The Bavarians have filed patents for an idea that proves, once again, BMW is at the absolute cutting edge of “form follows function” aesthetics.
Coverage from CycleWorld shows the patent’s blueprints; here, BMW is getting ready to put lights in their winglets for daytime-running lights (DRLs) and turn signallers.
It’s a smack-your-forehead moment, to be sure; if winglets are here to stay, why not stick some lights on them? They poke out farther from the bike (working perfectly with turn indicator visibility), and the lights would be lower to the ground, aiding the bike’s center of gravity.
The answer? Acceptance of winglets was an iffy topic until the past decade or so, when MotoGP’s bikes started using them in earnest.
“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,” explains CycleWorld.
“However, love them or leave them it looks like they’re here to stay, and the inevitable result is that street bikes are sprouting similar protrusions.”
Given that current Daytime Running Lights add decent weight to the finished product (and this new design’s LED strip pair would make easy work of the traditional bulb package), BMW bets this design will not only be safer, but will also make the bike look wider to oncoming traffic, “due to the laterally protruding flow guide elements.”
Would you be down for LED-embedded winglets?