Fuel economy challenge

[Deleted User 61]

I believe the Windjammer pretty much convinced the OEM manufacturers of the financial wisdom of offering their own full-dress bikes, as well.
Except for, perhaps, the H-D Electra Glide (not sure about that).

[bbelk]

In 1976 I took off on my 1975 Goldwing 1000 for a 21,000 mile trip to discover America. In 1975, Goldwings were as necked as a 1975 Airhead. I overshot a little and ended up in Montreal where I met a guy with a Honda 750 with one of those new Windjammer farings. We set out on the Queens Highway, which was new (for the 76 Olimpics), smooth as glass blacktop at near 100 MPH for a full tank of gas. The limit in the States was 55 at the time. We swapped bikes on the ride and WOW. I could ride with 1 hand at 100 MPH. I had to have one of those farings!

So I went looking. Everybody was sold out! The story was that there was a fire in the factory and production was way down. Maybe Duane can confirm that. They had also just come out with the integrated turn signals and the extra wire for a horn, so of course I had to have that one. I finally found one somewhere in Georgia I think. I loved that faring.

I now ride a 1975 R90 - with a Windjamer on it - only my new one is one of the old ones with the turn signal stems

[Deleted User 61]

I now ride a 1975 R90 - with a Windjamer on it - only my new one is one of the old ones with the turn signal stems

Here's a nice shot of it, Brad, courtesy of Randy!

klikabl pik

[dwerbil]

Here is a little fuel mileage project of mine from 30 years ago (dang ...time flies by).
http://www.pbase.com/dwerbil/image/1322 ... iginal.jpg

The conversion project worked well with the car averaging 60 mpg, in town and highway combined. Performance-wise, it was slow as christmas; relegating it to just small town commuting (I'd get flattened in it here in the Austin traffic). Top speed was 55, in third gear; fourth was just too tall a gear to use. Always wished I could had tried the engine in a Meyers Manx with a close ratio transmission.

[Deleted User 62]

Here is a little fuel mileage project of mine from 30 years ago (dang ...time flies by).
http://www.pbase.com/dwerbil/image/1322 ... iginal.jpg

The conversion project worked well with the car averaging 60 mpg, in town and highway combined. Performance-wise, it was slow as christmas; relegating it to just small town commuting (I'd get flattened in it here in the Austin traffic). Top speed was 55, in third gear; fourth was just too tall a gear to use. Always wished I could had tried the engine in a Meyers Manx with a close ratio transmission.

That's Cool!

[Deleted User 61]

Here is a little fuel mileage project of mine from 30 years ago (dang ...time flies by).
http://www.pbase.com/dwerbil/image/1322 ... iginal.jpg

The conversion project worked well with the car averaging 60 mpg, in town and highway combined. Performance-wise, it was slow as christmas; relegating it to just small town commuting (I'd get flattened in it here in the Austin traffic). Top speed was 55, in third gear; fourth was just too tall a gear to use. Always wished I could had tried the engine in a Meyers Manx with a close ratio transmission.

Wow! Front page news!

So did you get the Ghia? Are you still making ethanol? ( )

What are you driving, today?

Don't let us down, Randy!

[vanzen]

...did you ever build the STILL ?

[Garnet]

75 MPG!!!!!!!!!!! that's just crazy talk.

I hope one of the big oil companies came along and shut you down.

[vanzen]

I have never owned a motorcycle with a Windjammer,
but spent many Ks of miles on a /7 with it's nearly identical clone, the Luftmeister **.
Quite frankly, the experience awakened me to touring
and the realization that a motorcycle had every potential to be practical transportation
rather than simply a sunny day garage toy.
My incentive to buy the /7 with a frame mounted fairing was the direct result
of a disastrous incident with a /5 fitted with a handle-bar fairing,
friends who had Windjammers already fitted to their motorcycles,
as well as Butler Smith's promotion offering the /7 with fairing and Krauser bags
at no additional cost ...
Two relevant factors, then:
1.) Fairings readily available from the after-market at this time were dangerous junk.
2.) The Windjammer design worked, and worked quite well.

Whether one likes the fairing or not has certainly been tempered by the passage of time –
and subsequent fairing development.
But this will be inconsequential to the Windjammer's objective significance.
The reality is that the Windjammer changed the rules for the motorcycle rider
and his/her expectations of long-distance riding comfort and weather protection.
This reality will be clearly evidenced by the fact that virtually every major manufacturer immediately
clambered on-board with their own unique and purpose styled variations of the theme.
The Windjammer may be considered by some to be a "fugly barn-door" today,
but in it's day, Craig Vetter revolutionized the industry with his forward thinking and practical design.


**For purposes of this discussion, I will simply consider the knock-off Lufty fairing
to be a direct consequence of the Windjammer's impact upon the market
and it's formidable influence upon the motorcycle riding experience
– and ignore the perhaps greater issues of design infringement.

[Zombie Master]

"fugly barn-door" then....and now. For me a faring like that is akin to wearing a condom. Yes it provides protection, but it's just not the feeling I was hoping for.