The engine situation is pretty dull nowadays. The factories have it totally under control. Dramas are very rare, and the engines make good power for a very long time. Which is actually an astonishing feat of engineering, and a case where racing has provided some incredibly powerful and valuable R&D which is directly transferable to road bikes.
Joined Aug 2009
1K Posts | 328+
Vancouver
Joined Oct 2012
3K Posts | 725+
Crab Key
I am amazed that they can run on their sides for any time without.immediately being shelved. Must have some interesting sump and pump arrangements
Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
Thanks Krop. I must admit i do miss the days of occasional bikes grenading themselves. Wasn't Yonny Hernandez at Argentina the last big blow up?
Ianonne probably used one engine for Philip Island.
That engine was tuned right up, tuned for a 45 minute lifespan
It really was odd to see Iannone that much faster. This isn't the first time however that Ducati has proven their ability to make seriously powerful engines. I don't give them a great deal of credit for producing superior chassis designs but they're rarely in need of more power.
Joined Oct 2015
985 Posts | 634+
Siebenbürgen süße Heimat!
How so? Not trying to be a smartass but I've long come to realize that nothing developed in gp means anything on the road.
But if it means next time I'm on a sbk and I get better partial throttle response while running super lean at 12k I'll appreciate it.
Electronics work so much different to road systems anyway.
The reliability stuff should be a myth considering the materials used in the engines.
Agreed about lubrication.
Genuinely interested to see an explicit example because I can't realistically see one
Joined Oct 2012
3K Posts | 725+
Crab Key
Ive not got my FIM regs handy (on phone in a taxi)....what materials are banned from engines?
Prop, first thing that comes to mind is valve guides, some pretty hard duty with those revs and cam profiles, but without a baseline, what's an impressive lack of wear and what's excessive. That's just an example, would apply to all wear surfaces....what's un/acceptable on a roadbike in the first place....
Prop, first thing that comes to mind is valve guides, some pretty hard duty with those revs and cam profiles, but without a baseline, what's an impressive lack of wear and what's excessive. That's just an example, would apply to all wear surfaces....what's un/acceptable on a roadbike in the first place....
Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
I'm an expert on Lube....
But being serious for a second, it's not so much the materials but more the machineing and tolerances which makes engines so much more reliable these days. More accurate smaller tolerances also mean thinner oils can be used, thus reducing frictional losses.
If it's anything like I've experienced, it will simply be a matter of putting them on the Dyno and assessing their perfomance to that of when they were new and last tested. While the motors are sealed, they will no doubt be inserting boroscopes into all available crevices and taking numerous oil samples. You know I'm sure, but many uneducated folk probably think they just put the engine on a dusty shelf until they can use it again...
As you requested:
Joined Oct 2015
985 Posts | 634+
Siebenbürgen süße Heimat!
V4 @15k pumping out 250hp....sure the lessons learned in cam/valve wear and tear are of use when developing road bikes? All the little development in bikes at the moment seems to be about making the exhausts cleaner, the bikes cheaper and autos less heavy.
You'll have to excuse me for being a bit prima facia about this
You'll have to excuse me for being a bit prima facia about this
Joined Oct 2012
3K Posts | 725+
Crab Key
Thanks 22 and Prop.
I did think MMC etc were banned, but didn't have the specifics on hand.
Agree with you both.
Until we see wear/lube/metallurgy issues with road engines, I don't see a super-surface finished engine being an economically or engineeringly (good word, eh) response.
To reiterate Prop's point
Road vehicles will increasingly be about exhaust emissions (Hi Winterkorn). Super smooth finishes will be wayyy behind exhaust treatments to address this. Have you seen the processes to get a super nice finish on a surface? kerchingg! huge expensive from Capital expenditure and machining time
I did think MMC etc were banned, but didn't have the specifics on hand.
Agree with you both.
Until we see wear/lube/metallurgy issues with road engines, I don't see a super-surface finished engine being an economically or engineeringly (good word, eh) response.
To reiterate Prop's point
Road vehicles will increasingly be about exhaust emissions (Hi Winterkorn). Super smooth finishes will be wayyy behind exhaust treatments to address this. Have you seen the processes to get a super nice finish on a surface? kerchingg! huge expensive from Capital expenditure and machining time
Joined Oct 2015
985 Posts | 634+
Siebenbürgen süße Heimat!
Krop exposed again lel.
No seriously krop, we had the exact same conversation before. I stated that the bikes with vthe most fancy electronics didn't come from gp manufacturers and u were like yo clichés the man. Better ask his opinion before I publish and embarrass myself again .
Racing = pr. Time to admit it
Good example doc. I really miss the times when the first thing you did to your bike was polish whatever you can. On the inside
No seriously krop, we had the exact same conversation before. I stated that the bikes with vthe most fancy electronics didn't come from gp manufacturers and u were like yo clichés the man. Better ask his opinion before I publish and embarrass myself again .
Racing = pr. Time to admit it
Good example doc. I really miss the times when the first thing you did to your bike was polish whatever you can. On the inside
What I have been saying for about the past five years. Professional sports are soap operas for men. Jumkie whines and ....... about the whole thing being rigged, but it really is just motorized entertainment, unscripted drama.
I asked three different manufacturers if they could quantify the R&D benefits they got from racing. They went "harumph harumph harumph proprietary information harumph harumph".
As for reliability, I believe they are not just doing it through super finishes on al parts. They looking at design and materials, improved lubrication, that sort of thing. At least, that's what the engineers tell me, and they were really quite enthusiastic about it. They could be lying, of course. As you are obviously a ....... genius, perhaps you can point out who I can tell the difference? What is true is that servicing intervals in modern sportsbikes are really quite remarkable.
As for inspection, the difference between a MotoGP engine and a WSBK engine is that if you know the engine is going to be sealed, you design it with inspection access in mind. Cam covers are sealed? Well, what we really need is a nice broad oil pathway to help lubricate the cams. Oh, and an endoscope fits up there? Goodness, who would have thought it?
Joined Oct 2015
985 Posts | 634+
Siebenbürgen süße Heimat!
.... you and the horse you rode in on. Is there an ignore feature on this board?
Joined Oct 2015
985 Posts | 634+
Siebenbürgen süße Heimat!
No. Grow a ball and tickle mines. Ur being a bit mean,whats wrong? U used to be able to take a joke when your wife was winning the WC
