Fairing vs. No fairing.

[BA80]

The only time I ever experienced any kind of wobble with the windshield was around 100MPH. Although it was a little unsettling it wasn't dangerous to my experience.

It seemed to only happen under certain circumstances too, not regularly.

[Poprock]

Great looking scoot. I have thought about buying a new shield for mine so I can run short in the summer for cooling, longer in the winter for warmth. But I still don't want to look through one with rain on it.

[Mrtinajero]

Great input everyone. I just bought a headlight with turn signals from eBay and I'm just waiting for it get here, so I get to keep the fairing in case I do any traveling. But I'm just going to be going back and forth from home and work for a while which is about 30 min away. After my first trip I'll post what my results are. Thanks everyone

[cywelchjr]

I would certainly recommend keeping the fairing since if you sell the bike you want be able to do so with the fairing since that increases the value since that's how the bike came (and the ONLY way it came). Anyone looking for an 81H is going to want the fairing that goes with it almost for sure. Frankly, I've ridden both ways, and I find I prefer keeping the fairing on and just cutting the windshield down so I'm looking over it and so I get the wind for my face a bit if I open my faceshield on my helmet but it keeps any real wind off my body. I do want to get some lowers though.

[Elevener]

I spent 40 yrs riding with no windshield or fairing of any kind except for a brief stint behing a fork mounted Wixom type. A buddy of mine borrowed the bike and crashed it so the Wixom went away. Never missed it as I hated the way it affected the handling of my ride. Anything fork or bar mounted will be the same!
Now after the said 40 yrs, I have a windjammer on a bike as I rode it home from purchase. I could not believe how smoothly the ride home went. I did some repaint etc on the Jammer and now it is my favorite ride for rides longer than an hour.
I also have lowers which do make it very hot in the nicer temps.
Each to his own but I do not wear eye protection, ear protection etc when I ride the jammer bike. I get no buffeting as I have it adjusted so it fits me. As many of you know I have several bikes so when it is time to ride I choose which bike suits the day and go from there.
Point is that while I always enjoyed the wind in my face I am older now and I love the almost "Lazyboy" feeling I get behind the Jammer and lowers.
I would never ever ride behind a fork mounted screen again. If it is not attached to the frame I would toss it in a second. The difference is so incredible that one has to ride behind it to see the difference.
I set my riding position on my non-shielded bikes to reflect my riding style which works for me. I have done away with all rotor tiller bars except for the 81LH I am currently working on. Once it is actually rideable I will decide what I want on it.
Everyone has issues with heat and rain etc but the simple fact is that for our climate a jammer is so very very nice. It makes for a much longer riding season here as well as it makes sense when you opt to ride to work and then the weather changes and you have to ride home in the rain or worse snow.
Bought my first bike at age 12 and am 54 now. You could not have told me until the day I rode behind one how wonderful the Jammer is. If I had not taken that one single ride I would have junked or smashed every Jammer that ever seen.
I hate the look but DAMN it is no nice to ride behind!!!!

succinct post. I still think fairings are for cagers though, age isnt a factor

[cywelchjr]

succinct post. I still think fairings are for cagers though, age isnt a factor

A fairing isn't even remotely like a cage, even a cage with a convertible top or t-tops (I've had both BTW, and have a t-top Camaro sitting in my garage), there is a world of difference. And the experience behind a fairing is heavily influenced by how tall the windshield is as well, the lower it is the more outdoors you are, the higher it is the more protected from the wind you are.

Some of us have wider bodies than others. For those of us with wide bodies we feel like a sail going down the road. The fairing fixes a lot of that if not all of it. Also notice that ALL modern touring bikes have fairings now, some handlebar mounted and some frame mounted, and pretty close to all sport bikes have fairings, full body ones, theirs being more for the body of the bike, but when you tuck they work for the rider too. I guess we have to agree to disagree, cause I don't agree that fairings are for cagers, they are for riders who are not comfortable having their entire body being hit by the wind of their riding, generally allowing them to ride further per day for the same amount of effort/work on the part of the rider.

[Elevener]

I have a bandit and a klr, both have a fairing of a sort. Still sit like a standard in wind. Full fairing like a windjammer or somthing though...not for me.

And yes I have never ridden a bike with a fairing but know I dont want to. If its better thats just admitting Im older . Not gonna happen. I really dont understand the arm thing. Course I dont understand the whole "monkey butt" thing either. And yes I have done an iron butt just not registered. I have never had a problem with stock seats. Guess it pays to remain "young at heart"

[ViperRon]

Parts is parts

I do not like the name cager's. Seems so defining in its nature. I do not want to be called cager and I certianly do not want to call you other guys donor's. So depending on the place and type of riding you do, your (enviroment), choose the best safety and comfort equipment availiable. Have a happy ride make sure you arrive alive.

Its alright now
I've learned my leasons well
You can't save everyone
You have to save yourself

[crazy steve]

The only time I ever experienced any kind of wobble with the windshield was around 100MPH. Although it was a little unsettling it wasn't dangerous to my experience.

It seemed to only happen under certain circumstances too, not regularly.

I'll agree with Greg on this one; the only time I ever had any issue with a bar-mount windshield was in some extreme crosswinds, and I'm not too sure that any sort of wind protection including a fairing wouldn't have done the same or worse.

But neither Greg or myself are running one of those big 'barn door' windshields like the big Plexifairing either (I've got a Cyclear about the same size as Gregs on my Sporty), I could see one of those being a problem.. awful lot of frontal area to act as a lever...

[BA80]

Actually Steve I took the windshield off last fall and put a fairing on and it has kinda spoiled me. I don't know if I'll take it off.

[crazy steve]

Actually Steve I took the windshield off last fall and put a fairing on and it has kinda spoiled me. I don't know if I'll take it off.

You're getting older......

[cywelchjr]

I'll agree with Greg on this one; the only time I ever had any issue with a bar-mount windshield was in some extreme crosswinds, and I'm not too sure that any sort of wind protection including a fairing wouldn't have done the same or worse.

But neither Greg or myself are running one of those big 'barn door' windshields like the big Plexifairing either (I've got a Cyclear about the same size as Gregs on my Sporty), I could see one of those being a problem.. awful lot of frontal area to act as a lever...

I've ridden in quite extreme cross winds with a vetter frame mounted fairing and with no fairing at all, and have found at low speeds the bike catches the wind slightly more, but at speed the bike is actually more stable than without the fairing at all, and the fairing is NOT able to act as a lever, which is why Craig Vetter designed it that way in the first place. This is also why all modern touring bikes mount their fairings to the frame, this prevents any winds forces that hit the fairing from being transmitted to the handlebars/forks, but rather to the frame, which is far more stable because of the very forces that keep the bike upright and stable in the first place.

[T99Ford]

My fully faired vehicle, and I can even ride in the snow!



I don't begrudge anyone liking and owning fairings, but when I listen to the reasons for fairings (less wind fatigue, warmer, no bugs, you can talk to the passenger...) I can't help but just skip to the next logical step of just taking the car. It has fully climate control, no intercom is needed, great stereo, better traction, loads of seat and leg room, and zero wind fatigue if I want it that way. It is great in the rain, too!

I'm still a no fairing guy...no wait! I guess I did put one on the VTR:



But then, the wind at 160 mph is kinda fierce...

No fairing hating here, but no love, either!

[motoman]

Actually Steve I took the windshield off last fall and put a fairing on and it has kinda spoiled me. I don't know if I'll take it off.


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THAT Jammer fits your scoots theme well!.....along with the soft side cases.........my vote: leave it on Greg!