tecH brieFiNg
sMaller, buT easier To spoT electronics point WAy to future for roAd rAcers
A By Jeremy Fleming
s usual, the big story in terms of equipment for the 2011 Cana- dian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada involves new
street bike models and their adaptation for the race track. More and more, Origi- nal Equipment (OE) manufacturers are in- cluding track oriented parts and design features in the stock sports machines. In the old days, brand new bikes would
come apart for inspection, the engines get- ting detail improvements before heading to the Dyno for testing. Dynojet Dyno testing, with the engine back in the chassis and spinning the big drum, would point the way for exhaust development as well as the all important electronics package tuning. Bodywork would be ordered, since cos-
metic items often cause the longest delay in terms of race parts availability for new model machines. Race oriented parts in- cluding shocks, fork internals, sub frames, brake lines, chassis sliders, handlebars, levers, foot controls, master cylinders and related items would all need to be sourced, fitted and tested.
26 The top teams would also install data ac-
quisition systems, even though series rules are very strict regarding their use. These data systems not only measure behaviour of the suspension and chassis, but point the way for tuning choices concerning the chas- sis as well as the power plant. All of the previously mentioned items are
still in play, but these days some bikes are created more equal than others. Last year, the brand new BMW S1000RR
Superbike pointed the way in terms of the use of race-oriented electronics on a stock motorcycle. Series rules permit Traction Control (TC) and other electronic rider aids if the equipment is available in an OE appli- cation from the builder. BMW’s S100RR of- fered the first official use of TC and related gizmos to the Canadian tour. For 2011, Kawasaki has produced a
brand new ZX-10R Ninja, the third genera- tion of a bike that has been dominant on the Canadian Superbike scene. The new bike stands out due to its compact nature, look- ing like a 600 when surrounded by other 1000cc racers. As with the BMW, the new ZX-10R comes
with cockpit controlled rider aids that func- tion in various modes, and these features are a stepping stone to even more sophisti- cated, limited availability, track-oriented electronics. “We didn’t know what to expect,” com-
mented Kawasaki race team engineer Richard Winter, who has worked on all the Ninja versions. “It’s absolutely a leap for- ward, really good in so many ways – it shows how much the technology has pro- gressed in the past three years.” The compact, mass-centralized new
Ninja is an improvement “in the way the bike reacts to all inputs,” continued Winter. “It steers into a turn better, holds a line bet- ter, and even offers more lean angle.” The previous Kawasaki 1000cc sportster
had a rudimentary sort of Traction Control, Winter explaining that “the previous bike looked for a rev spike, and then would re- tard the ignition to stop the rear wheel from continuing at the unacceptable rate. The new bike compares the front and rear wheel speeds, and then factors in a host of other items too, and then alters the map on the ECU. This happens with a sample rate of
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