in a drag race scenario, is it important to tuck, has anybody tried it both ways, sitting up, and tucked.  was on my way home from the track when I thought about it, so dont know if it will make a difference.

You should always tuck.  Wind resistance is the enemy, and gets exponentially worse with speed.  

On my gutless wonder (ninja 250) the difference between a good tuck and a not so good tuck was a few MPH and a couple tenths.  

On my hayabusa a good tuck is physically a requirement.  You can't have anything hanging out in the wind at 140+ MPH.  

I'm definately no expert so take it for it's worth.   Never tried sitting up during a run but I can guarantee the time will be slower.  In fact, on track days they teach us to sit up when you're on the brakes so the wind resistance will help slow you down.    

thanks, I'll remember to try it next time

Hah, seriously?  I mean, who hasn't tucked to the tank on the road?  Even then you can definitely tell a difference.  Sitting back up even helps to break, baha.  Personally, I think it's a sweet feeling, but I'd say it'd make an incredible difference on a drag strip.  

Quote from: Wikipedia
Note that the power needed to push an object through a fluid increases as the cube of the velocity. A car cruising on a highway at 50 mph (80 km/h) may require only 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) to overcome air drag, but that same car at 100 mph (160 km/h) requires 80 hp (60 kW).

That little physics tidbit shows how air resistance increases exponentially with velocity, so minimizing it anyway possible will definitely  benefit your times.

I just wasn't thinking of it at the time, being my first time ever, I was concentrating on getting off the line, and not hitting neutral.

if you didn't know to tuck your other ride is not my girl

Quote from: gsfighter100 on August 20, 2009, 10:30:08 PM
if you didn't know to tuck your other ride is not my girl

well in my defense, tucking isn't nearly at the front of my mind as pulling out is   

Also, try sliding back in the seat to get your weight over the rear wheel, this will maximize rear wheel traction, and minimze rear-wheel slip.  You want good hook-up, and avoid wheel-spin (burn-out).

If you've seen the pro bike drags, you'll notice that they dangle their legs out back behind them, again to get all the weight they can over the rear wheel.  And, lean forward to lessen the chance of a wheelie, which would increase your profile for wind resistance.