F1, trickle-down, etc.

[Bob Wooten]

how much stuff do you see coming off an F1 car & onto a production based car
that Johnny Middle level management can afford, my bet, next to nothing.
how much comes off of Race bikes that gets into production bikes, quite a
bit.  upside down forks, single sided swing arms, EFI (which was an EPA
thing not a technology thing, IMO), ram air systems, etc.

I talk about real world things that us schmos can afford, not F1, or GP,
stuff that only an elite few can afford.  I suppose that if I could afford
it I could buy an F1 motor & stick it into my Camaro, now that would be
trick, but kinda defeats the DIY part that I enjoy.

BW





Hmm...For several years now, Kevin Cameron, an engineer who writes an
excellent column for _Cycle World_, has said exactly the opposite.
Current F1 engines have far higher specific outputs than current
front-line 4-stroke motorcycle engines.  Pneumatic valve gear is not used
by any of the bikes.  None of them approach the insane piston speeds
currently seen by F1 engines, nor do they use materials anywhere near as
exotic.  The 2-strokes used by the premier classes are not particularly
sophisticated, and haven't been developed to significantly higher power
levels in several years, primarily because their chassis and tires simply
won't handle anymore than they have.

On street bikes, fuel injection has only very recently become commonplace,
and still isn't universal on even the best-selling sporting machines.

Now that the premier class is switching from 2-strokes to 4-strokes, I
expect we'll see some catching up.  But the very fact that they have to
play catch up indicates that bikes are, in fact, quite a ways behind cars
in the technology stakes.  Most bike companies are relatively small, and
have tiny race budgets in compared to the F1 budgets of Mercedes, BMW,
Renault, and Ford.  Honda is alone in serving both camps, and has
certainly lead the 4-stroke charge in bike engines historically.

Perhaps 20 years ago, your statement was true.  It certainly hasn't
been for the last 10 years, however.

james montebello



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