BMW Gives Winglets Another Purpose

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A front view shows the winglets (33) and the LEDs that are inset within them. (BMW/)

The advent of aerodynamic winglets on MotoGP and Superbikes isn’t universally loved—creating a technological battle that adds little to either the spectacle or the R&D value of racing. However, love them or leave them it looks like they’re here to stay, and the inevitable result is that streetbikes are sprouting similar protrusions.

On the street you’re unlikely to ride fast enough for them to generate much downforce, let alone brake or corner hard enough to exploit it, but the winglets do help on the track, and BMW is looking for ways to make them worthwhile on the road as well. As a result, the company has filed a patent for illuminated winglets, allowing it to eliminate other components and at least partially offset the weight and cost that they add to a streetbike.

BMW’s M 1000 RR homologation special has perhaps the largest aero winglets currently on the market. (BMW/)

BMW’s latest M 1000 RR is probably the most extreme interpretation of racebike aerodynamics to be available in road-going form, and the more mainstream S 1000 RR isn’t far behind. Both feature huge, biplane wings on the fairing sides, and the new patent application is clearly based on those designs. What’s new is that slim, horseshoe-shaped LED strips are embedded into the leading edges of the winglets to perform double-duty as both daytime running lights and turn signals.

BMW’s S 1000 RR currently sports large aerodynamic wingelets. (BMW/)

It’s one of those ideas that’s blindingly obvious, really. At the moment, both the S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR have turn signals in their mirrors in an effort to avoid additional protrusions on the sides of the bike, but that solution adds weight and cost. The winglets sit exactly where many bikes already carry their turn signals, so why not use them instead? The LED strips might not weigh a lot, but in the winglets their mass is lower and further forward than it would otherwise be, giving a tiny added benefit in terms of weight distribution.

Like many modern cars, the daytime running lights and turn signals would share the same space. Most of the time, when the direction indicators aren’t in use, the DRLs would remain illuminated, only turning off on one side when the turn signal is switched on. The DRLs are arguably the biggest benefit of the idea, sitting separately from the main headlights and much farther apart, defining the widest part of the bike. The patent explains, “The motorcycle is therefore not only more front-heavy, but also appears wider to oncoming traffic, particularly in the dark, due to the laterally protruding flow guide elements. As a result, the motorcycle is more visible, and its speed can be estimated more easily.” So while winglets might not have much aero benefit on the street, these ones promise a different sort of safety benefit.

Another item shown in the patent, are puddle lights that illuminate the ground under and around the bike when parking. (BMW/)

Another part of BMW’s patent is a second lighting element, mounted in the lower surface of the winglets and intended to project a puddle of light onto the ground. Again, it’s something that’s already fairly common in cars; many have puddle lighting to illuminate the ground you’re stepping out onto. It’s less common on motorcycles, but there are aftermarket companies that offer puddle lights, coming on when you stop to give a better view of the surface that the sidestand is going onto. The new BMW patent even suggests that the projector light could be fitted with a transparent liquid-crystal display, allowing the pattern projected onto the ground to be altered.

The lighting idea suggested in BMW’s patent as a side effect of the presence of winglets could actually turn out to be much more useful to most riders than the aerodynamic purpose they’re originally designed to serve.

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