Aerodynamic baseline: Motorcycles.

[renault_megane_dci]

each to their own when it comes to design and appeal.

Buying a bike is very much not a reasonable choice so I am 100% with you guys when you say there need to be some passion in the vehicle.

[Grant-53]

Comfort and self expression are a big part of any vehicle purchase. The aero tuck does not need to be uncomfortable if the bike is made to fit the rider. This has been a problem with motorcycles that cyclists have mastered. Frames, seat position, handle bars, stem position, and crank length are all specified to fit a cyclist's proportions. Note that the first thing Craig Vetter did in building the current streamliner was to change the handlebars on the Honda Helix. Sendler found the use of the tank bag took the pressure off the wrists and I found making aero bars from aluminum angle stock gives me a place to rest my forearms comfortably. A heads up riding position gives better visibility but greater cross sectional area to the direction of travel. The range of aero options is wide enough to encompass a variety of riding styles. Some kind of front fairing and a tail piece will fit the bill.

[sheepdog 44]

I think if you lowered the seat and sat in an upright position, you could have a complete fairing over the top of the motorcycle. It would increase your frontal area marginally, but even an extremely unlikely 20% increase is not a big deal, because the CD could go reasonably to 0.14 +-0.02. Vetter's fairing is already in an upright position, but the side and top openings are like driving a car with the top down sacrificing much of its aerodynamic potential.

The good things would be never worrying about rain (motorcyclist look miserable driving in the rain.) Better aero, mpg, emissions.

Bad things would be public opinion/styling, the usual. Crosswinds.

It could be done with open foot/leg wells and sliding the fairing forward and backward for entry.

[alvaro84]

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44

The good things would be never worrying about rain (motorcyclist look miserable driving in the rain.) Better aero, mpg, emissions.

....and yes, it can be useful. So much of the 'cage' should be retractable, so the vehicle could be converted between an enclosed streamliner and a mostly normal motorcycle with some fairing. I could live with this solution.

And one more thought: the expensive fairing needs some protection in case of occassional tumbles. Because they're inevitable.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44

It could be done with open foot/leg wells and sliding the fairing forward and backward for entry.

Even if a side-car was attached, reducing the effect of crosswinds, the foot wells would be needed. Flintstones-style reverse gear

[Grant-53]

Seat height should fit the rider's inseam. The seat angle forward or back from vertical affects the critical shoulder height for the fairing body. Sliding the rear half of the fairing back would be helpful both for a single rider and two up. Flow can be directed to minimize drag from open sides or from crosswinds. The partial side panel should act as a door beam. Foot work below that is mainly at low speed. Body work of a reinforced fairing could have plastic hard points to minimize finish damage.

[renault_megane_dci]

Let's hope one of the big bike manufacturers reads this and report to his manager who reports to his chief of department who fires the poor fellow that was surfing the web on working hours but still reports to the engineering department telling it was his idea and then we could hope for something different in 3 years time !

[sendler]

Craig Vetter is on the right path with his streamlined motorcycle design. Comfortable position, optimized aero. plenty of luggage capacity. A retuned CBR250R engine could approach the magic 200 mpgUS number in a 45 mph style competition.

[renault_megane_dci]

45 mph competition would not be a streamliner best exercise I fear ...
The smallest engine / lightest and marginally aero modded bike would do better than a streamliner wich has to have more capacity to move the extra weight.
IIRC, Vetter changed the rules of his contest in order to rule out smaller engines.

Anyway, I digress.

[Frank Lee]

Just went to Vetter dot com and didn't find such changes.