Cycledrag.com Ask an Expert

Our question comes to us from Eugene A. Llewellyn Jr. of San Antonio, TX.

Eugene writes “I raced from 1992 to 1998 at Alamo Raceway, and I am currently in the process of trying to get back out there.  I am putting my time and effort into something I love and I am building my bike, a 1979 KZ 1000.  I can’t wait to see how it run’s on the track. It has PMFR rims,  a 72 inch wheel base, a RLM rake,  a 1260cc kit, a J-model cylinder head, a lock-up clutch, an undercut transmission, and a welded MKII crank. I built my own swing arm and mounted the bodywork along with some components from D&G chassis.”

Eugene asks “I built this bike for bracket racing but I want to install a nitrous setup, so occasionally I can spray it, just to play with it and see what it will do ET wise. I was wondering  if this is a good set-up? So any combination or information would be appreciated. How quick have you went spraying a 1260 ET mph wise? I just want to hear your opinions or advice.”

For our expert we asked one of the most successful motorcycle bracket racers and tuners Bruce “The Man” Sauer.  Sauer owns and operates his own high performance machine shop near Columbus, Ohio and has earned over 50 national event victories in his career that has spanned over three decades.

Bruce writes, “First of all there are some issues to keep in mind, such as how much porting has been done to the head, what cam size is being used, and what does the bike and rider weigh?  Another big factor in determining how quick you will go is does it have J-model piston domes or KZ? Is it block o-ringed? What type of Ignition?

Putting together an engine for NOS requires having all the good stuff that will keep it running longer. There are a couple of things to remember while using NOS. Using good gas and removing ignition timing while the NOS is being used will keep in running longer. Also, not all nitrous systems produce the same results. If you are just playing or learning how to use nitrous, you will not need the big solenoids or fuel pump. Start with smaller jets and watch how the engine likes it. The engine has to be happy. As you learn what happy is, them you can lean on it.

When I won the Prostar Top Gas championship in 2000,I had a bike that would run 8.60 and added NOS. The system was small NOS solenoids and a NOS fuel pump. The timer came on about 3.2 seconds down track and ran to the finish line taking 10 degrees of timing out. With 26 nitrous and 29 gas jets it would run 8.20 at 174 mph all the time. By taking one tooth off and setting the timer at .80 off the start it ran 7.76 at 174 mph.

This was with a seven-inch tire with a bike and rider weight at 650 ponds. With the 1260 engine you are using it should be able to run mid eights and low 160s mph.

Remember don’t try to do this on the first attempt.  Work up to it.  Good luck and stay in touch.”