Money,Horsepower,Traction Control

N

NateDogg

Guest
motorcycle racing is some of the cheapest form of racing you can get into. Rules alow a person like me or you a chance to go racing with liminted resources. But just like all other sports, money walks the walk.
So whats the purpose of this? I don't know about the people that will read this but MotoGP this year is absouutly great. Being the avid Ducati enthusiast that I am. I am thrilled that Ducati has come in and showed some mussle being rught up there for a win. If you don't know, Ducati is just a Fraction of the companies of the Big 4 Japanesse. So why is Yamaha and especially Suzuki, Kawasaki can't quite keep the pase of Honda?
Kawi, I just don't know about them, they do thinks awful different and I can't cope for their reasonings sometimes.
Suzuki, They make the gxr1000 close to 160hp from the factory, yet there GP bike is blamed not to have the horsepower. I for one don't buy that. There is such thing as too much horsepower and horsepower in unusable places. Kenny Roberts has described his bike as unrideable. I would love to see its power curve, I bet it hits like a ton of bricks.
In combined with the little talked about subject of traction control, the whole package just doesn't work together. Traction control in bikes is vastly different than cars. First off, bike traction control does not use ABS, many cars strobe the brakes on the wheel that slips. This would conclude that the control is a system that controls only engine output. Because of the fact that throttle imput on a bike is so important,it would have to be super sensitive. This would require ALOT of development. The first GP bike rumored to have the system was the cube. When Edwards first took to the cube he crashed and mentioned the delay in the fly by wire throttle as a possible cause. Others have noticed the Yamaha with a "misfire" a sure sign of the system.

More to come....
 
My favorite TC appraoch is to pull timing out until wheel spin falls within a given parameter. The drver can't really sense it as he/she is trying to "pedal" (what do you call that on a bike?). Observers can't "hear"it either.

I never understand why this approach is never discussed by the "media"? It's been around for over a decade and been controlled by "motherboards" out of small programmable calculators. I wonder if they are given red hearings so folks will be looking away from reality?
 
I call it feathering ona bike, but there is probally another term. Yeah, you never hear anything on pulling timing out. I would imagine they do that in mapping.

Here is clips from a interesting article on the Attack Suzuki team.

Whole Article

We've got the ability to control ignition and fuel maps in each gear, and at each rpm and throttle opening," Stanboli began. "Without this control, the bike is basically unrideable, or at least unraceable. It wheelies everywhere. We showed up last year with twenty more horsepower than the previous year and went slower. It was too fast."

Stanboli wasn't entirely specific on the exact usage of the turn signal switch, but reading between the lines it appears as if Pridmore can move the switch to access several different pre-set tuning templates. In the course of one practice, Pridmore can actually ride three (or more?) different states of tune. When Stanboli was asked how much power could be taken out of a particular rpm range, he answered "A lot... a whole lot." That might be as close as a tuner can get to quoting horsepower, but Stanboli made it clear that these changes really affect the bike.
 
Interesting and makes sense. Should be easily doable given current technology. TC could then re-interpret the ingnition curve map(s) as needed.
 
Originally posted by Windsor377@May 10 2003, 12:56 PM
P.S. If I ever buy another bike, it will be a Duc.
Ok, so they arn't the cheapest bike, nor the most powerful, or the most reliable, but in the end they kick some arse. Its all about the passion and Ducati has just that. They don't make a bike for Cool Man Luke with vibrant color schemes that says look at me I have a crotch rocket. None of the line 4 crap mass produced for the common mans enjoyment. L-Twins all the way and if you have to(motoGP) stack em together and wide angle the 4. Yeah 150, 160hp is impressive, its up in that "unusable" range, it will hit ya though when you get up there. Twins bring you power smooth as a babys butt. Power is everywhere plus they sound way better, imo. Bring it on, Japan, take all the money you have and it still won't buy passion.

I can't afford one right now, but someday there will be a 748r in my driveway.

Rock n' Roll
 
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