Just habit I guess... when racing, I look at the next tulip once or twice (ie. 58.43, fork, take left), memorize the 58.43 number (keep repeating to myself like a mantra), so then all I need to do is keep my eye on the odo till it starts approaching the 58.43 mark. I find it's easier to do that if the odo is on top, makes the transition from looking at the track to looking at the odo easier on the eyes than skipping past the the roadbook every time. Also, you might need to adjust the odo plus or minus: Again, easier if -in my line of vision- the odo is just below the course instead of underneath the roadbook But hey, that's just my methodology, curious to hear other's as well
Does anyone have a online link to a "how to" for general questions like reading road books, set up, installing roadbook etc. etc. being a first time rally participant next month it seems I come up with a new question every day. I have googled my butt off but have only come up with car type rally info.
Hey, I would say your best bet is searching on here, I think either Hogwild or Neduro must have started a basic navigation 101 thread a while ago... Apart from that, the best practice you can get is at a race, so don't worry about it, go and race! A
Rally Management Services (http://www.rallymanagementservices.com/) has a great intro to navigation on their site: http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0061/7252/files/Rally_Navigation.pdf?16
I should pay more attention I was just at their site two days ago buying a ICO and bar clamps. Thanks for the link
Thanks for the response! Like I said before, I've never done a Roadbook event, so I'm hoping to learn a lot at the Mexican 1000. I'm using a Watchdog D/S computer instead of an ICO, the Watchdog screen is much bigger. The numbers are pretty huge actually I figured the Roadbook will have more information, which would mean more time studying it but time will tell. Your comment about watching the ODO roll to the mileage for the next instruction makes sense.
Like Paul said, his setup is more of a "weekender" type of setup. I have my roadbook above my odo, too; mainly because all I have to do is bolt on a bracket, plug in the roadbook holder and go; leaving my computer in the same place. Looks to me like his setup would require no re-wiring etc, and just bolt on quickly and easily, with a minute or two to move the computer. In a Rally application, I would rather have the odo on top of the roadbook holder for sure, but since I only do this occasionally, it works for me.
The watchdog started life as an enduro computer and I believe is easy to adjust on the fly. The display is significantly larger and easier to read than the ICO and there is more info available. In Australia I found the ICO liked to get covered with dust and in the sun was hard to read. Several people were running the watchdogs and like them quite a bit. I do not know if the watchdog has an auto-calibration setting.
No autocal in the watchdog, but that never bothered me. I have a watchdog on my enduro bike and an ICO on my rallye bike. I really am not a fan of the buttons on the remote of the watchdog but other than that it is a nice unit. Saved me from burning checks on the road sections of enduros many times. The buttons on the ICO remote are _real_ nice. Would be a nice upgrade to the watchdog, too bad the remote is hard wired in on those.
Dugas/Watchdog makes a dual sport/rally version http://www.dugasengineering.com/dewebsite2010_007.htm
The Watch dog is adjustable on the fly, I have the DS version on me SE. The switch on the watchdog can be changed and I'm planning on buying one of the HDB switches, they're really nice.
By changing the switch, do you mean cutting and reconnecting wires? Or is there a way to disconnect it? Would love to have better buttons on mine. Anyway, getting off topic. sorry. Will make up for it by showing pics of my fully mounted roadbook and ICO this weekend... hopefully I get that far!
So a few thoughts after taking the bike out last night, it's near impossible to see the odo while standing with it mounted below the roadbook. Having said that it's also near impossible to see the roadbook either while standing without getting a good quad pump from the position. It's pretty spooky riding in a sitting position on any kind of technical terrain because of how much it blocks the view. On the next version maybe an inch shorter and less of a bend upwards. While working the roadbook switch on the uphill section at the beginning of the ride I ran the it back and forth and back and forth to get the new driver chip to hesitate and ran it back too far and pulled the tape, I need to tape a blank page at the beginning and end, what do you guys do? The brake line didn't scare me till I started going down the backside at Lefthand and saw it flapping around, but a zip tie fixed that pretty well. The stock KTM speedo pickup will work with the Striker with a female to female adapter and same with the power, the handlebar switch is Trail Tech with an adapter to work with the stock KTM speedo. I'll be making some Y's and leave them in place. I'll be interested to hear what you have to say about it Aaron. Forgot to bring a few of these home, does anyone know what kind of connector ICO's use? Sounds like for the Watchdog you could just use any connector or hard wire it again. This will use the same momentary switches as the roadbook switch.
What Front Tire!!!! LOL!! I think it needs to be a bit taller and you need to Flatten the road book. Then mount a Watchdog or an ICO on the top flange of the road book holder.
Hey Paul, We use some small pieces of paper taped to the F2R rods. Then tape the start and end of the sheets to that. By smaller I also mean narrower. This help get your fingers in there to secure the tape. I do not know what the name of the ICO connector is. I will post up some close up photos here tomorrow AM. If you find a place to purchase these little connectors, you will be my hero.
You should be ale to get the ico cables at any automation company ,teco , Sick, telemacanque, balluff
Hi These connectors make the company Phoenix Contact. http://www.phoenixcontact.fr/societe/search.jsp?q=Pluscon+1501252+SACC-M+8MS-3CON-M-SW&x=0&y=0