tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11171797505214939062024-03-16T19:27:52.014-07:00rohornrohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-43532376638432961352023-10-22T19:41:00.009-07:002024-02-08T20:41:59.892-08:00Latest on the first one....<p>Hanging over my desk, for many years now, was my first 2WS/2WD experimental electric recumbent bike. While leaning back in my chair and staring up at it recently, I wondered why a video wasn't produced as soon as it was done. Then it hit me: It was built and ridden about 3 years before YouTube was launched! It was designed and built <i>almost a quarter century</i> ago! It also hasn't been ridden in 8 years - time to take it down, dust it off, and give it a fresh set of tires and batteries! The paint exhibits some wear and tear, but, well, so do I:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="261" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/av5XDARdfFM" width="422" youtube-src-id="av5XDARdfFM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Inspiration behind this concept was written <i>almost a third of a century</i> ago - articles by Kevin Cameron about breakthroughs that could overcome performance limitations of conventional race bike design: <i>Beyond Telescopic Forks</i>, Cycle, January 1987 and <i>Two-Wheel Steering</i>, Cycle World, February 1992. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH3hG6VnBhJI1s-1JYPhugSr5Q6wsHUISipeNXpZNJogQPADHJmTtRM0Pa9wBM2u2eOEGfILnkc4csgRe1Whec4-pCZ9ApMl8u7H0Cjo-aQn34i8GvE76OQbulvmrZpCf8fUNKU19CoD3Ajy5WE556vtC_jq8_V9ZdVwRCyvxNf6_TEFUVIGhTg4UYwkq/s1448/2WS-1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH3hG6VnBhJI1s-1JYPhugSr5Q6wsHUISipeNXpZNJogQPADHJmTtRM0Pa9wBM2u2eOEGfILnkc4csgRe1Whec4-pCZ9ApMl8u7H0Cjo-aQn34i8GvE76OQbulvmrZpCf8fUNKU19CoD3Ajy5WE556vtC_jq8_V9ZdVwRCyvxNf6_TEFUVIGhTg4UYwkq/w194-h400/2WS-1.JPG" width="194" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeMVKF4u_y8XMZttQ_HUIzu86TQbXAcZ9hnV2pM02uE_maTDcC6hf-GZusIqST0IIvI921yQ89aEia4RL3XRganb8NpN-TlQ7f2tGqWb2zfF7P1qKSLxgvJkzE7euSyTENFjQR8omgXV9a6GcXKs4oXsiw40zHa0pR9twL_puoILzk3E-DywlIXyAlCZF/s1531/2ws.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1531" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeMVKF4u_y8XMZttQ_HUIzu86TQbXAcZ9hnV2pM02uE_maTDcC6hf-GZusIqST0IIvI921yQ89aEia4RL3XRganb8NpN-TlQ7f2tGqWb2zfF7P1qKSLxgvJkzE7euSyTENFjQR8omgXV9a6GcXKs4oXsiw40zHa0pR9twL_puoILzk3E-DywlIXyAlCZF/w400-h161/2ws.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It isn't just theory anymore - in practice, 2WS offers far more than the theory suggested - implementation was also easier than expected. And it is a lot of fun to ride.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But I'm expecting the next racer to be far more fun - off to the museum with the first one. It is in good company at the <a href="https://stfrancismotorcyclemuseum.org/" target="_blank">St. Francis Motorcycle Museum</a> in St. Francis, KS. Ask the staff there - they'll gladly show you how the steering system works...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgrcA-qycHKBZL9vIbUYFJZ8kSrT622zqm_V4mcISItXpuHR-1dXgOlWQKSbCX2aZ7MDUOV5QEmVtnNVv4lHbXJjaqMhXStWehCmLwdaLp0hCCS8iXIKpghfADaJRmVViaRtcpwpuKdMbA9FsYFo49ewkVmCBcDPXVx60D-MlzfexWkmdmsOm3APoAJYW/s4703/20231028_163543-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4209" data-original-width="4703" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgrcA-qycHKBZL9vIbUYFJZ8kSrT622zqm_V4mcISItXpuHR-1dXgOlWQKSbCX2aZ7MDUOV5QEmVtnNVv4lHbXJjaqMhXStWehCmLwdaLp0hCCS8iXIKpghfADaJRmVViaRtcpwpuKdMbA9FsYFo49ewkVmCBcDPXVx60D-MlzfexWkmdmsOm3APoAJYW/w400-h358/20231028_163543-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was a surprise - no idea who made it yet.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="307" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2cLX3vEzz4E" width="478" youtube-src-id="2cLX3vEzz4E"></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-40328631941315395782023-05-29T21:57:00.026-07:002023-11-18T15:35:39.323-08:00Going from 0 to 3D...<p> The 2WS/2WD system for the next racer is assembled and on the bench! This is the first bike project of mine where the frame wasn't built first. Now the frame designs itself and gets built next. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTSAAqtbmYMn96xxZiqSgqKH1z-A2Kx5d55nQB_OU8HN4Gr4kTtJD0lUd3r7xKEaJwAXXJAhuaapPF7WqOhP7zprocZq4UMIPvxvHvxzSCNo4x7vYsYRzqgluiosYw1d7k9zI-1SiUdhJZi7jAGey_5G1DuuMhtKCvJGIPiab4N79FiOPhdUidtaedw/s5265/20230529_201904-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="5265" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTSAAqtbmYMn96xxZiqSgqKH1z-A2Kx5d55nQB_OU8HN4Gr4kTtJD0lUd3r7xKEaJwAXXJAhuaapPF7WqOhP7zprocZq4UMIPvxvHvxzSCNo4x7vYsYRzqgluiosYw1d7k9zI-1SiUdhJZi7jAGey_5G1DuuMhtKCvJGIPiab4N79FiOPhdUidtaedw/w400-h288/20230529_201904-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyT0LUrmMqfN5a8pzgx4-RcRuVTPLTRUHNXoQn0FPgnLWfOdDE6Ej0gv_MAj2g18HL6rsLkp2ZRiIS0eK6jfmIqp433sLjQq86ird3gEHnlU7l3fi3zIzgXCAYdJI1DSchFrjLdn2mijp-IgQZ0Fesp-pMg4JGpKvUyJtVyV-ikISgys53Aj8bYq61A/s4999/20230529_202349-2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3841" data-original-width="4999" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyT0LUrmMqfN5a8pzgx4-RcRuVTPLTRUHNXoQn0FPgnLWfOdDE6Ej0gv_MAj2g18HL6rsLkp2ZRiIS0eK6jfmIqp433sLjQq86ird3gEHnlU7l3fi3zIzgXCAYdJI1DSchFrjLdn2mijp-IgQZ0Fesp-pMg4JGpKvUyJtVyV-ikISgys53Aj8bYq61A/w400-h308/20230529_202349-2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The engine is out of the donor bike. It is smaller in every dimension, 5 lbs. lighter, and over twice the horsepower of the EX500 engine in the last racer.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lut9IEB5-SGFgdAy9sbH25ZNJo52jGzLvwDXmjxsFXdFxjPMU5lCHcz2yierBd9-svNebChltuj38kUBsuhlb-sRiFgkeRz6VO9f4Ijq2cOR2EgQjk15pTOg8slmYU3xc_ttvZEU5eZ3uvj6_JqCvzjAIdd9WQ3eXZVZCQDAaodA9aRNmHpHXQvGHw/s4605/20230507_185901-2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2346" data-original-width="4605" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lut9IEB5-SGFgdAy9sbH25ZNJo52jGzLvwDXmjxsFXdFxjPMU5lCHcz2yierBd9-svNebChltuj38kUBsuhlb-sRiFgkeRz6VO9f4Ijq2cOR2EgQjk15pTOg8slmYU3xc_ttvZEU5eZ3uvj6_JqCvzjAIdd9WQ3eXZVZCQDAaodA9aRNmHpHXQvGHw/w400-h204/20230507_185901-2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The engine goes up on the bench as soon as the left side gets cut down - have to make room for the front wheel drive belt. Started by milling down a gently used cover:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_U7c2AYrEIek9rKA6TabHEKc8pCFGenBIdbQti25FcAL0l2Av3oHz-4SCfoD6s2wLLfVcitzdu481milPGbuLIY_sHIeHvO65ozFLbCFoPivavyPLWv6NCJCSbY6JHMc1AdaxvO21srWVpK48daPbDqAuEayAJf8APGelRAjeRAV29kzzro2lf2Azg/s5059/20230513_152724-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3633" data-original-width="5059" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_U7c2AYrEIek9rKA6TabHEKc8pCFGenBIdbQti25FcAL0l2Av3oHz-4SCfoD6s2wLLfVcitzdu481milPGbuLIY_sHIeHvO65ozFLbCFoPivavyPLWv6NCJCSbY6JHMc1AdaxvO21srWVpK48daPbDqAuEayAJf8APGelRAjeRAV29kzzro2lf2Azg/w400-h288/20230513_152724-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbYNB_59i9yl_dKYHGdz9lvRRvPDHFPBxioCxiwRprAobgIjiBPLXBHhHZRdd7w4zTUzzo36k_ilnsPLmnfV5KkHBTjx64AV_th6caPfLmfLVPDfYonl5-lMASG3mP0rpWlinfDsr4SI1vj0IlY6JVRr4tNMQ8zjAs69YuwULITGgP0txrEu-xwDD_w/s5232/20230514_155621-2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3636" data-original-width="5232" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbYNB_59i9yl_dKYHGdz9lvRRvPDHFPBxioCxiwRprAobgIjiBPLXBHhHZRdd7w4zTUzzo36k_ilnsPLmnfV5KkHBTjx64AV_th6caPfLmfLVPDfYonl5-lMASG3mP0rpWlinfDsr4SI1vj0IlY6JVRr4tNMQ8zjAs69YuwULITGgP0txrEu-xwDD_w/w400-h278/20230514_155621-2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYjve5mYnRSZsUZuBHDueYaNAAZMfEtg9BsaGwHFHzEapsLXSZ5rZV-m9wYiH-o9EHKnlwkCHB9iBabyga4es4ntBX-Gv2oaGf4HWg6vdk3dfjWL0yKp9i78XDrdWH5UCr4y4vJInPQo8QhEG7beIv_Jx1LUixgmU0c5oVxDm-6d8CDDhDJ1btYQtpA/s5760/20230521_181149-2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4312" data-original-width="5760" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYjve5mYnRSZsUZuBHDueYaNAAZMfEtg9BsaGwHFHzEapsLXSZ5rZV-m9wYiH-o9EHKnlwkCHB9iBabyga4es4ntBX-Gv2oaGf4HWg6vdk3dfjWL0yKp9i78XDrdWH5UCr4y4vJInPQo8QhEG7beIv_Jx1LUixgmU0c5oVxDm-6d8CDDhDJ1btYQtpA/w400-h300/20230521_181149-2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYpywh8QpdQfK_o8PtziidiVgEPmaQAMJD0t7rGwA_H_tNen1RdVBg9pNkViaKzJOldZJBVzVIUG3ZD9kG3BQPkb6DHQjpbuDtmbSIDPTl4nW1z2f8Az0UxXu7D_7YtQr8la6Hmtn2akbhAnaXbTcgGgGd7Oyxxexq2uB7j_gCGAUBJeq1WaAFPnTOg/s5760/20230603_111038-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4312" data-original-width="5760" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYpywh8QpdQfK_o8PtziidiVgEPmaQAMJD0t7rGwA_H_tNen1RdVBg9pNkViaKzJOldZJBVzVIUG3ZD9kG3BQPkb6DHQjpbuDtmbSIDPTl4nW1z2f8Az0UxXu7D_7YtQr8la6Hmtn2akbhAnaXbTcgGgGd7Oyxxexq2uB7j_gCGAUBJeq1WaAFPnTOg/w400-h300/20230603_111038-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWLxIWuPOz2mdLeB9reJAEAiBf2bz8Uj3Sdy6JJ9ClTX6EHz8c6_zWShInKY4eZ3q-6Av0MlQ3-peVRMYXXWGmdtmDp5qkqamHTRTwYMtGG8HfVBnfMkTyYlZcjkPn4tiUhU-hsuF36H7DJZe1GHWx_BWptIi7j1aSum7nUXs5o_uAYMFguzF8DOug6tE/s5354/20230623_175243-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4312" data-original-width="5354" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWLxIWuPOz2mdLeB9reJAEAiBf2bz8Uj3Sdy6JJ9ClTX6EHz8c6_zWShInKY4eZ3q-6Av0MlQ3-peVRMYXXWGmdtmDp5qkqamHTRTwYMtGG8HfVBnfMkTyYlZcjkPn4tiUhU-hsuF36H7DJZe1GHWx_BWptIi7j1aSum7nUXs5o_uAYMFguzF8DOug6tE/w400-h323/20230623_175243-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXNQOMgFdqaFSk9bCKNhlW-2ejqjwTdcnlrX8kLHNvz01pkDRb5AiTZ-Sp06C5tJUNnByPLmycOn4WAYBd-dCTXSgwrou9S-st_mEGRWRf9rRGnkH4EOV31VDS5jNiF1_08lcwTxqHhHK6GKFF5eg1GXH5Xjuvr0w-K2Z_NhZA4jGPC36MvE30NOVSEWK/s5760/20230623_190722-3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4312" data-original-width="5760" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXNQOMgFdqaFSk9bCKNhlW-2ejqjwTdcnlrX8kLHNvz01pkDRb5AiTZ-Sp06C5tJUNnByPLmycOn4WAYBd-dCTXSgwrou9S-st_mEGRWRf9rRGnkH4EOV31VDS5jNiF1_08lcwTxqHhHK6GKFF5eg1GXH5Xjuvr0w-K2Z_NhZA4jGPC36MvE30NOVSEWK/w400-h300/20230623_190722-3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDIFa91U0XEx8IpKkyWE7XEEHIdeomv4pcOEqDgVuwziziw61wiPuzwx8gQ2ZNQ7HYwU4xhAUVTXGhwnBGiJWGsRTYEHHuxK1Q9dzrXvK_m_VOjYVI4qzdcAtJejqu0zDdXldXPtYKV3StCC6K9kVwO4Q35xof9wyfiQWCXzNdSXMt2RHb_cLqZ1JpUzg/s5271/20230630_223905-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4127" data-original-width="5271" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDIFa91U0XEx8IpKkyWE7XEEHIdeomv4pcOEqDgVuwziziw61wiPuzwx8gQ2ZNQ7HYwU4xhAUVTXGhwnBGiJWGsRTYEHHuxK1Q9dzrXvK_m_VOjYVI4qzdcAtJejqu0zDdXldXPtYKV3StCC6K9kVwO4Q35xof9wyfiQWCXzNdSXMt2RHb_cLqZ1JpUzg/w400-h314/20230630_223905-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of engine weights, a number of engines have gone across my shop scale over the years:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kawasaki KX500 - 60 lbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kawasaki EX500 - 126 lbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ducati 999S - 153 lbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">H-D 883 4 speed - 185 lbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">H-D 1340 Evo 5 speed - 215 lbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Honda CBX - 215 lbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">KTM 890 - 121 lbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Getting to this point took a lot longer than expected - a combination of a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17l2LEjydoZGCo0FAXOl6lCQq3j0o-I5t/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">serious workplace injury</a> last summer (Off work for 4 months - they took care of me at their expense) and fading enthusiasm the rest of last year stalled progress for too long. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> After a hard day at work, the last thing I wanted to do for fun when I got home was even more work. So why not take the night off and just crank up the Bluetooth speaker and relax out in the shop? Over There, staring me down, is the domineering markerboard. Yeah, the mill table should have been cleaned off last night - turning the lights out on a messy mill table just isn't done. While we're at it, lets get the vise squared up and bolted down. Why not load the first part, stick the probe in the spindle, and zero out the DRO while everything is clean? Since we know where we are now, there's nothing to stop us from drilling the pilot hole. Loading the boring head in the spindle and setting the boring bit now should get the job done sooner. Hey, I'll bet that first cut will go really smooth - now's a good time to find out! The calculator says only 9.137 more passes will finish the job - the playlist on the speaker is nowhere near done and I forgot how much I liked that group - I hope the neighbors are enjoying it as well. Lets load the identical part that goes on the other end of the racer (Identical front and rear suspension has its benefits...) and give it a head start for tomorrow. Oh look - it's done already and I never noticed that the playlist must have ended a half hour ago and now the shop is deafeningly silent. On the way out the door, I get to erase that nagging line off of the markerboard and look back before turning out the lights with renewed enthusiasm. I'll clean the mill table off first thing tomorrow, after work...</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One step closer answering that question "I wonder what it's like to go faster?" There's only one way to find out...</div>rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-44924788521898774232022-06-25T17:59:00.049-07:002024-03-09T18:01:55.403-08:00First thoughts and frequent comments....<p> When the decision was made to build the last racer, the first 3 thoughts went through my head:</p><ol><li>This is going to be a lot of work.</li><li>This is going to be a lot of fun to ride.</li><li>This is going to generate a lot of stupid comments.<br /></li></ol><div>1) It was. And it was worth it!<br />2) It was. More fun than anybody else knows!!<br />3) Far less than I expected in the real world - virtually none, really!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>But then there's Facebook:<br /><ol><li>KANEDA!</li><li>It's just a Gurney Alligator!</li><li>You'll die if you crash or run into something!</li><li>All those ball joints and rods kill steering feel!</li><li>Can't see where you're going on the track!<br /></li><li>Can't steer properly if you can't move your body!</li><li>Can't stand on the pegs while riding over bumps!</li><li>Why don't I see them racing in GP or the IoM TT?</li><li>Low CG motorcycles are hard to balance!</li><li>Driving a steered wheel requires negative trail! </li><li>Two wheel steering is pointless and stupid!</li><li>It's just a two wheeled car!</li><li>There's no rake at the front end!</li><li>It's just a scooter!</li><li>It needs streamlined bodywork!</li><li>(Fanboi Brand) would be doing it already if it was a good idea! </li></ol>1) OK! Akira references really are fun! A friend made me really cool race team logo from "Bartkira" many years ago. The movie bike is wonderful art for fictional anime/manga, but, sadly, terrible design for the real world. But unlike too many hopelessly stalled Akira projects, my old racer was finished, tested, raced, and it worked. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNQ2wh3ymR8CmHKzdmftXE-CE__K-U9WcUdRGH2abLbIPsx5Bo9jPlQvrctPBvDt1PPnHDDQ97yjNND92M1IYfnL2JAU6DT2c5wR0gH-WfSKYDLAOCxYS4hJJYD1fwxwnBqr68LGIHM6NQ3RLzvHLmFkV0WCS0nskKKqRR5V1hBorrDgIHZijZwfAyaA=s926" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="926" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNQ2wh3ymR8CmHKzdmftXE-CE__K-U9WcUdRGH2abLbIPsx5Bo9jPlQvrctPBvDt1PPnHDDQ97yjNND92M1IYfnL2JAU6DT2c5wR0gH-WfSKYDLAOCxYS4hJJYD1fwxwnBqr68LGIHM6NQ3RLzvHLmFkV0WCS0nskKKqRR5V1hBorrDgIHZijZwfAyaA=w400-h206" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><br />2) Considering the liquid cooled twin cylinder engine, 2 wheel steering, no steering head, virtual hub center steering front suspension, remote mount handlebar, and reclined seat and rider position, there are more differences than similarities. That said, comparisons are understandable; the 'Gator was the only recumbent motorcycle to get any decent coverage in this country from the <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ce0uq3KJU0rb7mos8WnxIGhCU_WtiBY4?usp=sharing">legacy motorcycle media</a> this century. </div><div><br /></div><div>3) Crashed at medium speed early 2013 - crashed at high speed later 2014 - didn't die either time, as far as I can remember. And if you are colliding with stationary objects at the track, well, you don't belong out there.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>4) <b>No, they do not.</b> Or at least they don't if Teflon lined rod ends are kept out of the system. Even quite a bit of play is better than a little bit of binding - the play will only be noticeable when parked - while cornering, there is a load on the handlebars (That's where feedback comes from!) taking up any play that might exist, leaving that crucial front end feel completely intact.<br /><br />Front end feel comes from changes in the steering load - a little change means a lot. NOTHING kills that feel more than having the rider's weight on the handlebars while trail braking. With a recumbent motorcycle, the handlebars are just that - bars for the hands - the level of feedback from the front end is amazing <i>if there is enough trail to provide it</i>. Hub center steered front ends often need less trail for stability, which also makes the steering lighter, but that also reduces front end feel - something too often blamed on "All those linkages". </div><div><br /></div><div>Another change in perception comes from the effects of stiction - a binding telescopic fork (There is no other kind) feels rigid and "Transmits" feedback very clearly. A binding suspension also loses traction very easily. What too many perceive as "Signal" from the front end is actually "Noise". It is too easy to confuse the absence of noise with a loss of signal; the lowest level signals were lost under a high noise threshold all along. Confidence in the front end shouldn't come from noise, but apparently, it does. </div><div><br />Speaking of feel: Nothing else provides a better level of feedback than a riding position that spans the wheelbase - any change in traction and/or yaw shift is immediately felt. <br /><br />No, you won't read or hear any of that from the moto-infotainment outlets. They have no experience with the subject, nor do they want any. </div><div><br /></div><div>5) Yes, my line of sight while riding straight and level is quite a bit lower than usual - yes, that changes one's perspective quite a bit - one gets over it very quickly with some seat time. But when leaned over, my line of sight is no lower than usual - look at how high the rider's helmet is from the track when he's <i>dragging his elbows</i>. If you ever need to sit up higher to see where you're going on the track, again, you don't belong out there.</div><div><br /></div><div>6) <a href="https://youtu.be/ZomZhTBaiSo" target="_blank">WRONG!</a> Calisthenics are part of the operation of current racing binary unicycles, but single track vehicles designed to use <a href="https://rohorn.blogspot.com/2020/12/but-why.html" target="_blank">both wheels full time</a> are steered with the handlebars. </div><div><br /></div><div>7) Functional suspension works better than standing on the pegs - or at least it does on <i>paved</i> racetracks. That reclined seat and rider position makes tailbone impacts nearly impossible anyway.</div><div><br /></div><div>8) They are cleverly banned by the ACU without overtly stating so - <a href="https://www.acu.org.uk/Uploaded/1/Documents/2022%20ACU%20Library/2022-Road-Racing-Standing-Regulations-2022-Final-version-Complete.pdf" target="_blank">read "Road Racing Standing Regulations 2022", section 15.6.7</a> . </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKhavuxGFETh7oaXuyxYtzD_OinS10_UzITA8OM7QNpm_XfaxDUgN-6CtuVBBUwWk4scHEzq9RyKLsAN9SgRZ-rs-PK4h1or7CO_WHk8yDvdoUKxFGlmdu5q2yhYxy-8tNqzod5I42m6sP9nOOwfCz4dL58tJfdNM8jjAZZG83j7k8-bupszgXRmH8g/s1891/acu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="1891" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKhavuxGFETh7oaXuyxYtzD_OinS10_UzITA8OM7QNpm_XfaxDUgN-6CtuVBBUwWk4scHEzq9RyKLsAN9SgRZ-rs-PK4h1or7CO_WHk8yDvdoUKxFGlmdu5q2yhYxy-8tNqzod5I42m6sP9nOOwfCz4dL58tJfdNM8jjAZZG83j7k8-bupszgXRmH8g/w400-h39/acu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>The FIM <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090614054201/http://npbka.com/morbidelli-project.htm">rejected Morbidelli's request</a> to race one in the Grand Prix classes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQqTkxbUzKCYPQBE_UDNyMQ1KU0_BE9G8CVGZ2_Cem87TBCcM7V5H2XH4QTyVZAziVrYRFI7NrZVDm7QpvxD41lEJ_R5TqMFSLCGVDCDtOpT7NNF6-YQjFfbRR8-GSntxDzTJuTHnbO5qzBr0XTvRkvQKEEO5SRQQSvn60K71s7IfPPwEX-3MS6i1vQ/s1894/DOS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1894" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQqTkxbUzKCYPQBE_UDNyMQ1KU0_BE9G8CVGZ2_Cem87TBCcM7V5H2XH4QTyVZAziVrYRFI7NrZVDm7QpvxD41lEJ_R5TqMFSLCGVDCDtOpT7NNF6-YQjFfbRR8-GSntxDzTJuTHnbO5qzBr0XTvRkvQKEEO5SRQQSvn60K71s7IfPPwEX-3MS6i1vQ/w400-h159/DOS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That leaves USA club racing and track days - I'm more than happy with that.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>9) <b>Motorcycles, at operating speed, are not balanced by the rider </b>- <i>they don't fall down on their own. </i>There are plenty of videos out there of riderless roadracing motorcycles rolling right along without anybody balancing them. Sure, at low speeds, such as waiting in line for tech, stopping at the grid, or heading back to your pit, the rider has to balance the bike. But at operating speed, a single track vehicle is a dynamically stabilized system, NOT an "Inverted pendulum" or static unstable object like a short broom handle. Static unstable objects like a short broom handle can fall in any direction - a single track vehicle can only fall in one of two directions. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Back in 2005, I still wasn't sure that a recumbent motorcycle with a low and laid back seat would be a viable road racing vehicle - could the rider effectively operate the bike in a competitive environment? Finding the answer seemed like a wise idea <i>before</i> building a 2WS racer. So I modified a stand-up gas scooter and took it to the kart track in Calhan. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLk7zbOp7yQykVPCMaCKcZ16R0MZnB1-do8tLUHnKPBf5DDBsZEImvukWuNpNiz8pybzjzUR83kw76QOUsy3u_F6BjbJRIngBKjR9-qqFmjqruWmQy_R8RNYoAGCvFlVtdmeXbHF3bP6ScwkoswfqpsVAr_kCkJm1Di_hn9V4iHMuMcFQUSChVZqbPzCM/s1555/LR1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1555" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLk7zbOp7yQykVPCMaCKcZ16R0MZnB1-do8tLUHnKPBf5DDBsZEImvukWuNpNiz8pybzjzUR83kw76QOUsy3u_F6BjbJRIngBKjR9-qqFmjqruWmQy_R8RNYoAGCvFlVtdmeXbHF3bP6ScwkoswfqpsVAr_kCkJm1Di_hn9V4iHMuMcFQUSChVZqbPzCM/w400-h215/LR1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2nUk_1-dBtDKFCf5gPvotblGA-UC1lPC3IwY9diO7fpR6q5Mrwm54Cf4Hsb0Yb4t08j2ltEmQIuhOmJXdoil18t-duX_N2QMVItx3jAo9O06EsPm4mBBmsi9Jhn-sfOt6NRoDMhVMbZDazR7iHT10crUdY9ebeB2haJJ96Mbgdei3Z2evLRk1Vl2ONK4/s1529/LR6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1529" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2nUk_1-dBtDKFCf5gPvotblGA-UC1lPC3IwY9diO7fpR6q5Mrwm54Cf4Hsb0Yb4t08j2ltEmQIuhOmJXdoil18t-duX_N2QMVItx3jAo9O06EsPm4mBBmsi9Jhn-sfOt6NRoDMhVMbZDazR7iHT10crUdY9ebeB2haJJ96Mbgdei3Z2evLRk1Vl2ONK4/w400-h258/LR6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOhXgcaye0ajFrA-zxqPryDXXfX_KtDc5biknAF4JlUGKs87WE-DJLgroD5vJfmbxpwcWBbkkkY9lL5lq5Z-Z3QEYjkt9E4AdmFHVrONN4WNnc-cuHQLzGFmuekkhtBCmqLPVjRhzD-_PJgho_vf_btfrVfn3a9iWCAYjd7Drpkg8Ts9esavcg8JI8hjm/s1818/shreda.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1818" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOhXgcaye0ajFrA-zxqPryDXXfX_KtDc5biknAF4JlUGKs87WE-DJLgroD5vJfmbxpwcWBbkkkY9lL5lq5Z-Z3QEYjkt9E4AdmFHVrONN4WNnc-cuHQLzGFmuekkhtBCmqLPVjRhzD-_PJgho_vf_btfrVfn3a9iWCAYjd7Drpkg8Ts9esavcg8JI8hjm/w400-h219/shreda.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaMmgToTf6qEgXyNRimTjGaippPtAywsKo2YBpgxgf0fYYJlh8hK0VwGWu4A8b7ml6sD5ECMx6DWVgTAiq1iuevnG5K84X6sqqOIHqAY65rLy8PsWH6_b1i8iKueHmglpnoB3FgVxM8fUG9_A6XgpZGwQUplmYBwkjjuaJsAFD6eqNZ3ncbnYk23OAduX/s1825/shredb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1011" data-original-width="1825" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaMmgToTf6qEgXyNRimTjGaippPtAywsKo2YBpgxgf0fYYJlh8hK0VwGWu4A8b7ml6sD5ECMx6DWVgTAiq1iuevnG5K84X6sqqOIHqAY65rLy8PsWH6_b1i8iKueHmglpnoB3FgVxM8fUG9_A6XgpZGwQUplmYBwkjjuaJsAFD6eqNZ3ncbnYk23OAduX/w400-h221/shredb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Steering was perfectly calm and predictable to the point of easily dragging the seat at a 42 degree lean angle. At least a dozen others rode it - ages ranging from pre-teen to middle aged - they all had a blast on it. It would go just over 40 mph on level ground. Mission accomplished: It was restored back to its original configuration and sold so I could build a 2WS scooter based mini-moto racer. In 2006, I did - with an even lower seat:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJbdY1G9Ia0upii1X8_Wcv-DA8l8Uy0m13aLKFncEbdr1p0L2PYtCE_iB3IpUI4RWqsrJzKapeB0XCkqn5UEyQ9PAdVOoifc4emNiKj02xRykAC1UYZ_6j67u51ebcE-eztpnxGLupmDBa8QMQ0rLSsX3i3b6t-zFEMySOdcUOKeC2K9nuSPSgQgZBjLf/s1856/LR-rc2-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1856" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJbdY1G9Ia0upii1X8_Wcv-DA8l8Uy0m13aLKFncEbdr1p0L2PYtCE_iB3IpUI4RWqsrJzKapeB0XCkqn5UEyQ9PAdVOoifc4emNiKj02xRykAC1UYZ_6j67u51ebcE-eztpnxGLupmDBa8QMQ0rLSsX3i3b6t-zFEMySOdcUOKeC2K9nuSPSgQgZBjLf/w400-h220/LR-rc2-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygpWt_Lyomjexno782xA0PEeWjS7T1sn9UlyvvvVgEOhklLKCsjV6niqOg3mymKNPK7KPc_Vxvucg3j3n3_L0y4Ho-8wnjAA3EAnlpkl6hMP27nUTb1EjdL1YJjBLXnM-v6p1ZL_Q59hy8XdmwcWvULJvyySiVcv32bEHIw_4o1UFSxI6BUt-yuT5-5xX/s1707/LR-rc2-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1707" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygpWt_Lyomjexno782xA0PEeWjS7T1sn9UlyvvvVgEOhklLKCsjV6niqOg3mymKNPK7KPc_Vxvucg3j3n3_L0y4Ho-8wnjAA3EAnlpkl6hMP27nUTb1EjdL1YJjBLXnM-v6p1ZL_Q59hy8XdmwcWvULJvyySiVcv32bEHIw_4o1UFSxI6BUt-yuT5-5xX/w400-h236/LR-rc2-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindohIbGeP3XwHCc7wPnaEbyF6v_Re0K3F5gdvvRMovjo9qwI-J7zhdEAhRgALovRJrHwIPz6kd4Wb3UbpVqh6-KarX17qZjY38P8DDnHCMKHt_JTXI1UzrZgJ_JbQZn-3WCh9GMe8ILZNrX2HJA7-SyanJeaBa8SO6c32N56HmIHj4Jx4CbPTECGDUS-r/s2048/000_0003_00e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="2048" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindohIbGeP3XwHCc7wPnaEbyF6v_Re0K3F5gdvvRMovjo9qwI-J7zhdEAhRgALovRJrHwIPz6kd4Wb3UbpVqh6-KarX17qZjY38P8DDnHCMKHt_JTXI1UzrZgJ_JbQZn-3WCh9GMe8ILZNrX2HJA7-SyanJeaBa8SO6c32N56HmIHj4Jx4CbPTECGDUS-r/w400-h286/000_0003_00e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXA8B0K5_XTKFEVymuKx5EDLe1582SYucdTNdqFTg3ZUxjR00KiT0Mxq9fp0QI5UWSWlzsPHxATdWeExAfOcwffIPG3sDMC4X9ZyEtudLE3EGwhtOis1qAJRHx-L53FI7GfRLPsg_EMrAvbEGzPLN0E-aoGP2MGh6U6i79cCzrFOPoU6nZxZhXB4FmAMF/s2048/000_0009e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="2048" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXA8B0K5_XTKFEVymuKx5EDLe1582SYucdTNdqFTg3ZUxjR00KiT0Mxq9fp0QI5UWSWlzsPHxATdWeExAfOcwffIPG3sDMC4X9ZyEtudLE3EGwhtOis1qAJRHx-L53FI7GfRLPsg_EMrAvbEGzPLN0E-aoGP2MGh6U6i79cCzrFOPoU6nZxZhXB4FmAMF/w400-h286/000_0009e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikhAD9ToT-d744LZheD4NlDsMcR57EZh3H-N7hjwaizVHDnFyH1P2YBKvjKPg7Awuc_VfIlJ__sMoMiemKrfVzRCcqaliL9iAWvos5EFhrGYoOBSg3_WYFMSZAURJ6I-mv6MBKYS5cpfD4NxnhrFljJ1MUFNkSPhBYOPDG-v1wt8rik_I55w8br9znIuT/s2048/000_0004e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikhAD9ToT-d744LZheD4NlDsMcR57EZh3H-N7hjwaizVHDnFyH1P2YBKvjKPg7Awuc_VfIlJ__sMoMiemKrfVzRCcqaliL9iAWvos5EFhrGYoOBSg3_WYFMSZAURJ6I-mv6MBKYS5cpfD4NxnhrFljJ1MUFNkSPhBYOPDG-v1wt8rik_I55w8br9znIuT/w400-h214/000_0004e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>It was even easier to steer and balance. <b>No such thing as "Too low" for stability <i>and</i> control.</b> S<i>ufficient lean angle clearance is another matter. Weight transfer <b>IS NOT</b> an issue for a long wheelbase 2 wheel drive/2 wheel steering motorcycle. </i><div><br /></div><div>10) <b>No, it does not</b>. A driven wheel does not behave through the trail moment arm the same way a braked wheel does. Why? Simple: The driving force is always inline with the trail moment - NO side force applied - any stabilizing side forces otherwise acting on the trail moment have the same effect regardless of the driving force. Physics says so. Testing says so. Yet the Facebook pseudointellectuals "Know" otherwise...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSS5Gy4jasm4pq2YJMjM7JgDrGM_wc4R6aezIxpWtnt6en2Ggx4I1Ucp21D_sZtDUB0m_9MCjD46u8WrWifJlb3mG9MD4g5DVkWYS0SNiitb3BEpq3Al8WTlonwCL1Kd8FDxDGVxB1NLefb9LLaij5c4cux_c0tEWzon2Q4nNkPZZiZK50MwNVAAs_MoeX/s1293/EO2WD%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1293" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSS5Gy4jasm4pq2YJMjM7JgDrGM_wc4R6aezIxpWtnt6en2Ggx4I1Ucp21D_sZtDUB0m_9MCjD46u8WrWifJlb3mG9MD4g5DVkWYS0SNiitb3BEpq3Al8WTlonwCL1Kd8FDxDGVxB1NLefb9LLaij5c4cux_c0tEWzon2Q4nNkPZZiZK50MwNVAAs_MoeX/w400-h318/EO2WD%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">11) 2WS has been extensively tested here, but you'll never know it if you only read the legacy motorcycle media. The quality of the consumer comments says a lot about the quality of information they're given to consume:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7EjDwt-SwZETqqChnlJ8Om1GoP8jE2aiCMHlfqtmnCj0BAiWWbTOdlaQzmnhrWnGLUBx9sXNDYoCCS5SSGPRfdg8c3warbTo4gWDKW44sMWKEPuRapqQm6VYa9qGtXx08x475DSnz8Fp5Stw9bRRZ5Eft6UwzZ3AcRS-C3dY9HgXoNVQnKE9hzcpCJ3g/s1221/cw1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1221" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7EjDwt-SwZETqqChnlJ8Om1GoP8jE2aiCMHlfqtmnCj0BAiWWbTOdlaQzmnhrWnGLUBx9sXNDYoCCS5SSGPRfdg8c3warbTo4gWDKW44sMWKEPuRapqQm6VYa9qGtXx08x475DSnz8Fp5Stw9bRRZ5Eft6UwzZ3AcRS-C3dY9HgXoNVQnKE9hzcpCJ3g/w400-h234/cw1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nXVOSX6cbcN269tKCPyU730inket5nuYCXJY0tCT3ZzgF2dRoUrYjPor1oTy-n4pWajr9PNpPGGfsKy7E9uPyTbCi8hSji3sKrEOuN1FU9aTLhOt9SRql54QO4LHdvu3y_5EIHCPJWKr5x647rQKHPwDrKYc8niQ4rNS01nMRxVQsDgX3itWWb555G3j/s1164/cw2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1164" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nXVOSX6cbcN269tKCPyU730inket5nuYCXJY0tCT3ZzgF2dRoUrYjPor1oTy-n4pWajr9PNpPGGfsKy7E9uPyTbCi8hSji3sKrEOuN1FU9aTLhOt9SRql54QO4LHdvu3y_5EIHCPJWKr5x647rQKHPwDrKYc8niQ4rNS01nMRxVQsDgX3itWWb555G3j/w400-h253/cw2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i>MORE</i> intellectualized ignorance about 2WS from the Facebook techno-gossipers!:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxwGSpGcnb9pgkFbImwKVS2WPKMVlK-KmVk17TNDPe0xCZC3m6W1ML0lNoiGCKoHG-qA5DKvJ3KwDMMWJGJ1hj1nZAWQmYN9EGCrLW3jxeM_hHEE5-USyTmgusGO21Vjm-ONhcRrVELZt0c8pCHeC2T43rtTVlacTZDbNftZW5YS3uLgW-0aqE7e_DHy1/s977/eo2ws%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="743" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxwGSpGcnb9pgkFbImwKVS2WPKMVlK-KmVk17TNDPe0xCZC3m6W1ML0lNoiGCKoHG-qA5DKvJ3KwDMMWJGJ1hj1nZAWQmYN9EGCrLW3jxeM_hHEE5-USyTmgusGO21Vjm-ONhcRrVELZt0c8pCHeC2T43rtTVlacTZDbNftZW5YS3uLgW-0aqE7e_DHy1/w304-h400/eo2ws%20(2).jpg" width="304" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Discover something through research in the real world! Earn the sneering contempt of the foremost authority of obsolete thought! I'm sure there's a really cool meme for that, but we don't do that here...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3K_dRTa8b1w0Q10KrCUCqSfQPl6Gdd3q9XnSa7eYGqD-UX8QGuPAhuNpo6lCBSty5EwYY96EN79JZhPQKsiazcLLJ84OCmd0-B-2vkZ3TNAXkU6KGxCUPHE2Yw1hh2CcG2EOh2jkeQ8yOtShIUutS-4Gxei-zkoQ099ZwTRp2_et3Ovq0JuuGLbxBJf8K/s1557/EO2WSb%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1557" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3K_dRTa8b1w0Q10KrCUCqSfQPl6Gdd3q9XnSa7eYGqD-UX8QGuPAhuNpo6lCBSty5EwYY96EN79JZhPQKsiazcLLJ84OCmd0-B-2vkZ3TNAXkU6KGxCUPHE2Yw1hh2CcG2EOh2jkeQ8yOtShIUutS-4Gxei-zkoQ099ZwTRp2_et3Ovq0JuuGLbxBJf8K/w400-h164/EO2WSb%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, I terminated my Facebook account back in August 2021. </div><div><br /></div><div>I still find a great deal of enthusiasm online from what I call the "Enthusiast Motorcycle Media" (As opposed to the "Clickbait Motorcycle Media" and "Legacy Motorcycle Media"). More about all that happy stuff was published in a fun interview at <a href="https://www.bike-urious.com/meet-a-reader-bob-horn/">Bike-urious</a> - thanks, Abhi!</div></div><div><br /></div><div>12) OK! I'm really happy to hear it isn't just another outdated two wheeled horse....</div><div><br /></div><div>13) That comes up a LOT - easy to understand why - it sure <i>looks</i> that way! But the steering axis runs down through the upright's top ball joint (Obvious) to a virtual pivot point 1.7" <i>ahead</i> of the front axle (Not obvious) at a 12 degree angle, with just over 4" of trail. That geometry works perfectly well on this machine - NO weird behavior at any speed or lean angle. A far higher level of pitch stability tolerates much faster steering geometry than normal. And with remote steering, ergonomics doesn't dictate steering geometry anymore.</div><div><br /></div><div>14) OK! If <i>you</i> can't tell the difference between a recumbent and a scooter, then clearly this subject matter is <i>way</i> beyond your comprehension.</div><div><br /></div><div>15) <a href="https://rohorn.blogspot.com/2014/04/forward-thinking-friends.html" target="_blank">Yes, indeed it does.</a> Beautiful and effective bodywork would be <i>wonderful</i>! If I had more money, I'd spend time on that, if I had more time. </div><div><br /></div><div>16) Brand supremacists are stupid. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3rd image: Screenshot from http://npbka.com/morbidelli-project.htm</div>rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-9369517069221587652021-12-04T17:28:00.053-08:002022-06-25T20:50:18.915-07:00Day at the Museum...<p>The racer has spent almost 3 years stuck in the workshop, welcoming me every time I walked in the door. While it still is an unusually amusing sight, it isn't otherwise doing me a whole lot of good. The original plan of parking it in our living room seemed like an increasingly bad idea - a split level mid-century house, oddly enough, isn't optimized for motorsports displays. What about loaning it to a museum, so others can marvel/point and laugh at it? A call was made to That Big Motorcycle Museum in Alabama - the word "Loaning" didn't get finished before the other end of the line snapped back a snotty "We only accept donations - on OUR terms - NO LOANED MOTORCYCLES!". Oh, really: Not at my current net worth.<br /><br />So the next call went out to the nearby <a href="https://stfrancismotorcyclemuseum.org/" target="_blank">St. Francis Motorcycle Museum</a>. I asked if they were interested in displaying an experimental homebuilt roadracer. They said they would be interested - if it is something different. This sure sounds like the right place!<br /><br />Last night, the racer was loaded up in the van and rolled in through their front door this morning. Would the spot between the ELR and unmolested R90/6 be OK? Oh, yes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JzwyDYNFYLg/YawB9w7eIOI/AAAAAAAACwQ/i1gpm7rTxj4HxfcZ88B-h4DZ33kDgIXowCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20211204_105303-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1601" data-original-width="2048" height="313" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JzwyDYNFYLg/YawB9w7eIOI/AAAAAAAACwQ/i1gpm7rTxj4HxfcZ88B-h4DZ33kDgIXowCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h313/20211204_105303-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-Hv8DkCH7E/YawB2H0KdNI/AAAAAAAACwI/Z2oRwbGHy4ABw9O28g08rpCAqDuX07NjQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20211204_105509.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-Hv8DkCH7E/YawB2H0KdNI/AAAAAAAACwI/Z2oRwbGHy4ABw9O28g08rpCAqDuX07NjQCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/20211204_105509.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The museum opened up in 2016 - it isn't on the usual internet lists of motorcycle museums, or at least not yet. It is run by enthusiasts - and it shows. No idea how long my old racer will be there - if all goes well, I'll retire not too many years from now and it'll end up in someone else's living room, office, or . . . museum.<br /><br />In the mean time, the next racer is in that stage where lots of work has been done, but it doesn't look that way - just an increasing spread of small parts waiting to become one big part. Boring, indeed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZcbdzYuSdU/YawFTMyN6TI/AAAAAAAACwc/f3g_vfsqzJsK9_Z47IOaYq25aoCou5qHQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2046/1120211943a-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="2046" height="379" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZcbdzYuSdU/YawFTMyN6TI/AAAAAAAACwc/f3g_vfsqzJsK9_Z47IOaYq25aoCou5qHQCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h379/1120211943a-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's one of the wheel uprights - one of two welded assemblies of 6 machined 4130 tubes each that gets finish machined after welding. It is far more work than the similar bolted-up solid aluminum one at the back of the last racer, but the new ones weigh less than half and look a lot better (Yes, that matters!). A fiber wound forging would look even better and weigh even less - not happening with the resources at hand. The last racer's rolling chassis assembly weighed 290 lbs - if the next one can get down to 190 lbs, we'll be in great shape. </div>rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-32865234642617662332021-07-31T17:41:00.013-07:002023-11-18T15:40:08.697-08:00One Step Forward, Two Steps Sideways...<p style="text-align: left;">One of the big challenges for the next racer was building an engine with my own crankcase. The built and fully developed engine was expected to weigh under 100 lbs and produce over 100 hp. The initial engine build is the relatively quick, cheap, and easy part - the development is where time, money, and work can be severely challenging. All of that isn't entirely necessary any more - the recent KTM 890 engine fills that requirement reasonably well. A KTM Duke 890 has just rolled in the shop, and a lot of the previous donor engines and parts have been sold to help pay for it. This project was about a year behind schedule - this moves things forward quite a bit! Absolutely no changes are required for the rest of the motorcycle. A 4-stroke twin also provides greater opportunities for racing in clubs that accommodate real purpose-built race bikes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RfmV2-djWR8/YQXjsVntWNI/AAAAAAAACsE/vRD85M-SW8M1jZUZrl2ChjwKq6ajus0qQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/0731211445-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="2048" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RfmV2-djWR8/YQXjsVntWNI/AAAAAAAACsE/vRD85M-SW8M1jZUZrl2ChjwKq6ajus0qQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h223/0731211445-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Unlike the EX500 engine in the last racer, the 890 engine has a very advanced ECU. A lot of learning and work lies ahead getting that to work in a racing application with different dynamics and no ABS. At this point, I don't know how well the stock ECU will work with the next racer. Or if it'll need a race ECU, like the one on the just released KTM RC 8C. Should know a bit more about the subject when this is done...</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Building and running the 2-stroke engine design that I had in mind would have made for a good story. While lap times and all that don't care about "The Story", the most intriguing racing motorcycles have a good story behind them beyond the race results. I don't believe that racing is strictly about the racer and not the motorcycle, otherwise we could just discard those unnecessary machines and just race unburdened the purest way imaginable: Running barefoot and naked! No, that's really not my idea of fun, either. But a finished story is always better than an unfinished one - right now, the 890 engine is the fastest and easiest way to get the happy ending I'm expecting.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;">That 2-stoke engine concept is still worth pursuing later: Modern casting methods could result in a far lighter engine than any backyard foundry can render. A simple, cheap, and easy to work on engine with over 100 hp but under 50 lbs will take a real design and development team and facility - it certainly won't be one man's story - same thing with an under 150 lb pivotless carbon rolling chassis for said engine. Won't happen 'til the current project generates some real results and excitement. Motivation, enthusiasm, and all that happy stuff.... <br /><br />In the mean time, work is still in progress. Ever wonder what a 2WD motorcycle differential looks like? The inner (Rear wheel) pulley is solidly mounted to the spool - the outer (Front wheel) pulley is mounted to the spool with a one way clutch bearing. The spool itself mounts in the drive arm and is chain driven by the engine.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5VgECffnHds/YQXq1WA9oFI/AAAAAAAACsM/BgviBuPVUPoi2q463JugFrUZo--I2m6PQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1841/20210614_183957-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1841" data-original-width="1450" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5VgECffnHds/YQXq1WA9oFI/AAAAAAAACsM/BgviBuPVUPoi2q463JugFrUZo--I2m6PQCLcBGAsYHQ/w315-h400/20210614_183957-2.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkaV1un0Xn_i8lfBNXLLvVnsyaynuC26IfB46ceh0CKDsOqlImxzKjjivpAbqAEEJdwW7kPxN2-plg35_yTgETG42N3HrIDDN_31qMGEE0qjEQ_a95yvSLAFpbv5mK-WOmsKNp-BK6TXWXoCOZO5j3SJySf8fR_-qm7Qz8sIYHa78hqmXeKlyMG8wW7Fo/s2481/20210122_201101-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="2481" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkaV1un0Xn_i8lfBNXLLvVnsyaynuC26IfB46ceh0CKDsOqlImxzKjjivpAbqAEEJdwW7kPxN2-plg35_yTgETG42N3HrIDDN_31qMGEE0qjEQ_a95yvSLAFpbv5mK-WOmsKNp-BK6TXWXoCOZO5j3SJySf8fR_-qm7Qz8sIYHa78hqmXeKlyMG8wW7Fo/w400-h251/20210122_201101-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Before tearing down the KTM, it'll require some break-in mileage. It is the first "Normal" motorcycle I've ridden since race school, early 2012. It seems like a shame to take apart a perfectly good bike (And I really like the Duke 890 an awful lot!), but the next racer should be faster, more fun, and have a pretty good story behind it when it is done...</p>rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-9578897052147040132020-12-24T21:48:00.058-08:002023-06-08T17:38:14.180-07:00...But Why....?<p>According to the social media techno-gossipers, I'm doing everything wrong! They don't know what I'm doing, so clearly I must not know what I'm doing...</p><p>Roadracing motorcycle design has evolved itself into a dead end - they can't accelerate or decelerate any harder without flipping, or corner any harder without running out of clearance. Any changes to one or more areas to improve one aspect will result in an overall loss of performance. Tires are optimized to accelerate or brake, not both, leading to cooling/overheating events. Suspension has to be optimized for load transfer extremes. All the above leads to both slow roll response and high polar inertia about the roll axis. And that results in terrible aerodynamics. ALL of the above problems can be successfully addressed IF you discard the old configuration and derive a functionally superior new configuration.</p><p>Here are those problems (And causes):</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Stoppies (High CG, short WB) </li><li>Wheelies (High CG, short WB) </li><li>Lean angle limitations (Oversized rear tires)</li><li>Roll rate limitations (High roll axis, high polar moment)</li><li>Suspension sub-optimization (High CG, short WB) </li><li>Tire sub-optimization (High CG, short WB)</li><li>Aerodynamic sub-optimization (High CG, short WB)</li></ol><p></p><div><div style="text-align: left;">And here are the solutions:<br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Long WB, low CG, linked brakes</li><li>Long WB, low CG, 2WD</li><li>2WS, appropriate tire selection</li><li>2WS, low roll axis, low CG</li><li>Long WB, low CG</li><li>2WD, 2WS, linked brakes, long WB</li><li>Long WB, low CG </li></ol></div><div>And here's the how, why, and all that:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Pretty obvious, really. If load transfer under braking can't flip the bike, then there must still be some load on both tires. The lower the CG, the less load transfer, and the more both wheels will do the work. It also means that trail braking will be a lot more effective as the tire's loads transfer from braking to cornering.<br /><br />2. Also pretty obvious. Same as the above, but from the opposite direction - just a lot more difficult to implement. Doing it beats complaining about it. The ultimate solution to that problem is addressed near the end of this post.<br /><br />3. Not obvious, at least with the 2WS part. The tire part ought to be obvious: With 2WD and linked brakes, a big fat rear tire is no longer necessary or even desirable. A narrow tire at both ends provides enough footprint area - more about that in #6, below.<br /><br />With 2WS, cornering force deviates from perpendicular to the roll axis, thus reducing lean angle (Simple trigonometry, if you must). If 2WS is taken to an extreme, a single track vehicle dynamically transforms into a purely 2-tracked vehicle known as a "Di-cycle": NO lean angle required at all for cornering. That isn't practical for obvious reasons, but steering the rear wheel in the same direction of the turn at any proportion much over 25% (Ideally over 33%) contributes to the same effect, thus significantly reducing lean angle. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Both the narrower rear tire and 2WS effects greatly offset the negative effects of lower CG on lean angle.</b> No, this isn't in any of the books. Yet. </div><div><br /></div><div>4. Not as obvious as it ought to be, sort of: Obviously, the reduced polar moment makes changing lean angle easier and also importantly, makes stopping changes to the lean angle easier. Less obviously, the lower the roll axis, the greater the lean angle changes with displacement of the contact patch relative to the roll axis when countersteering. 2WS normally wouldn't help at all with a high roll axis in that regard, since most of the effort in countersteering is exerted in overcoming wheel inertia - but with the lower roll axis and that increased displacement effect, countersteering becomes a LOT faster with the same effort.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Extreme load transfer is no longer happening, which means that a suspension range and rate to accommodate those extremes is no longer required. And with less suspension travel comes less sag under cornering, thus improving ground clearance and increasing potential lean angle even more. Lower CG and long WB, and less travel also means drastically reduced chassis pitching to bump response, acceleration, and braking, resulting in far greater chassis stability. Steering geometry can be optimized full time. And greater chassis stability reduces the appeal of conjuring pro/anti(Fill in the blank) magic geometry, thus making<i> that </i>pursuit irrelevant.<br /><br />6. With 2WD, linked brakes, 2WS, low CG, and long WB, both tires are working all the time - a relatively constant load should result in a relatively constant tire temperature - tire cooling/overheating shouldn't be such a major source of drama anymore. And since extreme load transfer isn't happening anymore, much lower tire pressures (With the obvious benefit of a larger footprint) are both possible and desirable without developing stability and control issues. Having interchangeable front and rear wheels and tires is a welcome benefit. I doubt that existing tires are close to optimized for such implementation, but the choice of racing slick tires with different compounds and carcass stiffness is a huge help.</div><div><br /></div><div>7. Brutally obvious: Much lower frontal area results in much less drag. Like totally free horsepower, man. Really. No kidding. <br /><br />The rationale (And obvious physics) behind all 7 points guided the design of my next racer. All 7 points are necessary, however inconvenient, to work. No, I don't expect said techno-gossipers to grasp any/all of those points. Nothing in the real world depends on their comprehension or consent. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yeah, OK, so what else is it good for? Well, electric motorcycles exhibit a LOT of functional shortcomings relative to their internal combustion relatives. Horseless carriages were usually terrible cars - gasless motorbikes are usually terrible motorcycles. But a lightweight streamlined low CG, 2WS, 2WD electric street motorcycle would solve range, speed, cost, packaging, and weight issues while providing uncommonly high comfort, performance and protection <i>right now</i>. Electric 2WD almost designs itself. Truly effective regenerative braking is only possible with 2WD, low CG, and long WB. With 2WS and 2WD - and smart steering control - it would be possible at a stop to steer both wheels to the side to some degree and balance the bike without human intervention - no dippy outriggers or ludicrous gyroscope system necessary. A minimum turn radius <i>of half the wheelbase</i> would make it far more maneuverable. Then park it by lowering it all the way onto an integrated stand. Wind gust response would be counteracted by that smart 2WS. Smart 2WS (Or even active steering dampers) would also allow the use of tires optimized for traction rather than ease of steering. And so on and so forth - the design and dynamic potential is mind-blowing - something far beyond my next internal combustion powered racer. None of that is in the motorcycle advertorials. Yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>January 2023 Update: Over a year after the above was written, many of the above points were made in a <a href="https://youtu.be/uk2ou5gt_94" target="_blank">FortNine video</a> about "Feet Forward" motorcycles. No, none of my work is featured, but it is still a fun video.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z_sR-KXlcMo/X-V9nXFrZwI/AAAAAAAAClw/Z7W1LzOjWqskqBPFUiZuU0Nf0yWi19UMACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20201216_144949-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z_sR-KXlcMo/X-V9nXFrZwI/AAAAAAAAClw/Z7W1LzOjWqskqBPFUiZuU0Nf0yWi19UMACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/20201216_144949-2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-phAtGk8OO9w/X-V9p6TqUII/AAAAAAAACl0/16CqIc5t8jAY3Lh2KeYxB3sPQBzCeKs7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20201219_155208-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1762" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-phAtGk8OO9w/X-V9p6TqUII/AAAAAAAACl0/16CqIc5t8jAY3Lh2KeYxB3sPQBzCeKs7gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h344/20201219_155208-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />In the mean time, work is progressing nicely if not quickly on the next racer. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Oh yes - MRA race video was shot one day only in the abbreviated 2020 racing season. There was no awards banquet, which meant nobody produced an awards banquet video. So I compiled my better video clips - no effects or soundtrack - just racing: </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qva16sj5Ci0" width="320" youtube-src-id="qva16sj5Ci0"></iframe></div><br /></div><div>That video camera was sold soon afterwards - need to focus more on building the next racer....</div>rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-10840451071669036822020-06-22T18:29:00.002-07:002020-11-07T15:06:19.685-08:00Here we go again...In addition to design work and parts acquisition, the last two years were spent getting the new shop set up and tooled up. The shop is ready to go now - work is in progress on the new racer! The first steps were making a face plate fixture for the wheels and boring the wheel hubs. Then the split hub center steering hubs get machined and installed in the wheel bores. After that, all that's left to do is everything else. It is going to be a lot of work and take a lot of time - can't think of anything else better to do. This is also going to be an awful lot of fun...<br />
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rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-72720677059789780832019-12-09T19:54:00.001-08:002019-12-24T20:34:17.316-08:00Hunting and Gathering...All of this year's track time was spent behind the viewfinder shooting with a new JVC GY-HM620. A lot of my clips made it into this year's MRA Awards Banquet video. Already looking forward to wandering around and shooting at HPR next year!<br />
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After the Quail event, Jason Cormier at <a href="https://www.odd-bike.com/" target="_blank">Odd Bike</a> asked me for an article on the racer project and some of the background - that gave me a good excuse to explain a little how I got to this point and a little more about where I'm going. It's been a fun experience so far, <a href="https://www.odd-bike.com/2019/07/guest-post-robert-horns-rohorn-two.html" target="_blank">which made it a lot of fun to write. </a>Thanks, Jason!<br />
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All of the custom ordered parts have arrived: Connecting rods, crank pin, and hybrid Kawasaki KX500/Ducati 999 primary gear (All from England), Poly Chain GT 8 mm pulley stock (For final drive), and 56 mm Lectron downdraft carburetor (For feeding 706 cc crankcase displacement). And then there's the one and only part I just pulled off the last racer that goes on the next one - it's a part that's getting a lot harder to find.</div>
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The engine casting will have to work well with the 2WD final drive arm, so those get designed and built together - after that, the frame and 2WS system pretty much fall into place. The big plan for the bodywork is to have as little as possible, as simple as possible, and as cheap and easy to replace, vinyl wrap, and install as possible - wasting time and money on dysfunctional over-styled plastic that gets vinyl wrapped anyway seems really stupid on a racer, where bodywork is considered a consumable item, like tires, safety wire, cash, collarbones, etc...<br />
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So where does a home built supercharged single cylinder 2 stroke 2WS 2WD motorcycle race? Obviously not any of the "Professional" OEM-centric racing organizations. The local club's rulebook is very helpful - since I'm making my own racer, the supercharger isn't aftermarket:<br />
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And then there are always those therapeutic track days....</div>
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But there's many years of work left to be done in the shop. Thankfully, it now has something every race shop needs: Lots of hot air!</div>
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rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-55874544037212296632019-04-13T22:09:00.003-07:002023-03-09T20:58:33.912-08:00A Retirement Party....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: start;">A few months ago, I read an article on the Quail Motorcycle Gathering </span><span style="text-align: start;">show for this year. Well, the old racer was never built for show (And never entered in one, either), but it sure is a great conversation piece. So a show application was submitted - and it was accepted! The 2014 crash damage repairs have been finished and painted. Seven years worth of neglected and ignored cosmetic flaws have been mostly fixed. The battery and some fuel are back in it - it'll get fired up and ridden a little one last time before it gets retired. It sometimes seems like a waste just to park it when it is so much fun to ride, but that would be time and money from the next one, not to mention the possibility of getting too enthusiastic and crashing the old one again.</span></div>
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19 May update:</div>
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The racer was loaded in a van and driven about 1400 miles to the show. The weather was perfect, the guests were a lot of fun, and the judges were very enthusiastic. No trophy this time, either, but the experience was priceless - there's no better show in the USA. After the show ended and the field cleared out a bit, the racer was fired up and ridden back to the van. That was a short, slow, yet very satisfying final ride.<br />
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The racer also received very enthusiastic media coverage by Julia LaPalme from <a href="https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/best-bikes-2019-quail-motorcycle-gathering" target="_blank">Motorcyclist Magazine</a>, and Abhi Eswarappa from <a href="https://www.bike-urious.com/rohorn-racer/" target="_blank">Bike-urious</a> !</div>
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And that's the end of that project - on with the next one.<br />
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Last photo: Michael Moore</div>
rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-78326205365859065042019-01-13T12:40:00.000-08:002019-01-13T13:04:30.812-08:00What's Next...The final race of 2018 was the first and only weekend out for the racer. Bad weather resulted in no practice. The racer behaved very well, but that lack of practice resulted in really awful lap times. Many of the other racers ahead of me were battling for season championships - I didn't think that one person's proof of concept development program should interfere with the sporting intentions of the other racers, so I pitted before I got lapped. One racer followed me from the start - after I pulled off, his lap times dropped a lot - I hope he enjoyed the show. Unless someone else needs to test the racer, that's the last time I take it to the track. From now on, I'll get a kick out of looking at it in the shop until it makes it upstairs into my living room/office.<br />
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My favorite thrill is pinning the throttle after the apex of T3 at HPR, especially with an untested bike. My second favorite thrill is getting an idea out of my head and turning it into a design before making it real, loading it into the van, and taking it to the track. The next racer is into that "Second favorite" stage. The details are a lot different than the first racer, with a few exceptions. The shocks will end up in the same area, and the upper A-arms and single sided steered upright will return at both ends (With vastly lighter and better looking design and fabrication). I'm really excited about the design of the lower suspension arm - it is VERY exotic and unique (One arm for both wheels) - it solves all of my prior 2WS/2WD design nuisances and headaches.<br />
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Another good thrill is having a photo pass for MRA events and shooting video. While nothing beats the view of the race from a race bike, being able to wander around the track and scout out vantage points for capturing the action is about as close as anyone else can get. A lot of my footage made it into the MRA's Award Banquet video - thanks for the credit!<br />
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Getting the shop together and tooled up is still in progress. All of the lighting and outlets were removed and replaced. A heater should be installed very soon. Real machine tools have been moved in. As always, good help is necessary for rigging heavy machines!<br />
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There's a LOT of work in the shop to be done in 2019. And MRA racing action to shoot at HPR with a new camera this upcoming season well.<br />
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T3 awaits...<br />
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Top video: Jeremy Alexanderrohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-34752873999278193092018-06-11T18:47:00.000-07:002018-07-06T17:51:11.920-07:00...Now What?<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">I'm shooting video at MRA's race weekends at HPR.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6mS6VsvXLsI/Wx8eRI1GPtI/AAAAAAAACDI/ssrKfaz589A1nCyiy8nZfA21RS7VTAlEQCLcBGAs/s1600/2018-04-16%2B19.33.46-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #eeeeee; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1383" data-original-width="1600" height="345" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6mS6VsvXLsI/Wx8eRI1GPtI/AAAAAAAACDI/ssrKfaz589A1nCyiy8nZfA21RS7VTAlEQCLcBGAs/s400/2018-04-16%2B19.33.46-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">If all goes well, I'll race at HPR later in the season. Then that bike retires in the living room, and I get rolling in the shop on the next racer...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">The next racer is still in the phase before "Connect the Dots" that I like to call "Collect the Dots". While working on some of the design headaches involving a belt drive primary connecting the KX500 engine to the 999 transmission, I wondered if there was a remote chance that a 999 primary drive gear system would fit, since the KX500 primary gearing is terrible for roadracing. The KX500 stroke is a lot higher, so I assumed it wouldn't fit. With the help of a few parts on hand and a few more cheap parts from eBay, the answer became obvious:</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WF0c8DXeC3Q/Wx8gGOvS_vI/AAAAAAAACDU/GuiWwDsVwvs5CPwDau2cN_ocK0R0knd6QCLcBGAs/s1600/2018-03-31%2B13.33.48-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #eeeeee; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="1424" height="346" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WF0c8DXeC3Q/Wx8gGOvS_vI/AAAAAAAACDU/GuiWwDsVwvs5CPwDau2cN_ocK0R0knd6QCLcBGAs/s400/2018-03-31%2B13.33.48-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">The drive side of the crank, 999 primary gear, and KX500 primary gear were promptly boxed up and shipped off to a gear making specialist in England, where a few hybrid 999/KX500 primary gears will be made. Longer connecting rods will also have to be made (The original rod/stroke ratio is not optimal for a higher revving roadracing engine). A longer crank pin will be required for my counterbalancer/inlet valve/supercharger design. Patterns and castings will have to be made for the engine cases. Then those case castings have to be machined. It'll be a lot of work, but the results should be a lot of fun. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">While there are certainly lots of excellent engines available, none of them fit my next chassis design very well and/or produce an interesting amount of power. Once the engine is "Finished" (Development work on a racer is never finished, it is only interrupted when it goes through tech before the race weekend starts) then work will proceed on the rolling chassis. I'm really excited about the performance potential of the "Finished" combination of the next engine and chassis - lap times will answer the question if it was worth it. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">I think I'll know the answer the first time it exits Pit Out, rolls into T3, then goes wide open after the apex...</span></div>
rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-71414544074520937122017-11-19T20:04:00.000-08:002017-11-20T18:51:26.634-08:00Going to a better place...Earlier this year, the rear steering ratio was changed from 20% to 34%. I finally got to test it at the track in early September. That morning at the track, we also got a visit from some good friends (Jeff and Sally) that I haven't seen since my USAF assignment (1981-1983) at RAF Bentwaters!<br />
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The improvement in steering and handling boosted my confidence enough to register for the MRA's final HPR event of the season.Then I got a job offer in Yuma, Colorado. Race registration was then cancelled due to new demands on my attention. Time to sell my Englewood home (And 8' x 8' shed) and move into a much better home (With a 30' x 50' insulated 240V workshop <i>and</i> 27' x 31' garage)! There's a lot of romance and mythology about building bikes in sheds - it was a fun and challenging way to start - but the Rohorn Industrial Complex has outgrown that.</div>
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There is a lot of work to be finished on the workshop (And money to be spent on machine tools) before a lot of work gets started on the next racer. But getting this far is a huge step forward. </div>
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The rest of 2017's involvement with motorcycle racing was from behind video cameras at the MRA's HPR events. Time spent at the track, as close to the action as I could get, with an old JVC GY-HM70U and GC-PX100 was an excellent experience. If you love motorcycle roadracing and want to get involved and up close to the action without actually racing, I highly recommend working as a <a href="http://www.mra-racing.org/fans-volunteers/corner-marshals-wanted/" target="_blank">Corner Marshal</a> for a season, then getting a media pass and shooting photo and/or video. I shot most of the off-bike video content in the 2017 MRA Awards Banquet video:</div>
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rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-86958955624755348542017-05-29T23:45:00.001-07:002018-03-24T10:29:42.335-07:00Final racer projectMy <a href="http://rohorn.blogspot.com/2006/11/my-first-venture-into-recumbent-design.html" target="_blank">first 2WS</a> bike proved to me that the concept worked at low speed, but high speed behavior on the track was unknown. My <a href="http://rohorn.blogspot.com/2016/08/track-time-again.html" target="_blank">first 2WS</a> racer proved to me that the concept worked at high speed on the track, but not at a competitive level. A competitive racer will demand more time and money than all the previous bikes combined, but each bike has been preparation for the next one; not making the next one makes all the previous bikes almost a waste of time and money. I really want to see how fast we can go. Parts are accumulating to make this happen:<br />
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<li>17 x 3.5" wheels with split hub center steering at both ends. If I can steer the rear wheel, I can drive the front wheel. An overrunning clutch to the front wheel will eliminate the need for a differential. Initially, entirely machined wheels were planned, but previous generation R1 front wheels are ideal - they are very light for a production wheel, and the hub area is big enough to bore out and install a smaller universal joint in the center with a lighter machined hub. A cheap damaged wheel verified that it will work. Two new wheels are now on hand. </li>
<li>500 single 2-stroke power, with a combination counterbalancer/intake valve (My design), and a 6 speed transmission with a dry clutch. A KX500 engine (On hand) will provide most of the mechanical parts, a Ducati 999 engine (On hand) will provide most of the transmission and clutch parts, and some foundry work will provide the cases necessary to put it all together. That will take a lot of work, but it should make a lot of power for a very small engine, with much less maintenance, tuning work, exhaust fabrication, and cost than a multi-cylinder engine. </li>
<li>Very narrow and light tubular steel chassis and suspension. Exotic materials and construction techniques were studied with a lot of enthusiasm, but none of them had any practical appeal. The ergonomics of the first racer were excellent, as viewed from the side, but the hands, knees, and feet need to move a LOT closer together to improve safety and aerodynamics.</li>
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No effort is being taken to build anything remotely national or international racing class friendly. Why design and build a bike to fit rules that would only make it more expensive and/or slower? I want to go as fast as possible for the least amount of money; rulebooks are generally written to produce the opposite result for the business corporations the rulemakers are working with/against. Club racing organisations are far more accommodating to the active racing enthusiast anyway.<br />
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When? Not soon enough.<br />
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I better use that engine before they get any more ideas...<br />
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rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-26712590404430875832017-05-21T00:33:00.000-07:002017-05-27T13:35:33.154-07:002WS With Split Hub Center Steering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
"Split Hub Center Steering" is what I call the system used in the racer's steered rear suspension. A wing bearing universal joint connects the left side drive hub to the right side steering hub. Rear steering is 34% of the front, and in the same direction. </div>
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Yes, steering geometry matters at the rear wheel as much as the front. A LOT of work was done to determine which geometry works and which doesn't. Instability from weaves, and speed wobbles with just the rear wheel, is no fun. That hasn't happened to this bike, but has happened with the electric one.<br />
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The drum brake rear wheel from the EX500 worked very well for this experiment. It is red because the donor bike came with a parts bike that had red wheels - no clever or creative aesthetics involved. The wheel was sent to Kosman Specialties to have the hub bored out back in 2009. That was the only machine work for this project that I didn't perform, since the wheel didn't fit in my lathe/mill.<br />
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The rest of the machined parts came out of my Grizzly G0516 lathe/mill. I got a lot of good parts out of that machine, but it has since been sold. The next racer will need more serious machinery located in a serious shop, rather than my kitchen (Seriously!).<br />
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<br />rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-48464867847801963942016-09-25T14:16:00.000-07:002016-11-05T18:11:55.779-07:00Race #7, 5, 1, and *Ran the <a href="https://youtu.be/h5GlaCqd5lw" target="_blank">warm-up lap</a> and gridded for the Formula Colorado class in MRA's Round 7, which was my 5th race ever, 1st race in 2 years, and pulled out at the end of lap 1: DNF. I thought I could quickly work my way back to previous lap times chasing the back of the grid, but it didn't work out that way. The hardware works great; the liveware, not so great. It is one thing to battle with someone else at the back of the grid (That is still racing), but when the entire field disappears in the first half lap and getting lapped within 3 laps is inevitable, then I don't feel like I belong out there. That said, I did get a lot more comfortable on it. Chicken strip reduction rate was ahead of expectation. Riding mistakes were getting easier to identify. Lines around the track were getting more obvious. The 2WS system was never a distraction: It steers far better, making it a lot less work to go faster. Trail braking is far more effective. We're going to have a lot more fun generating better results.<br />
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Yes, it <i>is</i> a lot of fun to show up at a racetrack with an exotic motorcycle, but motorcycle racing is ultimately about about the racing rather than the motorcycle. Other than some minor bodywork restoration and steering column modification, there's nothing left to do except race it. And work on a completely new design based on the same configuration and very little else.<br />
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Top photo: Tracy Helmhold</div>
rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-85918489651701600222016-08-29T19:43:00.003-07:002021-06-18T16:31:18.334-07:00Track Time! Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This morning's track time at High Plains Raceway went very well. The track was initially opened to first time track riders to familiarize themselves with the track layout. That was a great opportunity to go out slowly and not worry about interfering with other people's idea of fun. And there were other things to worry about. Those first two laps were probably the most terrifying thing I've ever done, not that the racer did anything wrong, but rather, I didn't know what it might do wrong and without warning. There is no prior art available for the category of two wheel steering road racers or any experience to lean on. What I was riding was the culmination of earlier <a href="http://rohorn.blogspot.com/2006/11/my-first-venture-into-recumbent-design.html" target="_blank">experiments</a> and more unanswered questions: Will the front/rear coupled steering result in some sort of instability over bumps, or while cornering? Will the rear end wobble and structurally fail? Will the rear steering geometry that behaves while coasting misbehave while under power, braking, and/or hard up/down shifts? What about trail braking with linked brakes and linked steering? Will steering that works well at modest lean angles work under more severe cornering attitudes? Or worst worry of all: Is it merely another way to generate bad lap times with curious hardware, only to be pushed back into the shed and languish as a habitat for spiders?</div>
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After those first 2 laps and an hour or so of inspection (No loose or missing hardware! No adjustments needed at all!) and introspection (Do I <i>really</i> want to do this anymore? The turns are where I remember them 2 years ago, but where did my sense of timing go?), the doubt, confusion, and overwhelming sensory input that race tracks can provide somehow evolved into that powerful feeling that gets leathers, boots, helmet, and gloves back on with enthusiasm: <i>Must! Go! Back! Out! </i>That is a <i>really</i> good feeling!<br />
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The next 2 laps went a lot better. Even though I haven't ridden it (Or anything else) in 2 years, I still instinctively slid over on the seat to hang off into the corners. That isn't necessary anymore, since the 2WS system reduces lean angle a lot more than hanging off. The linked braking system is a huge improvement over the old system. Hard braking is drama free, as is trail braking into corners. Great brakes and steering systems might not sound too useful when they aren't being used properly, but they do wonders for improving confidence in the bike.<br />
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The last 3 laps were just a lot of fun trying to use what I learned earlier in the day. No lap times were recorded, but I'm looking forward to learning a lot more. The last MRA race of the season is at High Plains Raceway, 17-18 September, Formula Colorado class, car port #7.<br />
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<br />rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-8739931934933469832016-07-31T16:06:00.001-07:002016-12-01T15:36:57.362-08:00Done and Running. Again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The racer was finally assembled enough to fire it up and ride it this afternoon. The test ride was only a 1st gear lap around a nearby parking lot, but it went very well - well enough to look forward to a test & tune day at the track. And if that goes well, we go racing. </div>
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This has taken a lot longer than expected, but it has been worth the time and trouble.</div>
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11 August: Just signed up for the 29 August lapping day (Morning session) at High Plains Raceway. </div>
rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-21796218844559169062016-03-30T19:03:00.002-07:002018-01-18T21:24:44.166-08:00Plans, fun, and loose screws...Most of the repair and modification work is done on the racer. All of the machine work is done. The new rear suspension is structurally finished. The current pile of parts, mostly unpainted, isn't photogenic, yet. The Dunlop GT501 tires I used to run were discontinued, so Pirellis have taken their place. If all goes well, the racer will get some track time for testing and raced this year! While better lap times are expected, it won't come close to breaking any lap records or getting on the podium.<br />
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I'm still confident that the next and better racer will get a lot closer to breaking lap records and getting on the podium. The next and better racer will share the same configuration and fundamental dimensions, but little else. A much lighter steel or aluminum ladder frame would be easy to make, but it still wouldn't be light enough. Exotic motorcycle frame design and construction methods really don't transfer to this configuration, but there sure seems to be a lot of potential with advanced aerospace methods. Exotic fabrications using aluminum honeycomb sound amazing, even if those are somewhat obsolete. What could be more intriguing than a motorcycle constructed with supersonic jet era methods instead of barnstormer biplane era methods? </div>
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Well, frame design can be described as a structural connect the dots puzzle. It is fun to imagine really exotic solutions, and even more fun to talk about. Concerns about material expense, tooling feasibility, repairability, maintenance access, skill requirements, and speed of fabrication all reduce the fun quite a bit. The solution that increases the probability of getting to the starting grid on time and finishing the race is the best one.</div>
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Having a screw loose has really interfered with getting any work done for a while now. That reduces the fun quite a bit as well. That screw, along with the rest of the hardware, is getting removed soon! Progress on the racer should happen a lot faster afterwards. Faster is always better. </div>
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07 April update: Foot hardware has been removed. By the doctor, in case you were wondering.</div>
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See you at High Plains Raceway soon.... </div>
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rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-41914901364319472902015-07-19T23:57:00.001-07:002017-11-29T17:20:11.715-08:00My idea of fun...While cornerworking in the 100 degree heat at a recent MRA race, a very radical two stroke concept crossed my mind, man. I can develop it from an existing engine while developing the next race bike. So I got another Kawasaki 500 engine.<br />
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More power with potential for a lot more power, a lot less weight (Goal: 265 lbs), a much narrower rider position (Much more aerodynamic and safer as well; the rider's squishable and crunchy parts go inboard the frame's perimeter this time), and a lot more traction with radial racing slicks instead of DOT bias ply tires all sound like my idea of fun. If all goes well, 2016 will see the current racer back on the track and construction started on the next racer. No idea what year it will be finished. </div>
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The KX500 engine weighs 60 lbs, minus the radiator, carburetor, and exhaust. The EX500 engine, in the same configuration, weighs 126 lbs. The engines were weighed on the same calibrated scale. Both engine silhouettes above are the same scale and shown leveled with the output shafts in line. The length of the KX engine will increase when it gets a counterbalancer in front of the crankshaft. Only one pipe is required for the KX, but it sure is a lot larger and more complicated to make than the EX exhaust system! The power increase, as well as the improvement in sound quality, should be enjoyable.</div>
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By the way - ever compare a four stroke street bike wiring harness to two stroke race bike wiring harness? Wow! </div>
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Motorcycle roadracing is dangerous. Making roadracing motorcycles from scratch introduces even more hazards! As much as I like titanium, I prefer to use as little as possible internally. Every precaution is being taken; no expense has been spared in the name of safety!</div>
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<br />rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-37047960459886945592015-01-21T19:04:00.000-08:002016-04-08T20:57:16.717-07:00Looking back and running ahead...There isn't much glory in finishing near the back and getting lapped, but I do learn a lot from the faster racers when that happens. And if you think watching racers from the stands or the return lane (Or better yet, while cornerworking!) is exciting, imagine the view from the track when they're just a few inches away! While I'm still optimistic about lowering my lap times and finishing better, I'll never get on the podium with this bike; that's for the next bike, and most likely, with a much better rider. Design work has started on the next racer.<br />
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Much of the design of the next racer depends on work that hasn't been done yet with the current racer. That new rear suspension system still needs finishing and installation. Crash damage still needs to be repaired. I'm still hoping to have it done before the end of the 2015. But my biggest source of enthusiasm and motivation is the next racer; the next racer has given me the confidence to make the current one worth the time, trouble, and expense. In the mean time, the door that leads from my desk to the shed has been upgraded to lower my house exit times by at least .2 seconds. No chatter problems, either.</div>
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I'm very happy to report that my foot is healing rapidly. The big goofy post-op boot has been off since early November. The crutches haven't been touched since the Christmas holidays. The cane only gets used on evenings of rougher days and to help make a point while yelling at kids to get off my lawn. I'm just left wondering if my right foot will still need a racing boot that's 3 sizes larger than my left foot. Either way, it would be a shame not to find out this year...</div>
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Top photo: Jim Browning, Rocky Mtn Photos</div>
rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-56441547780014167522014-09-23T07:42:00.001-07:002022-04-25T14:55:59.205-07:005 minutes of fame...Discovery Canada's Daily Planet<i> </i>show ran their RoadWarriors<i> </i>segment on the racer project yesterday. It is a fun introduction to the project that was fun to make. Five minutes means that it isn't a PhD level vehicle dynamics video dissertation or season long bio-epic.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tb0jtYGOw2s" width="320" youtube-src-id="tb0jtYGOw2s"></iframe></div><br />rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-54113588164925614222014-08-31T21:25:00.000-07:002017-08-17T17:40:46.535-07:00Race #4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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MRA Round 6 on Sunday 24 August at HPR, Colorado Class, started with a lot of enthusiasm. The first lap (From a dead stop) was my fastest lap, ever. And while I've finally been able to get my corner speeds up, (Mostly in Turn 1, where I've been able to slide it uneventfully a few times this month!), a much longer than anticipated slide on lap 3 told me I'm as close to the edge as I should get - time to get as smooth with that speed as I can make it!<br />
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My higher level of confidence got me going faster up Turn 7, where I knew I could make up some time. A little too much throttle and little too much lean angle/speed at the apex resulted in a lowside crash. My battle with gravity was a very easy one - it felt like I fell about 2 inches before I was completely on the ground. It was the battle with inertia that ended badly.<br />
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The footpeg broke when we hit the dirt, injuring my foot. NO injuries anywhere else. My helmet never hit the ground. The new isolated gas tank structure worked perfectly, even though the fairing is damaged.<br />
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This was going to be my last race of the season, but it didn't end the way I hoped. As bad as that feels sometimes, enough was learned to make the next racing season much safer and faster. Faster and safer is always good!<br />
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The day was made better by the HPR staff who got us back to the Rat Van, and fellow MRA racers, track marshals, and enthusiasts who helped us get the Rat Van loaded. And best of all, the support of my wife and family - without them, I wouldn't be sitting here feeling this good about it.<br />
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Top photo: Jim Browning, Rocky Mtn Photos</div>
rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-83026163136422713822014-08-31T20:47:00.002-07:002016-04-08T19:19:13.417-07:00Race #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #e6e6e6; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.167999267578125px;">The MRA Round 5 weekend was my my first time at HPR with the North Course configuration. I attended the 08 August HPR lapping day to get some North Course experience. After every lap, I thought I would have Turns 9A/B figured out, but the next time around would prove otherwise.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e6e6e6; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.167999267578125px;">The Colorado Class race on 10 August went well enough. The final lap was my fastest and finished 13th out of 16. The bike behaved perfectly.</span><br />
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Sure, the racer was made for racing. But that doesn't keep it from being a very good conversation piece!</div>
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Last photo: Santiago Shirtz</div>
<span style="background-color: #e6e6e6; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.167999267578125px;"><br /></span>rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-87979907894327690812014-07-26T12:33:00.001-07:002016-04-08T19:23:31.314-07:00In the mean time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A morning spent at HPR's open lapping day on 21 July was very encouraging. I don't have any numbers, but I feel even better about the direction my riding is going. Working on my riding has been frustratingly incremental, but it is far more satisfying than working on crash repairs. </div>
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Round 5 plans at HPR: Afternoon lapping session, Friday, 08 August and Colorado Class, Sunday, 10 August. I will not be there at all that Saturday.</div>
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Progress on the new rear suspension continues! The rear hub in the above picture might look unusual, probably due to the larger than normal brake disc. If all goes well, it will be used for the 2015 racing season.</div>
rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117179750521493906.post-65697278668697154482014-06-02T18:47:00.000-07:002017-08-17T17:36:53.908-07:00Race #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Colorado Class on Sunday, along with the rest of the day, went very well. Only placed 17th out of 18, but shaved 6 seconds off my best lap time, with my final lap being the fastest. The race start went a lot better. The race didn't feel like it was too long this time, which also meant that I remembered to use the headrest and had no neck strain trouble. Almost pulled out of the race when the left exhaust baffle started coming off, but I really didn't want to DNF, so I grabbed the baffle while at speed between T3 and T4, twisted it tight, burnt my gloves pretty good, burnt my hand a little, but was able to finish. The baffle never moved before and technically shouldn't (Yes, it was safety wired), but it did, and it will get fixed so it can't happen again. I won't describe how and where that malfunction initially diverted my attention...<br />
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I'm still way too slow. But the long list of areas for improvement is getting easier to see and harder to resist. HPR is starting to feel like home - and that is a great feeling! I'm getting bored with my current pace and feel a lot better about: Getting my corner speeds up, not coasting up to my braking points ("It's like you're on final approach for landing in the corners!", one instructor said, and not in a complimentary way.), transitioning and driving through the chicane much more aggressively (Where the bike excels, but my nerve doesn't), working on my body positioning (I'm getting more comfortable moving around, but getting too comfortable about not moving enough), and better shifting technique (2 botched shifts can really rattle the concentration, but were probably caused by not concentrating enough in the first place). The tires picked up an awful lot of rubber at both ends, which means that they could be used a bit harder. Retreading one's own tires with the stickier bits of other racers' tires isn't a speed secret.<br />
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What I'm starting to refer to as Byers Syndrome (That coming down after the post-race high, where I get all resentful about my performance when driving home) was remedied by remembering that 6 second drop in lap times. Just think: If that can be repeated, I'll be competitive in ROR by the end of the 2015 season! Why, I might even be on the front of the official 2016 MRA T-shirt!! Isn't that great? No, that's delusional! Seriously though, getting into the 2:20s is now a goal I'm far more optimistic about for 2014 - something I was despairing about while approaching Byers the last time/first time. And 2014 is just prep for 2015. The EXperimental500 will make a lot more sense by then.<br />
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OK - this site is supposed to be about the development of the racer project, but until the new rear suspension is done, the most important project is developing the biodegradable guidance unit. But while this bike was getting built, there was never any doubt who was going to test ride and race it. Nobody has ever said: "Hey, I just built this roadracer that violates all design conventions, has an unproven front suspension with unproven steering geometry, and places the rider in an unfamiliar position, but while my mental test rider likes it, I don't know if it will work in the real world or will become unrideable at certain speeds and lean angles - would you like to have a go on it?" 92 laps later, I'm very happy with that hardware, enough to know that a vastly better rider should get vastly better results. So when an MRA multiple champion comes up and says that he'd like to have a go on it after the race, well, that made my day. Not sure when it will happen - or if he'll like it and offer to race it, or point and laugh afterwards - but that is a monumental step forward.<br />
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While this isn't a secret website about a secret project, I don't promote it much outside of forum signatures or Facebook, either. That made an unexpected call from Discovery Channel a very pleasant surprise. They expressed an interest in videographing the racer and other projects both at home and the track, which was a real honor! No details yet, but will post them when they become available. Round 2 photographs are easy to spot from the cluster of Go Pro video cameras they mounted on the racer!<br />
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I used to joke that the real work involved with this project was going to start after the racer was finished. It isn't a joke anymore! So many years of dreaming/making stuff/testing (Repeat) went into this that I can't believe this is actually happening! It also wouldn't happen without the support of my wife, children, family, friends, everyone in the MRA, and so many more. Thank You!!!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #e6e6e6; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.167999267578125px;">Photos 1-4: Margaret Oliver, Colorado Photosports</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #e6e6e6; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.167999267578125px;">Photos 5-6: Jim Browning, Rocky Mtn Photos</span>rohornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151658503036174582noreply@blogger.com