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The Worlds Quickest Drag Racing Motorcycle

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The title of worlds quickest motorcycle is currently held by Larry “Spiderman” Mcbride with a supercharged nitro burning Top Fuel Dragbike. The team set the record with a 5.79 ET @ 245.36 mph. McBride has been 5.74 unofficially and is shooting for the 5.60’s at over 250 mph in the quarter mile. If anyone can do it, Spiderman can; he’s won 10 world championships in his 33 years of racing.

When most people think of Top Fuel Bikes they think of the V-twin Harleys. This engine is based on an import, inline four-cylinder and runs on nitromethane for fuel. From a domestic perspective, the world’s quickest V-twin is ridden by Tommy Grimes and has run a 6.15 e.t. These two bikes actually got a chance to race each other at the Manufacturers Cup race at the end of last season in Valdosta, Georgia. They met in the final and Grimes’ team threw all they had at the racing surface to try and outrun the supercharged machine of McBride. The all motor bike wound up spinning the tire and McBride laid down a 5.83 @ 232 mph to take the win.

This amazing machine is making around 1500 hp with its 1511cc Puma engine. With a mere 100 inch wheel base and weight  of just over 1000 pounds, it transmits the power to the pavement on a 14″ x 31.5″ Mickey Thompson slick. It trips the 60 foot clock in .99 seconds and has gone over 227 mph at half track. If you can imagine holding on to a missile, this is probably what it’s like to crack the throttle and try to guide this bike down the quartermile.

The team plans on retiring this motorcycle sometime in 2011 since they have a new state-of-the-art machine being constructed. This is the same bike that he has been riding since 1994 and it was the first bike to run in the 5’s, with a 5.69 goal for this season. Their new bike will be over a foot longer and will feature an adjustable 104″ to 108″ wheelbase. They plan on racing at select events in 2011, since the AMA Dragbike series has ceased operation. You might just see the old bike on display at the Museum of Drag Racing some day.