Hi from Ireland

[Dave Ireland]

I've come late to the ownership of a Vetter fairing - my previous encounter with one was favourable, but it was only brief and I recall being reasonably ok with it. At the time, I hadn't ridden anything with a full fairing on, so had nothing to compare it to.
Afterwards, for a couple of years in the late 80s I owned a BMW R80 with the RT fairing on it, and that, to me, was the gold standard of fairings - although the feet-warming aspect of it was helped greatly by those two huge pots directly in front of my toes. After the BMW I bought the first of my GS850 Suzukis and fitted one with a phony Vetter copy - it was dreadful. Not that that put me off real Vetters - I knew the Real McCoy was better than that, so when a Windjammer IV came up recently at a bargain price I snapped it up. I'm in the process of rebuilding one of the 850s and have just snagged a genuine Vetter mounting bracket for it, and soon will get a pair of lowers. For the past 20 years I've run a simple wide bar-mounted fairing and a set of DIY lowers, which were very effective but ugly as sin
I reckon on having this one back on the road just in time to meet the coldest bit of the year and will see what it's like then. I'm slightly concerned about warm feet, and the lowers don't look low enough, so will probably have to extend them a bit.

 

[brianinpa]

Welcome to the forum from the other side of the pond! When it's cold, put on an extra layer and warm socks and keep on riding.

 

[Dave Ireland]

I suppose it will be detail work; I've no doubt the fairing and the factory lowers will protect my hand and legs, and where necessary I'll add some extensions.
I was intrigued to see that CV actually invented the Hippo Hands. They'd been available for years over here under the generic name of Bar Muffs, but I'd never known of the originals - again, something that made very little market penetration here because of import duties and exhange rates, so gave rise to a burgeoning copy industry, losing the originator any credit in the process.
I've used bar muffs, on and off, for many years, and found them to be a wonderful thing - my hat's off to CV for designing them in the first place. If only generations of motorcycle riders knew what they owe to him. They're still a hot seller, even on sport bikes, this time of year. Many riders think they're ugly (and some riders truly are), but the ones who realise that warm hands are a life-saver and what's on the bars isn't really seen by other traffic, so doesn't matter too much about appearance, are the ones who put survival above looks.
I've never understood those who won't fit decent weather protection because they don't like the look of it - pretty stupid, really.

 

[Alan 63]

I suppose it will be detail work; I've no doubt the fairing and the factory lowers will protect my hand and legs, and where necessary I'll add some extensions.
I was intrigued to see that CV actually invented the Hippo Hands. They'd been available for years over here under the generic name of Bar Muffs, but I'd never known of the originals - again, something that made very little market penetration here because of import duties and exhange rates, so gave rise to a burgeoning copy industry, losing the originator any credit in the process.
I've used bar muffs, on and off, for many years, and found them to be a wonderful thing - my hat's off to CV for designing them in the first place. If only generations of motorcycle riders knew what they owe to him. They're still a hot seller, even on sport bikes, this time of year. Many riders think they're ugly (and some riders truly are), but the ones who realise that warm hands are a life-saver and what's on the bars isn't really seen by other traffic, so doesn't matter too much about appearance, are the ones who put survival above looks.
I've never understood those who won't fit decent weather protection because they don't like the look of it - pretty stupid, really.

How cold does it get in your part of the world, or how cold before you decide not to ride?
Alan
My bikes will be shredded next week I expect here in Saskatchewan .

 

[Alan 63]

Shedded for the winter , not shredded..... Spellcheck
Alan

 

[Dave Ireland]

Round about here it occasionally gets to -10decC, but that's unusual. More common winter temps are hovering around freezing in the morning and from dawn onwards it steadily climbs to an afternoon high of 4 or 5degC. I don't ride when there's still visible ice on the road, just too much chance of dumping it heavily. What I really need for a winter hack is a small, lightweight trials bike - or a sidecar /trike.
The biggest difference a fairing makes to me is the shielding from cold wind blast. I simply can't tolerate that - it's no fun, nothing invigorating about it, and it's dangerous, too. I spent too many miles doing that in years past and want to avoid it totally.

 

[Kynan C.]

Welcome to the forum Dave! Im sitting here in Cali not really knowing what cold is. I have a client and friend whom lives in Dingle Ireland. I hope to visit one day soon.

Got any pics of your Vetter goods?

 

[Dave Ireland]

Got any pics of your Vetter goods?

Only the ebay seller pics, so far - I should have it by Monday, with any luck.
It's a bit sad looking, but will respond to some TLC and a pot of paint, I've no doubt :
Doesn't look too bad from this angle...

But it gets worse...

All the bits are there, though, including a screen with I can shorten to get me going until I cut a polycarbonate one for longer term use.

There's a genunine Vetter bracket on the way, and some other spares, including front turn lenses and bike wiring harness. I'll have this on fairly soon, then off again for a quick dab of paint, along with the rest of the bike parts.

For 20 quid, I couldn't pass it by.

 

[rob.lafady]

Welcome from Washington state!

 

[Kynan C.]

Just look dirty more then anything. It will clean up nice. Looks like somebody did a speaker modification.

 

[Dave Ireland]

I wait so see if the speaker positioning is any good. I suspect it will lose a lot of effectiveness by being directed at the fuel tank and probably sound a bit boomy, too.
I'm still seriously considering a CS enclosure, and perhaps mount a pair of small auxiliary pods for oil temp and voltage instruments either side of it. Time display can be a simple bar-mounted type that won't put any parasitic drain on the battery.

 

[Kynan C.]

You can use the cycle sound pod in full range and then use those holes for woofers.

 

[Dave Ireland]

I like it - the outer plastic panels will give some reverb right enough. Need some Dynamat or similar, I think

 

[Kynan C.]

Yep Dynamat or Boom Mat spray. Thats what I coated the inside of my Cycle Sound with.

 

[Alan 63]

I wonder if that speaker mod would weaken the structure of the windjammer much.
?

 

[Dave Ireland]

A round hole cut with a bit of care shouldn't, really. A jagged hole, hacked out with a breadknife, who knows.

 

[Kynan C.]

I wonder if that speaker mod would weaken the structure of the windjammer much.
?

I am guessing on the technical structural engineering side of things, perhaps. In this general sense I am guessing it wont matter much. By putting screws and speakers in it should add some more strength to what was lost by cutting the holes.