Here's Why Sport Bikes Ridden On The Road Don't Need Wings

Aero panels rarely improve the riding experience of a road-legal bike. So, unless it's a 200+ mph racebike, winglets are just aesthetic bits.

Thanks to Ducati, wings on motorcycles have become a raging trend now. Apart from a few production superbikes with winglets from BMW, Honda, and Kawasaki, there are various aftermarket options to slap on wings to a slew of entry-level motorcycles as well. But the question here is, are wings on motorcycles necessary? Do winglets actually improve riding dynamics?

Well, if it is a 200+mph MotoGP racebike, then yes. Wings help increase downforce and high-speed stability at high speeds of over 150 mph. But for road-going sports bikes that have to adhere to speed limits, wings are merely an aesthetic masterpiece for now. But things can change if dynamic wings come into play. For now, the only motorcycle with retractable parts is the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello.

Related: 2023 BMW M 1000 R Is A Winged Naked Superbike That Rides High on M Fever

Wings help keep a motorcycle glued to the tarmac during high-speed runs, just like cars. While tiny, the winglets on motorcycles actually make a difference in stability with added downforce. With cars, we have various elements apart from wings or spoilers that can contribute to directed downforce.

These include splitters, diffusers, and canards. But there is very limited area to place wings on motorcycles. So, these winglets' shape, size, and position are restricted. Recently, Ducati and Suzuki have also started experimenting with wings at the rear. This mimics the function of spoilers we see on cars.

But the bottom line is that, like cars, a motorcycle's wings help with stability by adding more downforce. The only difference is that the downforce figures will be minuscule compared to cars, and the stability factor will also depend on how the motorcycle is ridden. This is because the COG shifts more rapidly on a bike than on a car.

Many are under the impression that it was Ducati with its Desmosedici racebike that introduced motorcycle wings to the world. But it was first seen in the 1970s. MV Agusta was the first motorcycle company to add wings. They tried to add 'fangs' to Phil Read's iconic 1972 MV Agusta 500/4 racebike. But it didn't stay for long, as the wings were ineffective. Then in 1978, a wild racer from New Zealand, Rodger Freeth, slapped two massive car-like spoilers onto his 180 mph TZ750 racebike. Both these instances were experiments that failed. But the next application was a breakthrough for motorcycle wings.

Mike Hailwood flaunted custom-made wings on his Suzuki RG500 at the Isle of Man TT. The wings helped with added downforce, increasing the front tire temperature. The result was more confident cornering speeds and improved high-speed stability. But Hailwood had to compromise on some of the RG500's top speed.

The sweeping design of a winglet on motorcycles causes air to flow quicker under it. Compared to this, the air above the winglet flows slower. This results in a negative pressure zone under the winglet, resulting in more downforce. The only caveat is that you must be at a substantial speed for the wings to work. We are talking of over 200 mph for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

This is the main reason wings make sense only on racetracks, where there is no limit to speed. It is the only sure place where a motorcycle can hit 200+ mph. This is also why all the early iterations of motorcycle winglets were seen on racing machines only. Ducati started the current trend of winged motorcycles with the iconic Desmosedici MotoGP motorcycle. Since Ducati winged fever, Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki have joined the band with their sophisticated version of aerodynamic MotoGP speed machines.

While winglets have originated from racing and are more common in MotoGP, it is not without flaws. For one, the winglets are effective only on high-speed straights or sweeping corners where the rider can maintain speeds of over 150 mph. Then there is the problem of turbulence. These wings cause a trailing MotoGP motorcycle's air to get turbulent. This can result in imbalance due to violent shaking of the front and even brake problems. Because these winglets are static (at least for now), the trailing rider has no choice but to increase the gap. Otherwise, it can end up in a mishap. Another issue is with the sharp design of these winglets. During an aggressive maneuver, the protruding wings can contact another rider.

Related: 9 Badass Superbikes From The '90s That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time

Hailwood's Suzuki RG500 might have inspired the first production motorcycle wings. Kawasaki took the bold move with their 90s flagship speed machine - the ZX-12R. It was the most powerful production motorcycle of the early 2000s. Like the Suzuki RG500, the ZX-12R flaunted tiny wings.

Yet another Kawasaki, the mighty supercharged H2, spearheads the current wave of winged motorcycles. Here, the wings are cleverly camouflaged with the sharp and futuristic design of the H2.

About 200 mph is required for the current slew of wings to be 100% effective on motorcycles. Otherwise, the downforce created is nonexistent. These speeds are only possible on a racetrack or unrestricted freeways, which aren't many. This is the main reason why wings are currently useless for road-legal motorcycles. The only advantage it has are with insane looks. But motorcycle winglets are not a lost cause, as technological modifications can make these useful even for road use.

The winglets' fixed design makes it just an "aesthetic" bit on road-going motorcycles. But the new Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello with its retractable wings shows that there is more to unearth with motorcycle wings. If motorcycles have retractable or pop-out wings, it can open up a whole new world of dynamic aerodynamics. Similar to how retractable and movable rear wings work on cars like the Lexus LFA and the Zenvo TSR-S function, respectively.

Imagine a motorcycle with pop-up rear wings, restricting a stoppie under hard braking. Or retracting side wings that change their length based on lean angle. While these are still theoretical, active aerodynamics in motorcycles hits at a promising future for wings on motorcycles.

Winged Motorcycle / Scooter

MSRP

BMW CE04 Electric Scooter

$12.195

BMW S1000 RR

$18,295

BMW M1000 RR

$33,345

BMW M1000 R

$21,695

Ducati Streetfighter V4

$27,595-68,000

Ducati Panigale V4

$24,995-40,495

Ducati Superleggera V4 (Limited-Run)

$100,000

Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP

$28,900

Kawasaki Ninja H2

$31,500

Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello

$15,490

Since the Kawasaki H2 broke cover, many other exotic superbikes have embraced wings of different shapes and sizes. The wildest has to be the dual-wing setup on the Ducati Streetfighter and Panigale V4 line-up. BMW is also not shying away with a unique looped wing design that gives the all-new S1000 RR and the first-ever M-badged BMW motorcycles a Darth Vader vibe.

The only other road-legal Japanese motorcycle with wings as standard is the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. But the Honda, unlike the Ducati and BMW, doesn't quite flaunt its wings. It neatly blends in with the front cowling. Another surprise that we have here is a scooter with wings. You heard it right. The BMW CE04 electric scooter has a set of winged front panels similar to that of the Honda Fireblade. But clearly, it is an aesthetic element, as it is not a 200+ MPH track machine.

The unique winged motorcycle on sale today is the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello. It is the only motorcycle with retractable aerodynamic elements. But this system is not in place to improve downforce but to reduce rider air pressure by 22 percent, as per Moto Guzzi. It helps bend air around the rider's torse, reducing fatigue during long rides.

Tijo is an engineer, mechanic, and an avid content creator. He is a grease-monkey who loves tinkering with automobiles every now and then, when not busy penning down his passion for them. He has always had a soft spot for JDM and is keen on diving deep in for anything that involves wheels and engines.