Some interesting inputs here. You’re a good humored lot! I’ve enjoyed reading the posts over morning coffee.
The TC ABS debate is a contentious issue. It won’t be long now until all production super bikes have ABS fitted. Hopefully it will be switch-able, but the day will come I’m sure when it just on, but probably tied into the TC maps.
I have read some information regarding the new generation abs systems for motorcycles, in testing (road race) with professional riders, especially in slippery (wet conditions) they are showing at least a second per lap improvement over non ABS. With that sort of benefit, it won’t be long before we see it commonly in use at world level racing.
Riders aids have been around for many years, back in the 80’s we used to have a Vance and Hinse ignition box with 4 toggles for different ignition maps, so in adverse conditions we would retard the ignition and fit heavier springs to the slides of the CV carbs. I would have been a lot easier to toggle a switch on the handle bar or plug the laptop in.
Riders have been going over the handle bars since the beginning of elite racing, but since the advent of TC high sides have been greatly reduced. Most of the riders carry on about TC, but none of them switch it off. Rossi’s recent broken leg was a result of the Yamaha’s M1 TC management falling below activation parameters and him then getting on the gas un-protected, and getting flicked over the handle bars.
Bikes are the most unforgiving of things.
I have been reading about bike liners, and can’t imagine they would be an easy thing to ride. They are long, heavy, and sitting in a seat for instance is going to take away a lot of the communication that is normally transmitted by the machine when you are sitting on it.
Another thing that is said in relation to liners is it is not if it falls over, it is when, so why do they go down inevitably? Watching ack-attack get crossed up after push out, sort of illustrates the point, and I can imaging a burst of cross wind at full boost as you are winding it out towards 300 mph would upset things a little?
Do any of you have GPS data acquisition systems on board? How much wheel spin is experienced on a run? Is it common to reach your theoretical top rpm, but be running at a slower than predicted measured speed? Cheers!
