Re: Bikes vs. Cars (Was: Re:"But the road's wet")

[James Marriott <marriott@micron.net>]

Alex Kowalski (audial@aol.com) (Law Guest Account) wrote:
> 
> Matt Rooke wrote:
> 
> > The explanation given [by Car & Driver] was that a well-designed and
> > built 4-wheel auto  is controllable up to and slightly beyond the limit of
> >adhesion.  Whereas  the consequence of pushing a bike past this limit is
> > disastrous (non-controllable).
> 
> The consequences of pushing anything beyond the limit of adhesion are
> pretty much disastrous for most people without specific training, be it car,
> bike, rollerblade, or Big Wheel.   Bikes are definitely more challenging than
> most cars in this respect, but there _are_ some people who can manage
> them -- ever see Miguel DuHamel or Freddie Spencer?  I once read an
> interview with Fast Freddie where he described one aspect of his
> cornering technique...it involved breaking the back end loose with the
> throttle and then modulating the _wheelspin_ through the corner to control
> the drift _with the rear brake_.  This on a works Honda traveling over
> 100mph.

I've seen this on SpeedVision with the on-bike cam. Even better when
they do this with the front wheel up, exiting the corner leaned over
like 45 deg. I'm surprised these guys (are they all?) can straddle the
seat with the set they must pack.

> Pretty much an individual who was born without a fear
> response and with sublime coordination.
> 
> Here's a question for the rally cognoscenti:  are cars or bikes quicker
> over most rally courses?

Bikes win the stop-n-go contest in a straight line on dry pavement.
"Road & Track" (?) did a 0-100-0 MPH comparo a few years back. A real
Cobra, 911t, Ferrari, Corvette, etc. The fastest car by far was the
911t, and the bike had already _stopped_ in a distance (~900 ft) less
than the 911t took just to get to 100. However, life is rarely a
straight line.

Last year, "Car and Driver" did a car/bike comparo. A 900 cc something,
piloted by some editor at a bike mag, and a Viper, driven by a C&D
editor. Granted, the Viper (of this vintage) has about the worst brakes
of any hi-po car, but it still beat the bike. On the Angeles Crest
highway (CA 33, in SoCal, C&D's favorite "back road"), on the Streets of
Willow Springs, and at Willow Springs Raceway.

FYI and all that,
James
'87 non-900 cc bike
'86 non-viper