*Liam's Wild Ride*

[J-BONE]

anyone notice the super high tech brakes on the ducati, now those have to be light.

I vote for the "shipping" wheel

 

[wingnutthehutt]

The box under the fender is definately exhaust. Also, I'm not sure that the tubing around the crank center is exhaust, it looks like coolant tubing to me. Titanium with rubber ends.

Also, call me a nitpciker, but it's Dani, not Danny. The name of the Honda rider on this bike starts with an S. Definately not Pedrosa.

 

[TeamZigen]

High Tech Brakes

They look like Brembo to me.

 

[Lester Green]

I vote for the "shipping" wheel

i second that vote..

 

[Lester Green]

anyone notice the super high tech brakes on the ducati, now those have to be light.

yes..

i think that's cause it's carbon fiber? since were talking about rotors, the Duc is MISSING its front rotor!

 

[speed_devil]

The name of the Honda rider on this bike starts with an S. Definately not Pedrosa.

Honda test rider is Tadayuki Okada

 

[Alexey]

The box under the fender is definately exhaust. Also, I'm not sure that the tubing around the crank center is exhaust, it looks like coolant tubing to me. Titanium with rubber ends.

I gauran-fuckin-tee you that's the fuel tank. The exhaust is on the bottom of the fairing on both sides of the bike. The reason they'd wanna put the tank there is because it's closer to the center of the bike and leaves more room for the airbox. The area under the "tank" is shared by airbox and actual fuel tank on virually every production sportbike already with the airboxes growning larger and larger. Check out aftermarket airboxes for superbike racing -- they're all larger than stock. On MotoGP machines, they're already pretty big and the bike needs to be compact, so the logical step is to move the tank further back and down. Now that the exhaust is not routed there anymore, it shouldn't be a problem. Honda have experimented with fuel tank placement before. If I'm not mistaken the first generation of NSR500 had the fuel tank under the engine, something Fast Freddy didn't take to very well.

 

[tiltedworld]

Interesting bikes. I do wonder if the 250's and 125's are gonna be left alone or if they're gonna go 4-stroke in a few years.

I don't remember where I read it, but I thought it was happening in 2012.

 

[whorenet]

in this shot, it's pretty clear that it's a tank.

 

[popmonkey]

motogp.com has the testing video now.

1. liam is standing at the beginning of the video with a silly grin on his face while they rev the honda

2. the honda sounds unbelievable. i have a silly grin on my face

 

[Ted]

1984

Just to add to Alexey's comments, having the fuel cell extending under the seat also conforms to the currently held theory that the weight should be as centralised as possible. Most current MotoGP bikes have the fuel held in a cell in a similar position.

As regards the 1984 NSR500 with the upside-down design. See the following paragraph from a SuperbikePlanet article by Dean Adams...
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/NSR500.htm

"The '84 NSR's problem wasn't lack of speed - the bike was a wheelspin-crazy rocketship, 140 horses was a big number back then. No, its downfall was the willfully innovative 'upside-down' chassis design - fuel tank mounted below the engine with expansion chambers sweeping back above the engine, for a low center of gravity. But motorcycle dynamics aren't that simple - the NSR's center of g was too low so the bike wouldn't transfer weight into and out of corners to aid front and rear traction. The low-slung fuel load also sloshed forward under brakes, pushing the front like crazy, causing major understeer. And the NSR was a mechanic's nightmare - imagine trying to change plugs or jets beneath those burning hot pipes. So much for superior engineering."

For more information abd pics of the 1984 NSR500, see Honda's website: http://www.honda.co.jp/HRC/activity/history/nsr500/1984.html

 

[SKDiablo]

motogp.com has the testing video now.

1. liam is standing at the beginning of the video with a silly grin on his face while they rev the honda

2. the honda sounds unbelievable. i have a silly grin on my face

I just saw that too! I came on to ask if anyone had seen Liam on the MotoGP website (video about the new machines testing), but you beat me to it.

Can someone post a pic of that? I tried to take a screen shot of the video but it didn't work.

Stan

 

[weak_link]

Those 800's sound great. Cool seeing Liam in the thick of the action.

 

[popmonkey]

I just saw that too! I came on to ask if anyone had seen Liam on the MotoGP website (video about the new machines testing), but you beat me to it.

Can someone post a pic of that? I tried to take a screen shot of the video but it didn't work.

Stan

here you go:

 

[MotoLiam]

Time for me to leave Japan and head back to Spanish shores. It was an incredible month for me, visiting Malaysia, Australia, and finally the home of the electronic.

Thanks for keeping tuned, and expect a gang of pics and stories over the next few weeks while I'm decompressing in Barcelona before the Estoril round. Word is the Ilmor will be there.

I know I haven't been able to answer everyone's questions or emails, but I'll see what I can do to get back up to date when I've got some time. This past month has probably been the least I've been online in more than a year, and that's good and bad! The season is getting even better, and with only two rounds left, it's looking to go right down to the wire. Could you script a better year?!?

P.S. if you're thinking about doing a MotoGP event overseas, I highly recommend Motegi. The Honda Collection Hall (Museum) is completely amazing. I've got so much data to process. I'll see you guys in a couple of days - and thanks for the screen shot - that was the very first time the Honda 800 was heard by non-HRC staff, and it was quite a moment. I know everyone is saying V4 (and I haven't read any confirmation, personally), but anyone else notice that the front and rear pipes are different sizes? Or. . . . who can tell me how to slow down an Mpeg-4 enough so that I can pick out the individual engine pulses? Believe me - it's happening even now.

I also want to say thanks to everyone who has made this trip, and this whole journey, possible. My crew back in California, MotoLola, MotoStrano, and all you Barfers. This is only going to get better!

 

[popmonkey]

who can tell me how to slow down an Mpeg-4 enough so that I can pick out the individual engine pulses?

you're on a mac, right? get audio hijack, play the video, record to aiff, now use anything like garage band, logic, etc and slow that sucker way down.

you probably won't be able to get down to the individual pulses because the sound is digital, but you may be able to get close especially in the down rev.

 

[MotoLiam]

Starting to get it back together

Sooo. . . . . did you guys realize that Barf was the first place to host pics of the Honda 800 (and a couple of the rest of them)? I posted shots of those bikes here before I even put them up on my site, because I knew you guys would get a kick out of seeing them before anyone else

Anyways, I'm back in BCN, and I've got gigs of photos to go through. To top it off, I'm changing apartments soon. Specifically, my roomates have found a larger place, but we have to move in on the 16th, the day I return to BCN from the Estoril race. That means I've got roughly a week to pack up all my things and get ready for it, and also I've got to get the finances square in order to pay the deposit and half month's rent. Seems a shame to spend money on rent when I'm hardly ever there, but that's life. Anyone know someplace cheap in BCN or Italy? Got a hankering to live near Milan, or Amsterdam. . . . who knows?

I'm starting to post up about some of the redent Japan adventures, parts 1 and 2 are ready, and I'll spend some more time later today getting some stuff up about Motegi and more. There's just so much to go through and I wish I had more time. I feel like I'm a couple months behind on things I need to take care of from when I was in California! (I haven't forgotten about you, Oliver!). In any event, just popping in for a minute, see you guys at the races!

Japan, Getting there, Part 1

Japan, Little Towns, Part 2

 

[MotoLiam]

P.S., the Brembos on the Ducati GP7 have got to be the lightest calipers I've ever picked up. I don't even know what they're made of, but they're like polished jewels - Amazing! I will never stop raving about carbon brakes, because they're soooo trick. Everything, from the rotors, to the pads, is super-tech, and I wish I could show more about them. Unfortunately, it's hush-hush, so all I can say is that they are bad-ass.

 

[ModifiedAngel]

Hello Liam
I have relatives that live in Holland, not sure if they are close to Amsterdam. If you want I could talk to my parents and they could ask the relatives is they know about anything available. Will be in Holland for New Years, maybe I will see you there. You Rock Man, keep up the good work.

Forza Ducati!!!

 

[MotoLiam]

Thanks Angel! I know you're busy enjoying that SR4, so thanks for taking the time to post. I don't know where I'll be this winter, or where I'll be next season, so until I have some more concrete information, I'm just playing the waiting game. Once I figure out what I'll be doing, and what options I have as far as living, I'll try and get a plan together. Right now, I'm packing up my room little by little, getting ready for the next race and the subsequent change of apartments.

While I've been going through some of my things, and re-evaluating some of the choices I've made this past year, I came across this - my favorite chocolate bar in the world. I haven't found anywhere to buy these in Europe, and this one was a very special gift from the States, so I've been saving it. Until today.

As the end of the season approaches, I find myself thinking more and more about the life that happens before and after the races, and between the races. So many people have families, or try and maintain something with someone. How many succeed? How much of the GP life is a "don't ask, don't tell" situation?