paul
12-23-2008, 08:41 AM
Redial tyres is that their added firmness means that even a fatter tyre provides' a firm ride with a sharp handling response. Generally speaking, a fatter tyre tends to flex under pressure and therefore does not give a sharp handling feeling, But a radial tyre's inherent firmness meansthat even a fatter tyre there is a quicker convergence of external forces, which means sharper handling and a sportier, more agile ride. It is a tyre that provides a solid feeling of road contact".
To develop the radial rear tyre for the FZ16, Yamaha's design staff worked closely with the technical staff of the tyre maker MRF and exchanged information numerous times about the exact performance qualities they wanted for this model. The specifications of a custom designed tyre like this involves more than just the various size dimensions. This also involves longitudinal and lateral rigidity balance, grip qualities and flexing (distortion)
characteristics and a mutual balance amongst these various factors. Of course, it is not this tyre alone that gives a bike like the FZ16 a sporty, agile ride. Adjustment of the specs of the various chassis components to achieve an optimum mix is also necessary to bring out the maximum performance potential. Here is what the Yamaha engineers had to say about the chassis development. "The FZ16 frame is a newly developed diamond type frame. Viewed externally, it may look similar to the frame of the Yamaha Gladiator, but in fact it is completely ~ifferent and was developed with a prime focus on reducing weight. Also, rigid mounts were used instead of rubber mounts in a design that makes the engine function as a structural member of the frame.
Then we worked on achieving the best specs for the many related parts and components in detail, through repeated tests. The _stay that holds the engine (cylinder) head to the frame are made of- ¬steel plate with a thickness of 3.2 mm and high-rigidity die-cast Aluminum was used for the parts that connect the pivot assembly to the frame. These parts are especially effective in providing quicker convergence (absorption) of external forces when running at higher speeds. Also, a hard rubber close in consistency to plastic resin is used for the rear hub damper to increase rigidity. This combines with the effect of the rear radial tyre to make this a machine that achieves excellent response to the rider's handling actions.
In simple terms, you won't feel any "sloppiness" in the handling response while riding through traffic on the city streets. Instead, you get a response that enables agile riding. The FZ16 has a chassis performance that provides direct response to the rider's throttle work, and at Yamaha we call this, "drivability with a feeling of directness." And it is part of their definition of the fun of riding that they want this model to deliver. Another important chassis feature of this model is the extra sturdy front fork with thick 41mm-daimeter tubes. The 41mm inner tubes of this front suspension are the size usually used on 400cc class sport bikes. Why did Yamaha choose such a high spec unit?
126
"Besides, its shock-absorbing function, the front fork is also a component that determines the overall rigidity of a motorcycle's chassis. To achieve the optimum balance with the new frame and the radial rear tyre, we chose a unit with 41mm tubes to achieve a high level of rigidity. I n addition to providing good rigidity and stability in straight-line running, it also functions especially well to give a good, solid feeling of machine stability on rough roads with continuing bumps and during shprp braking," the Yamaha engineers comment. That's not to mention the distinctive look it gives to the bike's appearance. And, the larger spec also improves the fork's suspension function.
"These thick inner tubes improve the mechanical functioning of the suspension. If you have two suspension units with the same cushioning capacity, the one with the larger inner tube circumference will function better, because the increased surface area reduces the friction per unit of surface area and thus produces better response. Of course, the larger diameter also means that you can give it a larger diameter spring as well. With the FZ16's front fork you won't feel any "bottoming out" when going. over bumps or during sudden braking because of the strong, solid cushioning function it delivers".
The fatter fork may look heavier but that is only the visual impression. "This fork uses tubes with thinner walls to reduce weight, and the handlebar crown that supports the fork is also a lightweight cast Aluminum unit. The design of the ribs on the inside of this crown was also optimized by conducting .f~peated tests. The specs of the fork offset, caster and trail were also optimized in relation to each other to help contribute further to the enjoyable and highly stable handling feeling". Another characteristic you will notice with the handlebar crown and the under-bracket on the FZ16 is the wider breadth of their span. They are about 10mm wider than those on the Gladiator and this surely contributes to the stability of the front assembly.
Next, let's look at the rear suspension. The rear suspension of the FZ16 is a "Monocross suspension."
"A major merit of this Monocross suspension is that, compared to the conventional dual shock absorber type, it can be positioned close to the machine's center of gravity to improve the concentration of mass. Also, it enables greater freedom of positioning of the shock absorber unit and makes it possible to get greater wheel travel than the actual stroke of the shpck absorber unit. With a cp 14mm rod and a cp 62mm spring and an optimized design for the valve that created the damping force, the rear suspension of the FZ16 achieves the necessary maximum load capacity. The spring is a two-stage type with a different coil pitch in the upper and lower halves. The tighter coiled section contributes to a smoother ride, while the section with fewer coils supports load at the time of the larger stroke to prevent bottoming". By the way, of all the motorcycle makers, Yamaha has the longest history of Monocross suspension development. It way back in 1973 that Yamaha mounted a 2S0cc motocross competition machine, YZM2S0, with a Monocross suspension and won the world championship. After that, the Monocross suspension became a standard feature on many production models. Today, it continues to evolve as the world standard on sports bikes by all makers.
To develop the radial rear tyre for the FZ16, Yamaha's design staff worked closely with the technical staff of the tyre maker MRF and exchanged information numerous times about the exact performance qualities they wanted for this model. The specifications of a custom designed tyre like this involves more than just the various size dimensions. This also involves longitudinal and lateral rigidity balance, grip qualities and flexing (distortion)
characteristics and a mutual balance amongst these various factors. Of course, it is not this tyre alone that gives a bike like the FZ16 a sporty, agile ride. Adjustment of the specs of the various chassis components to achieve an optimum mix is also necessary to bring out the maximum performance potential. Here is what the Yamaha engineers had to say about the chassis development. "The FZ16 frame is a newly developed diamond type frame. Viewed externally, it may look similar to the frame of the Yamaha Gladiator, but in fact it is completely ~ifferent and was developed with a prime focus on reducing weight. Also, rigid mounts were used instead of rubber mounts in a design that makes the engine function as a structural member of the frame.
Then we worked on achieving the best specs for the many related parts and components in detail, through repeated tests. The _stay that holds the engine (cylinder) head to the frame are made of- ¬steel plate with a thickness of 3.2 mm and high-rigidity die-cast Aluminum was used for the parts that connect the pivot assembly to the frame. These parts are especially effective in providing quicker convergence (absorption) of external forces when running at higher speeds. Also, a hard rubber close in consistency to plastic resin is used for the rear hub damper to increase rigidity. This combines with the effect of the rear radial tyre to make this a machine that achieves excellent response to the rider's handling actions.
In simple terms, you won't feel any "sloppiness" in the handling response while riding through traffic on the city streets. Instead, you get a response that enables agile riding. The FZ16 has a chassis performance that provides direct response to the rider's throttle work, and at Yamaha we call this, "drivability with a feeling of directness." And it is part of their definition of the fun of riding that they want this model to deliver. Another important chassis feature of this model is the extra sturdy front fork with thick 41mm-daimeter tubes. The 41mm inner tubes of this front suspension are the size usually used on 400cc class sport bikes. Why did Yamaha choose such a high spec unit?
126
"Besides, its shock-absorbing function, the front fork is also a component that determines the overall rigidity of a motorcycle's chassis. To achieve the optimum balance with the new frame and the radial rear tyre, we chose a unit with 41mm tubes to achieve a high level of rigidity. I n addition to providing good rigidity and stability in straight-line running, it also functions especially well to give a good, solid feeling of machine stability on rough roads with continuing bumps and during shprp braking," the Yamaha engineers comment. That's not to mention the distinctive look it gives to the bike's appearance. And, the larger spec also improves the fork's suspension function.
"These thick inner tubes improve the mechanical functioning of the suspension. If you have two suspension units with the same cushioning capacity, the one with the larger inner tube circumference will function better, because the increased surface area reduces the friction per unit of surface area and thus produces better response. Of course, the larger diameter also means that you can give it a larger diameter spring as well. With the FZ16's front fork you won't feel any "bottoming out" when going. over bumps or during sudden braking because of the strong, solid cushioning function it delivers".
The fatter fork may look heavier but that is only the visual impression. "This fork uses tubes with thinner walls to reduce weight, and the handlebar crown that supports the fork is also a lightweight cast Aluminum unit. The design of the ribs on the inside of this crown was also optimized by conducting .f~peated tests. The specs of the fork offset, caster and trail were also optimized in relation to each other to help contribute further to the enjoyable and highly stable handling feeling". Another characteristic you will notice with the handlebar crown and the under-bracket on the FZ16 is the wider breadth of their span. They are about 10mm wider than those on the Gladiator and this surely contributes to the stability of the front assembly.
Next, let's look at the rear suspension. The rear suspension of the FZ16 is a "Monocross suspension."
"A major merit of this Monocross suspension is that, compared to the conventional dual shock absorber type, it can be positioned close to the machine's center of gravity to improve the concentration of mass. Also, it enables greater freedom of positioning of the shock absorber unit and makes it possible to get greater wheel travel than the actual stroke of the shpck absorber unit. With a cp 14mm rod and a cp 62mm spring and an optimized design for the valve that created the damping force, the rear suspension of the FZ16 achieves the necessary maximum load capacity. The spring is a two-stage type with a different coil pitch in the upper and lower halves. The tighter coiled section contributes to a smoother ride, while the section with fewer coils supports load at the time of the larger stroke to prevent bottoming". By the way, of all the motorcycle makers, Yamaha has the longest history of Monocross suspension development. It way back in 1973 that Yamaha mounted a 2S0cc motocross competition machine, YZM2S0, with a Monocross suspension and won the world championship. After that, the Monocross suspension became a standard feature on many production models. Today, it continues to evolve as the world standard on sports bikes by all makers.