Alright here it is......I have an '04 ZX-12. Its pretty much stock except for a Full Muzzy Ex, K&N air filter, and PCIII with the map from the PC data disc. Now here is where I need the help.....I would like to have my bike ready for the Drag Strip by spring. I'm figuring that first off I'll need to stretch it and slam it. Now how far back do I ned to send that back wheel and how low should I go with it. Right now I have my front end (trees) dropped as low as my forks will let me and it is not much. The front forks begin to taper after only an inch or 2. I heard that you have to rebuild the lower forks to dropp em any lower?!. I've been looking at stretched swing arms and they're SUPER EXPENSIVE and I'm not trying to make this a super expensive project. How are swing arm extensions? Is their integrity comparable and reliable to stretched swingarms? Whats a good chain conversion to go with? Right now my gearing SunStar sprockets front and rear with 1 dwn up front and stock gear in the rear. Should I up the gearing in the rear and if so how much? I just had my engine rebuilt over the summer and it seems just as strong now as it did after break in and I'm not really looking to open up the engine and doing mods. That usually ends up costing a lotta money and thats one thing I don't have a lot of. If you know of any lil things, and when I say lil things I mean CHEAP things, that I can do to boost up my HP please share a wise word..............Well thank you for your time and help. Here is a link for my bike if ya wanna check it out, I just polished the lips on them tonight but thats a whole other thread. http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...artz/Baby3.jpg

 

PLEASE give advise I know there has got to be at least 1 person on here that can help.

 

maybe ratchet strap the front down instead of modifying the forks? could always go up 2 teeth in the rear as well.

 

I'm not a racer myself, but over at the ZRXOA board, there are a couple of them who are serious about it.
One of them has a stock ZRX only piped and jetted, 6" over arm. He runs mid to high 9's all day.
This is what he tells everyone who wants to drag race

Learn to launch the bike properly before you stretch it. He says you will learn how to keep the front end down that way.
It also helps to not weigh too much. Jon only weighs about 155 soaking wet.

Work on your R/T. That is where most races are won or lost. In the first 60'. My friend above smokes 'Busas all day long because he has such great R/T. Jon says on a perfect tree, he never sees the light turn green.
The 'Busa boys try to depend too much on power and it costs them by spinning out or popping a wheelie.

Keep the motor stock after you stretch it. Again, you are learn how to launch without overpowering yourself.

Don't lower the upper triple clamp too far. It will screw up handling. Strap the front end instead. That will help to not wheelie.
Get your rear shock shortened. Those 2 things will lower the bike pretty good.

I would either drop a tooth in the front or go up 2 in the rear. A good length on the swingarm is 6 or 8 inches.

I hope all this helps. Like I said, I'm not a racer, but I take Jon's word on all this.

BTW, his piped and jetted ZRX is getting a 1224 big bore kit this weekend.

Bring on the 'Busas.

 

Ok, are there aftermarket rear links so that you can drop the rear?. Because, just dropping the front is just dropping the front. I agree with learning the ride though. How is the sag set and by how much? I do not drag race but thought this topic interesting.

 

Hey KevsToy thanx for the post man it was really helpfull and informative. I know there seems to be alot to learn and all your advise seem RIGHT ON. I feel like I got a really good grasp already on some of your "points of attention" IE...Learning the ride, the bike, the launch, R/T all those and so on. Those are areas that I'll always be honing but RIGHT NOW I need to figure out how to get my bike built so I can start working those areas cuz I'm soooo tired of riding wheeliez and thats all she does from 1st thru 3rd.
So far we got a 6-8 inch stretch, aftermarket lowering links, strapping the front end down versus lowering forks any lower, (side note hear) If I stretch it 6-8 inches will I still need to come down any more in the front or strap it?? I know I really have to make sure the bike is level front to back. I already shortened the rear shock with a blow torch it was pretty tricky cuz the muffler was right there and I didn't wanna over heat the muffler bearings....I also like what you said about the gearing cuz thats exactly what I'm riding with now. You gave me some good pointers on stretch'n and slamm'n. I appreciate your time and Jons knowledge. Oh yeah BTW Good luck with Jon and his 1224 kit. Its always a good day when a Kawi eats a busa. Oh yeah check out my other thread about my bike getting Dyno'd today. BAD ***! The boys at Cycle Gear (Ft Worth) expected my bike to only make 160 max. They were wrong!