How to kill an R1

*****UPDATE 2*****
Loving the comments! :) Anyways, it is (well was) a Yamaha R1 engine in our Westfield-based rallycar. The datalogging plots said 5-6, even the gear indicator on there changes 5-6 - as said, in updates and description and initial replies, the engine went bang when a rod let go shifting UP.

To answer some other genius comments. Yes, it has a rev limiter, but that isn't going to do a lot when a rod lets go.

The system is using a flatshift, this is a sub 100 millisecond ignition cut to allow flat-out gearchanges. Typically they are better for dogboxes, offloading the gears while shifting giving less wear and a smoother change.

There are plenty of other videos of the car in this account, just search for wr1c!

***UPDATE***
Seems a lot of debate on the comments. As said in the description below, the engine let go on an upshift. We run full logging on the car and strip the engines ourselves so we know exactly what goes on. If anything is going to break, it's going to break when the engine goes from 14,000rpm to 9,000rpm in about 0.1s, as it did in this case. A weak engine, with the remnants of a rod in the engine bay afterwards. The fact the engine jumped out of gear earlier in the lap was an indication it was on it's way out... cheers!
***/UPDATE***

Graeme Finlayson, testing the semi-auto paddleshift. Destroying an engine.

A weak rod deciding to let go during a flat shift resulting in 24,000rpm and a dead engine...

More videos available at http://www.fluke-motorsport.co.uk/videos/
http://www.racedandrallied.com
http://www.kitcar-trader.co.uk

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Fluke
• Motorsport
• westfield
• crash
• blowup

[vreference]

lol how does the engine get to 24,000RPM if an UPSHIFT was completed then? (That is what you are suggesting caused a rod failure after all - the successful shift resulting in a rapid RPM reduction..which then somehow caused a massive increase in rpm even though we've got to assume the clutch would still be engaged in the next higher gear.. "engine jumped out of gear earlier" is an indication that the ENGINE is on the way out?! You just went full retard. Never go full retard. brb, head exploding.

[geefin]

@vreference Yep, engine and gearbox share the same oil in a bike engine. Had quite a few blow over the years I ran that car, and in many instances the first indication of a problem is when the gearbox tightens. The datalogger showed 24,000rpm, not claiming it spun that high, but sure gets the views on a video. Datalogger also showed an upshift as the rod let go and came through the side. But great diagnosis and judgement from not actually being there :)

[SuperDirtPig]

ok, just for arguments sake right, he is not used to using this setup and just nails the throttle and does not let up while moving up through the gears then..... hits a false neutral with a dodgy warmed up box and boom the tranny just dies :p

I don't care really and the comments are great hahahaa

[geefin]

@SuperDirtPig "does not let up while moving up through the gears" you do know the purpose of a flat-shift right? :/

[mark530ni]

sounds like gearbox fail to me.... I assume its the bike gearbox now pulling the extra weight of a 4 wheel vehicle with the added load of 2 wheel drive... poor wee cogs can only do so much... but in its defense, the engine still going!

[banshee492]

Anyone believe an R1 will turn 24000rpm? No motorcycle engine will, absolutely no way. Tach must be set wrong, for another engine type or something. It was probably turning 12000rpm. A Honda 250cc6cylinder turns around 18000, the oval piston 8-valve per cylinder NR750 spins a few thousand less, and a Formula 1 engine built by Honda's or Yamaha's best engineers, millions of dollars, spins under 20000, with 10 or 12 cylinders.

Its a race engine, it shit the bed. ryanrummler is right.

[dudu99cavalli]

caterham

[gremlinkiller]

sometimes things go bang!

[vreference]

@ryanrummler You don't have to know much to throw a westfield together. You can see the drivers head thrown forward (massive deceleration) at the exact moment engine RPM increases dramatically. They want to believe the recorded RPM data may be wrong (despite audio corroboration) and instead believe the recorded upshift command means an upshift occurred. Occam's razor applies here and the only plausible explanation is a downshift no matter what the logger recorded from a failing transmission.

[ryanrummler]

@vreference I like how you dumb fucks think you know more than this guy about the ride HE built. Obviously he knows what he is doing.

[YamahaGuy89]

@daspanka A flat shift is where the accelerator is not released when changing gears, i.e., you don't let your foot of it.

[Snoop18719]

@vreference  You just went full retard. Never go full retard. ha ha ha I started crying. ha ha ha ha ha

[dodieisonfire]

eye eye eye eye eye eye eye eye eye eye !