Bimota Forum

[Bud977]

I'm off to the drags tonight on the YB8. It's to promote our Barry Sheene Festival of Speed which is on next week at SMSP (Eastern Creek).

It should be fun having a few runs. Hopefully I've eliminated the snatchiness of the clutch so I can get good launches.

https://www.facebook.com/bsfos/photos/a.449612731869053.1073741828.432177923612534/614144618749196/?type=3&theater

[brian]

Great stuff Lech! Wouldn't see too many Bimotas launched down a drag strip I don't recon.

I hope the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed goes well too. I swear I'm going to get down for it one of these years.
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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[Bud977]

Well that was a fail. I found out race bikes aren't suitable for the drags.

There is a fair amount of time from when you start the motor in the line up lanes until you race which made the Bimota overheat.

There are no cooling fans on the race bike and I don't have an onboard starter so no chance of turning the engine off after I push started it and queued up.

On my first run I did an 11.2s 208kph. It was a pretty shitty run and I was looking forward to getting in the 10s. The temp was at 96°C as I left the line and it stayed that way until I got back to the collection area.

In the second run, the temp started higher and I got held up for longer. When I launched the bike spun around backwards and fell over. The motor had gotten too hot and steam/water had collected in the belly pan that is required for circuit racing. When I took off, the water went on the rear tyre and I lost traction and it spun around.

Oh well. A new front brake lever and she'll be ready to go again at the Barry Sheene next week.

I would have loved to have made a few more runs to see what sort of time the Bim could do and to master my race starts.

[brian]

Oh well, live and learn I guess. Horses for courses, you've proved in the past that it goes around corners fast. I'm fairly sure that a drag bike on a race track would be an even bigger fail.

Onward and upward to the BSFOS mate
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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[Bud977]

I guess the YB8 just had to do a corner. I would have preferred if it didn't do it off the start line of a drag strip though.

The BSFoS is next. If I qualify well, I'll be in the same race as Kevin Schwantz and Jeremy McWilliams!

[brian]

Wow, you're in good company mate
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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851