Baddies hot on your heels and there's a sharp turn ahead (or an oncoming truck, as in movie).... What do you do? A burn out of course! Blind the bad guys with smoke from your spinning rear tire and make your escape!
But before you try anything mentioned below, be informed that motorcycle stunts are very dangerous and illegal on public roads and car parks. If you really have to, then try it only if your home has a driveway as long as that of the Istana!
And of course, be prepared to pay for the repairs and injuries that will surely follow...
The owners of this website will not be responsible for any property damages, injuries or loss of life due to actions taken by readers after reading this page.
Nobody needs a nitrous-equipped GSXR 1100 to be able to smoke a tire down to the cords. It helps, but you'll be able to do it with far less horsepower. Performing the smokiest burnouts takes more brainpower than horsepower, although most burnout artists don't have much of either!
The first step is to learn about the clutch action on your particular machine. With the rear brake on, pull in the clutch. Click the bike into first gear, slowly feed out the clutch to learn where it starts to engage. Feed the clutch out gradually. Release the rear brake and determine where the end of clutch engagement is by cruising slowly and pulling in the clutch until you hear a slight rise in engine rpm's. This total distance is your clutch action. Familiar with the action on your clutch lever, you can prepare for the first burnout.
Find a site that will allow a lot of space behind and around the bike. Stop your machine in the designated burnout area and place both feet on the ground. Pull the clutch lever all the way in, and put the bike in second gear. This will keep you burning longer and avoid possible engine damage from bouncing off the rev limiter. Holding the front brake tightly, slowly let the clutch out to the point just before engagement begins. Now rev the bike into the middle of the it's powerband (not redline, but at about 80% of the bike's rpm capability). Now feed the clutch out aggressively, but smoothly. The tire should be spinning right now.
If your tire is not spinning, you should try more rpm or feeding out the clutch faster. Real men and true idiots, of course, just ram the engine into the powerband and release the clutch. This is a good way to get hurt.
If you have a low powered bike or are still unable to smoke the rear wheel, try standing with the bike beneath you and bounce it up and down by pressing on the handlebars. When you get a good rythmn going, feed out the clutch rapidly when the front end is at the bottom of its bounce. This is the point when the weight on the rear tire is going to be at a minimum, reducing traction and thus spinning it.
Alternatively, start with the rear tire in some water or better yet, in a puddle of bleach. The latter is slippery and increases smoke.
Now that you can smoke tires down to the cords, you'll soon get bored with just making smoke right? There are several fun variations that can help you overcome this.
Try doing donuts. This is when you start a burnout and ease the rear tire around in a circle. You can also wag the rear end of the bike back and forth to create neat zig-zag designs, or try your initials. Think of the pavement as a canvas and you the artist. The possibilities are endless.
Doing it on the move will require some practice. Move off in first gear and go to about 20 km/h. On the move, stand on your foot pegs, pull in the clutch, get into second gear and rev the bike into the power band. As you feed the clutch, gently apply the front brake to maintain a constant speed of 20 km/h. The rear wheel should be smoking now. The trick here is maintaining your speed with the front brake when the clutch sends all that torque to the rear wheel in a rush. And of course, keeping the rubber side on the road!
Remember. The smoke clouds are filled with noxious and toxic gasses. These fumes are dangerous, so beware. When a tire is burning down to the cords, it throws molten chunks of rubber that can severely irritate people and dirty property. When a tire has burned enough, it comes apart throwing straps of thread and rubber. At this point you should be prepared to pull in the clutch and hang on. If the straps lock the rear tire up, you might fall over!
Now you can go to your local bike shop and make good friends with the folks that work there. You'll be wanting a discount on premium tires to replace the ones you just smoked into oblivion.