Posts
192
Joined
7/13/2014
Location
GB
Edited Date/Time
7/30/2014 12:50pm
Was just wondering what a mechanic will change on the bike from the first moto to the second moto. obviously if the bike isn't handling they will adjust setup, suspension, tyres etc. but do they put new motors in for every moto, new clutches etc. always wondered how extreme the teams are with changes to prevent mechanical failures??
The Shop
I really have no clue what I am talking about. I'm just guessing.
This is why I got a little suspicious when Wilson had his bike problems and then Baggett had his problems. I was wondering if it was something wrong with PC motors in general or if it was a particular engine that kept going into the bank that they thought they fixed but never got fixed. It could have been in Wilson's bike one weekend and Baggett's the next.
Pit Row
I think it was MXA that wanted to test one of their bikes after a race and was told "no way" because the engine would be beyond its lifespan and they knew it would let go during the test.
Doesn't make for good press when you're trying to sell expensive aftermarket parts/services.
As far as the PR aspect, it doesn't seem to be slowing their business any. I think the general public can understand that they build their race bikes with different expectations than their team's race bikes.
I don't know a lot about FI but it makes sense in my head.
And it's not crazy how it can be done - it's done at all the highest levels of motor sports. Engineers know from testing and the collected data (along with the volumes of historical data) what can be expected for a lifespan. They know how many revs etc the engine will turn and how long it will be running so they can build it for that target and build in a small factor of safety so they hopefully aren't cutting it too close. If they want long term reliability they can run an XR or John Deere. But they're looking for the highest possible performance and only need it to last the designated amount of time. No extra metal, weight, friction, etc is desired - performance above all else.
However, sometimes things fall outside the normal bell curve (might have a part that tests good but is on the low end of the acceptable quality minimum) and that's when you see the spectacular failures and resulting DNFs.
I do not get all the negative sarcastic comments.
Back to the subject, Cairoli uses 3 engines per week end so I guess in Nationals they use 2 to 3 engines as in GPs.
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