Need Help Getting Started

[ty_ty13]

i picked up a 2007 custom silver busa setup for the drag strip. I plan to mostly use it for the 1/8 drag strip and messing around locally for short, straight blasts.

I'm in Paducah, ky and plan to be visiting : beacon dragway, I57 dragway, sikeston dragway, music city raceway, and probably a few others here and there.

I've been drag racing a drag radial car for years and wanted to play with something that didnt take as much work, money, and time, lol.... making a big block, EFI, conventional headed, nitrous car go 4.30's @165mph is fun, but alot of work....

I'll be using this bike to relax and have fun in Street ET class, while my dad bracket races with me in his car as well.

for now the bike is lowered, stretched +6, brock's, pc3, 43 rear sprocket, vortex rear sets, shinko. Is there anything else i should look at to help the bike launch more consistent? (no air-shifter, 2-step, or T-stop allowed)

obviously fast is fun but here consistent 60's win.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

here's a couple pics of the drag car

 

[Dennis]

Welcome!

I switched from cars back in 2005 and haven't looked back. Bikes are more fun.

The best thing you can do for consistency if your rules allow it would be a hand slider clutch. Some classes explicitly disallow them, requiring "stock" clutches, or "no automated clutches". If your rules don't say, or only require a "hand operated clutch", then the hand slider is the ticket. This clutch will kill the engine if you are at an idle and let the clutch out, and you cannot use it like a full slider. You will get very consistent 60's and your et will be dead on every time, obviously allowing for weather changes. Last time out I was .01 off my dial for three passes, then as the air changed I went dead on and I just left my dial the same the whole time and went dead on for my 5th pass.

I have a Rock Solid clutch, but you would be better off getting the Hayes copy of that clutch. You will have to get a quick access cover to clear the clutch and they aren't cheap, but they are the best investment for bracket racing. You will probably need a little more gear (like a 16 tooth front sprocket) to get the best 60's.

I'm curious what class you would be running. Is it with the cars? If so, it would seem no air shifter is not fair as they are allowed automatic transmissions. I run a bike street et class that doesn't allow electronics or air shifter but at least it is the same for everyone. I think the no air shifter rules is a bit overkill as they are cheap enough now and have no effect on streetability.

 

[ty_ty13]

i greatly appreciate your info you have provided! the clutch is what i was most concerned about, so that's that. can you provide a link to the hayes clutch you speak of? i've seen some around the 2500-3k mark but if that is whats required to play the game and be consistent then i have no problem doing that.

how hard and how much time does it take to replace the OEM stuff with this hayes setup? something that can be done with a good chest of snapon tools? no machining of parts or anything?

hows the street-ability on this hayes setup for a stock motor or say a motor that made 220-240hp?

I've messed with racing clutches in cars so the concept and principles are nothing new to me.

this particular class is just against bikes; however i will ask my local tracks to see if they allow bikes to compete against footbrake/no-box cars. if thats the case i will have a air shifter on standby for when the bike class has a low count. however if i ran against pro/footbrake/no-box cars i'd want to make sure my bike could atleast run a very low 6sec 1/8 but id prefer a high 5 sec pass to keep me on the chase for most all races.... I'd feel much safer being in the chase.

 

[Dennis]

http://www.fasttrackonlinestore.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=100_101&product_id=5

The Rock/Hays Revolution is easy to change if you do basic stuff. Bikes were new to me in 2005 but I have no fear of doing anything on them now.

Hays does make some other hand slider clutches and a convertible but I don't know enough about them to comment.

They can be ridden on the street. Some guys say they change the tune in them and street ride, but other than cranking down the static and going to lighter springs on the arms, maybe more weight I'm not sure what a person would do specifically. I can ride mine easy on the street with the race tune but it isn't much fun.

I run a footbrake class and enjoy that. Depending on how much you weigh a high 5 is going to be a stretch on a Gen-1. My Gen-2 at 6 over with a hand clutch goes 5.80's on a good day and my 9 over with the Rock clutch goes 5.50's. They both slow a couple tenths in poorer air.

 

[Stevo80]

Just have fun with it. Nice clutch is going to make you the most consistent for sure.

I grew up in S IL, racing at I57. I have friends that still run there and Beacon actually.

 

[Kevin Jones]

I am a man on a mission to figure out this convertible. I will get it down. First attempt at stack height was a learning experience as I crushed a bearing shim and fought for a day before I diagnosed it. I will get it. And I will get it streetable. And then I will get it to 60'. Videos will follow.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Single stage lock up config completed totally and completely street friendly in the bag. 1 launch test was totally different feel than centrifugal lock up, felt like you could throw away the lever and it WILL slip for you. Shifts on the road like butter and without the HD springs that I was using with the MTC single stage, lot easier on your hand. I will post a vid with set up and stack height/air gap instrux as soon as I can, reserves this weekend. It wasn't what I thought it would be to set up and Tim's manual is for an older model and it took a lot of tries so I will talk about pitfalls I ran into. Then we can work on the track setup, still single stage. Tim said just remove 3 of the 6 orange springs under the hat. We will see. Want to see the effect of arm weight differences first.

 

[Kevin Jones]

After that, may toy with the delay springs but lets see how ugly the 60's are first. If I can ever get to the track...

 

[Kevin Jones]

Setup for single stage street friendly Hays convertible uploaded to youtube. Just do a search. Took me 3 small vids to get it all due to camera tech newness.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Over 200 miles tested, maybe 3 weights would be better, not sure yet, wanted to test today but vacuum leak intermittent and I know its going to be an all day funfest.

 

[Kevin Jones]

After owning, I would not spend the money on a slider/hand slider for a 220-240hp bike. I wouldn't spend it for a 300hp bike. I do not like them samIam. The amount of tuning it takes to get these on is simply not worth it. I hear guys throwing a tune on there and getting it 1.3 in 4 passes. And I hear guys like me that burn 5 packs and never get it right. U may get some help from guys at the track, you may get some help from a base tune. That does not mean it will work for you. For lower hp bikes, I know quite a few people who can throw lower times with a true hand clutch than a slider/hand. It may be more consistent, but your class may limit clutch selection. Simple is simple. OEM, HD springs for 220-240.

 

[busakiller]

I would just stuck with the hand clutch. It takes time and chassis set up to get a bike to 60 foot hand clutch. Key word is time. Lots of passes. Take lots of video too. See when your out of the clutch and at wot. See how the chassis is doing too. I have a gen 1 busa stock motor and I could do high 1.3s and low 1.4s. Bike trapped 142 all day and ran 9.2x to 30s. But now I have a 1397 motor and can't get it to 60 foot anymore do to my shock set up. Going to get a new shock built for new set up and hope that solves the problem.

Good luck to you. Hope you get it dialed in. Bikes are fun and cheap racing to go fast.