http://www.bikehps.com/cabs/ Looks pretty cool. Anybody use it or have input on how well it works or doesnt work? Discuss!
Using the slipper clutch to downshift = fail. Blipping allows you slow down faster and more consistently without any disturbance to the rear wheel and doesn't requiring fanning the clutch. This is awesome technology, but its still just a crutch for those who just don't know how to downshift manually (grabbing the brake and blipping the throttle simultaneously). Remember back in the day, when there WAS NO SLIPPER CLUTCHES on stock street bikes? This was not too long ago. Lots of young FAST guys can't blip, because they never took the time to learn the technique such as Ben Spies, but this technology allows him to enter a corner much faster and with more confidence. Dumping or fanning a slipper clutch fucks with your braking zone and consequently your corner entry.
Why do people hate on new technology when it becomes available for the average consumer?? I honestly don’t get it. Let’s look at it in logical terms. • Electronic fuel injection vs carburetor operated-Too many pros to list.... • Steering stabilizers-reduces chassis issues, better stability • Disk brakes vs drum-greater stopping power, more efficient • Slipper Clutch-Aids the rider with smoother downshifts Now we have quick shifters, traction control, ABS, Wheelie control. What does it all have in common? Aids the rider in controlling the bike making it safer and easier to ride. .
And just because something new comes out doesn't mean it's good or even necessary. Seriously, if you can't figure out how to use your right hand to move the throttle tube to blip on a downshift you are going to have problems that an auto blipper isn't going to cure. It's a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere much more productively to help you go faster on a race track. Steering stabilizers dont' reduce chassis issues, they mask them and are required only to help out in situations where you have a major problem. They are not required because they make the bike handle better. Slippers are cool but they also are as much a mask for not being able to properly downshift and match revs. Same for ABS, you can brake better without it if you learn to use your brakes properly. Same for traction control, it just takes the skill of throttle control out of the equation. Most of the stuff you've listed in all reality are things to mask the inability of the operator to use the machine well, they are mechanical aids that cover for people who can't ride as well as they should.
...and they are something mechanical that will fail. If you don't know how to blip the throttle, or give almost maximum brakes, or give throttle up to the loss of traction, when they fail, you are SOL. :tut:
Aw, geez... You GOTTA have it. Without auto-blip, you'll die a horrible death or suffer incredible disfigurement. It's true, I read it on the Internet. OR: Like many electronic rider-assist devices, it may work for you. I doubt that 98% of the guys who buy it will be any faster, but they will feel like they have some good technology. Feeling good counts, too. Back when I started racing my GSXR750, I used to turn on the fast idle at the start line, to reduce engine braking and aid downshifting*. I didn't care that the bike idled high, as I had no plan to let it idle at all until after the race. It was a crude method, but it helped me avoid wheel hop on hard braking when I was learning. Most importantly, it assisted me in getting older *Yeah, I know that's not the same thing as auto-blip, which serves primarily to match gearbox shaft speeds allowing seamless downshifting.
Mongo- you prove my point again, people hating on new technology. Do you ride a bike from the 1970's because you are such a talanted rider and you dont "need" any of those electronic and mechanical aids? I didnt think so..... Is it needed, no. Would it be another development to the evolution of our sport, yes. It's trickle down from pros, MotoGP, WSB, ETC.... If you dont need it, then dont get it. All I was saying is here is something new that has been developed and now the average JOE can get it. You keep honing those skills of yours and make sure you remove that damper, slipper,QS and anything else you may have that could make the bike easier to ride :up:
Nothing wrong with technology improving on a current system. FI over carbs, discs over drums, etc. I see it as more of a problem when technology is used to control something formerly done by the rider. Quick shifters – practice your shifting procedure Traction control – practice your throttle control ABS – work on brake modulation Wheelie control – Why would you want to limit your wheelies. Got to have some fun
Now this here is just blatantly stupid. Electronic and mechanical aids? Before the slipper clutch, traction control, and the quick shifter et al came along, the basic controls of almost any motorcycle had remained the same since the 1970s. My 1974 rd350 had a front brake controlled by a lever on the right hand grip, a clutch lever on the left, a brake pedal down by my right foot and a shifter at my left. All of the other more modern bikes I have ridden and owned used the same basic controls. Your argument for the steering damper doesn't really apply here beause the steering damper is more of a safety item than anything else. A failsafe in case something should go wrong or you seriously screw up bike setup. I was glad I had one when I ran over the rumble strips exiting 10A at road atlanta one time. Making the bikes easier to ride does not enhance the competition at all. The end result is riders with less skill. Racing, in its purest form, should be about which man is more skilled, not who has the best parts on their machine.
Racing, in its purest form, is about winning. If I'm allowed to put a device on my bike that lets me not think about a mechanical aspect of its operation, and instead lets me devote that attention to passing you, I'm going to do it.
OK, I think we are done here beating a dead horse. Everyone said the same thing about quick shifters when they came out. Now they are standard equipment on several machines and good luck finding a race bike in the paddock that isnt equiped with one. Back to my original question for posting this thread, does anyone that's used this have input on if it works or doesnt?
I guess I can agree with that, in a way. At least at the professional level. Racers want to win, and will utilize any exploit imaginable to gain an edge. Makes me think of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHD6f_XrYNk