Technical question

[Robert Taylor]

Gary, was just having a read of this thread and a bit of a giggle about how it was say, 35 years ago. With a Mach4 for example, to get them round a race track we would stick packers in the front of about 1 inch and for oil , engine oil like castrol XL 30/40 ! At the rear we just shoved the units on the hardest setting (no sag in those days mate !) A set of TT100s' and away you went.
Brings a smile to hear of all the stuff you have to do today. Gaz.

And weld up the hinge in the middle? I remember seeing Ray or Alan ( ? ) Collison wobbling around Pukekohe on those widowmakers.

[Robert Taylor]

http://www.tonyfoale.com/

Thought the name sounded familiar. Been to this site recently when researching another motorcycle matter.

What do you think of the bike with hardly any rake and alot of offset?. He reacons its a possible winner. Or at least he did when he wrote the article. One of its percieved advantages was less front end dive!



I suppose some might consider this to be the Golden Era of motorcycle racing. Interesting how Formula 1 seems to be heading backwards technically but if the first GP this year is anything to go by this may be a very good year for specators and drivers alike.

Regenerative braking is something I like that is high tech and I can see how it will aid cars and possibly then bikes of the future.

That Tony Foale book is in my library and I havent read it yet. Ho hum.

Formula 1 is something Ive followed since I was a kid and I thought the mid to late 60s were the golden era, a little bit anachronistic to some of my other views.
Its an interesting field, theres a lot of technology and very fertile thinking going on in spite of constant rule changes. It always amazes me looking at the slow mos of the cars banging over the kerbs while cutting through chicanes. It is so violent and rather suggests that in suspension terms the cars are little beter than go karts but with no chassis flex. Its rather lucky they have tall aspect ratio sidewalls otherwise theyd need suspension that actually moves!
The reason of course they are so rigid is because first and foremost the chassis / suspension setup has to be almost totally subservient to aero function and balance.Flat bottom cars with diffusers need to essentially keep the underside as parrallell and as low to the ground as possible while cornering to assist in creating maximum possible downforce and therefore grip. In straight line situations there must be some very strictly controlled pitch so that positive benefits can be gained from downforce migration from one end of the car to the other to assist in braking and exit grip etc.
Even here in NZ downforce and management of chassis attitude is critical on our humble Toyota racing series cars. The spring rates are huge and we had to instal some reasonably aggressive damping. At low speed when there is no downforce ( exiting pits etc ) you may as well be riding in a block dray.

[roogazza]

And weld up the hinge in the middle? I remember seeing Ray or Alan ( ? ) Collison wobbling around Pukekohe on those widowmakers.

Yes, it was Alan,very strong guy as I recall, all that moto X, huh ? (guess that helped, he was the man to beat for a long time). Gaz.