Have to say I much prefer this than the Orange Respol scheme of old. Rear wing is a bit of an abomination but as long as it is functional I guess that is all that matters.
Not for me i have to say (barring the Castrol logo which never gets old). Graphics/logos im a complete traditionalist You could make a good living round london with that parcel shelf on the back too!
They’re starting to look ridiculous with all the downforce/stability sticky out bits… Obviously functional though…
Just as well MM is no longer a Honda rider, those ‘sticky out bits’ would only last to the 1st corner! Rear spoiler looks like they stole it from a ten year old Corsa..
At least you can read "Honda" on it now, and the red/white/blue HRC colours look nice. It is the Aprilia that I am not keen on its is not even a nice colour. I hope they do well this year, but I am not going to buy one of their T-Shirts !
I don’t follow Moto GP at all closely anymore but can anyone enlighten me on what the rear aero is for. Downforce I can’t imagine, as it would diminish exponentially with speed so when you might really need more ‘dig’ at the slower points of a corner, it would be least effective, and ‘draggy’ all the time when you don’t need it on the straights. And not stability either, as again, it would be quite variable, and fight the geometry designed turn-in at times. So all I can guess is to make following closely behind by competitors more difficult by creating a messy air wash (especially the vertical strakes) which, if so, I’m surprised the series owners (was Dorna - is it Liberty now?) allow it because that’s surely a detractor from close racing which is what bike enthusiasts pay their ticket money for?
I think it’s actually there to try and deflect some of the turbulent air coming off the rider. Nothing to do with trying to upset someone else’s aero (afaik).
It’s been about 55 years since I studied turbulent flow in fluids (air flow counted as fluids back then ) but the disrupted air flow over the rider’s body, which you really need to be smooth, causes a transient vacuum and that vacuum causes negative drag. Tiny margins but in this game, tiny margins are what you have to play with. Andy
Not sure where in the envelope of track use, the rear "parcel shelf" plays its role, but the rear winglets only really come into their own once the bike is leant over, since their angle in relation to the air flowing over them, allows them to produce an element of downforce, as it is whilst they are at this angle, that they are most effective, thereby pushing the rear end into the tarmac. Arguably with the rider's body blocking a lot of the air, that would ordinarily reach them, their performance is likely or not compromised to a degree, so any gain would be at best marginal. As Andy said, margins are all most teams can chase, at this level of racing.
