If they only did it this way, I might find it acceptable (maybe): Racing series such as the British Touring Car Championship and the Japanese Super GT make use of a regulation called success ballast, which only affects the weight of a competing car.
LoL... That image is a classic... Hehehe... It really shows you feeling your wild oats and living it up well. You where in very good physical condition too...One should *learn* to drive/ride without any aids, true. My fun "collectionist" car doesn't have ABS or traction control, and I love driving it. But it is also 115HP (but the car is very light), so while pretty spirited it is easy to drive (gets a bit tricky in the rain though, but I avoid driving it in the rain).
But now, all my motorcycles have ABS, I view that as a great safety feature. It's awesome in the rain or when riding over greasy roads and wet autumn leaves etc etc. 1 of them has traction control, but I leave it in sports mode with minimal intervention, and afaik it has never engaged. I also had one bike with tracttion control that acted up in light rain and nearly high sided me into geostationary orbit.
As to traction control, yeah, I kinda detest it because it allows everybody to drive/ride a 500HP car or 200HP motorcycle. Safer for everybody, yes. But as has been discussed, it ruins many things. And without traction control the vast majority of people would brain themselves on such vehicles.
When I still lived in Germany (as a young engineer), I had a BMW 318is that had 140HP, which sounds like nothing these days, but without traction control in the snow or heavy rain it could be a bit of a handful at times, and I spun it out 2 or 3 times, luckily without any damage other than to my pride.
My favorite car ever (other than the 356 replica and possibly the Abarth 500), was a 1995 Jag XJS I bought used (~1998 pic below). "Only" 240HP, but zero traction control, could also get quite "interesting" in rainy conditions on highway onramps, plenty "serpentine moments" but never an accident. (Tragically my ex wife forced me to sell it, as she claimed it showed I didn't want kids... we never had kids despite trying hard). I miss that car.
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I'll concede that ABS on motorcycle is likely a good thing. But, again, it should be selectable, especially on bikes that legitimately are supposed to be able to leave the roadway.One should *learn* to drive/ride without any aids, true. My fun "collectionist" car doesn't have ABS or traction control, and I love driving it. But it is also 115HP (but the car is very light), so while pretty spirited it is easy to drive (gets a bit tricky in the rain though, but I avoid driving it in the rain).
But now, all my motorcycles have ABS, I view that as a great safety feature. It's awesome in the rain or when riding over greasy roads and wet autumn leaves etc etc. 1 of them has traction control, but I leave it in sports mode with minimal intervention, and afaik it has never engaged. I also had one bike with tracttion control that acted up in light rain and nearly high sided me into geostationary orbit.
As to traction control, yeah, I kinda detest it because it allows everybody to drive/ride a 500HP car or 200HP motorcycle. Safer for everybody, yes. But as has been discussed, it ruins many things. And without traction control the vast majority of people would brain themselves on such vehicles.
When I still lived in Germany (as a young engineer), I had a BMW 318is that had 140HP, which sounds like nothing these days, but without traction control in the snow or heavy rain it could be a bit of a handful at times, and I spun it out 2 or 3 times, luckily without any damage other than to my pride.
My favorite car ever (other than the 356 replica and possibly the Abarth 500), was a 1995 Jag XJS I bought used (~1998 pic below). "Only" 240HP, but zero traction control, could also get quite "interesting" in rainy conditions on highway onramps, plenty "serpentine moments" but never an accident. (Tragically my ex wife forced me to sell it, as she claimed it showed I didn't want kids... we never had kids despite trying hard). I miss that car.
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Same trans advice + a few lesser mods to the engine (a bit more pep & efficiency but without losing the smoothness).Yes indeed! But this was the humble I6 version.
Couldn't agree more.
The clutch less GT3 race cars were “reportedly” developed for safety reasons. To reduce standing start accidents when a driver stalls a car.
Would one of those 'people' be Andrian Newey (famed CTO @ RedBull), who dabbled in the foiling-sailboats... before getting involved in the OysterYachts project?
I'd requalify that a bit and add V6 or V8 to those 'sports coupe' qualifications, with a <$60k price tag.
My last 3 motorcycles had ABS but I never remember feeling it in operation.But now, all my motorcycles have ABS, I view that as a great safety feature. It's awesome in the rain or when riding over greasy roads and wet autumn leaves etc etc. 1 of them has traction control, but I leave it in sports mode with minimal intervention, and afaik it has never engaged. I also had one bike with tracttion control that acted up in light rain and nearly high sided me into geostationary orbit.
I'd venture a guess that way less than 50% of the drivers on the road today couldn't drive a stick shift.
Beyond a different sound, what can it offer that a 700-1,000 supercharged V8 can't ?
We do from stop lights.
I have always heard I6 and V12 are naturally the most naturally balanced engines around, which means they spin up faster than (marginally) less balanced engines.
The Top Fuel aero has 10.000 pounds of downforce at 330 or so, MPH, if I remember correctly.Yes, though aerodynamics and tyre management were my main interest, I conceived the active suspension entirely to control and exploit the aero platform
Maybe, But old school long stroke, low rpm big block V8s and V-Twin H-D's just have an appealing throb like no other.
No different from 2 cylinder motorcycle engines against I or V4. The rare 6 cylinder motorcycle engines are amazing, but I like a little shake and low end torque.Maybe, But old school long stroke, low rpm big block V8s and V-Twin H-D's just have an appealing throb like no other.
The higher the rpm, the more annoying sound they become, at least IMHO..
