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Traction control.

35K views 71 replies 31 participants last post by  ChicagoAJ 
#1 ·
Hi guys.

I have been riding my bike on a couple off track days and I've manage to get some nasty "drifts" with the rear end...

I've actually noticed the slide before the bike and managed too control it myself before the bike did anything!

So is it just me how have noticed the same thing?
The traction control doesn't seem to be so good at controlling the bike as the European bikes... :(

// Ottafjun
 
#2 ·
If you research this, you'll find basic traction control systems for as low as 699 to a top end of 25,000 + technicians salary to program the system.

Think about what needs to happen before your system kicks in. You have to exceed some sort of parameter for the machine to recognize....I'm guessing a combination of rpm change, and wheel slip.

As the systems get more and more sophisticated, they add all sorts of extra monitoring to do what? To catch it faster.sooner, and more predictably.

So, if the question, or answer is , "Will a street oriented, emergency type system ,on a 10,000 bike, perform as well as a a race oriented, five axis system on a 15,000 bike"?

The answer is probably going to be no.

Yes, I do know why Honda and Suzuki have not fitted such a system to any of their track oriented bikes.

What setting were you on, or did you try all three?
 
#4 ·
Just a quote from Suzuki's info page.
Three‑mode traction control system

The system checks the front and rear wheel speeds, the throttle position sensor, the crank position sensor, and the gear position sensor 250 times a second. It quickly reduces engine output by effecting control over the ignition timing whenever it detects wheelspin. The system’s control over engine output feels so smooth and natural, it does not detract from riding pleasure.
 
#5 ·
Dekker if we look at that, backwards, it has to detect wheelspin/and or a sudden, odd, increase in rpm, then reacts.

Now, theres no way human reaction will be at 250 ties per second..well, Motophoneman probably can, but for sure not me.

You know what the answer might be?

As kids, riding out on the Bonneville Salt Flats, we learned fast. We did our best to imitate our favorite dirt track stars by power sliding. You learned that chopping the throttle, during a slide, was a bad idea. If you did, and were moving fast enough, you went over the bars. When that rear wheel was out, then stopped sliding, the front followed, and you were flying like superman.

So, I bet this system does not do this. It would be horrible if it did.

So, it must gently reduce the power, but not so much as to stop the slide 100%, which would likely result in a crash.
 
#6 ·
I've had mine step out sideways on me pulling out on a junction.
I did the norm and shut the throttle off whilst chucking my weight over the handle bars. I didn't come off, whether that was my lightning quick reactions or the traction control I'll never know.;) On the other hand, without the traction control, would I have been on my a$$? We'll never know that either.
Personally, I'll never rely on it. It gives me a bit more confidence in the wet and the cold but only to the extent I can twist the throttle and see when the light starts to cut in. Even then, only in an upright position, I wouldn't trust it on a bend, too many other forces come into play and the result of it going wrong are too great
 
#7 ·
When I was riding on the track I had the traction control in the 2 mode.

The first slide I got was in a fast corner with low throttle, when the bike started sliding I eased of the throttle and the bike stopped sliding... Next lap I saw a clear line of rubber on the track exact where the bike slided!

It felt like there was not room for much more sliding before an crash.

Can the reason for the low interference off the traction control system be that i had little throttle and the "spin" wasn't big enough?
 
#8 ·
Can the reason for the low interference off the traction control system be that i had little throttle and the "spin" wasn't big enough?
Yes.
Tried to provoke it last summer with a sudden WOT over a little bump on a ramp.
And sure enough. The front wheel came up so quickly that I reacted before the TC cut the fuel. This was setting 3 ("normal" TC).

The GSXS have a fairly simple TC.
Still it is good enough for street use. On a track a more sophisticated TC that also monitors lean angle will work better.

Try with setting 1 and see if that "fixes" it (probably it will reduce power/laptimes compared to setting 2/3).
 
#9 ·
What I've learnt about our TC is that mode 3 is for "rain" mode 2 is for normal road use and mode 1 is for track use.

When I've ride in mode 3 the TC is interfering all the time in corners like it's trying too stop the bike from sliding before it happens!

Mode 2 haven't interfered at all on the road and didn't interfere on the track when the bike drifted away.

I have barely ride the bike in mode 1... Doesn't seem necessary if the bike didn't react when the rear end came loose in mode 2.
 
#10 ·
Opps!!
Sorry, winter time.. and no riding. Forgot the numbering of the TC modes.
Yes, I meant 1 for 3 and vice versa.
So you have already verified the "rain" (3) modus take care of slidin before it even can happen. :)
I like mode 1 and off. >:D
 
#11 ·
I'm pretty sure the traction control has saved my ass on track a couple of times now.
Yes I still felt the wheel break loose but the traction control kicked in a lot faster than I can.
When reviewing my go pro footage I can see the traction control light flickering away when I open the throttle coming out of corners and often there is no feeling of the wheel sliding in these cases.
I've also taken it on wet long grass and when you whack the throttle open the traction control kicks in and instead of losing the back end the bike just moves forward , almost like your on the road, with the traction control coming on and off constantly.
I reckon it works pretty well.
 
#13 ·
I find the traction control bloody brilliant. In rain setting at the track on cold wet day, it was coming on the every session at the track . Next track day , use normal road setting , and no matter how hard i corner it never comes on. Fast forward to a worn out tyre 2500ks later , at track,still on road not race control , and hey every corner it s flickering on. No slides as in , hey this is a power slide, but noticeable slip,that is being controlled. Same day fit new tyre ride even harder but traction control light never comes on.I am a fan , never had ABS or traction control before but am learning , at the track, to love both , well done suzuki, so much bike , so little money , YEE HAA
 
#14 ·
Hi,
I noted that, in first or second gear, if you start opening the throttle slowly and, after few seconds, around 5000/6000 rpm you open the throttle quickly
you get the front wheel pointing to the sky.

it may be funny, if you want it and you disable the TC :D, but I didn't expect this to happen with traction control in standard position (2) :|.
 
#15 ·
Traction control cannot detect when a tire loses lateral grip, only excessive wheelspin. It gives the same warning in the manual.


I think that, for most people, traction control on a motorcycle is useless.
 
#17 ·
WOW. You are right. It is only going to be activated when its a front to rear slip, not sideways.

With this in mind, I believe there is a lot of auto technology companies hoping to increase sales. Products and idea are getting forced into motorcycles that may or may not belong.
 
#16 ·
While you are raising your speed, and the front wheel loose the contact with the ground, it does not increase his speed. At the same time the the speed of the traction wheel continues to increase.

This situation should be detected and controlled.:(

In my opinion is better to think, and drive, as if you have no TC.;)
 
#43 ·
exactly , with the traction control on rain setting , you can ride as hard as you want , then when you get around that blind corner and hit a 20cm pile of water buffalo poo , it kicks in and may well , but not a given, save your arse. I love the feature, and love the ABS brakes as well,I brake like i don't have it, but when the **** hits the fan and you really give it more than you should, coz we are not all Marc marquise , and the lever pulses and you are not sitting on your arse hey, got to love it
 
#24 ·
It was more like the second. I went in the corner and came on the throttle then the bike started sliding, in this case I noticed the spin before the TC perhaps because the spin wasn't "big enough"...

Our TC isn't the best and the fastest but as some one wrote before... The price of our bike compared whit the bikes that have better TC is a big difference!
It's no doubt that the TC will save the day some time, but it's always the rider that will determine the outcome of a drive.
 
#20 ·
Still, as far as the traction control being considered a real "safety aid"

Theres a time and place for anything, but if you watch this video, he shows a kawasaki ninja 636 crashing, This bike has traction control.

I think we all hoped tc might help prevent this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY3b7xCEF9E

Also worth noting is how his frame guards made this crash damage way, way worse. Notice how they catch @ the :54 second mark.
 
#21 ·
Still, as far as the traction control being considered a real "safety aid"

Theres a time and place for anything, but if you watch this video, he shows a kawasaki ninja 636 crashing, This bike has traction control.

I think we all hoped tc might help prevent this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY3b7xCEF9E

Also worth noting is how his frame guards made this crash damage way, way worse. Notice how they catch @ the :54 second mark.
Hmmm and there's me thinking the traction control will save my arse ....!!! :(
 
#25 ·
The price doesn't matter.
With the ECU and ABS equipment present they have no more costs.
A 32 bit CPU costs 10$.
It's only software!
TC must control every 4 msec (2,7 cm at 100Km/h) the spin difference between the two wheels.

At which position did you set the TC while you experienced the loose of grip?
 
#30 ·
I have ridden many bikes and this is the first with TC for me. However I would like to say it does exactly what is says it does.

Mode 3 takes action fastest and allows the least slip (suggested for rain and slippy conditions)
Mode2 allows some slip (suggested for normal road use)
Mode 1 allows more slip (suggested for track and good quality roads)
Off you guessed it it turns the system off but the light on (my only complaint is the fact it turns the light on grr could they not allow the light to turn off after a min or so ? after all we know we turned it off we don't need the light)

Yesterday i took my bike out for the first time on Norwegian roads It was cold but mostly dry however where it was wet it was quite slippy I decided to use the mode 3 to give me the best chance if i hit a still frozen bit. I rode the bike as i always ride ie as it TC was not invented however i did notice it flicker a couple of times. I am sure if i rode like a tool it would have done its best but they have not invented the No Crashing button yet

so to sum up I found it a useful safety net I did not rely on it but instead used my experience and brain to react to changing road conditions and drove my bike responsibly. With this kind of riding it performed exactly as designed so no complains.
Last year on the track i used mode 1 and i barely noticed it perhaps because its not my race bike but my road bike and i was not pushing it to the limit at every corner but driving fast and smooth and enjoying the **** out of it. If i ever decide to loose my mind and get into racing again i would buy a race bike and then maybe on slicks and fully kitted out i would be able to push the TC to the point it didn't work for me. However this would require a divorce and i cant afford a divorce and a race bike and i kinda like having the wife about :)
 
#31 ·
You know, I ride my bike fairly hard through beds and really lean into bends and often accelerate hard out of the bend still leaned over and have to date (lets say fortunately) not had issues with the rear sliding or even noticed a yellow light on the dashboard. I ride in level 1 most of the time. Its been Summer over here and I just wonder if its not just a function of the operating temperature of the tyre and hence getting the desired grips levels from it, cause I cannot really complain about the grip of my standard tires.
 
#33 ·
I dont think useless or great is the issue. How it works, when it works, and how it works is a safety issue.

If its saved me ass a few times, I think Id want to know how it works and whats its parameters are, no?

For me, I'm not comfortable relying on a safety feature to keep me out of danger especially if I have no concept of what its doing.

I believe thats the point , here. Not useless or great judging.
 
#38 ·
My guess is the ECU does calculations for the traction control from the word go when taking off,this is why the bike has to be stopped to be able to change settings, the calculations could not be fixed due to tyre wear, tyre size or sprocket change and therefore the traction control would not work until it has a ratio to work from
 
#44 ·
This is handy info. Seems like we have broadly 2 types of TC in the wild. Those that are designed to help keep you out of strife under normal conditions, and those that are designed to allow riding at the limit on the track. I thing the secret is that on the road, never rely on the TC, regardless of it's sophistication. It's there to catch you "sometimes", and with this particular TC, even on the track, it's just a basic safety net, not a limit extender.
 
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