• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Making fairings from scratch

  • Thread starter Thread starter isaac
  • Start date Start date
I

isaac

Guest
So I've been doing some thinking recently about what I'm going to do to the bike. I've considered two types of visual modifications: Chopping the rear fender and seat, and painting it all matte black - like a ratbike or more specifically the Bol d'Noir bikes.

The other choice, toward which I'm strongly leaning, is a unique sport bike mod. I'm talking "holy cr@p is that a new model?" type of modifications. This would include a slight lowering job, reshaping of the seat, introduction of more fiberglass on the tailsection, and fairing additions.

I've taken some looks at my friend's 96 Katana and have done some test fittings with spare Katana fairings. It'd be a stretch but I could get those to fit if I mutilated one.

Today I thought up something crazy: Making my own fairings. I'm not talking something crazy like a dozen scoops and scallops per fairing or anything; I'm thinking along the lines of a Ducati 998 or 999 - smooth, to the point and thats about it, as seen here:

index.jpg


Anyway, the question is: Has anybody done this? Has anybody here worked with fiberglass? My sister's boyfriend is one of the top fiberglass guys on audio installs in the country so he could help me a bit, but fairings would be new to him too. Ideas? Thanks a lot.

I've noticed the "air scoop" mod done on some bikes, but that's a prefab. I'm going for something much more extensive. Hopefully I'd be able to make the fairings a one piece per side setup, so that it'd be simpler.
 
good luck, i am pretty sure you need some sort of mold to make fiber glass boddy peices, i think you are in for a worl of LOADS of work, and money, your best bet is to work with what you have and try to work with in those parameters. or maybe try to get existing body pieces from other bikes to work and reweld some tabs for them. ask your sis bf how easy it is to work with sheets of fiberglass.

-ryan
 
I dunno. I think trying to using other machiens farings would be more difficult than actually making your own.

Working with fiberglass isn't that hard. The mold is the "difficult" part. but in this case, if you're ok with elbow grease, you can just make a positive mold, and use conventional surface coating/painting techniques.

Check out how RW riley makes bodies. http://www.rqriley.com/frp-foam.html
That's the easy way. Some foam from the hardware store, some sandpaper, and some fiberglass. Scrape/melt out the foam afterwords, and you'll have a dandy fairing.
 
Sweet! That's what I'm looking for. I'll have to check out the ole foam supplies at Home Depot.
 
The real trick with the fairing isn't going to be fabbing as much as design. Whatever you do isn't going to be much fun if it doesn't have good Aerodynamics.

Then again, if a bike is functional with a windjammer, it'll work with anything...
 
Fairings... yuck.

Naked bikes are cool.

Which brings up another point. Better get an oil cooler or something. These old air cooled bikes don't like to be wrapped in a fiberglass blanket.
 
Thankfully along with the entire GS 1100 front end the PO also installed an oil cooler, so this should work.
 
Jethro said:
Fairings... yuck.

Naked bikes are cool.

Which brings up another point. Better get an oil cooler or something. These old air cooled bikes don't like to be wrapped in a fiberglass blanket.
Click to expand...

Bull!!! it has never worried my 1150 and it is the full faired version, it can get rather hot here too you know.
Dink
there are even quite a few heavily modded Kat's running around in Oz with full fairings on and no oil cooler.
 
There's a guy in Madison with an early '90s ZX-11. He bought it crashed, built his own adjustable bar risers and fashioned a fairing out of the rubber from an old conveyor belt. Seriously Mad Max looking machine. Ugly as f u c k hell.
 
Bull!!! it has never worried my 1150 and it is the full faired version, it can get rather hot here too you know.
Dink
there are even quite a few heavily modded Kat's running around in Oz with full fairings on and no oil cooler.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it! You're lying! :lol:

Just kidding. I guess I wasn't thinking of the 1150's with full fairings and such.
 
Jethro said:
Bull!!! it has never worried my 1150 and it is the full faired version, it can get rather hot here too you know.
Dink
there are even quite a few heavily modded Kat's running around in Oz with full fairings on and no oil cooler.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it! You're lying! :lol:

Just kidding. I guess I wasn't thinking of the 1150's with full fairings and such.
Click to expand...

My 82 XJ is the same way buddy. The wrap actually helps cool the bike,.... when moving :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
Steering Dampner/Stabilizer for 1979 GS750E
Replies
14
Views
961
81gs7501166
8
G
Tuning and Jetting My 1982 450
2 3 4
Replies
65
Views
9K
JJ
J
T
(Re)Introduction/Project Thread 1982 GS 1100 EZ Resto-Mod
Replies
4
Views
393
Turtleface
T
F
Eletrical Parts Replacement Clarification - 82 850g
Replies
4
Views
326
fb9
F
D
Soon to Come!!!
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
darkbane
D
Back
Top