The motorcycle world is in the middle of a full-blown tech renaissance. From radar-guided cruise control to lean-sensitive everything, today’s bikes are packing more computing power than some laptops. It feels like every month brings a new rider aid, sensor, or aerodynamic widget designed to help us go faster, safer, and smarter.
The latest addition to the ever-growing pile of motorcycle tech? Active winglets. Specifically, Kymco's take on them. Yes, that Kymco.
The Taiwanese brand, best known for scooters and the occasional quirky concept, is now experimenting with movable aero bits designed to keep your front wheel on the ground during hard acceleration. According to a recent story from Cycle World's Ben Purvis, the system uses electronically actuated winglets that adjust their angle depending on how aggressively you're twisting the throttle. The goal? More downforce, less unintended wheelies, and better composure when you're hammering it out of corners.
It's slick. It’s clever. It's fast. And yes, it makes total sense, especially in a world where MotoGP bikes are starting to look more like fighter jets than motorcycles.
But just for fun, let’s flip this idea on its head. What if, instead of pressing the front end down, those winglets were designed to lift it up? Imagine a bike that actively helps you wheelie—on purpose. Winglets that pivot upward as you launch, sending the front end skyward like it's responding to a Red Bull-fueled command: “Send it.”
A factory-installed dumb wheelie device. A software-controlled hooligan switch. A literal forever-wheelie mode. I love it.
Now, before anyone gets too excited (or angry, horrified, or whatever), no, this isn’t real. Kymco’s actual design is rooted in performance and safety, borrowing cues from MotoGP to give riders more confidence at the limit. It’s about keeping the front tire planted so you can accelerate harder, not audition for a spot in a stunt show.
But the hypothetical is too good not to entertain. And hey, I love my wheelies (and you should, too).
Technically, the idea isn’t entirely far-fetched. Aerodynamics can do crazy things. And if downforce can keep the front wheel down, what’s to stop someone from flipping the equation? These wings basically are downturned airplane wings, in that they glue the motorcycle to the road and provide down force. But flipping them up, or letting them stall upward similar to an airplane, could theoretically create front-end lift.
And lifting the front end is how you wheelie. So, with the right equation or programming, as well as the servos within the design to allow for it, you could create an Anti-Anti Wheelie device or Wheelie Easy mode. We already have wheelie control, launch control, and even drift modes in some performance machines. A cheeky “wheelie assist” mode wouldn’t be that wild in today’s context.
Still, the bigger conversation here isn’t really about winglets, it’s about where motorcycles are headed. As cool as this tech is, most riders won’t ever push their bikes hard enough to need it. Adjustable winglets, six-axis IMUs, semi-active suspension—all amazing, but arguably overkill for the average Sunday ride.
And that’s the paradox of modern motorcycling. We’re riding the most advanced bikes ever made, but we’re also stuck in traffic, dodging potholes, or cruising at 50 miles an hour behind a delivery van. All that tech is incredible—but how much of it are we really using?
For some, it’s part of the appeal. They love knowing their bike is smarter than they are, that it’s got their back when things get sketchy. For others, it’s a bit much. They miss the raw, analog feel of simpler machines. No screens, no sensors. Just man, machine, and maybe a questionable tire choice.
Different strokes for different folks.
Still, you’ve got to give Kymco credit. Active aero is the kind of thing you’d expect from Ducati or Aprilia—not a scooter giant. But here they are, thinking outside the box. And hey, if they ever did decide to flip those winglets around and build a purpose-built wheelie machine for the masses? Well, I’d probably volunteer to test it. After all, I love my wheelies, and I try to wheelie pretty much any bike I get my hands on.
Source: Cycle World
