I swithced classes and bikes for this race season. I have never been good a starts. The bike always wanted to bog or wheelie:down: never could find that fine line. This year I will be racing a sv650 and i havent gotten a chace to ride or practice on it. I leave for the first race weekend on Thursday. My question is how and what do you guys do to get a good start and not get passed by the pack. What would be a good rpm to have for the start. I was thinking i would try 10,000 rpms and see how that works out. When the bike starts to go forward should i continue to let out the clutch and feed the throotle or drop the clutch all together and give it hell.:tut: Or will that just throw me right up in the air. I dont know how to wheelie but feel like if i did i might have a better understanding of what and what not to do in the start. So any and all advise on how to get a good start, and how to keep my front end down would be great. Anyone on a sv with advise would also be nice... Please help me get this sorted out so i dont have to play catch up all weekend...
the torque curve on an average SV usually maxes out between 7000 and 8000 rpm so I would say that would be a launch RPM.
NO NO NO. The SV makes more HP and more torque than a 600 all the way to its redline. I4s make HP in the upper ranges and that is why you rev them. An SV makes twice as much HP and torque as a 600 at 3000-4000 RPM. Rev it to midrange at most, they don't bog down. You don't have to rev them high, and if you do, your chances of a start destroying wheelie are great. I beat literbikes off the line all the time on an SV. For the first forty feet. I never look at the tach but I doubt I am at more than 6-7k at most.
I hold it wide open and use the clutch to keep it the front wheel down. like a dirt bike. also if you have a Quick shifter short shift into 2nd.I've been told I get good starts. When i tell everybody else what i do. they say it can't be done. with out burning the clutch, but Ive never had to replace a clutch. I've been racing sv's since 2005. If im in the first three rows.95% of the time I whole shot. You really need to go to a drag strip and practice. sv's are really easy when you get it figured out. I hope this helps
yeah. Any decent track will have a timing system by which you can bench mark your progoress. An average 60' on an otherwise unmodified bike should be 1.7/1.8.
Best SV launches. Chest on tank. 7000rpm, Elbows waaay out.Tiny bit of clutch slip. --I also totally agree with tophyr -get to a drag strip and practice
This squid might know a thing or two... I've been screwing the pooch on my starts by over revving and missing a gear as I try to get into 3rd or 4th??? almost nullifies the advantage of the quick shifter if I keep boggling the starts. Got to get that worked out...
The one thing that I do well is my race starts. I am on an air cooled Buell, but I race with many SV650s. What I do is hold the throttle at 3000rpms, right foot already in place, chest on the tank, one finger on the front brake, and clutch out to the friction point. Once the flag drops, roll on the throttle and modulate the clutch. This is how I end up leading the first lap of my races. This method will work, but you will just need to find the right RPM for your bike. Unfortunately, I suck everywhere else, so I end up in fifth.
What you need is to go to the drag strip and practice Sr. One night at the strip will make a huge difference... I don't race, but I have been at the drag with friends, I learn to launch at about 4K-5K RPMs Chest on the tank, right foot on the peg... Get left foot on the peg ASAP. Don't let the front wheel come up more than a foot high... or else it will come up Way easy and you may want to back off the throttle killing your launch... You control wheelies with the clutch... Shift points should be kind or earlier, at 8.5K-9.5K RPMs, that way the next gear is at peak torque... I was able to kill my drag experienced buddy's CBR954RR in the 60 ft mark every time!!! And usually got him past 1/8 mile too... After that I got passed like I was standing still... My best 1/4 mile was 11.3 at 112mph my buddy's CBR954RR was at about 9.9 at 141mph... Luis
Your buddy must be scared of full throttle if he's got 30 mph on you at the finish. What were your incrementals? 60' & 330'?
His 954 was NOT quite stock... It was lowered, had a custom suspension for the strip, tires for he strip, and Dynotuned with a chopped exhaust... He usually runs wheelie bars but he was not using them that time... Luis
