Can a rider with limited drag racing experience climb aboard a fast bike and crack 200 mph? With enough horsepower, a 200 mph pass shouldn't be too difficult, right? That's what we thought going into this adventure anyways.
The AMA Dragbike racers have been breaking 200 mph for a couple years now aboard turbocharged ZX-14s and Hayabusas, and we wanted in on the fun. After a fistful of rain dates, some nightmarish airport scenarios and a thousand mosquito bites, everything was in order for a handful of passes aboard a top level Pro Street race bike. These monsters are capable of mid seven-second passes at over 200 mph, so it seemed like it would be a simple case of show up and twist the grip. But it wasn't as simple as that...
Roaring Toyz' Bob Fisher,...
Roaring Toyz' Bob Fisher, Engine Tuner Chris Jones and one trembling editor discuss survival tactics for piloting a 500+ HP Zx-14.
We met up with the Roaring Toyz (that's right; the same company that builds award-winning customs) crew at Florida's Bradenton Speedway for a quick debriefing before taking the key to its 500+ HP ZX-14. Oddly, turbo tuner Chris Jones of Jones Performance Cycles didn't offer much instruction aside from "Just hit it hard outta the hole and you'll get it," in his thick southern drawl.
Though perhaps more succinct than expected, his instructions seemed sufficient enough. After all, there isn't much more that needs to be said. What he likely didn't recognize was that very few riders understand the mechanics of a 68-inch wheelbase turbo bike. It's long and low for a reason, and to ride one quickly means throwing everything you know about piloting a traditional sportbike out the window. Feeding the clutch in with progressive throttle will get you nowhere. Instead, it's all about aggression, timing and trust: Keep the revs high and the turbo spinning, dump the clutch and get the throttle wide open in an instant, then keep it there and try to hold on while time and space seem to bend around your faceshield.
While all of this insanity is unfolding you have to simply keep faith in the bike's setup and that it won't bite. If you rode a regular liter bike in this fashion you'd be in the weeds before you knew what hit you, and that makes it hard to adjust. Trust is one of the most critical elements in properly piloting such a heinous machine, and you must simply have faith that it won't wheelie over backwards or break traction and highside you to the moon. The long chassis is designed to keep it composed so the motor can do its thing. It's easy to explain, but another thing entirely to actually execute when you've got over 500 horsepower between your legs, a turbo whistling in your ear and cash bets being laid down just inside the deepest corners of your peripheral vision.
"It just doesn't make sense...
"It just doesn't make sense how each gear can pull harder, rev quicker, scare and enlighten even more than the previous one."
The first attempt resulted in a 9.90 at 147 mph. That would normally be considered fast in anyone's book, but it was a pathetic two full seconds slower than this bike is used to rolling-so actually it was dreadfully slow. We had some work to do, and from the smirks on the team members faces it was clear that the big Kawi intimidated its rider into a half-throttle, limp-wristed first pass.
Over the next four runs the times improved until we climaxed with an 8.42 at 185 mph. It wasn't a squeaky clean run due to one kiss off the rev limiter and a bit of wheelspin mid track, but a basic understanding of how to ride the thing had been discovered.
Unfortunately that was our plateau. Sevens weren't far away and neither was 200 mph, but to get there we'd simply need more seat time. With another day or two it might have happened...
Despite our 200 mph shortcoming the bike was able to accomplish several other important achievements. The sensations that a big turbo bike pushes through your body are better than any drug or circus sex act imaginable. OK, so it might not actually be much safer, but at least it's legal.