#aerodynamics

To celebrate 30 years since Aprilia won its first world championship title, Aprilia (or, more appropriately, the racing division) is introducing this, the RSV4 Xtrenta. Encompassing the same basic profile the RSV4 has carried since its birth over a decade ago, the Xtrenta is defined by the level of aerodynamic work the Noale factory has applied from its MotoGP program.

On the heels of its uber exclusive RSV4 X winged wonder, Aprilia announced a naked version with the Tuono V4 X. As with the RSV4 X, the Tuono version is designed only for track use and will be produced in very limited numbers. Only 10 units of the RSV4 X were made, and all were scooped up in a few hours after online orders were opened, but Aprilia hasn’t announced how many Tuono V4 X models will be made. We do have a price: 34,000 euros, or about US$40,473.

With the World Superbike championship set to resume again this weekend in Jerez, after a long Coronavirus-induced break since the season opener at Philip Island in February, BMW felt it necessary to tell everyone how it was spending its time in lockdown – and it’s pretty fascinating.

Piaggio has filed a patent for an active aerodynamic device using winglets that rotate up or down to affect rotational torque. The patent, published today with the World Intelletual Property Office but initially filed in Italy in late 2018, uses a last-generation MP3 three-wheeled scooter in its illustrations, but the principles behind that patent can apply just as well on a two-wheeled motorcycle.

What a time to be a motorcycle rider. Why, you ask? Because motorcycles today are faster, safer, and more comfortable than ever before. Moan all you want about motorcycles becoming too smart for their own good, but it’s this very technology that allows us to be faster, safer, and more comfortable. Today no one will deny the motorized bicycle being superior than the horse and carriage, nor will they deny the advantages of electric starters over the kickers of yesteryear. But it’s really been the last five to ten years that we’ve seen a huge technological jump in motorcycling. Here are some notable advances seen on today’s motorcycles.

After new MotoGP regulations put a stop to the “winglets” seen on several racebikes last season, manufacturers have been trying new strategies to add aerodynamic features that comply with the new rules. The latest development, debuted today by Jorge Lorenzo during free practice for this weekend’s Brno round, is a new fairing design that looks somewhat like Sally Field’s costume from The Flying Nun.