Taking my FJ DRAG RACING this weekend

[Lotsokids]

I'm pretty stoked. Last year when I was there, I just ran it 3 times during a testing session. My best reaction time was .296 which is pretty awesome for the first time on a track. It's funny to see the "high-rollers" with the heavily modded bikes sleeping at the light.

I'm spending the whole weekend there. Racing is on Sunday. Tomorrow I'll ride the 5+ hours to get there, the enter the testing session.

The bike is in VERY good shape - runs strong, new carb jets, pod filters and sync, oil change, no leaks, SCARY crisp throttle response. Should be a good contender for the guys on the new bikes.

Camera - check.
Video camera - check.
Extra underwear - check.

The track's website:
http://kunmadarasmotorsport.hu/jsite/welcome.html

[gripit_N_ripit]

Awesome!!!! Good Luck.

[Flyover Country Joe]

Lotso, put an old school whooping on those boys! We will be cheering you on
                                                                                 1/4 mile Kookaloo!!!!
                                                                                        Joe

[FJTillDeath]

Best of luck Lotsokids! show em what the FJ can do!

I remember seeing a post where AndyB gets his FJ around the low 10s or 9s flat, you should get some tips from him

Otherwise knock em dead and came back good and not in lotsopieces

Camera - check.
Video camera - check.
Extra underwear - check.

Make sure you have em batteries charged Looking forward to all the pictures and vidoes

[Lotsokids]

Just got back home. The race ended early for me as I qualified last and got eliminated today right out the gate.

The good news: By providing $20 and my mother's maiden name (used instead of social security number here in Hungary), I was able to run the old FJ down the track 7 times in 2 days.

Talk about consistency, check out these numbers...

Friday Practise
1st run - 12.03
2nd run - 12.03
3rd run - 11.97
4th run - 11.97

Saturday Qualification
1st run - 11.74 @ 116.74 MPH
2nd run - 11.75 @ 114.54 MPH

Elimination (I choked BAD on the start - I popped the clutch too quick & bogged the engine)
12.19 @ 114.64 MPH

Keep in mind I'm a novice at all this. I had BY FAR the oldest bike there. There was a pretty large crowd. They announced the "American on the Yamaha." I did a good burnout - mostly just for show. After I was eliminated, I rolled past the stands and there were a few people standing by the fence waving and clapping for me. The guy that beat me (GSX-R 1000) came over and as we rode side by side he gave me a "knuckle bump." That was cool. I sure had FUN. It's all over until next summer.

I have the video, but I'll need to post it later.

[terryk]

Really nice job congratulation, I like to model 1/4 mile potential performance. I hate to be nosey but how much do you weigh with your gear. I like this calculator although I know it is no more than directionally correct. http://robrobinette.com/et.htm

I also run my bikes in the quarter, just got the FJ so have not run this bike yet. One of the guys at Auto Club Sppedway does run a FJ1200 and he is in the high 10's as I remember it from the last time he ran.

Here is a pass made on my Warrior, not a great pass, wandered in the lane way too much. The warrior is not as fast as an FJ, but tons of fun in the end.I mounted the camera on the left front turn signal. I like the Ultraclamp for a camera mount, solid piece.



Yamah XV1700PC warrior at Auto Club Speedway run 3.wmv

[Lotsokids]

Pictures!



The FJ with the new chin fairing:





My competition:

[Lotsokids]

And the video. As mentioned earlier, I choked bad on the start. The camera angle was too far down, but you can see my opponent leaving me in the reflection on my windscreen.

http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y177/Lotsokids/Kunmadaras%20Drag%20Races/?action=view&current=Race_Elimination.mp4

[Lotsokids]

Here's a guy who was a more serious racer. He was testing, but I'm not sure why he hesitated during the launch.

1/4 mile track, speed is displayed in KPH.

http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y177/Lotsokids/Kunmadaras%20Drag%20Races/?action=view&current=Racer_Testing.mp4

[andyb]

Fun, isn't it?

Did that track have incremental times as well?  Guessing you had 60' numbers around 2.0s or so.  Not bad for a pretty typical streeet setup though.

That said, I'm going to nag you a little  

Launching hard is really terrifying to do.  The goal is basically to snap the gas to WOT immediately and then use the clutch to control what rpm you're leaving at.  Some confuse their staging rpm (waiting at the light) and their actual launching rpm (feeding it clutch).  On my FJ when I was running at (nearly-)stock height in the back with the forks raised 10mm (I think, my notes don't say), I was staging around 2500-3500rpm--high enough to ensure crisp throttle response when I hit the gas--and actually launching around 4500-5000.  

What's your weight and do you have weather information?  It strikes me that your mph is really quite low (but appropriate for the run, not that you're riding badly, just that you're maybe down on power).  Looking through my notes (139 runs logged on the FJ at the dragstrip with notes on setup and conditions), I found an 11.79 @ 115mph (at sea level correction... great air!), which seems comparable to your runs.  It was a 1.90 60', 7.58 @ 94mph at half track.  That was at a total weight of about 740lbs(336kg), with me being 215lbs(97kg) in leather.  So, if you weigh comparably to that, and the air was comparable, you've got a bunch left in the bike

Best run in that state of tune was 11.44 @ 116mph, so you're pretty close to getting all of what your bike currently has to offer (1.84 60').  If you want to really get the numbers down, swap the dogbones to lower the rear about 2-2.5" and use a strap to tie the forks down fully--I'd bet you'd drop .3-.4 from your overall time in a heartbeat.  Double check your plugs and state of tune also; again depending on your total weight and the air density, I think the bike could have a fair bit left in it, possibly even 10.9's with a strap, lowering, and some jetting tweaks.

Don't use ET to look for horsepower.  MPH is a more accurate indicator as a rule, especially once you can consistently launch at WOT.  I use a great big spreadsheet that I may or may not have posted at some point in the files section that allows me to pretty accurately predict my times.  Throwing your numbers at it, it suggests (at 740lbs, again) that 11.3's are a nearly perfect run.  It also suggests that you're making (uncorrected for altitude/DA) about 94rwhp currently--depending on the air quality, as much as 10-15hp down from what's possible (again that's only guessing about your weight).  If the track has incremental timing (60', 330', 660', 1000', 1320' clocks) then the most accurate way to estimate power is by the back-half mph gain (between the 1/8th and 1/4 mph numbers).

Depending on the track prep, you can skip the burnout.  If you really want to do it well (or if you definitely need the heat in the tire), try doing it in second gear.  Just remember to go back to first before you launch!

Fun, isn't it?

[SlowOldGuy]

What was that last bike?  Sounded like a 2-stroke.

DavidR.

[Lotsokids]

What was that last bike?  Sounded like a 2-stroke.

Heavily modded Suzuki with nitrus, etc. 4-stroke. WIDE OPEN exhaust.

Andy,
I weigh 224. No leathers. They seem to not be too strict on some rules here... or maybe they didn't know how to tell me in English. Every other rider I saw was in leathers.

Good tips, but a lot to digest. I qualified last at 11.74. The next guy above me (the one I raced in eliminations) qualified at 11.2. When I saw the stats, I reverted to "just having fun" mode. Great experience, but I have no intentions to race the FJ seriously. I'll probably go back next year... again just for the experience and thrill. The best $20 I've ever spent.

[Lotsokids]

I forgot to share a picture of the FJ all loaded down for the trip. This was at Burger King in Budapest. The stuffed tank bag was really comfortable to lean on. I can't say enough about the plastic throttle-side "wrist saver" that I used also. It was more than a 5 hour ride to get to the track (and that's averaging about 90 MPH the whole way).

Great weather + solid bike + drag racing = 1 happy Lotsokids. I've been telling everyone at work that I've never had so much fun losing!

[1tinindian]

I gotta ask, did you mount the belly pan at an angle?
It looks like it has a huge gap opening between the front edge and the pipes.

I love the red and black color scheme!

Leon

[cyclenutk75]

Lotsokids - this thread kept me entertained for quite a while tonight.  Beats the heck out of the Little League World Series.  Great pics and vids.  BTW, my son is a SERE Specialist at Fairchild AFB in Spokane.  He upgraded to an R1 and took the AF sport bike course last year.  Must have done well - they asked him if he had any interest is becoming an instructor.  Thanks again.