Seriously guys....who did the testing in the latest magazine...?

You guys couldn't run a single 9-second pass on ANY of the bikes...?

Mid-10's on them and a 10.7 on the ZX10 is a complete JOKE!  

haven seen you in a while Busa  
low-life society

Been real busy lately, lots going on these days...    

lol word. i know what you mean brother. lol  
low-life society

those are true times, not the corrected, bogus times you see in every other publication.
if you read the actual test you'd see that the zx-10 had a clutch glitch.  

TRUE times, are you kidding me?  Were the bikes tested on a mountain?

I don't know what drag strip you race on but these bikes go 9's stock with a decent rider (NO jockey)!  Not corrected or bogus times but ACTUAL track times.  Heck, last month you published quicker times on a ZX6 (600cc)....
http://www.superstreetbike.com/features/1007_sbkp_nine_seconds_on_600_middleweight_sportbike/index.html

So are you saying those times were corrected or bogus?  

no, our 600 times were dead on, but that was at sea level on a prepped track.
the bikes in question were tested at an airstrip at 2500 feet.
very few "decent" riders will put any liter bike in the 9s. pro drag racers, yeah, regular test and tune guys: no way.  

dave_sonsky:
no, our 600 times were dead on, but that was at sea level on a prepped track.
the bikes in question were tested at an airstrip at 2500 feet.
very few "decent" riders will put any liter bike in the 9s. pro drag racers, yeah, regular test and tune guys: no way.

Maybe you should have tested them like the 600 article.  At least print that the test was @ 2,500' elevation on an unprepped surface since your times aren't even competitive.  But I'm sure you'll get more fan/hate mail asking the same questions.  I'll once again disagree with you on the "decent" riders comment since I'm far from a pro and do it at 215lbs (I'm not the only one either).

Why not take the TOP-3 bikes from your test and go to a real prepped track with 4-riders.  

1. PRO-jockey rider
2. Test-N-Tune regular
3. Average joe and/or magazine employee
4. Rookie (never been to the track/race) rider

Compare the times and differences on all three bikes/riders best out of 3-runs on each.  

Get back to articles like the 600 test that get people interested in your magazine and riding/racing.  

As 2-Wheel Tuner found out, you can only print so many pics of chrome/custom bikes and stunt shots before people get tired of looking/subscribing.      

times aren't competitive? they were all run at the same place at the same time, so it's apples to apples...
we'll get the corrected times posted.

read sport rider if you want to know about going around in circles on a track! 7 percent of American R1 owners have/will ever go to the track (road or drag), so we're not so sure about your theory on racing.

good idea on the top 3 with 4 riders. we'll have to do something like that soon. maybe the fastest pro bike will be the slowest rookie bike? you never know...  

how about try and get someone from each forum online to go up against each other. like stuntride, r1-forum, daytonasportbikes, r6-forum, kawiforum, psychobike, etc etc.  have each forum vote on the person they want to represent them?  I know i know cost is pretty serious but if you did 2-3 riders each month, and then after the entire year compare all of them.  Then when a new year starts with new bikes do it all over again.  

this would be interesting to see who would come out on top every month and through the years, and this sure in the hell hasn't been done before, atleast i think

3-4 riders has been done before and have very little err i dont know like competition/i want to pick a side type thing, not to mention the online presence of ssb would explode.

Naarden Bike Shop  
www.Naarden.biz - Sportbike SuperStore

dave_sonsky:
times aren't competitive? they were all run at the same place at the same time, so it's apples to apples...
we'll get the corrected times posted.

read sport rider if you want to know about going around in circles on a track! 7 percent of American R1 owners have/will ever go to the track (road or drag), so we're not so sure about your theory on racing.

good idea on the top 3 with 4 riders. we'll have to do something like that soon. maybe the fastest pro bike will be the slowest rookie bike? you never know...

I mean without the altitude info, those times aren't competitive.  Don't publish corrected times, just get to a proper track and run the REAL numbers...  

It just looks bad with such slow times.  Heck, I went 9.9 @ 140's with my 03 BUSA STOCK and only a hair slower on my R1.  The Gen-II makes 15-20rwhp more but you are running slower times with it.  Based on your MPH, you shifted it to early.  

It's not road racing coverage that is needed.  It's actual coverage of what people are doing with the bikes.  Get more dragstrip, land speed, sunday rides, etc. stuff in the mag.  Do more basic mods with testing, dyno, drag, street, etc.  For instance, the project bikes in the back.  Do BEFORE/AFTER testing on whatever you are writing about.  If you make break changes, test stopping distances before and after for a comparison.  If you change the exhaust, run accel tests stock/modified, etc...

Personally, I think more people would rather read about actual changes they can make to there bike with results over custom bikes.  Don't get me wrong, some of them are great but how many are actually riden on the street for long rides?  What percentage of American riders are spending $20k+ on fat tire kits and chrome?  Probably less than 7%...  

To add to the Top-3 and different riders, maybe even do stock runs and then get with Brock for basic mods on all three.  See what people are running with them at the track.  Most people are doing basic mods anyway so testing them how they run around on the street would be nice!    

KrisNaarden:
how about try and get someone from each forum online to go up against each other. like stuntride, r1-forum, daytonasportbikes, r6-forum, kawiforum, psychobike, etc etc.  have each forum vote on the person they want to represent them?  I know i know cost is pretty serious but if you did 2-3 riders each month, and then after the entire year compare all of them.  Then when a new year starts with new bikes do it all over again.  

this would be interesting to see who would come out on top every month and through the years, and this sure in the hell hasn't been done before, atleast i think

3-4 riders has been done before and have very little err i dont know like competition/i want to pick a side type thing, not to mention the online presence of ssb would explode.

Naarden Bike Shop

You would have to have them all ride the same bike to be fair (if you are comparing riders).  Otherwise, if a forum is building a bike to race then it will turn out like Pinks or Forum Wars (most money wins type).  Even then, with insurance and liability reasons I would be surprised if they could get it done...        

I just want to see real testing and comparing products.  Honestly, I think the latest 9-second 600 drag test is one of the best articles SSB has published.  Along with the GSXR1K -vs- BUSA test a few years back and the recent 200MPH or BUST article (though I've gone 200+ on a stock motor BUSA NO Nitrous myself)...    

Thanks for the kind words about the 9-second 600 story. Lets just say we've got more up our sleeves with stories like that, except this time we're aiming for an ever-elusive MPH. I wont tell you how many feet we're giving ourselves or just how fast we're aiming for, but hang tight, it'll be another good story.

As for the tech section in the back of the book, good call on testing braking numbers before and after. I'll try that in the future. But in regards to the before/after testing results with anything power/acceleration related, we always conduct a before and after dyno run for ALL mods.

In regards to street testing them for acceleration, check out the project R1 we wrapped up two issues ago, you can see a roll-on comparison between the stock/pipe&Bazzaz/520 conversion and +2 rear sprocket. As for acceleration testing the different slip-on pipes we've installed, the additional 2-5 HP seen on the dyno doesn't equate to much in a real-world acceleration test. In most instances we're talking less than a tenth...however, when talking about an upgrade that's netting you close to 10 horsepower like a full pipe and a fueling computer, then we'd conduct real-world acceleration testing and dyno runs because in addition to an improvement on the dyno, you'll see a quantifiable improvement in acceleration in a real-world situation(this is in the works).

On a side note, I could publish acceleration tests measured on the dyno (time over distance)that would show a before/after change with as little as a 2 HP increase. But with wind resistance and elevation changes (like in the real world) absent, it really doesn't make sense. Meaning, a 60-120 pull on the dyno and on the street are apples to oranges. A 2 HP increase from slip-ons might show a tenth improvement during the acceleration test on the dyno, but it won't show nearly that big of an increase in a real-world pull because the wind resistance and road conditions help eat-up that 2 HP increase.

Don't get me wrong though, even a 2 HP increase from a  slip-on is great... it's just that its benefits are easier to quantify on a dyno (like we do) than on an acceleration test on the street/track with so many different variables. To see a measurable increase in acceleration in the real-world, you need a pretty sizable bump in power.

So to wrap it up, when applicable (like with our Project R1) we give you before/after dyno and before/after real-world acceleration tests. However, in the case of the last few motor/power adder installs, we gave you before/after dyno runs because that was the most appropriate testing tool considering the HP increases we measured.


Cheers  

That is def. good news to hear, I enjoy those kinds of articles with real information.  Another TOP SPEED article would be great and very informative for new riders/racers.  Maybe even throw in a 600 or 1K for comparison.  It gets old hearing people say there 600 goes 185mph or faster stock!  

Do you mind sharing any other info?  Are you going to a Land Speed Race (Maxton, Texas, Loring, Miami, etc.) for your testing?  Are these going to be 1-mile or 1.5-mile runs or just all out max speed on a LONG road/runway/test track/Bonneville, etc.?  I also hope that someone with experience going fast is helping you with the testing.  It's frustrating seeing a bad combo or parts known to not make good or as much power in a shootout or test.  Then again, you may be using what you get for FREE so that is understandable.  It's just nice to see the best used (or what is know to work in the racing community) in a major magazine.

I liked the info you shared with the project R1 test.  Maybe you could change your roll-on test to a 60-160 test in the appropriate gear.  I always laugh at the roll on testing because it really doesn't show anything when comparing bikes IMO.  Yes, it is helpful for hitting traffic gaps but as far as testing numbers against other bikes accel, it can be misleading.  No one lines up and says okay lets roll on from 6th gear at 50mph.  You drop down to 2nd or wherever your power band is and HIT IT from that speed.  Otherwise, the bike that is geared better or lower is going to normally win (like with your +2 sprocket change).  

I realize it would be tough doing speed testing on every change you make.  Don't even bother with simulated runs on the dyno because every SQUID out there will think thats actually what his bike runs (think 185mph 600).  An example would be the Gen-II BUSA article that had upgraded wheels and brakes but no numbers showing any improvement (sorry, I meant braking tests not break...lol!).  Even the TOP SPEED numbers weren't that great considering the mods.  It's just frustrating seeing you guys run 194mph WITH nitrous when myself and several others have gone 200+ with basic mods no nitrous in 1-mile.  Even at Loring with a 1.5-mile runway people are going 208-214mph with stock motor basic bolt-on Hayabusa's.  

The main reason I like seeing these kind of tests and info is that I think it helps people get off the street racing.  If people see the coverage and info about all the SAFE top speed races and what they can do at there local road course or drag strip.....MAYBE it will keep them from racing on the street or worse running from the law and hurting themselves or someone else....    

I couldn't agree more, street racing is just stupid. I've had far too many close calls on the street and realized long ago it just isn't worth it.

As for our roll-on tests, when applicable we usually test:
60-120 (starting in the lowest gear possible)
50-100 (third gear pull)

We conduct roll-on tests because it takes a lot of the rider error out of the equation, which many readers need (many don't as well) and showing what unfortunately, many people do these days. If you roll up on another rider while on the freeway and decide to "run it," the 60-120 pull is quite common. Or in other words, it's a test that most readers can replicate as apposed to hitting the drag strip where most readers will find that obtaining similar times takes LOTS of practice.

I know I just got done condemning street racing, but all of the "racing" I used to foolishly do on the street usually started on an open road from a roll, usually somewhere between 40-80 MPH, thus, we chose the 60 start speed, but decided to end at 120 MPH because anything faster is just nuts!

But in the case of the R1, we only did a 3rd gear 50-100 roll-on to simulate exactly what you described, shooting for a gap in traffic or merging onto the freeway. We tried to keep it useful in the sense that a third gear roll-on is something we all use quite often.

I wish I could tell you more about the upcoming articles, but lets just say, if you liked the 600 dragbike story, you'll dig these! Congrats on busting the 200 mph barrier, that's something I've yet to accomplish but have always wanted to do! That's hauling serious a$$!

Post up some pics or vids of your bikes if you get a sec!

Rubber side down!