fairing or windshield

[Giblet]

While I do enjoy being "in the wind" from time to time, there's no sense being worn out from hanging on if you are a daily commuter. I have a National Cycle Plexifairing III on Bathsheba which can be removed in less than 5 minutes.

 

[brower]

Thanks

Thanks

I appreciate the thoughtfull, resoursefull and some times passionate answers to my question. I respect and take them into consideration. I have a Vetter full fairing from a gs 850 which (and I appologize to the vetter advocate) I cannot make myself put on, I'm 27 and still young and stuborn enough to bite the bullet on this one. On the other hand, I would like a little something. I apprecite the vetter style and function but I'm not looking for that much function. I admit this is based on vanity but as I mentioned I think these bikes are some of the best looking on the road.

From reading all of the thought provoking responses I am leaning toward a bar mounted windshield, perhaps something from NC. This is due mostly to function, cost, style (in that order). I will also be looking toward a frame mounted fairing as I've seen on some of the gs1150's, I'm sure I can rig something up.

I forget the gentlemen who offered to send me some pics of his bike with the maier fairing. Although I have decided to go against this idea, I would love to see the bike. It looks great from the small photo I saw.

Again, thanks to all who have taken the time to respond.

All the best and safe travels

 

[Guest]

I'm 27 and still young and stuborn enough to bite the bullet on this one. On the other hand, I would like a little something.
......I am leaning toward a bar mounted windshield, perhaps something from NC. This is due mostly to function, cost, style (in that order).

Sounds like the small NC Deflector might be ideal for you too....it's the one I went with, for some of the same reasons you mentioned....I don't do much serious touring, though the shield made a huge positive difference on the few 500 km/ day rides. (I'm no 'candyass', to borrow Grandpa's term, but fighting the wind at high speeds on the highway gets old after a couple hours)

Thanks for the kind words, Ron. We will have to trade bikes next time we meet for a ride....I suspect you might find the GS a bit sluggish though, after the modded B12!
Tony.

 

[RobGS850L]

Even a small shield makes a big difference. Just go about 60 or so and hold your hand in front of you and feel the difference. Move it up and down and you can notice it does something. I ride fairinged sp? bikes and ones without.Even sportbike types are very noticeable in the improvement.

 

[kilog55]

Even a small shield makes a big difference. Just go about 60 or so and hold your hand in front of you and feel the difference. Move it up and down and you can notice it does something. I ride fairinged sp? bikes and ones without.Even sportbike types are very noticeable in the improvement.

do you have one on the 850? looks like a swept back one if you do.

 

[Steve]

Although I have not yet ridden behind a Vetter (we have one here, ready to go on my son's 850), I have ridden behind several other frame-mounted fairings. I have also ridden behind a few handlebar-mounted windshields, and have even ridden one bike with both, for a good comparison.

That bike was a '79 KZ1300. We ordered the big fairing when we picked up the bike, but they were not available for a while. I offered to put the Plexifairing on, but my wife said "no, we'll wait until the big one gets here". Nine miles home, mostly city streets. Half-way there, she asked me how long it would take to put the Plexifairing on, she was getting blown off the back of the bike.

It took a while because I had to enlarge the opening for the rectangular headlight, but it was on before I went to bed. We did a 500-mile trip less than a month later, so got a bit of road time on it, too. When the big fairing came in, I installed it. It took much longer to install than the Plexifairing, but it was worth it. Wind protection was surprisingly about the same. The big difference was storage capacity. The pockets on that fairing were bigger than some saddlebags I have seen on bikes today.

Comments about wind buffeting and handlebar-mounted windshields tend to be subjective. I have ridden my wife's 850L with its Plexifairing 3 out on the freeway, and have been able to take my hands off the grips, even when passing trucks. Not sure if there might be something wrong with her bike, making it less sensitive to gusts, but I'm not complaining.

.

 

[kilog55]

i wish i still had pics of my 850 with the vetter on it just so you could see how it ruined the lines of the bike (to me anyways)

this is the same as the one i took off cept mine is black and has the windscreen

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NOS-....c0.m245&_trkparms=72:543|65:12|39:1|240:1318

 

[rustybronco]

I can't believe no one coughed up this answer...
buy another bike, then you will have one with a full fairing and one without!

 

[BigLou]

i wish i still had pics of my 850 with the vetter on it just so you could see how it ruined the lines of the bike (to me anyways)

this is the same as the one i took off cept mine is black and has the windscreen

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NOS-....c0.m245&_trkparms=72:543|65:12|39:1|240:1318

I tend to agree that those Vetters and even early factory fairings "ruin the lines" but as I got older, form took a backseat to function. Especially when my wife in on back.

 

[kilog55]

yeah i thought it took too much from the bike i only rode it a few miles on a dirt road with it on so i couldnt say as if i noticed a difference or not on the hiway

 

[dpep]

While I do enjoy being "in the wind" from time to time, there's no sense being worn out from hanging on if you are a daily commuter. I have a National Cycle Plexifairing III on Bathsheba which can be removed in less than 5 minutes.

What kind of handlebars do you have? I am wondering how that shield would fit on superbike or european style bars.

 

[8trackmind]

I can't believe no one coughed up this answer...
buy another bike, then you will have one with a full fairing and one without!

I agree. This is the best (and most obvious) answer.
I have three GS's. One naked, one with a cafe fairing, and one with a Vetter Windjammer.

 

[Planecrazy]

I rode for years on a GS550L with a handlebar mounted, medium sized windscreen. Now I ride behind a GS1100G with a Vetter (sometimes with lowers, sometimes without) and as Don pointed out already there is no substitute for SOME kind of protection when you're commuting on a regular basis with no control over the weather conditions on any given day.

The frame mounted fairing is MUCH easier in windy conditions than a handlebar mounted windshield will be, especially when we're talking hundreds of miles at a time. As for weight, the truth is that the "BIG" Vetter doesn't significantly change the handling dynamics of a big motorcycle - ask anybody whose ridden "spirited" twisties with me on my fully dressed "G" and they'll tell you I have NEVER had difficulty keeping up with the naked bikes. On the contrary, I have been MUCH more comfortable when conditions went to hell in a handbasket and they were forced to ride naked...

Since you already have a Vetter, the obvious choice would be to do the commute naked a few times and then do it with the fairing. You can always opt to purchase a handlebar mounted windscreen after the fact, but since all it takes to remove the Vetter is four bolts it's certainly not a big job ... Toss the headlight back on the bike and away you go.

Obviously the fairing frame isn't too pretty without a fairing on it, but for occasional "naked" trips it's a small price to pay for all the advantages the Vetter brings to the table. Besides, if you DO buy a windscreen you'll wind up with three different options - fly naked, use the windscreen, or use the Vetter. It's always nice to have the flexibility to dress the bike according to the season and your immediate needs!

Regards,

 

[dpep]

i wish i still had pics of my 850 with the vetter on it just so you could see how it ruined the lines of the bike (to me anyways)

As far as image, when I see a fairing on a bike my first impression is the owner is a serious motorcyclist, someone who uses his bike for more than a toy and probably has a lot of miles on his record.

I understand about the lines. You did not say if your bike had hard luggage or not. I think if you have a fairing you need at least a box or bags on the back to complete the look. If only half of the bike is setup for utility and serious traveling it doesn't work practically or visually.

If you don't want to go the fairing route initially my suggestion would be the Plexifairing III and soft luggage.

 

[kilog55]

yeah no luggage just a black leather helmet bag on the luggage rack, i still have my vetter and the stuff to attach it if i want to add it on.

 

[Planecrazy]

yeah no luggage just a black leather helmet bag on the luggage rack, i still have my vetter and the stuff to attach it if i want to add it on.

Truth is, with an "L" model it's hard for ANY fairing to really work with the lines ... the "L's" were stylistically intended for nothing more than a small windscreen in my opinion. Still, function can often be more important than form, "L" or not. Don's 850G, with its standard lines, works much better with the Vetter than an "L" would.

Regards,

 

[kilog55]

yeah eventually i will add a screen im sure just not any time soon. only thing that bothers me is the amount of wind coming off a big truck while im passing or vice versa

 

[Gimpdiggity]

As far as image, when I see a fairing on a bike my first impression is the owner is a serious motorcyclist, someone who uses his bike for more than a toy and probably has a lot of miles on his record.

I understand about the lines. You did not say if your bike had hard luggage or not. I think if you have a fairing you need at least a box or bags on the back to complete the look. If only half of the bike is setup for utility and serious traveling it doesn't work practically or visually.

If you don't want to go the fairing route initially my suggestion would be the Plexifairing III and soft luggage.

Off topic, but I like that yellow.

I have been thinking about doing my GS1KG up in yellow this spring...

 

[Grandpa]

yeah eventually i will add a screen im sure just not any time soon. only thing that bothers me is the amount of wind coming off a big truck while im passing or vice versa

This is no big deal, I assure you. Wind coming off a big rig, with or without windshield -- no perceptible difference.

 

[Guest]

This is my '81 GS750E with a Slipstreamer Spirit shield. I've had a number of different shields and the Spirit is the only one with minimal helmet buffeting but it does block too much air when it is hot. I've now removed the shield, replaced the rect. headlight with a round one, replaced the speedo/tach with a Acewell digital unit and installed Daytona handlebars. Haven't ridden it yet so we will see if I want to go back to another shield.