outs back then! Matter of fact, the top fuel cars were usually spinning the tires the entire run  . Now that really dates me!
They take it for Granted that we know how to ride a motorcycle and they put "Burn Out" right there at that level of knowledge! Like Murf said, it looks scary to see a bike on its side with the tire spinning! So easy to lose control! WIth Crotch and Brooklyn's help I was actually Comfortable and not paying full attention to the Burn Out because I was into where I was going to position the bike and thinking about the "Tree"! Another under taught piece of knowledge
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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smokinzx14
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posted June 05, 2007 11:40 AM
Everybody thinks it's easy till they try it....How many times i have heard a guy say my bike runs 9s and he has neven been to drag strip ...First time he goes to a drag strip he finds out he doesn't own a 9 second but owns a 12 second bike ...lol... It take skills to go fast and the only way to get them is go to the track because the street will not do it .....I'm betting that if Vince goes to the track and gets better at drag racing he will also get faster at Maxton and the Tx Mile ...I'm glad Vince posted this because most people that have never done it believe it takes no skills to drag race....How wrong they are ... 
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Gen 2 ZX14R Best ET 8.43 , Best MPH 164.95
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aliveagain
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posted June 05, 2007 11:52 AM
Me thinks you created a new monster in VH
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VincentHill
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posted June 05, 2007 12:58 PM
WOW Smokin I have to agree with you 100% and you know that was not easy
There is one thing that is easy about Drag racing, Coming back down the return road! You can open your leathers and Visor and let some cool air in and relax! Everything else was Seriously Hard! For me, just sitting in the heat waiting to run and we really never had to wait more than 1 or 2 people to stage and leave. I cannot imagine being in the 20 to 50 bikes long lines in that hot sun that I have seen at Nationals like Gainesville, Virginia or Atlanta at the ProStar Events.
It was a lot just for me to wait a few minutes then get it all together and then do everything as carefully as I could trying to remember everything specially the details, then do it all over again the exact same way but better. I never did so much work to go so short of a distance I never thought it was "Easy" but for sure I never thought it was "THAT HARD" Either! Buddy is my new Hero!!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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DahMurf
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posted June 05, 2007 03:19 PM
Good write up Vincent, thanks!
As for your lights & launch dilemma, you missed the seminar & that's a shame as it was my favorite one! I think there was only 5 of us that went to it! They even had a practice tree in there for us to play with. The seminar was bettering your reaction time. My reaction times suck & he proved to me why and how to fix it. (not hard to do when you know you don't know what you're doing!) The best part is it was in the room with the air on!
Too bad most missed it but good for me that y'all did! hehehehehehe
I wonder if Jason covers the burnout in the Novice class. Maybe I'll ask him & consider that when I sign up for the next class.
Deb
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MadMike
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posted June 05, 2007 04:36 PM
you roll up, blank everything out of your mind and let your bike and body do its thing...
I wish it were that easy... but I try to do that on every pass...
I also have heard hundreds of times "what your only running that" or the same "my bike runs in the 9's" LOL... just a while ago a dude on a stock bandit was saying he could run 9's easy!!! he read all about it... you know how to make his bike run 9's
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smokinzx14
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posted June 05, 2007 04:45 PM
quote:
WOW Smokin I have to agree with you 100% and you know that was not easy
There is one thing that is easy about Drag racing, Coming back down the return road! You can open your leathers and Visor and let some cool air in and relax! Everything else was Seriously Hard! For me, just sitting in the heat waiting to run and we really never had to wait more than 1 or 2 people to stage and leave. I cannot imagine being in the 20 to 50 bikes long lines in that hot sun that I have seen at Nationals like Gainesville, Virginia or Atlanta at the ProStar Events.
It was a lot just for me to wait a few minutes then get it all together and then do everything as carefully as I could trying to remember everything specially the details, then do it all over again the exact same way but better. I never did so much work to go so short of a distance I never thought it was "Easy" but for sure I never thought it was "THAT HARD" Either! Buddy is my new Hero!!
Vince when you get good it all becomes automatic, after 100s of passes you don't have to think about all them details.....On the return road you automaticly unzip and flip or your lid screen ... You don't even give it a second thought... Vince don't feel bad you done well for the first time out ..The biggest thing is to have fun and it sounds like you did... It's like golf > You have a bad score and you go back for more ...lol...
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Smokin Performance Cycles..
Tampa Bay , FL .. Brocks Performance Dealer ..
Gen 2 ZX14R Best ET 8.43 , Best MPH 164.95
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zx12boricua
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posted June 05, 2007 04:52 PM
Edited By: zx12boricua on 5 Jun 2007 21:30
For me it's a matter of feel. I dramatically improved my 60's by just changing to adjustable shorter levels. Better feel and control on the launch. After a while it becomes automatic, like a ritual.
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2012 ZX14R Blue Current
2007 ZX14 Black Sold
2006 ZX10R Yellow Sold
2002 ZX7R Silver,Black,Yellow Stolen
2000 ZX12R Red Sold
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VincentHill
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posted June 05, 2007 08:00 PM
Murf, I saw the lights in the room and I now know I did miss that! There was soo much going on and I only had soo much time to rest!
OK< WHen did he tell you to leave! There is a pratice tree at SPeed Unlimited Maybe I need time there also!
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lietoome
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posted June 05, 2007 08:43 PM
No doubt about the 1/4 being different from the 'big-end' events. I had a simular revelation at the Texas Mile. After picking Ali's brain for the entire weekend, I had a new outlook on the top speed stuff. I never thought it was so involving...
My biggest problem (1/4) is my inability to calm down when I approach the line. Always feel like I'm in a hurry when I get to the line. Hell, I forgot my visor was up on two runs the other night. To remedy this feeling, I've been arriving as sooooon as the track opens and get as many runs as possible before all the cars show up.
I think Lee explained it best: "Practice, practice, practice."
As far as the top speed stuff...the list is too long, but, I'm trying to make the Texas MIle in October to get more 'Practice'. 
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entropy
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posted June 06, 2007 03:09 AM
quote:
... .....I'm betting that if Vince goes to the track and gets better at drag racing he will also get faster at Maxton and the Tx Mile ...
smokin, you are 100% on the money, yep!
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entropy
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posted June 06, 2007 03:18 AM
quote:
...get as many runs as possible before all the cars show up.....
LtM,
IMO its more useful to think carefully about each run rather than get as many runs as possible. Get a routine, plan and do each step systematically.
In fact (and i know this sounds weird), if you sit on the bike in the pits, close your eyes and go thru your routine, visualizing each step, you will improve. Do it and i'll bet $100 your heart beat increases just as if you were doing the real thing.
If you can completely visualize yourself doing it, you can and will do it.
I used to do that when i was skydiving years ago and it really works.
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lietoome
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posted June 06, 2007 06:22 AM
excellent advice, Entropy. Thanks, I'll give it a try.
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VincentHill
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posted June 06, 2007 06:50 AM
quote:
excellent advice, Entropy. Thanks, I'll give it a try.
Even in Land SPeed Racing you can do the Same Stupid THings! :ike forgetting to turn on the NOS, FOrgetting to Arm The NOS, FOrgetting to Heat the NOS, and in My case forget to adjust the fuel pressure after adjusting the NOS Pressure!
People suggested making a note and attaching it to the tank or some place. i am "Making a "PLATE" and permanently attaching it to the Bike with tape over each one and attach the tape to the part as I do it. If I do not see tape on the part or see tape on the list I know I forgot to do something.
At the end I finally calmed down enough to get my feet in the correct postion, the correct gear, Close the Shield sit where I wanted to before the first light. WHen I turned on the first light, I would go over everything and then be ready to set the rpms the second I turned on the 2nd light and then wait for the tree. I found it was easier on me to be first staged because it put the pressure on the other guy to pull in
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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