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how much horsepower is enough?or what does it take to scare you?


randy 77zt

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That my freind is fast enought lol Jesus

 

From my own experience when i just bought my WRX i thought and felt it was fast compared to my H22 Accord . But now 3 years later i feel its slow like hell . I guess in my opinion i love mountain roads curves and drift and i guess a good 450 500 hp would be plenty to do everything i love to do but if your a drag racer or highway racer enought HP is never enought .

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Guest da-man (is not!)
Youll have to say it again because i dont believe it ;) It depends a lot on what youre asking of each.

 

 

okay.... give me an example of an instance where that's not true. 'cuz I think it is. (but I admit that you are as welcome to your own opinion about it as I am.....):coollook:

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okay.... give me an example of an instance where that's not true. 'cuz I think it is. (but I admit that you are as welcome to your own opinion about it as I am.....):coollook:

It's not true everywhere except maybe in straight acceleration. Examples: I beat two different Vipers on two different days in my '93 Toyota P/U at autox. I also LAPPED a 97 911TT in my Z on a road course in a 20 minute session.

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okay.... give me an example of an instance where that's not true. 'cuz I think it is. (but I admit that you are as welcome to your own opinion about it as I am.....):coollook:

 

How about the inverse... When is the contest more car than driver?

 

Rolling start street racing?

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Guest da-man (is not!)

Right. And that is why there is a 10% equation figured into that. A better driver in an equal car will always win. A better "enough" driver in a lesser car will also be the victor. There is no question about that. Y'all are jumping to some serious mis-conclusions about what I've said.

What I AM saying is this: There is a much larger disparity between those who can and those who can't in the bike world than in the car world.

 

That's why Valentino Rossi can jump in Schumaker's F1 car and within 15 laps be turning times that would qualify him for the previous race, (and the 2nd row, mind you) but Schumaker won't even get ON Rossi's bike....

 

That's why an unskilled driver like myself can get in an equally prepared car and keep up with national championship winning race-drivers (for 4 or 5 laps, 'til I make a big enough mistake I spin it), but I get beat by National championship winning motorcycle racers on lesser bikes all the time.

(By the way: the curve is true on the other side as well. I can run away from superbikes on my 90hp Ducati all day long, but when I'm driving, I can't seem to as easily shake the new guys in a fast car. Put me back on my Superbike, and I can be a real hero, til a Freddie Spencer comes along and puts me to shame on a much, much lesser bike.)

 

Ask anyone who has done both. Let me rephrase; ask anyone who is accomplished at both. He'll tell ya where the skill is more important.

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Guest da-man (is not!)
uh huh. Do tell.

 

 

I never kiss n tell :-D

 

But working at a racetrack, one gets many opportunities that not everyone gets.....

 

 

So I'm thinking: here"s the way we test it:

let's get together somewhere. We'll both drive your car around the track a few times, and then we'll both ride my bike around the track a few times. Let's see how that turns out, shall we?

I bet money that I'm within 10% of your lap time in your car. And I bet money that you're OUTSIDE of 25% of my laptime on the bike. :icon10:

 

hey... this actually sounds like alot of fun!

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Guest da-man (is not!)
No thanks. You started in on this thread with a silly statement and have descended into Internet buffoonery. I'm done.

 

a silly statement. One that is generally accepted in most racing circles. (Car and Bike)

 

And I'm sorry you are offended. I though the idea was a good one. Internet Buffoonery? It seems like maybe that's just an easy cop-out for a guy who has realized he might possibly be wrong..... and wants out quick!!! :cry2:

 

 

We can let it be though.... if that helps you sleep better.:coollook:

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da-man, watch yourself. You're new here and we don't take to flaming very kindly. Claiming that you can run with national level drivers in similarly prepped cars is pretty bold. Best to be providing proof for outlandish claims like that.

 

What's more, racing bikes assumes a much greater personal risk than racing cars. Comparing the two is comparing apples and oranges. It sounds to me like your confusing "balls" with "skill". You use basically the same skills in each game (picking a line, matching revs when downshifting, threshold braking, etc), but the bike rider has to have the balls to put himself at much greater risk than the car driver.

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Guest da-man (is not!)

well, it seems to me like I was the one who was flamed, not doin' the flaming? I was, after all, called a "buffoon", remember? Each of my comments have been made with a very friendly wink and a nod. I even stated that i thought each of you had a right to their own opinions about it..... and that those would be based on each person's experience. And then my experience was summarily dismissed.

 

Sure, personal risk is part of it. But there is much more to pay attention to on a bike. Weight transfer being one of the biggest differences.

Let's put it this way: which vehicle is more susceptible to operator input? Quite obviously, the bike is. When you put a 150lb rider on a bike weighing 325 lbs, ANYTHING that rider does will affect it's trajectory, and performance. When you apply throttle to a contact patch measuring no larger than 4 sq. inches, (with a hp:weight ratio of at or near 1:1.75) you must do so MUCH more carefully than in a car. any car. When you brake to the apex on a bike, while leaned over with a knee on the ground, using a contact patch measuring less than 3 sq inches, sure risk is part of the game, but if you want that lap time, then risk is removed from the equation, and you simply must know how to do it correctly, which requires much more feel than you can get from any cars brakes.

In a car, it doesn't matter which foot your weight is on. It doesn't matter which way your knees are pointing. It doesn't matter what shape your body makes as it passes through the air. It doesn't matter if your elbows are too large to tuck into the tank.

 

When you are braking at the end of a long straight, you don't need to worry about getting the rear wheels back on the ground before you tip in. You don't need to worry about getting that weight to the front of the bike to keep the nose down. (moving that weight without upsetting the suspension mid-corner, mind you)

 

sure. you can break it down to the basics, and there are some very large similarities between the two forms of racing. But don't ask a car racer to think about the things a bike racer must, if he is to be competitive.

 

as for "proof" of my prowess at the wheel.... I already told you that I am an unskilled driver, so rather than name-drop, I'll retract my previous comment, and simply rest saying that I am laying a challenge out there: Give me 10 laps in your car and I'll be within 10% of your best lap time. I'll also point-out that that's a pretty large gap. say you do a 1:40 lap time at a given track. If I'm doing 110% of that, 1:50, that means I get lapped on your 10th lap. That sucks. but not as bad as you'll be sucking on my bike! :-)

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Sure there are differences in the two forms of racing, and I'm sure that you can make the case that since you're climbing around on a motorcycle that you have more input. That doesn't mean that it takes a rocket scientist to race a motorcycle, and likewise it sounds like you are also seriously underestimating what it takes to be a good car driver.

 

Regardless of any of that, we're getting way off topic. Let's keep it to cars, preferably Z's, and how much power is enough and what it takes to scare you.

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