Our #EICMA2021 Aerodynamic Spy Shots!

Finally!

We got to go to a fair again, and not just any - the EICMA motorcycle fair in Milan, Italy. We were there last time, in 2019, and it was brilliant to see our customers and newcomers in real life. And we wouldn't be members of the AirShaper team if we didn't spy for interesting aerodynamic details - so here's an overview of what we spotted!

Wings

Yes, wings are a big thing these days, especially since Ducati started applying them on MotoGP bikes years ago. We can now see them make their way to bikes for normal, mortal people as well, like on this one at Zero Motorcycles - Note how they added vertical side plates to limit the wing tip vortices!

We also saw them in a more enclosed version on the MV Agusta F3RR (small teaser - we saw them digitally as well long before the public did, as we helped design them at AirShaper). Note how this setup features 3 internal wings with a joint outer fairing.

Cooling

A lot of new motorbikes are going electric and those come with their own challenges. Cooling is a big one: electric motorbikes are much more energy efficient (and thus have far less waste heat), so you would think they need less cooling. But the batteries need to stay within a much narrower temperature band (the maximum temperature of the battery is much lower than the maximum temperature of the cooling fluid of an ICE bike), which means you have a smaller temperature delta for your cooler, so the cooler size increases (see this video).

So it was interesting to see the different cooling options (apart from conventional radiators), mainly the cooling fins directly on the battery pack. See these two examples of Zero Motorcycles - one with cooling fins at the front and at the sides.

Aerodynamic fairings

It's not a secret: motorbikes are, because of their open structure and their rider changing position, very un-aerodynamic. So it was nice to see both historical and modern examples of more aerodynamic fairings (combined with a lower, more aerodynamic position of the rider to match it). See the classic Motori Minarelli and the modern MV Agusta Super Veloce below.

Enduro Aerodynamics

Yes, aerodynamics are relevant for top speed. But for long races or travels, comfort is crucial to stay focused and safe. So for their Lucky Explorer 9.5,MV Agusta paid great attention to reducing buffeting on the rider as well as keeping the hot air from the coolers away from him/her. Check this video!

MotoGP and racing

When it comes to wining races, every detail counts. To learn more about MotoGP, see our video interviews with MV Agusta (part 1 and part 2). We also spotted this nice example of how even the back of a rider is tuned (probably not just because of aerodynamics, but still...) to connect with the helmet (to reduce separation and pressure drag). Please do imagine the rider getting into a low-tuck position, making the helmet match the hump on the back :)

Want to learn more?

So that was it for our short coverage of aerodynamics at EICMA. If you want to learn more, just visit our dedicated Motorcycle Aerodynamics page or drop a comment to start a discussion!