Bikes in Assetto Corsa

correct.. that's why full scale bike sims are just a big stupid expensive toys that will never work.

 

Interesting discussion in here. I have tried several penny arcade bike sims in my life and they all sucked...the reasons why they did were mentioned in this thread - the mechanisms just won't add up to what it feels like riding a bike (I have a license and driving experience).
When I played GP on the PS2 with a mate I remember it being great fun just with basic gamepads. IMO the reasonable approach is to make good use of the g-sensors and rumble motors in the gamepad. The next step up is huge and everything in between (like turning the handlebar like a wheel) is actually a step back.

 

Reading this thread makes me actually start to search for a bike on craigslist and someone to teach me how to ride a motorcycle. Sim racing is so damn expensive!

Any suggestions for beginners? What model to look for?

 

Haha good on ya
Any "street" bike would do. "Track" bikes have such a different steering behaviour. XJ6, Fazer, CB(F), GSA, that kinda bike. The most generic bikes to learn to ride. But hey, even a push bike can teach you a thing or two about counter steering behaviour

Meanwhile @Lord Kunos casually avoiding netBike questions

 

Slowly starting to imagine what it is like to control a bike. Awesome !

So as I understand know - steering bike is like giving a command - pushing handles, and then waiting for immediate or less immediate (chicane for example) response - bike reacting to the force of push and leaning. As it is complete different thing from car steering, then maybe it could use different system also, maybe it could use something different - active dampers for example ? What system should do could be just adjusting strength of dampers. Hmm I have no idea if this is clever or stupid, take that into account.

But could trackIR or VR systems help for simulating leaning and weight shifting ? It can track head movement doesn't it, I think a lot could be told just from head movement tracking, as you can lean quite a lot while still sitting on the chair - here are your centripetal forces, it would be even more realisting than those huge expensive fullsize lean simulators with real bike body

Or wouldn't it ?

 

It will (probably) never be like riding a real bike on a track, like it is not like driving a car on a track, but being able to mimic the way we counter steer, accelerate and shift from a riding position would be nice. the g's and body movement are going to elude us with present technology, but the mind, as we realize when we are sim driving, can make part of journey to convince us that what is no there is there.
Same as a driving sim, a wheel is much more convincing than a controller, even though, the info from FFB, although helpful, is not what we feel in our real cars.
A set up with a handle bar, foot controls and a static sitting position, with a SIM oriented game as opposed to arcade, I would not mind trying. If I have to play with a controller, I am just not interested.
Even on such simple set up ( handle bar, foot controls and a static sitting position) it would be funny to see how much we would be leaning, the same as we are often tilting our heads when driving a sim.

 

Well if centripetal forces are keeping driver on a bike when he is in angle. Then there should be no problem for not leaning at all while simulating it, it should be enough just to lean upper body.

Then. Body position simulation using VR headset data, or some other device + handlebars with torque sensors (Edit: maybe torque sensors wouldn't even be necessary if dampers could work as intended) and moved by dampers technology + pedals = world is going crazy over bike sims. And then Kunos are busy like they has never been working on both AC and netBike And GP Bikes for serious competitor.

Sure I design and create handle bars working by torque sensor and active dampers system, and become rich.

And then I wake up from dreaming

 

This is very interesting.

The software and hardware would need to be built together and probably rebuilt a few times.

But with a variable rotating mass x2 for resistance would be a start. Weight on suspension and angle of rotation in simulated turning would be difficult to calculate. Sustained G,s would need a centrifuge scenario.

Not sure how realistic it would be?

I haven't looked into bike simulators at all. I take it, no one has done this yet?

It is a very interesting project and I will not be able to stop thinking about it now.

 

I think IMHO it would be hard to simulate bike with AC (mostly because tyre doesn't work the same way and are not designed the same way as car tyres, ie many have now asymmetric compounds) and overall dynamic is not the same. And rider's body is so much important (push on a foot peg can change the bike behaviour, using knee can help save some low-side situation, ...)

Buy a used bike, something which cost not so much and is easy to service with also low cost spare parts, look like at the famous Honda CB 500, it cost almost nothing to service, it is very reliable, very forgiving too and when you crash (not too hard), you don't have thousands of $ to spend in repair (especially expensive bodywork parts).

To start, a good one is a "cheap" roadster/utility bike, better with carburettors. Not too much power, 50 Bhp is quite good on a bike, MotoGP bike are "only" 250 BHp, to compare to cars with 300, 400 or 650 BHp or over. A 125 cm3, or a 250, could be good enough to start and mostly fun (cross/trail can do the job if you're not too small, low weight, great weight/power ratio).

Also, spending money in a training would not be a waste, as bike need some specific skills like managing weight and tyres (locking front wheel = crash, usually, so you'll need to learn how to use the brake wisely, even in stressful situation like an imminent collision), but what you may spare in sim racing may be use in suits, gloves and boots. and an helmet.