[Zootcadillac]

Dorna flip flopping on rule changes again for the superbikes.

Funny to watch Scott Smart in this role, used to seeing him sat in the corner of a garage with his leathers on,
Here he explains the new rule changes. You have to follow the link for video, can't embed these since Dorna took over.

SBK < 2015 World SBK Technical Regulations released

 

[rubbish]

I'm confused about the throttle body rules...so they're currently allowing Ride By Wire, but starting from 2017, they're going backwards to standard stuff?? Aren't most modern bikes RBW now? This would be like "un-developing" what's been done in recent years...or am i misinterpreting something??

 

[ENZOSO]

Not sure I took it that way. But then again comprehension is not my strongest trait.

 

[Zootcadillac]

You know what? i'm not sure I understand it either. I initially thought it didn't meant what Rub inferred from it but readin the rules it may well meant that. Makes sense as it's Dorna's plan to reduce WSBK to a superstock event in the future. It eclipsed the big show for wheel to wheel racing and the Spaniards will not let that happen. It's a shame. The series will be hobbled and already suffering attendances could plummet. But they won't care, as long as the cash cow of the big show can be milked.

Electronic Regulations: The FIM Superbike World

Championship remains the last high level championship open to the manufacturers to develop their electronic control strategies. The manufacturers will therefore be allowed to continue to develop the electronic solutions but these systems must be available to all other teams using the same make of machine and it will be called the ‘’Superbike Kit System’’.

The notable points are:

Price limited Superbike Kit
System available to all teams in World Superbike and other FIM championships

Only approved ECU’s may be used in these kits– they will be race ECU’s

The software of the factory team will be available to all other teams at three points during the racing season

The Superbike Kit System must include all of the electronic parts not fitted to the standard street machine and required for the system to be fully operational (except the wiring harness)

The selling price for the Superbike Kit System will be €8000

Alternatively the Superstock Kit ECU may be used as in the 2014 EVO regulations, this is to encourage wildcard participation


Throttle Body Regulations:

For the 2015 and 2016 season the regulations will continue to allow the addition of Ride By Wire (RBW) systems to the throttle bodies. These systems must become available to all the other teams using the same machines. They will work hand in hand with the ‘’Superbike Kit Systems’’. For the 2017 season and onwards the regulations will mandate the use of the standard throttle bodies.

The notable points are:

Ride by wire kits must be available to all teams in World Superbike and other FIM championships

Only the machine manufacturer or one appointed supplier will be allowed to provide the kit (for safety)

The price of the kits will be €2500

All non RBW machines currently utilise a solution and the control strategies are mature

Standard road bikes will adopt the use of this technology by 2017 meaning development continuity

 

[shakazulu12]

I'm confused about the throttle body rules...so they're currently allowing Ride By Wire, but starting from 2017, they're going backwards to standard stuff?? Aren't most modern bikes RBW now? This would be like "un-developing" what's been done in recent years...or am i misinterpreting something??

Current CBR1000rr and ZX-10r both use cables as standard. Rumors out of Europe are the CBR is carrying over until 2016 and I'm sure the Kawi isn't due for a refresh before then either.

If you read the RRW article about the attack CRT bike, it mentions how it was converted to RBW using a panigale throttle. The parts themselves aren't that expensive, but you need a fully adjustable fuelling system such as Motec or Marelli.

 

[DrgnRcr]

I'm confused about the throttle body rules...so they're currently allowing Ride By Wire, but starting from 2017, they're going backwards to standard stuff?? Aren't most modern bikes RBW now? This would be like "un-developing" what's been done in recent years...or am i misinterpreting something??

I know I'm a little green to these pastures but this is how I'm taking it:

@TYE - Your argument that some manufacturers may be cheating due to their advanced electronics, I'm setting aside any opposition to that to play Devil's Advocate here and appreciate the same from all so as to stay on topic.

Assuming it did mean everyone is converting back to cable throttles, this would then mean that the electronics would be forced to operate at a lower optimised level because of the lack of digital throttle input. RBW feeds information to the ECU allowing it to calculate on the fly and providing total input to everything else, i.e. TC, ABS, QS and any/everything else under the sun. By bringing it back to the 1X98 days of lore the rider is required to input more and rely on the ECU less, possibly bringing everyone to the same base level since that approach is vastly different.

If this is true and I'm accurate, I wouldn't mind that. I was always a fan of rider skill against opponent vs grab throttle and hang on.

Downside of this is economics. Since laws are requiring more and more edvanced ECU's to control all these fancy safety features, it is still more reliable and cost-effective to utilise RBW over Cables. I'm predicting if all of the above is true and correct then there is just another reason for street bikes to jump in price the next several years or so.

Anyone?

 

[rubbish]

Hmm...I just assumed that most of today's bikes have RBW throttle, since some of them have had it for a few years now. Though I'm a fan of "rider skill over electronic gizmos" in racing, I see RBW as a technological advancement for production bikes. And we all know that WSBK is what drives the competition and advancement in technology of our production bikes. This is why I'm confused about my interpretation of this. If they go a step back, then our future production bikes will most likely also go back. It'd be like saying they're not allowing TC or slipper clutches in WSBK...which would slow down the development of such technologies, and production bikes wouldn't come standard with those features, and the ones that do won't really be all that great because of the lack of money and effort put into it. Just thinking out loud here I guess...

 

[shakazulu12]

You are digging too deep. "as homogolated" means that if the production bike is using RBW then the race bike can as well. There are a few manufactures that are not using them currently. They are allowed to retrofit this until 2017. If by 2017, their street bike does not have RBW, they won't be able to retrofit it. The idea being that by then the manufactures who aren't currently using it on their street bikes will have incorporated it into their design. Anyone using it on their homogolated machine by then is free to keep using it.

Basically they are just giving Kawi and Honda a grace period so they don't have to rush a redesign ahead of schedule.

 

[DrgnRcr]

You are digging too deep. "as homogolated" means that if the production bike is using RBW then the race bike can as well. There are a few manufactures that are not using them currently. They are allowed to retrofit this until 2017. If by 2017, their street bike does not have RBW, they won't be able to retrofit it. The idea being that by then the manufactures who aren't currently using it on their street bikes will have incorporated it into their design. Anyone using it on their homogolated machine by then is free to keep using it.

Basically they are just giving Kawi and Honda a grace period so they don't have to rush a redesign ahead of schedule.

That actually makes sense. TY for your input.

 

[rubbish]

Indeed...that makes a lot of sense now! Thanks for clarifying.

 

[tye1138]

You are digging too deep. "as homogolated" means that if the production bike is using RBW then the race bike can as well.

Exactly, which means everyone is gonna go with RBW for the 2015 production year.

"Free" camshafts is kinda scary. That means yet again, the manufacturers can do anything they want with the cam's on the production bike and have a special, one-off cam for the racers. To me, that was one of the biggest issues in the past, as Ducati wouldn't let anyone else touch their corse cam's.

I'd like all the replacement parts to be available to the public as a mandate. Like the old kit bike days ya know?

 

[shakazulu12]

Of note, they also previously reduced the production requirements for homologation to 1000 units. Expect a return of the factory specials like the RC30 and 45, R7, ZX7rr etc in the near future.

I kind of figured the cams were going to have to be open. It just makes more sense for the factories. Making them available to the public may be a bigger issue though. They likely have dozens of different profiles they may elect to use, even based on specific tracks. Making all that available to the market for the very small percentage of people that would buy them probably isn't a good business strategy.