Jockey Journal Forum banner

Seriously,How fast is your Sportster

10K views 51 replies 19 participants last post by  Deleted member 9073 
#1 ·
I would like to poll some of you guys on how fast you really think your Sportster will go in a standing mile. How fast will it be going on exit of the mile or how fast do you think the top end is given no distance limit, just top end speed. Give some details on the mods, weight of bike, estimated HP, final gearing, etc.
Until I get on the dyno and know where the power band is and just how much power my motor will make I haven't a clue accurately of anything but speculation. I've heard other racers say I will be at around 100mph when I believe I will be closer to 135+. Any of you have 1/4 mile trap speeds that would give me an indication?
Help me out guys.
 
#6 ·
Clowns....
They're the seriously fast dudes. Can't you tell?

Why don't you take your Sportster to LTA meet in Loring, Maine or over to the ECTA Ohio mile in Wilmington? That way you won't have to ask "How fast?" You'll get a timing slip telling you how fast right down to .001 mph. Those tracks are not too far away from you and are paved so you won't be heading home with a bike full of salt. Ohio is a mile. Trying to remember i Loring is a mile or 1.3 miles.

Bring your bike to Bonneville and you can find out the answer to all your questions. At the SCTA SpeedWeek you can be timed from mile one to mile two and from mile two to mile three. Those would be mile averages. You will get a top speed time at the 2 1/4 mile mark. And if you haven't hit our top speed by then something is seriously wrong.

Give it a shot. Beats the hell out of listening to guys telling how they went 160 with their RD350 Yamaha or 190 with their bone stock Sportster. I had to listen last week to how a dead stock Hayabusa went 240 on a highway in the desert. Its very hard to keep a straight face at times.

So how fast have you been?
 
#20 · (Edited)
Hoofhearted, why are those 2 blown records not in the book? Were you associated with them?

I can guess they were set in 2011 and were not in the 2011 book?
They are in the 2012 book. Kind of embarrassing. I should go back and do something about them. I'll be there but running in the 650 class. Maybe next year.
 
#11 ·
Not really stock, but this one has hit 130 plus in the Q with 24-48 sprockets, and a 5" stroke. I wanna say its turning about 5500, 5800 through the traps. Not exactly sure what the primary ratio is, but I'm pretty sure its real close to stock.
 
G
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
Does a Buell count....??

Got a pocket full of Speeding tickets with the Old Girl over the years...:eek:
Guess the Cops think it's fast..

Did get out of one ticket out in Vegas. :)

Was riding on the I-15 going towards LA
The Buell with the tall gearing I'm running is like a horse...Gets in it's gait.
It has it's sweet spot that is comfortable for cruising...
That is just a little over a Hundred MPH....

Well Sir....I was headed to Goodsprings to the Pioneer Saloon to throw back a few.

http://www.pioneersaloon.info/

It's about 25 miles from Vegas.. Was in the sweet spot with a smile on my face, third lane over, traffic was light..

Had just maybe another 10 miles to go to make the turn off of the 15...
When I seen Blue lights in my mirrors.

O-Shit....He's after my Ass, I thought.

Well, being so close to my turn-off...Figured I would kick it up to 150 MPH (The Buell runs out of gear at 185) and get far enough ahead of him to make my turn and go hide...

That didn't work out so well...
At a sustained speed of a buck-fifty he was gaining on me.
Got close enough to me that I could see why...
He was driving one of those Mustang's with the Super-Charger.

Ok...Alright....Wasn't about to get away from this guy...
So I pulled over to face the music...

He walked up to me and said..

I'm about at the end of my shift.
If you tell me a story, that I never heard before, why you was speeding,
I'll let you go ..!!!

Well it didn't take me long, at all, to think of something to say....

Told him that my X-wife ran off, about three years ago, with a State Cop...

And I thought YOU was bring her back....:eek:

100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3
 
#16 ·
Does a Buell count....??

Got a pocket full of Speeding tickets with the Old Girl over the years...:eek:
Guess the Cops think it's fast..

Did get out of one ticket out in Vegas. :)

Was riding on the I-15 going towards LA
The Buell with the tall gearing I'm running is like a horse...Gets in it's gait.
It has it's sweet spot that is comfortable for cruising...
That is just a little over a Hundred MPH....

Well Sir....I was headed to Goodsprings to the Pioneer Bar to throw back a few...It's about 25 miles from Vegas.. Was in the sweet spot with a smile on my face, third lane over, traffic was light..

Had just maybe another 10 miles to go to make the turn off of the 15...
When I seen Blue lights in my mirrors.

O-Shit....He's after my Ass, I thought.

Well, being so close to my turn-off...Figured I would kick it up to 150 MPH (The Buell runs out of gear at 185) and get far enough ahead of him to make my turn and go hide...

That didn't work out so well...
At a sustained speed of a buck-fifty he was gaining on me.
Got close enough to me that I could see why...
He was driving one of those Mustang's with the Super-Charger.

Ok...Alright....Wasn't about to get away from this guy...
So I pulled over to face the music...

He walked up to me and said..

I'm about at the end of my shift.
If you tell me a story, that I never heard before, why you was speeding,
I'll let you go ..!!!

Well it didn't take me long, at all, to think of something to say....

Told him that my X-wife ran off, about three years ago, with a State Cop...

And I thought YOU was bring her back....:eek:
That joke is probably older than your bike.
 
#21 ·
Our 74" gas bike has run in the 10's @ around 125 mph and our 96" Fuel bike has run 5.20's @ around 127 mph for the eighth, and hi 8's, low 150's in the 1/4 mile.

The 74" gas bike is in a highly modified smith and fetrow rigid, weighs in just a shade over 320 lbs. The 96" fuel bike is in a Bonnie Truett(copy) 3 rail, sit up frame currently. Finished weight will around 350 lbs. Many of the components are from modern pro stockers, super light weight. It hasn't been down the track in this configuration yet. The numbers above for the fuel bike are from the Bonnie Truett, tanker, lay down style chassis.

The current chassis has been low 8's with the previous owner, and I have a better motor and components(wheels, front end etc) than he did(by his admission).

Both bikes started life as 1972 Ironheads
 
#23 · (Edited)
The blown records are maybe not so much embarrassing as nowhere near fast enough. We had problems with the blower vs. fuel pressure. Never did get it sorted. But I have no pride. Take what you can get and as nothing broke you go home happy (ish). I am very happy with what the old 500 pushrod single has done. Like everyone who races I just want it to be faster.
 
#24 ·
From what went down earlier today, not faster than my Triumph. Just over an 1/8th mile stop light to stop light thing. It's fair to say I smoked a sporty. I'll admit if the light stayed green I would of lost for sure. Best part was Homeboy on the side of the road sitting on his crazy extendo hayabusa gave me the double fist tap to chest tap into a peace sign as I went by. No hijack intended but I'm still a bit gitty.
 
#26 ·
my 80 chop is well built, well tuned, currently has 2-1s with a performance muffler and is fucking slow as balls. It gets up to the speed where I get wobbles and shit falls off (i'm guessing 100ish) but just not quickly. Disappointing. or maybe my Triumph is just that quick. It also has just had a successful 2 hours road time so it's now needing about 6 hours lift time which is standard for your average ironhead as I just tore a nice huge hole in my moon tank with my chain on some aggressive downshifting antics

behold, the ironhead from beyond the thunderdome
 

Attachments

#29 · (Edited)
Seriously, guys?

I have a 1967 with no speedo, so I don't know on that one. With no front brake I ain't ever going to find out either, lol.

My 2004 883, with the recalibrated speedo fix at the dealer.....has done 105 mph several times. I weigh 200 lbs, this was with SE II slip ons and stock pullbacks bars. And, NO, it wasn't downhill. :D

Before the recalibration, it was even faster. :D

With my home-made 2-1 and 12 inch apes, I am topping out at 90-95, but can get the TON if I tuck best I can with my 12 inch apes. I have 'done the ton' a few times recently. It certainly cannot do it if I am facing a headwind.
 
#30 ·
FeHD's ride is probably the most impressive I've seen in a looooooooooooooooooong time.
And he's just getting his feet wet in the drag-racing world --- I see a lot of broken hearts & shattered egos in the very near future when that ironhead just goes PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTT!!!!
past a lot of other guys' ideas of what a fast Harley is.

Smoke 'em all, Dwayne, and let God sort 'em out.:D:D:D:D:D
 
#31 ·
FeHD's ride is probably the most impressive I've seen in a looooooooooooooooooong time.
And he's just getting his feet wet in the drag-racing world --- I see a lot of broken hearts & shattered egos in the very near future when that ironhead just goes PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTT!!!!
past a lot of other guys' ideas of what a fast Harley is.

Smoke 'em all, Dwayne, and let God sort 'em out.:D:D:D:D:D
I would race Dwayne....from Maine to California. :D:D:D
 
#32 ·
Thanks so much my friend, it is so cool to be able to run a over 40 yr old bike against Vrods and beat them, really pisses them off. And you dont hear at ALL about a sporty being a girls bike at the drags, alot of the fastest bikes there are XL based. Even the Top Fuel engines are based on a quadcam design.
Maine to CA? Well not on the drag bike, I have a cage for that, and a bike wouldnt have a chance....
 
#37 ·
Thanks for that o1. I gotta stop working on the sidecar and pay more attention to the JJ. The Dunstall tank looks perfect.
 
#39 ·
A hard to beat option.
 
#40 ·
Especially after Legendary Motorcycles came onboard as a sponsor and built me a one off tank to fit my bike. Check them out (www.legendary-motorcycles.com) for any vintage Cafe Racer tanks and seats and other products.
Years ago I had a Dunstall tank (used) that was much thicker and heavier than this modern one. I had hacked big holes in the bottom of it trying to get it to fit on my bike and eventually shit canned it. When I told Legnedary I was going to have to modify the tank they sent me they offered to make and send me just the bottom. I could then cut and modify the sections I needed and then sent the bottom back for them to make me the tank. Needless to say it came out perfect and was impressed with how far above and beyond they went for me.
 
#41 ·
That's definitely going above and beyond!! A big tip of the hat to them. Not to mention sponsoring you for a tank. right now I could do with some sponsorship. Bonneville will be tight this year. There will be a lot of dollar tv dinners consumed and no visits to the casinos.
 
#42 ·
I here ya. The one thing keeping me from Bonneville is the huge travel expenses involved. Towing the car there last year cost us over $2000 for the 4K mile round trip. We went back in Oct. for World Finals only to get rained out so $2000 and 4K miles round trip for nothing, not to mention the week off from work.
 
#43 ·
I like to think I'm fortunate being "only" 800 miles away. I've only been to World finals once (2009). It was rain delayed and I only got two runs in with the Norton before I had to head back for work. I haven't been back since. The weather is too unpredictable. Plus I can really only afford on trip a year. Despite my best efforts it seems to cost me around $2000 when everything is added up. But when you leave with a record cert in your back pocket (however slow) you don't tend to think of those things.
 
#44 ·
I was told that the weather was so unpredictable every year at that time which made me ask " Why would you schedule an event at that time of year knowing there is a better than 50/50 chance it will get rained out?" The answer was that when it is not raining the the cool weather is inducive to making the most power and thats when the big records are set. Many people ask me what you win (money, trophy). Some are surprised to learn that we spend so much money to not win anything but your name in the record book and the bragging rights to know that you have done something no one on earth has ever done before.
 
G
#45 · (Edited by Moderator)
#47 · (Edited)
I think the last person to leave Bonneville with money as Burt Munro after the whip round to help him. A lot of people have no understanding of why we do it. There's no money in it except for the money we shell out. And there is even less understanding that you have to wait until December to get your trophy. I think "The Worlds Fastest Indian" summed it up best. "One good run" and "Do something better than all the other jokers".

My sidecar is not fast in relation to other bikes/cars at Bonneville. But if being the worlds fastest period was the criteria Bonneville wouldn't exist in the form it is today. Bonneville is about seeing how fast you can get whatever machine you have. The vast array of classes in the SCTA allow you to do just that. For me its a personal thing. Seeing how fast I can get an ancient pushrod 500 to go. It makes your brain work.

After a run, waiting for your support truck you get to ponder hat wyou have just done. When your support truck comes up honking the horn and waiving you know t was all worthwhile. Then its off to impound service the sidecar and wait to do it all over the next morning. And if your return run is successful its back to impound to get that beautiful blue record cert. I should be out working on the sidecar as I like that feeling.

That moment as you wait for to go on a record return.


By weslake at 2011-08-21

o1. Are you going to be there this year?
 
#48 · (Edited)
Hey that picture looks familiar. I have one very similar to it:


I doubt I will go to Bonneville this year though the car may be there. I am going to concentrate on my bike and the Sept event at the Ohio Mile.
The date on your picture says it was on Sunday? We made our record run on Friday:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top