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*Liam's Wild Ride*

Thanks for the posts man :thumbup It's good to "hear" about what you're up to and how things work.

I'm am a little concerned that you never mentioned underwear in your packing regimen. :wtf



Enjoy :twofinger
 
^^ real men go commando! :laughing

Hi Jim!
 
way interesting

very interesting discussion of active suspension. thanks for that! i think andrew wheeler's photo from the corkscrew shows just how insanely compressed rossi's suspension was. it's hard to believe that vr didn't fly off into the sky...

1488_ROSSI_LSGP_ALW_O8.jpg
 
I was following a discussion on the "how's" of Active Suspension a couple of days ago. It was fairly deep, but here's a quick snippet:
.."Response and execution times are 1-3 mil sec depending on the event. This is very fast as compared to a normal shock based electronic system of 15-20 mil sec. Viscosity of the fluid is not changed but it is the easiest way to visualize the effect. The key to performance is in the algorithm. It can be used to control ride motion, pitch balance ( in a bike dive under braking could be greatly reduced, drive off of corners should be improved also) and wheel control. The response is so fast that the control gets to the damper down motion before larger damper forces are needed, this helps a lot with wheel control. It will also allow softer spring rates for better traction and bump absorption. Overall it should be a nice advancement, once the control scenarios get worked out. It is not full active because the damper can not be forced to extend, it can only be commanded to be in full release. Full active requires a hydraulic pump to extend the damper. The control algorithm for both systems is about the same. I would say semi-active is 70% as effective as full active but 25% as costly and complex. Full active is still the holy grail. It will take a rider with an open mind to develop the total system because many of the inputs he or she is used to will be different."...

more: http://forums.13x.com/showthread.php?t=187290 (page one is skippable :D)

and the bits: http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/09/yamaha-adopts-ohlins-active-su.html#more

-jim
 
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jrace, you beat me to the punch--I just caught the link from Joel (guess I should check my work email more often on the weekends :rolleyes).

Here's a few pics from that day:

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TVmoto interviews Liam in front of the lucky-numbered Alice paddock.

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"Toni's secret is that he rolls Spy Hunter style..."

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Liam previews his Too Cool for School look.

Liam, I'm glad we were able to make the interview happen and really put the spotlight on your story. You definitely shined in this video. And a big up to Joel and the guys for putting out a first rate production. TVmoto and MotoLiam are doing Big Thangs (that are only going to get bigger and better)!
 
Made it to Indy. Tired after a looooong day traveling. Time to go eat.
 
Welcome back to the States!
 
Can't wait to read about your first impressions of the track!
 
Hey Liam,

Hope all is well! Uh......in regards to your comment/query on how Rossi's rim survived re-entering the track on his little "excursion"? DUDE......come on NOW!!! THERE IS NO "CURB"! Sorry to have to point this out. Yes the rumble-strips DO have graduated "steps" that transition from level/flat at the point where the painted "rumple-strip" meets the actual track surface.......to a "step" (not unlike stairs)......where the rumple-strip ends (and the dirt starts). Going over the rumple-strip at the far inside is like going "down"stairs....albeit stairs with a "rise" of only 1" - 1.5" at most?!

More to the point though......the transition from the dirt back onto the track/rumple-strip.....there isn't a big "curb" one needs to "jump" to get back onto the track/rumple-strip. CHECK THE PHOTO. Add to that the fact that the speed VR as carrying at that point was "minimal" so any "impact" was at a relatively "slow" speed. Lastly....the point at which he re-enters.......he's not traveling "across" the rumble-strip at a 90 degree angle...but "with" the strips.

There's no way that Dorna....the riders.....whomever would allow a "curb" of that type to exist on the track.
 
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Hey Liam,

Hope all is well! Uh......in regards to your comment/query on how Rossi's rim survived re-entering the track on his little "excursion"? DUDE......come on NOW!!! THERE IS NO "CURB"! Sorry to have to point this out. Yes the rumble-strips DO have graduated "steps" that transition from level/flat at the point where the painted "rumple-strip" meets the actual track surface.......to a "step" (not unlike stairs)......where the rumple-strip ends (and the dirt starts). Going over the rumple-strip at the far inside is like going "down"stairs....albeit stairs with a "rise" of only 1" - 1.5" at most?!

More to the point though......the transition from the dirt back onto the track/rumple-strip.....there isn't a big "curb" one needs to "jump" to get back onto the track/rumple-strip. CHECK THE PHOTO. Add to that the fact that the speed VR as carrying at that point was "minimal" so any "impact" was at a relatively "slow" speed. Lastly....the point at which he re-enters.......he's not traveling "across" the rumble-strip at a 90 degree angle...but "with" the strips.

There's no way that Dorna....the riders.....whomever would allow a "curb" of that type to exist on the track.

There very much is a sharp, curb-like edge between the dirt and the rumble strips!! In addition to 2-4 trackdays/year I ride there, I cornerworked the corkscrew last year and took the opportunity to walk the track before and after the practices/races (always learn more about a track by walking it)

The hillside is like quicksand, not solid at all. The fact that Rossi kept it upright is a miracle. Fact is he was most definitely sliding the front and the curbed edge arrested the crash. How his suspension soaked it up and didn't destroy the wheel is beyond me...:wow
 
There very much is a sharp, curb-like edge between the dirt and the rumble strips!! In addition to 2-4 trackdays/year I ride there, I cornerworked the corkscrew last year and took the opportunity to walk the track before and after the practices/races (always learn more about a track by walking it)

+ a lot.

I've also CW'ed the 'screw, and there is a definite sharp lip on the inside of most of the rumble strips and especially up there with all the off-and-on's that wash out the dirt. This is not unusual at racetracks, btw.

The hillside is like quicksand, not solid at all. The fact that Rossi kept it upright is a miracle. Fact is he was most definitely sliding the front and the curbed edge arrested the crash. How his suspension soaked it up and didn't destroy the wheel is beyond me...:wow

Disagree here (likely semantics). While the very inside of the rumble strips are quite fine dust, once the gravel ends near the top the downward slope of the hill from the crest is quite solid and has decent grip.

That is, unless they extended the gravel trap to the bottom, which would seem nuts as there is already a lot of debris pulled onto the track during any off-track excursion.

Oh. And Hi again Liam. :teeth

-jim
 
There's a curb. I checked.

Went to Indy this morning, the place is immense and extremely well thought out in terms of professional working space. Beautiful glass windows to the offices, and everything was done up with Team names across all doors/access points. It's unlike any other circuit we've been to thus far, the only downer being the short track length and plethora of slow first and second gear corners.

P.S. there are more photos out there of Rossi's gravel-tracking at the 'screw, and it almost looks like he's banking on the curbing, hahaha.

P.P.S. just caught the Yamaha/Rossi Ohlins tech downstairs at my hotel. "Are you guys using electronically assisted/active suspension?"

"I can't comment on anything."
 
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