One of my old friends has a built 110 in his HD. It really runs pretty strong and he can launch it like a pro.
He has spent close to two years trying to get me to race him and I just refuse to bite. 'Look man, why should I blow 800 miles of tread life off my rear tire to prove something that you already know is going to happen?"
It drives him up the wall so bad that it is more fun for me than whooping him would be.
Speaking of which, what RPM do people like for launching hard? I also might be a chicken ... I'm nervous of really throwing up that front end, so I never drop the clutch in first. Release quickly, but I never just pop it. Just me?
Speaking of which, what RPM do people like for launching hard? I also might be a chicken ... I'm nervous of really throwing up that front end, so I never drop the clutch in first. Release quickly, but I never just pop it. Just me?
A good launch begins well before the flag drops or the lights illuminate. The desired goal is to leave the line accelerating as hard as possible, and to do that you'll have to manage the throttle and clutch effectively to limit wheelspin and stop the front wheel from rising off the ground. Ideally, you want to deliver just enough power to the rear wheel so that your bike is on the verge of wheelspin or a wheelie, right from the nanosecond the light turns green. In your everyday riding you should become comfortable with slipping the clutch from a stop, and modulating both the clutch and the throttle as the bike accelerates. The more familiar you are with how your bike reacts under these conditions, the easier and more natural it will be for you to manipulate the controls properly without actually having to think about it.
A good launch begins well before the flag drops or the lights illuminate. The desired goal is to leave the line accelerating as hard as possible, and to do that you'll have to manage the throttle and clutch effectively to limit wheelspin and stop the front wheel from rising off the ground. Ideally, you want to deliver just enough power to the rear wheel so that your bike is on the verge of wheelspin or a wheelie, right from the nanosecond the light turns green. In your everyday riding you should become comfortable with slipping the clutch from a stop, and modulating both the clutch and the throttle as the bike accelerates. The more familiar you are with how your bike reacts under these conditions, the easier and more natural it will be for you to manipulate the controls properly without actually having to think about it.
I shouldn't try to cheat. I don't practice full on starts. I hit it off the line a lot, but not like I'm running a serious race. That's what I don't practice much. Can't beat practice, dang it.
Every light is like a staging lane. I launch around 1800-2000 and throttle up and feather the clutch until I am confident there is no wheel spin. I haven't launched any higher than that yet. More often than not the front wheel is coming up, just stay in it and keep your body over the tank. Once you get the hang of it find a drag strip and check your reaction times. When I was racing 4 cyl Kawasakis we launched around 6000 RPM and I was always in the low 4s with my reaction times, but I was doing it every weekend. I have yet to get the Rocket to a drag strip but I am guessing after a few pulls I could get into the 4s again.