Harleys

HMP

HMP

Well-Known Member
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2016
Messages
39,512
Location
TRIAD
Rating - 100%
28   0   0
We started having a pretty good conversation without thinking (at least I forgot) that we were in a BST thread!

So let's continue it here!

Lots of HD riders, lots of performance talk was coming up.

Found this video this morning, really cool
I'd love to go to this sometime





also, this video is 2 years old - the bikes have gotten quicker!
 
Last edited:
Video I took a few years ago
These guys are here in NC - WONDERFUL folks
Over 200mph on this turbo HD
Sorry for the quality

 
If you want to go fast, dump a lot of money into your Harley, or, go buy a Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki off the showroom floor.
 
This is one haul-ass knucklehead. Pete Hill's drag bike, from Greenville, SC. He did some work on my '85 Evo back then. Fast forward to about 35.

 
Last edited:
Geezer said:
If you want to go fast, dump a lot of money into your Harley, or, go buy a Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki off the showroom floor.
Click to expand...

51MyaibeERL._SY355_.jpg
 
@Geezer
I posted that to be funny, but I do like it
I liek the fact that its not just 'ok, drop 10k on this bike, buy this swingarm, lower bike, strap front and youll go low 9s...'

Part of this is the build and the hunt - the hunt for thousandths of a second.
Try this.
Make this.
Experiment.

Yes, its getting 'better' with knowledge of what makes these run, but its just not as easy as the sportbikes like Busas and ZX14s etc

AND THEN when you can beat one of those, or at least beat them to the 1/8th (in a 1/4 mile race) you know that YOU did that, not just bought some parts and cant ride.
That happened a couple years ago. I went down to ATL for the NOPI Nationals car show and drag race. I was the only non-Japanese bike that was running that weekend. There was a girl there who won a brand new ZX14 from Kawasaki in an online facebook thing**. Im not saying shes a bad rider, shes had some success at her local GA track etc, but when I crushed her off the line on my stock wheel-base, street riden 1125R and shes on a drag-prepped bike...yeah, that made me feel good. She had about 50hp on me and came around the backhalf. I didnt care.



**Sorry, but when women (some) want to complain about equality and then they miraculously 'win' popularity contests in a male-dominated sport...yeah, theres your 'equality.' This girl, in particular, has gotten a lot of opportunities not completely based on her abilities but because shes a semi-attractive woman in a male-dominated sport.
And Ive seen it before with others. A lady, Valerie Thompson, raced a VRod Destroyer in the All Harley Drags - she was good! But she was able to parlay her good looks and sex (not the act, but the gender) into some BIG sponsorships (ie: GoDaddy.com sponsored her and she was in a super bowl commercial of theirs). She then went on to race in the NHRA - did not have luck there. She wasnt the only woman and her skills did not compare to the others.
She now does Land Speed Racing, I think. I know she did, just dont keep up with her anymore.
Sweet woman, good racer, but her popularity because of her being a her was a bigger impact than her skills.


Crap, sorry for the rant lol
 
SPST said:
Neither are metric drag bikes.
Click to expand...

Ive raced with them - they pretty much are.

Again, its a simple combination for most of them: swingarm or swingarm extender, dogbone for lowering the bike, strap the front end. Oh, and removing 2 of the 3 factory installed brake calipers and rotors.
 
HMP said:
Ive raced with them - they pretty much are.

Again, its a simple combination for most of them: swingarm or swingarm extender, dogbone for lowering the bike, strap the front end. Oh, and removing 2 of the 3 factory installed brake calipers and rotors.
Click to expand...

So you're saying the pro metric drag teams run a bone stock engine? Like a NASCAR "stock" car or a WSB ?
 
To add, @fieldgrade , it gives a chance to shed light to a situation that I am very familiar with - drag racing bikes. Did it for 8 or 9 years, traveled up and down the east coast, as far west as Ohio, had some amazing sponsors helping out with parts and paying for entry etc. Raced with Harley organizations, raced in some races where I was the only one that wasnt on a Jap bike. Wrenched on all sorts at the track to help others out.

Met some wonderful folks that I still consider friends, we still talk regularly.
I miss it. I will be back.
Just like Cash said in "The Highwaymen" - I'll be back again

 
SPST said:
So you're saying the pro metric drag teams run a bone stock engine? Like a NASCAR "stock" car or a WSB ?
Click to expand...

pro teams? No
But neither do the HDs

I was referencing the more common bikes - street bikes out there for TNT and bracket racing/index etc
The top fuel teams (in both hd and metric) are loosely based on the marque that they are representing...and are dang impressive! Same for the pro street bikes - going in the 6's at over 200mph on a street tire and no wheelie bar etc... WOW
 
fieldgrade said:
This is a Harley thread.

If certain posters don't like 'em, they can go lick windows elsewhere.
Click to expand...
C'mon man. There are few guarantees in life but one of them is, the usual suspect showing up in any and all threads with the word Harley to spread his knowledge...
 
HMP said:
pro teams? No
But neither do the HDs

I was referencing the more common bikes - street bikes out there for TNT and bracket racing/index etc
The top fuel teams (in both hd and metric) are loosely based on the marque that they are representing...and are dang impressive! Same for the pro street bikes - going in the 6's at over 200mph on a street tire and no wheelie bar etc... WOW
Click to expand...
Didn't NHRA change the rules in Pro Stock a few years back to allow the jap bikes to keep up with the VROD's?
 
LizardKing said:
Didn't NHRA change the rules in Pro Stock a few years back to allow the jap bikes to keep up with the VROD's?
Click to expand...
They change the rules almost every year to keep parity among the teams/brands.
The VRods always had the advantage in NHRA, hmmmm I wonder why...

I'll say this too, speaking of HD:
the turbo harley I posted above - on their 200mph pass, a bunch of people from HD were at the track that day (maybe even WillieG too, but that could have been a different race) - the scoreboard flashed when they went through and then shut off. He was given no timeslip, they said that the lights malfunctioned.
Now, in 200+ racers, making MULTIPLE PASSES throughout the weekend, and for the timing lights to only mess up ONCE, when, it just so happened to be, a non-nitro harley goes faster than the PSM machines...well, that seems odd. It seemed odd to me, them, and many of us racers.



Those in here with HDs - post them up!
 
HMP said:
They change the rules almost every year to keep parity among the teams/brands.
The VRods always had the advantage in NHRA, hmmmm I wonder why...

I'll say this too, speaking of HD:
the turbo harley I posted above - on their 200mph pass, a bunch of people from HD were at the track that day (maybe even WillieG too, but that could have been a different race) - the scoreboard flashed when they went through and then shut off. He was given no timeslip, they said that the lights malfunctioned.
Now, in 200+ racers, making MULTIPLE PASSES throughout the weekend, and for the timing lights to only mess up ONCE, when, it just so happened to be, a non-nitro harley goes faster than the PSM machines...well, that seems odd. It seemed odd to me, them, and many of us racers.



Those in here with HDs - post them up!
Click to expand...
I'm just a casual fan of NHRA mc racing, can you elaborate on the VROD advantage.
 
They were the first of the Vtwins to have 4 valve heads
The Suzukis dont (or didnt a few years ago) have billet cases, the Vtwins do
Youre supposed to run 'factory bodywork'...or at least a carbon fiber copy of factory stuff - the VRods got to add aero that the stock bikes didnt have (its not a lot, but every bit helps in that sport/those speeds).
VRods cant be bought by ANYONE - they are exclusive to that team; the other brands are open to be purchased by anyone with a fat enough wallet

At one point the Suzukis were limited to carbs and the twins got fuel injection, but that, recently, changed.
 
HMP said:
They were the first of the Vtwins to have 4 valve heads
The Suzukis dont (or didnt a few years ago) have billet cases, the Vtwins do
Youre supposed to run 'factory bodywork'...or at least a carbon fiber copy of factory stuff - the VRods got to add aero that the stock bikes didnt have (its not a lot, but every bit helps in that sport/those speeds).
VRods cant be bought by ANYONE - they are exclusive to that team; the other brands are open to be purchased by anyone with a fat enough wallet

At one point the Suzukis were limited to carbs and the twins got fuel injection, but that, recently, changed.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation.
 
HMP said:
They were the first of the Vtwins to have 4 valve heads
The Suzukis dont (or didnt a few years ago) have billet cases, the Vtwins do
Youre supposed to run 'factory bodywork'...or at least a carbon fiber copy of factory stuff - the VRods got to add aero that the stock bikes didnt have (its not a lot, but every bit helps in that sport/those speeds).
VRods cant be bought by ANYONE - they are exclusive to that team; the other brands are open to be purchased by anyone with a fat enough wallet

At one point the Suzukis were limited to carbs and the twins got fuel injection, but that, recently, changed.
Click to expand...

When you say Suzukis, do you mean GS1100's?
 
the show ran 1969-1970

That's a nice ironhead sporty.
 
SPST said:
If you have a 2017 Harley, you might want to read this.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/06/04/harley-davidson-motorcycle-recall/102488808/
Click to expand...

Here's ,my problem with this recall. My 1995 SPORTSTER, has had this same stupidness for 20 YEARS. Why didn't they recall mine and what engineer thought it a boss idea to put a hose clamped oil drain TUBE, right in FRONT of the REAR TIRE.

Yes, this is where you drain the oil when you change it. This is also where you spill said oil on your REAR TIRE and have to CLEAN it with detergent so yuou don't DIE. Note the REAR tire four INCHES from the oil RUBBER TUBE THING and HOSE CLAMP.

YRChOsAZ6PSOhkPf.medium
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom