| Author | Message | ||
     Puzzled |
Last night at the track I experienced what I would call a "Dancing" front end. What I was getting was a very light nose of the bike. This translates to the bars and having very little steering. This isn't all bad as I believe I had great weight transfer going on allowing the front end to unload. As I type this I'm curious if I should have strapped the front end tighter. In an attempt to get more tire on the ground I released the strap some. In hindsight I think I made it worse. I was moving from one side of the lane to the other keeping the bike moving forward. I have new respect for the Pro Stock crowd and how they lean to steer those bikes, I'm not ready for that! I will try the strap first out of curiosity. From there I said I wanted a steering dampener simply because on the street the front end gets light from time to time. What do you guys think? Strap, dampener, user error! | ||
| Fast1075 |
A fast drag bike needs a steering damper. If the bike is pulling to one side under power...it may be from the wheelie bar setup if it only happens while the chassis is loaded...when you are on the bars, the front tire has no effect on steering (unless the front tire is crossed up when it contacts the track). The steering is done with the rear tire and wheelie bar wheels...weight transfer to one side or the other steers the bike... Practice taking off with the bike absolutely vertical...you must not move around on the seat....your weight must be centered....(this is much harder to describe than it should be LOL)... | ||
| Puzzled |
Thank you. My issue lies farther out. I'm coming out straight as I worked on my launch technique keeping in mind the bars needed to be horizontal with the track. Granted I need some work in other areas of my launch!. Running through second gear and the initial part of third is where I have very little bar input. Speaking with a fellow rider today who was running last night eased my mind some. He had stated that the starting line had "went away" later in the evening. When I spoke of what I was experiencing he commented on the dew that rolls in on the track after the sun goes down. (The track is located next to sod fields) My shield confirmed this as my last four runs where my shield crapped up is the four runs that the front end was light. The train of thought was/is that my tire barely makes contact with the track and with the addition of the dew/condensation it was just skating along. Is this the case? I don't know but it sure sounds logical.  | ||
| Puzzled |
I hit the track last night and pulled the strap tight as suggested. While the front end was light it was FAR better than previously. I'm happy with the results. To pull the strap any tighter I'll need a second person or the use of the tie downs in the trailer! |
