Those pesky throttle bodies

[StumpysWife]

A.  I don't know what the heck a throttle body is.  All I know is it makes Mladin and Yates angry.  

B.  AMA is requiring stock throttle bodies for the superbikes, correct?  Does this not apply to everyone (Honda, Ducati and Suzuki) or just Suzuki?  If they all require stock throttle bodies, did Honda just build a better one and Suzuki is mad?  Is the playing field level for the 1000cc 4cylinders?

Thanks for your input!

Heather

PS - I'm just wondering because it seems Mladin is constantly whining about one thing or another whether he's winning, losing or testing freakin' Dunlops.  I just want to know if he actually has a point.    

[tigerblade]

The throttle body is what mixes the fuel and air in fuel injected engines, taking the place of the carburetor.  Remember when Pridmore all of the sudden found a bunch of speed this year even though he was on a Gixxer 1000 too?  It was mainly because Yoshimura has to sell the TB's to people but not the electronics needed to tune them.  Once Attack got the fuel injection to work, viola!

[tigerblade]

PS - I'm just wondering because it seems Mladin is constantly whining about one thing or another whether he's winning, losing or testing freakin' Dunlops.  I just want to know if he actually has a point.    

I posted this on another site this morning.  Just a compilation of some Mladin quotes from AMASuperbike.com this year.  I respect him and he's a damn good racer but he does always seem to say it's the rider when he's winning and it's the bike when he's not...

For your entertainment. All taken from Soup.

4/7/03:

Mladin wrote: "I think Eric has forgotten what happened three years in a row, 99-01 when he was beaten fair and square when I was on a 750. He signed the contract with his current employer now he has to live with the decisions they make on which way they want to go racing. Kawasaki have been a very successful company in superbike racing all around the world. I should know, I won 30 or so national races with them in three years of Australian Superbikes in the early to mid 90's."

8/3/03:

"The thing that's annoying the most is that there's all these complaints about my bike," he added. "Obviously, I've won most of the races this year on the Suzuki 1000, but there are other guys on the same bike. I look forward to some guys getting a 1000 next year, put it that way. I think they are in for a big surprise."

12/8/03:

"I think we've got work to do," Mladin said. "I think the new rules suit the new bikes. We've got to go back to a different throttle body and all that sort of stuff." When asked how the new bike conforming to the new rules compared to the older specification, Mladin responded with a one word answer. "Slow," he said. Mladin ran down Ben Bostrom on the new Honda over several laps at one point in the afternoon, but wasn't particularly excited about it. "I ran him down before he got going. When he got going he was half a second quicker, easily." Mladin's clearly not content with his four AMA Superbike championships. "There's gonna be a lot of stuff going on between now and when we come back in March. But Suzuki have a lot of work to, let's put it that way, before we come back."

[skara]

FWIW honda built their bike to the new rules i.e better fuel injection system   three years age when suzuki introduced the gsxr1000 they built it to different specs for cost reasons at that time you were allowed to change your throttle bodies and airbox to an purpose built one now they have to use what is stock and since they did a redesign last year i wouldn't expect a new and updated injection system soon. i have yet to see a price on the new honda,kawasaki,yamaha they all have a rule friendly injection system, so assume more expense  

[Super Dave]

Fours have to run the same number of fuel injectors per cylinder as the production bike.

Suzuki and Yamaha - one.

Kawasaki and Honda - two.

The special FI set up that Yosh had had two injectors per cylinder.  When Attack Suzuki finally figured it out, it was apparently worth 15HP on their superbike.  That's a lot.

Still, the factory teams can still use forks that cost $125,000.  

[G 97]

Fours have to run the same number of fuel injectors per cylinder as the production bike.

Suzuki and Yamaha - one.

Kawasaki and Honda - two.

The special FI set up that Yosh had had two injectors per cylinder.  When Attack Suzuki finally figured it out, it was apparently worth 15HP on their superbike.  That's a lot.

Still, the factory teams can still use forks that cost $125,000.  

You may claim them for $7500.00

[mdr14]

But first you must have a SUPERBIKE license ;D

[Team_nuclear123]

While it is possible to claim a bunch of parts, it pretty much ensures that you will never get support from any factory, ever.

Not to mention, you need to be able to build a wiring harness and computer setup to use em.

Or the forks... You can claim em, but it doesnt mean they have to work. or be striaght, or not have all the knobs twisted off.

The Honda is proving to be fast as hell straight away, and the suzuki is getting hamstrung by the lack of "shower" injectors and airbox volume. Its gonna be a long year now that the playing field has been leveled.

[the_weggie_man]

"If done properly" the claimed parts are supposed to be taken off the bike with an AMA tech person watching to ensure the proper parts are delivered in good shape to the claimant. At Road America in 1988 I had to watch over Team Honda take off a set of carbs when they were claimed by another team. The Honda crew was not happy!

[Super Dave]

I thought that with the new rules for the 2003 season, the $7500 claim rule was eliminated for forks.  Kind of a give/take for the factories.  Restricted motors, maybe, but unrestricted suspension.

As Nuclear said, you claim it, you're never getting anything.  When I was working with Dale Quarterley, he had the same problem.  He wanted the "cool" carbs for his RC30, but it didn't matter if someone had way too much money to buy them for him.  One, they wouldn't sell them to him.  Two, if he claimed them, he'd be in that position where he couldn't get anything.

[r6_philly]

so, lets say I never want to receive anything from the factories, since it is not my dream/goal or whatever. So I enter an AMA race, then I made sure the procedures are followed to the letter and actually properly claim a race bike, or parts off it under tech supervision after the race. Then I would have a pretty good platform to race FUSA with right? Then I will just do it again next year. hows that sound?

[Super Dave]

Yes, but no.

Let's say the shock is special.  It has some kind of an unobtanium seal and bushing on it that allows it to have less stiction.  Eventually, it wears out.  Where do you get a part?

How about an ignition box?  It goes bad or something.  Can you get a replacement?

Let's say that the exhaust is made of Ti.  If it cracks, do you know anyone at the track that can weld it?  Got a replacement?  

Being able to repair and maintain your own bike is pretty important.  And can you, or I for that matter, get enough out of the bike to have those things make enough of a difference to warrant the claiming?  Some thoughts.