Photo by Paul Dail
The Baker Drags was a run-whatya-brung competition for rallygoers at Sturgis Dragway .
riders , including one of the first contenders of the evening . When the inside rider launched down the track at the green light , the bagger rider in the other lane just sat there . I ’ m inclined to say it was a technical difficulty with the starting lights , as I witnessed several false starts during the first couple hours . Whatever the issue was , the other rider raced down the track and logged one of the highest speeds I saw all night — about 107 mph .
Meanwhile , the bagger guy overkilled his tardy launch , and as the front wheel quickly lifted off the ground , there was a moment when I think everyone in the crowd hoped he was going to pull it back down . Then the bike was vertical . Then it went over backwards , and parts went flying . The damaged bagger was rolled off the track as a doctor checked on the rider , who limped off to applause from the crowd .
Watching from the stands , it was hard not to wonder how I might fare on the track . While the second half of the stretch came down almost entirely to the bike , the critical aspect – the launch – is
Above right : Riders await their chance to prove they ’ re the fastest off the line and down the eighth- mile track . There were prizes for the winners , but bragging rights are priceless . Right : A wide variety of machines participated in the Baker Drag races . A chopper versus an FXRT seemed to be a mismatch , but you might be surprised at which one crossed the line first .
Photo by Paul Dail Photo by Paul Dail
AMERICANRIDER . COM | OCTOBER 2023 | 13