Your buddy thinks he's the fastest thing to ever accelerate from a dead stop. And you want to shut him up. Fine, but you want to make sure to shut him up good. And leave no doubt that your bike is faster. All without breaking the bank? Don't worry, this is doable.

Before you go any further, go find a racetrack. Even if the grudge match is the only thing on your mind, nothing good can come from racing on the street. Don't do it!

Next, determine what you need to get your bike down the strip faster. We'll assume your bike is stock or damned close to it, and that 15 hundred bucks is all you can scrape together to make your start in drag racing. On this budget, you can't just buy a built turbo motor and be done with it. You have to be smart, and spend your money where it'll net you the best results.

Since we have to make the most of what your bike already brings to the table, we'll be concentrating on getting the power to the ground.

CRG Adjustable Levers
Super adjustable and with a precise feel, aftermarket racing levers help add control during hard riding.
www.constructorsrg.com
Cost: $200

PMR Dead Man’s Switch
This lanyard-mounted kill switch ensures the bike will shut down if you come off, preventing the machine from going AWOL.
www.pmrcomponents.com
Cost: $80

Quick Acceleration Gearing Kit
With a new combo of sprockets and a fresh lightweight chain, you can lower overall gearing to provide more thrust for the same amount of horsepower.
www.rkexcelamerica.com
Cost: $200

Brock’s Performance Lowering Links
Like the front end straps, these allow you to lower the bike or return it to stock easily. Ride in, spin a few wrenchs, and hit the strip hard.
www.brocksracing.com
Cost: $60

Brock’s Ultra Clutch Mod
Many race derived slipper clutches aren’t built to handle repeated strip abuse. If you own a Hayabusa, check it out.
www.brocksracing.com
Cost: $240

Barnett Heavy Duty Clutch Springs
A great cheap mod is replacing the stock clutch springs with stiffer versions. The stiffer springs offer more grip to handle higher horsepower and more aggressive launches.
www.barnettclutches.com
Cost: $20

MSD RPM Launch Controller
This trick little device holds rpm at a preset level for a perfectly controlable and reliable launch, every time.
www.msdpowersports.com
Cost: $225

Fresh sticky tires running low pressure
Assuming your sportbike is running a sport tire, you only need to adjust the air pressure to maximize grip at the strip. About 15-20 psi is a good baseline.
Cost: FREE

Exoticycle Swingarm Extensions
You don’t need to buy a whole new swingarm to stretch out your wheelbase. Fight the bike’s tendency to wheelie with this simple bolt-on mod.www.exoticycle.com
Cost: $375

Stage 1: Slam your bike as low as it’ll go for your track day. The goal is to drop the bike’s center of gravity, minimizing the tendency to wheelie, and instead turn this into forward thrust. Most machines can be lowered easily, with a combination of adjustable lowering links for the rear and tie-down straps for the front. And this mod is easy to reverse, perfect for a weekend drag bike that has to go back to work on Monday. A longer wheelbase also helps keep the front wheel from clawing at the sky. But instead of buying a new swingarm, you can simply fit extensions to accomplish the same thing for much cheaper. A stretched bike may look cool, but this setup came straight from the strip.

Stage 2: Get your engine’s power to the ground. For repeated launches on the strip, stock clutches can wilt under the abuse. Road race derived slipper clutches (like the one on the Hayabusa) suffer especially hard. Brock’s Performance makes a trick little spacer assembly to give more reliable engagement under repeated runs. Another simple and cheap mod is a spring upgrade kit, which replaces the stock clutch springs with stiffer ones for more grip from the clutch plates. And the best type of modification is a free one, so lower your rear tire pressure for maximum hook up with minimum wheel spin. You’ll have to experiment to find your best settings depending on the traction at hand.

Stage 3: Make the most of your engine’s horsepower. Again, without resorting to nitrous or a turbo to make big numbers, we have to make due with what we have. A great way to improve acceleration is to lower the overall gearing for more thrust at lower speeds. Since most sportbikes are geared tall, this is a cheap way to give better performance off the line. And one of the best mods at the dragstrip is a launch rpm limiter, which allows you to set engine revs for a perfect launch every time. Once the bike is properly geared, and assured a good launch thanks to the rpm controller, times will drop far quicker than a simple exhaust mod might accomplish.

Finally, before you head to the track, fit a wonderfully named “dead man’s switch” to prevent your bike from raising hell if you somehow become separated. Add it all together and you can shave seconds off your quarter mile. The bike will be easier to launch and control for more consistent times. Your buddy won’t know what hit him.

And if the drag racing bug bites you, the next steps are waiting. Remove weight. Add power. Consider taking drag racing lessons from a pro like Gadson himself. Don’t forget to remind your buddy that his defeat was your inspiration to start racing!

Mods and Money:
Get Low:
Lowering links…..$60
Tie-Down Strap Kit…..$175
Swingarm Extensions.....$375

Get Strong:
Heavy Duty Clutch Springs…..$20
Ultra Clutch Mod…..$240
Adjust Rear Tire PSI…..Free

Get Smart:
520 Chain and Gearing Conversion…..$200
Launch RPM Limiter…..$225
Racing Control Levers.....$200