Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

Long post ahead, beware..

Ok, I'm no expert on the matter, BUT seeing as how a lot of cars these days use aerodynamic forces to generate downforce on the tires as the speed increases and thus increase stability & cornering ability, I don't see why it shouldn't be used on bikes as well...
So, here's a few pros & cons for it that I've thought of :

Cons:
1. Difficult to properly implement
2. Weight increase of the bike
3. Weird looking at for the first few designs..

Pros:
1. Extra traction when cornering as speed increases
2. Added stability in a straight line as speed increases
3. Possible increase in breaking forces when required

I thought of small wings on the bike. Trouble is, you'd have to mount them on the wheels in order for them to be effective (they would not have any effect on the suspension behavior this way and the forces generated could easily be distributed to the tire). On top of that, you'd have to somehow make them tilt so that they would always be parallel to the ground. That way, they would not generate lateral forces when the bike is tilted over, but only downforces. You could use them when braking also, as one of the few other forces that can be used for braking other then the friction ones from the tires are aerodynamic ones (which you generate as you position yourself higher in the seat and act like a parachute). You the wings would change their angle like an aileron for a car, which would produce either supplemental drag or extra downforce on the tires..
I realize that it would be hard to implement (probably VERY hard), as it requires some sort of motor force at the wheel and some sort of pivoting mechanism which might be very complex, as it is required to withstand the forces generated.. then again the motor force could be transmitted from some other source.
Anyway, this is why we've got engineers in the world, to solve these kind of problems, right? I just think it would be great to use something like this..:rolleyes:

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

Oh, and I've found this on the net about it..
http://books.google.ro/books?id=84hF...age&q=&f=false

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

Hm.. okay, another con is that if the wings were to tilt, the extra down force would also induce a tendency of the bike to lean further and further as you lean into the corner.. But this could be countered by somehow making the point where the downforce is applied placed as low down on the wheel as possible. If, for example, the wheel were to have on the bottom end some sort of rotating mechanism through which downforce could be applied..
Better yet, some sort of magnetic setup..

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

i cant see the wing wheel's working first bit of lean you get the wing would touch down and you'd be off the best aerodynamic's on a road bike was the busa but nothing to shove you into the tarmac like car's.

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

Not if the wings tilt. That would not be an issue. When you lean, the wings would always stay parallel to the ground

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

Mudguards are already designed to create downforce. That's why 'busa one is pig-ugly!

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

a small wing would not create that much downforce anyway if you look at the cars theyve got 5.5-6 foot of wing pushing it down.

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

I mean something like this:

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

i'd still have one :cool:

Re: Weird idea for motorcycle design
 

Oops, appears that I don't know how to properly attach pictures.. Oh well..

@YC : yeah, I agree about the 'busa being that way.. But mudguards don't tilt against the bikes tilt, so when the angle is above 45 deg, they actually do more harm..