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Pages 1 - 28
1.1 Overview
1.2 Introduction |
"One thing that you've got to watch out for, there's a lot of riders I know that start making excuses as to why they're not fast. This is not getting the correct information out there, so no-one can help them go faster. When I started I used to be very defensive; no, no, it's not my fault and things like that. But the more experience I get I realise that there's no point in getting away from the truth. If I make a mistake I put my hand up. You've got to have the truth inside yourself and you've got to tell the truth." Casey Stoner |
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Pages 29 - 136
2.1 Tyres and wheels
2.2 Chassis Alignment 2.3 Springs and Suspension 2.4 Gearing, chains and sprockets 2.5 Brakes 2.6 The office 2.7 Workshop wisdom 2.8 Set and record 2.9 The bigger picture |
"Tyres are everything. At one time I was quick and leading races to about three parts of the way through, but finishing third so everyone thought I was getting tired. It wasn’t that, I was fit enough, it was the tyres going off. In the end they listened, gave me a different make of tyre and I won the next race and the one after that. I’m a massive believer that good tyres are vital. It’s a false economy for a race team to use a lesser tyre because they are free. It’s going to be a long year, you’ve got to have the best tyres you can possibly afford. You can have the fastest bike in the world, the best set-up and the best rider but if you haven’t got the tyres you’re finished.’ John Reynolds |
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Pages 137 - 220
3.1 Suspension stiction
3.2 Suspension sags 3.3 Ride heights 3.4 Steering geometry 3.5 Centre of gravity (1) 3.6 Centre of gravity (2) 3.7 Squat and antisquat |
"Feeling in the front end is the most important thing for me. I really need it because sometimes you go into a corner and it will be tucking straight away or it won’t be turning, something like that. There are several types of tucking. Is it entry, mid-turn or exit? Is it too much weight on the front or not enough weight on the front? Maybe we need to transfer a bit more weight to the front to get the tyre really working or maybe it’s working too hard already and we need to get some weight off it. If I lose the front on entry, that’s normally too much weight on it but mid-turn is more difficult. If I go in and the pressure feels high before it washes out, there’s too much load there. But if it feels good going in and then it washes out, that would be not enough weight." Casey Stoner |
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Pages 221 - 284
4.1 Preload
4.2 Top out springs 4.3 Additional springing 4.4 The importance of damping 4.5 Damping characteristics 4.6 Damping fluid and testing |
"Going into the corners, it was doing everything absolutely perfect, but at the apex there was something going off and I would keep losing the front end. That was a top-out spring problem and changing them completely transformed the bike. It saved me almost three quarters of a second at Donington Park." John Reynolds |
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Pages 285 - 326
5.1 Stability
5.2 Stability and rider input 5.3 Software assistance |
"Chatter usually starts right in the apex of the corner where the bike’s under maximum load. To cure it, the first and foremost thing is to find out where it’s coming from. I haven’t had rear end chatter as such, only front, but in actual fact the behaviour is mostly being driven from the back, even though you feel it at the front. A softer, more compliant rear end can cure it at the front. If it is coming from the front, going for a softer tyre compound or changing the sidewall stiffness may cure it. Sometimes a different width of tyre works as well. Actually, having said that I haven’t had chatter at the rear, I did have it once but that was a clutch problem." John Reynolds |
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Pages 327 - 414
6.1 Getting started
6.2 Tyres 6.3 Tyre warmers 6.4 Damping 6.5 Spring and preload balance 6.6 Looking for a baseline 6.7 Racing and conclusion Index |
"We talk about the specifics of set-up, but at the end of the day I think it all comes down to balance. What you do on the bike, how that transmits into the bike and how it affects the grip you have, it's all balance. Every click, every ride height change, everything constitutes a change in balance. It's all down to a rider's personal preference. Do you like it lighter on the front, do you like it on its nose, all to get that good feeling. Different riders need a different balance, all on the same bike." Chaz Davies |
