Friction - One Of The Necessary Physical Elements in Motorcycling
Friction -...
The act of rubbing one thing against another. : the force that uses a moving object to slow down when it is touching another object.
From www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friction..
In another article, I wrote about Newton's 3 Laws of Motion, and also the Law of Gravity. Another of the important physical properties effecting you and your ride (and when I say important, I mean really important!). After all, if there was no friction between your tires and the ground, you would have the equivalent of trying to ride to skate on super cooled ice with dull skates. Once moving, the friction between your brakes and disc or drums, in association with the ground, brings you to a safe (we hope) stop, thereby bringing an object (the bike and you) to rest by an unbalanced force (the brakes and tires under the influence of friction).
Now, what are some factors that can change frictions effect with relation to motorcycles.
Oil, and lubricants. Extremely important to making sure your engine's moving parts continue to move, and dispel unwanted heat that can absolutely ruin your day by destroying your engine, your chain, or your shaft drive, just to name a few. All in the name of friction. Taking a few moments before each ride to make sure all lubricants are OK can make the difference. Keep in mind that dirty oil may contain impurities or minute metal flakes that will raise the temperature in the cylinders because of the increased friction caused by such. It is essential to keep all lubricants as clean as possible, for various reasons.
When you squeeze the brake lever or the brake foot pedal (yes, there is a rear brake that you should be using), you want them to do their job. You want friction to be at its best, and having the brake pads do what you ask of them can make or break (no pun intended) your day. Remember you are trying to overcome Law #1! How can you insure this happens? Check your brake pads regularly and if they are getting close to the wear mark, or start to squeal, they need to be replaced. If they do not stop you, they should have been replaced a long time ago!
Tires.
I think we can all agree to the fact that tires properly inflated wear better and last longer. The proper inflation also helps dispel unwanted frictional heat from the tires being in contact with the road, and therefore less likely to come apart (ever see pieces of flat truck tires strewn across the road by coming apart due to excessive heat buildup?) While still looking at the tires, check for even wear and tread life. You can check the wear of your tires from the wear bars implanted inside the treads of your tires. If you are getting close to the indicators or have got to them, replace the tires. The tires cannot due their job safely if the tread intended to grip the road is not there. Last but not least with tires and friction, temperature and tire compounds also determine the amount of friction available to you. You can check this out in another article entitled "The Temperature Effect" on this website.
In short, friction, like everything else, happens. It can be both friend and not so friendly. It can save you from disaster and at the same time can create a disaster. Where you want it to happen, and where you want to lessen it's effects as much as possible, depends a lot on you, and Sir Isaac Newton.
The act of rubbing one thing against another. : the force that uses a moving object to slow down when it is touching another object.
From www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friction..
In another article, I wrote about Newton's 3 Laws of Motion, and also the Law of Gravity. Another of the important physical properties effecting you and your ride (and when I say important, I mean really important!). After all, if there was no friction between your tires and the ground, you would have the equivalent of trying to ride to skate on super cooled ice with dull skates. Once moving, the friction between your brakes and disc or drums, in association with the ground, brings you to a safe (we hope) stop, thereby bringing an object (the bike and you) to rest by an unbalanced force (the brakes and tires under the influence of friction).
Now, what are some factors that can change frictions effect with relation to motorcycles.
Oil, and lubricants. Extremely important to making sure your engine's moving parts continue to move, and dispel unwanted heat that can absolutely ruin your day by destroying your engine, your chain, or your shaft drive, just to name a few. All in the name of friction. Taking a few moments before each ride to make sure all lubricants are OK can make the difference. Keep in mind that dirty oil may contain impurities or minute metal flakes that will raise the temperature in the cylinders because of the increased friction caused by such. It is essential to keep all lubricants as clean as possible, for various reasons.
When you squeeze the brake lever or the brake foot pedal (yes, there is a rear brake that you should be using), you want them to do their job. You want friction to be at its best, and having the brake pads do what you ask of them can make or break (no pun intended) your day. Remember you are trying to overcome Law #1! How can you insure this happens? Check your brake pads regularly and if they are getting close to the wear mark, or start to squeal, they need to be replaced. If they do not stop you, they should have been replaced a long time ago!
Tires.
I think we can all agree to the fact that tires properly inflated wear better and last longer. The proper inflation also helps dispel unwanted frictional heat from the tires being in contact with the road, and therefore less likely to come apart (ever see pieces of flat truck tires strewn across the road by coming apart due to excessive heat buildup?) While still looking at the tires, check for even wear and tread life. You can check the wear of your tires from the wear bars implanted inside the treads of your tires. If you are getting close to the indicators or have got to them, replace the tires. The tires cannot due their job safely if the tread intended to grip the road is not there. Last but not least with tires and friction, temperature and tire compounds also determine the amount of friction available to you. You can check this out in another article entitled "The Temperature Effect" on this website.
In short, friction, like everything else, happens. It can be both friend and not so friendly. It can save you from disaster and at the same time can create a disaster. Where you want it to happen, and where you want to lessen it's effects as much as possible, depends a lot on you, and Sir Isaac Newton.