Fairings? What are they like to ride with one on?

[Grandpa]

Yeah, Brian Wringer. He's extreme, he's old, and he's "naked." Always an exception to every rule, eh?

[jdfet1]

Full fairing for me

I have tried the no fairing and the full Vetter fairing. I LOVE having the full fairing!!! As has been said, more room for gloves, maps, glasses, and just all around stuff. I dont like being pellted by bettles and those dreaded snot bugs. It does block the rain and any debris that might come flying up from the vehicle in front of you. I also have the cycle sound and have added a headphone jack that works off of the rear speakers setting. That way its not blaring at the stop lights. Or I can set it to the front speakers and listen w/o the headset. The only performance issue I have had is that the bike likes to try and take flight at about 98 mph. Didnt know I was going that fast!
I have also put a cig lighter in the fairing so that I can charge my cell phone. I also have the lowers and up here in Illinois it gets chilly later in the season. The lowers channel the heat from the engine up to your legs and also keep stuff from hitting your legs like small rocks and the occasional ground sqiurrel. lol
Anyway, as it was also said, its a personal preference but the full deal is definately mine. Maybe someone who has a full fairing can let you try theirs out. They can be a bit of a pain to mount especially if your only mounting it to try it out.
Good luck.

[seuadr]

Yeah, Brian Wringer. He's extreme, he's old, and he's "naked." Always an exception to every rule, eh?

man i oculd have died happy without that image in my mind

[dpep]

If I only had one motorcycle, it would be faired or at least have one of those full coverage plexifairing fork mounted thingies that everyone seems to like. You can ride farther, more often, in worse weather and--what is most important to me--quieter. Yes, I wear ear plugs, but it is still a lot louder without a fairing than it is with a fairing. If you aspire to a lifetime of motorcycling and don't want constant ringing in your ears to begin at some point, everything you can do for quiet is your friend.

I have for most of my 40+ years of riding been behind a winjammer or other frame mounted fairing. I was not in my younger years and recently I have been experimenting with different protections.

I have pretty well decided I will either ride with a full fairing or nothing. Small windshields to me combine the worst of both worlds. They look nice but they create more turbulence around your head than you would have if they weren't there. That was my experience anyway. If you are going with a windshield it needs to be a big one and you need to have your head up pretty close behind it.

What I discovered, and why a frame mount fairing works much better, is that while everyone focuses on the air coming over the top, much if not most of the turbulent air comes up from underneath the windshield, small windshields especially. The fairings extend back almost to your knees diverting that air from below.

[terrylee2u]

One small difference between a fairing and a windshield.. headlight is fixed on a fairing but not a windshield... just more for thought~

[Larry D]

Those calling on Brian W. He's back in hospital getting his leg worked on today. Nothing too serious. The Dr is going to put some bone growth stimulant on the break to help it heal better. It's an outpatient surgery and should be home tonight. He's on the IR for a couple weeks.
I know we hope he gets back healthy soon !!
I live in Indy and he's been over to the house a few times helping with my rebuild. A nicer man you will never find !!

Hope you're not upset that I let the cat out of the bag, Brian.

[Grandpa]

Thanks for the update, Larry D, on our good friend Brian Wringer.

[jdfet1]

Just a quick thought on the full Windjammer. You will have an extra headlight and turn signals. I have mine and thought about selling them. I will probably keep them though... just in case....

[Zook]

One small difference between a fairing and a windshield.. headlight is fixed on a fairing but not a windshield... just more for thought~

USUALLY, but not always...
My Guzzi SPII gas a fork mounted fairing with incorporated headlight, then there's that popular thing known as the Electra Glide....

[argonsagas]

DIY windshield method /instructions that I have used, as promised


(I will post this under TIPS as well)

Make your own fairing-mount windshield

Other clear plastics will work, but my recommendation is the product name of LEXAN.

LEXAN is a product originally made for outer-space applications. It is stronger, for both weight and thickness, than other polymer products, such as lucite, and less prone to yellowing.

LEXAN comes with at least one side coated in sticky paper. Usually both sides are coated with this as a protective covering..

If there is only one side coated, this is the side you will use for marking the shape.
When drawing, place the unprotected side down on a piece of soft cloth that is large enough to cover the entire area. This is an important step in avoiding scratches.


Step one

If you have an old windshield, or just the base part of it, remove it carefully from the fairing because you want to use the bottom part to use as a template for drilling holes in your replacement.

If you have an original full windshield that has yellowed or become badly scratched, but is the right height for you, remove it and it will be the full template for a new one, which can be an exact duplicate in size and shape.


Step two

If the original shield is too low, or too high, then get a piece or cardboard from a thin box ( a cereal carton will do nicely) and tape it against the original one.

Get someone to hold the bike upright while you sit on it, then lower or raise the cardboard until it suits you. No, it is not the same if you use the centrestand.

I prefer having the top of the windshield at least an inch below my eye level when I am seated comfortably. Note that if you have a passenger on board, the effective windshield height may seem to rise, depending on how it is mounted.

Once the height is found, tape the cardboard to the old shield and trim it to shape with scissors.


Step three
.
.

Remember to cushion the plastic underneath to protect from scratches.

Place the old windshield, or the new cardboard/shield template flat against the covering on the LEXAN.

A small tip.....unless you are very sure of your measuring skills, it is a good idea to make the new piece a bit taller than you think you need. It can be shortened later, if necessary, but not stretched.


Use a small-tipped felt marker held lightly against the shield or cardboard and trace the outline onto the covering.

Set aside the old part(s)

Step four

If you have a bench mounted scroll saw you just cut the perimeter of the LEXAN .

If using a portable jig saw or spinsaw (the blade looks like a drill bit and spins instead of moving up and down) then having an array of 2 x 4s helps here. They can be moved around to accommodate the blade as it moves around the work.

BE CAREFUL TO AVOID SCRATCHES.

That means lifting the plastic and moving the wood to accommodate the blade, then returning the plastic to the new bed.

Cut it and you are done, but DO NOT REMOVE the coating yet.

Now, place the original shield tightly against the new work, put them both against a piece of 2x4 or other wood, and clamp lightly.

Using the old ‘shield as a template, drill the new mount holes right through the old one. This gets you proper placement of each hole and the wood beneath it allows for a clean edge, without splitting.

Be sure you are using a sharp drill bit. If unsure of sharpness use a new bit.

.
A belt sander will do the needful for shaping. A bench-mounted one will be very nice, but a portable one works very well.

Use ONLY a “fine” grit belt.

It is best to clamp the new work lightly to prevent flexing while you sand it, and to prevent your cutting too deeply, which would given you the wrong shape.

A rough sanding is all that is necessary at the moment.

Fit the new windshield to the bike, using the stock mount mounting parts.

Note that this means you will need rubber (or other flexible material) washers and if there were none, or the old ones have perished, get new ones.

If you have the deep-centre washers that allow the screw/bold head to nest inside, use them on top of the rubber washer/spacer.

If not, use a stainless washer, and be certain you use a pan-head bolt or screw. This means the bolt/screw head will be flat at the point where it contacts the washer.

Snug them all in place, but do not tighten (the protective covering is still in place and must be removed later)

Now sit on the bike, with someone helping to support it, and be sure it fits well for you.
If a substantial amount is still to be removed, de-mount the work and go back to the cutting bed.

Adjust as necessary with the jig/spin saw

If only a nominal amount of adjustment is needed, use the belt sander. FINE grit only while the LEXAN is mounted on the bike..

Once the height is adjusted, use the belt sander to clean up the final shape.
USE A LIGHT TOUCH and KEEP MOVING..

Do several passes INSTEAD of a single heavy-handed one.

Holding in place for too long or using too much pressure. will cut away far too much material.

Once shaping is completed, put away the sander. There may be a temptation to finish the edge with it, but resist it.

Use a sanding block...the foam-based ones are ideal. Using the fine grit always, rub the edge of the plastic to take away any grit that remains.

Loosen the bolts/screws at the mount area and peel back the covering.

Re-tighten the fasteners.

Now the flexibility of the foam sanding block will help.

Using a light pressure, press the sanding block against the edge just enough to make it confirm to the edge. Do this slowly so you make no mistakes. This will round it off just a bit and give you a finished edge, without scratching the surface.

Now remove all the coverings and go for a ride.

[OhioEric]

nicely done! Thanks!

[jdfet1]

When you are dealing with Lexan (Poly Carbonite) you will need to remember that it scratches very easily. IF you do get any fine scratches, you can get them out with a blow dryer or heating gun. BUT, practice on a scratch pc first as the PC will bubble when over heated!!!
The only thing I didnt hear about was how to contour the new windshield....

[argonsagas]

When you are dealing with Lexan (Poly Carbonite) you will need to remember that it scratches very easily. IF you do get any fine scratches, you can get them out with a blow dryer or heating gun. BUT, practice on a scratch pc first as the PC will bubble when over heated!!!
The only thing I didnt hear about was how to contour the new windshield....

I apologize....forgot about that completely.


For the GK shaping was not necessary.

This is because with 1/8 inch thickness the new part may well conform to the shape of the platform on which it is mounted...in this case a pre-existing fairing, and the upper part is the same size as the bottom, or narrower than the bottom.

But it DOES have to be bent carefully.

Once cut out, I fitted it at the middle, with a loose bolt. then bent it to one side, used longer than standard bolts and then the other side, slowly bending it into conformity with the fairing mate surface.
Once bent into approximate shape, I switched to the original bolts and again tightened it as you would torque an engine part....a little, then move to another bolt, then go back, etc, until it was finally locked it into place.

Any additional "cushion" used can be removed after all positioning has been completed. Then you remove one bolt at a time, and replace it before doing another.

Note
It is VERY important that the surface which accepts the bolts be cushioned to avoid cracking. In this case "cushion" means using a rubber disc between the bolt/washer and the plastic surface to spread the pressure over a larger area.


With the Bandit I could not use that method because the windshield is wider than the mount area, so I planned on bending the plastic.

That was fun because it was cold in the garage.

It may look easy, and it is, once you have a sure means of holding the work in place, and at the correct angle.

Basically, you need a frame in which to place the part and the frame has to be flexible, plus sturdy enough to maintain rigidity.

A wood frame with three sets of hinges will do nicely. (that makes four pieces for the frame). This can be bent to accommodate whatever basic angle you need, and it can be tied with a strap.

You have to design you own frame, but DO allow enough thickness for the outer pieces to permit a vertical piece to be nailed /screwed there and then a small piece be added on top of it in an "L" configuration to hold the edge of the plastic when the material is bent and to keep it in place.

If you are bending "cold" the L section (and the plastic sheet) goes on the inside of the bend.
If you are bending with heat, the L section goes on the outside.....more on that.

In some cases the pressure alone will permit the plastic to reach the desired shape, but you may have to go a bit farther than the original shape, as there will be some return, as the plastic tries to unflex.

In other cases, you may need to use heat to get the necessary shape.

I have tried shaping it by bending the plastic to suit, and then heating it with a heat gun, and this works. Hopefully yu have a gun that has a heat range, instead of On-OFF.

The results depend on how well you use the gun, as movement cannot be stopped or the surface will overheat wherever you pause, and may distort..

Buy a piece that is larger than you need for the bike, and after your size is cut out, use the scrap part for practice. You NEED to practice a bit before doing the actual work.

It might be safer to use a hair dryer, but a fair amount of heat is required, and not all will do the job.

MOST important:

If you try using the frame method with heat, note that the frame goes on the INSIDE of the curve, so you need to use a cloth or something fairly soft to avoid having the plastic tough the frame and scratching the surface, and to act as insulation and avoid cold points, which affect the bending of the material.

When bending cold the blanket performs the same function, but insulation is unnecessary.

Having the frame on the inside of the curve when heating is essential. All of the material must be heated to permit even bending but the heat must be applied to the outer surface of the material as the bending is done because this is where the stretching will occur.

[OhioEric]

...forget about around town, forget about the twisties for a minute...

How about on the interstate, the superslab, at 70 mph , in traffic?
how much better is a fairing vs. a windshield that is handlebar and fork mounted???

any real difference?

[Planecrazy]

...forget about around town, forget about the twisties for a minute...

How about on the interstate, the superslab, at 70 mph , in traffic?
how much better is a fairing vs. a windshield that is handlebar and fork mounted???

any real difference?

In a nutshell, MUCH better! Simply put, at speed a handlebar-mounted windscreen is constantly affected by turbulence and crosswind, which tries to turn the bars away from wherever you're pointing them. A frame-mounted fairing doesn't do this...

A small windscreen isn't that big of a deal (I had a pretty large one on my 550L), but the larger ones can give even a seasoned rider the occasional surprise if a big wind comes up. Bottom line: I prefer the protection and would happily ride with either versus riding "naked," but given the choice I'll take the fairing every time. There are plenty of fairing styles to choose from (though availability can sometimes be a challenge - Ebay is your friend here), so opting for a fairing doesn't automatically mean you have to put a "barn door" on your bike.

Regards,