Thrust Vectoring Motorcycle Fairing

A windshield on a motorcycle, car or any vehicle serves the purpose of pushing the flow of air out of the way of the passengers. The thrust vectoring motorcycle fairing replaces a windshield with a ducted fan that directs a blast of air up from the front of the motorcycle. As the vehicle travels forward the jet of air is angled back and over the rider. The rider ends up in a comfortable bubble of calm air.

Some design challenges involved with building a practical thrust vectoring motorcycle fairing include maintaining stability while pushes a large volume of air up into an already turbulent airstream, taking into consideration the effects of side winds, and managing the additional weight of the system on the front of the motorcycle.

The stability of the motorcycle should actually be relatively similar to existing fully faired motorcycles and potentially even more stable. One should consider that a windshield on a motorcycle not deflects wind but is also an object that is acted upon by not only the head wind but side winds and turbulence. The thrust vectoring motorcycle fairing would only be minimally affected by external forces such as turbulent wind. A severe cross wind might push the calm air bubble off center but the cross wind would not push against the bubble as a solid force. Therefore, no significant effect would be set against the motorcycle.

Stability could also be further enhanced by having pressure sensors that could help to actively balance or stabilize the motorcycle through the vectoring of thrust at angle opposite to the force of destabilizing winds.

The weight of the system would be comparable or even less than a motorcycle with a full fairing. With proper design and material usage the system could realistically weigh about half of a large full fairing.

Two additional benefits include a clearer view since there is no windshield to get dirty and increased fuel mileage because the system would not operate a slower or tailwind conditions.