NHRA Pro V-Twin Drag Racer

In America, Race by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

Drag racers are particularly interesting motorcycles engineered to perform an extremely specific task, nonetheless these ridiculously powerful two-wheelers do have a place in the professional racing scene. While riding a bike in a straight line may seem like a fairly simple proposition, there are a myriad of elements that making this activity far more difficult than most realize. Few people know that better than professional drag racer Ed Ryan, whose 160CI (not CC) V-twin drag machine has recently gone up for sale.

This racer is in full working order with a patriotic and race-ready appearance. In 2005, a new chassis was built by Marc Rowe which required new tanks, wheelie bars and new fabrication of all the billet supports and mounts. I was also fascinated to learn that this massive machine only runs at 15.2 volts, with just a small motorcycle battery and a mini alternator, albeit a seven-second run doesn’t need much more. This genuinely a professional caliber drag racer that would fit right in at any NHRA Pro Stock event and is probably unlike any motorcycle you’ve ever ridden.

At the heart of this bike is a V-twin featuring an even-fire crankshaft in a set of overkill cases, meaning both pistons come to “TDC” at the same time and sport three spark plugs per cylinder. A Motec M4 EFI system controls all fuel and ignition responsibilities. Surprisingly the tranny on this sprinter is an automatic 5-speed. The list of parts, mods and changes made to this bike are so extensive (and admittedly a little beyond my comprehension as I’m not familiar with drag racers), that checking out Ed’s full ad (linked below) is the only way to even begin to grasp what makes this particular machine so special.

Ed is incredibly open about the fact that this motorcycle has spent minimal time on a dyno and as a consequence, in his own words, “the possibilities for changing the configuration of this motor, to produce more horsepower and torque are endless.” In addition to the drag racer itself, the sale includes countless extra parts, a starter and an optional trailer to haul this beast of a two-wheeler around. If you’re looking to have some fun at local drag-night than this bike probably isn’t for you, but if you want to get serious about NHRA competition and have pockets deep enough to allow for it, this bike may be just what you’re looking for. You can find this star-spangled sprinter for sale in Worcester, Massachusetts here on RacingJunk with a price of $55,000 w/o the trailer or $59,000 w/ the trailer.