Features

Feature stories from the world of Motorcycle Racing

Roland and Chuck Stuart Shop Tour and Interview

Join us for this tour of Stuart’s Cycle in Gainesville, Fla. along with an interview of legendary racer and longtime crewman for Larry “Spiderman” McBride Roland Stuart and his son Chuck. We talk Top Fuel, McBride’s 5.61, when Chuck will…

Dujunnea Bland Bio

Cycledrag.com is thrilled to have talented, veteran journalist contributing. Bland is an NFL and NHRA reporter for SportsJourney. Bland was formally a New Orleans Saints Reporter and Content Producer for About.com and a contributor at USA TODAY SMG’s Redskins Wire.…

Pro Extreme Motorcycle Racer Eric McKinney’s Plan For Climbing Back to No. 1, Balancing Professional and Personal Life

Oftentimes a racer’s most fierce opponent is himself. The immense amount of pressure that comes with success and sustaining it can be overpowering.    Pro Extreme Motorcycle standout racer Eric McKinney knows the feeling all too well after watching his…

The Price of Greatness in Motorcycle Drag Racing

At the NHRA Lucas Oil Winter Nationals on the weekend of February 10/11, 2018, Tak Shigematsu, the 53 year old Top Fuel motorcycle pilot from Japan looked a bit rough around the edges on Sunday morning and he had every…

Former WWE Superstar Tyler Reks Shows Off His Bike and Offers Fitness Tips and More

Join us for this in-depth interview with former WWE Superstar Gabe Tuft, aka Tyler Reks, the “Dreadlock Demoltion Man.” Tuft shows us his awesome Yamaha R-1 and talks about his new company Body Spartan, designed to help people reach their…

1973 Z1-900 and 1978 Z1-R Side-by-Side Comparison

Join us for the side-by-side comparison of two of the most classic, legendary motorcycles of all-time. Mecum Auction’s John Kraman helps us highlight the 1973 Z1-900 and 1978 Z1-R 1000

Dragbike Legend Nigel Patrick Interview

Join us for this interview of motorcycle drag racing legend Nigel Patrick. We talk about Patrick’s illustrious career, look at some classic photos and discuss Patrick being the first to create a cylinder head on the CNC machine.

Mecum Motorcycle Auction Behind the Scenes Tour – KZ, Z1, H2s and more!

Join expert analyst John Kraman and Cycledrag.com as they give you a behind the scenes look at some of the outstanding motorcycles at the Mecum Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada. Watch as a KZ 1300, an S2 350 triple…

Mecum Motorcycle Auction Bike Features – Z1, H1, Z1-R, KZ 1300 and more

Enjoy these classic motorcycle features from day No. 1 of the Mecum Motorcycle Auction from South Pointe Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Jan. 23-27. The incredibly knowledgeable John Kraman helps us take a close look at a Z1-B, H1,…

Kawasaki Headquarters Museum Tour

Join us for this amazing tour of Kawasaki’s headquarters in Foothill Ranch, Calif. We take a close look at the new Z900RS and compare it to the legendary 1973 Z900. We also look at some classic two-strokes, dirtbikes and more.…

NHRA Headquarters Tour

Join us for this behind-the-scenes tour of the NHRA headquarters from beautiful Glendora, Calif.

Bench Racing With Pro Stock Motorcycle Competitor Fred Camarena

Join us for this in-depth interview with longtime NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Fred Camarena and his crew chief Warren Myers from their shop in Norco, Calif. Camarena shows us his new motorcycle, voted best engineered by the NHRA, talks…

Dragbike Legend Steve Rice Interview

Join us for this sit-down interview with Funny Bike legend Steve Rice from his garage in Costa Mesa, Calif. Rice shares some great stories, talks about factory involvement in motorcycle drag racing and reveals what is next for him.

2018 Kawasaki Z900RS

Enjoy a close look at the brand new, retro Kawasaki Z900RS created in the image of the iconic 1973 Kawasaki Z900.

A Salute to the Great One-Hit Wonders, One-Time Champs in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle

One-Time Champs in Pro Stock Motorcycle? Their Reunions Are Very Small. You hear the term “one and done” a lot these days in almost every sports community. That appellation refers to a single instance of noteworthy achievement which fails to…

Rob Muzzy Recalls Greatest Motorcycle Drag Racing Memories

Rob Muzzy of Muzzy Performance is one of the most accomplished engine builders and tuners in motorcycle racing history. The two-wheel icon with the signature carny mustache has amassed a staggering total of 21 AMA National Championships. Along with drag…

Celebrating and Reflecting on 30-Plus Exciting Seasons of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Racing

When Pro Stock Motorcycle officially became a professional category in the National Hot Rod Association, Ronald Regan was President, a Ford Mustang could be purchased for less than $10,000 and Lethal Weapon, the original, was one of the most popular…

The First Funny Bike, and First Wheelie Bar in Motorcycle Drag Racing

Ray Price has had an enormous impact on the sport of motorcycle drag racing. Where a number of people have been really gifted racers or tuners, the North Carolina Harley-Davidson dealer and legendary drag racer actually came up with two…

A Look Back at the Unusual Wins of Pro Stock Motorcycle Veteran Steve Johnson

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle year veteran Steve Johnson has a longer run history than anyone in the class.  He made his professional debut in 1987 by airfreighting his bike to the race track and pitting out of crate for the entire…

The First 200 MPH African-American Dragbike Racer – Tommy Bolton

Tommy “Tombo” Bolton is one of the most accomplished and influential African-American motorcycle racers of all-time. Tombo amassed over 25 championships, built a highly-respected business and secured major sponsors, helping to pave the way for other great African-American motorcycle drag…

Suzuki Hayabusa to Dominate the Future of Motorcycle Drag Racing? KZ and GS Out?

The 2015 and 2016 racing seasons have proven to be eventful; the Manufacturer’s Cup, NHDRO and IDBL classes were filled to the point of overflow with street bikes and purpose-built racing machines alike. At a Man-Cup race, you are likely to…

Dragbike Legend Bob Carpenter Denounces Flow Bench

Motorcycle drag racing legend Bob Carpenter has been involved in a lot of unique projects throughout his more than 40 years in motorsports. The cylinder head expert’s latest endeavor is unlike any he’s ever been a part of before. The…

All Harley Drag Racing Alive and Well with the AMRA

On October 15 -16, 2016, I had the pleasure of attending the 25th Annual AMRA, Jim McClure/Ray Price, Nitro Nationals, as sanctioned by the American Motorcycle Racing Association.  This was my first attendance to an AMRA event and I hope…

Reggie Showers – A Closer Look the Inspirational, World’s Fastest Amputee

Enjoy a look back at one of the most inspirational men in not only motorcycle drag racing, but in all of sports, Reggie Showers, the world’s fastest amputee. Showers may have taken a break from racing, but as most can…

Remembering Funny Bike Champion Gary Clark

Great motorcycle drag racing champions seem to leave this world as quickly as they blasted down the quarter-mile. Or maybe that’s just the way it feels due to the unfillable void they leave when they go. Sadly, Funny Bike legend…

Long Live the Two-Strokes, Garrett Wood Reflects on Super Eliminator Record and Passion

A contemporary dragbike fan could read about a recent record on a Kawasaki H2 and immediately picture Team Green’s brand new, innovative, supercharged sport bike. But long before Kawasaki unveiled its 2015, blown, four-stroke H2, another beastly Kawasaki H2 was…

It’s All In the Name. Kobernusz. Alvin Kobernusz.

Throughout the history of motorcycle drag racing, there have been a fair number of riders with names that reverberate with the thrill, excitement, and spine-tingling drama one would expect to find in such a power-hungry category, from the Sportsman level…

The Last Great Drag Racing Milestone Has Not Been Reached…. Yet

Throughout drag racing history, there have been performance milestones reached and surpassed by some of the greatest names in the sport’s history. On April 9, 1988, Eddie Hill broke the 4-second barrier in his Pennzoil Top Fuel dragster at the…

Motorcycle Drag Racing: What is it?

Fans and racers alike flock to drag strips annually to see and hear the spectacle known as motorcycle drag racing.  But what is it really this so called sport devoted to motorcycles locked into side-by-side acceleration contests, what’s it actually…

Michael Davis Bio

Cycledrag.com is pleased to have veteran photographer and journalist Michael Davis contributing to the site. Davis is 56-year-old proud father of three children and two step children, all boys, and grandpa of two grandsons and one granddaughter. He is very…

The First Time I Met Jim Kizer

Cycledrag.com is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Kizer, father of AMA Prostar founder Keith “Scooter” Kizer. Jim Kizer was a fixture at AMA Prostar events, assisting his son in many capacities. He was known for his…

Where Have the Turbo Bar Bikes Gone? Weighing in on the Turbo vs. Nitrous Pro Comp Dragbike Debate

In light of ManCup’s decision to rename Pro Comp back to Pro Mod and bump the turbos to the new Pro Open class, quite the debate was started on Facebook. Please check the Cycle Drag Facebook page if you have…

Why Some Dragbike Pros Burnout Across the Starting Line

A racer recently, in social media, posed the question “Why do some professional dragbike racers do burnouts across the starting line?”  An interesting question with a lot of merit in 2014, when now drag bike parts cost more than ever…

Saluting the Dragbike Past Today

One of the great Top Fuel drag bike racing teams, that pounded drag strips for a few decades, recently shared a bit of drag bike racing history with me worthy of repeating. It’s important for members of today’s sport to…

Motorcycle Drag Racing Secrets by Mark E. Dotson

I have heard it a million times, “if drag racing was easy, everybody would be doing it”. That saying remains just as true today as it was many years ago.  Many people get into drag racing thinking that they just…

Pro Open – a New Motorcycle Drag Racing Class for the Open-Minded

Evolution in motorcycle drag racing, is a good thing, it shows progress.  It bodes well for the sport as a whole, it’s necessary.  Evolution speaks to the future and the future of any good business is new business, not just…

Jerry Cooper – A Wealth of Drag Bike Knowledge

Jerry Cooper was born in Peoria Illinois on May 6, 1962. He started riding motorcycles at an early age. Through his early years Jerry developed his passion for engines, he built both his first car and motorcycle engine at the…

Rare Dave Schultz Pro Stock Motorcycle Photo Gallery

Dave Schultz is one of the greatest motorcycle drag racers who ever lived. For his ingenuity and tremendous success, he is revered as the godfather of Pro Stock Motorcycle. A true perfectionist and a fierce competitor, Schultz was a pioneer…

The Story Behind Brad Mummert’s Pro Street GS Dragbike

Have you ever pondered for a moment – if you took your favorite machine from yesterday, and threw all the technology of today at it, what could you create today? What kind of performance numbers could you squeeze out of…

Remembering Bill Warner – King of Hayabusa Land Speed

  On Sunday, July 14th, 2013, the racing community world wide lost the king of speed for sit-up bikes in the realm of Land Speed Record racing (LSR).  Bill Warner, 44,  of Wimauma, Florida, was attempting to break his 2011,…

How The New England Dragway Motorcycle Masters Race Came to Be

  Veteran motorcycle drag racer Tom McCarthy has been competing in the motorcycle ranks at his local track, New England Dragway, in Epping, NH, since 1981 when time and money permit.  In 2012 he looked at his buddies and all…

Tom McCarthy Bio

Cycledrag.com  contributing writer/photographer Tom McCarthy is the author and publisher of Elmer Trett’s biography, Elmer Trett and the Gods of Thunder.  Mr. McCarthy’s background in motorcycle drag racing both as a journalist and sportsman racer span 1981 to present.  …

A Look Back at the World’s First Six Second Streetbike Pass

The wait for the world’s first 6 second streetbike pass emded, 10 years after Brock Davidson ran the first 7 second one. It’s not insignificant that both runs were made at the two tracks that make up the world’s premier…

Exploring the Vance and Hines V-Rod Monopoly

Ever since the inception of the Vance and Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class, the unique marvel of engineering has been a major topic of conversation and controversy. In the V-Rod’s infancy in the early 2000s,…

Attaining Sponsorship: “Ask for the Order”

So you want to be a racer?  Great. It takes money to do it. Odds are you will never make money racing. Some do make money, but very few. You can work real hard and spend your own money on racing.…

Crashing is No Fun – A Story Shared by the Late Aaron Green

The article is dedicated to its late author Aaron Green. The following is about a topic that I never intended to do any “research” on, but I did end up with some “research” on the subject, even though I did…

How Many Classes is Too Many?

The article is dedicated to its late author Aaron Green. This is just an observation, something I have thought about many times over the years. Readers may agree with me, then again they may not. How many classes is too…

Exploring Brand Rivalry in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle Class

Bill Stephens is a guest columnist for CycleDrag.com. Stephens has been involved in the motorsports media for over 30 years and has compiled a lengthy resume of accomplishments. Most notably he has hosted NHRA Today, NHRA Heat, and served as…