shed imitations were dubbed
dangerous in crosswinds, and
furthermore encouraged front
(drum) brakes to overheat.
Now, almost seven decades
later, some (including FIM presi
-
dent Jorge Viegas) are advocat-
ing a new ban on aerodynamics.
For
a variety of safety reasons—
again including brake cooling.
Another is aesthetic.
Contemporary MotoGP bikes
have so far departed from
convention that even the most
slavish showroom designer,
turning racing trends into fash
-
ion, could hardly be rushing to
imitate
(for example) Yamaha's
absurd-looking inverted triangle
on the back of the seat (seen at
Portimao tests).
There is an argument against
outlandish MotoGP develop
-
ments. One of the sport's
appealing
factors is (vaulting
power and super-sticky tires
apart) just how close the bikes
are to top-end street-legal sport
bikes. Then again, some might
think the opposite—that looking
different is an advantage.
There are more important
questions about the several new
dishes at the aero feast, the
latest adding front-wheel side
pods to seat-rear fins. It begins
to feel like gluttony.
The origins of aero were
simple enough: a search for
more speed through less drag.
The advent of double-size
four-stroke engines and the
O
nce upon a time, world
championship racing's
great aerodynamic
breakthrough was Geoff Duke's
skin-tight leather suit. In this
way, the stylish double cham-
pion claimed an edge over rivals
in their
flapping high-drag two-
piece suits.
A bit of an exaggeration.
Only a year or two later, largely
thanks to Moto-Guzzi's cliff-side
wind tunnel, came a new gener
-
ation of handsome dustbin fair-
ings, enclosing the front wheel.
Within
three more years,
these were banned on safety
grounds. While properly devel-
oped bodywork, with a comple-
mentary rear enclosure, was a
big step forward,
flimsy garden-
P126
CN II IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
WINGS AND
THINGS–
Good, Bad And Ugly
