GT prototype fairing project...(long version)

[Chauncy]

Background...
1. When my bars were stock I found prolonged high speed riding not that much fun. Was essentially just hangin on for dear life. 2. Around here it is always cold year round, but can ride out of it, but a windscreen would warm things up better. 3. Really like the naked GT, so this fairing needed to be easy on/off, no electrical etc. and to be used for long highway trips.(my dealer is 4 hours away!) 4. Wanted a vintage look or feel and able to move with the headlamp.

Found lots of inspiration in old Imola pics, 900ss, old MV’s and British bikes. Even bought the small Ducati screen but returned it. I like the PaulSmarts and Biposto a lot, but did not want to be changing them back and forth. Some other new fairings that some other riders posted are cool too, but fairly pricey- some $300 up to $1,500!. And not color matched, meaning even more $ for paint job. This is just going to be a seldom used windblocker...

Plan of Attack...
Decided on an inexpensive Triumph type fairing to start with. At $69, I didn’t mind cutting it up or ruining it. Then order a vintage Imola windscreen and a headlight hole cover. Cut some gills to match the bike, paint it and tadaa- but not that easy.

Execution...
Needed to move the horns, so I just tilted them up a bit and bent them back, more aero when fairing is off and tighter to the headlamp. Could have used stock bars, but the windscreen would have rested on top of reservoirs, or I could have cut the screen. Was putting on M bars anyway. Practiced with junk windscreens for recumbents that are made near here. (They won’t help with ’motorcycle’ stuff-liability?...). Cut different shapes and sizes just for fun.Had to leave turn signals wide, but may just cut fairing side to accommodate the shortened version. Wrong headlamp cover arrived after a 9 week!!! wait, so just cut it (8 1/2”) with jigsaw and sanded edge. Had #16 decals made, not sure on those. (read- Wife no like, me like) Would like to say I used military-grade Bennelli metal for brackets, but really bought them in door hardware store.To help hold windscreen, painted black but may anodize. Just bent them in vise to fit. Drilled hole and used reservoir bolt to hold to bike. Original fairing brackets needed just a little bending to make a perfect fit. Fit right on the headlamp bolts, very easy, just back them out less than a 1/4 inch and fairing slides right on. Like it was made for for the SportClassic light bracket! Wanted headlamp hole to look a bit bigger so used aluminum tape to deceive the eye. The gills were to match the bike in angle and look, and be an outlet for the horns blast.

Conclusions...
Well, this is my prototype. Just a temporary fairing for the cold, bugs, etc. Not quite as cafe-racer as originally planned but very efficient. Still a work in progress...may cut windscreen to get it a little lower on the fairing. After the lower bars went on, it took away most of the wind force on the torso and so not needed as much.The windscreen is higher than I would like, but man does it work great for that Isle of Man tuck, could lay behind that all day. The cut-out fits my helmet nicely. (Could be dangerous...) Does go on and off real easy, about 2 minutes. Just 4 bolts, all same allen wrench.The tilted lines follow the angles of the seat and tank and frame. Could have spent more time on the gills,(they aren’t right). For the price of this, I like it for what it is. Fairing-$69 from Bella Corse. Comes in black with a small dark windscreen, but I wanted that racer look of the museum 750 in Bologna. So, ClearWindscreen and headlamp cover were $105 and $34 from Florida, then the paint job, not as exact as I wanted either, but close enough. Seems to photograph well. Hope you like all the different photos and that they can help give some other ideas of what you may like.

[dietrichpfeifer]

Wow Chauncy! Cool project. The screen looks really tall in the first pics, but did you say you cut it down in the last pics? Looks better that way. I bet it is great on the freeway.

[Johnny_Crash]

Holy Crap! That's hot dude. I sure hope you're going to make it to the gathering, I'd love to see her in person.

Johnny

[GreyDuck]

I was a bit dubious during your prototype stage.
By the last photo I was loving it......great Job!
ps your wife(style guru) was right about the 16

[Bly]

hey I like it

[lotus23bsr]

That looks awesome, especially the color match. Really nice job on the whole project Chauncy.
Gerry

[BellaCorse]

Looks great. I have one painted to match my bike, but have been too busy to fit it. I see now that I have to do find the time.

/Mike

[krilli]

Well I'll be! Very tasteful. I'd love to see pics of this bike with a rider - any chance?

[jonniedee]

Cool - looks like a R90S

[SpunkytheTuna]

Wow! That looks great. Nice job of color matching, too. Very retro feel to the shape of it,too.