ltr450rider Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Last night a Industry speedway, they ran a few exhibition quad races to test the waters and see if people would like it. It went over pretty well. The bikes were kinda weak though, Old TRX250 2 stroke, new suzuki 400, a polaris automatic and another polaris 300 I think. I know my LTR would kill out there. So I got the info and just waiting for the guy to get back to me on when he is going to run it next. Supension, these guy's quads were rolling way too much and lifting the wheels off the ground. I originally was thinking about having my suspension guy crank all the shocks and springs as hard as they will go. But then I thought about the hillshooter guys who just run the basic shocks. My goal is to get the bike as stiff as possible, even thought about completly locking it out, make it a true speedway quad and just installing some type of strait bars in place of the shocks. I want to be able to swap the stock shocks out with the speedway setup since I still want to ride recreationally. Lets hear your opinions and comments. I take every idea into consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUn2it Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Just follow the Jawa lead, very little travel front & 0 rear. You don't want to crank the shocks all the way stiff as your ride height will be way too high and your front suspension gets narrower when topped out. I'd find some short shocks for the front with stiff springs so you have a couple inches travel to keep the steering hooked up and run short solid struts (length set to keep frame level with the short front shocks installed) on the rear to keep the chassis level (minimum body roll) and a low center of gravity. Don't think knobbies are the hot setup, they'ld hookup and lift the front wheels and it's either the wall or chop throttle, I'm guessing, you'll need some type of street tire that has shallow tread depth and narrow siping with a low flat profile, the lower the better, less sidewall flex and roll under, and spun alum wheels are lighter than tires. You'll have to experiment with gears, you don't want to hit the rev limiter with steering full locked and totally sideways, just below limiter at the end of straight, back off with a little rear brake maybe, squat on the left peg, your right knee at the seat/tank and hook your lower leg over the right side, nail it, wave your arm and cowboy hat in the air and shout YEEHAAAAH. Some nerfs with aluminum diamondplate might be cool to be able to adjust body english, to far forward and you'll hook and spin backwards into the infield (if you're lucky) too far back and you'll spin/back into the outer wall (if you're lucky). A quad might be like a 1 person kinda top heavy speedway sidehack. Speedway is a blast. My riding bud (pic) hadn't been on a Jawa in 15 years, got a call an hour before the race, grabbed some MX gear and won the main, lol, at 43. 1 of the heats this dude hooks up and wheelies right at Tony, Tony sees the guys shadow so he just ducks and gasses it. sorry for the long post and partial hijack, as usual, I'm into it :clown: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mineurbiz Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 There is a guy by the name of "dylan" on yfztech.com that does asphalt drags, you might give him a try on tires and setup. But run2it had some solid tips also, but signup over there and look dylan up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
las vegas duner Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Last night a Industry speedway, they ran a few exhibition quad races to test the waters and see if people would like it. It went over pretty well. The bikes were kinda weak though, Old TRX250 2 stroke, new suzuki 400, a polaris automatic and another polaris 300 I think. I know my LTR would kill out there. So I got the info and just waiting for the guy to get back to me on when he is going to run it next. Supension, these guy's quads were rolling way too much and lifting the wheels off the ground. I originally was thinking about having my suspension guy crank all the shocks and springs as hard as they will go. But then I thought about the hillshooter guys who just run the basic shocks. My goal is to get the bike as stiff as possible, even thought about completly locking it out, make it a true speedway quad and just installing some type of strait bars in place of the shocks. I want to be able to swap the stock shocks out with the speedway setup since I still want to ride recreationally. Lets hear your opinions and comments. I take every idea into consideration. ATVDRAGRACING.COM ATV DRAG RACING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltr450rider Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 As far as the riding goes, I've got that covered. I've been sideways enough on the lakebed to have it down pretty good. 5th gear drifting is awsome. As far as tires, I will be using my stock tires which are 18" and have been worn down to the point that they are almost slicks.They are perfect for speedway. I have even been thinking about maybe a staggered setup with a 18" on the left and 20" on the right. Gearing would be a trial and error process. Right now, I do not want to do anything to my stock shocks. My main idea is to fab up some rigid cro-mo struts to make the whole thing rigid. Possibly staggering the front to leave the right front a lil higher, maybe an inch or so. I would have to work with that. The cool thing about this idea is I can lower the whole quad with out using an actuall lowering kit. And I can just swap out the struts and shocks when I change riding. I have been going to Speedway for 5 years and have put alot of thought into riding my quad there, just because it would be a blast. Hey RUn2it, The guy in the red is Shawn "Maddog" McConnel, He rides at Industry every wed and just got a track setup at the Orange Show in San Berdoo on Friday nights. Your pics look like Victorville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUn2it Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 As far as the riding goes, I've got that covered. I've been sideways enough on the lakebed to have it down pretty good. 5th gear drifting is awsome. As far as tires, I will be using my stock tires which are 18" and have been worn down to the point that they are almost slicks.They are perfect for speedway. I have even been thinking about maybe a staggered setup with a 18" on the left and 20" on the right. Gearing would be a trial and error process. Right now, I do not want to do anything to my stock shocks. My main idea is to fab up some rigid cro-mo struts to make the whole thing rigid. Possibly staggering the front to leave the right front a lil higher, maybe an inch or so. I would have to work with that. The cool thing about this idea is I can lower the whole quad with out using an actuall lowering kit. And I can just swap out the struts and shocks when I change riding. I have been going to Speedway for 5 years and have put alot of thought into riding my quad there, just because it would be a blast. Hey RUn2it, The guy in the red is Shawn "Maddog" McConnel, He rides at Industry every wed and just got a track setup at the Orange Show in San Berdoo on Friday nights. Your pics look like Victorville. Victorville it is. Tony was the long track champion back when speedway was cooking, he got a ride to do the Europe tour and speedway kinda poofed. On your strut setup, what about a 2 piece tubing strut, 1 slides into the other with multiple holes. Don't know if the staggered tire size would be the hot setup,20/18 is over 6" diff in circumference, you'ld be spinning the bigger or skidding the smaller on the straight, besides wanting to turn left bad. Stagger air pressure if anything, stock car style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltr450rider Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 Victorville it is. Tony was the long track champion back when speedway was cooking, he got a ride to do the Europe tour and speedway kinda poofed. On your strut setup, what about a 2 piece tubing strut, 1 slides into the other with multiple holes. Don't know if the staggered tire size would be the hot setup,20/18 is over 6" diff in circumference, you'ld be spinning the bigger or skidding the smaller on the straight, besides wanting to turn left bad. Stagger air pressure if anything, stock car style. The 2 piece strut sounds like the way to go. Adjustable highths would work real well. I was thinking about the staggered tire size like the sprint cars do, but I see your point about the skidding. I would have to go to the lake bed and try it out maybe, just to try it and see. The turning left thing is what it's all about though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUn2it Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 The 2 piece strut sounds like the way to go. Adjustable highths would work real well. I was thinking about the staggered tire size like the sprint cars do, but I see your point about the skidding. I would have to go to the lake bed and try it out maybe, just to try it and see. The turning left thing is what it's all about though. Yes but turning left while the bars are turning right is speedway. If you're talking about 18/20" tires 1 rev of the 18" is about 56" travel where a 20" is about 62", that's a big diff compared to staggered air pressure that reall just makes it easier to steer. If my rear quad tires are at 5 and 5.5 lbs and ride a wheelie up comp I'm turning, just a half lb of air pressure diff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptor0206 Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 are you talking about dirt track oval racing or drag strip? Do a seach of my post about "atvs road legal in vegas" there is a few pics of raptors with r6 rear shocks, they can be bought off ebay for around 40 bucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltr450rider Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 Dirt track, like the pics that are posted in RUn2it's first post, below mine. I think the cro-mo tubes with hight adjustment is the way to go, now just to find someone to help fab them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegas style Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 a few years ago we ran our quads out at the sloan go cart track. on my banshee i ran front shocks with no springs and we ratchet strapped the rear down making it ridged. and street slicks. a little ghetto but was a cheap set up (other then the tires) for the limited track time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUn2it Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Dirt track, like the pics that are posted in RUn2it's first post, below mine. I think the cro-mo tubes with hight adjustment is the way to go, now just to find someone to help fab them up. Try a steel yards scrap bin, mild steel square tube that fits the top shock mount and smaller sq tube that fits inside the top tube, use flat washers outside the tube on the bottom shock mount, then small tubing for a bushing so you don't collapse the tube tightening the bolts, or new locknut just snug or a jam nut tight against the OEM snugged nut. drill 1 height adjust hole toward bottom of top bigger tube and a few in the bottom smaller tube with a bolt,nut,jam nut (or a small hitch pin and clip) and it's done. Round tubing is OK, just easier to drill a flat surface. Hmmmm, never did a virtual fab before, my hands are clean and unbloody... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptor0206 Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I wouldnt run struts for oval track racing. remember when you were a kid and you drove that go cart back in the day with no suspension...well i did and every time you hit a little bump or rock and tried to turn it got all crazy. You really do still need suspension when doing oval track, like i said before get yourself some r1 shocks and also a sway bar for the front. the rear just get a lowering link off ebay. your also gonna need some oval track rims and tires...check around on different fourms for some used ones if your just starting out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUn2it Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 I wouldnt run struts for oval track racing. remember when you were a kid and you drove that go cart back in the day with no suspension...well i did and every time you hit a little bump or rock and tried to turn it got all crazy. You really do still need suspension when doing oval track, like i said before get yourself some r1 shocks and also a sway bar for the front. the rear just get a lowering link off ebay. your also gonna need some oval track rims and tires...check around on different fourms for some used ones if your just starting out. No rocks or bumps, some blue groove. The modified carts with the Jawa power have no suspension and run wheels and tires that are the small diameter cart size and do full lock slides fast at the same track Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltr450rider Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 I wouldnt run struts for oval track racing. remember when you were a kid and you drove that go cart back in the day with no suspension...well i did and every time you hit a little bump or rock and tried to turn it got all crazy. You really do still need suspension when doing oval track, like i said before get yourself some r1 shocks and also a sway bar for the front. the rear just get a lowering link off ebay. your also gonna need some oval track rims and tires...check around on different fourms for some used ones if your just starting out. The problem with any suspension on a quad doing speedway is to get the stiffness you need, you would have to crank the springs all the way and that would make the bike sit higher. You still have to deal with the body roll in the turns. The track at Industry stays in pretty decent shape through the night, there really is no need for suspension, the sidecars don't have any. I would like to use some round tubes, I would just need to use some type of jig to drill the holes. I don't know weather to use 4130 cro-mo or aluminum. The hard part would be getting the mounts machined, I might have to talk to Randog about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUn2it Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 The problem with any suspension on a quad doing speedway is to get the stiffness you need, you would have to crank the springs all the way and that would make the bike sit higher. You still have to deal with the body roll in the turns. The track at Industry stays in pretty decent shape through the night, there really is no need for suspension, the sidecars don't have any. I would like to use some round tubes, I would just need to use some type of jig to drill the holes. I don't know weather to use 4130 cro-mo or aluminum. The hard part would be getting the mounts machined, I might have to talk to Randog about that. Mild steel is all you need, there's no lateral stress on them, mostly compression and at times tension, that's why I mentioned square, easy to drill and bolts with nut/jamnut so you're not compressing the tubing even if it was possible to flex the existing mounts. Another thing to make it more stable when sliding is either rear wheel spacers (less $) or wider axle (more $). I wouldn't consider front spacers, increases scrub radius and won't be as easy to steer, but I would add some camber especially to the right front if you don't have to hack on the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltr450rider Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 Mild steel is all you need, there's no lateral stress on them, mostly compression and at times tension, that's why I mentioned square, easy to drill and bolts with nut/jamnut so you're not compressing the tubing even if it was possible to flex the existing mounts. Another thing to make it more stable when sliding is either rear wheel spacers (less $) or wider axle (more $). I wouldn't consider front spacers, increases scrub radius and won't be as easy to steer, but I would add some camber especially to the right front if you don't have to hack on the front. I am definitley not worried about the width of the LTR, 50" across the back is plenty. The camber is something to play with for sure. I would like to use round tubing simply for asthetic appeal. Thanks for all the idea's, Now to get ahold of the dude to see if they are running this wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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