Rivamoto Race Bike

During the WSBK round at Moscow Raceway, which we spent with the Russian team Rivamoto, we managed to film a video in which Konstantin (the team's technical director) talked about all the modifications to their motorcycles. In the supersport class, the technical regulations don't allow changes to the frame, subframe, swingarm, triple clamps, wheels, brake master cylinders or pistons; there are actually more restrictions, but these are the main ones.

The Rivamoto team has two identical motorcycles built on the 2012 Honda CBR600RR. These motorcycles are among the fastest and even outperform some factory team bikes. Everything the regulations allow has been changed on them!

Brakes

Braided brake hoses (they increase brake lever sensitivity) and floating brake discs (they center better in the caliper under braking and don't warp at high temperatures thanks to the floating connection between the aluminum carrier and the steel disc) are familiar to any rider, but there are also unusual setups. The Dryline system is a coupling that lets you quickly disconnect the brake hose while keeping the system sealed. A very handy thing for quickly removing a caliper, for example to change pads, clean it or for transport. A front brake lever adjuster routed to the left side is handy, since as the brakes heat up and the pads wear, the lever changes position and has to be adjusted on the move.

Fairings

The fairings are very light (4 kg lighter than stock) and flexible. They come off in 15 seconds, since quick-release fasteners are used instead of bolts.

Cooling system

A large radiator and a small oil cooler are fitted. All the hoses have been replaced. There is no thermostat: in cold weather the mechanics tape over sections of the radiator so the engine warms up.

Engine

The gearbox ratios have been changed. The camshafts and valve springs have been replaced to extend intake and exhaust timing. The compression ratio has been increased by changing the gasket and modifying the cylinder head. The intake and exhaust ports have been reworked. A special slipper clutch is fitted so that on hard downshifts and when closing the throttle, the clutch slips and the rear wheel doesn't lock up. The generator has been replaced with a lightweight one. Racing spark plugs are fitted.

Fuel system

A pod filter is fitted with a plate that protects the injectors from strong horizontal airflow. Crankcase ventilation is routed into a catch tank on the front subframe so that oil doesn't get into the air filter box when the engine runs at maximum revs. The tank is filled with foam so the fuel doesn't slosh (a safety requirement of the technical regulations). The underside of the tank is covered with heat-reflective film to reduce fuel heating (the colder the fuel, the higher the energy released on combustion).

Electronics

The engine management system has been completely replaced. A Motec racing system is fitted, which lets you tune engine operation, change characteristics in real time and collect all the necessary data on the motorcycle's performance. The racing dash has a connector for syncing with a laptop. There is traction control (rear wheel anti-spin), anti-wheelie (preventing excessive front wheel lift) and a quickshifter (lets you shift up without closing the throttle or pulling the clutch).

The motorcycle has many sensors for analyzing its performance during the race and for the electronic systems' strategies. Sensors on the brakes (pressure), wheels (wheel speed) and suspension (travel) read data on how they work. There is also a lean angle sensor, a lambda sensor, acceleration sensors and a throttle position sensor for more precise analysis and tuning.

The left switch block lets you switch engine maps and limit speed to 60 km/h when entering the pit lane. Each wiring section is connected with reliable quick-release connectors. A GPS antenna is fitted in the tail to track the motorcycle's movement around the track.

Weight

The motorcycle's weight has been reduced by removing unnecessary stock parts (lights, passenger pegs) and replacing many with lighter ones (light rider footpegs, a carbon front subframe, carbon fender and hugger, a titanium exhaust system, titanium fasteners). A 520-chain sprocket kit with a light aluminum rear sprocket is used.

There is no rear brake reservoir; instead there is a thick hose with a plug :)

Under the regulations the motorcycle's weight can't be below a certain value. But all the teams still try to make it as low as possible. This lets them place ballast anywhere on the motorcycle, which matters a lot when setting up the bike for the rider.

Suspension

The motorcycle has a racing fork in which one leg handles compression and the other rebound. The rear shock has every possible adjustment.

Valve

A racing valve is indispensable. A standard valve loses air at high speed, because the valve core spring is compressed by centrifugal force. The mechanics have to constantly monitor and adjust tire pressures, and a standard valve would cause a lot of problems, since it's hard to reach.

Setting up such a motorcycle is very hard. Setup happens during practice sessions and qualifying, and decisions are made by the engineer based on Motec data analysis and the rider's feedback. Analyzing data on the motorcycle's performance plays a huge role: the right conclusions and decisions can significantly improve the motorcycle's characteristics.

The hardest parts of the motorcycle are, of course, the engine and electronics. We filmed a separate video about the electronics, but we can't go into detail about the engine, since the information is secret.

Watch the video with all the setups; we hope you'll be as surprised as we were :)