T.C.'s E.T. Poll!

[mro]

14+

A little intimidating the first few runs. Expect slower to faster times. First time I ran a 10 second cage only turned 13+.

Get your start down and you'd be in the thirteens.
Would think Big Bore should pay off just past middle of second on up.

Looks like on your first run, you were on your way to getting there. Shift'en late???



mro

[GNEPIG]

Looks like IF I ever try this again, I'll bolt about a 50lb weight to the front forks!

.. i hope you do this again next weekend . you wont be as nervous, and you will have a better handle on how it works= your ETs will drop

Here's my times for the runs. Can you spot the wheelie!?

.. i can also spot the run where your butt was puckered up after the big wheelie run. it looks like by the forth run you were starting to get the hang of it, bummer you could'nt have made a couple more passes.. looks like it was a good night, cant waite to see the movie

[TopCatGr58]

Videos a Plenty!!

Okay folks, just finished processing them into WMV's and then uploading them to YouTube, they seem to have possibly reprocessed them, so are a bit pixellated, but you still get a pretty good experience!

This first one Driver's View 1st run is just what it says, taken with the camcorder mounted to the bars, you can actually see the tree lights, but alas, it's mounted too high to view my TACH!

This second one is same run shot from Spectator View of 1st run .

This last one, 3rd run spectator view is just after that horrible unplanned superwheelie I did in my second run! You'll notice the track attendant talking to me and ribbing me about my little one wheeled experience...note his arm Gestures, but all in good fun!!
PS, it's a bit longer and larger than the other 2, may take a bit more time to D/L!

I'll get some stills to post soon, but have to do the Honeydo stuff first!!
T.C.

[xs650mike]

As I said way earlier in the thread, with those long forks you're already wheelying when you're standing still, the high bars don't help either. At least you didn't loop it. Congrats though on having the nerve to try. Can't help but do better next time. My take is that you may be better off not trying to get a fast launch, just get a better time on pure top end rush...of course I'm no expert. Nice quick shifts you did, not always easy on these bikes. Have you got the forks snubbed down? That and lower bars would be a big help...maybe some clubman bars mounted low...

[DeanR]

Hey TC, do you have to get their player or register for something to see your videos? Don't like either of the above choices.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey 650Mike,

Well, as for making modifications to Godzilla, ain't gonna happen, cause I like riding tall and leaning back!!! Also have to drive it 90+ miles to the track, can't do that leaning forward with short bars! Also, don't know how I could "cinch" the forks down? Guess I could get some sort of wire straps or such, but not really worth it to me!

This was just an experiment, to see what it felt like, and to have a little fun, which I did. I'm not really into wanting to do this continuously, I know what my bike can do, and it's plenty for me!

This will, however give those going to Brag n Drag something to shoot for, and I hope they bust into the 13's and even the 12's! I did shift a little late-high into the rpm range, I might have gotten better power with slightly earlier shifts? It is a bit intimidating being out there, being the only Ancient Bike and Rider amongst all of those Hypersonic machines and such!

Dean, that web site is totally free, just signed up provided a real email address that I could receive the Activation Email to Reply to, and that was it. There was a 100MB limit on the size of the video, but I think that was for each, not a total, but not sure! They must have some massive servers to store it all! I've got the originals incase they flush them later!
T.C.

[bandet01]

well i am going to go to the track in 2 weeks if nothing pops up and makes it so i cant go and hope to break into the 12s and my bike is almost all stock but for the pipes and the indy filters and the exhaust just has the baffles removed

[oldbiker648]

As the video guy at TC's drag racing debut, I'd like to get my 2 cents worth in. First, it's a very intimidating place to be if you've never lined up in front of a Christmas tree with hundreds of people watching, and in the case of his later runs, a rider with more drag racing experience in the other lane. On my side of the camera, I'm used to filming things moving at a much slower pace, and at a drag race, you had better focus on the person you are filming, because the window of opportunity is very small, and I missed things I wish I hadn't. My advice to anyone filming a friend or family member racing is to use only equipment with which you are familiar, don't try to do too much (ie. still camera shots and video of the same pass) and keep track of your rider. It's not a bad idea to video some runs of other bikes to work on your technique and play them back to see how you did. One other thing to work out quickly is to find out where you can set up to to do your filming. The first run I videoed was from on the spectator side of the fence. It wasn't until later that I realized they would allow me to shoot from the concrete wall right alongside the starting line, a much better vanatage point. That run I thought I had filmed perfectly, only to find out that I'd never hit the record button on TC's camera. This weekend was a learning experience for TC and me and I'm sure we would both be more proficient on a return trip to the track. Any of you on the list who think he should go back and crack the 13's had better let your thoughts be known soon.

[John]

Back to the Track...

Back to the track...back to the track...back to the track...
(Sung to the tune of any sports rally chant)

[xs650mike]

With forty pounds of headlights stapled to his chest...

Looks like you have Godzilla in full tour configuration with all of the "garbage" on it as the oldtimers say. Or as the oldtimers also say, "run what ya brung". Classic stuff, see what your rig will really do. You stayed on course, you didn't crash and I hope it was fun. By all means go back and abuse your clutch some moreif you're having fun. You know you can do better next time.

[oldbiker648]

Ok, John and Mike are on board, who else wants to see TC make that 13 second pass we know he is capable of running? One thing I will suggest is that he get some of that 6'-6" frame leaning forward. Anyone else notice that he was sitting straight up when he left the line? He did have a camera bracket between his bars that I don't think he wanted to "eat", but that can be removed. I promise to do a better job on the video next time if you guys can talk him into a second trip.

[xs650mike]

Sitting straight up?

He was actually leaning back. Out for a Sunday drive he was...

[mro]

Sunday drive(R)

Very cool video.
Would have loved to see the superwheelie

Looks like you would have been in the thirteens easy with a little better start. Let off the throttle a little when the wheel came up???? Almost like starten over

Gota admit, it's a real gas to go for it now and then on an XS
Think you did real good for a first timer



mro

[MartyA]

Great job on both sides of the camera.

[TopCatGr58]

Funniest Home Videos?

Yeah, not sure if it's a good or bad thing that John missed filming that "Superwheelie"! Yes on the first run, I was sitting up, as John said, I had my camcorder on the handlebars, couldn't lean over but so far, besides, my first run was just to feel out the track and all! Was surprised it ended up being my 2nd to best run!

As for heading back, I'll probably give it another try, but the track won't have any more T&T runs till Mid June! I'll have the cam corder bar OFF, I'll take off the setbacks I had on there as well, and I'll practice my takeoffs for a while before! Who Knows, I may end up being able to hold a longer lower wheelie as part of my technique!?

I'll be curious to see what folks at the Brag-n-drag do!! Thanks for the support and encouragement!
T.C.