Hello everyone, Please note that we have a new location and time for our Monthly general meetings. At the last general meeting, Scott Borthwick announced that he was looking for a new location for our monthly general meetings. The executive has checked out this place and found it to be a good candidate for our general meetings and is most likely closer to a lot of our general membership as well. The new location will be at Ricky's on 8720 204 Street, Langley. You can find a map in our sticky thread about our monthly meeting in the WMRC News section. http://www.westwoodracing.com/forums/showthread.php?5995-WMRC-General-Monthly-Meeting Note that we've also changed the date for our meetings as well to become the 2nd Monday of each month instead. This next meeting, in February will have a general vote on the allowance of linkages as was previously mentioned in our December meeting. For more details of that meeting, please read our meeting minutes posted in this thread: http://www.westwoodracing.com/forums/showthread.php?5984-Meeting-Minutes-for-December-17-2012 During our next meeting there will be a special presentation on the linkage in question, and then a general vote to allow or disallow the linkage in our rulebook will be passed. More details on this linkage will be posted in this forum at a later date, but before the February meeting. Note that the January meeting has been cancelled as it would fall too close to the bike show. Again, as we get the information on the link, we will post up the appropriate information. Please make arrangements to attend the February meeting to vote on this resolution. You must attend the meeting to be able to vote fairly, and to be a part of the discussion of the pros/cons of this hardware.
4 blocks from my house!!!! How did i luck out. Guess i have no excuse for not attending the meeting. Although i wouldn't miss this fasinating discussion and vote on the linkage. I have done my own research, and have my own opinion, but guess i'll leave that to the meeting. Unless someone starts a new thread on the "linkage" and has a differant opinion other than the correct one. haha
r we doing a forum vote?oops just read you need to be their....why not post pros and cons for people that are unable to make it their.
I have clicked on the link and see no mention of the word 'linkage' or any associated discussion. What is this linkage ?
Meeting minutes from December, from C Other Business, section vii "In a future meeting, a Special Resolution will be made on Section 8, the “link” ruling", as part of the rulebook discussions. Further information will be presented at the meetings. Sadly, we cannot allow an internet vote as the presentation on the pros and cons will be made at the meeting, and will not be translated in text to the internet. All members are encouraged to attend the meetings if possible. That's why we are giving at least 6 weeks notice of the upcoming Feb meeting.
Effectively at issue is whether to amend supersport rules to allow the rear suspension link replaced. Some bikes have excessively progressive shock links, aftermarket units are more linear.
I really have no horse in this race, so I guess it could be amended to say Some bikes have what some believe to be excessively progressive shock links.
Alex's 30,000 ft overview of the 'link' The problem with a stock 848, 1098, 1198 Ducati when you take it racing on a stop/start circuit like Mission is that you need to stop the bike squatting under hard acceleration out of a corner. The linkage ratio on the stock bikes is 4:1 makes the initial movement of the shock too soft, which needs to be compensated for with a heavy spring, which of course is then too hard in the rest of its stroke for optimum traction. (if you don’t use a heavier spring the bike tends to squat down hard at the back under power) The shock getting progresivly stiffer through the stroke puts all the load on the tire (tire now acts as suspension) causing the front end to get light. It also causes tire spin and tears up tires prematurely. It also increases the rake and trail on the front end making the bike heavier to steer. The replacement 'non-stock' link has a lower or adjustable ratio, that gives a more consistent, linear progression helping rear wheel traction without affecting overall steering geometry. It improves the feel/handling of the bike all the way through the corner allowing more corner speed and exit steering (good for 0.5-1s a lap?). It also greatly increases the life of the tire. Note that this link is stock on some Ducati models, but not on the 848, 1098, 1198 where it's a $600 (?) upgrade. The question is whether to allow this link in supersport (essentially a stock bike) class. That would be rule 8.14 if memory serves me correctly. Then again I ride bikes with suspensions older than most of our WMRC members, so wtf do I know?
Sorry Ryan, wasn't trying to suggest anything, just thought that if this discussion is to happen here it should start out without the appearance of a slant either way. Excessive, too much, I dunno. This ^, I think is the issue. Unless I'm mistaken, this is the part in question: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CORSE-DYNAM...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item564be1d1bb
are link upgrades available for other bike brands ? are they necessary ? are we going to give an advantage to one bike brand over others ?
If rear links are allowed, adjustable triple clamps should be allowed as well! My bike steers too fast, is unstable in the corners and could be better under braking!
I honestly don't care, but seriously, the bikes in question are already dominating their classes, do they really need to be improved?
