ok, first of all this is a tried and true method to get the holeshot everytime on a dirt bike.

I admit I have never raced my harley. That would be like racing a ride on tractor, what would be the point. They're heavy and gutless, you'd be laughed at by the spectators. I have a stock harley, nothing impressive in any way power wise.

However, I'm standing by the technique. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the drag strip because it's not a repeatable method. Starting in first and rolling the throttle and running the gears would give you a more consistent ET. But if you're racing head to head, do a second gear start, rev the **** out of the engine, and ride the clutch to accelerate. Of course it will put strain and excessive wear on the clutch, but that's the price you'd pay to smoke your buddy in a race.

 

Like many others here, I will put the bike into First before coming to a complete stop. It's very rare for me to actually go into Neutral while at a stop light.

 

Well. What if ya do not want to or need to come to a full stop. Just a rolling stop. It is hard on the engine and transmission to pull in second gear from a almost stop. I guess what I am saying is it takes common sense and experience to know how to ride and how to shift. No knock on you. You will get the hang of it.

 

I'll go on a limb and say that technique is ONLY valid on a dirt bike due to the light weight, compromised surface traction and gear ratios that are extremely short, effectively negating the advantage of 1st gear. Also the fact it's probably a lot easier to change the clutch.

Performing that technique on a street bike or car, let alone a Harley is asking for trouble and problems.

I see no issue with drag racing a Harley. Although slow for a bike, anything that runs 13s stock is respectable. There are far too many 15+ second FWD Hondas at the dragstrip with lousy drivers. Now they do get laughed at.

 

Yep, I get the "common sense and experience" part. My question was more on the lines of wear & tear on the transmission. I'll continue to shift into first while still slowly moving as everybody seems to think this doesn't harm the tranny. Thanks for your reply!

 

to answer the op , I almost always slip into nuetral right before I stop, that way I can put both feet down

 

I didn't know a stock harley would run in the 13s. Probably high 13s eh? I would have guessed low 15's. At any rate, a stock harley at the drags would be a groaner. Personally I think a bike should be in the 11's for some interest.

Btw, just for the hell of it, my buddy and I put smooth tires on our mx bikes and took them to the track one sunday. Back in those days our race track got chopped in half due to a new highway they were building. So we only had an 1/8 mile strip. We were running mid 8's in the eighth. Very respectable, we were eliminating a lot of really expensive very powerful cars. A dirt bike is light and hits top end about 3/4 down the eighth, which is about 85mph. They actually made a new rule as a result of me and my buddy. The car drivers had a protest after the event with the organizers and bitched that they were getting smoked by dirt bikes, so the made a new rule from that day forward. Bikes will be in a class of their own, never to race cars again. Then the next time we went we were racing the drag bikes, well, you can imagine how that went. They killed us.

 

Fun! Safer to run bikes against each other anyway.

Do you remember your 60fts? I would be very curious.

 

No we never got that. At least not that I can recall. After each pass you'd swing by the timing booth and they'd hand you a slip of paper with the speed and time at the finish line. I suppose maybe they didn't have the intermediate traps or maybe they figured you didn't need it to dial in a time.

This was a long time ago, I'm in my 50's now, this was back in my 20's. Back when I was young and crazy.

On one of those days when me and my buddy were there, we'd do our pass, eliminate a bike then loop around to the stands where our friends were sitting, with the cooler, have a beer. Well my buddy got to the semi's that day (he eliminated me, the bugger). He was half cut to say the least, the lights came down and he corked it a bit too much and his front wheel came up. And as I said earlier in this thread, you can't win a race by shutting off the throttle so he just went with it. Ran through all the gears with the front wheel in the air. Wheelied all the way down the eighth. Then, while he was going in 5th gear, right near the finish line he loops the bike. Talk about a major case of road rash. They hauled him away in the meat wagon. I ran down there and picked up his bike and loaded it on the tow truck, when we drove back past the fans there was a standing O, cheering and clapping, they thought it was me, I guess we were dressed similar. So I waved and bowed, my moment of fame. haha. Back in the good ol days.