SoCal Motor Bicycle Racing Sat April 7th 2012 Grange Racetra

[MotorBicycleRacing]

Only 7 days to go and the weather is going to be great.

Stevil_Knevil just signed up by emailing me at MotorBicycleRacing@gmail.com

[zombiess]

I just totally screwed myself. Messed up my back an my bike trying to test something. I'm not going to make it.

Needed a second person to swap swing arms, but didn't have one and screwed up my back trying to do it myself. If I wasn't hurt and had help I could put the bike back to the way it was, but I'm out of time because I have to work tomorrow. This sucks.

I wanted to let others test ride the bike or let someone else race it even though I didn't think I was going to race myself.

[Alan B]

Major bummer. Take care of that back.

[zombiess]

Major bummer. Take care of that back.

I just got the bike back together and almost rideable. I took several oxycodone pills and waited for them to kick in. I have to wait and see how bad I am tomorrow to determine if I can make the drive or not. I hurt like hell, but now all i need to do is re-install the 18 fet controller and some velcro ties. I also need to rent a SUV if I'm going to take the bike. Just have to wait it out and see now. I don't think there is any way I'd race. Someone else would have to. My main reason for going was to let some people test ride the motor so they could see what it was like.

[liveforphysics]

Major bummer. Take care of that back.

I just got the bike back together and almost rideable. I took several oxycodone pills and waited for them to kick in. I have to wait and see how bad I am tomorrow to determine if I can make the drive or not. I hurt like hell, but now all i need to do is re-install the 18 fet controller and some velcro ties. I also need to rent a SUV if I'm going to take the bike. Just have to wait it out and see now. I don't think there is any way I'd race. Someone else would have to. My main reason for going was to let some people test ride the motor so they could see what it was like.

I have a rider for you. He is very good.
He is my crewchief, so he will be there.

[bigmoose]

This is going to be a blast! 20 electrics entered from what I heard when talking with Luke and farfle last night. Zomb, be safe, but just take your pieces parts to the track; and I'll bet the guys put it together for you. Looking forward to the pix and vids tomorrow!

The bike of death, the 2Pi, the new cromotor and 17 others! Think of this years competition versus just two years ago. The advancements being made by you guys beats a fortune 500's pace of technology development.

[zombiess]

The bike of death, the 2Pi, the new cromotor and 17 others! Think of this years competition versus just two years ago. The advancements being made by you guys beats a fortune 500's pace of technology development.

Mark 5:9
We are legion

[Alan B]

Departing momentarily. C U tomorrow.

[MotorBicycleRacing]

Grange April 7th Race Schedule:

Gate opens at 6:00am for Registration, Payment, Sign Waiver, WristBands.
Track hours 7.30am - 7:00pm

Practice 7.30am - 9.45am
Everyone off the track:
9:45 - 10:00 Racers Meeting in Pits

Heat 1: 5 Laps + 1 warm up lap
10:15 - 10:30 <50cc 4 Stroke + < 2000w eBikes + < 30 mph SLOW Mopeds
10:30 - 10:45 2 Stroke 66 cc/80 49 cc China kit bikes
10:45 - 11:00 Mid Range + eBikes + Mopeds
11:00 - 11:15 <11 hp + FAST eBikes + Mopeds

Heat 2: 5 Laps + 1 warm up lap
11:30 - 11:45 <50cc 4 Stroke + < 2000 w eBike + < 30 mph Moped
11:45 - 12:00 2 Stroke 66 cc/80 49 cc China kit bikes
12:00 - 12:15 Mid Range + eBikes + Mopeds
12:15 - 12:30 <11 hp + FAST eBikes + Mopeds

LUNCH BREAK - BIKE SHOW
12:30 - 1:30 Pre Order $10 PIZZA from Jim Granger
Practice and cruising on the track is allowed.

Finals: 12 Laps + 1 warm up lap
1:30 - 1:55 <50cc 4 Stroke + < 2000 w eBike + < 30 mph Moped
1:55 - 2:20 2 Stroke 66 cc/80 49 cc China kit bikes
2:20 - 2:45 Mid Range + eBikes + Mopeds
2:45 - 3:10 <11 hp + FAST eBikes + Mopeds

ULTIMATE RACE of the 4 Classes: 14 Laps + 1 warm up lap:
3:30 - 4:00 The top 5 to 8 place finishers from the 4 classes.

ARROW MOTORIZED CYCLES TROPHY CEREMONY:
4:00 - 4:30

UNLIMITED RACE
4:30 - 5:00

REVERSE RIDING THE TRACK [ Clockwise ]
5:00 - ???
A try out for the next SoCal Motor Bicycle Racing Event which will be run clockwise.

[nicobie]

I feel like shit. Yesterday it was coming out of both ends. Feel a little better now. I might be a bit older than most, but I haven't missed a race between the stinkers and the geeks yet.

So ... I hope I can get up and going tomorrow at 4:00 am. Sorry but I can't take the van/ gen/ parts/ popups/ tables this time.

I'm sure that I will have my usual unhelpful comments and pics though.

[acuteaero]

A little update from my point of view this evening- I left track at about 9:30... couldn't hang any longer, just exhausted. Staying in the Motel 6 in Victorville- or one of the two motel sixes, which are across the street from each other. Don't understand how that works.

PaulD's bike ate the Lyen controller I bought from Lyen yesterday and installed last night- I modified it to eliminate the cutting-out issue as seen here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16910 ... I installed additional shunt resistors for a total of four, then used the software to limit the current to what I thought was a safe value- turned out it was running more current than I thought and quit working. I need to troubleshoot it more fully tomorrow. There are some nice melted solder chunks rattling around inside, know that for sure. And one phase of blown fets, at least. Zombiess volunteered to apply his large body of knowledge about the Infineon controllers to help me scrape together something- if we're lucky we'll have a working bike again tomorrow. It was super fast while it was running today, though If we get it going again it probably won't be quite as fast again

I also rode around a little on my HS hubmotor "bmx" bike, it's pretty good except for the sorts of not quite right things that you always get when rushing to a deadline and not preparing as well as is really needed. I'm not really much of a racer so I may ride it around with the slow gas guys and just have some fun. I think that anyone trying to push it to limits would get very frustrated by all the "not-quite-rights" about it...

Running chargers off the Prius HV battery works perfect and is super slick. Actually tried it for the first time this afternoon at the track. Mean well HLG and RSP are kickass chargers. Kokam cells seem OK and pack builds seem to have mostly worked out, some small questions to confirm when I have some more time but mostly OK. Kokam cells are definitely not the performance level of good hobby lipo cells. They warm up under load/charge and sag more. But they balance nice and are very consistent.

SoSauty and 999zip showed up today, those were the only other ebikers I saw before I headed out. I have heard directly and indirectly that LFP and crew, Farfle and Stevil Knevil and friends are all rolling in later tonight.

Should be fun tomorrow! Looking forward to it!

[liveforphysics]

Im about an hour out.

Sorry to hear about the lyen controller blowing Acuteaero. Exploding controllers is the curse of the big HXT motor. I think PaulD only ran 65amps battery current on an 18s pack. Thats enough to be many hundreds of amps of phase current with that motor, and phase amps are all the controllers FETs feel.

[liveforphysics]

2pi in surgery. I give the patient a 99.9% chance of timely recovery.

[Doctorbass]

Good luck everybody!

I would love to have my Giant racing you all!.. but i would need to drive like 48h non stop! and would arrive at the race so tired that i would not be able to flip the contactor switch!

Doc

[liveforphysics]

Won by a massive margin in the fast bikes heat. The video should be good.

Roached the pack from my own mistake. Swapped to spare pack. Somehow the controller threw a fault for mosfet shorted. Confirmed no mosfets are shorted. The fault is factory reset only. We may be boned. We are talking with sevcon support.

[liveforphysics]

I roached the motor in the final.

A racing liquid cooled 2 stroke scooter took 1st.

Ryan on Zombiess cromotor bike took 2nd by a healthy margin, and was first overall for bicycles.

The third place bike was a big 4 stroke with a cvt.


However, in awards, he just ignored Ryan, and gave first place to the gas bike that finished behind Ryan, and said that the trophies are for gas bikes only.

Its fine. It just makes his awards meaningless paper weights.

[liveforphysics]

Stevil-kinevil took a dominate first in his class.

The guy gave the trophy to the gas bike that took 2nd.

[nicobie]

Well...

I guess it was to be expected. He was just wanting ebikes there for collecting extra entry $ for himself.

Can't wait to hear the rest of the details.

[bigmoose]

First congrats to you guys that went, ran and won!! Second, let him give out his trophies how he desires. Perhaps we could collect a few $'s next year for our OWN electric only trophies. Something that is meaningful to US. I would be willing to donate "some" (heretofor undefined ) wood cutting for some of the pieces for the eBike trophies (more than 1, less than 6).

[nicobie]

Hey BM,

I understand where you are coming from,

But by god, shouldn't the E guys get at least a bit of support from the race promoter? If the dillweed promoter combines Ice with E-Bikes at the same time and on the same track, shouldn't the ebikes have the same chance as the stinkers to win and collect the prize?

I was bummed out about my old body getting sick and missing the race. Maybe it was for the best as I know my blood pressure would have gone sky high watching Neils stick it to the battery guys. Last time I mostly kept my mouth shut. That won't happen ever again at his races.

Nick

[Doctorbass]

i am curious to see what the video of this race will show...

Btw thanks Luke for the updates!

Everyone will clarely see the electric taking the 2nd and the first place!.. At least the video can proove to everyone that it's the electric that won the race in some category..

[bigmoose]

Hey BM,
I understand where you are coming from,
But by god, shouldn't the E guys get at least a bit of support from the race promoter? If the dillweed promoter combines Ice with E-Bikes at the same time and on the same track, shouldn't the ebikes have the same chance as the stinkers to win and collect the prize? ... snip
Nick

Nick, you know I agree with you in principle. 100% in fact. Our guys got snookered. They won what they won, fair and square. That said, I have never found a way to force someone to like you. They either do, or they don't. As my years add up, and the end keeps coming nearer, I tend to spend that part of it that I have left with people I enjoy, and people that "get it..." Just my opinion and shaped by my current phase of life!

[liveforphysics]

Evidently, the person who made the trophies said he only wanted gas bikes to have them. Thats totally fine if the guy just wants to make his trophies into meaningless paperweights at best, or guilty shame reminders to the people awarded them at worst.

What was extremely poorly done, was not recognizing the real winners.

[Alan B]

Was a good day, except for the awards setup. We shud do our own. if we do our own, how to organize it?

I left my green directors chair, if anyone grabbed it, good.

Cromotor did well, greyborg frame did well, have to finish mine!

We are melting too many motors. Need to fix that.

Great to meet all the good folks.

Have a safe trip.

[Thud]

Hold the front door...
Was it Neil who Side steped the winners? I know the trophys were made By one of the engine bike riders

Looked pretty good to me. But if i got beat & some one handed me one....it would be pretty hollow. Totaly undermines the spirit of the event.

If e-bikes are out just say so up front. If someone DONATES a trophy, its on the promoter to see the proper riders are re-warded for their effort. If scooter are allowed in the bigk show-down....then they should be eligable for the awards.

the scooters & e-bikes paid a full entry fee if i am not mistaken.....were the mopeders told they were exibition only class, ineligable for awards? None of the e-bikes were. it really kinda stinks.

so whats the real story Neil?