There's a common misconception in motor sport that data logging will always be prohibitively expensive. This view seems to widely held, particularly amongst bike racers. Actually this is a bit of a myth and isn't necessarily true. A basic Datron 2D kit system can cost as little as £1,900: even if you were to add 2 suspension pots into the equation, you're still only looking at a cost of approximately £2,300 excluding VAT. Now when you consider that teams have very limited track time to finely tune their racing set-up, and that it can cost bike racing teams tens of thousands of pounds just to be in a championship for a year, the cost of a 2D system seems comparatively minor. But do motorcycle racers really need the sophistication of a 2D kit logging system? Couldn't the information be provided equally well by using an ECU with internal logging?
What sort of information will a basic 2D system give a bike racer?
A basic data logger with 2 suspension pots will tell the rider the GPS track position and speed, the suspension movement and suspension acceleration, the RPM, and therefore the gearing, the throttle response, the wheel speed using the supplied sensor and the lap times supplied on a mini-dash. In essence that's pretty much all of the information any motorcycle racer would ever need, served up for a reasonable price.
Why do racing teams use 2D?
- The 2D kit system is small and ideally suited for use on motor bikes. It has a high channel count, logging capacity and fast sample rates. The isolated inputs save money and set-up time by allowing the use of the existing bike sensors. The 2D sensors and software have been specifically developed for bike use, and are not simply modified versions of car or cart applications. The 2D kit system is also scalable and has been designed for future expansion.
- 2D loggers are CAN-capable and will record all data from most ECU's: all signals from the motor and chassis can be analysed with the same powerful 2D software. 2D loggers are also economical, flexible and transportable and can be transferred to other bikes for future use.
- The 2D system is designed for race bike needs and has been developed using rider feedback. The software has been designed specifically for bikes, and the hardware-design ensures fast set-up and the sensors are small and lightweight.
- The 2D system comes complete with logger, dash, loom and software. The system is modular and can be added to and expanded if the need arises.
So, why not just use an ECU with internal logging?
In theory racers could do just this, but there are limitations. An ECU's primary task is to monitor and look after the engine. Therefore the ECU will be compromised for logging purposes and will not be able to deliver the depth and quality of information you might need. You can, of course, buy a very expensive ECU, but the costs are prohibitive and they are generally too large for bike use. Most ECU loggers have only a small recording capacity, few spare channels, low sample rates and generally low resolution analogue inputs.
