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Originally Posted by Christ
How much does your R1100 weigh? How's the aero on it?
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Don't know, but it's lighter than other smaller bikes I've had. Don't know Cd, just going by seat of the pants, but the wind goes by pretty smooth and quiet till you lift your head above the windshield, or hold your arm out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Christ
I'm not looking to build it to "have fun", in the sense that everyone else thinks. It'll be fun enough tooling around in it just knowing that my hands built it, and how many people can say that?
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That's cool, but if you're riding and not having fun, you're doing it wrong and ought to try something else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Christ
A boat tail would help by a few MPG, but true streamlining is necessary to really see any gains, because you bike has a very high Cd. I believe I read that there was approx 80% of the engine's power wasted just to keep the bike going 80+ MPH on some bikes.
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It's not like an AeroCivic, but I don't know that the Cd is all that high, and the frontal area is pretty small compared to power at the rear wheel.
I ride recumbent bicycles and a tadpole trike, and people that have been streamlining those vehicles for years concentrate more on cleaning up behind the rider rather than in front. With your feet out in front of you, the air is dirty, but the area is small, and it's easier and more effective to put something behind you that you don't have to look over or through.
It's different on a motorcycle. You're not pushing through the air under your own power, and it's more comfortable pushing a wall of air out of the way with a plastic fairing than with your face. The challenge at the back of the bike has a lot more to do with crosswind aerodynamics and stability. Slicing through the air at Bonneville for a couple of runs is a lot different than slicing through traffic on I-70 during rush hour. I think some Kammback style touring cases could be really effective, but I think it's easier to experiment with Coroplast on low speed bicycles, or cars that have 4 wheels on the ground and more attachment points.
I'm looking forward to seeing how your vehicle develops!
