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[bandanabob]

Last weekend some professional riders rode Livewire’s at an nhra event. Now they claim to have broken a world record previously held by Zero. I think my sr/f is capable of doing better I just haven’t got to try yet. I’m looking for some advice to help get that title back. A least till energica gets into the game. I’ve been down the track before on an ice bike and only weigh 145. I’ve never even tried to do a burnout with this bike and not sure if I would even have to. I’m sure it would help with traction along with lowering tire pressure. Anybody drag racing theirs ?

[TheRan]

I've only seen a mention of it being a Livewire record, not fastest electric overall. At 11.156 it is faster than the SR/F which the fastest time I could find is 11.83 (1/8 is also about 0.5 seconds faster). What's interesting is the Harley is only at 110mph where as the SR/F hits 116mph, so either the Zero has more aggressive traction control/low speed torque limiting or the greater traction from the Harley (heavier) is making the big difference.

https://electrek.co/2020/09/13/harley-davidson-livewer-set-new-drag-racing-record/

But no, a Livewire isn't going to be the fastest electric in the 1/4 mile. I couldn't find a time for the Energica Ego but it's at 120-130mph at the finish line.

[NEW2elec]

It's the Livewire's gearing that let's it win.  It's setup for hard acceleration not top speed.

[TheRan]

Turns out I was wrong about the Livewire being heavier, could've sworn it was a pig but it turns out it's 16kg lighter than an SR/F. I found this out while trying to find out the gearing to do a wheel torque comparison but couldn't find any numbers, and I don't know if the specified torque number is at the motor or the gearbox output.

[princec]

Hmm I was sure I read the SR/F was 220kg and the LW is 249kg. The "dry weight" for the LW is quoted at 210kg but who the hell knows what they mean by "dry".

Cas

[TheRan]

That's what I thought too, and it is indeed 250kg. That'll teach me to trust Wikipedia without checking the sources (the single one given for the weight of 210kg doesn't mention any numbers). If 210kg is the number Harley have also given in the past (checking their site they give a "running order" weight of 250kg) as a dry weight I guess it must have 40kg of coolant, brake fluid, oil for that gearbox, and perhaps they even exclude the weight of the air in the tyres.

[princec]

There's no way that weighs 40kg! It's almost like they don't weigh the battery pack... (which is, in fact, how dry weight is often quoted in standard ICE machines - sans battery... hm)

Cas

[Richard230]

From my personal weighing measurements, when Zero says their bikes weight a certain amount, they are very close to what your bike will actually weigh. None of this ICE motorcycle manufacturer "dry weight" funny business. 

[Demoni]

I've only seen a mention of it being a Livewire record, not fastest electric overall.

The article you linked has this quote "Sampey set new records for elapsed time and top speed by an electric-powered production motorcycle on a drag racing course."

Energica has not done any official 1/4 mile runs with the new 21.5kWh bikes. No idea if Zero has taken an SR/F or SR/S to the strip? Something tells me that this new Harley's record will not last very long...

Regarding the OP's questions about running an EV moto on the drag strip.
If you have done passes before on a ICE bike you will find an EV very easy; no clutch to slip, no gears to go through.
I found it very easy to build a rhythm at launch to get very consistent times.
You want to run the highest tire pressure you can to reduce rolling resistance, so long as you can put all the power down.
Running stock tires the 2018 EGO I ran never broke traction on launch even with 38psi f/r, prepped surfaces have a LOT of grip.
I would do the first run with TC on to see what that feels like. If might be necessary to switch it off depending on how much it intervenes.

[Frank]

It's important to distinguish between Fastest (speed) and Quickest (time).  The other important term is Production. There 's lots of e-bikes both faster and quicker but they're not production.

+1 on tire pressure advice on a prepped surface. BTW, I understand the riders became Nedra members prior to running so these could be Nedra records.

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk

[bandanabob]

Thanks everyone !
 I believe Livewire is heavier than sr/f.
I’ve ridden both bikes but only really experienced a full launch from 0mph to 120 on my Zero.
Higher air pressure kinda makes sense if getting good traction.
Even if I don’t beat their times I still wanna try. Do I have to join nhra and nedra for it to be recorded ? The current nedra record was done at Mason Dixon dragway that’s very close to me.

[NEW2elec]

I'd say just take a run if you want to and if you beat the time then you can join to be put in a book if you like.  You'll have about the same time, every time.
The Energica will blow both bikes away though and if the Damon HS does what they claim, it will take the top spot soon after.

[Frank]

You have to be a NEDRA member at the time you make the record passes for them to be recorded.  I don't know about NHRA, that might be a track requirement (but I doubt it).  You don't need a NHRA license to set NEDRA records unless they're quicker than 6.40 (1/8-mile) or 10 seconds (1/4 mile).

You should join NEDRA anyway to support the organization.  The vast majority of drag racing is ET-racing (commonly called bracket racing) and electric bikes excel at this.

[Electric Cowboy]

It's important to distinguish between Fastest (speed) and Quickest (time).  The other important term is Production. There 's lots of e-bikes both faster and quicker but they're not production.

Thanks, Frank I agree this is a very important distinction.

I think the fastest official production record is Energica Ego at the texas mile doing 194mph 312kph? Prior to that, for a production motorcycle was me on the 2012 Zero with an average of 102mph 164kph.

[Frank]

I think the fastest official production record is Energica Ego at the texas mile doing 194mph 312kph? Prior to that, for a production motorcycle was me on the 2012 Zero with an average of 102mph 164kph.

194?  I never read about that.  They did a 160-161 kind of speed in March 2019.  Do you have any links or anything?  I didn't think they had the output to achieve that kind of speed.