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THE PROJECT
At the end of seventies, Formula One racing cars had a front radiator, but it was clear that this choice considerably limited any progress in streamlining and also in defining the vehicle. Shortly afterwards, radiators were placed to the side and progress had a chance to develop much quicker.
From this standpoint, today\'s motorcycles are still tied to the past: the frontal radiator offers mediocre performance and drastically limits streamlining, which also affects the development of the entire vehicle.
With the Tornado, Benelli is writing a new chapter in motorcycle technology, and not just at a theoretical level, i.e. within the scope of the concept bike or competition prototype to be put on display in showrooms, but proposes a new and leading-edge hypersport having two sure outlets: mass production and high level challenge in production racing.
The frontal radiator, that \"opening\" upon which the entire machine depends, is a conformist choice: not necessarily the best position, but surely the most conventional and easiest to realize.
AGAINST TRADITION
The front radiator of a multicylinder, busy cooling the liquid inside thanks to the outside air which is at a lower temperature, is in fact heated by being very close to the exhaust manifolds.
Designers are thus obliged to increase the dimensions of the radiating area in order to obtain the desired performance, with the disadvantage, however, of a larger section in the front air intake section.
At the same time the radiator is \"obscured\" by the front wheel which creates the well-known \"Magnus effect\", i.e. an area of vacuum wider than the real front section of the tyre.
It can thus be assumed that the frontal radiator of a motorcycle has 50 percent lower performance than the effective capacity its dimensions allow.
To make things worse, it must be remembered that to discharge the rod-hot air accumulated inside the fairing, \"outlets\" are needed. And these, even if well-designed, further affect streamlining, which is already affected by the radiator\'s wide section.
With the Tornado, the radiator is placed under the saddle, and receives fresh air from two dynamic vents, fed by two narrow vertical openings situated just below the turn lights.
\"Clean\" turbulence-free air arrives under the saddle, and travels straight through the radiators to exit the back of the motorcycle, utilising the low pressure zone at the rear of the bike, to create a vacuum effect.
REDUCED DIMENSIONS
Furthermore, this prevents heat from gathering in the middle of the vehicle, and therefore the rider is freed of those hot blasts on legs and chest, every time he stops or rides slowly. This solution offers a further advantage: the rear radiator, unaffected by heat coming from the engine, can be 20 percent smaller than a traditional frontal radiator, to the advantage of easier positioning inside the vehicle and relative weight reduction. The saddle has to be insulated to protect the rider from the heat, but this is no problem: in fact, a large part of the electronics can still be conveniently housed in the tail section.
A SURPRISING SHAPE
Seen from above, the Tornado highlights an absolutely unorthodox shape. The front, thanks to the lack of a radiator, is very tapered. The bike widens out at the tank and engine, then narrows at the saddle, to better gather the rider\'s legs.
This results in truly top-level streamlining, and perfect for high-speed riding, when it takes a lot of power to break the air-barrier formed in front of the bike. Beyond 280 km/h - the Tornado\'s reference speed when air resistance is at it\'s highest, a smaller front section drastically reduces air resistance, thus all the power on tap can be used for achieving top performance (at the same applied power, every improvement in air-resistance translates into considerably higher top speed).
Furthermore, by exploiting the radiator\'s unusual position, the Benelli Design Centre has managed to explore new paths in design, free of the unusual dependence on the front section.
This results in a totally innovatory motorcycle, from a styling standpoint, in addition to a mechanical one. The outcome of choice that are not merely an exercise in styling, but used instead while well-aware of mass production and competition.
Article courtesy of the official Benelli web site.
