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Fast, safe & legal fun...cheap too!

2K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  OldTimeBiker 
#1 ·
On a lark a friend and I went to the Grove last night. He has a new Kawasaski sport tourer and just wondered what it could do and I went along and did some time runs with my '05 Triumph twin.
He cracked the high 11's @ 119+ mph. My bike is nowhere near as fast, I turned mid 14's at just under 90 per BUT...I cut some pretty good lights for a guy who hasn't been on a dragstrip in many years. My best was a reaction time of .058.
It was alot of fun and makes me want to have a bike for the strip all that much more...maybe something like a 70's or 80's Japanese twin or four that could also be used as a track day bike...AND...no cops, no drivers putting on make up or talking on their cells, no drunks etc. and one thing I like is they let the bikes use the short staging lanes and cut in front of the cars and if you were just running time runs you only lined up against another bike or ran solo. They require full helmet, leather jacket, gloves, long pants & boots above the ankle unless your bike can go over 120 mph, then full leathers are required.
It was only $20 to run and I say it's a great way to feed your speed jones and relieve stress...Next season I'll have something strictly for some passes and a possible track day or two!
 
#3 ·
Let me know the next time you go up and if I'm free I'll come up and spectate. I'll be joining you a few times next year, for sure. I already have a line on a OHC 750 that could fill the bill...fast enough for grins and not so fast to easily get me into trouble...

Seriously...I know most road racers and dirt racers think the drag strip is ...ehhh...I know I did at one time...BUT...there is no better place to learn how to get those super get to the first turn first holeshots and to sort out the high speed jetting or how to use not abuse a clutch or how to shift cleanly at speed...there's alot more going on and challenge in that quarter mile than someone who has never done it thinks.
Like I said, if nothing else it could make for cheap mid week stress relief in a safe, controlled environment about an hour from Chicago.

A couple of CLSB go to the dragstrip nights could be fun. Could even happen before this riding season ends if a few get the bug.
 
#4 ·
I hit up byron last weekend for some drag racing. I ran some pretty garbage times due to my slow 60' but I had fun and hopefully make it out again this year.

My best was an 11.8 @ 130 and a 2.6 60'. Horrible, I know.

Also, Byron was $30 to run and you only need helmet, gloves, jacket.
 
#8 ·
my best on the 900rr speed was 121.67, with a 60' of 2.259.
900's love to wheelie when launched hard. My average 60' was 2.1 and best was 2.026. I know if I ever got the bike to sit down before she was totalled, I coulda broke the 1.9's.

They don't need to. They have both an NHRA national and the NASCAR/Indy car track to keep them from having to be open 5 or 6 days a week to keep the property operating in the black. Local tracks like GLD and Byron and US 41 are the backbone of the 1320 sport. Facilities like Joliet are the Taj Mahal's.
Word on the street is they want to sell off the dragstrip alone, but keep everything else.
 
#7 ·
They don't need to. They have both an NHRA national and the NASCAR/Indy car track to keep them from having to be open 5 or 6 days a week to keep the property operating in the black. Local tracks like GLD and Byron and US 41 are the backbone of the 1320 sport. Facilities like Joliet are the Taj Mahal's.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Drag Racing is cheap? I thought so too, that was until this bike decided to prove me wrong.

Yes that is a red light, but it was a grudge race so that didn't matter.



I don't even know what it would cost to have someone else build this bike.
 
#13 ·
Any racing gets expensive when you step up to more advanced levels...My point was that for $20 to $30 on any given weeknight you could take your everyday rider for as many passes as you want and hone your skills, work out your high speed jetting, compete for a trophy or just enjoy blasting down the strip and collecting E.T. slips that show you how fast you react and how fast you went without the worry of cops or traffic.

Cool drag bike.............What kind of numbers did you turn? What strip was the picture taken at?
 
#16 ·
I didn't. I Opened it twice again after reading your post, once off the main page and once off the my replies page and no warning came up.
 
#17 ·
I really enjoyed Wednesday night bracket racing at da' Grove... blast up there on the V-Rod after work... even finished 'in the money' a couple of times. Do they still have the Harley program, Jim?
 
#20 ·
I know they had an all HD show earlier in the Summer and Thurdays are designated "Slicks & Bikes" and they have a bracket show for several classes. HD dedicated classes included with the opportunity to run for your choice of trophys or cash.

Just like Santa Fe Speedway & flat track...I miss some things as they were. The IDBA (from top fuel down to E.T.) and AMRA (All HD) used to put on some fantastic shows at the Grove.
 
#21 ·
Bump 10/12/10...Going to leave at 5 PM from Park Ridge with my cousin and head up to the Grove for some more time runs...The opportunity to do tis is slipping away fast.
Anyone want to join us we'll cruise through the Lake Forest Oasis around 5:30 or you can meet us up at the track. Gates open at 5.
 
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