vs. motorcycles

[Vader M3]

Several weeks ago I went to screw around at the Fontana drag strip and made 3 passes at 15psi of boost (about 415whp on Dynojet). I didn't play with tire pressures or anything, just drove my car as I do on the street, save the extra few psi w/ race gas. Got a couple of 12.9s at 116.5mph...I know I know--traction problems and I'm not the expert in launching specifically a turbo M3. Just to put into reference I drove a stock 3.2L the other day and I felt I'd destroy my turbo'd car driving the stock one from 0-25mph.

Anyways, when I went to the strip I really didn't care what my ETs were as much as trap speed---didn't build this as a drag car and I ease off the clutch when I launch, not pop it at any rpm, essentially being a street start (60ft were between 2.2-2.4, again, with a STREET-style start, no popping clutch). Trap speed was giving good indication of hp/lb and what cars I can really keep up with, although I also do run the tall LTW wing.

The only other cars getting that kind of trap speed were low-to- mid-11 second cars on drag tires (remember, this was at altitude and pretty high temp---my times convert to a 12.6 @ 118.5mph at altitude and standard NHRA temps). And there was a Yamaha R6 that ran an 11.0 at 120mph (we all know this is a high-10-sec bike in perfect conditions).

So I thought to myself, "hmm, I can probably keep up with an R6 if we take out his sub-3 second 0-60 launches out of the equation. After all, he's only 3.5mph faster than me and that includes his sick out-of-the-whole acceleration."

So the other day I ran against one from 3rd gear on (55mph) in the middle of nowhere, and with a passenger, running 14psi (~390+whp) and stayed in front of it the whole time and was barely pulling on him by the time I was in the middle of 4th. Haha, and don't tell me about this guy not being able to ride (it's easy to shift at high speeds on a bike) because he then pulls up next to me doing 75-80mph and pulls a freakn' endo! We were like, "what in the world?"

Anyways, the day before I ran against a CBR 600F2 with some mods at 12psi (360-370whp) and was even with him from 2nd-3rd gear, and then started to slowly pull by 4th (hp/lb ratio is most benefitial in slower speeds, after that it's more aerodynamics and raw hp because inertia to move an extra mph is less).

Anyways, I just thought this was interesting. I think a little fun against a bike here and there is just TOO much fun, especially when they give you the repeated "thumbs down" and point at you with their head shaking as if you're not worth it and they're going to kick your ass, like the CBR guy did to me, :P. Ahhh, good times!!! (thank goodness I caught these guys with a full tank of 97 octane-equivalent gas, .

Moral of story: if anyone else is running 115+mph at the trap, you can go out and embarrass some 600+cc crotch rockets, and even faster ones with more boost! (just not off the line, of course, )

[psk145]

great story pablo. I would love to see the reaction on the rider when you started walking away!! Stay outta trouble, and dont pick on bikes too much, cause I just bought one.

[TKM3]

Your post makes alot of sense Pablo... down to every detail...

You call a 600cc a motocycle? Real riders start at 900 - 1300cc!
Come on down to Miami before I sell my R1 and I'll show you a
crotch rocket

[TKM3]

Originally posted by psk145
great story pablo. I would love to see the reaction on the rider when you started walking away!! Stay outta trouble, and dont pick on bikes too much, cause I just bought one.

YOU AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAWK MISTER!!!!

[ETHOMAS]

ARE YOU THE "PABLO" FROM PROJECT M3 IN EUROPEANCAR MAGAZINE?

[Schneller Bayer]

Yup he is. His plate reads "VaderM3"

[vfr-rich]

GSX-R 1000 9.95sec @145 MPH top speed about 175mph. Cost $10,500 end of discussion.

[Scho]

Originally posted by vfr-rich
GSX-R 1000 9.95sec @145 MPH top speed about 175mph. Cost $10,500 end of discussion.

WTF is your point??? End of discussion!

[vfr-rich]

Ok, my point is, running a car that has extensive modifications against a 5 or 6 year old 600cc bike is a joke. The car has 3.0 or 3.2 L of displacement, a turbo or supercharger putting 340 RWHP to the ground and who knows how many thousands in modifications, while a modern sportbike has about .995L of displacement, NA with fuel injection and 150 RWHP.

So my point is, you go up against a 1L bike, and you will get smoked in any area of performance you wish to try. At the strip, even an idiot can go low 10's @130+ the best will be <10 @ 140+. On a track the bike will be 5 to 7 seconds a LAP faster than the car. All this for 10K with a warranty

[Darien28]

that depends on the track... bikes can't take some corners at the same speed as a car. but bikes own the straights going out of the corner and have a much smaller braking zone going into the corner, so it all depends...

also, you're pitting a extensively modified car to a stock $8k bike...

Gimme the money to run 5psi on my 2002 zx-6R and then we'll see how it'll far against your 15+psi... I'll prolly be able to do wheelies starting at 100+mph... LOL...

anyways, racing against a bike is just not worth it... the first thing I'd be thinkin if a fixed up car passes me is "okay, he just spent more than what my bike cost in order to pass me... >.> whatever" hehe

i guess it's all in good fun. Just like when almost every turbo ricer out there wants to rev on me a ta stoplight and tried to race me... I completely own3d all of them by shifting at 8-9k rpm and in a upright street posture (as opposed to my 14k redline and tucked down). =)

[Scho]

Being able to beat a bike in a car that weighs 10x the bike, IS impressive, and if money had anything to do with it, I could make 400 rwhp on my civic hatch for about $4500. Now I have invested $6500 into my civic hatch, and it will smoke your bike for less money!

[BMWMPOWER1996]

i'd say you have high 11 potential if you can drive it right

[OldSkoolBmw]

The orange one below runs 12.94 at gainsville... sub 2000lb cars are wonderfull to embarass e46's Since my car is multi colored it's a rice eye catcher... needless never ran a bike before from a roll but that's a good run vader.. 12.9 is impressive for your weight... sub 12's would be even more impressive... go for it man....

[NC98///M3]

Originally posted by vfr-rich
Ok, my point is, running a car that has extensive modifications against a 5 or 6 year old 600cc bike is a joke. The car has 3.0 or 3.2 L of displacement, a turbo or supercharger putting 340 RWHP to the ground and who knows how many thousands in modifications, while a modern sportbike has about .995L of displacement, NA with fuel injection and 150 RWHP.

So my point is, you go up against a 1L bike, and you will get smoked in any area of performance you wish to try. At the strip, even an idiot can go low 10's @130+ the best will be <10 @ 140+. On a track the bike will be 5 to 7 seconds a LAP faster than the car. All this for 10K with a warranty

Yeah, but which one hurts more to get hit by big june bugs......being inside a car, or on a bike

And which one doesn't hurt like shit to ride in the rain on the highway

[MrBlonde]

My Ducati scares me more than my M Coupe ...