I think unless you are willing to go out purposely trying to lose traction multiple times in wet conditions, in lots of different modes and at all sorts of lean angles you aren't going to be able to gather any useful evidence. You might be better off just pretending to yourself you haven't got traction control and ride as you have done in years gone by and pray Honda know what they're doing for the rare occasion shit goes wrong. Interested to hear what your dealer says.....
Fair point, Charlie. I wonder if the traction control is calibrated to arrest wheelspin under 'normal' riding conditions. Trying to induce wheel spin is not normal, and I suspect the amount of power and throttle 'lean angle' registered in the ECU will override any parameters set by the TC. In a racing or track condition, we will see smooth acceleration (in wet or dry conditions) rather than brute 'snap on' throttle openings. In short, and without evidence to the contrary, I suspect the TC is set to 'catch' a natural loss of traction rather than an induced one.
I don't think I agree with that. I can't see how wheelspin is induced would be relevant. The ECU will be fed data that indicates the rear is spinning faster than the front and it will be progammed to take action - perhaps taking into account lean angle. With my personal testing, I have tried both sudden acceleration and gradual - the results have been similar. The only thing I haven't tried is varying lean angles - this is beyond my risk appetite!
The Honda torque management very much takes lean angle into account. The significance of lean angle is among other things, the change in rolling diameter as the tyre leans over. I am trying to find some notes I took after a candid conversation with a Honda insider in 2017 that shared with me that (and this is where my memory is a little fuzzy) one of the street bike ECU torque management features only intervenes once per throttle application. As in the event is detected, a level of intervention is computed and then applied - but that the next intervention event will not happen until he throttle is closed to zero. I do not recall if the event we where discussing was an ABS event, a Wheelie event or a Traction Control event - but essentially it was that if for example, the tyre breaks traction then the ECU will intervene that time, but then like a firearm trigger reset, the throttle needs to be closed before the next intervention can occur. I was very surprised to hear this My bike is currently set up with the latest HRC ECU so I can no longer do street based ECU tests of the torque management system. Feel free to test this theory out. As I say, I don't recall which type pf event we where discussing.
That's very interesting. I've managed to find a video on youtube that may shed some light :- This shows the TC working nicely whilst leaning, plus it appears to be activating without 'zero throttle resets'. If my bike works like the one in the video, I'll be happy - I'm not convinced it does though. Meanwhile, I'm supposed to be working!
In that video he must have TC set on the most intrusive setting surely!? That would annoy the hell out of me. The TC is behaving like he's told the bike he's going out for a ride on a frozen lake.
If you look carefully at the start of the video, you can just make out his settings. He's got P1 and TC9. So your assessment is correct!
Ok - this is the behaviour some of the US guys are NOT getting from their bikes. And we are trying to document if it is only people with non-stock tyres and or sprockets who do NOT get TC to work this consistently.
Had mine on damp roads this morning in mode 3 so I think TC is set at 8 it was working as at should...stock tyres super corsa ...
When you say 'working as it should', could you describe what you experienced please? How much wheelspin... were you lent over.... Thanks.
Hi on a A road twisty and lent as far as possiable damp 8c...TC kicked in a couple of times to stop rear spinning up felt secure and planted quick flash of light on dash to inform kicking in but really brief..
Thanks. This seems to be the common denominator in bikes where TC actually gets triggered. So far folks (in the US at least) who have changed sprockets/tyres report seldom if ever seeing TC invoked. As a matter of interest, how often have you experienced intervention in the lower T number? T2,3 or 4 vs T7, 8 or 9?
Never in the lower settings normally good weather today was the 1st time in a year in the higher setting also 1st time I have been caught in the damp
That reminds me of when I questioned if the electronic suspension adjustment was actually working on my BM and the answer I got was you will feel the difference when ridden hard I obviously wasn't riding it fast enough never did feel any difference
My dealer (Sutton Motorcycles Bromsgrove) have had my bike for a couple of days now and been testing it while liaising with Honda Tech. As a result of testing, my dealer agrees that my traction control is not working! However, bizarrely, Honda Tech are refusing to accept there is a problem! (Its like 2008 ABS all over again). My dealer has recommended that I make a compliant direct to Honda as they are powerless to resolve the problem right now. Marvellous! At least my dealer are being honest with me about the issue, so grateful to them for that at least.
Wow, what a strange position that puts you in! Wonder how many other 17+ fireblades there are out there that have inoperative TC!?
