The GPX pro data acquisition device is used by GR Racing on their Superstock Aprilia RSV4. They claim that it’s easy to use and very good value for money, but we weren’t going to take their word for it – so we decided to find out more!
It’s designed and manufactured by XT Racing, a small company based in the USA, and it was developed entirely in-house, which helps to keep the sale price down.
The GPX pro is firmly aimed at club riders and track day enthusiasts. Although it’s packed with clever features, the good news for the more technologically challenged amongst us, is that you can start with the basics (you can use it as a simple lap timer) and progress in your own time to using the more sophisticated bits. The GPS receiver automatically determines the layout of the track as you ride and it maps out the track for you, displaying it on-screen. It accumulates lap times and you can add up to five splits per lap, to get a more detailed analysis of your performance in each section of the track.
If you want to get really high-tech, then you can connect the unit to the bike to record rpm and throttle position, selected gear, wheel speed, braking, temperature, pressure and suspension data.
The USB connection lets you upload the data you’ve recorded, and analyse it on the GP Studio software that comes with the unit. Once you’ve plugged into your (Windows-based) PC, you can view all manner of gauges and charts for any data that you’ve logged with the GPX. The software has plenty of neat tricks like the ability to lay laps on top of each other, to see where you’re gaining and losing time, so you can finally nail that perfect lap!
The guys at XT are very proud of the system, which has been 18 months in the making. They are constantly working on improvements, so you can download firmware and software updates as soon as they are released. If you do struggle with anything, then the forum at xtracing.com is a good place to get advice and support. You could even make changes to the system, as the engineers at XT use the suggestions and questions they get from customers to refine the product.
The price is $679 plus shipping and it’s available from www.xtracing.com