Join Date: 12-19-2006
Location: AB-Canada/Rome Italy
Age: 33
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Posts: 1,472
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JetB & Phobe - Rain Racing
From MCNews.com.au - Repsol talks about Racing in the rain
Quote:
Racing in the rain
Rain is an unwelcome visitor at any time of the season, and something that predictably, or perhaps, unpredictably arrives again and again at different places on the planet. Rain is something that few riders want to see, although its presence can allow unknown riders to make a name for themselves and fight to win a race.
In order to ride really fast on wet asphalt, a rider must really be at one with his motorbike, and feel each millimetre of any reaction, even the slightest, on a surface that tests the abilities of the riders themselves, the motorcycles, the tyres and the technicians, to their very limits.
Dani Pedrosa has not never been a great expert on a wet surface, quite the opposite in fact, he has always recognized that it is something that he still has to practice. Although it is also true that the Repsol Honda Team rider has worked doggedly to improve his ability in this department, and his latest performance in the wet confirm this.
According to Dani's own comments, “in water, the main differences with respect to the dry are quite clear: you must ride much more smoothly, leaning over less and much more carefully, taking care that the throttle is opened gently and above being careful with the brakes. That does not mean that you cannot go fast, since there are tracks whose asphalt offers a great grip even in the wet.”
One of the keys lies in the riding style, since it is important to feel and know the motorbike well and to be comfortable on it, knowing the limits of each part, the bike itself, the tyres and the grip that the track provides.
In the dry normally it is easier to find these limits, that is why you must pay more attention in the wet. The Repsol Honda Team rider also points out that the “front wheel is very important in the wet, because that is the one that gives you your confidence, but recently we have seen that there are usually more falls because of a loss of grip on the rear tyre, because you never know the limit of how much gas you can give until you take the risk. Luckily now the electronics help you to get the correct engine response, with much smoother adjustments and a more gradual power delivery”.
Over the last few years, the engine power has been limited by electronics, that allows different “maps” to be made, these can vary the power delivery, making it more gradual and smoother. Moreover, at the present time the traction control can be increased so that the motorcycle itself can help to control the reactions more, especially when the track does not provide good grip meaning that the bike slides around a lot.
The first part that is changed when rain appears are the tyres, and Michelin offers three types of alternatives in this case: rain tyres, intermediates, or hand cut. These are much softer types than the usual slicks, this is so that they can reach a high temperature faster; they have more or fewer cuts in their surface, according to the amount of water on the track. These cuts and grooves in the tyre remove rainwater and so avoid the feared aquaplaning. It is important to maximise the grip, and that is why the amount of water is taken into consideration, along with the track temperature and how abrasive the asphalt is at the circuit involved.
In MotoGP it is also made necessary to change the brakes and to use iron discs instead of carbon ones as these require a very high operating temperature, one that is impossible to reach in rainy conditions. A change of temperature also affects the engine, since the rain itself and the water that the front wheel lifts onto the radiator cools it down too much, and so it cannot reach an adequate temperature. The solution, as old as it is effective, is to cover the radiator with sticky tape. This stops the water cooling the engine too much and lets it warm up to its optimal point of operation.
The changes to the suspension are also important, with a much softer setting than in the dry. This means that the motorbike does not exert as much pressure on the wheels, and these in turn on the slippery asphalt. If priority is given to the sensations from the front wheel in the dry, aiming to get more support on the front wheel, in the wet a chassis position that is set back is desirable, as the bike is easier to control, and the front wheel grip is less critical when entering curves.
The riding style changes, the reactions are different and therefore all the adjustments are modified. As the riders go slower, things can be anticipated better; and if they brake earlier and more gradually - due to the lower level of grip and the rider`s caution - the settings will be different. Even the clothing is different. In first place the helmet, which has a totally transparent visor instead of a tinted one in the rain.
Additional plastic strips prevent water entering. The visor is sprayed on the inside with a special product that allows the drops of water to slide down more easily; and with a double visor on the interior to avoid the formation of condensation. Some riders also choose to use a mask so that their breath leaves from the bottom of the helmet, not letting it stay in the helmet, avoiding it getting steamed up once again, stating the obvious, good vision is a vital factor.
Referring to the racing suit, the riders use a raincoat that protects them from the water, since as the suit is covered with holes and made of leather they get soaked in no time at all, and at the speeds they reach it can mean that the riders lose a lot of body heat, with the riders getting off the motorbike shivering with cold. In addition, the leather that these competition suits are made from absorb a lot of water and the extra weight can reach several litres, which in the end would be equivalent to an extra weight of several kilos.
It is said that races become a lottery in the rain, and it is true that these races are the ones that see the most surprising results, with the most unexpected riders in the limelight. Nevertheless, it is no less true that some riders have a special gift when the water appears on the asphalt, and the associated risks should be measured in another way. It is a question of confidence, and while a few become confident when faced with a wet surface, others demonstrate their insecurity in these conditions. Luckily there will always be rain specialists that will delight us with their abilities, tested to the limit, on wet asphalt.
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06-26-2008, 01:01 AM
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