Aerodynamic tweaks on the Castrol Honda Superbikes

These days we are following the Superbike World Championship practice sessions at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia. Thanks to them, we have been able to gather a great deal of information about the new bikes and the latest technological advances.

Today we want to pay special attention to the Honda CBR1000RR from 2012. It features two major technical innovations, aimed at achieving better results than those obtained in recent years.

The first is a set of Öhlins suspension that will most likely never reach the street. This kind of suspension only makes sense and has a purpose on the track, and only for riders with very high expectations of their motorcycle.

On the other hand, an aerodynamic improvement. It seems we are gradually reaching the limits in other areas, and this part is starting to receive more attention. Aerodynamics is often underestimated, either for the sake of looks or because people think that with so much power it is not needed. For purists, however, this is not the case.

Poorly maintained or outdated aerodynamics is similar to driving a car with the handbrake on. Nobody would do it, and if it can be removed (in this case, improved), it should be.

As can be seen in the photo above, a plate under the front of the motorcycle, with openings, creates a low-pressure zone in this area, reducing the lift the bike generates at high speeds. This can cause the rider and bike combination to lose contact of the front wheel with the asphalt, diverting power upward instead of forward, and possibly causing unexpected behavior when the tire touches the ground again. The most surprising thing is that this is a detail that comes on the bike as standard.

Besides all this, it also improves the cooling of the radiator and reduces the airflow directed toward the rider.

By the way, here is a video that has been posted from the training sessions the Honda team is doing at Phillip Island.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo8kkWrN6PI

Source | Hellforleathermagazine.com, twowheelsblog.com