It takes 150 milliseconds to blink!
That's fast, right? Quite often we miss the blink.
If that was fast, I bet you won't be able to feel the kick - the 2nd to 3rd transition which happens under 50 milliseconds. It will give you a sickening feel to your stomach as it tightens, following the sudden rush of adrenaline. You can hear a noise as the wind zips by. There is a drop of sweat on your forehead but before you can wipe it, your hands and feet, in a unison, perform a set of sequential motions as you approach the chicane.
Welcome to my blog - Let's Race. Here I have taken the liberty to introduce you to the world of racing, as felt by a 2 - wheeler rider while riding on few of the world's most demanding circuits. I have consciously kept the 4 wheeler aside since they don't need to balance themselves between speed and traction, gyroscopic motion and lean angle etc (doesn't mean driving an F1 car around is simpler, but it's a different ball game altogether).
It's the gear shift time folks - it's as small as 50 milliseconds. And if stats speak correctly, along a race track with 9 turns, the average gear shift count goes up to 50 per lap. Now multiply that with average 23 laps for MotoGP - we are talking about 1150 gear shifts during the whole race, which itself averages at 160 kmph. I am sure the numbers would sound staggering but once we unfold the wrapper, you will be surprised to know what it takes to ride the meanest machines on earth.
While we study Newton's laws of motions, very often we fail to appreciate the physical implication of the same. If you subject a human being to a force which is 5 times greater his body weight, do you think he/she will crumble? Or what happens when a 'racing incident' brings your multi-million dollar toy into a hault in approximately 5 seconds? Professional racing is an art, where the fearless compete with their lives at stake every single day. At the same time, it's the highest degree of science and engineering at work. Everything that you touch in a MotoGP bike is unique, well-researched and most importantly crafted with passion.
So what makes the premier class 2-wheeler racing so challenging? Let's consider a few 'variables' - while you accelerate, the power is transferred to the real wheel, while the front is used to 'steer' the bike. Unlike the usual 2-wheeler, the racing versions do not have a handle bar which rotates, rather it uses the angle of lean to maneuver around the track. There is a classic problem which can take place while you accelerate out of a corner - the power surge to the rear wheel making it spin faster than the traction can handle, resulting in losing the rear end. The resultant force may twist the bike across the center of gravity, sending the driver for a toss. If you want an example, check the following YouTube link. In the racing industry, this is called 'The Highside'
Highside Crashes
A highside is particularly possible when a) you are racing on a wet track, b) your tyres are not generating enough grip (medium or hard compounds before they run up to temperature or c) when simply the rider is pushing too hard. It is one of the ugliest occurrences since the rider is sent flying down the track towards oblivion!
The second variable I would like to draw your attention towards, is 'undulation'. This is one of those 'natural' problems which make a race track all the more dangerous. The bikes have very low center of gravity to avoid 'toppling' under any gyroscopic motion. However, undulations make the track 'bumpy' and at moments, the tyres might lose contact with the track. Due to the surge in power in the rear wheel, it is the fronts which lose the contact first, causing a 'front end' crash.
The third variable represents the tyres themselves. Most of the MotoGP races are run without a pit-stop which means there is no re-fueling or change of tyres. The initial choice of tyres thus make the difference between winning and losing. There is a great deal of research done between track temperature and tyre compound. The tyres have an optimum temperature range for them to function at their peak - most often you would see tyres wearing the tyre warmers which control and maintain the optimum temperature level, before they are mounted on the bikes. Needless to say, it's of paramount importance for the tyre manufacturer to provide the right set of radials to the teams.
In the next edition, we will look into Suzuka - one of the iconic tracks in Japan, offering a mix of fast sweeping corners, along with heavy braking zones (requested by my racing hero Ananya Srinidhi).
Here is an interesting video to keep things in perspective - remember bikes are nimbler, sharper and have much higher power-to-weight ratio. As a result, a MotoGP bike will defeat most of the naturally aspirate supercars at a quarter mile drag. However, around the corners, the bike have a much slower angular velocity because of the gyroscopic force and as often they say - "It's tip-toeing around the race track".
The master himself talks about it: Casey Stoner ladies and gentlemen!
F1 car vs Supercar vs MotoGP bike!
Highside Crashes
A highside is particularly possible when a) you are racing on a wet track, b) your tyres are not generating enough grip (medium or hard compounds before they run up to temperature or c) when simply the rider is pushing too hard. It is one of the ugliest occurrences since the rider is sent flying down the track towards oblivion!
The second variable I would like to draw your attention towards, is 'undulation'. This is one of those 'natural' problems which make a race track all the more dangerous. The bikes have very low center of gravity to avoid 'toppling' under any gyroscopic motion. However, undulations make the track 'bumpy' and at moments, the tyres might lose contact with the track. Due to the surge in power in the rear wheel, it is the fronts which lose the contact first, causing a 'front end' crash.
The third variable represents the tyres themselves. Most of the MotoGP races are run without a pit-stop which means there is no re-fueling or change of tyres. The initial choice of tyres thus make the difference between winning and losing. There is a great deal of research done between track temperature and tyre compound. The tyres have an optimum temperature range for them to function at their peak - most often you would see tyres wearing the tyre warmers which control and maintain the optimum temperature level, before they are mounted on the bikes. Needless to say, it's of paramount importance for the tyre manufacturer to provide the right set of radials to the teams.
In the next edition, we will look into Suzuka - one of the iconic tracks in Japan, offering a mix of fast sweeping corners, along with heavy braking zones (requested by my racing hero Ananya Srinidhi).
Here is an interesting video to keep things in perspective - remember bikes are nimbler, sharper and have much higher power-to-weight ratio. As a result, a MotoGP bike will defeat most of the naturally aspirate supercars at a quarter mile drag. However, around the corners, the bike have a much slower angular velocity because of the gyroscopic force and as often they say - "It's tip-toeing around the race track".
The master himself talks about it: Casey Stoner ladies and gentlemen!
F1 car vs Supercar vs MotoGP bike!
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