Fairing & Windshield Compatibility

[jgalle]

I would like to get a Fairing and Windshield for my 82 XJ1100. However, I am having no luck. I know Mike Hart has the Fairing from a 79. Hwat I need to know is, What all years of bikes have fairings that should fit the 82 without too much trouble? I am going to call some salvage yards, and keep my eye on eBay, but I need a broader range of bikes that should be compatible.

Appreciate any help I can get here...

[Mike Hart]

It's not so hard to find a fairing - the crucial piece is the bracket that mounts the fairing to the frame! Front of XJ frame is same as all other XS's, so any bracket you find to fit XS11 will fit XJ11.

Note the XJ gauge pod sticks up higher than the XS versions, you will need to put a spacer (about .4-.5 inch) between the bracket and the fairing to clear your pod when you turn the bars. Well, maybe not all fairings will have that problem, but the 79F Yamaha fairing needed more clearance.

[Bob]

brackets & fairing

Ok. Since xs's & xj's use the same fairing brackets...I may have some news for you. I removed the fairing from my 79 xsF. Kept the fairing & brackets (2 pieces). Won't ever use them again. Brackets in good shape, fairing is......well......fair, needs rewiring. I'm sure I have the 4 mounting bolts somewhere in my box of "leftovers" . Am willing to part with either or both.

[Jerry]

Spacer with the Yamaha fairing on an XJ...good to know. The Vetter didn't need the spacer, but you do have to relocate the XJ's horns to some other location. I made up a couple "L" brackets and used these to mount the horns to the Vetter bracket.

Keep in mind that handlebar-mounted windshields are not interchangeable, as the XJ uses the square handlebars while the XS has round ones. Different hardware would be required to put an XS unit on an XJ.

To my knowledge, you are limited to looking at an XS11 or XJ11 bracket if you want a bolt-on unit. Other double-downtube brackets would have to modified to work. Not impossible, but would involve some cutting and welding.

At one time Pacifico made a bracket-mounted fairing similar to the Vetter. An Oregon-based company (Swanee) who made Pacifico and carried Vetter parts was sold then burned down. Now out of business. Amoung other things they made an adapter plate that allowed the Vetter fairing to be mounted to the Pacifico bracket. Vetter uses 3 bolts per side, the Pacifico only 2. You might be able to make up an adapter if you run across a Pacifico bracket. Again. due to frame design, your only choices are the XS or XJ versions of the bracket.

[Mike Hart]

Jerry, I forgot about the horns! BTW, my fairing had a am/fm/cassette in it, and that's what interfered with my gauges. Fairings w/o that might clear just fine.

BTW, I put a pair of VW Jetta horns on my XJ, on the fairing bracket, like so:


They are very loud

My lexan spacers show here too, kinda crummy looking, oh well.

[HadTX750]

Jerry,

I read your post about the Vetter fairings using 3 bolts on each side to mount on the bracket. I don't know about other Vetter models but the one I use is a Windjammer SS and my brother uses a Windjammer IV on his '80 GS1000 Suk. Both our Vetters use only 2 bolts on each side. I thought this info might help someone with their choices. I really love my '78 XS11 standard. It's got 85k miles on it and it still does the biz.

Austin

[Jerry]

2 bolts s correct, sorry for the error. I have a Windjammer IV on the XJ. Info on the Pacifico bracket is still correct; they do use a differnt mount arrangement. Adapter place had countersunk bolts to attach the adapter to the Pacifico and was drilled for the Vetter mount. Price was about $20.00.

Some of the Yamaha gear (don't know which years/models) was built by Pacifico under contract, I beleive. I don't know if the brackets are/were the same between the Yamaha and Pacifico branded fairings.

As a side note, I left the headlight shell in place when I put the Vetter on the XJ. Removed the headlight, removed the turn lights but replaced them with short bolts to keep the headlight bucket mounted to the ears. Vetter made a rubber cap that fit inside the headlight shell to make it look better and keep water/bugs/stuff out of the bucket. I bought the cap at a bone yard for $5.00. If I ever want to "naked" all I have to do is bolt the turn lights back in and reinstall the headlight. Other installs I have seen remove the bucket and ears, but I prefer to keep all that wiring contained and out of sight. I have no problems with clearances between the headlight shell and the fairing.

[MartyA]

Is there different mount designs? I had to take the light and nacelle off, my Vetter would not fit, otherwise. The ears did remain, though. I think I have a III, how do you tell? There is a little plate with the name and address, but there is no "version" designation on it.

[Stray Bullet]

FWIW, i would go the extra step and remove the ears before mounting the fairing. otherwise, they will be ruined over time.

any of you fairing guys have a square lens you wanna let go??

[MartyA]

Hah, you should see what my kids did to mine. I will be needing a 78E light and nacelle soon, also.

[Jerry]

How to tell what Windjammer you have...good question. Mine had decals on it that said Windjammer IV, also some styling differences (IV came with locking right hand cover). It has the built-in turn signals as well.

Don't think there are any differences in the Vetter mounts between the various versions. There are in lowers, though. (Optional guards that bolt to the bottom of the Vetter fairings.)

As to leaving the headlight shell in place, I repeat: no clearance problems between the headlight shell and the fairing. Don't know why the ears would deteriorate if left in place; mine has been set up this way for the last couple years with no observed damage/deterioration.

Vetter made the headlight cover, so I assume leaving the bucket in place was a pretty common practice. I think it looks better to have it there, as well as providing a convenient place to hide all the wiring and connectors. Have ridden through some *hard* rains in the last couple years, have not had problems with wiring getting wet. Wouldn't say the cap is waterproof, never really checked, but leaving the bucket in place has not caused any problems with the wiring.

If you have to take the bucket off, thats one thing. But if you can leave it on, as in my case, I don't see any real reason to remove it.

Going back a couple posts...my IV didn't have the radio option. I didn't have any problems fitting it to the XJ other than moving the horns.

[MartyA]

As I mentioned, I don't know if I have a II, III, or IV. I do have the right side locking cover, leather (well, vinyl maybe) snap on on the left. Got an antenna on the right, looks like maybe original, and extra wires were inside for the radio and antenna cable. No place to mmount the radio, musta just set it in the compartment. My signals are also built-in, and I have the lowers, with 3 bolts each.

8 years ago I bought the bike without the fairing mounted, the PO had it and he included it in the sale. I waited two years before I put it on. This was my first fairing. Loved it. Very straightforward installation. BUT, it would not clear the headlight. Could be there is a small difference in mounts that were available? If I recall, it needed about an inch or so. Maybe someone fabricated this one?

I also had an adapter to flip the headlight wiring. If you plug the fairing wiring directly to the headlight, the hi beam was on when the headlight switch was on lo beam, and vice versa.