SM Motorbike thread

[midlifecrisis]

My first motorcycle licence that I got in Saudi Arabia in 1980.
View attachment 97463

So which muskateer were you?

 

[Wack61]

Sports Mopeds at 16 back in the 70's gave us Freedom
View attachment 97064

I tried that on a Fs1e , the landing didn't go so well tank slapper which threw me off and broke an indicator, I'd only had it a week , luckily the crash bars did their job

 

[BennyD]

Two done and the R1 isn’t far behind. The GT was a pain to get going but once it started it’s been bob-on ever since. Hopefully, they’ll all be moving on to new pastures once the weather picks up.

 

[Wack61]

Saw a 400/4 today , it looked like a moped compared to modern bikes

 

[midlifecrisis]

Sometimes you see a bike in the paddock more interesting than the race bikes.
At Jerez MotoGP 30th April 2022

 

[Phil H]

We visited Swanage on Tuesday and a biker was slowly riding around the car park as we arrived. On the way back from the ticket machine I saw that he'd dropped the bike and was struggling even to stand up so I went to help him. Having helped him to his feet we lifted the bike and he then explained that he'd bought it a few days earlier and was practising when he got it wrong. He was a lovely chap, and so embarrassed at falling off as he's an experienced rider who did Route 66 not too long ago, and at the ripe old age 88 he's determined to beat his grandfather who gave up biking at 95!

Gotta admire the determination

 

[Nibby]

Saw a 400/4 today , it looked like a moped compared to modern bikes

Lad who use to knock with us circa 1980 had a 400/4 with a four-into-one Yoshimura pipe on it, sounded sweet. Halcyon days!

 

[midlifecrisis]

Lad who use to knock with us circa 1980 had a 400/4 with a four-into-one Yoshimura pipe on it, sounded sweet. Halcyon days!

I saw one of them in town yesterday...If I see it again tonight I'll take a shot...

 

[Nibby]

I saw one of them in town yesterday...If I see it again tonight I'll take a shot...

Honda did this one as well, a 350/4 which I've never seen before in the flesh.

 

[midlifecrisis]

New this weekend in MotoGP. We know that Ducati have led the way with functional aerodynamics in MotoGP now Aprillia hope to steal a march with this.

The test rider is tight-lipped about it but what do you think gimmick or game changer?

 

[Hawk13]

New this weekend in MotoGP. We know that Ducati have led the way with functional aerodynamics in MotoGP now Aprillia hope to steal a march with this. View attachment 100883

The test rider is tight-lipped about it but what do you think gimmick or game changer?

Gimmick IMO. The amount of turbulence coming off a rider and the riders continual movement changing airflow means it can't be effective? Surely?

 

[Vince2]

New this weekend in MotoGP. We know that Ducati have led the way with functional aerodynamics in MotoGP now Aprillia hope to steal a march with this. View attachment 100883

The test rider is tight-lipped about it but what do you think gimmick or game changer?

like all the high tech stuff, every little bit counts. I guess they’ve tried it in a wind tunnel and if it gives an extra 2 or 3% speed on the straight, that could be enough to gain a place.

 

[CatmanV2]

Gimmick IMO. The amount of turbulence coming off a rider and the riders continual movement changing airflow means it can't be effective? Surely?

Was my thought. Rapidly followed but the repeated realisation that I know basically nothing about aerodynamics, especially compared with the experts at a team like Aprilla....

C

 

[Oneball]

Gimmick IMO. The amount of turbulence coming off a rider and the riders continual movement changing airflow means it can't be effective? Surely?

What Vince said. It’s probably about smoothing the air off the rider. They actually spend wind tunnel time developing the riders position both in motorbikes and cycle racing.

 

[Hawk13]

Given the way leathers flap at 200mph I'm really not convinced.

More likely is that some clever clogs in marketing has realised that the Aprilia logo will now be visible in all rear facing footage aired on TV.

 

[philw696]

 

[Geo]

New this weekend in MotoGP. We know that Ducati have led the way with functional aerodynamics in MotoGP now Aprillia hope to steal a march with this. View attachment 100883

The test rider is tight-lipped about it but what do you think gimmick or game changer?

In answer to your question………I have no idea. Even though it’s small, it will produce a good few pound downforce at 200mph so it may well help.

 

[Vince2]

I always thought spoilers were for downforce only but they also disrupt airflow leaving the back of the bike preventing low air pressure which would effectively hold the bike back (hence the term drag)
The term ‘spoiler’ is also describing what it does to the air flow. Hence the bike goes faster with it.

 

[Oneball]

Aero effects are a bit of a black art, see this years F1 issues. We all know that at 200mph on a NASCAR there’s a big effect but this video shows even at low speeds things you wouldn’t immediately consider can have a big impact in a race.

 

[RodTungsten]

I always thought spoilers were for downforce only but they also disrupt airflow leaving the back of the bike preventing low air pressure which would effectively hold the bike back (hence the term drag)
The term ‘spoiler’ is also describing what it does to the air flow. Hence the bike goes faster with it.

Perhaps it is a two-wheeled version of the Kamm tail which makes a turbulent area at the rear that mimics an ideal aerodynamic teardrop rear?