|
|
|
A beginner’s guide to Motorcycle Parts
Once you hop in a motorcycle and realize that you have deep interest in riding it, I’m definitely sure you’ll have lots of questions in your mind. You’ll probably ask the basic questions on how to start and drive it with the use of gears. These are...
Are Go Carts Dangerous? 4 Steps to Safety!
When you're driving 5, 10, 15 or 20 mph in your go cart it's a
fairly save way to have fun. But at speeds of 160 mph or more it
can get a little hairy unless you take some safety precautions.
Go carts are certainly thrilling, but they...
Dealing with Motorcycle Tire Wear
Worn out is to jeans, dilapidation is to buildings, exhaustion to humans - when it comes to tires it is tire wear.
Tire wear is the actual removal of rubber from the tire due to scuffing. The latter is the process of scrubbing of material off the...
How HIGH can you go with your Motorcycle Saddle?
Motorcycle seat height is one of the concerns of riders. thus,
it must be chosen with important considerations. This is because
of the fact that saddles greatly affect the rider's driving and
maneuvering skills.
Before purchasing, riders...
Types of Motorcycles to Chose for the Ride
There are many different types of motorcycles for you to choose
from so if you're looking for bike to ride you'll have your work
cut out for you deciding what you should buy.
Touring bikes are large and heavy, which aren't a great...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Drag Racing - The Perfect Launch
Drag racing, a contest between two cars beginning from a
complete stop over a distance of a 1/4 mile (1320 feet) depends
heavily on first 60 feet of the race, or the launch. The
technique used for launching varies greatly depending on the how
the car is equipped. The type of transmission, which wheels are
being driven, tires, power, suspension and track preparation all
play key roles in how to go about getting the best launch
possible from the car.
Improvements on the time it takes for the car to travel the
first 60 feet down the track have significant implications on
the final ET (estimated time). As a general rule, improvements
in the 60 foot time, are magnified by 2x on your final ET. For
example, a Dodge Viper GTS that runs a 12.2 @ 120 MPH in the 1/4
mile with a 60 foot time of 2.0 can make significant
improvements to it's 1/4 mile times by obtaining a better
launch. If the Dodge Viper GTS is able cut .2 (two tenths) of a
second off it it's 60 foot time, by covering the first 60 feet
in 1.8 seconds, it's final ET for the 1/4 mile would be around
11.8 @ 119 - 121MPH. More examples can be found by searching
through the thousands of 60 foot records in the
http://www.dragtimes.com drag racing database.
The best possible launch is obtained by obtaining the optimal
balance of applying the most amount of power to the ground with
the least amount of wheel spin. If too much power is applied
during the launch and the tires spin, the resulting 60 foot time
will be poor. The same goes for not applying enough power,
thereby causing the car's engine to bog, and having the car limp
off the line slowly.
When launching a car with an automatic transmission, a technique
called power braking is used. After properly staging the car at
the drag strip's staging lane, tightly hold down the brake with
one foot, while slowly applying the accelerator peddle with the
other foot. The car's engine RPM (revolutions per minute) should
slowly increase to a point where the car will either start to
move or start spinning the tires. Hold down both the brake and
accelerator peddles just below the point where the car is
starting to move or spinning the tires. When the christmas tree
lights reach the last amber light before the green, lift off of
the brake and slowly push the gas peddle all the way down. The
correct RPM to launch at will be different every car depending
on all of the variables mentioned earlier. Start conservative
with the first launch and keep increasing the RPM at which the
car is launched at during the subsequent runs. If the car starts
spinning the tires after the launch, lower the launch RPM and
try again.
When launching a car with a manual transmission
come to a
complete stop after the car is properly staged. Press the clutch
in all the way with one foot while pressing the accelerator
peddle down with the other foot, raising the engine RPM to a
constant moderate level for the first launch. Lift up on the
clutch peddle to the point where the car is just about to start
moving and hold both peddles still. When the christmas tree
lights reach the last amber before the green, slowly release the
clutch while quickly applying the accelerator peddle enough to
launch the car quickly, but not too much to induce a large
amount of wheel spin. Start conservative with the first launch
and keep increasing the RPM at which the car is launched at
during the subsequent runs. If the car starts spinning the tires
too much after the launch, lower the launch RPM and try again.
To obtain better launches and bring down 60 foot times even
more, the use of drag radial or full slick tires can be used on
more powerful cars that have trouble launching at any RPM on
regular street tires. Drag radials and full slicks usually
require a burnout to heat up the tires and clean them from
debris for optimum performance. A burnout is a rapid spinning of
the car's tires while the car stays relatively still.
All wheel drive cars (AWD) are typically the easiest to launch
because the engine's power is distributed to 4 wheels instead of
two. Rear wheel drive (RWD) cars typically launch better than
front wheel drive (FWD) due to the transfer of weight to the
rear tires during the launch, causing an increase in traction.
If the car has aftermarket adjustable suspension, adjustments
can be made specific for drag racing to increase the weight
transfer to the driving wheels.
The track's launch pad preparation also plays an important role
in how well and how hard cars can launch. The launch area is
usually prepped with traction compounds to add to the stickiness
of the track. A well prepped track will definitely help drop 60
foot times and result in lower 1/4 mile times.
During the breaks and cool down periods between drag racing
runs, make detailed notes about how you launched on the back of
each timeslip. These notes can help you diagnose launching
issues, fine-tune subsequent launches and show improvements in
the search for The Perfect Launch.
About the author:
Brooks Weisblat is drag racing/sports car enthusiast and owner
of DragTimes.com, an online drag racing database of 1/4
mile times for cars and motorcycles. To view thousands of 1/4
mile timeslips and participate in online drag racing discussion
forums, visit: http://www.dragtimes.com/
|
|
|
|
|
| Honda Motorcycles |
| Official site of Honda motorcycles, ATVs, scooters and personal watercraft. |
| powersports.honda.com |
|
| Honda Motorcycles - Motocross, Cruiser, Touring, Off-Road Motorcycle |
| Honda Motorcycles - Honda's motorcycle line-up is here—and it's waiting for you! Check out awesome all-new models like the race-ready CBR1000RR, ... |
| powersports.honda.com |
|
| American Suzuki Motorcycle & ATV Division |
| The official website of American Suzuki's Motorcycle & ATV Division. |
| www.suzukicycles.com |
|
| Motorcycle.com |
| Online motorcycling publication featuring new model introductions, motorcycle news, classifieds and online discussion forums. |
| www.motorcycle.com |
|
| Motorcycle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Motorcycles are one of the cheapest and most widespread forms of motorised ... The construction of modern motorcycles has mostly standardized on the ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Motorcycles Home Page |
| THE starting place for exploring Motorcycles. The front page of this site is also a motorcycle blog. The site contains motorcycle articles, forums, ... |
| motorcycles.about.com |
|
| Triumph Motorcycles Limited |
| Official site offering information about the company and their range of products. Includes accessories, clothing, dealer locator, and news. |
| www.triumph.co.uk |
|
| Motorcycle USA - Motorcycles and Bike Tests |
| Motorcycle USA features motorcycle tests, motorcycle racing and motorcycle news. |
| www.motorcycle-usa.com |
|
| Buell Motorcycles | Country Selector |
| Official site of this American made cycle featuring pictures of newest models, dealer locator, upcoming events, products, questions and answers with Erik ... |
| www.buell.com |
|
| Victory : The New American Motorcycle |
| All-Terrain Vehicles · Snowmobiles · Polaris RANGER · Victory Motorcycles · Polaris Defense. Buying Tools. Current Offers · Brochures · Financial Services ... |
| www.polarisindustries.com |
|
| Kawasaki Motorcycles, ATV, Jet Ski Watercraft, Utility Vehicles |
| Kawasaki Motors Corp, manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, utility vehicles and personal watercraft, with premier powersport industry products like the Ninja ... |
| www.kawasaki.com |
|
| BMW Motorcycles: Home |
| Introducing new motorcycle concepts with an even higher level of emotion, BMW Motorrad is proudly presenting the new Megamoto: Based on the BMW HP2 Enduro, ... |
| www.bmwmotorcycles.com |
|
| eBay - Motorcycles: Harley-Davidson, Honda, BMW - buy and sell now ... |
| Buy and sell motorcycles including Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW, Honda, Harley-Davidson, and other motorcycles on eBay's online auction. |
| pages.ebay.com |
|
| Big Dog Motorcycles |
| Big Dog Motorcycles is the leading producer of custom, American V-twin motorcycles. Five models, each powered by a 117 cubic inch engine, set a new standard ... |
| www.bdm.com |
|
| Discover Today's Motorcycling |
| Discover Today's Motorcycling (DTM), the media and consumer outreach program of the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), is a source of information about ... |
| motorcycles.org |
|
| Motorcycle and ATV reviews, specifications, prices, used ... |
| Motorcycle e-zine catering to the many facets of the motorcycling community. |
| www.powersportsnetwork.com |
|
| Cruisers, Custom Motorcycles & Choppers | Motorcycle Accessories ... |
| Motorcycle Cruiser magazine features cruisers, custom Motorcycles and choppers, motorcycle news, road tests, motorcycle accessories and gear reviews, ... |
| www.motorcyclecruiser.com |
|
| Motorcycles in the Yahoo! Directory |
| Find a collection of selected sites about motorcycles, including makes and models, clubs and organizations, off-road motorcycling, scooters, ... |
| dir.yahoo.com |
|
| Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Motorcycles at Epinions.com |
| Epinions has the best comparison shopping information on Motorcycles. Compare prices from across the web and read reviews from other consumers on ... |
| www.epinions.com |
|
| Confederate Motorcycles |
| The official website for Confederate Motorcycles Hellcat and Wraith. |
| www.confederate.com |
|
|