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Author Topic: High-MPG speculation: What would Tom Ogle have ridden?  (Read 17811 times)

T.S. Zarathustra

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Re: High-MPG speculation: What would Tom Ogle have ridden?
« Reply #15 on: August 01, 2025, 01:11:00 PM »

Putting small bolt on screen on my SR gives me about 3% increase in range, no tucking.
SR/F vs SR/S is interesting since they both give "380 MPGe (0.62 l/100 km)" as gas equivalent mileage.
If you look closer at the numbers. City/highway mix is nearly the same (What Zero calls "High-Speed Highway Commuting" but if you click the little "i" you see it's actually a 50/50 mix). City only the no fairing bike scores better. Could be because of the less weight. There are no 100% highway numbers, but from the way the other number are one would imagine that the faired bike would score better there.
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princec

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Re: High-MPG speculation: What would Tom Ogle have ridden?
« Reply #16 on: August 01, 2025, 01:29:45 PM »

I recall that the SR/S was claimed to have 15% less drag in a full tuck ... flat out. So not the greatest or most practical of improvements.

Cas :)
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flynnstig82r

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Re: High-MPG speculation: What would Tom Ogle have ridden?
« Reply #17 on: August 01, 2025, 10:03:40 PM »

Vetter greatly reduced the cross wind issue by making the fairing shorter. Cutting the tail off. If you keep the length of the bike with fairing similar to original length it is not taking much more cross wind than the bike without fairing. Like this guy (Allert) did. Over 230 mpg with 20 year old engine technology and what-looked-to-be-right fairing. https://www.velomobiel.nl/allert/Recumbent%20motorbike.htm With actual CAD designed, aero flow optimized fairing, and better tires, he could probably have gotten over 300 mpg.
Most streamlining fairings seem to be designed for maximum efficiency at max speed. If they are instead designed for average speed, the fairing doesn't need to be as long and can taper more aggressively at the back.
There are varying degrees of streamlining. You don't need to go full fairing streamlining to get some results. There was a Dutch guy that put simple fairing in his Gen2 Zero and reported something like 10% increase in range.
It's awesome to see the ideas and simply brilliant solutions that some people come up with. Even just covering the spokes in the wheels gives few % increase in mileage.
Good to know. Maybe a practical electric successor to the BMW C1 or Benelli Adiva will come out someday, after all! I ran into Alan Smith back in c2019 on his green streamlined EVA 107. I wonder if he still rides it? He said it got him about 100 miles of range with the 13.4 kWh battery compared to my SS9 that got 60 on a good day. 100 miles with the 13.4’s quick recharge sounded pretty good to me! The Experia is already more aerodynamic than the EVA so the improvement wouldn’t be as dramatic if someone streamlined it, but I bet 180 miles highway wouldn’t be out of the question.
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2007 Yamaha FJR1300 AE

Past bikes:
2020 Energica SS9 13.4 kWh
2017 Zero SR 13.0 kWh
2011 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring
2016 MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800
2012 Yamaha FZ6R
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