The latest BMW S 1000? RR super motorcycle doesn't adopt aerodynamic design similar to wing, and now BMW is catching up with the trend by developing movable winglet technology. Since Ducati, Honda and Kawasaki all chose to add winglets to their mainstream super motorcycles this year, it is obvious that this technology will make all motorcycles with racing replicas eager to adopt it. Although few people can use it in daily use, it goes without saying that you have to own it as a super motorcycle first.
BMW's idea is to install the wing in the non-suspended part, so as to obtain more direct downforce results. So far, the wings appearing on street motorcycles have followed the pattern in MotoGP. This makes sense from the marketing point of view, because various brands of racing cars have developed these wing designs, so they can save a lot of money. However, the rules of MotoGP strictly limit the size and position of wings and prohibit movable aerodynamic surfaces. There is no such restriction on the street, and the current WSBK competition rules also allow the use of more extreme wing designs, including mobile winglets, but only if they are also used in mass-produced motorcycles, so BMW, which prefers WSBK, is increasingly motivated to develop this patent.
This reminds us of BMW's latest idea: the front and rear winglets installed on the suspension instead of the car body can move in multiple directions to adjust their downforce and drag characteristics. One of the patents shows a simple single actuator that acts on the winglet to change its angle.
Although this design is not legal in MotoGP, BMW does not participate in MotoGP competitions, so BMW is not bound by MotoGP regulations, nor is it restricted by any market-driven needs. It copies MotoGP-style winglets on street motorcycles, so its intention seems to be to transcend all possibilities and finally come up with a set of pneumatic winglets different from other automobile manufacturers.
The images showing BMW's development ideas in patents are usually very simple, only explaining the concept, and will not give too many details of the final appearance. However, in addition to illustrating normal aerial wings, they also show an alternative layout in which winglets are mounted on front forks and rear rocker arms.
It is meaningful to extend the wing directly into the unsprung part of the motorcycle instead of the body, because it means that its downforce acts directly on the wheels. Early attempts to install wings on the F 1 racing car were similar, and the wings were installed on the suspension column instead of the car body until the idea was banned.
BMW's wing design also allows aerodynamic surfaces to move under the control of a central computer and actuators connected to each winglet. We have seen other patents exploring this idea, especially Honda's patent, but BMW has taken this idea one step further. Honda's idea has not been seen on mass-produced motorcycles, but it has many patents. The idea is to use retractable winglets, which can be put away when not needed, thus reducing resistance. In contrast, BMW's goal is to change the wing angle according to speed, acceleration, turning attitude and throttle and brake position, in the simplest form. The patent also shows a single actuator connected to each winglet, which changes its angle like the elevator and aileron of an airplane. The same idea also appeared in BMW's patent for a new electric car with a roof.
The latest patent takes this idea a step further. BMW engineers suggested that additional actuators could be used to change the angle of the winglet in the fore-and-aft direction, so that the winglet could move like the swinging wing on the F- 14 Tomcat. Another idea suggests that another actuator can be used to extend the flap portion of the winglet tip, although the patent does not describe the aerodynamic advantages thus obtained.
The angle of the wing can be changed according to the speed, acceleration and the position of the throttle and brake. Will the downforce and dynamic weight of future models be listed as specifications? The more extreme control movement suggested in BMW's patent may be a case that covers all the basic knowledge, rather than a real sign that these ideas are going to be put into practice.
In the near future, more and more BMW models will be equipped with winglets, and S 1000RR is an obvious candidate, because racing motorcycles will also benefit a lot.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.