Newbie with some questions.

[El Wayno]

Hi All,
I have been lurking here for a couple of months now. My name is Wayne Gregory and I live in Livermore CA. I am 35, and work in a Temperature Lab. Married, no kids, great dog named Oscar.

 For a long time I have had a desire to go 200MPH on the salt. I always thought it would be in my 67 Cougar. I know not the most aero thing to ever roll of the line but that is what I thought in the back of my mind. So I kind of got out of cars and more into bikes. I am a rider that rides every day rain or shine. Anyway it dawned on me that it would be a lot easier, still not easy by any means, to get a bike prepped to go 200 than a car. So when upgrading bikes this year, after putting 65k on my 900RR, I picked up a Turbo Hayabusa. With the new model coming out the prices fell and it all kind of came together. I know getting a rule book is the first place to start, but I am wondering if there are any racers in the San Fransisco Bay area that have been there before and would help show me the ropes. You know the kinds of things you need to do for TECH and such. I am not looking for anyones top speed secrets or anything. I also realize that I may not even get close to 200 the first year for many reasons. I just want to be well prepared for a clean run at Speed Week '08. I also realize I would probably get more runs in at Bubs, but I am coming for the life experience as much as for the run itself. If I only get one shot at it I want it to be at Speed Week.
 
Here is my first stupid question. If people are adding up to 300Lbs. to the swingarm, filling the swingarm with lead, and such the like. Why not add weight to the wheel itself? Take off the tire and just mig it on there till it gets really heavy and rebalance? This will give it a greater I which should also help keep it from spinning up at least some. Is it because the wheels structure can't handle that much? I know that is probably a moot point since traction control is allowed now.

*Flamesuit On*

[Richard Thomason]

a rotating mass has strange influences.

[El Wayno]

I was thinking the gyro effect would help stability. I don't know though so I ask. Or is it when the bike starts to get away from ya the extra gyro is bad. A gyro undisturbed is stable but when you start to put forces through it it pushes back. From what I have read guys at Maxton and such are using heavy stock type wheels still for stability over carbon fiber or lightweight wheels. Haven't read much about salt or dirt preffered wheels.

Another question: It appears that many people running Hayabusa's are running longer than stock length swingarms, somewhere around 4+ inches. I have read that while the really long arms 10+ are good for the dragstrip that 4+ is the limit for the street with less traction. Otherwise you just spin up instead of grab. Taking that further in my head wouldn't the salt have even less traction and require a stock, or even shorter, swingarm for best traction? Or are there other more overriding concerns, like enough room to hang weight, etc. etc.?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Wayno, you're going to be a problem for us -- I can already tell.  We've got another "Wayno" on this forum already, and not that many of us can keep our own names straight.  Bear with us when we get you two cornfused.

200 MPH on a 'Busa (or a ZX12/14R, or most any other streamlined bike) is relatively straightforward:  225 hp or so.  There -- that was easy, right?

As for adding weight -- Richard's got a good point, and I'll add that trying to balance that much weight well enough that you won't have any imbalance at 3,700 rpm (about the wheel rotation rate at 2 bills) would be an absolute bitch.  Plus -- it's take one heck of a strong wheel to supply the centripetal force needed to keep that much weight in place at speed.  My suggestion -- add some weight to the swingarm.  Start small, though -- the first time I went 200 was with no weight (other than the standard stuff) back there, and I increased speeds without increasing weight until I went to nitrous.  Then I had wheelspin issues -- added 40# on the swingarm -- picked up 5-7 mph with no other changes.

Why start small?  Well, to give you a chance to learn the basics of the bike at speed.  Adding weight will give you additional challenges -- learn the simple stuff first, then make the modifications.

Welcome to landracing.com.  If you've been lurking -- you've already learned something about us.  Have you learned that this site is provided at no cost, but that you've welcome to send Jon Amo, the webmaster, a few bucks now and then to help him keep it going?  We'll all appreciate it if you do.

[El Wayno]

SSS yes I know there is another Wayno on this board. I apologize in advance. I am El Wayno on at least 4-5 other boards, Ebay and pretty much everywhere. So you can call me El if that helps. I read the thread on donations week or two ago. I think this is a very cool site and will do what I can for Jon.

[John@JE Pistons]

Email sent...

J