Can You Increase Motorcycle Fuel Economy and Top Speed by wearing a Backpack?

Summary

The video tests whether a large, rounded backpack can improve motorcycle aerodynamics by filling the space behind the rider and reducing drag. The experiment used a 125 cc motorcycle rated at about 8 kW.

Method

The rider stuffed a large backpack with pillows and a sleeping bag to create a rounded shape. It weighed about 9 kg.

The test covered a 10 km highway stretch and the 10 km return route, with a target average speed of 90 km/h. The rider repeated the route in both directions because of strong winds, comparing runs with and without the backpack. The motorcycle’s speedometer read about 5 km/h higher than the true speed.

Results

Setup Average speed Reported fuel consumption Top speed Without backpack 87 km/h 3.3 L 97 km/h With backpack 90 km/h 3 L 104 km/h

The rider found it easier to maintain speed with the backpack and concluded that a rounded shape behind the rider might improve airflow. However, this was an informal test conducted in windy conditions, so the results do not establish that the backpack caused the differences. The subtitles do not specify the fuel-consumption units.

Researchers and Sources

No external researchers or sources were named. The experiment was conducted by the video’s creator, Domas Paketuris.