Auto Throttle Blippers

Here is my take on this issue. In the upper echelons of the auto racing world, (i.e. F1) drivers have access to the most cutting edge technology in the world, to the point that driving a insanely fast race car is EASY, or even SAFE. Riding a motorcycle to the limit has traditionally been much, much, MUCH more difficult than doing the same with a car, and also much more dangerous. If rider aids and electronics can make it slightly easier to not crash on a bike I'm all for it. Riding a motorcycle fast use to be hard, but now it is a little easier, and even more importantly, SAFER. If all this stuff can prevent huge high sides and career ending injuries, everyone is to benefit. I don't see how anyone can argue against something that makes a racer's job safer and easier. If a racer wants to learn to be dependent on a technology due to lack of skill, then thats their prerogative. Another racer who isn't dependent on the same technology will ALWAYS be faster (ala Casey Stoner). The cool thing about all these electronic/mechanical aids, is that you don't have to use them if you don't want to. No one is going to force you do use them. If you only want a little bit of intervention, you can dial it down, or up, its not simply on or off.

 

Ever since I read about MotoGP bikes having this, I've been wondering when it would make it to a kit ECU for production bikes.

I think it's pretty cool.

Agreed.

I'm with you. Give it a couple years... it'll be common place on club bikes.

Everyone thought the slipper clutch was just a "crutch" for those who couldn't blip properly. Now everyone has one. This is no different.

 

everyone except those on Hondas!

 

Ask Richard Hammond, it's the polar opposite of easy.

 

Maybe I am way off base here, but why do some associate blipping the throttle with the slipper clutch? The blip syncs everything up for the shift and the slipper comes into play after the shift is made.

 

Because most think slipper clutches were invented to help riders not to have to blip anymore. I see what you're saying but it does help if you don't know how to blip. Some slippers I've come across work better if you don't blip at all and just "dump" the clutch, which is counter productive for people like me that have always blipped and still blip even with slipper clutches.

 

Some kit ECUs like the EMPRO have electronic aids that slow down the closing of the butterfly valves, therefore controling how quickly the revs drop on a down shift. I think they even continue feeding fuel a little later as well. It's not a true blip but it helps. If you max out the setting the bike actually feels a bit like a two stroke off throttle. Some late model MVs feed fuel on down shifts.

 

I would probably still blip the throttle with this thing, it's so ingrained in my psyche. I can see it's uses for sure. I may get it.

 

Thank You...

WTF is it with people who don't actually understand what a Slipper is for ...jeez

 

Eh not really. Just think about how easy it is to slide a car around a turn (losing traction in the front tires, or rear) and then think about doing this repeatedly with a motorcycle. Sliding a car is fun, sliding a bike at max lean is something only a few in the world can claim to do with any kind of accuracy...hell losing the front (something that is easy to do accidentally) on a motorcycle will almost always result in a crash. I've done autocross, track days and karting for many many years, bikes only for a few years, and I can say from my experience that pushing a motorcycle to its limits (without electronics) takes exponentially more skill than something with 4 wheels. Motorcycles lack the stability of 4 wheels when there is loss of traction, this demands SKILL in these situations, or ELSE you get tossed!

 

Electronics can help or hurt depending on the rider and in some people's eyes this device is the dog's balls.

For me, I have this desire to "do it myself" over having a gizmo do the thinking for me and I gotta say that I'm living quite happily with the satisfaction of winning races while having zero assists on my machine and being capable (and comfortable) enough to ride without them.

To each their own.

 

YouTube up "top gear f1 Renault" and watch it. One of their presenters, a man with more experience behind a wheel than most of us could imagine, is barely able to complete two laps in an F1 car.

 

That was one of the most eye opening episodes of Top Gear ever IMHO. Really brings some perspective to the whole "they are so easy to drive" comments.

 

Video -
http://youtu.be/A2R40Unv8u4

 

I would like to see an F1 driver do two laps on a Moto GP bike and see what happens. Well seems like Valentino put down some decent laps in an F1 car, and he isn't a pro driver by any stretch of the imagination. Hmmm I do recall Mr. Schumacher breaking his neck crashing off on a bike however....

 

Rossi is a hell of an auto driver as he has shown and as I recall Schumacher did pretty well on Vale's bike.

 

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/s...nov0507michaelschumacherstunsinducati800ride/

According to that link, Schumacher was 5 seconds off the lap record when he rode Stoner's GP7.

I remember reading a great article in RRW after that test happened that the headline went something to the effect of "How did Schumacher go so fast?"

I would imagine Schumacher was riding with some reserve considering no one wants to ball up a GP bike you were given to ride "for fun". Then consider he was just riding the thing around at a test and not racing and maybe he finds some time. Then consider that the bike was suited to Stoner (who is 130ish lbs and 5'7") and Schumacher is taller (5'11" from what I could find) and heavier (165 lbs.) and it starts to make sense.

People like that just have the brain for it. The world must happen slowly for them. It explains why Rossi is good behind the wheel. They have honed their reaction times and senses to interpret and react to what their car or motorcycle is telling them. They can see lines. Understand traction. Feel things. React faster.

I don't think driving an F1 car or riding a MotoGP bike is anything close to "easy".

 

^^^^^^ And....on top of all that, no one but Stoner could ride that Ducati, which makes Schumacher's accomplishment that much more impressive.

 

Some of us ride bikes without them. How exactly do they prevent wheel hop?

 

By negating / lessning the engine braking...it freewheels the clutch...it is adjustable...allows the bike to go into a corner without using the engine to do the brakes job.

You can downshift several gears..throw out the lever and no wheel hop, or locking the wheel...allowing you to slow the bike with the brakes...and resume acceleration uninterupted...smoother is faster.

Or did you want the exact mechanics of how it works??