rchase
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Posts posted by rchase
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Some really great insight here. I'm really glad I asked.
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Hey. Indeed a few questions. I'll try my best to answer them.
Due to the nature of Roebling Road there's only one opportunity for downshifting and that's at the end of the straight that you see in the video. Virtually all of the corners in the track are 3rd gear and normally I short shift to 4th so there's less drama on the straight where I shift to 5th before running out of track and drop down two gears for Turn 1 while hard on the brakes. I can tell you it's just as smooth in the pit lane dropping down a few gears before stopping. The video of course is a test run rather than a real lap. It took me a while to trust the system. Once I finally did trust the system it was pretty nice all the time even while hard on the brakes. I'll have an opportunity to test the system on a slower speed more shifting intensive track in the next month or so. I'll report back. PM me if I forget.
I installed the downshift only module. The S1000RR despite some opinions has a great quick shifter from the factory. It works well for me at least. Here's the link. The system has a magic eye that mounts right above the shift rod and when the knuckle passes the eye it triggers. There's a bracket included in the kit for standard shift but a bracket had to be fabricated for my GP shift equipped bike.
http://www.proshift.com/proshift_downshift_auto_blipper
The Labor costs for install were a substantial part of my specific situation. My install was probably more expensive than most because my normal mechanic is not super familiar with BMW's and had no idea such a device existed. Probably around $1000 in labor for my situation which required a few visits to get the DBW voltages and installation and dyno calibration. Someone familiar with the specific bike and who's installed a similar system could do it cheaper and faster. Here's a guesstimate of installation labor.
1. Voltage Readings 1hr - removal of one side panel on the S1000RR to expose the DBW throttle connector and measure voltage on each pin.
2. Installation process 4hrs - removal of all bodywork and fuel tank. Installing wiring loom, cutting and soldering factory harness to get the pro-shift harness integrated to the factory wiring, installation of main module, installation of bracket over shift rod, installation and adjustment of magic eye, securing wiring harness, putting the bike back together.
3. Dyno Time 2hrs - Adjustment of magic eye, adjustment of blip amount and timing so that the system shifts seamlessly. This may be optional as from what I understood the system should have "just worked" from the factory with a base setup. A dyno is nice to test with though.
The shifter itself was around $1200 give or take (exchange rate) plus shipping costs from the UK. Lightning fast delivery times. 3 days from the time I provided my voltage readings I was peering into the box in the photo above. I was quite surprised.
The Camera is a Contour +2 mounted to the steering head nut with a RAM mount. PM me and I'll share a couple of other videos filmed with the same setup. I think I shared a photo of it in another thread.
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Figured I would share this video. Not my first attempt but before I had really started to trust the downshift module. It works pretty darn well.
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Yes. I tried the slipper clutch thing. Not only did it sound terrible it still took my attention having to modulate the clutch. While there's not a lot of modulation required you can't just dump it and go. For my purposes the additional clutch wear and the distraction of dealing with the clutch made it a sub optimal solution to reducing my attention heading into corners.
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A wise man that wrote a number of great books once talked about the $10 of attention that we have. I have no problems rev match downshifting manually even while on the brakes but I find it took a bit of my attention away from where I wanted it. On the corner itself. I rode one of the School's 2015 S1000RR's and played with BMW's new rev match downshift system and it opened up a whole new world for me. Heading into corners that required downshifts the system freed my attention and let me focus on the higher priority task. It was amazing and I started thinking about what color I wanted my 2015 RR.
Logic of course came in and I realized I have a significant investment in my 2013 and 2014 model bikes. I stumbled upon a post on one of the BMW forums where someone was selling a rev match downshift module for the RR. I did some more research and found a company in the UK called Pro-shift who makes a lot of different gearshift systems and even equips bikes that run the Isle of Man TT. I wanted to share my experience installing one of these modules. I have ridden with it so far at one track day and it works really well.
I ordered my module and got all the forms and paperwork via e-mail. These modules are created besopke for each bike and you have to get voltage readings off of the drive by wire throttle. It took a couple of visits to the mechanic to get this done as I had track time scheduled and they had a bit of difficulties with the very well sealed BMW factory connectors. We got the readings and a few days later this arrived.
Now we are cooking with gas. I brought the module to the mechanic and they began the install process. The install process was pretty involved and it required my RR be pretty well torn down to get the wiring looms in place where they needed to be. This was pretty labor intensive and not cheap. Because of my BMW GP shift system the bracket that came with the kit to mount the sensor did not fit. We fabricated a custom bracket. At the end of the very involved install process the system did not work. My mechanic lacked a dyno so all he could do was make adjustments and then go for a test ride. I'm a very patient customer and said "hey. You installed it but you need a dyno. No worries." A photo of the module installed in the tail of my bike before all the wiring was permanently secured.
The Dyno shop was able to get the module shifting that afternoon and got all the critical timing sorted out and set a default blip time and adjusted the bracket and the shifter so everything worked perfectly. I'm excited and I'm ready for my first test out on the track with the bike.
In the parking lot the bike was honestly a bit unrefined with it's first downshifts and I was pretty concerned about how well that would work out on track. The first session I headed down the straight into Turn 1 at Roebling Road not quite knowing what to expect. Instead of my regular 150mph+ dive bomb into Turn 1 I approached a lot slower in 6th gear instead of 5th gear with a LOT more space in case something did not work the way I expected. Shifted from 6th to 5th. Smooth as silk. Waited a moment and then did a double shift. Quick and flawless. I slowly ramped up the speed and the module performed flawlessly the whole day.
If you are considering something like this for your bike I think it's worth the effort. It's not straight forward and super easy but the level of attention that it saves is nothing short of amazing. While it's a bit unrefined at parking lot speeds that's not where the major advantages of a product like this come into play. With a bit more tuning and calibration I'm sure I could get it perfect everywhere. I'll likely never use the system parking lot speeds so I'll probably not even bother unless I have issues in slow corners.
The human mind only has a certain amount of attention available. While some might not appreciate the time this saves it really helps me focus my attention on things that I think are more important than shifting. It makes my experience at the track more enjoyable.
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I switched from a Dunlop Q3 to a Pirelli Supercorsa SP. The Pirelli has a lot more grip but adapting to the new profile is interesting. The Q3 seemed more eager to turn and sometimes this created surprises. The Pirelli is more constant but I find I still have not really adapted 100% to it's constant turn in.
I'm not to the point of wanting to switch tires but just wanted to get some other opinions.
Speaking of that. Do you guys change your technique any because of the differences in tire? Do you quick steer differently or change anything else?
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Heh heh. I was thinking more of a new profile. I suppose they all end up pointy in the end.
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Pointy or round profile. Your preference and why? GO!
I recently switched from a pointy profile tire to a round profile tire and it was a bit of an adjustment. I find that I really like the round profile but I'm interested in seeing other points of view on this.
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I have seen worse. Heck I have filmed worse myself.
I have found in my own personal experience the heavier the mount the better the video. I use RAM ball mounts that are solid mounted to the bike. Here's a photo of the camera on one of my bikes. The camera is attached to mount that goes into the steering head bolt. It's also useful for mounting other things such as GPS's.
For the rear RAM sells a ball mount that can be attached to a license plate bolt or another fastener.
Amazon has a pretty good selection of RAM mount stuff. You can buy the pieces individually to build your own mounting system.
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I tend to agree with the general logic of changing them frequently and not putting a lot of thought into it. You can compare and read stuff about oil and filters online all day but it shares one common theme. Not a lot of what you read is actually scientific. I'm sure you have read the phrase "oh god not another oil thread" on bike forums. People spend big bucks on oil analysis and put a lot of time into well thought out arguments over dead dinosaur sauce.
Despite all of that I'm pretty anal about what goes in my bikes. I gladly pay full retail price for OEM branded oil filters and use only the recommended fluids if it's possible. My logic of course is the people who engineered and built my bikes know better than anybody else what it's needs are. While in reality it probably does not make one bit of difference at all but it's one less thing for me to think about.
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Welcome to the forums. Don't worry many of us are working on SR's as well.
Lots of great info here. Make yourself at home and feel free to ask questions!
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To be completely honest the aftermarket ones work with the quick shifter. I found the shifting on my Woodcraft rearsets to be a bit clunky. Moving to the HP rearsets made it even smoother than the original rearsets that came from the factory.
Here's a dark pic of the stock one.
Here's a photo of the GP shift conversion setup on my track bike. Ignore the black tape on this photo. It's to protect the carbon as I'm a bit of a heel grinder.
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My guess would be pretty frequently since he put it in the subject. I would be sensitive about that myself if I came from the land of Mozart vs Crocodile Dundee.
I'm from Atlanta so we just have lots of urban landscape and pine trees. Riding in the Alps would be epic!
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Hey there. I'm tall as well and had much the same problem on the first RR's that I rode.
I tried a couple of different rearset options before settling on the BMW HP rearsets. Expensive but amazingly adjustable. One single bolt loosens the setup and gives you an amazing amount of adjustment.
Another thing that may help is the BMW HP race seat. It's taller than the stock seat and angled up towards the back and covered in a nice grippy material that holds you in place.
You obviously can't do this on school bikes but it helps. Interestingly enough riding the new 2015 School bikes I did not have the problems that I had on the previous generation bikes.
Here are some photos of the HP rearsets and the race seat.
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Welcome to the forum. You have probably some of the most beautiful scenery in the world where you get to ride.
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So here's some thoughts.
#1. So what if you are a rolling chicane. If learning is the goal you can do that regardless of the performance.
#2. Renting the schools bike is just a good idea and something I'll probably do in the future. It completely eliminates a lot of hassle that can take your focus away from the learning. With a personal bike you have to transport it to the track, get it through tech, deal with tire pressures, keep it in fuel, and worry about it. The school handles all of this for you including tire changes. It's like having a personal pit crew. You just jump on the bike and ride knowing someone else has checked the tires, filled it with fuel and handled all of the details for you. If the bike breaks (rare but it happens) they just put you on another bike. No searching for spare parts or getting out the wrenches.
I have also seen the little bikes harassing the big powerful 1L machines. Something funny that I'll admit. I was doing a track day and was moving along at a pretty decent pace on my S1000RR. Nothing in the universe makes you feel more humble than being on a 200hp RR when a better rider on a bright yellow BMW GS effortlessly sails past you in a corner.
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Ah yes. Memory did not serve me very well this time at all. I took L1 and L2 together quite some time ago so it's a bit of a blur.
I suppose the important bit is that I do remember what I have learned when the pavement is moving under me at a high rate of speed.
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Here's another vote for Level 2.
I was also a slow Level 1 student. I improved greatly and went ahead and did Level 2. By the end of the day doing Level 2 I had amazing confidence and had made massive improvements.
The school is more about technique rather than speed. Technique is the key building block towards speed. The speed you get from good technique is effortless speed.
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Hey. Welcome to the forums!
What can you expect on the first day? Lots of helpful coaches and support people with huge smiles on their faces because they are doing what they love. I'm a Level 4 student and I'm still pretty amazed by the level of passion and dedication to teaching I see at the school. Year after year. Tireless dedication to helping people just like you and I become better and safer riders in the heat, rain and other elements.
Level 1 if memory serves me is primarily focused on visual skills. There will be a class room portion where there's a presentation and then an on track portion where you apply an on track drill directly and see some amazing things start to happen to your riding. You get to meet your on track coach after the first session who will be the person who you will work with for the rest of the day.
Some tips. Grab some earplugs and wear them. It helps greatly to reduce distractions. Focus your attention on the drills and working with your coach. Traffic is mixed and there is some faster traffic mixed in. You likely will get passed by faster Level 4 students. Don't worry though we have all been Level 1's ourselves and go our of our way to pass safely and distract you as little as we can. Get a good night's sleep the night before and just have fun. After the first day you will be amazed at the progress you make in your riding and level of confidence.
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Nobody's commented on this so I'll make a mess of it. Fair warning this answer could be completely wrong.
How do I approach off camber corners? With caution and a bit of extra thought. Off camber turns often have less traction due to the angle of the track and the direction of the weight and grip of the tire.
On a corner that has an off camber entrance but normal exit do you think the "slow in fast out" method might be helpful?
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I wanted to add something. Body position is one of the most challenging elements of riding (at least for me). Unlike most areas of riding it's very difficult to see the result and understand what you are doing. It also takes a lot of muscle memory often without a lot of time to prepare as you go from corner to corner. Until you get it right you often don't see the benefit and even sometimes when you get it right you aren't going fast enough to be able to see that benefit.
Heck even the pro's are continually refining their body position techniques.
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I also wear glasses normally. At the track I wear contacts to eliminate the potential movement of my glasses. If contacts aren't an option they sell a huge variety of sports goggles that can be fitted with prescription lenses. Some of them look really cool too and can be tinted to look like sun glasses.
Vision is one of THE most critical things in riding. That's why the school starts off with it very early in their program. The view that we have with our eyes translates directly to how fast we think we are going. Having good visual skills allows you to go faster by helping keep the SR's in check. Using good visual skills shows you that you have PLENTY of space and slows things down.
Speaking of vision. I need to head down to the optometrist to get my RX updated. It's been far too long.
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A comment about vision. I agree with csmith12 on this. The first time I lowered my head it completely transformed the view I had of the track. I don't know why but it was a lot easier to go faster with that view.
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I agree with Kevin on the lean angle and body position thing. I'm one of those riders that rarely touches down. Sometimes it's a speed thing. Sometimes it's a style thing. Sometimes it's even the way we are built physically. I have yet to figure it out myself.
Some people make it look entirely too easy.
Random comment here. I really appreciate the way we can intelligently discuss somewhat controversial topics here and be so cordial and helpful to one another. You don't see this anywhere else where there's sport bikes involved. You guys all rock!
Wanted To Say Hello
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
Hey Nicole!
Looking great there in your photo for 6 track days. The school is a really awesome opportunity to fine tune your riding and learn a lot. The positive environment there and the endless smiles you see from all the staff at the school is amazing. They truly love what they are doing!
I find that the forum is also quite useful as well. I have had oddball questions about all sorts of topics. Both coaches and students help guide me in the right direction with no judgement as to my misinformation or thought process. The forum here is just as amazing as the school itself.
Feel free to ask questions. You will probably pick up a lot of good information even before your first school.