First time down the strip

[tmkaos]

Yamaha FJ1200 VS 10sec bike

That's me closest to camera, this was my best pass of the night, 12.11 @ 183kph. The guy i was against ran a 10.2 and kicked my butt 
Not getting the best out of my starts, on the road I can get the front wheel just off the ground during a launch, on the track i was being cautious did not want to flip it so i think if I'm more aggressive my 60ft times will come down and should break into the 11's.
Was launching at about 3500rpm, think next time I will try 4500rpm.

[fj1289]

Awesome!     But you've been warned      You WILL get addicted! 

Best advice I got on my first night was to launch as if I was just leaving a traffic light quickly, and don't try too hard too fast - that's a sure way to end the fun early! 

Adjustable dog bones and a strap will be on your wish list soon!  If you can, keep getting your runs video taped and take notes after each run - what you launched at, shifted at, where you thing you were WOT and where you think you had the clutch out. 

You'll make a lot of gains initially - both from improving your skills and from improving the setup of the bike.  That's good fun and rewarding. 

Enjoy the 1/4 mile Kookaloo!

[tmkaos]

Yeah it is damn good fun alright 

[andyb]

An FJ *IS* a 10s bike

It's not easy to get one there, but it's pretty doable.

fj1289 has the right of it though.  A strap on the front end, lowering the back with adjustable links, and you'll make a large improvement.  The more important thing is to bring a pen.  Stick it in your pocket.  After getting your timeslip, write on the back of it:  how'd the launch feel?  Wheelie?  Bog?  Blow a shift?  Etc.  Keeping good notes makes tuning SO much easier.

http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t148/reebed/Video/?action=view&current=PICT0108.flv

There's a 11.447 @ 116mph run (I think, my records weren't very good back then).  Other bike is a GPz1100.  Bike was stock height and unstrapped, 60' time was 1.84.  The very next time I went out, I had a strap on the front and stock height in the back (set the shock as soft as possible to lower things slightly), and improved to a 11.1 around 120mph.  I actually went 10's with it setup like that once, in what was likely magically good air (126mph with no other changes, and my jetting wasn't THAT rich).

Be warned though, it's terribly addictive to start dragracing.  The main reason my FJ is apart and has been apart for two years now is that it's getting built up a touch, with the goal of a 9 second timeslip... which will be framed, I swear.  Most expensive paper I'll have ever gotten in my life (marriage liscences excluded).


Free advice to you is to open the gas like you mean it.  Seriously.  You want the gas WOT in the first instant or so.  Use the clutch to hold your revs down and pull the bike forwards.  It's easier to concentrate on the clutch and not try to modulate the fuel as well.  I'd suggest launching at 5k and creeping that up depending on your weight/setup.  If my memory serves, with the front cinched down on a strap and the back end down around 35mm from stock, I was able to launch at just under 6k without any wheelie trouble at all.  Stock settings puts my launch just under 5500 or so.  Total combination weighs 740lbs race ready (nearly out of fuel)--the track will have a scale, use it if you're curious to see what the bike weighs.  Slamming the gas open in the first 6 inches of the run is one of the hardest, scariest things to convince your body to do.  

If the front lifts right at the line, it means you're probably giving it far too much clutch too soon, and should start releasing the clutch slower and earlier (KEEP THE GAS PINNED).  If the bike is lifting the front when you're out a few feet and the RPM are holding steady, you are using too much RPM.  If the bike starts lifting, you can stop releasing the clutch and hold it where it is a moment...the rpm will rise, but it's a controllable situation, it'll just make the 1-2 shift a little touchy because you'll be off the clutch and in gear for a shorter time period.

One other thing I'll tell you, you're getting 183kph (113mph).  You can likely pick up 1-3mph by staggering your shiftpoints.  Your motor is lightly modded (and you probably need to look at the jetting a little, it seems down on power depending on your weight/air conditions).  Do your 1-2 shift when your tach reads 10,000, then shift into 3rd at an indicated 9500, into 4th at an indicated 9500, and into 5th at an indicated 10,000.  You likely will not be using 5th, but I figured I'd mention it.  Those shift points hold true for a stock motor as well as for a piped/jetted/pod'd motor, they're not quite ideal for each but will put you in the ballpark.  The reason for the unequal shift points is the transmission gearing.  I'd be happy to show the math if you'd like, and if you have an actual dyno sheet I can help show you exactly the proper shiftpoints.

Keep it up!  It's good fun to take an "old slow sport-touring air cooled pig" to the track and take down some egos sometimes  

[tmkaos]

Awesome mate, thanks for sharing all that, most guys at the strip I've talked to are a bit close-mouthed about setup info and things...

I think my motor might be  alittle tired, at 130,000 km's you'd expect that tho. i found my quickest pass was when I short shifted at around 8000rpm interestingly...