Joined Oct 2006
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Your Mom's House
Question about traction control vs horsepower.
I was having a discussion with a friend regarding traction control. We were debating about the importance of horsepower vs. tire grip/traction in relation to electronic package that governs traction control for the bike.
To me it seems tire grip/traction is the limiting factor because engineers can produce more and more horsepower. However, my friend argued that more horsepower is always better, though I felt a finer tuned traction control system will result on a faster bike.
Here is the question. If traction control systems reduce tire spin, has a threshold of horsepower reached a limit? In other words, has horsepower reached the limit (or close to the limit) where it has become less important than the electronic system that regulates it because tire grip is the limiting factor?
What do you think is more important?
1. Horsepower
2. Traction
Does the bike with more horsepower always have the advantage over the bike that has a better traction control system?
Or does the bike that have a better traction control system have the advantage over a bike with ample horse power to activate the system but has less horsepower than another bike?
Please answer the following question:
If two identical bikes with an identical traction control system were open full throttle down the longest straight of any current track in GP, which bike would be faster??? —Assuming all elements are identical/equal except one has more horsepower than the other, and the condition that both have more than enough horsepower to activate the traction control system. In other words, both have more than enough horse power to spin the tire the entire length of the straight, however, one has more horse power than the other, which would be faster if all else was identical except one has more horse power than the other.
I would like to know what you think.
Here is my answer: (As I understand traction control, I admit my understanding is limited to what I read, perhaps somebody here understands it better and can shed some light on this enigma).
I think both bikes will be equal down the straight; same top speed and acceleration even though one has more horsepower. Why, because both have activated the traction control system which governs horsepower output in relation to tire grip/traction, in effect limiting the horsepower to the tarmac according to how much the tire grip can handle. Since grip is the limiting factor, and assuming both bikes have more than enough horsepower to activate the traction system, then it seems to me the extra horse power of the other bike, no matter how much more it may be, is negated (rendered ineffective) because the electronics would limit the available horsepower down to maintain grip.
Here was the other position, the other side of the debate:
More horsepower always equals more acceleration and therefore top speed. He couldn’t explain why but he was sure that it made sense because otherwise why would engine builders try to make more horsepower if it didn’t help.
What do you think?
I was having a discussion with a friend regarding traction control. We were debating about the importance of horsepower vs. tire grip/traction in relation to electronic package that governs traction control for the bike.
To me it seems tire grip/traction is the limiting factor because engineers can produce more and more horsepower. However, my friend argued that more horsepower is always better, though I felt a finer tuned traction control system will result on a faster bike.
Here is the question. If traction control systems reduce tire spin, has a threshold of horsepower reached a limit? In other words, has horsepower reached the limit (or close to the limit) where it has become less important than the electronic system that regulates it because tire grip is the limiting factor?
What do you think is more important?
1. Horsepower
2. Traction
Does the bike with more horsepower always have the advantage over the bike that has a better traction control system?
Or does the bike that have a better traction control system have the advantage over a bike with ample horse power to activate the system but has less horsepower than another bike?
Please answer the following question:
If two identical bikes with an identical traction control system were open full throttle down the longest straight of any current track in GP, which bike would be faster??? —Assuming all elements are identical/equal except one has more horsepower than the other, and the condition that both have more than enough horsepower to activate the traction control system. In other words, both have more than enough horse power to spin the tire the entire length of the straight, however, one has more horse power than the other, which would be faster if all else was identical except one has more horse power than the other.
I would like to know what you think.
Here is my answer: (As I understand traction control, I admit my understanding is limited to what I read, perhaps somebody here understands it better and can shed some light on this enigma).
I think both bikes will be equal down the straight; same top speed and acceleration even though one has more horsepower. Why, because both have activated the traction control system which governs horsepower output in relation to tire grip/traction, in effect limiting the horsepower to the tarmac according to how much the tire grip can handle. Since grip is the limiting factor, and assuming both bikes have more than enough horsepower to activate the traction system, then it seems to me the extra horse power of the other bike, no matter how much more it may be, is negated (rendered ineffective) because the electronics would limit the available horsepower down to maintain grip.
Here was the other position, the other side of the debate:
More horsepower always equals more acceleration and therefore top speed. He couldn’t explain why but he was sure that it made sense because otherwise why would engine builders try to make more horsepower if it didn’t help.
What do you think?