2013 TECH BRIEF It’s the LIttLe thIngs
top raCErs (and tunErs) know that thE dEtails Count By Jeremy Fleming
In our modern era of racing, much is
made of the restrictions placed on teams with the aim of reducing costs and increas- ing competition. The recent recession has forced even the pinnacle world racing divi- sions, such as F1 (four wheels) and Mo- toGP (two wheels) to heavily tweak their rules formula. On the Mopar CSBK National tour, the
focus for years has been toward bikes that are controllable and easy to ride. Canadian tracks are often tight, bumpy and demand- ing, so producing a motorcycle that can be ridden with consistency over a half an hour (race distance) is a major focus. Even bikes on the World Superbike
Championship tour are often restricted in terms of outright performance, since only a few circuits allow big horsepower engines to stretch their legs. Bikes with lots of power are frequently harder to handle, and if the rider is cautious with the throttle, then the power isn’t really of any use. Brand new stocks machines can make
close to 180 horsepower (BMW S1000RR), meaning that reaching the CSBK limit of 185 hp post-race is not a difficult task. When you see teams heading for the official Dyno- jet Dyno with their racers during the Na- tional weekend, they are more often looking to improve part throttle behaviour, rather than their wide open performance. This means that teams concentrate on
the details of their chassis behaviour as well as the electronic controls available for their engines. While fuel injection tuning items such as Dynojet’s Power Commander have been central to tuning work for a decade, the addition of affordable, approved elec- tronic aids to handle traction control duties are now central to the setup process. “We are developing good data, so we
know better what our issues are,” explains Zaid Saleemi of Z-1 Performance, who along with Willy Vass of Calgary handles the factory-supported Suzukis of Alex Welsh. “A good example of an area we are focus-
ing on is the exit of the second corner on the Pro track at Shannonville,” starts Saleemi.
“The track crosses from newer to older pavement, and there is a bit of a dip, right where Alex is really trying to get as much power down to the ground as possible. “The lap times really haven’t changed
much in the last five years, but I think that is down to track degradation. Riding styles are changing due to the advent and develop- ment of Traction Control: this allows the rider to dig deeper, but not take a risk, or at least not the same level of risk. This is the type of thing we are focused on. “We look at these issues, analyze Alex’s
performance, and then we go to the Dyno at the shop and try and be more detailed in how we build and tune the bike – we’re not just looking at 100 percent throttle behav- iour anymore, we’re aiming at making the power usable, and all across the rev range. For instance, with the Bazzaz systems ap- proved for the series, we’re aiming to modu- late the throttle response time, as well as the kill time with the TC.” Of course, before you can start delving into the many areas of detailed tuning avail-
Jordan Szoke’s Waznie Racing/Parts Canada/BMW Motorrad Canada team won the Inside Motorcycles Team of the Year award in 2012, tuning him to three wins and three more podiums. With big power and diverse tracks in Canada, tuning is just as important as riding and engine performance.
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