at what speed does aerodynamics affect performance on a motorcycle?

Midget

Midget

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so, here's a question. at what speed, give or take, does drag start to make a significant adverse effect on my motorcycle? in other words, around what speed should I start 'tucking in' to my motorcycle (sport bike) on the highway? or does my body's drag make any difference at all?

just curious. I was driving fast this weekend ;)






(eye candy)
moto1hx5.jpg
 
they used to say that above 40 mph, the drag was the biggest efficiency problem in cars. I think that's crept up a bit with newer designs though.

I suspect motorcycles would be similar.
 
usually when i would get up over 120 mph i would start tucking in. it all depends on how well you can hold on. it gets extremely hard up around 160+ mph, the wind wants to peel you off.
 
I recommend against tucking. It may gain you a tiny advantage in a race or a 1/2 mile per gallon better gas mileage, but that is more than made up for by your discomfort, decreased sight lines, and worsened ergonomics and body mechanics.

It is exactly when you're going the fastest that you want to be able to see the best and farthest and react the quickest. This is with your head up, not tucked behind the screen with a cramp in your neck. It's also much easier to cover the brake and clutch and make sudden manuevers when you're in a normal position.

Believe me, the street is dangerous enough without giving yourself any kind of extra handicap! Do what you want on the track.

I've been riding since the days when you had to tuck in to even hit 100 (and even then it took a while!), but modern bikes will easily hit well over 120 without needing to tuck- at least my last three would.

FWIW, phatch gave you the correct answer.
 
Watch the GP racers, people tuck on the Bonneville Salt Flats for top speed on a straight, in the real world you have to take advantage of leverage and line of sight both things are done more effectively untucked.

I've seen all that go out the window when a bike was doin' a Buck Ten down a country road with open fields on both sides of the road, the guy was less than a quarter a mile in front of me and when he hit a dip in the road it lifted his front tire far enough off the road that when the 45 mph gust of wind hit the bike it just lifted and pushed the bike sideways.

Luckily he was smart enough to be wearin' the right gear, he slid for a hundred feet before he slid into the field, the bike went spinnin into the ditch on the other side.

He got up before I got to him so I made him sit and we waited for the ambulance together, I guess he was alright as the people seemed to be more concerned about the bike.

I guess bein' tucked didn't help him.
 
When young a stupid(er) I found 110mph on a V65 magna started to lift the front end no matter how low I tried to duck
 
good call, all.

i guess i'll scrap the idea of being tucked in to save on performance/gas.


although... it does keep the wind down. and the bugs off my faceplate. :)
 
i would think anytime ya have less drag fuel mileage is gonna go up, slower its just gonna be a smaller % is all, slow enough and it would be negligible, on a car i would say 60 or 80 MPH, a bike probably faster due to less drag to begin with imho.
 
depends on the bike, but for sportbikes, the wind resistance helps take off some of the weight on your wrists, which is a good thing.

plus imo, you'd look ridiculous tucking in on the street or even highway.
 
over 150 km/h .anyway, for a supersport ( I have a Ducati 999 ), the position is for the beginning "low" .
 
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