Dustbin-faired Agni Racer TTZero 2010

Rob Barber at Signpost corner, less than a minute from coming second in the second electric TT race on the dustbin-faired Agni. Barber had won the first electric race, called TTXGP, the year before, at a slightly slower speed, with a normal fairing. This was the first time that a dustbin-faired motorcycle had been raced on the Isle of Man since Bob McIntyre did the first 100mph lap on the Gilera 500-4 in 1957, over half a century before. Rob lapped at an average speed of 89.2mph (from a standing start) while winner Mark Miller lapped at 96.82 on the Moto Czysz.
In 2011 Michael Rutter beat Mark Miller into second when he won at 99.6mph, both of them on Moto Czysz machines.
One can't help feeling that Rob Barber might have cracked the ton in 2010 if he'd been riding an FF with a lower seat and a rear fairing, which is what Cedric Lynch actually wanted to build. There can be no doubt at all that both Miller and Rutter would have lapped at more than 100mph with better streamlining.....PNB
In 2012 Rutter finally cracked the ton, as did Miller.
2013 Update: Michael Rutter on the Moto Czysz pipped John McGuinness on the Mugen to win TTzero 2013 at an average speed of 109mph, from a standing start, for the single lap! PNB
2014 Update: John McGuinness finally won a TTzero, despite suffering from a damaged left wrist, with an astonishing 117mph lap from a standing start on the Mugen Shinden. Team-mate Bruce Anstey of New Zealand was 2nd at 115mph and Rob Barber third. McGuinness was clocked at 164mph on the Sulby straight in practice, but kept it down to 'only' 154mph in the race. Mugen are reported to have paid considerable attention to the aerodynamics. Think how much better the aero would be with an FF!
Photo: Paul Blezard

Dustbin-faired Agni Racer TTZero 2010

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Motorcyclists!

We should be grateful that Paul has put this picture up again. It's difficult to imagine a better illustration of the absolute ignorance of the last 58 years of aerodynamic development displayed by motorcyclists. This bike may well have a lower CD going backwards.

But it's worse than that. It also ignores the aerodynamics current in the mid-fifties, when courtesy of the FIM, motorcyclists stopped thinking. Look at the NSU "Dolphin" that took the 1957 motorcycle 500cc LSR, after their Hammock, which as Arnold Wagner has noted, has the wrong shaped nose, lifted enough to lose control.

Powered Two Wheelers have a future, they're too efficient to ignore. That future just won't be motorcycle shaped - unless everyone else stops thinking too

Rob Hornes FF Racer now in it's own file

It's so good of Paul to put this ancient image up for the third time. Where would we be without these regular reminders of the ignorance and reactionary attitudes of the motorised bicycle racers? Meanwhile pictures of Rob Hornes FF racer, far more relevent to this FF site, can now be found in his own file in "One-Offs", in the Image galleries. Thanks for that Julian. Kinda pathetic it's not still on the front page really.

If anyone regards my comments as uncivil, or inflammatory, they can explain their support for throwbacks like the thing above on this site. I shouldn't think they'd be afraid of defending their position?

Gems like "we explored streamlining on motorcycles in the fifties" (From "Jesper"). You did? And nothing's happened in vehicle aerodynamics since? Whoooo! Where you been?