Quote:
Originally Posted by gfloyd2002
Agree with Alex here. Cars stop faster. Most bikes and cars have brakes that are capable of lock up on the wheels, so the real limiter is the tires and the tire surfaces. Cars have more of them. It seems like a heavier thing would be harder to stop or corner, but it generally isn't the case.
While counter-intuitive that a heavy thing will brake quicker, cars still have (for the most part) sufficient braking power to lock up their wheels. Heavier weight just means you need more powerful brakes to achieve the same stopping power, and most cars have this in spades. This is because heavier weight offers increased friction that balances out the increased momentum that comes from the weight. (F = mu*N where F = frictional force (braking force between the tires and the road), mu = friction co-efficient (changes based on road/tire condition), N = normal force (force acting directly downwards with gravity i.e., the mass of the bike and rider).
So, more weight means more momentum, but it is cancelled out by the extra friction from the weight. You add even MORE friction with the two extra extra contact patches, and that is enough for a four wheeler to outperform a two wheeler in the cornering/braking department. We can still get them on speed and acceleration, though.
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This doesn't seem to account for the fact that most performance bikes tend to have softer, grippy tires compared to a car. Wouldn't that factor in too? Most average people would never consider tires for the grocery getter that would be worn out in 5000 miles, some of the supersport tires don't last even that. Most common car tires advertise like 40 or 60k miles tread life.
A skilled rider, at least in theory, has the ability to control the front/rear braking ratio to suit the braking conditions, ex. Braking downhill using even more front brake than normal, allowing one to use both the tires to the limit possibly better than the standard ratio in a car.
I mean a race bike using super sticky race tires can brake later and carry more corner speed than if they raced on cruiser tires, or else they would all be racing on cruiser tires right?