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Race or wreck?
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:20 am
by dwire
Duane always gave me the impression that no matter what those big jugs and valve covers looked like hanging off of these bikes, they'd not likely be rubbing the ground unless one was pretty well wrecking. So, what do you all think, race or wreck? Maybe did a "flip-flop"?
Re: Race or wreck?
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:26 am
by ME 109
'Constant' flip flopping.
Once yer done with the crash bars, yer can start on the covers.
Once yer done with the covers, yer can start on the brake pedal. Not sure what comes after the pedal.
He's at it again.
Re: Race or wreck?
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:38 am
by dwire
While on a lot of bikes, especially of the H D variety, those crash bars sometime look like what might help one get INTO a crash more than save their butt, but; yet I truly don't know as I've never actually wrecked a "street bike" Your nice pictures still leave me wondering (thanks for posting them) about in your case too; you have been wearing them down on hairpins and the like and finally made it to the valve covers, or is that stuff from a bit of "crash action" - or "near-crash-action..." ???
Regardless, thanks for taking time to post; I felt like asking such a dumb question was nearly spamming the board, but really I was serious. Besides, on a road course I know of none to few that do not run clockwise so in the end, the right cover should get more than they left. And my assessment just visually is it sure did look like awful nice flat scrapes at similar angles to have just been from doing and "end-o" high side rather than from happy weekend romps in the country... Thanks again Sir.
Douglas
Re: Race or wreck?
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 11:39 am
by Duane Ausherman
Even back in the day a few riders could scrape a cover. With the sticky tires at the time our race bike could easily scrape. We would bevel off the cover at the natural angle of "rub" and then weld back in a thin piece of aluminum.
Some racers would move the motor mounts higher in the frame. A very few would alter the case to have the cylinders tilted up a bit to make it a nearly flat "V" like the Guzzi. A few had shorter rods made up for a shorter cylinder sticking out.
Most of the aggressive road riders would hit because they weren't consistently smooth riders and the cylinder would "hit" not scrape.
Crash bars serve to encourage crashes and cause more damage to the bike and risk more injury to the rider. They actually cause cylinders to get knocked off.
The good thing that they do is put money in the pocket of the dealer, never a bad thing:-)
Sometimes...
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:10 pm
by Deleted User 62
I guess this answers the question, "will a BMW run on only one cylinder...?"
Re: Race or wreck?
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:56 pm
by ME 109
Duane Ausherman wrote:
Most of the aggressive road riders would hit because they weren't consistently smooth riders and the cylinder would "hit" not scrape.
When a bike falls over while stationary, the covers hit.
If the bike is moving, it's a scrape.
Unless of course the curve has a hollow/bump in it, then it hits.
Sometimes it's a quick, light scrape. Other times, it's wiping the road around the curve with the cover/bar.
I don't understand the relationship between consistency and scraping.
Scraping is scraping, and less lean angle in a curve is not scraping?
Crash bars serve to encourage crashes and cause more damage to the bike and risk more injury to the rider. They actually cause cylinders to get knocked off.
After hundreds of contacts each side, between my bars and the road, I cannot agree that bars encourage one to crash. Unless of course one has bars that stick out 8' from each side.
As for the results of crash bars and crashing, I only have one experience. That didn't cause a high side, or a cylinder to get knocked off.
There are no doubt many other stories as you suggest Duane.
Douglas, I'm gonna go with your "near crash action" that's close! 
Re: Race or wreck?
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:43 pm
by Deleted User 62
Here's an interesting example of race induced valve cover damage. It looks like Helmut Dahne at the Isle of Man. Plenty of bumpy turns on that course!
The damage on the original posters picture could well be from scraping while turning, note how they're both scraped in the direction of travel. The additional rash on the fins looks like it slid in dirt for a bit too. I've also seen valve covers that were damaged in a crash and the gouges were anything but in line with the direction of travel.
Re: Race or wreck?
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:28 am
by ME 109
Btw, it's called road machining.
Scraping is so uncouth.
Re: Race or wreck?
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 11:22 am
by Motorhead
Race wear
Re: Race or wreck?
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 12:00 pm
by enigmaT120
My fear scrapes before anything else, now that I have side stands that don't hang down in the way.