Why Don't MotoGP Bikes Have Torpedo Fairings?

Their top speed would be increased by 35 MPH, so why doesn't MotoGP bikes have Torpedo fairings as the super bikes of the 1950s?

#techtalk

[lukasagolj]

People often forget that with race bikes and cars the goal isnt to have the most HP or the highest top speed, the goal is to have the fastest lap time

[jojosthlm]

Those fairings are banned for reason. Top speed is already a problem for MotoGP being higher than F1 creating a need for even larger run off areas and of course higher risk of severe injuries and death.

[undisputedone]

Thank you for covering an aspect of the engineering behind these machines. You have a good variety of videos

[glike]

This problem could probably be overcome to make Dustbin fairings stable and safe using some kind of active or passive damping system or longer more streamlined tail would bring the Cp behind the Cg to make it stable. But the sensitivity to crosswinds would still be there.

[timhicks]

It’s sometimes forgotten how successful Moto Guzzi were, in the field of racing.

[pashakdescilly]

Another factor is that downforce on the front wheel makes cornering harder. More grip is needed to counter the downforce.
When considering the dustbin fairings of the '50s, you need to look a bit more carefully. Yes, there were handling issues. Some works teams were more successful in dealing with them than others. Successful examples being FB Mondial and Moto Guzzi. They both worked hard to test them, in a specially-made wind tunnel in the case of Moto Guzzi - they used a WW2 aircraft engine they had made just a few years earlier to power The fairing nose needs to be close to the wheel, and well rounded. A tail fairing moves the aerodynamic centre of pressure backwards for greater stability. The Guzzis and Mondials had these features, and were much less affected by the stability issues than other marques. Les so... they were not immune either, witness Bill Lomas competing in the 1956 Isle of Man TT on a dolphin-faired Guzzi V8, due to strong winds.
The real reason dustbins were banned was that there was an economic recession in 1957. Many marques competing in GPs withdrew, leaving MV Agusta as very dominant. They had LOTS of problems with aerodynamics, and were able to pressure the FIM into banning the dustbin. They binned

[gotkittys]

My friend made one of these fairings back in the 1970's. The crosswind problem is a real issue. My few tests rides on a windy day were not good, and my friend crashed it a few times, then removed most of it. But... we thought it would be excellent for a 3 wheel cycle. It needed a lower profile.

[alexduey]

it is crazy watching the GP riders turn mid wheelie so smoothly to. The Gp bikes look amazing this year to.

[michaellavery]

It's simply because the structure is not allowed in the regulations that are MOTOGP.
It's like asking why the rider doesn't lie horizontally on his front to reduce his drag coefficient? Because the regulations state he must be seated and facing forwards (roughly!).

[darrenjpeters]

Cross winds. If you've ever been hit by a nasty gust on a bike with a full fairing, you sure as hell don't want one of these things.

[MattyT_]

Without watchng the video I'll give the answer: the rules specifically prohibit the use of fairings / bodywork that encases the front wheel. This has been a hard and fast rule for decades.

[brianperry]

Torpedo.!!!! as far as I remember this type of fairing was known as a 'Dustbin'....certainly in UK anyway...they were sold for road bikes back in the sixties...A friend had an Avon streamliner on his Domi 99... A problem with cross winds made them quite dangerous...fitted to a sidecar outfit probably okay...

[BLDH]

I always knew banana shaped motorcycles would be the future.


oh wait...

[loneventhorizon]

0:42 imagine going back in time with that bike to the 1950s.

[sidwalters]

When I went to college we were given a question , to get a vehicle to go 10mph faster what would be the smallest possible chance , hp, rolling resistance or aerodynamics , to my surprise it was aerodynamics by a long shot .

[pnblondon]

Good reminder of the efficiency of the mid-50s grand prix bikes with dustbin fairings. And they weren't all equally dangerous in crosswinds – some were much worse than others. The Moto Guzzis were better than the Gileras, for example. Also, remember the Norton Kneeler, which was more aerodynamic still (and broke the lap record at the NW200 in 1953). Then remember the Baumm NSU record breakers that were the most aerodynamic of the lot – recumbent riding position meant their 125 did 150mph with 16 horsepower in 1956! Also, Bob MacIntyre managed to do the first 100mph lap of the Isle of Man TT circuit on a Gilera with a dustbin fairing in 1957. I've ridden a lot of recumbent (feet first) motorcycles and never had a problem – from Quasars and Phasars to fully enclosed Peraves Ecomobiles and Monotracers on the autobahn. The Monotracer was measured to have a CdA of only 0.18. In my new the 1958 ban on aerodynamic fairings has been a serious restriction on motorcycle development ever since...

[DJ_CJ_NL]

I love how your using footage of the 22 motogp season. no old images.

[jerryldavis]

I think it's time to bring back dustbin fairings . With today's knowledge of aerodynamics i am sure they can do something about it like how f1 has underwings now .

[divecolosio]

Oooh! Imagine if MotoGP removes winglets and have a round at Fuji Speedway!

[salsamancer]

My brain is broken because I know you're saying "Guzzi" but I keep hearing "gussy" and it's cracking me up