6 X MOTOR CYCLE NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2009
NEWS
Will the world go big bang?
Rossi’s M1 set the bar for inline fours using big bang
Yamaha’s 2009 R1 has proved big-bang engines can be as good on the road as on the track. How long before the technology becomes the norm? By Ben Purvis
HAT might have started as a marketing man’s gimmick looks set to become a turning point in superbike design with the incredible advance that Yamaha’s “big-bang” 2009 R1 represents. Although the big-bang concept has been around for two decades in racing, fourcylinder road bikes have stuck to the traditional evenfiring inline fours that have been the mainstay of production superbikes ever since Honda’s CB750 defined the category in 1969. And seemingly with good reason. After all, does a road rider out on a Sunday morning blast need the additional traction offered by big bang, and will he put up with the
W
harshness and vibration? Surprisingly, the new R1 demonstrates that the answer to that question is a resounding “yes”. Now we’ll probably see virtually every superbike manufacturer looking to follow suit. Even Yamaha believes its competitors are already working on similar ideas. Its marketing manager Simon Belton said: “It takes a long time for the technology to be made ready for the road. I imagine other manufacturers are almost certainly working on it already.” But not all rivals will go down Yamaha’s route of using a crossplane crankshaft. The most obvious way of achieving a similar effect would be to switch from an inline four to a V4 engine layout, giving power delivery similar to that of an R1-style
Yamaha has led the way with big bang. It’s far from a gimmick
crossplane crankshaft inline four. It’s already the direction that Aprilia is taking with its new RSV-4, which has a tight 65° V-angle that will lend itself to a big-bangstyle firing order. Honda’s renewed interest in V4 engines could also drive the company in that direction. At the moment
‘Now every other superbike maker is likely to follow suit’ the firm remains adamant that its superbike contender will retain the current Fireblade’s inline four set-up. But Honda’s long history of V4 race bikes, allied to its new plan to resurrect the V4 layout as a Honda trademark, suggest that a replacement for the old RC30 and RC45 must be high on the agenda. While the Suzuki GSX-R1000’s inline four has long been at the top of the tree when it comes to outright performance on the road, the firm uses a V4 in its MotoGP machine. And if all its competitors go to bigbang or V4 engines, it is unlikely to stick to its inline screamer for its road bike. Fortunately, moving to big-bang on an inline four
isn’t necessarily the huge development it might appear. In 2005, the Virgin Yamaha British Superbike team showed that a conventional screamer engine could be converted to a big-bang firing order without breaching tight regulations of production-based racing. Its machine fired the two middle cylinders simultaneously with the outer pair remaining evenly spaced as on the original screamer. This gave three power pulses – a small one, then a big one, another small one, then a pause – just by changing the camshafts and the ignition timing. Even Yamaha has been taken aback by the response to the R1 – with the first batch of bikes for the UK sold before they’ve reached dealers. Belton said: “Opinions at the launch were amazing I’ve never seen anything like it. We took the bike to the London show, when I think only MCN’s road test had come out, and the bike was covered in people all weekend. Its first time in dealers will be on February 27.”
ONLINE READ IT HERE FIRST All the latest top stories, views and reviews at www. motorcyclenews.com
WHY DO IT? ALTHOUGH an engine might appear to run smoothly, in fact the speed of the crankshaft is constantly changing as each piston fires, and the speed of the rear wheel fluctuates. The closest a fourcylinder motor can come to a constant speed is with the conventional 180° firing pattern, but exactly the same thing that provides smooth running also gives a tendency to wheelspin. Each time a cylinder fires, the rear tyre copes with a burst of power. If that power overwhelms the tyre, the result is wheelspin. And
WAYS TO DO BIG
R1’s 90°crossplane crank when the power pulses come close together, as with a conventional fourcylinder, the tyre never gets a break in which it can slow down and regain grip. By using slugs of power with gaps inbetween, bigbang engines give the tyre time to regain grip before the next burst of energy.
YEARS of MotoGP ALTHOUGH years of MotoGP commentary commentary have have conditioned us to believe that a four-cylinder motor is either big-bang ‘big bang’or or ‘screamer’, in fact there’s screamer. anInalmost fact, there’s infinite an almost progression infinite progression between the two extremes. between the two extremes. In any four-stroke, each cylinder will have one firing stroke every second revolution of the crankshaft. A four-cylinder engine A four-cylinder therefore engine accommodates therefore accommodates four firing strokes four firing into strokes 720 degrees into 720° of crankshaft of crankshaft rotation. rotation. The The accepted way to do that in an inline in-linefour fourisistotospace space them evenly, so one
FEBRUARY 18, 2009 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS X 7
www.motorcyclenews.com WILL IT WORK ON 600S? SMALLER capacity engines benefit less from big-bang or long-bang firing orders because they don’t produce enough power to create traction problems on the exit from corners. However, some experts believe the technology will spread to 600cc sports bikes. Crescent Suzuki tried a GSX-R600 converted to a big-bang firing order as long ago as 2001. The project was eventually stopped because of problems with camchains failing under the added stress of having to open two sets of inlet valves
KAWASAKI JOINS THE BIG-BANG REVOLUTION
simultaneously. With Yamaha taking the production bike lead with the R1, the question of whether the technology will spread to other machines – particularly the R6 – arises. Yamaha’s Simon Belton said: “At the moment, it’s only for the R1. However, the benefit as far as torque is concerned could help on others, and people are asking about the R6. Yamaha wants to make motorcycles more usable for all their customers, but whether it’s suitable for that sort of bike is down to the engineers.”
Experts predict R1 technology will be used in the R6
BANG cylinder fires for every 180 degrees of crank rotation. This gives a smooth-running, well-balanced engine capable of high revs and high power output. It also requires a lightweight crankshaft that only needs enough momentum to carry the engine through half a revolution before it gets another hit of power from the next cylinder’s firing stroke. But you don’t have to do it like that. You could make all four pistons rise and fall simultaneously and fire together, but the effect would be a motor that’s rough and needs a heavy crank to keep
CYLINDER FIRING Crank Rotation (degrees) Conventional In-Line four Honda VFR Big Bang R1 Honda RC30/RC45 Kawasaki (see panel) Virgin R1 Race Bike
000 1 1 1 1 1&4
1
090
180 2 3
270
360 4
3 4
3 2&3 2&3
450 2 2 2
540 3
630 4
4
720 1 1 1 1 1&4
4
1
Chart shows how firing orders have been varied on four-cylinder engines. Options are infinite – but there are downsides its momentum going for a full 720° between firing strokes. The most obvious solution falls halfway between the two extremes, with pistons rising and falling in pairs. Each pair fires simultaneously, effectively making a four-cylinder
engine operate like a twin. That would be a true bigbang engine, but the idea has been ignored on road bikes because, to run slowly at an acceptable idle, you’d need a heavy crankshaft. That would sap power and damage throttle response (see separate story, right,
for Kawasaki’s solution). Yamaha’s 2009 R1 might take on the big-bang mantle, but in reality it’s a relatively conservative “long-bang” solution. No two cylinders fire at exactly the same time and a revised crankshaft design gives the same firing intervals as a conventional
90° V4, like Honda’s VFR800. V4s with 360° cranks like Honda’s RC30 and RC45 are closer to a true big-bang engine, while narrower angle V4s, like Ducati’s Desmosedici RR and Aprilia’s RSV-4 have an even more exaggerated longbang effect.
Kawasaki superbike design with big-bang firing order NEW Kawasaki patents reveal an inline fourcylinder superbike engine, likely to be that of the next ZX-10R, with a big-bang firing order. But a clever electronic system improves the engine’s ability to achieve high revs and to boost low-rev smoothness, while still allowing an even more extreme big-bang effect. The engine in the design effectively runs like a twin, with cylinders one and four firing simultaneously, followed by cylinders two and three half a revolution later. After that, the motor has to turn a full revolution and a half (540°) without any cylinders firing. That’s far more extreme than the new R1, which has a maximum pause of only 270° crank rotation between cylinders firing. Kawasaki’s idea is to add an electric motor, controlled by the bike’s onboard computer, to help the engine keep turning through that long, 540° gap between power strokes. This solution provides a bigbang effect without sacrificing the engine’s ability to idle, or add weight to the crankshaft. The motor operates momentarily every second revolution, during the compression stroke of cylinders one and four, and switches off as soon as the revs rise sufficiently to give the engine the momentum
it needs to keep running. Kawasaki reckons the motor will drain relatively little battery power, and with a normal, flatplane crankshaft, production costs could be lower than those of a Yamaha-style crossplane design. Even the engine’s weight and complexity can be maintained at near-current levels by using the booster motor as a generator to charge the battery during
‘Crankshaft problem is solved by an electric motor’ the time it’s not being used, negating the need for a conventional alternator. The electric motor has other benefits. Kawasaki’s patents reveal that it could be used during deceleration, either putting a small amount of drive to reduce the engine braking effect, or working as a dynamo and increasing the engine braking. Simple tweaking of the computer program overseeing the system could alter its behaviour. Additionally, it could be used to boost overall torque and power when needed, by being engaged for short periods when the engine’s running at full throttle.
26 X MOTOR CYCLE NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2009
IAN JUBB
ROAD TEST On the Route Napoleon in the south of France, Neevesy pops a wheelie on the new R1 while National Superstock racer Steve Mercer follows close behind on the Blade
The Fireblade (right) is our current top superbike, but the R1 aims to steal its crown
First blood Yamaha’s new R1 knocks out the Honda Fireblade to claim its first scalp in the ’09 superbike battle michael.neeves motorcyclenews.com
E’RE hammering down the best bit of the RN85 (the infamous Route Napoleon), which runs from Sisteron to Cannes in the south of France. Our flat-out, 200mile round trip, which takes us through the southern Alps, has virtually no straights to speak of – and now we have the last 30 or so miles to complete. The road spirals left and right downhill, like a demented helter-skelter, through to Cannes. The sparkling blue Mediterranean is on our right-hand side and the hot sun is microwaving our thermal linings. This is February heaven. With the winter novelty of hot, dry, sunny and twisty roads before us, fellow tester and National Superstock racer Steve Mercer and I are acting like naughty kids. We’re out of winter hibernation and straining at the leash, riding as hard as we dare on these deserted mountain roads. I’m leading on the new R1 and Mercer is big in my mirrors on the Blade, giving two of the best sports bikes in the world a serious workout and a damn good thrashing. With engines on full song, the shriek from the Blade’s stubby, underslung exhaust is bouncing off the rock
W
faces, making a right old racket – it sounds fantastic. But it’s also accompanied by a more unusual, ghostly, growling and wailing noise coming from the chunky underseat pipes of the R1 – the sound you’d normally hear blasting out of a factory Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP machine. Each time I wind on the gas out of a corner, Mercer momentarily becomes a dot in the mirror thanks to the R1’s superior acceleration
‘The R1 makes a sound like the factory M1 MotoGP bike’ and useability, leaving the Blade for dust. But his riding talent and the Honda’s phenomenal power and handling mean it’s not long before he catches up again. I can run a gear higher through the corners than Mercer on the Blade in most places, such is the devastating amount of grunt the Yamaha now has – and I don’t think anyone in the history of planet earth has ever said that before about an R1. Through most of the twisty RN85, I can just stay in third gear and ride the R1 like a deranged twist-and-go scooter. Exiting a slow-ish corner in third with just
5000-6000rpm showing on the dial, the R1 will just grunt, growl and punch its way along the next straight like a Ducati superbike (it even clatters like a big twin if you accidentally labour the engine), with the merest hint of the light action throttle. Higher up the revs in third, exiting a faster corner, the R1 catapults out of it like the 157bhp four-cylinder thousand it really is, yanking your arms out of their sockets and blurring the scenery. With so little of the front tyre touching French tarmac, even in third, the R1 gently and safely flaps it bars (it has an electronic, speed-sensitive steering damper to keep things in check) in a glorious, heart-exploding show of decadent ‘up-yours’ speed. A super-tall first gear means you use the lowest cog more than on most bikes, perfect for sweeping around hairpins and growling – front wheel crossed-up in the air – out onto the next straight. This is like no other production motorcycle ever built – the engine character is so different. On the throttle the instant acceleration is like a big twin; off the throttle it’s like a freewheeling two-stroke, with little engine braking to speak of. Along the straights it’s a hyperspeed inline four. All this is down to the R1’s clever MotoGP-derived crossplane crank engine, with its irregular firing
order; Yamaha’s Rossi-developed two-fingered salute to all the inline fours out there. It takes a long time to figure out how to ride the new R1 properly on the road – only Rossi and his mates have ridden anything similar up until now. Confusingly, while the engine sounds like it’s running rough, there are zero vibes through the pegs and bars, and if you grab it by the scruff of the neck and ride it like an inline four (and who would blame you, it looks just like an old, peaky R1) the power delivery is too fierce. It’s the same as if you thrashed a big Ducati or Aprilia. It just doesn’t
The R1’s new Deltabox chassis gives the same neutral feeling as the previous model
FEBRUARY 18, 2009 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS X 27
www.motorcyclenews.com THE BIKES
YAMAHA R1 £9999 Never has the link between a MotoGP racer and road bike been so strong. The R1 sports a new super-short-stroke 998cc inline four-cylinder engine, which sounds just like Rossi’s factory M1 and has a similar irregular firing order and crossplane crankshaft, designed to improve acceleration out of corners and feel through the rear tyre. With a new chassis and a sophisticated electronics package, including a choice of three engine maps, fly-by-wire and variable-length inlet trumpets, complimenting this innovative new engine, this is Yamaha’s best chance of levering the mighty Blade off its perch.
HONDA FIREBLADE £9621 (IN HRC COLOURS)
respond well to aggressive riding. For best results, you have to ride the R1 smoothly like a twin and use the grunt out of the corners, then hang on to the revs and let it sing like a four. Just writing that has made want to go out and ride it again! Thanks to the crossplane crank’s lack of inertia working together with the slipper clutch, there’s minimal engine braking when you roll off the throttle. There’s a kind of eerie silence when you back off, like you’ve slipped into neutral. All this is good, though, and helps you glide so smoothly into corners, and with such sta-
bility that it defies belief. We’ve been crying out for Yamaha to give the R1 more grunt for years and now we’ve finally got it – lots of it. But, as they say, be careful what you wish for, because in some conditions you’ve got too much oomph when you tug on the fly-by-wire’s throttle strings. With so much instant, explosive power at your right wrist, there’s often too much for tricky conditions. A traditional inline four, like the old R1 or this Blade with softer power down low, is easier to ride on cold tyres or in the wet, but Yamaha has thought of a way to tame
the power with its D-mode system (see Tech Highlights, page 28). On the softest (B) map, the new R1 is much less aggressive on the throttle and friendlier to ride.
‘It took us hours to really get to grips with the R1’s engine’ Having said that, racer Mercer loves the immediate throttle response of the hardcore ‘A’ mode. I prefer the ‘Standard’ mode when
the roads and tyres are warm, and on the track. Once you’ve got the new R1 all figured out – and it took us until nearly halfway through our test – you quickly realise this is one of the easiest bikes to ride fast ever made – even easier than the Blade. Honda trounced the competition last year with its muscular, grunt-filled, newgeneration Fireblade; it would easily out-drag any other Japanese superbike... until now. On an empty stretch of French autoroute at the start of the day, with both bikes side-by-side at 40mph in top gear, I give the
signal for a full-throttle rolling drag race. Amazingly, the R1 blasts off into the lead and stays there. This time last year, with the old R1, the roles would have been reversed by the same amount. Although our performance figures (see over the page) show that the Blade has the fastest top gear roll-on acceleration time from 40-120mph, the R1 is faster from 40-90mph and this is the over-riding feeling you get from the Yamaha on the road. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to hear that the R1 easily wins this shootout – and that’s all
down to the spectacular nature of the ‘have your cake and eat it’ engine. The chassis isn’t the big story here – it’s slightly sharper than before, but it’s the same tried and tested, neutral R1 and is actually bettered in some ways by the Blade. It can be setup to suit any rider and won’t do anything wrong; just look at how many riders chose R1s last year in National Superstock racing to see the proof of that pudding. But rewind a few hours, back to the start of our journey, and Mercer and I were both convinced that the Continues over
Unchanged for this year, the mighty Honda Fireblade is the superbike to beat in 2009. It easily won our 1000cc shootout last year, thrashing its rivals on road and track, thanks to its grunt-filled 999.8cc inline four-cylinder engine, lithe handling and utter class. It easily justifies the tag of most rounded sports bike ever made. Just like the original Blade, the current bike doesn’t rely on toys stolen from the MotoGP play pen, just well-thought out, clever, tried-and-tested design. This beautiful HRC Suzuka-coloured machine is the basic model, but it’s also available with a Combined ABS system, a first for a roadgoing superbike.
50 X MOTOR CYCLE NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2009
SPORT
Silverstone’s £5m revamp: ‘It’s all about the fans’ Circuit boss says £5 million revamp will produce close racing and superb viewing
matthew.birt motorcyclenews.com
ILVERSTONE’S £5m revamp for the 2010 British MotoGP will have two prime goals: close racing and a better viewing experience for the paying public. That is the blueprint laid out by Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips, who gave MCN exclusive access to the redevelopment plans last week. The project includes major modifications to the Northamptonshire circuit’s layout and spectator viewing areas in an attempt to transform the track. Silverstone recently landed the rights to host the British MotoGP race in a shock five-year deal that took the race away from Donington Park, its home for 22 years.
S
The deal was the conclusion of more than two years of negotiations between Phillips and Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta and sees the elite class of motorcycle racing return to Silverstone for the first time since 1986. Although Donington has been derided for having substandard facilities, riders universally praise its fast and flowing 2.5-mile layout, while many appreciate the circuit in terms of viewing. Silverstone’s infrastructure far exceeds the standard at Donington, but it has been heavily criticised for its poor viewing areas, with previous World and British Superbike events bringing complaints that fans are too far away from the action. And the riders hate the ‘Mickey Mouse’ Luffield and Woodcote complex of corners, especially
the final first-gear chicane. But Phillips has vowed to leave no stone unturned in his bid to get Silverstone to capture the imagination of British bike fans. Part of the redevelopment of Silverstone will see a new
‘We want to make sure the fans get value for money’ RICHARD PHILLIPS, SILVERSTONE MD
‘Arrowhead’ section constructed on the current infield, the scrapping of the chicane at Woodcote and the modification and creation of new spectator viewing areas (see right for full information on the track revamp). Work will start on the track revisions in November, with completion planned for the circuit to be homologated in March next year. Phillips said: “We have always been aware of Silverstone’s failings. If you look at Donington and Brands Hatch, they are circuits in this country that you associate with bikes. There is a challenge to get Silverstone into that category, because we have been recognised more as a circuit for four wheels rather than two wheels for some time. “I am very happy with the
infrastructure, such as access roads, toilets and all of that, but I think the one area we need to make sure we get right is making sure that this is a circuit where the fans get value for money. “I don’t think it is a case that bikers don’t like us. I think they just want to be convinced that the viewing is going to be significantly better and that is our challenge. “We have recognised that it is not necessarily the best circuit for viewing, so we have looked at that. That is why we are investing a lot of money; MotoGP is not a cheap exercise for us, but it is part of our commitment to the sport. We are willing to spend a lot of money on making this a much more versatile venue.” Phillips is keen for Silverstone to relinquish its close
‘Work will start in November; completion is planned for March 2010’ association with Formula One and become a venue renowned for its broad appeal. Rather than see the surprise loss of the British Formula One race to Donington Park as a major blow, Phillips is looking at the opportunity it presents to redevelop the circuit. He said initial feedback from the British MotoGP switch had been positive and added: “Initially a lot of people have been very positive about it. If you compare
Donington and Brands and Silverstone, I don’t think we figure too highly with some bike fans, but I think people have become very positive. “If the riders and Dorna are positive about our plans and we can demonstrate that we are making changes to benefit the fans, then I’m convinced we can turn that perception around. “As far as I am concerned, we are working from a blank canvas. I want to make sure we get it right. Silverstone is seen as far too much skewed towards four wheels and it is important that we get that balance right. We are looking at as much more of a long-term project than the five years with MotoGP.” Having worked on Wembley, Euro 96, plus cricket and rugby world cups, Phillips is also acutely aware that
FEBRUARY 18, 2009 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS X 51
www.motorcyclenews.com
Artists’s impression of the revamped circuit, with the viewpoint from Becketts, showing the planned new ‘Arrowhead’ infield section
STANDOUT FEATURES OF THE REVISED CIRCUIT SILVERSTONE’S new British MotoGP layout will make it one of the fastest tracks on the world championship calendar – and Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner have already enthused about the reworked track. Silverstone submitted its
revised track plan to the MotoGP Safety Commission nearly a year ago in China. Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips said: “The riders seem excited about it. They were sure the run-offs were sufficient, but also that there
are ample overtaking opportunities. “We are pretty happy with the circuit now though it is not necessarily the final option yet. “We have still got some ideas in terms of trying to change the interest in it,
perhaps introducing some undulation at certain points. We are running simulations, so it is a bit more scientific than sticking a few cones out to see how it might work. “We want to make sure it is absolutely right from the riding side.”
This is the run down to the tight left-hander at the point of the Arowhead section
GRANDSTANDS The grandstands which run from the final corner onto the start/finish straight will be demolished and rebuilt
further back in order to increase the run-off as the bikes accelerate out of Woodcote.
ARROWHEAD
BECKETTS
After a fast right-kink that leads from Abbey Curve, the Arrowhead will bring riders to a left-hand hairpin that then leads back towards the paddock and pits. New viewing areas will be built around this section, and fans at the tip of the Arrowhead will also be able to look across and see the bikes as they flick through Becketts.
A revamp of the viewing areas at Becketts and Chapel Curve will let fans see the new infield section called the ‘Arrowhead.’ Curcuit bosses plan to raise viewing areas to give spectators a better sight of the track. Fans will also be able to see the bikes accelerating up to their top speed along the Hangar Straight.
Arrowhead section makes use of Silverstone’s massive infield
sports fans now expect more for their money when attending events. He said: “I understand venues and I understand the value of entertainment and how there needs to be more than just the sporting event they are attending to get value for money. “It is all about the fans. Hopefully the fans will see what we are trying to achieve and they will come and support us. We don’t want to alienate the fans at all.”
ONLINE SEE IT ALL See all the artists’ impressions of the new Silverstone circuit layout at www.motorcyclenews. com/newsilverstone
WHAT SOLD SILVERSTONE TO MOTOGP? SILVERSTONE’S commitment to make radical on- and off-track changes, coupled with its existing infrastructure, convinced Dorna to move the British MotoGP away from its long-established home at Donington Park. Silverstone MD Richard Phillips told MCN: “I think Dorna saw Silverstone as having a better infrastructure, so the potential was there to have better facilities and a better experience for the fans. There was an opportunity for track changes, too. “Also, the idea that they might be competing with a Formula One event at the
same venue is not so attractive to them. They like to have some independence from F1. Formula 1 is massive and causes issues
‘They saw the potential for better facilities’ for other events. So the blank canvas at Silverstone is really good for them. We spent a lot of time talking to them, building confidence and making sure that what we say we will do, we will.”
CHICANE
INFIELD
ABBEY CURVE
STOWE/CLUB
The slow chicane in between Woodcote and Luffield, introduced for the World and British Superbike races, has been scrapped, meaning that surrounding grandstands and Armco will be moved way back in one of the biggest offtrack changes featured in the circuit revamp.
Infield areas like inside the newly-constructed Arrowhead will be turned into entertainment zones to give fans better value for money. Silverstone also plans a roving grandstand ticket to allow fans to move to different parts of the circuit to get the maximum viewing experience over the race weekend.
Instead of flicking left and going towards Bridge Corner and Priory, riders will be directed right onto a new infield section, currently called the Arrowhead. They will eventually come back onto the current Club Straight, rejoining the existing circuit at Brooklands. Bridge was dismissed as being too dangerous to accommodate MotoGP after the plans were presented to the Riders Safety Commission.
Stowe and Club corners will become key spectator areas, with fans able to watch the bikes flat-out down the Hangar Straight. They’ll also see overtaking opportunities on the brakes into Stowe, as well as the fast run to Abbey and the new Arrowhead section.