Lap Timers - Educate Me

["Dangerous" Dan K]

I'm thinking I want a lap timer on the bike. What do you use, and how do you like it? Why do you like it, if you do? How's the display to read while going down the straight?

So far my criteria is this:
1) Must work with whatever LRRS puts down for a transmitter. I'm guessing most of them will fit this part?
2) Easy to read on the bike. I want this to help push myself durning a session or race, or to see where I'm at. That means being able to read it easily, while going.
3) Store laps for when I get back in.

Do they leave your last lap on screen until you go by the transmitter again to start a new lap?

Anything else I should know or care about before buying?

[nt650hawk]

Don't waste your $. Spend it on something else that will make you faster.

Ive got your lap timer right here
http://www.lrrsracing.com/results/20...09/Sat8Lap.pdf

[DerekSBelanger]

Gino, you know that tracking lap times is important to going faster.

What you should have said is:

http://www.tonystrackdays.com/catego...lap-timing.htm

Tony's going to scold you.

[BMFR6]

i got your laptimer right here, specifically built for novices EX racers.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

Gino, thanks for the education I’m thinking if I knew what I was running for times it might push me to run a bit harder, especially if I’m all by myself out front. Besides, it’s a ptwin ex, the only thing that’ll make me faster is track time and I can’t buy days off.

Derek, good call, but Tony doesn’t have any days left @ NHMS for people who have not done days with him in the past.

Bammfer, I’ve got room on my bars for that, right?

[Kitt]

I’m thinking if I knew what I was running for times it might push me to run a bit harder,

this is the case for me...

[PPS26]

if your not first your lap times arent fast enough ...thats my lap timer

["Dangerous" Dan K]

if your not first your lap times arent fast enough ...thats my lap timer

What about when I am first though? Leading 6 laps on Saturday is what brought this all about, in the past I just always tried to hang with or pass the guy in front of me.

[FTMS]

I have been messing around with a gps data logger from GET. It is a little more than just a lap timer. Had some calibrations issues at first, but I think I have them sorted out.

It has a decent display screen that will show you your times. It also has a software package that comes with it to allow you to view everything. Over lay lap speeds, build a track map, put up to 4 splits on the track, gives you a trajectory overview of each lap on the track, allows you to attach it to a plug wire to add RPM data into the mix. There is a lot of other stuff it can do that is way over my head.

It seems like a really good unit. I just need some more time useing it to get it figured out. The draw back is they are not cheap, around $600 but you do get a lot with it.

[Ken C]

I found an on-bard lap timer to be very valuable when you are striving to take off relatively large chunks of time as you do when you are a newer racer. After a while when you consistently lap within a tenth or two of your fastest times, then it has less value.

BTW, AFAIK the transponders that the on-board timers use are not LRRS units. There is always a transponder that a racer puts out there that works with the popular timers.

I used a XT Ultra Lap Timer.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

FTMS, sounds cool but way more than I'm willing to spend for a timer.

Ken, thanks. That's basically what I'm looking for, I still have a second variation in my times and am looking for seconds on the track, not tenths.

[seth399]

I'm gonna get one of those hour glasses personally

[Jim]

CEO and Denno have them on their bikes. i think they use the same brand too

[seth399]

CEO and Denno have them on their bikes. i think they use the same brand too

racerchaser

[CEO]

CEO and Denno have them on their bikes. i think they use the same brand too

I have an xt minlap and an xt ultralap, denno has an AIM timer. All of those are fine options

[daviid]

I use a AIM for a laptimer. the AIM & XT will both trigger off each others beacons. If your not sure if one is out, look along the pit road wall for a little white box. sometimes there is several out there. if thats the case, make sure your laptimer is set for a minimum lap a few seconds under your best so you dont trip the last one and reset on the first one.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

Thanks Chris. Display equally readable on both?

Thanks David.

[DerekSBelanger]

I've got an older Aim system - works with IR transponders - does splits, min/max/best and can store a lot of laps. I've got it mounted on the tail section because, well, you know:

http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/...tml#post786921

http://www.aimsports.com/

[CEO]

Thanks Chris. Display equally readable on both?

Thanks David.

All are pretty well readable.

The minilap is a self contained unit, the IR beam shoots out the side of it. Whereas the ultralap and the aim setups have a short wire from the display to the seperate IR beam shooter thingy...

Depending on the bike each setup can have it's pros/cons.

[GixerJockey]

CEO and Denno have them on their bikes. i think they use the same brand too

Thanks for all the useful information...

racerchaser

[Jim]

noel my larry lap times were better than your times last weekend

[Crash Dummy Denno]

I have an xt minlap and an xt ultralap, denno has an AIM timer. All of those are fine options

two fingers or one finger in my mouth...either way

[Crash Dummy Denno]

wait, what?

[a13x]

I enjoy having a laptimer on my bike. All of the pro racers I know run with ones so they must have some value yea? Personally I like having it to gauge where I'm at for both practices and races

Practice - I'm notoriously 'off my pace' in practice. The laptime allows me to know that, because otherwise I'm thinking I'm doing 1:20.0 and really I'm doing 1:24.0. Big difference.

Race - Laptimer is helpful to me to see where I'm at. How hard I'm charging, how the bike feels doing that laptime, am I off my pace and need to get going, etc.

I found getting a laptimer on my bike was useful once I had a season of NO LAPTIMER under my belt. Prior to that I was busy learning racecraft, the line, wtf I was doing, etc. Didn't want to add the extra information that a laptimer provides ontop of that. I use a XT

[scottieducati]

Best part about a lap timer? Seeing "BEST" flash on the screen, realizing it's a PB for the weekend, and knowing you made mistakes.... pushing you to be that much more precise the following lap. I borrowed Denno's (before he lost it off the bike) and it was very valuable.