• Motorcycle drag racing is fun to participate in and watch.

• This video shows how fast modern bikes can be even in the hands of non-pro riders.

• Some of these modified beasts hit 100 km/h in 1 second!

We know, the first day of Ramadhan is always the hardest shock to our bodies. But here’s a motorcycle drag racing video to cheer us up. Make sure you turn up your speakers!

There isn’t much description except for the models of motorcycles taking part in the ultimate contest of acceleration. But it appears to be a “run what ya brung” race, where competitors enter what they rode to the event. So, you can see a variety of motorcycles that are stock, modified, turbocharged, equipped with nitrous oxide system (NOS), “dropped ‘n’ stretched,” have anti-wheelie bars installed, etc.

Some of these modified beasts hit 100 km/h in 1 second!

But we would like to highlight a number of details here:

• The timed length is 1/4-mile, which is equivalent to 400 metres.
• There are timing and speed sensors at different intervals along the length of the track.
• Those numbers displayed after the finish line are the elapsed time (ET) above and speed in miles-per-hour (mph). So, you need to multiply them by 1.61 for the km/h number i.e. 167 mph X 1.61 = 268.76 km/h.
• The starting lights are called the “Christmas tree.”

• In professional-organized races such as these, the riders “stage” their bikes before being released.
• Notice the box with the three holes next to rider? There’s a light/laser beam coming out of the holes.
• There are two lines on each lane. Crossing the first line will have the front wheel cutting off the light/laser beam. This is when the bike is “pre-staged” and the PRE-STAGE lights will illuminate on the Christmas tree.
• Moving forward a little more to cover the second hole will trigger the STAGE lights, meaning the rider is ready to go.

• Now the Christmas tree will begin its countdown.
• The rider launches when the green light comes on (obviously).
• The third hole detects whether the rider crossed the light beam and white line before or after the green light came on.
• If the rider crossed the light beam before the green light, he will be disqualified (red light on the Christmas tree).
• The beam provides an accurate way to determine if one or both competitors jumped the start.
• The “RT” (reaction time) is calculated electronically as the time between when the green light illuminated and rider shot past the light beam.
• The “ET” at the end of the run stands for “elapsed time” i.e. the time between the rider took off and crossed the finish line.

It sounds complex, but it’s pretty simple. Get going as soon as the green light comes on and hold on for dear life. Motorcycle drag racing isn’t as easy as it seems, because the bikes tends to wheelie when charging hard off the line. With the front tyre bereft of weight, it’s up to the rider to shift his weight around to control the bike’s direction.

Anyhow, enjoy the video and Ramadan Mubarak from us a BikesRepublic.com.

Video source: Wheels YouTube Channel