Bike vs Car Fun

**Lou Girardin** · 19th April 2004, 20:34

They're not so bad with a supercharger and 190hp. Especially when it looked stock, surprised a lot of so-called quick cars.
Lou

**speedpro** · 19th April 2004, 20:57

I seem to recall quite some years ago that a kart held the outright lap record at Pukekohe as well, even though I think it topped out at about 120mph down the back. I've seen them throwing up sparks over the bumps down the front straight and if you can get anything round turn one as fast you are probably German and drive a Ferrari

**Kickaha** · 19th April 2004, 21:17

Originally Posted by speedpro

I seem to recall quite some years ago that a kart held the outright lap record at Pukekohe as well, even though I think it topped out at about 120mph down the back. I've seen them throwing up sparks over the bumps down the front straight and if you can get anything round turn one as fast you are probably German and drive a Ferrari

At Pukekohe I would now expect around the 240-250kmh out of a good Superkart.

At Ruapuna Nigel Sheppard has the unofficial outright lap record at 1.27 in a PVP/TZ250 Superkart,compare this to Andrew Stroud on his GSXR1000 at 1.33 and Nigel only Hits 226kmh off the main straight compared to 260+ for the bikes,corner speed and short braking distance make up for the difference!

At Taupo the Bikes are doing good to go sub 40sec,fastest Kart is 37.4 for Wayne Sponstons Stockman/RS250,which is the outright record and most decent gearbox karts will run sub 40sec easily.

Over a long distance I will bet on a hi-perf car to beat a bike any day of the week.

**Lou Girardin** · 20th April 2004, 06:44

A couple of years back they had proddie bikes at a Puke car meeting. The bikes were lapping as fast in the wet as the V8's in the dry.
Then there was a recent test in Superbike mag (or maybe Performance bikes) between a GSXR thou and a Radical, although the Radical braked harder and cornered quicker it couldn't stay with the bikes acceleration, from memory there was 1 or 2 secs difference.

**Coldkiwi** · 20th April 2004, 12:14

i'll agree that given enough money and a race track, the cars will always beat the bikes. but thats ok, in the hard world of our own money, state highways and big egos in underpowered cars, i'll stick with bikes!

**scroter** · 20th April 2004, 12:44

Last years TT at Pukekohe saw Andrew Stroud in the 57's fuck thats fast, but unfortunatly not fast enough. V8 Supercars. 56's

**Motoracer** · 20th April 2004, 13:08

With the sort of downforce race cars get, they are basically stuck to the track as they sweep through the corners.

I forgot the exact speed but in a F1 interview for Mclaren. The guy said that if there was a long enough tunnel in a pipe shape with a crazy enough driver, it was possilbe to drive the car upside down on the cealing because the downforce of the F1 car could support its own weight. Imagine that, it'd be like flying an aerobatics aircraft at the airshow.

**Coldkiwi** · 20th April 2004, 17:02

could definitely be done if they really cranked the down force of those wings up like at Monaco

**pete376403** · 20th April 2004, 17:05

Real downforce was in the days of the Can Am Chapparals with the fans sucking air out from under the cars, or the F1 cars with the skirts. Modern flat bottom cars wouldn't approach that level of stiction

**Lou Girardin** · 20th April 2004, 21:02

Originally Posted by scroter

Last years TT at Pukekohe saw Andrew Stroud in the 57's fuck thats fast, but unfortunatly not fast enough. V8 Supercars. 56's

So we need a V8 supercar v WSB bike test. I'll put my money on the bike.
Lou

**Motu** · 20th April 2004, 21:40

It's been done,a few years ago - Wayne Gardners Coke Commodore and a Ducati of some sort...it was red,y'know the one I mean.They did 6 tracks and it was a 50/50 split - the bike was faster on the fast tracks,I think they did Bathurst and the Duke was pulling at least 20kph more than the V8 on conrod.On the twisty tracks the V8 just shat on the bike.It was in either a 2 Wheels or a 4 Wheels mag.

**wkid_one** · 20th April 2004, 21:45

Originally Posted by Motu

It's been done,a few years ago - Wayne Gardners Coke Commodore and a Ducati of some sort...it was red,y'know the one I mean.They did 6 tracks and it was a 50/50 split - the bike was faster on the fast tracks,I think they did Bathurst and the Duke was pulling at least 20kph more than the V8 on conrod.On the twisty tracks the V8 just shat on the bike.It was in either a 2 Wheels or a 4 Wheels mag.

How about this then....refer Pic

Monsta Tajima's Vitara Truck generates 1.5ton of down pressure at 100kph.....hence why it sticks to the road (although the same car in Gran Turismo 3 is a c*&t to drive).

It is the Indy Car's they are referring to being able to drive upside down at any speed over 75mph apparently.

You only have to look at the fastest times around the tracks of the world - very few hot lap titles are held by bikes anywhere...cars have the advantage of being able to corner shit loads quicker than bikes....pure aerodynamics.

Most bikes have the aerodynamics of a brick - and downforce when cornering doesn't really enter in to the equation.

Apparently the fastest lap around Ruapuna is actually held by a bike due to its more flowing nature (I think I recall this being discussed during the Summer Series commentary). This would make it a highly abnormal track.

If you want true downforce in a car tho - you want the IMSA cars....these things drove like they were on rails. Second were the F1 cars when full ground effects were allowed.

**Kickaha** · 20th April 2004, 22:21

Originally Posted by wkid_one

Apparently the fastest lap around Ruapuna is actually held by a bike due to its more flowing nature (I think I recall this being discussed during the Summer Series commentary). This would make it a highly abnormal track.

Maybe but it would be very close,at the first Drink/Drive 500 the fastest Transam was 1/100 of a second faster than the fastest bike on the Saturday,I don't recall Sunday times,but that event is one of the few that the cars and bikes use the same track layout at Ruapuna.

It would depend on what kind of car tintop/single seater they were comparing to,because I think Simon Wills in a Formula Holden is the fastest 4 wheeler around there and I doubt a bike would get close to that,because the superkarts don't and they smoke the bikes

**Two Smoker** · 20th April 2004, 22:32

The McLaren F1 GTR (road car) produces enough downforce at 160kmh to drive on the roof.........

As for the car vs bike thing. i think bikes are more fun because there is the acceleration and braking like a car, but there is also the lean factor in it where the car doesnt have that..... its just like how the next step up from bikes is planes because it has the up and down factor........