Fuel economy

[motoman]

Are fairings an aerodynamic improvement or a weight/drag liability?//////
I imagine up to a point Larry, there is some aerodynamic improvement. I DO notice a bit less fuel use on a long ride when the lowers are on my Venturer and some increased stability cutting through strong winds. Some opinions favor the Pacifico over the Vetter for better aerodynamics, and visually, would have to agree. The Venturer's fairing with stereo mount, side trunks/frame work, tail trunk/carrier rack adding a 100+lbs. to the total weight would seem likely to counter any minimal mileage increase. The added weight of the fairing on the front, the Venturer having progressive springs/air assisted make for a very stable planted front-end at interstate speeds in heavy winds. Ridability improvement when mother nature is throwing 'ugly' at you.........definitely..........rest is speculative with many uncontrollable variables..........IMO.

[Gyrogearloose]

I think individual riding styles has a lot to do with mileage. If you like to stretch your face, you don't mind dropping into low where there's power and torque, and shifting close to redline. If, on the other hand, you're a mellow-fellow and like cruising, you probably hate stopping..whether at stoplights or stopsigns, and keep it in the highest gear possible where there's fuel efficientcy to be had. I try to take advantage of looking far ahead and making breaks for myself without having to stop. But, then again, there's taking advantage of what an 80' Special will do: lose a tailgater after deliberately stopping at a stopsign, and then accelarating the fool into history. It's nice to have access to both worlds. Most of the time I get 41-43 mpg, and have never dropped into the 30 mpg range.

[TopCatGr58]

Like Motoman said, a full fairing/lowers, etc, probably does add to the aerodynamics, but a smaller handlebar windscreen may or may not add/subtract to the air flow. The front round wheel starts cutting into the air, then it comes to the nice flat headlight, as well as the handlebars, etc, along with your upper body, arms. The lower portion of the engine, your legs are still in the wind with just a small fairing, but if the fairing/windscreen is wide enough to extend around the bars and headlight, then it probably makes for a smoother pathway for the air to flow around the bulk of the front end as well as your upper body, and then swirling around behind your back.

Looks like another Mythbuster's project aka the truck tailgate aerodynamic's myth!
T.C.

[xsroadrunner]

While I liked my windjammer for protection from mother nature..I found it to actually decrease my gas mileage. I've removed it because I wasnt really happy with it. The faring had a lot of vibrations when going over the road and worse on rough pavement. At higher speeds the windshield itself would start to cavitate. I always checked all mounting points and they were rock solid...never could quite figure out why it would do that..others who have WJ dont have this...must be something inherently wrong with the WJ I have...

[xsroadrunner]

Like Motoman said, a full fairing/lowers, etc, probably does add to the aerodynamics, but a smaller handlebar windscreen may or may not add/subtract to the air flow. The front round wheel starts cutting into the air, then it comes to the nice flat headlight, as well as the handlebars, etc, along with your upper body, arms. The lower portion of the engine, your legs are still in the wind with just a small fairing, but if the fairing/windscreen is wide enough to extend around the bars and headlight, then it probably makes for a smoother pathway for the air to flow around the bulk of the front end as well as your upper body, and then swirling around behind your back.

Looks like another Mythbuster's project aka the truck tailgate aerodynamic's myth!
T.C.

Now that would be fun...but those guys like to blow up stuff...maybe we could get them to try an explode a 750 rear differential

[STEPPENWOLF]

Well I was on the same run as DGXER and rode behind him and we fueled up side by side and we both took the same amout of fuel..he was nakid with a stock 11 FD and I have the 750 fd with a Vetter fairing,saddle bags and a fanny pack...well I did put in 1 tenth of a gallon less but that is not signifigant.
I usually just run the cheapest gas from Greedway with ocassional gas from BP or Sunoco when on the road and mileage is always around 37 to 42 and I am a consevative rider.

[XSive Okie]

Still trying to get issues lined out on my special. Riding conservatively or not, she goes through most of one tank in a day, which is about 30 miles over all. Going to pull the carbs this winter, and check float levels and make sure PO didn't put in wrong jets or something. Idles great, and is awesome at top end or wide open, but mid-range acceleration and cruising, there is no power, and lots of "burbling" from the exhaust. Laying the ears back on her produces lots of mosquito killing black smoke. I hope to get in the 30-40 mpg range someday!

[cywelchjr]

Still trying to get issues lined out on my special. Riding conservatively or not, she goes through most of one tank in a day, which is about 30 miles over all. Going to pull the carbs this winter, and check float levels and make sure PO didn't put in wrong jets or something. Idles great, and is awesome at top end or wide open, but mid-range acceleration and cruising, there is no power, and lots of "burbling" from the exhaust. Laying the ears back on her produces lots of mosquito killing black smoke. I hope to get in the 30-40 mpg range someday!

That's horrible mileage. That does sound though very much like the symptoms you get from the wrong kind of jets though, with good idle and high range but extremely rich in the mid-range.