Motec vs Z1 Analyzer

[EdL]

Hi all, any experience of these two tools?

Obviously Z1 is a paid option, but looks like it comes with more 'human' touches to the data interpretation.

I've just bought RF2 after many years off sim racing and wanted to quickly tidy up any bad habits. And improve times, of course.

 

[RasmusP]

Do you want it to just improve times or to build a setup?
To improve times there are great and easy things available in Motec. Line, inputs, speed comparison and the variance when you compare two laps.

This is what I mainly use. I ask someone quick for a good lap or if I've done one really good lap, I'll use my own to copy and work on it.

What I'm missing: stitching together my theoretical best from all my laps. Sadly that's not possible and I also didn't find a way to quickly see the quickest sector times or something...

So Motec can be great and ofc for free but this is something I'm missing.
Also if you change the layout or something in Motec, there's no "undo" button... So I always have a backup of my project so if I screw up, I simply delete and copy it again... You can click on a lot of wrong things accidently.

For setup building: well you have the raw data and the rest is up to you. I never use it. Tried a lot but in the end doing it by thinking and trying on track works better and more efficient.

Z1 reads like a great tool and indeed more accessible. I have no experience with it though!

 

[EdL]

I'm a newb and my first club event is tomorrow night. I want to be clean and consistent, and certainly not get in people's way.

I was hoping to use a data logger to refine my laps and get quicker!

 

[RasmusP]

If you are worried about getting in someone's way I think you should just do a longer stint against the AI and checkout where you can let people by, where to overtake etc.
Refining laps with only your own data is a bit difficult. Watching a replay to understand your exact lines from different perspectives will help more.

However if you want to dig into Motec and get faster in an efficient way I'm sure that somebody would send you the motec data of a pretty fast lap if you ask for a specific track+car

 

[EdL]

Thanks. Not sure if I'm slow, currently doing a 1:40 dead on stock settings, low pressure softs around Hockenheim (GT3).

I found a few hotlaps on youtube that were 1:38 so I'm not quick. Watching those, they must have alien setups for 1 lap. I'd prefer to be consistent at 1:40 over 10 laps than 1:38 over 1 lap and done.

One thing I do struggle with is after 5+ laps the rear gets really snappy, prone to oversteer. That would suggest I'm heating my tyres but wear is still green in the 90s and my temps seem normal?

 

[EdL]

I bought Z1 so I'll report back how I get on.

Mainly wanted it to compare laps side-by-side on the map view, which Motec doesn't do (unless I missed it). Motec is - or at least feels - less intuitive because it's a race engineer's program, whereas Z1 does similar but with some nice track data vis.

 

[RasmusP]

I missed the alert, sorry!
I'm looking forward to your report about the Z1 software. Me and a few friends often thought about getting it but never did since Motec is kinda.. "doing the job" just fine, but as you say, not really fun to work with!

How was your race?

 

[EdL]

I missed the alert, sorry!
I'm looking forward to your report about the Z1 software. Me and a few friends often thought about getting it but never did since Motec is kinda.. "doing the job" just fine, but as you say, not really fun to work with!

How was your race?

Well the first niggle with the Z1 is you have to create track maps by driving slowly (and super accurately) around the edge of the track, each side of course. The telemetry does produce a racing line but for context you need to create tracks.

Not had a chance to do that yet, but will this weekend and test Z1 some more.

As for the race, mixed.

It was my first sim race in over 5 years and I only have 3 hours play in RF2, so I shouldn't be too harsh on myself:

• I think I was in the wrong TS channel, as I heard nothing
• Ran a near standard setup, struggled to heat front tyres all race
  
• Qualified P10 (I think) with a 1:38.7
• Consistently 4 tenths off Pole in each sector
  
• Fastest race lap on lap 7 of a 1:39.8
  
• Had 3 significant off track incidents because I kept kicking my pedals away
• I need to fix that!!
• Outside of those 3 embarrassing moments I was averaging 1:40-:1:41 which is okay
• I'd rather be <0.5s consistent than <1s
  
• Finished P15, on the bumper of P14 (had fun catching back up)
• Looking at P10 pace, I should have made ground - so must try harder

Marks out of 10?
It's a 5 for me.

 

[EdL]

Oh and I actually went fastest in practice with a 1:39.081. Motec and Z1 show my 'potential fastest lap in actually in the 1:37s.

 

[RasmusP]

Sounds like the first few steps to have a lot of fun in the future!
Maybe you could/should pm a few of the fastest guys and ask for their telemetry to have a comparison of lines and inputs. It's the most efficient way to make progress!

 

[EdL]

Good idea, I've just done that. I know where I'm slow, it's just getting it out of the car without destabilising it. I'm sure there's a few tenths in each sector just on setup alone, the other few tenths are up to me!

 

[RasmusP]

Good idea, I've just done that. I know where I'm slow, it's just getting it out of the car without destabilising it. I'm sure there's a few tenths in each sector just on setup alone, the other few tenths are up to me!

Over the time I've found out that yes, the basic setup needs to be "within a good range" like running wing at 10 and the fast guys at 2 will make a massive difference for sure.
But once you get a car at least somewhat similar, like not full understeering or full snappy oversteering and within a similar aero, the driving makes about 2-3 seconds. The setup maybe one overall.
Once you compare telemetry the differences will really show.

I once got 2 full seconds faster within 3 hours of practice just by practicing to drive like Matteo (BhZ).
And I didn't change the setup at all!
You think the little differences in the inputs won't matter that much but once you get close to the "quicker inputs", you'll get so much faster!