The REAL MAN requirement

Kevin Cameron.

A month or two ago an interesting column ran in my Cycle World magazine written by Technical Editor Kevin Cameron.
Cameron is probably the best writer Cycle World has. Not only does he understand the most arcane technical subjects, he can relate such esoterica extremely well.
So technical esoterica can be understood.
I guess Cameron used be an entrant in motorcycle racing, first as a rider, then a mechanic.
He got his hands dirty wrenchin’.
And to win races you had to understand technical esoterica.
He seems biased toward gasoline engines, and has an appreciation of their development history, particularly classic WWII propeller airplane engines. —And other motivators, like the steam-engine and electric motors.
Motorcycle design and suspension are somewhat interesting, but not as interesting as the engine.
Gasoline engines are compromises.
The rpm at they generate the most horsepower is often higher than the rpm at which they generate the most torque.
Things are at play within an engine that limit output, like friction and pumping losses.
Torque is the twisting force put out by the rotating crankshaft.
Multiply those torque pulses by revolutions per minute, and the horsepower generated is often higher at that engine-speed, with lower output per torque-pulse, than the torque-output at the rpm of maximum torque output.
So where does this leave the user of the gasoline engine?
Maximum torque output may make exiting corners quicker.
Yet maximum horsepower at high speed makes higher speeds attainable.
Gasoline engines are always a compromise.
Valve-events, etc. have to be dickered to maximize both.
One also has to avoid extremes that compromise reliability.
Yet what’s needed to maximize torque often minimizes peak horsepower.
Honda developed a transmission for its Quad-Runner all-terrain-vehicles.
They ran the engine at the constant speed of its maximum torque output.
No one would buy it, even though it delivered performance superior to a standard gearbox.
The engine was not being revved “through the gears” .
It was running at constant speed: “HUMMMMMMMMMMMM........”
Honda had to dicker the transmission to make the “through the gears” sound — thereby scotching the whole point.
The Quad-Runner was no longer taking advantage of maximum engine torque.
No one would buy the constant-speed tranny, even with superior performance.
Tied to convention. Users were used to “through the gears.”
Same with clutching.
Steam-engines and electric motors can start from a full stop.
Gasoline engines can’t. They have to idle.
This being the case a clutch of some sort is put between the idling engine and the stationary wheel on pavement — like meshing discs or a tighten able pulley-belt on an idler.
The operator wicks up the engine a little so it doesn’t die when the clutch is engaged.
It’s a wonderful expression of macho charisma, to successfully start a stopped vehicle with an idling engine.
—And not stall the engine.
A right-of-passage for teenagers; to learn the whole kibosh and thereby avoid looking like a fool.
My wife never mastered it; she uses automatic transmission.
The auto-transmission dispenses with the clutch.
It relies on a fluid-coupling.
Which was partly why the automatic transmission was so poorly regarded in the ‘50s.
Automatic transmission was the need of wusses; a real man could master standard-tranny with a clutch.
And now real men are so tied to “through the gears” they won’t buy a better performer.
Automatic transmission has become the norm.
Both our current cars have automatic transmission; although I had cars in my past with standard-tranny; usually four- or five-speed.
My motorcycle is six-speed standard tranny with a clutch.
It goes “up through the gears;” although I don’t need it to.
If constant revs did better, I’d do that.

• “Tranny” = transmission.