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Guy Martin on Pike's Peak
David Jenkins - 3/11/14 at 04:28 PM

I was watching "Speed with Guy Martin" on Channel 4 last night, where he took his home-built bike up Pike's Peak.

I know he won his class by 1 second over the 2nd place man (the previous champion) - but how much faster would he have been if his bike had been in good running order!


Andy D - 3/11/14 at 04:44 PM

I thought the same. I found an article somewhere on the web.. sorry.. no immediate link... that said the bike currently has about 350bhp, but he's after 500! eek!


Andy D - 3/11/14 at 04:46 PM

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/news/newsresults/general-news/2011/october/oct611-the-bike-that-guy-built-500bhp-cafe-racer/


adithorp - 3/11/14 at 04:48 PM

Quite a bit I think. There were plenty of other factors bikes ahead of him if you search for this years results. I wonder if he'll have another go at it; All seemed a bit last minute and he might have some unfinished business.


nick205 - 3/11/14 at 05:13 PM

Really enjoy watching him on TV. He seems to have that infectious enthusiasm for a challenge and for life in general.

I too wondered how much more potential there was from the bike. 500hp is a lot in anything, but on two wheels


tegwin - 3/11/14 at 05:56 PM

I watched it and couldn't help feel that it was faulty for a reason.... (to make a story or something)... Surely you would have got it running perfectly before you flew out? A few days on a rolling road would have ironed out fueling issues surely?

[Edited on 3/11/14 by tegwin]


David Jenkins - 3/11/14 at 06:03 PM

I was also surprised that he didn't run it up and down a runway or something before he left.

When he's making these series he's often doing several challenges simultaneously - that, plus his proper job and bike racing may have meant that he simply didn't have enough time to do the job properly.

But I did like the bit where he was clearly pee'd off that he didn't go as fast as he thought he could - then he found out that he'd won!


Mark Allanson - 3/11/14 at 06:12 PM

Being a bit of a cynic, I wonder if the bike misbehaved because the director of the documentary told it to


steve m - 3/11/14 at 06:15 PM

Dont spoil it for me, as watchint tomorrow night


mark chandler - 3/11/14 at 06:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
I was also surprised that he didn't run it up and down a runway or something before he left.

When he's making these series he's often doing several challenges simultaneously - that, plus his proper job and bike racing may have meant that he simply didn't have enough time to do the job properly.

But I did like the bit where he was clearly pee'd off that he didn't go as fast as he thought he could - then he found out that he'd won!


^^^

As above, he farmed out the preparation so expected it to be right I guess and without a rolling road in a pressure cell the only test is the hill.


metro6r4 - 3/11/14 at 07:49 PM

I can't believe I missed it I love the pikes peak hill climb.I will admit to being a massive geek and looking for video's on youtube at least once a month and I must have raced that track at least 200 times on colin mcrae dirt.Massive respect to anyone who has the balls to try it.Its a hard race to setup for as the air their is a lot thinner.Its easy to say it should have been right but I bet setting it up without any real idea in the difference in air pressure etc its near imoposible to get a perfect fuel map on your first attempt.


David Jenkins - 3/11/14 at 08:00 PM

It's repeated next Saturday night.


Volvorsport - 3/11/14 at 08:06 PM

If its turbocharged, how does altitude affect it?


ian locostzx9rc2 - 3/11/14 at 08:11 PM

You can watch it on 4 od now!


chrism - 3/11/14 at 08:30 PM

Not sure how/when the show was filmed, but I'm pretty sure that Turbo was fitted on the bike over 2 years ago, from remembering seeing it in a magazine a long time ago.


twybrow - 3/11/14 at 08:45 PM

I think it was filmed in 2012 from memory.... I don't think the bike was setup badly deliberately, but I was surprised that when they found the bike running rough, why not have hot footed it to a rolling road, and of course upgrade the injectors (laughable explanation by narrator!).

Guy is my new man crush. Such a likeable chap, a brilliant mechanic and balls of steel!


phelpsa - 3/11/14 at 08:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Volvorsport
If its turbocharged, how does altitude affect it?


Not at all if its fuel injection and MAP (most likely), will just produce less power.

EDIT: Thats not very clear, shouldn't make it run badly, just reduce overall power.

[Edited on 3-11-14 by phelpsa]


metro6r4 - 3/11/14 at 08:47 PM

higher altitude = less oxygen content
The turbo pressurizes the intake the same (same psi) as it would at sea level. There will be a power drop as even though the volume of air is the same, there is less oxygen in a given volume of air. A normally aspirated drag car will loose 1 sec for every 5k feet of altitude. Turbo charged car looses 4 tenths for every 5k feet of altitude.

This is based on various things I have read on drag racing websites so it is up for interpretation as anyone can be an "armchair expert". I may have misunderstood but it sounds feasible enough


AdrianH - 3/11/14 at 08:50 PM

4seven at 22:00 on freeview?

Adrian


phelpsa - 3/11/14 at 08:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Andy D
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/news/newsresults/general-news/2011/october/oct611-the-bike-that-guy-built-500bhp-cafe-racer/




So if it was actually built by Sean at Big CC, what did the chap in Derbyshire have to do with things?


Alan B - 3/11/14 at 11:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by metro6r4
I can't believe I missed it I love the pikes peak hill climb.I will admit to being a massive geek and looking for video's on youtube at least once a month and I must have raced that track at least 200 times on colin mcrae dirt.Massive respect to anyone who has the balls to try it.Its a hard race to setup for as the air their is a lot thinner.Its easy to say it should have been right but I bet setting it up without any real idea in the difference in air pressure etc its near imoposible to get a perfect fuel map on your first attempt.


If you ever get anywhere near to Pikes peak you absolutely must drive it. I drove up in rental car treating it like a Sunday drive, and even that was a bit scary. At 12,000 ft you hit the tree line and the trees instantly have gone then you see clouds and aircraft actually below you......definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

Alan


907 - 4/11/14 at 07:19 AM

I always feel a little cheated when I find out how a program was made.


I watch the program, taking in all the details, only to be told that it was not like that at all.

It's dishonest.


Paul G


daveb666 - 4/11/14 at 09:37 AM

Agreed with some of the other comments above;

decent tuner, his 'anti-oxygen' machines, some plastic wrap over the doors and a day on the rollers and the bike would have performed as intended.


Disappointing end to it all tbh


Andy D - 4/11/14 at 10:12 AM

quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
I think it was filmed in 2012 from memory.... I don't think the bike was setup badly deliberately, but I was surprised that when they found the bike running rough, why not have hot footed it to a rolling road, and of course upgrade the injectors (laughable explanation by narrator!).

Guy is my new man crush. Such a likeable chap, a brilliant mechanic and balls of steel!


Was definitely this year, results here: (Guy Martin pos 53)
http://gas2.org/2014/06/29/pikes-peak-2014-race-results/

I would presume the bike was set up right in the UK, and the altitude cocked it up .. not sure how altitude is compensated for ???


jeffw - 4/11/14 at 10:26 AM

The bike was finished in 2011 and it isn't like they didn't know the race was at altitude!


adithorp - 4/11/14 at 10:34 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Andy D
quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
I think it was filmed in 2012 from memory.... I don't think the bike was setup badly deliberately, but I was surprised that when they found the bike running rough, why not have hot footed it to a rolling road, and of course upgrade the injectors (laughable explanation by narrator!).

Guy is my new man crush. Such a likeable chap, a brilliant mechanic and balls of steel!


Was definitely this year, results here: (Guy Martin pos 53)
http://gas2.org/2014/06/29/pikes-peak-2014-race-results/

I would presume the bike was set up right in the UK, and the altitude cocked it up .. not sure how altitude is compensated for ???


I'd kind of spoiled the ending for myself by looking that up earlier in the week.

I'd guess as far as compensation control...
MAP,Atmospheric Pressure and Lambda to control fueling, as normal but could the boost level could be governed according to atmospheric pressure reading. So the boost is increased as the height does...

Or it's just rider governed... just has way too much power to use a the start so short shifting and he gradually increases the throttle the higher he goes as the power drops.

Having been up the Col du Bonnette at just under 9000ft, I can say you start to notice the loss of power up there. Injection motors cope OK but mates with webers were really struggling; Rich as hell and missfiring.


whitestu - 4/11/14 at 10:42 AM

quote:

Having been up the Col du Bonnette at just under 9000ft, I can say you start to notice the loss of power up there. Injection motors cope OK but mates with webers were really struggling; Rich as hell and missfiring



Whenever I've driven in the Pyrenees it was the injection cars that seemed to lose power. Carbed Alfas on Webers / Dellortos seemed to cope fine. This was with older injection on late '80s cars though.

Stu


adithorp - 4/11/14 at 12:10 PM

Travelled with two carbed cars (4age and a zetec, both on twin webers) and they both ran rich at altitude and ended up coughing and spluttering for a while after due to the sooted plugs. They were probably on the rich side to start with compared to a cabed tin-top. I can imagine earlier Injection not being great but as the control has improved a lot of the issues hae gone. Cars with closed loop mixture control (lambda sensor) should stay the same AFR, just less power. Even open loop BECs should compensate to someextent if they have MAP and APS.
I know I notice less change on my 04-06 R1, than others running 02-03 motors, so even in one generation there's an improvement to the system. Most noticable change for me is the poping from the exhaust reduces and then stops, the higher I go, then gradually comes back on the decent.


Andy D - 4/11/14 at 01:49 PM

I've spluttered over mount Ventoux in a carbed BMW many years ago.

Is this right?

higher altitude = less oxygen content
The turbo pressurizes the intake the same (same psi) as it would at sea level. There will be a power drop as even though the volume of air is the same, there is less oxygen in a given volume of air. A normally aspirated drag car will loose 1 sec for every 5k feet of altitude. Turbo charged car looses 4 tenths for every 5k feet of altitude.

This is based on various things I have read on drag racing websites so it is up for interpretation as anyone can be an "armchair expert". I may have misunderstood but it sounds feasible enough


Does the actual mix of air change with altitude? I presumed it just got thinner, but with the same proportions of oxygen, nitrogen CO2 etc etc.. hence turbocharging gets round the problem be supplying the mixture at the same boost pressure no matter what height we're driving (or flying? WW2 aero engines??)

..just curious.


mark chandler - 4/11/14 at 02:44 PM

Boost will be relative to the surrounding air so 10psi at sea level is not the same volume as 10psi at 5000ft


Andy D - 4/11/14 at 04:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
Boost will be relative to the surrounding air so 10psi at sea level is not the same volume as 10psi at 5000ft


..so a sealed tank with a gauge registering 10psi at sea level will do what? .. at 5000ft? ..genuine Q, as I'm no expert! I would have thought it would remain at 10psi with the same volume contained?

Or, does a pressurised plenum with a pop off valve behave differently?

..quickly about to wade way out of my depth here..


whitestu - 4/11/14 at 04:22 PM

Won't temperature have an effect? Higher up temperatures are lower and cold air is more dense.


adithorp - 4/11/14 at 04:36 PM

As the presure drops there are less molecules of all constituent gasses for the same volume. There will be some variation of the ratio of gasses due to altitude but inpractice it's only the reduction in O2 that matters in this case.

A turbo spinning at a set speed will raise the pressure by a set amount (give or take). Remember under most circumstances a turbos boost is being limited (thats what the waste gate does). So at (moderate) altitude it is allowed to work harder to reach the same set limit, the boost presure will be close to that of sea-level, hence the power doesn't drop as much relative to a NA engine. Of course above a certain altitude the turbo will be flat out and still not compensate.

ps. Ventoux is "only" 6000ft.


adithorp - 4/11/14 at 04:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by whitestu
Won't temperature have an effect? Higher up temperatures are lower and cold air is more dense.


But the pressure has a bigger influence. O2 is still less. Remember you'll die of O2 starvation at the top of Everest despite the temp (though that'll kill you as well).

We really need the resident Physics professor/turbo experimentor to wade in on this... you out there Matt?

[Edited on 4/11/14 by adithorp]


Andy D - 4/11/14 at 05:18 PM

quote:

ps. Ventoux is "only" 6000ft.



I think me old beemer would struggle up Pikes peak then,


adithorp - 4/11/14 at 06:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Andy D
quote:

ps. Ventoux is "only" 6000ft.



I think me old beemer would struggle up Pikes peak then,


Calls for a gratuitous Mt Ventoux VIDEO or TWO


Andy D - 4/11/14 at 08:38 PM

quote:

Calls for a gratuitous Mt Ventoux VIDEO or TWO



Itis a bit like the moon up there isn't it. I would put up a vid of my old BM chugging up, put sadly it was before the video camera had been invented.

But, keeping ever so slightly on topic.. here's a vid of Sebastian Loeb chugging up Ventoux practicing for Pikes Peak.


Nickp - 4/11/14 at 09:30 PM

I did the Stella-Alpine Rally on an XTZ750 years ago. It's amazing how a perfectly fine running carbed engine can barely run up at 10,000ft. With the clutch pulled in and the throttle wide open it wouldn't rev past 4krpm!! I virtually pushed it up the bloody mountain!!


02GF74 - 5/11/14 at 06:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
quote:
Originally posted by whitestu
Won't temperature have an effect? Higher up temperatures are lower and cold air is more dense.


But the pressure has a bigger influence. O2 is still less. Remember you'll die of O2 starvation at the top of Everest despite the temp (though that'll kill you as well).






No.

On 8 May 1978, Reinhold Messner stood with Peter Habeler on the summit of Mount Everest; the first men ever to climb Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Prior to this ascent it was disputed whether this was possible at all


Nickp - 5/11/14 at 07:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
quote:
Originally posted by whitestu
Won't temperature have an effect? Higher up temperatures are lower and cold air is more dense.


But the pressure has a bigger influence. O2 is still less. Remember you'll die of O2 starvation at the top of Everest despite the temp (though that'll kill you as well).






No.

On 8 May 1978, Reinhold Messner stood with Peter Habeler on the summit of Mount Everest; the first men ever to climb Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Prior to this ascent it was disputed whether this was possible at all


Either way the fall will get ya


red22 - 5/11/14 at 08:15 PM

While all this talk of the effects of altitude on the combustion engine are thrilling, the question that really needed answering at the end of the program was how he got on with the girl he chatted up.

P.S. Can bike dynos cope with 500bhp bikes?


Nickp - 5/11/14 at 08:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by red22
While all this talk of the effects of altitude on the combustion engine are thrilling, the question that really needed answering at the end of the program was how he got on with the girl he chatted up.



Fair point, forgot about that. Does altitude affect your performance in the sack?


adithorp - 5/11/14 at 08:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
No.

On 8 May 1978, Reinhold Messner stood with Peter Habeler on the summit of Mount Everest; the first men ever to climb Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Prior to this ascent it was disputed whether this was possible at all


Above 8000m is the "Death Zone". Yes it's possible to climb without o2 above that but you are effectively dying (slowly) and have to summit and descend pretty quick. Time above 8000m is limited before you will suffer to the inevitable; Either cerebral or pulmonary adema.


twybrow - 5/11/14 at 09:22 PM

quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
No.

On 8 May 1978, Reinhold Messner stood with Peter Habeler on the summit of Mount Everest; the first men ever to climb Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Prior to this ascent it was disputed whether this was possible at all


Above 8000m is the "Death Zone". Yes it's possible to climb without o2 above that but you are effectively dying (slowly) and have to summit and descend pretty quick. Time above 8000m is limited before you will suffer to the inevitable; Either cerebral or pulmonary adema.


Supposedly someone spent 3 days on the summit of Everest, but with no ard proof, it is wildly speculated....

I went to a talk from Doug Scott recently (legendary British mountaineer who was cutting edge in the 70s-80s. He has the record for the highest night survived without a tent. He slept the night in a small snow hole, 200 feet below the summit of Everest. Alititude and temperature should have killed him, but he survived (albeit with a few less fingers and toes). Amazing stuff....