VOL. 55 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 21, 2018 P31
MORE AERO, PROBLEMS
W
ith Aprilia and Suzuki join-
ing Honda in testing new
(or at least very significantly
revised) engines, Ducati experi-
menting with chassis variations
and Yamaha in vain pursuit of
electronic satisfaction, the one
common element at the second
of three pre-season MotoGP
tests lay in aerodynamics.
Fairing design is frozen dur-
ing the season, but until the first
race, factories are free to ex-
periment within the rules. These
are somewhat vague, giving the
final say to technical director
Danny Aldridge, who explained
to Dorna's cameras that (as well
as complying with maximum
width, which must also be nar-
rower than the handlebars) the
main criterion is that "they must
not be wing-shaped. Edges
must be rounded."
Within this, and following
the lead set by Ducati's fairing-
flank box kites of last year, the
current trend could be, he said,
categorized as "side pods."
Ducati had three different fair-
ings at the test, the latest with a
sort of skeleton version of last
year's structures on the upper
fairing flanks. The side-member
is effectively hollowed out, now
more like a pair of struts than a
single piece.
With Yamaha already testing
a somewhat similar but more
curvaceous loop in place of
last year's ducted sandwich-
sided fairings, Suzuki also aired
a variation of a similar design,
halfway between a scoop and
a box.
On the second day, Honda
also joined the trend. After
testing a variation of last year's
scoops, they were today also
testing a more skeletal loop.
Michael Scott
Anyone for
catfish? The new
aero on the 2018
MotoGP bikes have
polarizing looks.
