eMotoRacing at Roebling

[barboo]

Sharing a couple of vids from race 1 and race 2 at Roebling. They're both from my Brammo.

Race 1 - fast forward to 4:35 to skip warm-up lap


Race 2

[BrammoBrian]

Awesome videos, Bob!  Looks like some great fun dicing it up with Pete Nicolosi and the gas bikes.  It certainly looks like the fairing provided an advantage on the straights...

[dbsuperbiker]

too much fun!
and your first time at this track, great job  :

thanks for sharing

[barboo]

too much fun!
and your first time at this track, great job  :

thanks for sharing

Glad to share and enjoyed hanging with the eGang. Looking forward to the next one at RA.

[Shinysideup]

Interesting to see how the fairing allowed you to take the other Empulse every time in the straights.

I was wondering why you spent so much time above 6000 RPM with all the warning lights on. Were you maxed out in 6th gear during those times?

[barboo]

Interesting to see how the fairing allowed you to take the other Empulse every time in the straights.

I was wondering why you spent so much time above 6000 RPM with all the warning lights on. Were you maxed out in 6th gear during those times?

I never looked at it during the race. The video is the first time I saw it.

Only between turn 3/4 I felt I lost power due to high rpms and it was in a spot where shifting would have been problematic (near mid turn). I just rode it through. I also maxed it a couple of times in 1-2-3 from the start and lost some ground. I'm going back to Roebling in two weeks so I try some different things then.

On my ICE race bike I shift by feel/sound, never or rarely looking at tach/speedo. I'm still getting used to the eBike since it is less visceral in that sense.

[Shinysideup]

I'm not one to give advice (never been on a racetrack!)

But I do make fast runs on a particular stretch of roadway now and again and I've noticed a tapering off of power from 6K to when the limiter kicks in at 8K. I believe it was Brian who has stated here that the peak of power is at 5K. When "going for it", I try to shift between 5K and 6K on each shift. It IS possible to develop an ear for the motor speed, but I'm not sure I could hear that surrounded by ICE noise on a track.

[BrammoBrian]

I'm not one to give advice (never been on a racetrack!)

But I do make fast runs on a particular stretch of roadway now and again and I've noticed a tapering off of power from 6K to when the limiter kicks in at 8K. I believe it was Brian who has stated here that the peak of power is at 5K. When "going for it", I try to shift between 5K and 6K on each shift. It IS possible to develop an ear for the motor speed, but I'm not sure I could hear that surrounded by ICE noise on a track.

Yes - peak power occurs around 5k, and then you enter into a "field weakening" zone that attempts to maintain power up to about 8k.  The power does start to taper off after the peak, but not so significantly as to say that it is always necessary to shift in a race condition.  At a track, you often find (even on a gas bike) that you will run higher revs than you would otherwise run in order to not shift at an inopportune time on corner exit.  Having the ability to "hang a gear" a bit longer with little penalty is what four-stroke, inline-four Japanese bikes do very well.  The other option you have is to run a higher gear into the corner, trying to maintain corner speed and drive out with plenty of rpm window to work with. 

Given his result, Bob probably got it pretty close to right to find the correct compromise - in this case, letting the motor over-run peak power a bit on the exits.  An area where it might be possible to improve is on the straight, where you're really just trying to maximize your acceleration rate in a straight line.  In this case, targeting a shift at 5-6k will ensure that you're getting the most of the power available. 

[barboo]

Yes - peak power occurs around 5k, and then you enter into a "field weakening" zone that attempts to maintain power up to about 8k.  The power does start to taper off after the peak, but not so significantly as to say that it is always necessary to shift in a race condition.  At a track, you often find (even on a gas bike) that you will run higher revs than you would otherwise run in order to not shift at an inopportune time on corner exit.  Having the ability to "hang a gear" a bit longer with little penalty is what four-stroke, inline-four Japanese bikes do very well.  The other option you have is to run a higher gear into the corner, trying to maintain corner speed and drive out with plenty of rpm window to work with. 

Given his result, Bob probably got it pretty close to right to find the correct compromise - in this case, letting the motor over-run peak power a bit on the exits.  An area where it might be possible to improve is on the straight, where you're really just trying to maximize your acceleration rate in a straight line.  In this case, targeting a shift at 5-6k will ensure that you're getting the most of the power available.

Thanks for weighing in Brian. Appreciate the insight. I have some more races and practice at Roebling in two weeks with WERA along with the big bike. I'll try some turns at a higher gear on a couple of corners to see how that feels during practice. If it doesn't mess my rhythm up, I'll incorporate during the race.

[BrammoBrian]

Thanks for weighing in Brian. Appreciate the insight. I have some more races and practice at Roebling in two weeks with WERA along with the big bike. I'll try some turns at a higher gear on a couple of corners to see how that feels during practice. If it doesn't mess my rhythm up, I'll incorporate during the race.

No problem.  Went back and watched the Race 2 video.  Looks like you're back shifting twice going into turn 1 and then immediately over-rev'ing out of it.  I would try sticking with 5th and see how that feels.  Also looks like you ran 6th through the final corner and onto the front straight - which may actually be the advantage you had over Pete down the front straight.  Does that sound right?  If so, I would feel even more strongly that you could run that full course in 5th and 6th.  Maybe even give you the option of running up a tooth on the rear if you wanted to play with something else. 

[barboo]

No problem.  Went back and watched the Race 2 video.  Looks like you're back shifting twice going into turn 1 and then immediately over-rev'ing out of it.  I would try sticking with 5th and see how that feels.  Also looks like you ran 6th through the final corner and onto the front straight - which may actually be the advantage you had over Pete down the front straight.  Does that sound right?  If so, I would feel even more strongly that you could run that full course in 5th and 6th.  Maybe even give you the option of running up a tooth on the rear if you wanted to play with something else.

You're right on in all, Brian. I was in 6 before I came out of the last turn and that helped me to gain going in the straight. I shifted up as we were in the corner before the straight. I was going to try 5 throughout next time and maintain corner speed better. I'll be racing against ICE bikes this next time. I don't think there will be another eBike with me in the two races I have scheduled...so it'll be a little different race. Thanks again for your thoughts.

[BrammoBrian]

You're right on in all, Brian. I was in 6 before I came out of the last turn and that helped me to gain going in the straight. I shifted up as we were in the corner before the straight. I was going to try 5 throughout next time and maintain corner speed better. I'll be racing against ICE bikes this next time. I don't think there will be another eBike with me in the two races I have scheduled...so it'll be a little different race. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Just to be clear - I think your short shift to 6th in the last corner was a good idea as it maximized drive down the front straight.  You might talk to Pete, but I would guess he was running 5th and up-shifting to 6th on the straight.

[dbsuperbiker]

I was carrying 5th until on the front straight, tried the short shift a couple of times but felt like I had more control while leaned over and driving out while in 5th.

BTW, IMO Roebling rewards drastic late apexing everywhere, emphatically drastic.

[barboo]

Thanks guys. I'm with you Brian and I'm definitely looking forward to another few days there to practice/race more.