Can You Handle the Speed and Thrills of Motorcycle Racing?

[davenn]

Amazing !



Dedicated to @berkeman Dave

 

[Borg]

Wow, somebody's been practicing a lot.

 

[Sklossmonster]

Trials riding is so impressive! I used to roadrace motorcycles, and as thrilling as it was hitting 180 mph before banging down the gears and throwing it into the corner as hard as you can, I've always had an extreme appreciation for the super slow speed control of Trials riders.

 

[berkeman]

Dedicated to @berkeman

Thanks Dave. I've always enjoyed watching Trials riders. The exhibitions are amazing, and the skill of the riders in Trials competitions is even more amazing, since they are dealing with natural obstacles that change event-to-event.

I don't ride much motocross practice any more, and the local off-road motorcycle park (Metcalf Motorcycle County Park) has a nice Trials course that they've been improving over the years. My next dirtbike may well be a Trials bike. It would be a lot of fun to try to learn, even just the basics...

A pic of the Trials course at Metcalf on their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/metcalfmotorcyclepark/?ref=br_rs

I used to roadrace motorcycles, and as thrilling as it was hitting 180 mph

Wow, what class and what tracks? 180mph must be MotoGP at a couple of the more open tracks, or maybe Daytona Superbikes before they changed the rules?

 

[blue_leaf77]

Taking a closer look at those hops, it looks like it's essential to keep the rear tire in a state such that most of the air is pumped out.

 

[berkeman]

Taking a closer look at those hops, it looks like it's essential to keep the rear tire in a state such that most of the air is pumped out.

Correct. Especially in the back tire, you only run 5-6psi. Dirtbike rims often have "Rim Locks", which tie the tire to the rim with a clamp. This is done so the tire does not spin on the rim under acceleration or braking with the very low pressures you run off-road. More info at this link:

https://www.dirtrider.com/gauging-pressure#page-3

5-6 PSI/0.34 – 0.413 bar
Trials tires are the only off-road tires that are designed to run at such a low psi and that is only when they are properly fitted on tubeless trials type rims. The reason such a low psi can be accommodated is due to the build characteristic of the tire. Generally the trials tire consists of radial casing design and contains an interlinear in the casing which allows for tubeless application. The radial tubeless design incorporates a different style bead seat and softer sidewall construction. The low pressure allows for the flexibility to maximize the footprint and mold the tire to the riding surface. By design the speeds of trials are lower and this should be kept in mind when cross applying the tires for general off-road riding.

 

[Sklossmonster]

Wow, what class and what tracks? 180mph must be MotoGP at a couple of the more open tracks, or maybe Daytona Superbikes before they changed the rules?

Daytona, or as I like to call it, Hammer of the Gods! On a race-prepped Honda 1000rr, nothing like it on this Earth, and I've sky dived, bungee jumped, etc. It was just National Club Racing, but what a thrill stretching the legs on an open class two-wheeled rocket, something I'll never forget and always treasure. Just wish I'd been more into physics back then!