What's going on here?

[Schmeeky]

Evening all..

Just came across this clip on that there YouTube.. (I'll put the link later on..) It's a Japanese vid, so there's no hints as to what's actually going on, but...

It just seems bizarre and counter intuitive.. We have 2 sportsbikes, 2 supermotos and what looks a bit like a Harley 883 with weird handlebars and really narrow tyres, all on a short track tarmac oval. My logical mind would have the sportsbikes coming first and second, the supermotos fourth and fifth, with the chopper last.

Sportsbikes have more rubber on tarmac so better corner speed, plus more power. Supermotos are light and agile and generally have punchy engines. Chopper has narrow tyres which is good for turn-in, but has worse geometry than the others.

So how has Yellow Number 5 just ridden away from the rest of the pack?

I know it's Japanese, and they have unparalleled ways of fking with the Western mindset with their entertainment; but have they broken Physics here, or is something else going on?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDJZjdKai24

[GappySmeg]

Those sportsbike riders are hardly trying... they're a long way from getting a knee down. Looks like a total setup to me.

To clarify, what I mean is whilst they do just about touch a knee down at the very apex, with the power at hand they could be knee down for about 90% of a lap if they were truly on it.
Just another strange Japanese staged spectacle that us westerners are destined to be puzzled by.

Edited by GappySmeg on Saturday 13th April 19:59

[Richard-D]

I was waiting for someone to get hit in the face with a pie near the end.

[vonhosen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5IKthNYhVY

[Reg Local]

Auto Racing. A Japanese form of speedway on an asphalt surface:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Race_(Japanese_...

Wierd, in a Japanese gambling sort of way, but those bikes are designed just to turn left very quickly, so possibly not as much of a fix as you may think.

[trickywoo]

Reg Local said:

Auto Racing. A Japanese form of speedway on an asphalt surface:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Race_(Japanese_...

Wierd, in a Japanese gambling sort of way, but those bikes are designed just to turn left very quickly, so possibly not as much of a fix as you may think.

This. It’s not some Harley chopper its a purpose designed bike just for doing that.

Outright power means nothing. When the 125 class was running in MotoGP their corner speeds were the equal if not higher than the halo bikes.

[Lindun]

GappySmeg said:

Those sportsbike riders are hardly trying... they're a long way from getting a knee down. Looks like a total setup to me.

To clarify, what I mean is whilst they do just about touch a knee down at the very apex, with the power at hand they could be knee down for about 90% of a lap if they were truly on it.
Just another strange Japanese staged spectacle that us westerners are destined to be puzzled by.

Edited by GappySmeg on Saturday 13th April 19:59

Riding round with your knee down is a sure fire way to be going slower than the guy next to you who’s got his bike more upright and opened the taps.

[Schmeeky]

Reg Local said:

those bikes are designed just to turn left very quickly, so possibly not as much of a fix as you may think.

Thank you all for your replies, it all makes a bit more sense now. Though I still can't quite see how the autorace bikes can corner faster with less rubber on the road than the sports bikes..

[AceOfHearts]

Schmeeky said:

Reg Local said:

those bikes are designed just to turn left very quickly, so possibly not as much of a fix as you may think.

Thank you all for your replies, it all makes a bit more sense now. Though I still can't quite see how the autorace bikes can corner faster with less rubber on the road than the sports bikes..

Don't forget its probably half the weight of the sports bikes

By that logic this will be the fastest cornering bike of the lot

[JimbobVFR]

Schmeeky said:

Thank you all for your replies, it all makes a bit more sense now. Though I still can't quite see how the autorace bikes can corner faster with less rubber on the road than the sports bikes..

https://www.zabikers.co.za/2018/10/06/japanese-auto-racing

The tyres are triangular profile and shaved so possibly more rubber on the road than you'd think.

The sport bike in this scenario is a jack of all trades whereas the auto race bike is very much made for one specific thing going fast on a specific radius on smooth tarmac. It's hardly surprising the purpose built machine excels at what it's designed for.

Edit to add: looks like one of the sportbikes was ridden by Josh Waters

https://twitter.com/Joshwaters21/status/8106991425...

So I highly doubt he wasn't trying that hard.

Edited by JimbobVFR on Sunday 14th April 12:40

[Schmeeky]

JimbobVFR said:

The tyres are triangular profile and shaved so possibly more rubber on the road than you'd think.

Interesting. Thank you!