The FJRs Traction Control is not what I thought it was

[danh600]

...it comes on and pulls back engine power. I think to stop wheel spin and probably to keep the front on the ground...

One of the main parameters the TCS looks at is speed differential between the front and rear wheel. Anytime the rear wheel is turning faster than the front wheel the TCS 'thinks' the rear tire is slipping. How fast is the front wheel turning when it's off the ground I'm willing to go out on a limb and guess that as soon as the front tire leaves the pavement (even a fraction of an inch/cm) it is at least a few RPM slower than the rear tire, which is enough to trigger the TCS.

While I agree with the logic, I did once wheelie my 2014, though not sustained. I wanted to overtake on a winding road, had to wait for when I could see sufficient road clear of oncoming traffic. I'd dropped down to either second or first, engine singing nicely. Come the opportunity, had to do a quick overtake, opened the throttle wide. Front end lifted as I was passing the car, I slackened the throttle to bring the front down. (Felt like it rose a foot, probably only a couple of inches, I don't "do" wheelies.) I don't know if the TC activated or not. In any case it only lasted a very short while, but the front wheel did lift. And, no, I hadn’t turned the TC off.

Can't really comment about it activating when cornering, though I've known it working in a straight line. It did once save me when crossing a ford that was deeper and more slippery than was sensible, the bike crabbing in the fairly fast flowing water, but kept moving and got me through (I did post about the experience elsewhere, some regulars of both sandboxes may remember it).

On my 2020 with Traction control off the front comes up easy as pie. When on 1 it will come up with a little work. When on 2 the TC shuts all that nonsense down. You can feel the TC shut down the throttle when you hit the gas hard. I am not use to a light bike that the front will come up. So I am still riding with it on TC 2, the most input.

[mcatrophy]

MACATROPHY PULLS A WHEELIE?!?!

Gotta be fake news.
...

I assure you my sphincter didn't think it was fake.

[Cav47]

MACATROPHY PULLS A WHEELIE?!?!

Gotta be fake news.
...

I assure you my sphincter didn't think it was fake.

I didn't know the Brits had a chain drive FJR built just for them? We all know shafties cannot pull wheelies. Traction control or not.......can't happen.

[wheatonFJR]

MACATROPHY PULLS A WHEELIE?!?!

Gotta be fake news.

He didn’t say “HUD pulled a wheelie” so...
it could be true.

[wheatonFJR]

I don’t pull wheelies either. However, I assure you that when 2-up, that front comes up a lot faster than I ever thought it would when whacking the throttle open for a quick pass. (Is there any other kind?)

[mcatrophy]

MACATROPHY PULLS A WHEELIE?!?!

Gotta be fake news.
...

I assure you my sphincter didn't think it was fake.

I didn't know the Brits had a chain drive FJR built just for them? We all know shafties cannot pull wheelies. Traction control or not.......can't happen.

Maybe we Brits know how to (mis)use our shafties better? (I sincerely hope your remark was said tongue in cheek, there's certainly no fundamental reason why a shaftie can't. Torque is torque, and the FJR has plenty.)

[bigjohnsd]

Even with my Fat Ass on her, the Grey Ghost would lift the front wheel on a hard high RPM 1-2 shift.
The first time it happened I damn near wrinkled the seat!

[Madmudder]

I don’t pull wheelies either. However, I assure you that when 2-up, that front comes up a lot faster than I ever thought it would when whacking the throttle open for a quick pass. (Is there any other kind?)

I thought that was the sole reason for riding 2 up!

[ionbeam]

I don’t pull wheelies either. However, I assure you that when 2-up, that front comes up a lot faster than I ever thought it would when whacking the throttle open for a quick pass. (Is there any other kind?)

I thought that was the sole reason for riding 2 up!

I packed up a fairly large tool kit and went over to nearby neighbor Speedjunkie's house to work on his bike. Successful work was done during the afternoon. Speedjunkie says, let's go for a ride, Island Pond road is a hoot. I put my tool kit on the rear rack and tied it on. Off we went. Island Pond was a hoot. I hit one of the really sharp corners really hot, braked hard and gassed it coming off the apex while leaned over into foot peg sparking country. With the weight on the rear rack my '04 popped a huge wheelie while I was still leaned over Things got real exciting for a few split seconds. Forget the passenger for wheelies, put a heavy tool bag on the tail rack and you will be good to go. Too good to go sometimes. I never knew I could ride a unicycle right up to that point. Stark terror can make a fast student out of ya. The last thing I wanted to do was slam the front wheel down until I had the cornering under control.

[Cav47]

I assure you my sphincter didn't think it was fake.

I didn't know the Brits had a chain drive FJR built just for them? We all know shafties cannot pull wheelies. Traction control or not.......can't happen.

Maybe we Brits know how to (mis)use our shafties better? (I sincerely hope your remark was said tongue in cheek, there's certainly no fundamental reason why a shaftie can't. Torque is torque, and the FJR has plenty.)

My statement was an attempt at humor. You prob won't understand that either because I misspelled "Humour" for you guys. Or because Brits don't understand funny things. LOL Just kidding. I can say that because my pops was born and raised in Bolton. My grandma lived her in America but considered herself a British citizen until her death.

In all seriousness, I had many a wheelie moments on the 04. Various throttle whacks in 1st or 2nd could induce front lift. Rises in the road under hard acceleration worked also. My longest wheelie was with a passenger while merging onto the highway. It was just a smooth power roll on.

[Bugnatr]

You'd be surprised how often the traction control light comes on in my Prius.

[ionbeam]

You'd be surprised how often the traction control light comes on in my Prius.

Low rolling resistance tires?

[bigjohnsd]

You'd be surprised how often the traction control light comes on in my Prius.

Low rolling resistance tires?

Snow

[Bugnatr]

Nope, usually on wet pavement while in a right hand turn leaving the stop sign. Electric motors do have instant torque- first time it happened I was shocked.

[danh600]

You'd be surprised how often the traction control light comes on in my Prius.

Low rolling resistance tires?

Snow

The front end coming up.

[mcatrophy]

I didn't know the Brits had a chain drive FJR built just for them? We all know shafties cannot pull wheelies. Traction control or not.......can't happen.

Maybe we Brits know how to (mis)use our shafties better? (I sincerely hope your remark was said tongue in cheek, there's certainly no fundamental reason why a shaftie can't. Torque is torque, and the FJR has plenty.)

My statement was an attempt at humor. You prob won't understand that either because I misspelled "Humour" for you guys. Or because Brits don't understand funny things. LOL Just kidding. I can say that because my pops was born and raised in Bolton. My grandma lived her in America but considered herself a British citizen until her death.

In all seriousness, I had many a wheelie moments on the 04. Various throttle whacks in 1st or 2nd could induce front lift. Rises in the road under hard acceleration worked also. My longest wheelie was with a passenger while merging onto the highway. It was just a smooth power roll on.

Glad to hear it was humo(u)r. It's certainly true that in general our humour is different from yours. Don't know whether that's good or bad. Some humour seems to work both sides of the pond. (Monty Python anyone?)

No need to translate for me, I learnt to go "American" the first time I went to the 'States on business. In a large Motorola corporate building, needed to get something from the car. I'd lost my bearings, asked someone where the lifts were. The look of total non-comprehension on his face was something to behold. No problem after I translated "lifts" to "elevators".

Since then, when posting on sites such as this, I try to put in translations, e.g. our pavement is your sidewalk. But out of principle* I refuse to change the spelling of words such as "tyre" where even an American couldn't get confused . We are two countries separated by a common language.

* And if you you don't like my principles, I have others.

[raYzerman]

Ha, the 'mericans butchered the Queen's English! Damned Boston Tea Party..... as a Canadian, we've had lots of exposure to British humour (I always use the 'u'), used to listen to the Goon Shows, watched lots of British TV shows and Monty Python. Bring it on. Tyre is ok with me, put the spare in the boot and close the lid, open the bonnet to check the oil. When you're done, go to the loo. All good.

[ionbeam]

...Tyre is ok with me, put the spare in the boot and close the lid, open the bonnet to check the oil. When you're done, go to the loo...

You forgot to stop and have a fag on the way to the loo. Keep your pecker up!

[mcatrophy]

...
You forgot to stop and have a fag on the way to the loo. Keep your pecker up.

That's beginning to sound like the caricature of English speech that appears in low budget American TV programs . But at least you are trying .

[ionbeam]

...
You forgot to stop and have a fag on the way to the loo. Keep your pecker up.

That's beginning to sound like the caricature of English speech that appears in low budget American TV programs . But at least you are trying .

In Boston airport while my brother-in-law is getting ready to board his flight back to the UK he yells, 'have you got a fag?' Sister-in-law tells him that phrase doesn't mean the same thing here in the US. As he is moving past the gate attendant he yells, 'keep your pecker up'. SIL distanced herself from him as they boarded. That's the source of my comments.

Me mum-in-law steadfastly had boots and bonnets on her Austins and MGs here in the US. Right. And tea happens every afternoon with scones. The tea is made with the leafs in the pot and served with milk. My wife can't make it through the afternoon without her tea. It was impossible for me mum-in-law to leave the house without her scarf. Home made Christmas pudding always came with silver charms. It always came as a shock to American guests when they found leafs in the tea and bit into a charm at desert. After a number of rounds of PIMMS everyone found it funny. Within the confines of their Victorian house it was a little transplanted corner of the UK. (PIMMS is a blast during the evening and it's a real headache the next morning.)

My wife's sister still has such a cockney accent that I'm not always sure she is speaking English. MIL had a sweet, mild London accent that everyone loved to hear.