scabber
XS650 Guru
You are giving the bike a bad name. Your bike needs a tune up. 
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Drag racing
- Thread starter Ashaman
- Start date
You are giving the bike a bad name. Your bike needs a tune up. Ashaman
XS650 Enthusiast
I guarantee I'm slow; only been riding for ~3 months and ~1800 miles, and haven't drag raced in three years, and only in cars. But still. It seems to run fine on the street and have decent power for general riding, runs smoothly, etc., but then again this is the only motorcycle I've ever ridden (besides my dirtbike and the 250 Nighthawk in my MSF class). My launches were pathetic, but past that I was revving to 7 grand or so and shifting as quickly as possible, with just a bare fan of the clutch lever. Not sure what else can be done there.
Spent most of today looking at newer bikes online.
Spent most of today looking at newer bikes online.
scabber
XS650 Guru
Just busting your chops Brian. It is horsepower to weight you were not geared right. It should not bog if you get your carbs set up right and the right gears. Your 2nd run not bad considering. The low end power on these bikes is not that great so your launch is what is hurting your ET. 
Tron
Bearded Sheep Whisperer
Clutchless upshifts is key..
All you have to do is put a bit of pressure on the shifter, and get off the throttle for a split second, and right back on. It shifts smoothly, and very quickly without the clutch!
Super fun too.
Like this!
All you have to do is put a bit of pressure on the shifter, and get off the throttle for a split second, and right back on. It shifts smoothly, and very quickly without the clutch!
Super fun too.
Like this!
member3480
RICH
I have built and Drag Raced bikes for over 35 years and its all about fun. When you get crazy and start putting tons of money in bikes you loose the fun. That bike stone stock should have ran in the high 14,s quarter mile. So for a first timer and don't know how to setup a bike you did great and had fun and put on a show for the croud.Cars and bikes are different when you drag race. Car rollout much slower than bike. Ran both over the years and had more fun on bike. There are some of these XS650 running low11 sec and a couple turbos running in the 10's.
I've not done a lot of drag racing but it's been my experience that bikes are harder to get a proper launch than cars as you've got another plane of control to deal with. I've ridden for a lot of years but never thought myself a great rider. But I was always very capable with 4 wheels.
From a Cycle World article. March 79
http://www.biker.net/roadtest/xs650f_test/650f_test.htm
XS650 turns in a respectable performance in class, with a standing-start quarter-mile of 13.86 sec. at 96.05 mph. That elapsed time is the same as the best recorded by the 1978 Triumph Bonneville 750, which turned 13.86 sec.; and better than the 14.14 sec. turned by the Kawasaki DOHC KZ750 Twin. The XS650 is also quicker than the Harley-Davidson 1000cc V-twin Sportster (14.22 sec.)
No doubt run by Jay Gleason who I don't think weighed 130 lbs. in leathers and helmet. Oh he might have been kind of good at it too.
http://www.biker.net/roadtest/xs650f_test/650f_test.htm
XS650 turns in a respectable performance in class, with a standing-start quarter-mile of 13.86 sec. at 96.05 mph. That elapsed time is the same as the best recorded by the 1978 Triumph Bonneville 750, which turned 13.86 sec.; and better than the 14.14 sec. turned by the Kawasaki DOHC KZ750 Twin. The XS650 is also quicker than the Harley-Davidson 1000cc V-twin Sportster (14.22 sec.)
No doubt run by Jay Gleason who I don't think weighed 130 lbs. in leathers and helmet. Oh he might have been kind of good at it too.
member3480
RICH
I have ran both and started with cars street racing on Philly streets in the 60's&70" but switched to bikes in the late 70" and a proper setup bike is like being shot out of a bow you are the arrow. I have pulled 106 60' foot on bikes and went straight as can be. Cars have the problem of two rear wheels and both have to be on good groove or you are all over. The fastest car i owned went in the 10's and i had a blast running them but the bike is a total different ride and i have been in the high 7 seconds at 180 and felt more confortable than in the 10 second car. Short wheel base cars that go over 125mph dance top end and can get hairy. My buddy just got a VEGA track car that is being turned into street rod. I am a Chevy/Mopar guy and ran both but its just as much fun taking the grocery getter to the track and make a pass. Big difference from street to track. I have seen guys who are great street racers and go to the track and stand the bike up.TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS.....
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
burns
OWG
Joe Firstimer beat a mid 14 second car on a stock XS650? well maybe.
With a pro racer named aptly "Pee Wee " a stock '75 clocked a 13.89 in (as I recall) a Cycle World review. I believe that is the best time any mag ever posted for one.
burns
OWG
sure, but first you gotta launch it.
burns
OWG
ok .86, I'm old.
XS650 turns in a respectable performance in class, with a standing-start quarter-mile of 13.86 sec. at 96.05 mph. That elapsed time is the same as the best recorded by the 1978 Triumph Bonneville 750, which turned 13.86 sec.; and better than the 14.14 sec. turned by the Kawasaki DOHC KZ750 Twin. The XS650 is also quicker than the Harley-Davidson 1000cc V-twin Sportster (14.22 sec.)
No doubt run by Jay Gleason who I don't think weighed 130 lbs. in leathers and helmet. Oh he might have been kind of good at it too.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
Right-O Burns. Reaction time and getting it out of the hole and pointed straight down the track is the hard part. Everyone can upshift.
racerdave
^ Gone not forgotten ^
"Back in the day" there was no one better than PeeWee at hustling a bike down the 1/4 mile.
Most of the spec sheets I've read say the standing quarter is 14.3, only found one at less than 14, the best I've done is 13.55 on my 707cc , there is someone in the UK with one bored to 750 that ran 11.2 last weekend, but I think he only weighs about 160lbs he normally runs around 11.6 with a terminal speed of about 116.
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/550789_394311297278464_1465733803_n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/550789_394311297278464_1465733803_n.jpg
burns
OWG
11.2?
I'd think that it would take more than big pistons to get in that neighborhood. I'm thinking NOX and wheelie bars
Ashaman
XS650 Enthusiast
Let's see if a desktop-friendly link will post from my phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=f2dkIYfixRQ
Post up if it works or doesn't, I won't be able to check it from a computer till tonight. Check out some of the other vids uploaded by the same guy, that's another of my buddies and his Mustang runs low 10's and leaves hard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=f2dkIYfixRQ
Post up if it works or doesn't, I won't be able to check it from a computer till tonight. Check out some of the other vids uploaded by the same guy, that's another of my buddies and his Mustang runs low 10's and leaves hard.
