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Preston Petty RIP would make a fortune replacing these!
Cooling and directing air for cooling . That makes sense. Their hypermotard bike has a fender that is the same shape/design. Maybe not an exact copy. But perhaps they saw some sort of benefits on that bike and its on the MX bike for branding consistency. And to duplicate the benefits they saw on the hypermotard in some aspects.
When Cycra and JGR made the new shrouds for the 2010-13 YZ450's they claimed that changing the shrouds and airbox cover added .3HP They said they tested them in a wind tunnel. I would assume they tested at speeds a MX bike would get up to. But they might have pushed more air through than it would ever see on a track to see if it could make more power. They also cut 3/4 of an inch off and made the bike feel much slimer, that and the way they looked was the main reason people ran them. They tested vented front plates too. and it was all for cooling and getting more clean air to the engine.
For the people that think it will impact how the bike is in the air. Have you ever rode with a helmet fin? And could you feel that do anything?
When You look at it from the top , its not as scoop like as it appears from the sides. The 24+ Gasgas fender/plate has a similar scoop area. The Ducati has more of a scoop to it, but the top down view shows that its more winglike than it looks from the sides.
^ I did actually ride with a helmet fin. And no, I couldn't feel it do anything on a motocross track. However, when going flat-out in the desert in 6th on my 125, I felt like I could turn my head and then relax and the helmet would straighten me out. It also whistled a little bit, indicating something was going on.
After seeing another picture of that Ducati fender, I really don't think anything is going to happen. Anything "wing shaped" is much smaller than I remembered. You'd need way more cross-section than that to gain any aero effect.
It’s actually a beak……….not a wing!
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That's my point. Like others have said the speeds on a MX track are not fast enough for it to make an impact. I've ridden with helmet fins, but only on an MX track and not even on a fast dirt road. I could see them making some impact at higher speeds like 65MPH +.
If there was any type of impact on its jumping. I would think that a company like Ducati who seems to be known for their aerodynamic abilities would be the company to realize it was an issue.
Polisport is pumping out Preston petty fenders still.
Looks to be directing air to the radiators.
I'm pretty sure the "holeshot" artist who rode this bike married his daughter
Another "hangnail" reference, this one from Tony Blazier -
Here is another one of my classic motocross brochures. This one covers the 1981 Honda motocross lineup. The 1981 season was a big one for Big Red, with the introduction of their first Open class bike, the infamous CR450R and the first implementation of their first single-shock suspension system, the Pro-Link. You also have the first implementation of liquid-cooling on their motocross like on the new CR125R and CR250R.
This brochure is from the UK and interestingly does not include the hideous “hangnail” front number plates that we got in the USA. Lord knows why someone in the US thought the snow shovel plate was a good idea, but there can be little doubt that the UK version looks one hell of a lot less goofy. I do love those red motors though and these CRs still look pretty damn cool. Enjoy and don’t forget to #RideRed.
And the backstory on how it came into being -
Leave that bullshit for your Facebook friends, we don’t need any of that AI shit on here !
Yeah!
There are plenty of us artificially intelligent types on here already!
I don't know, I'm no engineer but I do know that when I put my hand out the window of my truck at 35mph I can feel a significant resistance trying to hold my arm still. It kinda looks like they tried to make the fender more rigid but be able to use less material. If I wanted to make something thinner I'd have to find a way to add structure. Was it intended to redirect the air? Who knows, but when I see people marketing tiny little variations to get more air to the airbox, or whatnots, it sure seems like aerodynamics should be a consideration. At what speed do you think aerodynamics should be a consideration?
Thanks
Ronnie Mac needs a fender like that, could easily hold a 6 pack.
If only Teefus was here, y'all could try and debate how this will affect seat bouncing.
3 pager on a fender that's gonna race in '26. Yup, you guys are as hard-core as me! 🥴
I know. Are we just reaching for stuff to make a thread over?
This fender starts racing in a few weeks
I dont see the front fender being able to create a laminar flow state across the bike in any way. For laminar flow the air needs a completely smooth continuous surface from front to back to travel along. The front fender is suspended above a very bumpy knobby tire, then you have exposed handlebars and levers above the fender, you have the radiators poking out into the air flow, an exposed engine and frame cradle. Plus you have an entire rider on top of the bike. Way too much turbulence for laminar flow.
Pit Row
Is there the possibility that Ducati made it like this just to look cool and different? 🤔
So you're saying that looks cool? 🤭
lol, well…
I don’t think it even warrants discussion much less a thread. I not gonna be up late tonight analyzing it 😎
You could argue that any change will make a difference, and that's true. But the real question is whether or not it will make a noticeable difference. There are two primary reasons why it shouldn't:
1) Speed: Airflow effects (drag, lift) are related to the square of speed. Our average speeds aren't fast enough to have a large effect.
2) Relative size: Compared to the rest of the bike (and rider), the larger fender portion is pretty small. The frontal area of a numberplate, etc. is there whether that big chunk of fender is there or not. So in a straight line, it's not going to make any real difference. Turn the bike to the side in a whip for something, and it has more of an effect, but it's still really small compared to the rest of the bike and rider (and proportionally smaller from the side as the side profile of the bike is huge relative to the front).
Sure, it's part of the fender, so any extra force will have to be reacted through the bars with the rider resisting it, but it's close to the steering stem, so the moment isn't very large. If it were a big flag mounted to the end of the fender, there would be a reasonable argument. But it's so close to the steering axis, it shouldn't be an issue. And how often are riders whipped completely sideways anyway?
Now to compare this all with your hand out the window, let's say you're driving 35 mph and you stick your hand out flat (parallel to the ground). You'll feel some resistance, sure. If you turn your hand 90 degrees, you'll feel A LOT more resistance. But you've also increased the frontal area of your hand by ~400%! Adding this chunk to the fender increases the overall frontal area 0% when riding in a straight line, and likely less than 1% when whipped completely sideways. The rider's stance on the bike has a much greater effect.
Thankyou chat gpt
Okay, lets keep speeds out of the question and let's say that ducati increases downforce constantly on front wheel by some gizmo... as i understand it that would cause the bike to pull from you downwards while in the air, right?
My question is: Do you like your endos scrambled or hard-boiled?
I would have thought twice about hitting the submit button on this one.
Hmmm... why don't you make that a poll question?
Haven't seen one of those in a while.
right on it good sir.
Bullshit
You need to stop posting you sound dumber a dumber with everyone. There is no way the shape of the fender makes a noticeable difference in how the bike jumps.
It is always the goal to design something that looks cool, but also has a function. Here is a link to an old Honda patent application, it shows you how much thought goes into the design. In Honda's case they are trying to direct air to the radiators and deflect mud from the bike:
https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20160144921
I suspect Ducati has similar goals in mind.
Post a reply to: Ducati 450 front fender wing question..