Aerodynamic motorcycle cloth idea??

[stovie]

A while ago I was wondering about taking some heavy duty cloth and sewing it together so that it fit tightly around my bike and me when riding to increase its aerodynamics at higher speeds?? I was thinking if it was strong and somewhat stretchy it would make a really good aerodynamic add on that's easy to remove when driving around town, then stretch back on when driving over 50mph??

[Stubby79]

The use of fabric has occurred to me for aerodynamic purposes. I'd think you'd want something that doesn't stretch, or it is going to end up distorting and catching wind instead of letting it flow over smoothly. I was thinking tightly stretch nylon or the like. Smooth and non-stretching.

[gone-ot]

Check into the materials that land-speed bicyclists wear.

[Frank Lee]

Several/many HPVs use stretchy material for bodywork.

[stiletto2]

Wouldn't really want it to be attached too firmly to the rider... especially if the bike were to go down. Not a happy thing if it then drags you with it down the road or if it begins to flip. Maybe more of a thing where it just presses into the rider along with foam rubber edging to keep the gap closed between the rider and any sort of fairing behind. The rider would/should still be able to push back and sit more upright/lean back on that part of the rider/fairing interface... just an idea.

[stovie]

Stubby79 I was thinking of having channels that you could put some 1/2 inch pvc pipe through for better stability?? I was also thinking that if it was done right you could make it like a roll cage also so that as you slide it transfers most if not all the damage to the pipes rather then the bike or rider???

[Grant-53]

I've been working on fairings for a pedal bike that has a hoop in the cowl fairing and a bulkhead at the rider's back. The side panels hinge up and out. The sheet magnets and air pressure are used instead of a latch. The cowl is Coroplast and the bulkhead is honeycomb aluminum. The tail box and sides are reinforced skins of 1" hex wire mesh bonded between sheets of 5 mil tarp plastic. For a motorcycle use aluminum ribs and ABS skin. PVC might crack and wood might splinter in a crash. Consider an inertial reel lap belt.

[2005_rs]

I proposed a similar idea this summer for my CBR125. A couple of days later I commuted into work on a very windy day (crosswinds) and decided that this was an experiment that I didn't really want to follow up on.
I do however have the bike in my laundry room for the winter and I do see lots of potential for cleaning the bike up aerodynamically. I've seen aero mods make significant fe improvements in cars on this site; I think there is good potential for motorcycles in this regard.
I've found it interesting that my bike; a 2008 is slower than the newer bikes with the same engine even though they have bigger tires and are heavier. The newer bikes have a larger rear sprocket and better aerodynamics.
I've attached a picture of the front of my bike. It seems like a huge gap between the front fender and the front fairing. Granted, there is a radiator there that needs some air flow, but my coolant guage always is in the bottom quarter.
I've also noticed newer models have rear view mirrors attached to the front fairing and look like they may present less drag. My handlebar mounted mirrors mostly show me a clear view of my arms, so changing them is not a big risk for me.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2...2tPSEMxdlR5eDA

[samwichse]

Definitly been done before for a three-wheeler (1959):

1959 Velorex Oskar

It does seem like something like this would be easier to rig than fiberglass customs... strategically bolted/bent aluminum strip for the guides, maybe some kind of sailcloth to cover? It would need to have low wind penetration, which might be incompatible with "stretch" (since the weave is loosening as the fabric stretches).

[2005_rs]

Instead of cloth I'm going to try heat shrink plastic like this:
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/duck-bra.../6000112370429

I've used some to temporarily fix a headlight lens on my car until the insurance claim gets sorted out.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2...0hzcjNETVFCalU