Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

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Le_Fromage_Grande
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Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Having played with the traction control on my new bike, I don't think I could accelerate as hard with the TC turned off as I can by revving the knackers out of it and letting the TC control sort out the actual grip, especially in the wet, what do other people with TC think, or am I the only person stupid enough to use the TC as a form of launch control?
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by MingtheMerciless »

Mine does have launch control but I've not got the bottle to use it (some impressive YouTube vids though). The only time I do seem to trigger the TC is powering out of roundabouts.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Yorick »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:58 am Having played with the traction control on my new bike, I don't think I could accelerate as hard with the TC turned off as I can by revving the knackers out of it and letting the TC control sort out the actual grip, especially in the wet, what do other people with TC think, or am I the only person stupid enough to use the TC as a form of launch control?
Have you tried it in the dry yet?
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Bigyin »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:58 am Having played with the traction control on my new bike, I don't think I could accelerate as hard with the TC turned off as I can by revving the knackers out of it and letting the TC control sort out the actual grip, especially in the wet, what do other people with TC think, or am I the only person stupid enough to use the TC as a form of launch control?
I struggle with getting electronics to engage. Having spent over 30 years applying the throttle and brakes so the bike doesnt flip over or lock up its hard to just whack the throttle wide open and let the bike sort out the issues. Mine normally cuts in on wet drain covers and such like but even then its rare as i have always eased the throttle slightly to avoid the wheelspin.

I have tried it once or twice in the dry with a big handful of throttle (probably not a full on 0 to 100%) and with the anti wheelie on the bars go light but the front just skips about rather than hitting me in the face. I tried the ABS in the wet at Pembrey and while it worked it felt weird to trust it
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Yorick wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 11:10 am
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:58 am Having played with the traction control on my new bike, I don't think I could accelerate as hard with the TC turned off as I can by revving the knackers out of it and letting the TC control sort out the actual grip, especially in the wet, what do other people with TC think, or am I the only person stupid enough to use the TC as a form of launch control?
Have you tried it in the dry yet?
Not completely dry, and certainly not warm, it's been in condition where I'd expect it to spin, in the dry it would wheelie.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Couchy »

I'm amazed your bike needs it tbh. It'll interfere enough so you feel it and as it's a basic system it won't be very smooth and it will be working when it doesn't need to be. To be really useful the newer systems with an IMU are much better and far less intrusive.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Couchy wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 1:09 pm I'm amazed your bike needs it tbh. It'll interfere enough so you feel it and as it's a basic system it won't be very smooth and it will be working when it doesn't need to be. To be really useful the newer systems with an IMU are much better and far less intrusive.
The 3 times I've ridden it have been on either wet or dirty roads, maybe on clean, smooth roads it wouldn't come on, it's not particularly noticeable when it comes on, the engine note changes a little and the light flashes.

BTW it doesn't need it, I'm riding like a twat in low gears.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by exportman »

Like Bigyin I have very little interference from the electronic aids whilst riding normally. Occasionally ABS cutting in on the rear brake in the wet or over gravel and traction control exiting the occasional wet bend or difficult to avoid diesel spill. I have managed to have the TC and ABS cut in in the dry but that was deliberate to experience what happens and make sure I knew what to expect.
After almost 50 years of riding and shifting without using the clutch my present bike is the first with a quick shifter. Until I got the hang of not easing the throttle slightly on the up change I hated it.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

This is my first bike with ABS or TC, until Thursday the most modern bike I'd ridden was a 2002 GSXR750, and I freely admit to provoking the TC, I discovered how much fun it was pulling away on some gravel on Saturday, the bike just gripped and accelerated when I wanted it to pulling away from a layby on the A12, after that discovery I moved on to seeing how hard I could accelerate in 1st with the TC on, bloody fast as it happens.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Bigjawa »

Couchy wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 1:09 pm I'm amazed your bike needs it tbh. It'll interfere enough so you feel it and as it's a basic system it won't be very smooth and it will be working when it doesn't need to be. To be really useful the newer systems with an IMU are much better and far less intrusive.


I remember the TC/ABS Pans coming out and a road tester giving it full beans on a wet roundabout, then being surprised to find himself on his arse with 300 kilos of Honda sliding after him.

I've never, ever had the ABS cut in on my BMW, when the pump shat itself, I only got it fixed as they check it now over here.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by The Spin Doctor »

The traction control on the 2018 V-Strom 1000 didn't kick in when I expected it to out in NZ - rounding a left-hand curve and accelerating out of it, only to find a wet stretch of road just round the corner with a piece of polished tarmac directly under the wheels. The back end just spun up and slid sideways. It was violent enough to have the driver behind locking his own tyres and sliding into the opposite lane.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

The Spin Doctor wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:21 pm The traction control on the 2018 V-Strom 1000 didn't kick in when I expected it to out in NZ - rounding a left-hand curve and accelerating out of it, only to find a wet stretch of road just round the corner with a piece of polished tarmac directly under the wheels. The back end just spun up and slid sideways. It was violent enough to have the driver behind locking his own tyres and sliding into the opposite lane.
There's only so much cack handed riding it can cope with :D
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Yorick »

Even the top MotoGP and WSB lads have high-sides. It's not magic.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Taipan »

Tmax riders, turn it off and style it out. 8-)

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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Bigyin »

Taipan wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 11:06 pm Tmax riders, turn it off and style it out. 8-)
You would be on your arse ;)
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Taipan »

Bigyin wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 11:35 pm
Taipan wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 11:06 pm Tmax riders, turn it off and style it out. 8-)
You would be on your arse ;)
Like most of my life! :lol:
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by KungFooBob »

Yorick wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:50 pm Even the top MotoGP and WSB lads have high-sides. It's not magic.
Pedrobot had a massive high side when the rear wheel speed sensor wire snapped on his bike, goes to show how much they do actually rely on the stuff like that.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

I think there's a good chance the TC on my bike could cause a high side, when it does it's thing you get a tiny bit of spin followed by grip, leant over the transfer from spin to grip could make the bike stand up, I don't think I'll be testing this.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by weeksy »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue Nov 02, 2021 10:18 am I think there's a good chance the TC on my bike could cause a high side, when it does it's thing you get a tiny bit of spin followed by grip, leant over the transfer from spin to grip could make the bike stand up, I don't think I'll be testing this.
I'm fairly sure Suzuki have this pretty much nailed in terms of ECU/IMU/whatever as do the others. Highsiding takes a fair bit of comittment on newer bikes i reckon.
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Re: Traction Control and Straightline Acceleration

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

weeksy wrote: Tue Nov 02, 2021 10:22 am
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue Nov 02, 2021 10:18 am I think there's a good chance the TC on my bike could cause a high side, when it does it's thing you get a tiny bit of spin followed by grip, leant over the transfer from spin to grip could make the bike stand up, I don't think I'll be testing this.
I'm fairly sure Suzuki have this pretty much nailed in terms of ECU/IMU/whatever as do the others. Highsiding takes a fair bit of comittment on newer bikes i reckon.
They probably have, but I don't think I'll dick about with trying to make the TC come on while leant over, it'll end in tears, my tears.
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