GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

I've mentioned my cousin before on this site.  He races a Suzuki Katana drag bike.  He runs mid 7's at about 175 mph.  It is a 1500cc turbo bike.  
Here are some photos:
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/jaked1166/ready.jpg)

And. . .

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/jaked1166/jab.jpg)

Just wanted to share pictures of this monster. . .

That makes me nostalgic for the '80s, my biking heyday.  I remember when those things were first released here in Oz.

does that have a passenger seat??? also how come he didnt shead the headlight for weight? and why is the swing arm so skinny?

Quote from: weaselnozedoes that have a passenger seat??? also how come he didnt shead the headlight for weight? and why is the swing arm so skinny?

I reckon it's to do with the class he races in.  Some of them have to look a bit like the stock bike, no matter how their heart is boosted.

they care about looks?  thats silly.  im not the one making the rules tho.  its a cool bike!  :thumb:

I think that is just the stock seat.  Then he extended the rear fender so the rear tire wouldn't be hanging way out.

The swing arm is skinny.  Not sure why.  I guess I never thought about it.  I think it is a 12 over swingarm.  You can't exactly order those for an '89 Katana from Dennis Kirk.  So the dude that made it for him made it look like that.  It is strong.  

But you should see it.  Sounds like a machine gun, bouncing off the rev limiter, right before launch.  Then it is just gone.

granted i cant see the collector or the turbo unit tisself, but i know turbos arent belt driven,  dragbikes dont run altinators, so what is being driven by the belt on the right side of the engine?

It's the blower unit.  Not a turbo, as far as I can tell.  Check out the black intake pipe running up to the airbox in the first pict.

That is COOL!
:mrgreen:

Quote from: Blueknytgranted i cant see the collector or the turbo unit tisself, but i know turbos arent belt driven,  dragbikes dont run altinators, so what is being driven by the belt on the right side of the engine?

What you are seeing there on the front is the starter.  It is a actually the starter off a car.  

One of the engineering hurdles that had to be overcome.  

All the other set-up he tried left him with nothing but destroyed starters.
It is a turbo bike.  Last time I saw him run it, he was making adjustments to the boost settings.  He made a pass making over 29 lbs of boost (waaaayyy too high).  His ET was crap but he went through the trap at near 180.    There is a computer that controls the amount of boost for each gear.  Pretty cool set up.

Here is a better photo of the other side.  The turbo dumps out of that shorty header.  

Well, this is an old thread.  This season my cousin won every Soul Brothers race he entered down in Oklahoma.  

But he is re-doing the bike again.  Cracked head.  

This time with a bigger turbo.  The estimate is that he'll have 420 or so horsepower.  

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/jaked1166/jaysbike.jpg)

And the new turbo.  

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/jaked1166/turbo.jpg)