Do farings alter handling ?

[Lead_Deficiency]

Hi Guys,

 Does the addition of stock farings (upper or lower), alter the handling of the bike?
 
 Also do the stock farings cause wind to buffet your helmet?

 Thanks

[Humber]

Yes the fairing brings the difference.... higher windshields change the handling too...

[Lead_Deficiency]

Does it improve or impare and (tough to explain) by how much.

I had an 82 Vision with a small stock faring, really amost was just around the headlight, but it had a fairly high windshield.

[james ransom]

  the twenty pounds on 82 front end will have more of an effect on handling than the 83 front end.
    i am 6 foot and can tell when i stick my helmet out of the bubble of calm air under my standard windscreen ,  my 83 has the shorter bars so i fit lower on the machine changing center of gravity over the front end so all things change with the fairing
 stiffer springs are all you can do to 82 front end
 or adjustable preload fork caps will help but stiffer springs are  

[QBS]

Frame mounted fairings primarily effect handling because of their added weight on the front end.  This makes the bike a little slower to respond to steering inputs.  However, the differance is very small.

In my opinion, handle bar mounted fairings and windshields are dangerious.  This is because they act as large sails that transmit uncontrolled and undesired movements to the handle bars.  This leads to wobbles, especially at high speeds.

To get an idea of how little movement of the handle bars is needed to induce wobble at high speeds,  go to 70 mph and VERY CAREFULLY experiment with putting small nudges into the end of the hand grips.

There is a lot more to be said about this subject.  If anyone wants to know more just ask.

Cheers.

[rick_nowak]

like when the FIM banned the "dustbin" style of fairing, the one which covered the front wheel, from racing?

[Kenny]

  It's a toss-up on my 82 with the Hannigan fairing I noted a difference in fuel milage (better than the bare bike), it also put me in a more comfy long distance position. I had progressive springs along with air and teleflex brace, a Fox single clicker shock. I had no problem setting the pace for a GS 1000 on the Going to the Sun road in Montana.
   I guess once you have a fairing its hard to ride without one. As for the helmut buffeting it depends on how tall you are and where the wind blast hits you.
   On our 83 with the fairing I made my own lexan windscreen which was 2" taller than stock it put the airblast under my helmut, & my head was in non disturbed air while the one I got from Humber even though its taller it makes more noise.
   Lastly if your riding long distances you will do so in comfort.
               Thats all Cheersw Ken S.  

[wolfman]

Having ridden my 82' with both the "shark" and 3/4 fairing on it at his point, I feel qualified to answer.  The Shark (handlebar mounted) fairing did cause wind at freeway speeds to try and make the bike wander around especially when riding in cross winds. (Wind blast hit me at about mid chest level)   The Shark fairing was MUCH quieter on the helmet than the full fairing with the standard height windshield.  The full 3/4 fairing does not seem to be affected AT ALL by high speed or cross winds.  Likewise the weight does NOT seem to have affected hadling in turns, BUT, I do have a subconsious tendancy not to want to lean the bike over as much as the 3/4 fairing makes the overall bike "seem" bigger and closer to the ground when leaning in during high speed turns.  I am 6'1" and the standard height windshield on the 3/4 fairing DOES blast my helmet with a steady wind at speed making it very noisey from buffeting.  I will be adding a higher "spoiled" windscreen this winter. (I'll fabricate it myself as nearly $100 is too much to pay for that piece of plastic thank you.) Front brake performance actually seems to have IMPROVED with the addition of the heavier 3/4 fairing, although I did the fork seals at the same time so that may be part of it.  I will add that when I added the hard saddlebags, luggage rack and trunk to the bike mid summer, it DID feel substancially lighter in the front end at first, but I have gotten used to it at this point. The bags/trunk did not affect handling at all, though I initially thought they might.

[Lead_Deficiency]

Does it take much work to extend the height of the stock 3/4 windshield?

[Kenny]

 An idea from this Company might be a solution for a change in airflow over a stock windscreen. www.saeing.com  have some neat products, that are adjustable, no idea on the prices.  Also Humber has some extended shields for the 3/4 fairings & I believe Gustafsson also sells extended shields.
             Cheers Ken  

[Lou]

Heyall
I'm thinking of simply adding a tapered spacer (cut to the right shape and size)towards the front between the current shield and the fibreglass ('83  stock )thus creating about 1.5 inch height difference. Currently the wind catches me at about eyebrow level and I believe this will dramatically reduce the deafening buffeting and whistling. Any thoughts?
The "saeing" link is broken by the way.  
Lou