old rivalries

I've got a buddy that I used to drag race cars against very regularly. He had sold his car and got into newer crotch rockets. I still love cars but I love OLDER bikes too. He's not into older bikes and don't understand why I just don't go get me a newer sport bike. He is planning on going to the 1/4 mile local drag strip this summer regularly. His bike is an 07 GSXR1000. I bought a basket case 78 KZ1000. What can I do to my engine to compete with that Suzuki? I know there's alot of years of technology there. These bikes as a straight line acceleration comparison is my question. I don't care if I get beat but I don't want to get raped. Just what are the old KZ1000s capable of? I do not have deep pockets but will take something old that I built myself over something new ANY day. I know on cars you can port heads, get bigger cams, change gears. Is this pretty much the same on bikes? I'm talking inexpensive upgrades that over time would be easy on the bank account.

That is a tuff order. To get a KZ1000 to beat a modern 1000cc bike is asking a lot. It can be done but you already mentioned you do not have deep pockets.
I have a 1982 GPz750 with a 1982 Gpz1100 engine. The engine has an MTC 1135cc big bore kit with 10.5-1 compression pistons, a set of WEB performance cams, Mikuni RS36 carbs, ported head and a kerker 4 into 1 pipe. All the engine work and parts set me back about $4,000. The bike is amazingly fast but a modern GSXR 1000 will still beat me. However whenever I park my bike next to a bunch of modern bikes mine is the one that ends up with a crowd around it.
Good luck.

Sounds like a lost cause for me then. If I had $4000 to spend, I'd probably grab a ZRX1200R. I love them too. They are newer but look like an old one.

It's always a money thing. Notice in the video - 156.73 mph 1/4 mile - no wheelie bars. When given a little more distance to stretch its legs, Lorcan's 750 Turbo (bike in right hand lane) ran 211 mph. Zoooooma! :woohoo: :woohoo: Ed

No it's not you can beat that zuki..
First strip EVERY thing it don't need to run off the bike.
Next get a V/H sidewinder header slide the fork's up
set of strut's and stretch the swing arm about 6-8 inch's and get the bike as low
as track rule's allow.
Good set of carb's and ign. up grade's and some lower gearing
sticky tire (Shinko 006 Podium's the best in an 18" rim)
Seat time X 1000.

Ive got two buddy's with 99 ZRX100 and I pound their ass
both 1/8 and 1/4 mile.with my stock GPz750 motored Kz650 no bar.
They both run quicker and faster then me deal is I'm QUICK on the tree and
to the 330 foot then they can't run me down on the big end.any more.

What you're up against is a deficit of about 85hp. The GSXR is around 170hp, the KZ1000 around 85. So it will be a challenge not possible without a lot of work. A stock GSXR1000 in magazine tests runs around a 9.50 second time , where the KZ1000 ran about 12.20 back when new.
When the 78 Z1R was released it was the first official 11 second stock motorcycle, then cycle world did a build up to get in the 10s. It took quite a bit to dip one down to a 10, and 10.9 at that.
It could be done though, back in the old days of NMRA drag racing that had super stock, modified eliminator ect, just like the cars in NHRA still run, there were modifieds running in the low 9s, but I doubt a long life would be realized or practical to run this type engine on a streetbike, but the costs would be astronomical.

NITROUS :laugh:

zed1015 wrote: NITROUS :laugh:

First thing I would do to make my Z run faster would be to lose 25kg (off my bod), then I would look at the bike. Even though I haven't got much done to my bike it goes into 11.6 on a good day (with the lard attached) so a bad rider on a GSX would have a hard time to around 160kph (after that bye bye). As stated previously its not that I want to beat them, its just enough to make them think that these old girls still have life.
Lets face it GSX1000's and the like are purpose build, its the ZRX, XJR etc you should be compared to, and these are within your reach without spending big dollars on the engine.
Now as for the handling at these new found speeds (not talking about straight lining)- thats another story.

LONG LIVE THE OLD Z

Like I said the slower bike can win.
These are me left lane first two running Eric's ZRX1100

This one running a 2010 ZX10 bracket racing.

So post time slip's showing a slow bike can beat a fast bike
at the track and every one go's away ?

It's not just that slower bikes can beat faster bikes, Just because some newer bike CAN make a 9.5 sec 1/4 mile stock doesn't mean that every rider will be able to pull that off.

zukdave wrote: Like I said the slower bike can win.
These are me left lane first two running Eric's ZRX1100

This one running a 2010 ZX10 bracket racing.

Help me out here.
I see the left rider wins the first race with a lower ET. But the left lane wins in the last two despite the higher ET. What am I missing?

Bill