The increasing aerodynamic development of motorcycles generates a debate in the championship and opponents like Marc Márquez arise
If you could travel back in time and be in a MotoGP paddock in 2014, no one would be talking about aerodynamics. This concept, inextricably linked to Formula 1, had hardly had a tour in the world of motorcycles, and it must be borne in mind that unlike a car, the motorcycle is not always on the same vertical axis and the aerodynamic load varies depending on of the tilt function , which makes everything much more complex.
Looking back much further, at the beginning of the Championship, in the 1950s, full fairings came into fashion, completely covering the front wheel in true torpedo style. In this way, very fast motorcycles were achieved, but at the same time dangerous and unstable in crosswinds. So much so that they were banned by regulation at the end of that same decade. Currently, these museum motorcycles are the closest to the models with which man is trying to break speed records on two wheels, and the fact is that by definition and by regulation the motorcycle has an uncovered front wheel.
While it is true that aerodynamics has never been completely abandoned, it was a very secondary field in motorcycling and for many decades the brands were more concerned with getting horsepower from the engine or looking for driving aids, first with mechanical elements and the last years with highly advanced electronics. Precisely the limitations in this area in the pursuit of cost control forced the implementation of uniform electronics for all MotoGP, which were much less developed than those used by the factories themselves. Somehow this loss of electronic effectiveness had to be compensated for, for example, to keep the bike on the ground during acceleration, and from the 2015 season the first wings were developed.
If there is one instigator of the current aerodynamic war in MotoGP, it is Gigi Dall’Igna. This engineer by profession was signed by Ducati in 2014, with full powers, and for some time has made the Italian brand the technological benchmark in the premier class. From his head came those first aerodynamic fittings that were attached directly to the motorcycles and that kept getting bigger and bigger. When the rest of the brands saw the Ducati’s effectiveness on the track, they copied this idea to the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), who saw the risk they posed to rider integrity in the event of a collision. recoiled. Or rather limit. Since 2017, only aerodynamic elements that are part of the fairing assembly are allowed, with a certain size and shape, and only two can be homologated per year. This is the regulatory framework in which MotoGP finds itself today, which, like any motorcycle competition, is always looking for loopholes.
Wings, spoilers, fins, deflectors… are scattered throughout today’s MotoGP. Dall’Igna’s latest invention this season is the addition of two small appendages on the tail of the bike. Memes were made about it, the Ducati was christened with the Pokemon name, but since this piece has established itself in all the Italian brand’s motorcycles, the reaction of the competition was… to copy. Again. This weekend Marc Márquez debuted these two dragon-shaped appendages on his Honda, and it won’t be long before the rest of the brands make their own version. “The bike is uglier with the wings, but it’s effective. And if it’s effective, then it’ll be fine,” a pragmatic Márquez resigned as soon as he tried this novelty on Phillip Island.
The Cervera rider has always been one of the clearest opponents in this battle of the motorcycle against the sky. Factories are increasingly investing in wind tunnels and motorcycles are on rails. One of the most common complaints from fans is that there has been less and less catching up for a while. The margin of error is smaller on these MotoGP bikes and with so much exhaust airflow, the terrifying turbulence comes into play when one bike follows the other. “The more accessories you put on a bike – aerodynamics, electronics, etc. – you become more dependent on the machine and it becomes more difficult to hide the rider’s mistakes. But it’s the direction it’s going and where it will go in the coming years,” lamented Marc Márquez, who condemned it: “I don’t like it, but you have to adapt to the environment. If you don’t adapt, you die.” Although the aerodynamics in MotoGP are light years away from Formula 1, it is already changing the sport in some ways.
Source: La Verdad
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