MotoGP – Meeting with Michael Bartholemy, MotoGP competition manager at Kawasaki –

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Comparison between series and racing motorcycle

Mating season

Praises what makes you fast. But what actually makes really fast? Four couples have lined up, met to show the differences between racing and series machines.

The red and yellow superbike flies like a bullet towards the Sachskurve, again briefly without lifting the gas, stepping on the gearshift lever, leaving it standing a few meters. Still, noooch – and enough. Brutally into the irons and the next moment you were surprised that this lap would still have been five to ten meters in there. And that, although one pass beforehand on the series R7 at this braking point, the final assessment would not have to be made by the tester, but rather by an expert from the accident insurance.
No question about it, nowhere is the difference between the racing version and the basic bike as blatant as in the four-stroke premier class, the superbikes. With its 175 hp, Markus Barth’s World Championship motorcycle not only has good performance in the drilling, but MOTORRAD tester Barth has also impressively demonstrated the performance of the entire package with regular points. And tuner Thomas Franz has put together this package with almost no series parts. Only the frame, swing arm, motor housing and tank come from the expensive original R7, spring elements, wheels, brakes, cooler, airbox, injection system on-board electronics or plastic parts are manufactured by the Alpha-Technik team themselves or use expensive cement parts and purchase racing accessories such as handlebars, footrests or cooler from Italy.
The reward of the effort is reflected in merciless driving stability, playful but razor-sharp handling and incredible neutrality on the brakes. Although the data recording documents the use of the full spring travel of the Ohlins fork, the front section hardly seems to submerge during the brutal use of the Beringer six-piston system. The same applies when you apply the throttle hard at the exit of a curve. The typical pitching and rocking movements during abrupt load changes are barely noticeable on the superbike. Markus manages a 1.06.8 lap under adverse autumnal conditions. Under racing conditions there should still be just under two seconds, he says dryly and is satisfied with a straight seven-second lead over the series.
The standard R7 works against the superbike ?? with a full tank of 209 kilograms compared to the 183 kilogram light racer – like a good-natured driving school motorcycle. With a less extreme seating position and slightly underpowered in the approved power variant of 106 hp, your chassis, which is otherwise perceived as being above-average, now looks rather mediocre. Too much unwanted movement gives a spongy impression and an unsafe feeling when looking for the limit area. Which is caused not least by the huge difference in terms of tire grip. The preheated slicks on Markus ?? Superbikes create the prerequisite for realizing the enormous potential of the racer. Even at a slight lean angle, the front wheel rises at the exit of a curve. And that’s when the rev counter shows just 9000 rpm.
The Hayabusa by Jack of all trades Elmar Geulen goes one better. The four-cylinder engine, tuned by LKM and increased to 1460 cubic centimeters, delivers 206 hp on the MOTORRAD test bench. With a weight of 215 kilograms, the Xtreme bike has a power-to-weight ratio similar to that of the superbike. When the tank is almost empty, each of the horses has less than a kilogram of mass. No wonder that the ride on Elmar’s Hayabusa is similar to that on a cannonball. The penetration power should not be far from that of such. Because in contrast to the R7 racer, the Hayabusa chassis can by no means master the performance offered. The installation of the Technoflex shock absorber and the conversion of the standard fork are of little help. When the concentrated charge of Hayabusa explodes, it presses the pilot in a sweat of fear on the forehead. The braking points cannot be selected early enough, despite the very easy-to-dose six-piston braking system with Lucas tongs and Magura radial pump, the crowd pushes up frighteningly.
The wide frame, the mighty tank and the massive cladding also intimidate the passenger more than they create a feeling of comfort. Everything seems brutal and ruled by brute force. And yet this trumpet of motorcycles turns corners comparatively lightly. Not only just 40 kilograms less weight than with the series machine have to be balanced on the new course when changing direction quickly, thanks to lighter composite wheels from Fischer, the reduction in rotating masses also helps the Xtreme-Hayabusa get going.
The production Suzuki finds the exercise on the racetrack visibly more difficult, even though its performance potential of at least 177 hp seems anything but weak. On the contrary, it is even easier and safer to implement series power. The heavy block looks much more harmless when accelerating out of the tight corners of the Motodrom, although there is still more movement in the chassis. But with a seemingly endless limit range, the series GSX 1300 R reacts touchingly when braking hard. All too brash, even cocky attacks on the thoroughbred racer are soon thwarted in left turns by a scratching generator cover. Unfortunately, the sticky slicks wouldn’t help the serial Hayabusa either. And so she has to admit defeat to the Xtreme racer by a full five seconds with a 1.15.9 lap.
The Yamaha YZF-R6 chases around the course with just under a third less power, but with 1.09.6 mins over five seconds faster. No wonder, the supersport motorcycle, lovingly built by tuner Theo Laaks, has at least carried ex-private Michael Schulten to second place in the German and European championships this year. Under optimal conditions, as prevailed at this year’s DM run, the runner-up burned a fantastic 1.06.2 on the Hockenheimer asphalt.
Given this lap time, even the most experienced tester is inclined to question the official timekeeping skills. Until he unwinds the first few meters on the narrow red racer. It is amazing how this comparatively near-production supersport motorcycle is similar in character to the superbike that was ridden first. When fully fueled, it weighs 182 kilograms and is therefore just two pounds lighter than its big sister, and the R6 also makes an almost perfect impression in terms of stability, chassis set-up and handling. The only thing that needs getting used to is the extremely wide opening angle of the handlebars. "That way I have a better lever and can bend the motorcycle even faster," says runner-up Schulten. “It also automatically moves the center of gravity further forward, and that creates confidence in the front wheel. ”And indeed, the Laaks-R6 is also front-heavy on the scales. 11 of the 13 pounds that were slimmed down were saved on the rear of the vehicle.
The decisive difference to the superbike is not to be found in the chassis, but in the engine: no fear of brutal performance. As if pulled by a rubber band, the 127 hp 600er pushes off from 7000 rpm, gets stronger and stronger and only comes to an end in the rev limiter, at a real 15200 rpm. Shortly beforehand, a shift light warns you to change gear manually. Electronic help such as an automatic gearshift are forbidden among the super athletes.
The production motorcycle comes off significantly better than the R7 in the 600 class. Full of power and pleasant performance characteristics have always been part of the R6’s strengths. Despite the long original gear ratio, the right gear can always be found thanks to the wide usable speed range. The braking system, which is upgraded with racing pads and cast-iron discs in the Supersport racer, is already convincing in the series condition, the chassis offers a healthy basic rigidity, and the seating position is aggressive and front-wheel-heavy even without adjustable racing footrests. So it’s no wonder: the series sharpening plane only loses 3.5 seconds on this short rendezvous with its racing counterpart. respect.
Only the GSX-R 750 can do better. Not only because it is currently the best mass-produced sports motorcycle on the market, but also because the racing motorcycles of the hotly contested stock sport class have to be closest to the series according to the regulations. Engine tuning is strictly forbidden except for fine tuning and the installation of weight–reducing and performance-enhancing exhaust systems. All in all, that makes 148 happy horsepower and, in connection with the missing lighting system and lightweight plastic parts, a weight saving of ten kilograms. All in all, no superlative values, but still enough for Claus Ehrenberger’s GSX-R to iron even the R1, ZX-9R or CBR 900 RR, which are far superior in terms of performance in its class. Eight races, eight wins, these are the spick and span statistics of the newly crowned German champion.
The racing GSX-R also derives the decisive advantage from the optimization of the chassis. An Ohlins shock absorb at the rear ensures a very full and safe ride, and the spring rate and damping of the standard fork, which is a little too soft under extreme loads, has been brought into shape by the Zupin company. Add a set of sticky racing tires, and the racing GSX-R is good for 1: 07.2 min – as demonstrated by the master himself at his home race in late summer of this year.
E.in value that cannot be realized on the dirty and especially cold slopes. Tea MOTORRAD testers are satisfied with 1.09.5 min and are amazed at the respectable performance of the series GSX-R. 1.12.5 min is the best daily value among series machines. On no longer brand new series tires, mind you. And they turn out to be the main spoilsport on the racetrack for all series testers. Because experience teaches the MOTORRAD test crew time and again that ten horsepower more or less in Hockenheim is good for a maximum of half a second to a second, whereas a sticky racing tire can last for two to three seconds if the suspension is properly set up . Because as the saying goes: if you stick well, you drive well.

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