destroyer dyno [Archive] - 1130cc.com: The #1 Harley Davidson V-Rod Forum

o2man98

03-23-2007, 08:21 PM

This may help.

If you are a new racer, particularly a new Destroyer racer, please look at the information below to help you get started safely. In addition to safety & equipment recommendations, we will also provide some basic information on track procedures, getting through the Dyno, tech inspections, racing orientation, and basic setup for your bike.

After that, we can help you or point you in the right direction to get more in-depth information.

You don’t have to be a pro to drag race -- everyone has to start somewhere!

I will assume that you know what drag racing is and how most races are run. Next, you should be able to ride a motorcycle and hopefully have raced a bike in some kind of drag racing before. If not, please call so we can help you get started safely!

Your local track is a good place to start getting familiar with your Destroyer. The more seat time you have, the easier participating in a national event will be..

1. First: Join the AHDRA at www.ahdra.com, and send them your physical/medical certificate.

2. Safety equipment: My personal recommendations are higher than the minimum requirements put out by AHDRA. Your safety is of utmost importance, and a little additional investment in your gear up front will save you money in the future.

a. Helmet: Full coverage helmets only! Must be Snell-2000 approved with full visor. Get the highest Snell rating you can afford.

b. Protective Clothing: You must get full-finger leather gloves, with knuckle armor and palm reinforcements, one piece or full circumference zippered leather suit with knee, elbow and shoulder armor or reinforcements, spine/back protector and above the ankle leather boots with toe area reinforcements. Vanson Leathers is a good place to start looking, in my opinion. A good set of leathers will last a long time, and additionally will cover most rule changes in the near future.

3. Before you get to the track: I hope that a dealer or someone knowledgeable has prepped the bike for you ahead of time. They should have gone through the break-in procedure on the motor, and everything should be somewhat set up. For example, your shift light should be programmed, the two-step adjusted, and the race tuner software loaded, and so on. If not, call and we will direct you to someone that can get you ready for the track. Next, go through the manual again and check everything two or three times, just to get familiar with the bike. A few things here -- U4 gas only, in a new can, poured in with a new funnel -- don’t run any other kind of fuel through the bike, because you will not pass the fuel check at the race track. Make sure you have the Pingel fuel check installed, too. Next, find a flat surface for the bike. Put 10 lb air in rear tire, sit on the bike, and while using a level on the steering head, adjust the wheelie bars to 1 ¾” from the bottom of the wheels to the ground. To make certain the wheelie bar is adjusted properly, you will need to measure the distance from the bolt hole to the end of the wheelie bar on each side, making sure that the two dimensions are equal. Additionally, measure diagonally from the bolt hole on one side to the end of the bar on the other side. This will ensure that you have your wheelie bars set up as square as possible. Failing to do so will make your bike not want to travel straight down the track. Then you will remove them before taking your bike to the track.

4. When you get to the track: Typically, you will show up early Friday. (Always check with the track for each race, as their schedules can and do vary!) You will be directed where to park by officials when you arrive. Once you’ve set up, take your membership card to the registration trailer, (usually somewhere close to the staging area, but not always) and register. Next, you’ll go to the back of the trailer to get the appropriate contingency stickers for your bike. Go back to your pit area and put them on – this is a good time to put your number plate on, too.

5. Dyno: Now is a good time to find us, and / or meet your fellow Destroyer racers. For the dyno pull, you must put the RED spring in your clutch! If you have not done this before, please have someone check that it is installed right – we don’t want any mistakes here, OK? J Then, remove your rear tire. Now, take your pit bike down the return road to the Dyno, and pick up the street tire they require you to use. Install the tire, put fuel in the bike, get your race tuner module, warm up the bike and go back to the Dyno. When you are done, go back to your pit area, remove the tire and quickly take it back so the next person can use the tire.

6. Put the slick (10 lb air) on; make sure it is straight. Then put the wheelie bars on. Put your leathers on, get you helmet, gloves, boots and filled out tech card, and go to the scale to see what you weigh. 730 lb is the target weight. It is a wise precaution to shoot for around 733 or 734 lb, just to be safe. If you become a little dehydrated throughout the day, or have too little fuel in your tank when you run over those scales – you will be disqualified. If you weigh in OK, then go to the staging lane for your tech inspection. Now, you can relax for a little bit -- that was a lot of work!

7. Pre-ride: Now, remove the RED spring, and put the medium spring with .050 shims back in the clutch, and have someone check it. At the Dyno, they put a stock map in your bike. If you have your own dyno map for your bike, install it now and/or set your rev limiter at 11000 rpm. Now, set the 1st to 2nd gear shift point at 10000 rpm, and set the remaining shift points at 9800 rpm. You are out of the HP band before 10500 rpm anyway, so there’s no need to over-rev your motor. Set your two-step at 7500 rpm. This is a good starting point. Fine tuning will come later. This is Important; tighten the steering damper to where you like it, then tighten it a little more. This is something you’ll need to check often – they have been known to loosen up. Next, you’ll put 35 lb air in front tire, and 10lb in rear tire. Now is the time to get into a routine of doing the same thing each and every time, the same way. Put the fuel in, put air in the shifter tank at 130lb, warm the bike up, put your leathers on, and check rear tire air again to make sure it is at 10 lb, grab your gloves & helmet and head to the staging lanes.

8. Test & Tune: On Friday’s test & tune, you get your tickets from the registration trailer and will be assigned a lane to run in for the sportsman's class with a pro tree. One thing that you'll need to remember is that bikes with slicks run in the inside tire track, street tires run in the outside tire track. Relax, this is not a race -- just a shakedown. Focus on being safe, being smooth, and having some fun!

9. Qualifying: There is a mandatory rider’s meeting first thing Saturday morning. You will get lane assignments and other important information there. Go through your pre-ride routine, and be ready. We are typically the second or third class to run. The tower will call us by class. In the staging lane, introduce yourself and meet some of the other racers. Remember, we line up on the inside tire track. There should be cones in place. Do not move them! We use courtesy staging, which means that you turn on the pre-stage light and wait for the other rider to do the same before you stage. Qualifying is not a race. This is just you and the clock, and here your reaction time means nothing. Go straight, hit your shift points and be smooth… Smooth is fast. After the run, you will have to stop at the scale for weight and to have a fuel sample taken. Do not go by or your run will not count! Also, do not have anyone meet you until after you’ve come off the scale. That was fun! Two more to go. After qualifying is over, they will post the ladder at the registration trailer. Check it and count what pair you are in (32 rider field), as this is how you will line up Sunday.

10. Race day: Typically, eliminations start about 9:00. They will take the sportsman classes down to 16 riders before the 1:00 PM start of the race. This is usually two back-to-back rounds of ET, then Destroyer, and then Super Gas. You’ll be in the same lanes you were in Saturday. When you get to the staging lanes, there will be numbers on the pavement. These numbers will correspond to your qualifying position on the ladder, that was determined yesterday. The higher qualified or faster racer has lane choice. If you win, you must stop at the scale and have your fuel checked. If you didn't win, stop anyway and congratulate your competitor! Make sure that your competitor passed the scale & fuel check before you return to the pits. If you make it through the first round of eliminations, you will have until 1:00 before the start of the race. They will usually run the Pro classes first, then the sportsman classes. This will take about an hour. If you make it to the last round, both winner and runner-up will go over the scale, then have fuel checked, and then finally back on the dyno one more time before being allowed to take your bike back to your pit area.

Obviously, these are just a few tips for new racers. The more seat time you get, the better you will be. We have contacts that will help you go to the next level with instruction on dyno tuning, clutch setups, riding schools, using the race tuner and data logger, etc. These are all things that will help you gain more knowledge.

Some other advice -- your first motor freshen-up should be done somewhere between 100 and 125 runs.

We all remember what it is like just starting out, and most of us are more than willing to help -- just ask. For those of you who are new to the Destroyer class -- Welcome and remember… Relax, have fun, and be safe.