Windjammer Wannabe and Just General Rag on Fairings Thread. Opinions Welcome.

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Sorry, I just can't get past the fugly. Not a Vetter, but I wasn't long finding a dumpster for it. Think I still have the windshield in the basement somewhere.
 
I guess i not see fairing i like for 650 yet...except cafe style, no tourer fairing look right fit...someone needs to make one.
 
Fairings and comfort...….GoldWing, '85, '86, '87 Interstates. A very comfortable bike to ride, and the fairing just makes it even more comfortable. I ENJOY riding it in the rain, looking over the windshield with my helmet visor at half closed position. The guys that have had all of the GoldWings say that the '85 - '87 were the most comfortable.

Scott
 
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These very old design Emgos are a fine option for cafe builds. The bubble shield shape is a little long and odd but can be reshaped easily with a sanding block.
Very usable if you are willing to customize
Happy Thanksgiving!
 
I actually made my own mount for that Torque Commuter / Vetter knock-off that was on my 1975 XS650B - the one that Mailman showed earlier in this thread. The fairing was really cheap (like $100 I think) because there was no mount. However, I was an impoverished engineering student with nothing - except access to an excellent machine shop and “low cost” materials.

So, I just took a piece of 1/4” thick x 2” wide steel that I “found” in the short-ends bin and drilled appropriately spaced holes for muffler clamps and lashed it to the two downtubes below the steering head and then I took another pierce of the same stuff and welded it cross-ways to the fore & aft axis of the bike on the upper edge of the first piece at the appropriate angle - with the bike sitting level. Then I fabbed a mount for the holes in the fairing out of two pieces of 1/8” x 1” steel and that assembly was welded to the second (cross-ways) piece of 1/4” x 2”.

The mount was perhaps a bit heavy, but you could park a train on it and with some rubber bungs in the fairing mount bolts, it worked perfectly and stayed together for about 50,000 miles till I traded the bike in on my 1979 Suzuki GS850G in the early spring of 1981.

Don’t forget the rubber bungs - some people suggest that these XS650s vibrate a bit, ya know!

Sorry - no photos but I suspect you can get it.
 
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JimD54 said:
I picked up this fairing yesterday. I wasn't looking for one... more like it found me.
- - - If you don't know anything about fixing and modifying fiberglass... stay tuned.
Click to expand...

Hi Jim,
congrats on finding an age-related fairing.
About working with FRP, it's another ATGATT thing.
The sanding debris will rip your lungs out and the fumes will rot your kidneys.
 
Its interesting you mention fumes and kidneys. I recently read that they can detect Lacquer Thinner in your urine within 3 hours after exposure to skin. I used to handle and use large amounts without gloves. Trying to change my methods on handling some of these solvents. I appreciate people posting about the hazards that us older guys never thought about. Im in pretty good health but there are alot of people who have been damaged with their use.
Hopefully the younger guys can learn from our mistakes.
 
cra-z1 said:
Its interesting you mention fumes and kidneys. I recently read that they can detect Lacquer Thinner in your urine within 3 hours after exposure to skin. I used to handle and use large amounts without gloves. Trying to change my methods on handling some of these solvents. I appreciate people posting about the hazards that us older guys never thought about. Im in pretty good health but there are alot of people who have been damaged with their use.
Hopefully the younger guys can learn from our mistakes.
Click to expand...

Yeah,
friend of mine wouldn't wear a mask working with FRP because it stopped him smoking. RIP Frank. Kidney failure age 60.
And during my 1950's apprenticeship I was called a sissy for plugging my ears with cotton wool when helping tune up an aircraft engine.
 
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