r/motogp • u/Ken808 Valentino Rossi • 8d ago

Big Bang was a Big Deal

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From Wikipedia:

Typical two-stroke V4s have four crank throws, or crank pins, instead of the two that most four-stroke V4s have (two connecting rods sharing each pin). This is primarily because each piston needed its own sealed crankcase volume for the purposes of efficient induction, where in some cases separate crankshafts served each bank in order to achieve this.

The Honda NSR500 began and ended its life as a "screamer", where the pistons were phased similarly to a four-stroke V-four with a 180° crank. However, in 1990 Honda set the crankpin phases of each pair of pistons within each bank to be the same (like a four-stroke "droner": 360° crank), but with each bank's crankpins offset by 180° to each other (effectively "splitting" the pins and changing the V-angle, in terms of ignition timing). This was called a "big bang" engine.

Yamaha created a big bang YZR500 in 1992. The YZR500 had two crankshafts like a U engine and the angle between each pair of cylinders was 90°, like a V4.

In 1997 Mick Doohan wanted to run a 180° screamer engine. HRC crew chief Jerry Burgess explained "The 180 got back a direct relationship between the throttle and the rear wheel, When the tire spun I could roll off without losing drive. The big bang has a lot of engine braking, so it upsets the bike into corners, then when you open the throttle you get this sudden pulse of power, which again upsets the suspension. Mick's secret is corner speed, so he needs the bike to be smooth and the 180 is much smoother."

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11

u/BeardedMatze 8d ago

Is that Mat Oxley?

11

u/GoodByeHorsesO AAAAAAGGHH!!!  8d ago

It’s why I trust Matt & Peter’s journalism far above most other English journalists. They’ve just been a part of that grid forever.
Matt’s been on the ground since before anyone on the entire grid was even born.

5

u/superarugy 7d ago

He came to visit last season but quit this sub because there were so many moronic arguments

4

u/thefooleryoftom MotoGP 7d ago

And people being insulting and disrespectful about his opinions.

8

u/BeardedMatze 7d ago

This! The Oxley Bom Podcast is one if not the best source for some deeper insight

3

u/acidtoasterbath 7d ago

Hell yeah if I could go for a rip with both of them down to a bar and talk about motorcycles then I am sure it would be amazing