Here is one of my quicker laps from the final race at Macpark at easter. The final race saw me do my best time of the weekend. 1:17.735. This is .1 of a second of the F2 lap record... Damn close to taking that to!
Follow Phill Gray (Goose) and Mike King from Beta Engineering as they renew and race a classic Bimota db1
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
The anotomy of a crash!
Have you every had the misfortune to find yourself lying next to your bike, shaking from the adrenaline and endorphins coursing through you, and wondering just how the hell you fell off? If you haven't. Well done, your part of a small and exclusive club, either that or Fred Gassit's quip, "If you ain't falling off you ain't going hard enough", may apply.
If like me, you've had that fall, or falls. They probably bug you to this day. Everyone falls off, with these unstable two wheeled things we like to ride it's only a question of time and distance before you do. Yet what happens when you have enough data from your bike to find out? What would you change?
Lucky for me (and you if you keep reading) I have had a data logger fitted to my race bike for about six years. A data logger can show you just what you did differently on a quick lap, to a really slow, and often painful lap. I know we are talking a race track here, but don't be fooled this is track only. Manufacturers in the future may put into their frankly under stressed ECU a recording mechanism to trap just what the hell happened if something goes wrong. Manufacturers are more interested in how their product failed in a mechanical sense than why it fell over. The implications are interesting though. That the ECU may be able to tell someone, insert the Police, lawyers etc, just how fast you and the engine were going, and how much you might have slowed down before the ouchy moment.
My data logger is an AIMSport GOLD BIKE. This unit has eight channels to record various inputs. The default inputs are things like road speed, a gyroscope, engine speed. I have added in a couple more including recording the throttle position sensor or TPS, exhaust gas analysis (lambda numbers), and engine oil pressure warning systems. Between the road speed, and horizontal gyroscope the software supplied by AIMSport can generate a track map, track sector breakdowns and allow for easy comparison on lap to lap.
Even with this information, I still sometimes find myself sitting in the dirt looking at a motorcycle and pondering, what the? So lets have a look at a crash from a data point of view, no wondering, just the facts.
Morgan Park low side, May 2010, Bike: Bimota db1 Beta EVO
This fall took place on the second lap of a race, when I had got myself free of my competition and was looking to make a gap on them. So lets cut into some data, thankfully graphically represented.
First thing to understand is the track layout. The image here indicates the shape of the Morgan Park track, the corners are numbered to match the sections of the track we will investigate latter. The small arrow at the top of the image indicates not just the track direction but where the infrared triggering beacon is placed. I try to place it on the start finish line, so my lap times are as close as possible to those on my time sheets. Its a tight race track in its current configuration, top speed of the Beta Evo 195kmh on the front straight.
The next image shows in red my best lap of the track, and in black my crash lap. Across the top of the graphic you'll see a smattering of green, red, blue sections, the red and blues are numbered as corners, as per the circuit map. It can be clearly seen that the black line plunges to zero in turn three as I fall, and then get going again.
The facts: So how did I crash?
To allow a closer look at how, I've provided the detail image of just the run into turn three. Black trace is speed from my best lap, red speed from my crash lap. I have added in the gyro readings for comparison as they tell much of the story, the blue line is from my best lap and the mauve line from my crash lap.
As can been seen from the image. I carry to much speed into turn three, 10kmh quicker than my best lap, hence the red line in turn three is way above the black one (marker A). I apex later as can been seen by the mauve line reaching its peak after the blue line (marker B). At this point the front tyre screamed enough and let go. I slide into the dirt, but manage to recovery.
The reason: So why did I crash?
To find the cause for my eagerness into turn three on this lap, we need to go back further in the data to turn two (marker C). Here you can see the black speed trace plummet from the red. Even though I had set a good first sector and one of my best top speeds for the weekend. The reason I shut the throttle here was due to seeing yellow flashing lights, a caution flag in effect on the pedestrian bridge crossing turn two. A caution would not put you off that much you might think, but turn two is blind. Not only blind, blind and fast. I'm using fourth gear through this left hand sweeper. As such I was expecting to find a rider or bike obstructing the track. The speed trace shows I was 20kmh slower until I rounded the bend and could see nothing on the track. From there I get the gas back on from the middle of the turn two section. As a result the black line passes over the red line only at the very end of this straight (marker D). That's me braking latter and harder into turn three desperate to make up time. This is also where it all goes wrong and I loose the front end.
The lesson: How not to do it again!
Simple things to remember:
Don't go into a corner that much harder!
- There is an old saying, "Slow in and fast out, is better than fast in and dead out!", for me it was dead last! If I had gone in slower I would not have fallen off, so 10kmh was obviously way to fast, and way to late to get the bike turned. A fall like this has another added benefit if you want to see it that way. The marks my bike left on the track made a very good indicator as to where I should be coming off the corner. No longer turning! Odd to see it as a bonus I know but whilst I could see them I was using them.
More complex things to remember:
Do not allow myself to be flustered and frustrated after having my progress slowed.
- Its extremely hard to stay cool, calm and collected when you're strung out on testosterone and all those other natural drugs, and freaking out you might not win. Calm is fast. So keep calm, or cool, Zen, what ever you want to call it. It was a silly mistake for someone with my experience, hence I was kicking myself the rest of the weekend.
Check behind you, see if the opposition have closed the gap.
- Why did I not look behind me? Well, on a race track I never do. What's in front is what matters, those are the guys you need to pass. I also get a big personnel kick when riders start looking back, I take it as a sign of weakness. So I don't do it. In this case, a simple look over my shoulder would have told me I was in no danger of being passed, and possibly avoided the crash. Also, I knew I could lap faster than the guys behind me. Being in front I still had the capacity to get away unhindered, being in the dirt I was playing catch up. The lesson for me here is try to be more flexible in my thinking, looking back is an option to keep in mind.
Hope you enjoyed this little rant!!
If like me, you've had that fall, or falls. They probably bug you to this day. Everyone falls off, with these unstable two wheeled things we like to ride it's only a question of time and distance before you do. Yet what happens when you have enough data from your bike to find out? What would you change?
Lucky for me (and you if you keep reading) I have had a data logger fitted to my race bike for about six years. A data logger can show you just what you did differently on a quick lap, to a really slow, and often painful lap. I know we are talking a race track here, but don't be fooled this is track only. Manufacturers in the future may put into their frankly under stressed ECU a recording mechanism to trap just what the hell happened if something goes wrong. Manufacturers are more interested in how their product failed in a mechanical sense than why it fell over. The implications are interesting though. That the ECU may be able to tell someone, insert the Police, lawyers etc, just how fast you and the engine were going, and how much you might have slowed down before the ouchy moment.
My data logger is an AIMSport GOLD BIKE. This unit has eight channels to record various inputs. The default inputs are things like road speed, a gyroscope, engine speed. I have added in a couple more including recording the throttle position sensor or TPS, exhaust gas analysis (lambda numbers), and engine oil pressure warning systems. Between the road speed, and horizontal gyroscope the software supplied by AIMSport can generate a track map, track sector breakdowns and allow for easy comparison on lap to lap.
Even with this information, I still sometimes find myself sitting in the dirt looking at a motorcycle and pondering, what the? So lets have a look at a crash from a data point of view, no wondering, just the facts.
Morgan Park low side, May 2010, Bike: Bimota db1 Beta EVO
This fall took place on the second lap of a race, when I had got myself free of my competition and was looking to make a gap on them. So lets cut into some data, thankfully graphically represented.
 |
| Morgan Park track map |
First thing to understand is the track layout. The image here indicates the shape of the Morgan Park track, the corners are numbered to match the sections of the track we will investigate latter. The small arrow at the top of the image indicates not just the track direction but where the infrared triggering beacon is placed. I try to place it on the start finish line, so my lap times are as close as possible to those on my time sheets. Its a tight race track in its current configuration, top speed of the Beta Evo 195kmh on the front straight.
The next image shows in red my best lap of the track, and in black my crash lap. Across the top of the graphic you'll see a smattering of green, red, blue sections, the red and blues are numbered as corners, as per the circuit map. It can be clearly seen that the black line plunges to zero in turn three as I fall, and then get going again.
 |
| Best lap vs Crash lap |
The facts: So how did I crash?
 |
| Turn three opps |
To allow a closer look at how, I've provided the detail image of just the run into turn three. Black trace is speed from my best lap, red speed from my crash lap. I have added in the gyro readings for comparison as they tell much of the story, the blue line is from my best lap and the mauve line from my crash lap.
As can been seen from the image. I carry to much speed into turn three, 10kmh quicker than my best lap, hence the red line in turn three is way above the black one (marker A). I apex later as can been seen by the mauve line reaching its peak after the blue line (marker B). At this point the front tyre screamed enough and let go. I slide into the dirt, but manage to recovery.
The reason: So why did I crash?
To find the cause for my eagerness into turn three on this lap, we need to go back further in the data to turn two (marker C). Here you can see the black speed trace plummet from the red. Even though I had set a good first sector and one of my best top speeds for the weekend. The reason I shut the throttle here was due to seeing yellow flashing lights, a caution flag in effect on the pedestrian bridge crossing turn two. A caution would not put you off that much you might think, but turn two is blind. Not only blind, blind and fast. I'm using fourth gear through this left hand sweeper. As such I was expecting to find a rider or bike obstructing the track. The speed trace shows I was 20kmh slower until I rounded the bend and could see nothing on the track. From there I get the gas back on from the middle of the turn two section. As a result the black line passes over the red line only at the very end of this straight (marker D). That's me braking latter and harder into turn three desperate to make up time. This is also where it all goes wrong and I loose the front end.
|
| Best lap vs Crash lap |
The lesson: How not to do it again!
Simple things to remember:
Don't go into a corner that much harder!
- There is an old saying, "Slow in and fast out, is better than fast in and dead out!", for me it was dead last! If I had gone in slower I would not have fallen off, so 10kmh was obviously way to fast, and way to late to get the bike turned. A fall like this has another added benefit if you want to see it that way. The marks my bike left on the track made a very good indicator as to where I should be coming off the corner. No longer turning! Odd to see it as a bonus I know but whilst I could see them I was using them.
More complex things to remember:
Do not allow myself to be flustered and frustrated after having my progress slowed.
- Its extremely hard to stay cool, calm and collected when you're strung out on testosterone and all those other natural drugs, and freaking out you might not win. Calm is fast. So keep calm, or cool, Zen, what ever you want to call it. It was a silly mistake for someone with my experience, hence I was kicking myself the rest of the weekend.
Check behind you, see if the opposition have closed the gap.
- Why did I not look behind me? Well, on a race track I never do. What's in front is what matters, those are the guys you need to pass. I also get a big personnel kick when riders start looking back, I take it as a sign of weakness. So I don't do it. In this case, a simple look over my shoulder would have told me I was in no danger of being passed, and possibly avoided the crash. Also, I knew I could lap faster than the guys behind me. Being in front I still had the capacity to get away unhindered, being in the dirt I was playing catch up. The lesson for me here is try to be more flexible in my thinking, looking back is an option to keep in mind.
Hope you enjoyed this little rant!!
Shhhhh. We're hunting engine misfires!
Beta EVO engine misfire
Me and Mike had a quiet beer yesterday and talked over what we where going to do about solving our engine misfire. This engine has never run right in the 7200-8000rpm range, however it will pick up and run strong after this. 95HP is not a weak engine. Just to recap on what we have done some far to try and solve it:
Me and Mike had a quiet beer yesterday and talked over what we where going to do about solving our engine misfire. This engine has never run right in the 7200-8000rpm range, however it will pick up and run strong after this. 95HP is not a weak engine. Just to recap on what we have done some far to try and solve it:
- Replaced Spark plugs
- Replaced Spark plug leads
- Set air gap on the crank sensor
- Set valve clearances
- Installed lambda probe and validated the O2 numbers
- Swapped crank sensor
- Swapped fuel injectors
- Tried a set of colder plugs from 8 to 9
- Install the dyno lambda into the header pipe - to ensure we are getting an accurate reading without the scavenging effecting the reading
- Install some 10 temperature range plugs
- Replace the coils - See if we can borrow a set of working coils from the BEARS guys
- Install a larger earth point - Currently we are only using a M6, we are worried its not providing a good enough grounding point
- Remove the megaphones - see if we are getting what Mike calls "megaphoneitus", its possible that the megaphones are scavenging the cylinder completely leaving us with either weak charge
- Study the signals to the coil with a oscilloscope see if we are getting mad signals
- Replace the ECU with a standard unit
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
2011 Mac Park race 3 stack video
Here's some video from Marc Belestro, shot from the back of his bike. It shows Andrew Lear having a big moment on the opening lap of race 3 and gathering it up just in time to collide with the Beta EVO! The damage to the Beta EVO was limited to a broken rear fairing and some scratches to the rear pipe. Poor Andrew knocked himself out and had to visit the hospital. Hope you are okay Andrew.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Beta EVO takes 4 from 4 National BEARS RD2 Macpark
 |
| Goose leads Andrew Lear (Ducati 198) in race one! |
Qualifying: in Q1 I did 8 laps without getting a clean run at all. Second qualifier was wet so me an Mike used it to test another crank position sensor to fix the top end misfire. No luck with that… but I did get pole!
Result: Pole position with a 1:19.215
Race 1 BEARs Nationals, 6 laps
It feels very odd to start a race bike from 3000rpm, but it works a treat and I get away well from pole. The only guy faster was local Andrew Lear (Ducati 1098), Andrew beat me into turn one. David Clarke tried to get his 675 Triumph up the inside into turn one, so I politely closed the door on him. Getting a great drive out of turn one, I pass Andrew under brakes into the pine tree. From here I pull a 50 meter lead and despite making numerous mistakes at various places hold this to the line. My fastest lap comes on lap five before I hit back markers. This allowed Andrew to close the gap at the line a little. The Beta EVO draws first blood, and bad news guys I think it likes the taste!
Result: First F3, First outright! Fastest lap 1:18.563, best rolling lap, 1:18.261, Ultimate lap: 1:17.344
Race 2 BEARs Nationals, 6 laps
Another good launch, with the same result. I come out of turn one behind Andrew, he's a bit more cautious into the pine tree this time, taking tighter line. I throw the Beta EVO down the inside anyway! I pass Andrew with the back wheel hopping about and execute an ugly but effective block pass. This time I don't muck about. Staying smooth and focusing on braking markers into the slower corners. This lets me free up the drive on the exits to maximum effect. I see 1:18.5, 18.3, and an 18.1 on lap five. Excellent that's a new lap record for the Beta EVO. My margin at the line is six seconds. Another great race. Much more consistent, the 1:17's beckon.
Result: First F3, First outright! Fastest lap 1:18.192, best rolling lap, 1:18.092, Ultimate lap: 1:17.065
 |
| Leaving the rest to scrap it out in race 2. |
 |
| The Beta EVO takes the checkered flag! Twice even! |
 |
| Race 3, Goose leads Dave Clark, Paul Coleman and Derek Morton |
Race 3 National BEARS 6 laps
 |
| What happens when two bikes can not go into one! |
Start 1 - I got a good launch but the others got away well to, Marc Belestro (F1 - Ducati 1198) lead us down into turn one. I saw many riders either side of me but no one got between me and Marc. In my left peripheral vision I saw a red bike all out of shape on the way into turn one, to the inside of me. As I tipped in I had a bad feeling I was about to be collected. Bang! A bike smacks into the left rear side of the Beta EVO. I am pushed well wide nearly into dirt. Paul Coleman (F1 - BMW S1000RR), Derek Morton (F3 Ducati 851) come by as I get the bike turned up to the kink before pine tree. Desperate not to let anyone else through I get the gas on and try to feel any vibration from damage to my bike. As we hit the top corner red flags are waving and I look back across at turn one to see recovery trucks and Ambulances abound! The collision has broken the right rear fairing on the Beta EVO, and damaged the rear exhaust mount. Me and Mike quickly repair this before the restart.
Start 2 - A full rerun of the race see's me get a good start with only Dave Clark to beat to turn one. Poor Marc Belestro's bike had quit on the warm up lap with a fuel leak. I tail Dave for five laps while waving at his camera, mounted backward on his Triumph duck tail. On laps two, three, and four I show him the front wheel at the water tower. Lap five I push my way past him at that point and set out to do my best lap of the race, a 1:19.090.
The bike is still not running right, we are trying some different spark plugs today, colder ones, and this seems to have improved the top end. However it only lasts a few laps before it deteriorates to misfiring badly. Checking the plug colour we find they are still showing a lean condition. We add 5% fuel to the problem zone for the next race.
Result: First F3, First outright! Fastest lap 1:19.090, Ultimate lap: 1:17.600
 |
| Goose and Clarkie shake hands after race 3 |
Race 4 National BEARS 6 laps
Dave Clark gets another ripper start. I get my best of the whole weekend and the Beta EVO is right on Dave's tail out of turn one. I shadow him down to Pinetree, and knowing he is not that good out of here, I slow my entry to get a good drive up to the top corner. This works a treat with Dave moving to right and I go left to overtake him into the fast left kink before the top corner. From here I slowly pull away with Mike giving me signals that I have pulled an extended lead over my pursers. At the line 2nd placed Paul Coleman (F1 - BMW S1000RR) is a little under eight seconds back.
The increased fuel supply to the top end has not cured the misfire, however it is leading to an better plug colour at long last. With the easter cup race to come we add an other 5 percent in across the rev range looking for a darker plug.
Result: First F3, First outright! Fastest lap 1:18.470, best rolling lap 1:18.193, ultimate lap 1:17.375
Easter Cup, 12 laps
Damn 12 laps is a long time on this track. I get away well, and find myself dicing with Trevor Fitzgerald on a Kawazaki Zx6R. He is fast and I latch on the back of him all the while I am getting a one signal from Mike indicating some one is on my arse. Into pine tree on lap two Darren Willis (Suzuki GSXR) dives down the inside of me. I let him through and we carry on like this for another five laps. On lap seven Darren out breaks himself at turn one, I slip past. However Mike was showing me a one again, meaning someone has closed the gap behind me. Down the back straight I have a CBR1000 with Travis Gilmore about come past me on breaks. I am thinking he can have it. I am stuffed! I cruise to the line without further incident.
The result sheet says that I am eleventh place. However this is great news on as I have just beaten my personnel best lap by nearly half a second with a 1:17.735. In the process I have done four laps in 1:17's.
Mike checks the plug colour, we are slowly getting there with some darkness. My lap timer has failed again! I am just about over this for one weekend.
Result: 11th outright, Fastest lap 1:17.735, Best rolling lap 1:17.308, Ultimate lap 1:16.463
Wrap up
All said and done a great weekends racing. Four starts, four wins, and new lap record. Shame about the damage to the bike, but shit happens. We seem to have made some head way on the engine misfire, with the colder plugs working better for at least a while. More work to do there.
Thanks to Mike King from Beta Engineering for all you help and wisdom. My lovely lady Lin and her friend Julie for the photos, and it was great to meet Julie's mum, and nephew Domenic.
I'd like to dedicate the Beta EVO's wins this weekend to my old mate, Leon Joubert who was killed by an errant driver last weekend. RIP Leon, Ride In Peace!
Cheers for now.
Goose
Friday, 22 April 2011
Mac Park Friday Practice
The weather let up today thankfully. We got a good number of laps in close to 50. Mike gave me a hand all day and we painted up the new belly pan as well. It looks great, on the Beta EVO.
In the first three sessions I focused on finding a good pace, getting down some low 1:19. Thats a second of the lap record. Sessions 4 and 5 we finally got the lambda probe working and we tried to dial out the 7000rpm miss fire. We can now comprehensively state that it is not fuel related. In the final session I focused on getting a bit more fast time, but was hampered by lots of traffic.
Quietly confident for tomorrow, hopefully the weather will stay clear. A big thanks to Mike from Beta engineering for all his help.
In the first three sessions I focused on finding a good pace, getting down some low 1:19. Thats a second of the lap record. Sessions 4 and 5 we finally got the lambda probe working and we tried to dial out the 7000rpm miss fire. We can now comprehensively state that it is not fuel related. In the final session I focused on getting a bit more fast time, but was hampered by lots of traffic.
Quietly confident for tomorrow, hopefully the weather will stay clear. A big thanks to Mike from Beta engineering for all his help.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Mt Gambier at last!
At 22:20 local time me and Lin finally got into Mt Gambier this evening. After a full day working in the Melbourne office it was a long haul out here.
The bike is ready to go. The weather is looking unstable! And I am not sure if we are racing on a new track yet, given that there are supposed to be alterations happening/happened to make MacPark longer....
I guess we'll see on the morrow.
The bike is ready to go. The weather is looking unstable! And I am not sure if we are racing on a new track yet, given that there are supposed to be alterations happening/happened to make MacPark longer....
I guess we'll see on the morrow.
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