Club MotoAmerica

The new generation of tires are intensely complex and the technology behind them trickles down to consumers faster than any other technology in the industry. In a recent test published in Road Racing World, it is stated that the same tires that Pirelli supplied the entire 2006 WSBK grid are already available in your local dealership. Dunlop has recently announced the launch of their NT tire line, born directly from the development done this past race season. Michelin, who dominates MotoGP, was the very first to offer dual compound tires to the motorcycling public, the very same year they won the world championship on their C3M technology.

Recently, at a MotoCzysz test of new front end parts, Michael Czysz and the MotoCzysz Engineers kept making adjustments to increasing front end grip and lean angle. As the test continued, Czysz’s confidence to drive harder out of the corners increased. In fact, the balance of grip shifted a little too far towards the front, causing rear wheel spin. Since this was a front end test, the wheel spin was not of great concern. This test clearly illustrated the dual compound of our Michelins.

“The above photo is taken of a 190/55-17 Michelin Power Race that clearly experienced some severe wheel spin on right hand corner exits. This picture perfectly illustrates the multi-compound construction of this tire, and how it wears mounted to a high horsepower bike. The softer rubber near the edges improves grip, while the harder rubber towards the center has less grip, but will wear less, even with severe wheel spin.” Explains Jim Rhodes, MotoCzysz Competition Manager.

“That was fun” says Czysz after the test. “This is really the best of both worlds. A tire hard enough to take the punishment of high horsepower torque loads with added grip at full lean and lateral loads. Typically a tire that you could spin that hard would not have the side grip we had today!”

In order to optimize the latest tires, it has become even more important for suspension to be designed to control lateral and longitudinal forces. All of these technological developments continue to make the riding experience better and better for motorcyclists.

The entire world (OK, not the entire world, there are a lot of problems out there right now) waited for Honda to unveil their latest and greatest engineering marvel, their answer to the 800cm3 problem. Even without knowing anything about the engine, it is already considered the “benchmark” of the industry. Without seeing a picture or reviewing a specification, the Honda 800cm3 is expected to be the smallest, most compact and powerful (mind you, friendly power) lump in the business. That is the ability and reputation of Honda.

The speculation on the configuration of the new Honda engine was intense, everything from a triple to a six cylinder (the one I was hoping for) from a V configuration to a W. In fact is was reported that the president of HRC Suguru Kanazawa favored a very narrow 12 to 18 degree W, with staggered bores nearly identical to our MotoCzysz Z-Line 4 layout, though mounted conventionaly (horizontally) in the frame. This layout, packages four cylinders in the same width as three in line cylinders, all the cylinders fit under one head and only have one cam drive system – not two – like a traditional wider 45 to 90 degree V. The reason for not pursuing the W configuration; Honda would have mounted the engine horizontally needing to locate all the intakes on one side of the engine (back) and exhaust on the other side of the engine (front) like a traditional I4. This layout creates two inlets that are long and two that are short, Honda knew they could not maximize the inlet design, so enter what they thought was next best – the V four. “It has been interesting to see some of the leaked configurations considered by Honda for the replacement MotoGP engine, one of which being similar in layout to the C1 – rejected because of the compromises – predominantly the inlet port arrangement, a problem that the C1 engine/ chassis installation has allowed us to overcome” says Dr. Simon Jackson, Chief Engineer, Powertrain at MotoCzysz.

“But of course” rang out all last week from journalists and web authors who proclaimed that the choice was obvious. “Honda raced a V5 with 200cm3 cylinders so they simply cut off one and now have 4 X 200cm3 = 800cm3 so they had less to change”. Well in fact that is not true, Honda had as much work to do as the others and maybe more, speculation is they actually built more than one configuration. Regardless how many engines they built, their new V4 will share very little with the V5 even if the math is convenient.

“It is easy to suggest that the change was simply to remove one of the cylinders but rest assured the reality will have been very different.  The format now requires very high engine speeds. Whilst it may be possible to attain these speeds and retain the conventional wire spring, Honda has elected to use an air valve system.  This change alone will dictate an entirely new cylinder head casting in order to feed the air valves.  “In addition to this, there will undoubtedly be a change to the bore and stroke to better suit the new engines’ increased speed range” says Dr. Simon Jackson. Otherwise Honda would have simply made a new engine 80% as fast as the old, not acceptable.

Now the MotoGP field is complete and entirely made up V4 and I4 engine configurations, but rest assured no two bikes will be alike. We have entered into a time of very specialized engineering and electronics and the subtleties of these tools will create engines that will behave and even sound different. But it is not quite the outcome I suspect the MotoGP prototype rule makers – or the fans – were hoping for. I think most of us envisioned triples racing V5’s and screaming 6’s battling the rare in-line 4. As the field and configurations were unveiled, I had my hopes pinned on Honda. Surely the reason for Honda coming out last was that it was going to be special- had they come up with a variation on the oval piston? What “next big thing” were they going to do? I am sure they have designed and engineered the most superior 800cm3 engine, but I doubt it will sound like a 6.

MC